Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Equity Analyst

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>If <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/skylark-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:474:1" rel="noopener">Skylark Co Ltd (3197 JP)</a>'s pricing and footfall growth trend persists, it's likely the company and consensus will revise annual revenue targets upward.</li>
<li>The OP is also expected to exceed Q3 estimates with an OP of ¥7.9bn, prompting a necessary upgrade of annual guidance by ¥5.0-6.0bn.</li>
<li>Yet, we'll approach Skylark's earnings trade cautiously, considering its current valuation.</li>
</ul>


If Skylark Co Ltd (3197 JP)'s pricing and footfall growth trend persists, it's likely the company and consensus will revise annual revenue targets upward.
The OP is also expected to exceed Q3 estimates with an OP of ¥7.9bn, prompting a necessary upgrade of annual guidance by ¥5.0-6.0bn.
Yet, we'll approach Skylark's earnings trade cautiously, considering its current valuation.


Skylark Holdings: Anticipating Another Significant Guidance Upgrade

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

<ul>
<li>Our bullish outlook on global equities (MSCI ACWI) remains intact with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 firmly trending higher. Our recommendation since mid-October to use any pre-election pullback in..</li>
<li>... the ACWI or the SPX as an opportunity to add exposure continues to pay off, and there is not much left to do except ride the trend higher.</li>
<li>Additionally, we still see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end and the early part of 2025 -- and likely beyond</li>
</ul>


Our bullish outlook on global equities (MSCI ACWI) remains intact with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 firmly trending higher. Our recommendation since mid-October to use any pre-election pullback in..
... the ACWI or the SPX as an opportunity to add exposure continues to pay off, and there is not much left to do except ride the trend higher.
Additionally, we still see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end and the early part of 2025 -- and likely beyond


Ride the Trend Higher in MSCI ACWI and S&P 500; Buy/Stay Long Global Discretionary, Services, Tech

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/colowide-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13967:1" rel="noopener">Colowide Co Ltd (7616 JP)</a> aims to raise around US$230m in order to fund its prospective M&amp;A transactions over the next few years</li>
<li>While the company has undertaken a number of M&amp;A transactions in the past, it hasn’t clearly stated its intended targets for this round.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.</li>
</ul>



Colowide Co Ltd (7616 JP) aims to raise around US$230m in order to fund its prospective M&amp;A transactions over the next few years
While the company has undertaken a number of M&amp;A transactions in the past, it hasn’t clearly stated its intended targets for this round.
In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.


Colowide Placement - Needs a Very Large Correction

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Last week in Japan's retail sector: continued weakness in shopping mall development due to both falling demand from tenants and competition from online.</li>
<li>Don Quijote operator, Pan Pacific posted strong results, reflecting high demand from both locals looking for value and tourists browsing for fun.</li>
<li>The retail sector had a record year in FY23, but a big constraint is the labour shortage but, with many fit older Japanese, some employees are now over 80. </li>
</ul>


Last week in Japan's retail sector: continued weakness in shopping mall development due to both falling demand from tenants and competition from online.
Don Quijote operator, Pan Pacific posted strong results, reflecting high demand from both locals looking for value and tourists browsing for fun.
The retail sector had a record year in FY23, but a big constraint is the labour shortage but, with many fit older Japanese, some employees are now over 80. 


Japan's Retail Week: New Malls Slow, Lawson/Muji Get Closer, Donki Booms and Jobs for the over 80s

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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kfc-holdings-japan-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12358:1" rel="noopener">Kfc Holdings Japan (9873 JP)</a> has recommended a tender offer from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/carlyle-group-inc-the" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33402:1" rel="noopener">Carlyle Group / (CG US)</a> at JPY6,500 per share, a 20.4% premium to the last close. </li>
<li>The transaction is a two-step acquisition through a cash tender offer and subsequent squeeze-out. The lower limit of the tender offer is set at a 31.54% ownership ratio.</li>
<li>Due to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20668:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)</a> irrevocable, the minimum acceptance condition requires a 48.6% minority acceptance rate. The acceptance condition is achievable as the offer is a knockout bid. </li>
</ul>



Kfc Holdings Japan (9873 JP) has recommended a tender offer from Carlyle Group / (CG US) at JPY6,500 per share, a 20.4% premium to the last close. 
The transaction is a two-step acquisition through a cash tender offer and subsequent squeeze-out. The lower limit of the tender offer is set at a 31.54% ownership ratio.
Due to the Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP) irrevocable, the minimum acceptance condition requires a 48.6% minority acceptance rate. The acceptance condition is achievable as the offer is a knockout bid. 


KFC Holdings Japan (9873 JP): Carlyle Finger Lickin' Tender Offer at JPY6,500

Japan

Skylark Co. Ltd. mainly operates a family restaurant chain across Japan.  The Company offers Japanese-style, Western-style, and Asia-style foods for a wide variety of targeted customer segments.  Skylark also sells food and provides delivery servies.

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

Skylark Co Ltd (3197 JP)

Skylark Holdings: Anticipating Another Significant Guidance Upgrade

Skylark's strong performance may lead to increased revenue and OP guidance, but caution is advised due to its current valuation.

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Ride the Trend Higher in MSCI ACWI and S&P 500; Buy/Stay Long Global Discretionary, Services, Tech

Ride the Trend Higher in MSCI $ACWI and $SPX; We are still bullish as Risk-On Signals Dominate. Ideas to buy/stay long in global Discretionary,...

Vermilion Research

Colowide Placement - Needs a Very Large Correction

Colowide Co Ltd (7616 JP) aims to raise around US$230m in order to fund its prospective M&A transactions over the next few years

Sumeet Singh

Japan's Retail Week: New Malls Slow, Lawson/Muji Get Closer, Donki Booms and Jobs for the over 80s

Japan's retail sector in the last week: Shopping mall development slows, Don Quijote operator Pan Pacific sees strong demand from locals and...

Michael Causton

KFC Holdings Japan (9873 JP): Carlyle Finger Lickin' Tender Offer at JPY6,500

Due to the MitCorp irrevocable, the minimum acceptance condition requires a 48.6% minority acceptance rate. The acceptance condition is achievable...

Arun George

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Skylark Holdings: Anticipating Another Significant Guidance Upgrade

​Skylark's strong performance may lead to increased revenue and OP guidance, but caution is advised due to its current valuation.

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Ride the Trend Higher in MSCI ACWI and S&P 500; Buy/Stay Long Global Discretionary, Services, Tech

Ride the Trend Higher in MSCI $ACWI and $SPX; We are still bullish as Risk-On Signals Dominate. Ideas to buy/stay long in global Discretionary,...

Vermilion Research

Colowide Placement - Needs a Very Large Correction

Colowide Co Ltd (7616 JP) aims to raise around US$230m in order to fund its prospective M&A transactions over the next few years

Sumeet Singh

Japan's Retail Week: New Malls Slow, Lawson/Muji Get Closer, Donki Booms and Jobs for the over 80s

Japan's retail sector in the last week: Shopping mall development slows, Don Quijote operator Pan Pacific sees strong demand from locals and...

Michael Causton

KFC Holdings Japan (9873 JP): Carlyle Finger Lickin' Tender Offer at JPY6,500

Due to the MitCorp irrevocable, the minimum acceptance condition requires a 48.6% minority acceptance rate. The acceptance condition is achievable...

Arun George

Skylark's strong performance may lead to increased revenue and OP guidance, but caution is advised due to its current valuation.