Independent Insight Provider, Japanese equities, LightStream Research

Scott Foster

Independent Insight Provider, Japanese equities

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Orders, sales and profits increased substantially YoY in the three months to June (1Q), but new SPE orders declined sequentially (QoQ) for the first time in two years.</li>
<li>Management has lowered 2Q sales and profit guidance in expectation of a weak 2Q. Full-year guidance remains unchanged. In our view, this reflects a wait-and-see attitude.</li>
<li>Major customer Intel has cut capex. TSMC and memory makers see weak quarters ahead. The potential downside risk has probably not been fully discounted.</li>
</ul>


Orders, sales and profits increased substantially YoY in the three months to June (1Q), but new SPE orders declined sequentially (QoQ) for the first time in two years.
Management has lowered 2Q sales and profit guidance in expectation of a weak 2Q. Full-year guidance remains unchanged. In our view, this reflects a wait-and-see attitude.
Major customer Intel has cut capex. TSMC and memory makers see weak quarters ahead. The potential downside risk has probably not been fully discounted.


Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Weakness Not Necessarily Discounted

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advantest-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18107:1" rel="noopener">Advantest Corp (6857 JP)</a> yesterday announced Q1 results, with Revenues/OP/NP at record levels, a H1 div hike of 30%, guidance well ahead of consensus, and a buyback.  </li>
<li>They also announced a Mid-Term Plan revision which shows forward guidance better than consensus. </li>
<li>The buyback is smaller than the last one BUT float is not what you think it is. Understanding float dynamics here is key.</li>
</ul>



Advantest Corp (6857 JP) yesterday announced Q1 results, with Revenues/OP/NP at record levels, a H1 div hike of 30%, guidance well ahead of consensus, and a buyback.  
They also announced a Mid-Term Plan revision which shows forward guidance better than consensus. 
The buyback is smaller than the last one BUT float is not what you think it is. Understanding float dynamics here is key.


Advantest (6857) - Strong SoC Sales, Record Profits, Bullish Guidance, and a Buyback (+ Index Flow)

<ul>
<li>Screen Holdings beat FY Mar-22 profit guidance by a wide margin. This year, management is aiming for 12% sales growth and a 22% increase in operating profit.</li>
<li>New SPE orders have exceeded sales for seven straight quarters and the backlog is at a record high. But 1H of FY Mar-23 is expected to be weak.</li>
<li>A new factory is scheduled to come on line in 4Q, raising total SPE capacity by 20%. The risk is that this will coincide with a downturn in demand.</li>
</ul>


Screen Holdings beat FY Mar-22 profit guidance by a wide margin. This year, management is aiming for 12% sales growth and a 22% increase in operating profit.
New SPE orders have exceeded sales for seven straight quarters and the backlog is at a record high. But 1H of FY Mar-23 is expected to be weak.
A new factory is scheduled to come on line in 4Q, raising total SPE capacity by 20%. The risk is that this will coincide with a downturn in demand.


Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Good Results, Optimistic Guidance, Great Uncertainty

<ul>
<li>In early February 2022, Silchester International Investors (according to its website) sent letters to four low-ROE-earning Japanese regional banks proposing a new dividend policy.</li>
<li>The management and boards of each bank rejected the policy proposal though two of the four had upped their proposed dividend or changed policy prior, and two upped it afterwards.</li>
<li>While <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-of-kyoto" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5248:1" rel="noopener">Bank of Kyoto (8369 JP)</a> is the biggie, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shiga-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18665:1" rel="noopener">Shiga Bank (8366 JP)</a> is another one with significant equity holdings. </li>
</ul>


In early February 2022, Silchester International Investors (according to its website) sent letters to four low-ROE-earning Japanese regional banks proposing a new dividend policy.
The management and boards of each bank rejected the policy proposal though two of the four had upped their proposed dividend or changed policy prior, and two upped it afterwards.
While Bank of Kyoto (8369 JP) is the biggie, Shiga Bank (8366 JP) is another one with significant equity holdings. 


JAPAN ACTIVISM:  Silchester Goes After Shiga Bank

<ul>
<li>The share price has bounced back from the Ukraine war sell-off. Attention should now shift to orders, sales and profits. 26% potential upside to our price target</li>
<li>New SPE orders exceeded sales by 20% in the December quarter, taking the backlog to a new high and pointing to further sales and profit growth next fiscal year.</li>
<li>Management's FY Mar-22 guidance remains unchanged, with sales up 41% and operating profit up 2.2x. Upside potential of 26% to our price target.</li>
</ul>


The share price has bounced back from the Ukraine war sell-off. Attention should now shift to orders, sales and profits. 26% potential upside to our price target
New SPE orders exceeded sales by 20% in the December quarter, taking the backlog to a new high and pointing to further sales and profit growth next fiscal year.
Management's FY Mar-22 guidance remains unchanged, with sales up 41% and operating profit up 2.2x. Upside potential of 26% to our price target.


Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Book-To-Bill 1.2x in 3Q

Japan

SUMCO Corporation manufactures silicon wafers for the semiconductor industry. The Company produces silicon wafers used to produce solar batteries as well as ultra-high purity quartz used to produce vessels for silicon manufacturing process. SUMCO markets its products worldwide.

ROHM COMPANY LIMITED manufactures custom linear integrated circuits and semiconductor devices for use primarily in consumer electronics.  The Company has plants and sales offices worldwide.  Rohm's subsidiaries include Wako Electric and Apollo Electronics.

SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. designs, manufactures, and markets advanced electronic materials, such as semiconductor packages, including leadframes, and PLP(Plastics Laminated Packages).  The Company markets its products worldwide through a network of sales offices in such places as the Philippines, Germany, and Hong Kong.

RORZE CORPORATION manufactures printed circuit board conveyers and wafer handlers for semiconductor manufacturing.  The Company also produces sorters and vacuum chamber robots, as well as controllers and stepping motor drivers used in various automation systems.  Rorze provides parts replacement and repair services for its products.

TOKYO SEIMITSU CO., LTD. manufactures and sells semiconductor manufacturing equipment and measuring instruments.  The Company produces wafer probing machines, wafer dicing machines, electron beam lithography systems, wafer inspection systems, and chemical mechanical planarizers (CMP) systems.

ULVAC, Inc. manufactures vacuum devices for industries such as semiconductor, electronics, chemical, pharmaceutical and food.  The Company's products include pumps, valves, gas analyzers, leak detectors, and surface profile measurement.

MICRONICS JAPAN CO., LTD. designs, manufactures, and markets probe cards, which are used to inspect semiconductors and integrated circuits (ICs).  The Company also makes wafer probers, probe card testers, IC handlers, and inspection devices used for liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing.

TOWA CORPORATION produces semiconductor manufacturing equipment including mold packaging, IC inspection units, precision molds and dies, and plastic molds. The Company also provides technical consultation.

Sanken Electric Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells discrete semiconductors such as diodes and transistors, and analog integrated circuits.  The Company also manufactures various kinds of adapters and surge/transient protectors.

Mitsui High-tec, Inc. produces integrated circuit leadframes, assembly parts, and related equipment.  The Company also manufactures and sells precision machine tools, such as metal molds for presses and machine tools. Mitsui High-tec also operates a real estate business.

MA-COM Technology Solutions Holdings Inc. provides high performance analog semiconductor solutions. The Company supplies semiconductors, active and passive components, and sub-assemblies for use in radio frequency, microwave, and millimeter wave applications. MA-COM Technology Solutions serves customers throughout the United States.

eMemory Technology, Inc. develops and provides logic non-volatile memory (LogicNVM) technology. The company licenses its intellectual property to semiconductor foundries, integrated devices manufacturers (IDMs), and fabless design houses around the world.

Nanya Technology Corp. manufactures and markets dynamic random access memories (DRAMs).  The Company sells its products in Taiwan and exports worldwide.

Sanan Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. operates in the business of researching, producing and selling of LED epitaxial wafers and wafers.

MKS Instruments, Inc. develops, manufactures, and supplies instruments and components used to control and analyze gases in semiconductor manufacturing and similar industrial manufacturing processes. The Company's products are used to manufacture flat panel displays, magnetic and optical storage devices and media, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and diamond thin films.

Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co., Ltd. manufactures discrete semiconductor devices. The Company's main products are High Voltage Diode, Silicon Rectifier Diode, Silicon Bridge Rectifier, MWO High Voltage Silicon Diode and special High Voltage Silicon Diode .

Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor (002129 CH)

Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited manufactures semiconductors on 200mm wafers for specialty applications. The Company's products are used in the consumer electronic, communication, computing and industrial, and automotive industries.

Rambus Inc. designs, develops, licenses, and markets high-speed chip-to-chip interface technology to enhance the performance and cost-effectiveness of consumer electronics, computer systems, and other electronic systems.  The Company licenses semiconductor companies to manufacture and sell memory and logic ICs incorporating Rambus interface technology.

TongFu Microelectronics Co., Ltd. manufactures integrated chips. The Company provides assembling and testing service for memory, microprocessor, micro-controller, hybrid circuit, analog circuit, and other related services throughout China.

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. designs, tests, and distributes integrated circuits which are used in consumer electronics, computer systems and peripherals, and communication network hardware.  The Company also provides technical counseling and systems software services.

SCREEN Holdings Co Ltd.  manufactures and sell semiconductors, FPD devices, commercial printing and printed circuit boards(PCB). The company also provides additional services for its products.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

SCREEN Holdings (7735 JP)