IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Following media reports, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuji-soft-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17504:1" rel="noopener">Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP)</a> announced a pre-conditional tender offer from KKR at JPY8,800 per share, a 1.0% discount to the last close price of JPY8,890 (8 August).</li>
<li>The pre-condition is approvals under competition laws of Japan, Vietnam and possibly Belgium. The offer is anticipated to commence in mid-September.</li>
<li>The offer is a knockout bid and the culmination of an auction process. The board's recommendation and the irrevocables from activist shareholders ensure this deal is done.</li>
</ul>


Following media reports, Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP) announced a pre-conditional tender offer from KKR at JPY8,800 per share, a 1.0% discount to the last close price of JPY8,890 (8 August).
The pre-condition is approvals under competition laws of Japan, Vietnam and possibly Belgium. The offer is anticipated to commence in mid-September.
The offer is a knockout bid and the culmination of an auction process. The board's recommendation and the irrevocables from activist shareholders ensure this deal is done.


Fuji Soft (9749 JP): KKR Pre-Conditional Tender Offer at JPY8,800

<ul>
<li>Nikkei and Bloomberg report that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuji-soft-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17504:1" rel="noopener">Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP)</a> will be privatised through a KKR-sponsored MBO at a price just below JPY9,000, a 21.8% premium to the last close.</li>
<li>The rumoured privatisation proposal is the culmination of a sale process initiated by 3D Investment Partners, the largest shareholder, in September 2023.</li>
<li>The Board will meet tomorrow to discuss the proposal. The rumoured offer represents an all-time high and a knockout bid, suggesting a done deal if a binding proposal materialises.</li>
</ul>


Nikkei and Bloomberg report that Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP) will be privatised through a KKR-sponsored MBO at a price just below JPY9,000, a 21.8% premium to the last close.
The rumoured privatisation proposal is the culmination of a sale process initiated by 3D Investment Partners, the largest shareholder, in September 2023.
The Board will meet tomorrow to discuss the proposal. The rumoured offer represents an all-time high and a knockout bid, suggesting a done deal if a binding proposal materialises.


Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Rumoured KKR-Sponsored MBO

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>A variety of articles of recent from private media sources have suggested that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/teijin-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5097:1" rel="noopener">Teijin Ltd (3401 JP)</a> has its 55% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/infocom-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8412:1" rel="noopener">Infocom Corp (4348 JP)</a> up for auction. </li>
<li>According to earlier articles, binding Second Round bids were due last week. According to an article out late last week, binding bids have been made, with some "around ¥250bn."</li>
<li>What that means for price may depend on what the "around ¥250bn" means. A brief exploration below. </li>
</ul>


A variety of articles of recent from private media sources have suggested that Teijin Ltd (3401 JP) has its 55% stake in Infocom Corp (4348 JP) up for auction. 
According to earlier articles, binding Second Round bids were due last week. According to an article out late last week, binding bids have been made, with some "around ¥250bn."
What that means for price may depend on what the "around ¥250bn" means. A brief exploration below. 


Infocom (4348 JP) - The Meaning of 'Binding Bids' and '¥250bn'

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuji-soft-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17504:1" rel="noopener">Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP)</a> has disclosed that in response to a request from 3D Investment Partners, it has received non-binding privatisation proposals from several private equity funds. </li>
<li>A privatisation proposal would facilitate the exit of 3D, the largest shareholder representing 21.45% of outstanding shares, which has waged an activist campaign since 2022. </li>
<li>A binding privatisation proposal is challenging as the shares have hit a ten-year high, lofty multiple, and the Board seems to prefer its corporate value enhancement measures.</li>
</ul>



Fuji Soft Inc (9749 JP) has disclosed that in response to a request from 3D Investment Partners, it has received non-binding privatisation proposals from several private equity funds. 
A privatisation proposal would facilitate the exit of 3D, the largest shareholder representing 21.45% of outstanding shares, which has waged an activist campaign since 2022. 
A binding privatisation proposal is challenging as the shares have hit a ten-year high, lofty multiple, and the Board seems to prefer its corporate value enhancement measures.


Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Potential Privatisation Faces Challenges

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>The MSCI ACWI index ACWI-US briefly fell below major support at $90.50-$91.50, though we do not consider it a "decisive" breakdown and we now see a false breakdown (bullish).</li>
<li>On MSCI ACWI (local currency), a false breakdown appears to already be in place, which is bullish as long as the index does not break to a new low.</li>
<li>MSCI EM (EEM-US) continues to hold above $36.50-$37 support, while MSCI ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US) and EAFE (EFA-US) remain above supports at $45 and $65-$66, respectively. Pullback is likely over.</li>
</ul>


The MSCI ACWI index ACWI-US briefly fell below major support at $90.50-$91.50, though we do not consider it a "decisive" breakdown and we now see a false breakdown (bullish).
On MSCI ACWI (local currency), a false breakdown appears to already be in place, which is bullish as long as the index does not break to a new low.
MSCI EM (EEM-US) continues to hold above $36.50-$37 support, while MSCI ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US) and EAFE (EFA-US) remain above supports at $45 and $65-$66, respectively. Pullback is likely over.


Japan Bullishly Inflecting; Constructive Outlook Intact; Global Pullback Likely Over

Japan

SCSK Corporation provides a variety of IT services including system solutions, software development, and data center and communication network management. The Company sells packaged software and network equipment and develops software for distribution, manufacturing, and financial systems among others.  SCSK handles infrastructure software as well.

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Scsk Corp (9719 JP)

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): KKR Pre-Conditional Tender Offer at JPY8,800

The offer is a knockout bid and the culmination of an auction process. The board's recommendation and the irrevocables from activist shareholders...

Arun George

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Rumoured KKR-Sponsored MBO

Reports by two reputable media outlets suggest that the privatisation proposal is real. The rumoured offer represents an all-time high and a...

Arun George

Infocom (4348 JP) - The Meaning of 'Binding Bids' and '¥250bn'

Infocom has run 50% in a month since we learned Sony might bid against PE firms to take the co private. If one looks at this as SOTP, it's...

Travis Lundy

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Potential Privatisation Faces Challenges

A binding privatisation proposal is challenging as the shares have hit a ten-year high, lofty multiple, and the Board prefers its corporate value...

Arun George

Japan Bullishly Inflecting; Constructive Outlook Intact; Global Pullback Likely Over

The MSCI $ACWI briefly fell below our $90.50 support but quickly reclaimed, suggesting a false breakdown and the likely end to this pullback in...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): KKR Pre-Conditional Tender Offer at JPY8,800

The offer is a knockout bid and the culmination of an auction process. The board's recommendation and the irrevocables from activist shareholders...

Arun George

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Rumoured KKR-Sponsored MBO

Reports by two reputable media outlets suggest that the privatisation proposal is real. The rumoured offer represents an all-time high and a...

Arun George

Infocom (4348 JP) - The Meaning of 'Binding Bids' and '¥250bn'

Infocom has run 50% in a month since we learned Sony might bid against PE firms to take the co private. If one looks at this as SOTP, it's...

Travis Lundy

Fuji Soft (9749 JP): A Potential Privatisation Faces Challenges

A binding privatisation proposal is challenging as the shares have hit a ten-year high, lofty multiple, and the Board prefers its corporate value...

Arun George

Japan Bullishly Inflecting; Constructive Outlook Intact; Global Pullback Likely Over

​The MSCI $ACWI briefly fell below our $90.50 support but quickly reclaimed, suggesting a false breakdown and the likely end to this pullback in...

Vermilion Research

The MSCI $ACWI briefly fell below our $90.50 support but quickly reclaimed, suggesting a false breakdown and the likely end to this pullback in...