Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Japan/Asia Long-Short

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.

Event-Driven

The Japanese language Nikkei had an <a href="https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFL10HM9_Q0A910C2000000/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> out yesterday after the close discussing the possibility of a Softbank MBO. Of course, with Softbank you really never know, but to us this smells like an attempt to drive a short squeeze. We discuss why below.

The Japanese language Nikkei had an article out yesterday after the close discussing the possibility of a Softbank MBO. Of course, with Softbank you really never know, but to us this smells like an attempt to drive a short squeeze. We discuss why below.

Softbank Group – Funding Secured by Masayoshi Musk?

Founder & CEO Bond Angle, LLC, Bond Angle, LLC

Vicki Bryan

Founder & CEO Bond Angle, LLC

Bond Angle, LLC

Insightful commentary and analysis on bond markets and market movers, including financial, economic, and industry catalysts and management shenanigans. 

High yield market investment research

Credit

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> was revealed on Friday as the massive NASDAQ whale helping to drive unprecedented option volume in recent weeks with its multi-billion dollar call-buying spree in the biggest tech names, as reported by <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/75587aa6-1f1f-4e9d-b334-3ff866753fa2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times</a> and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/softbanks-bet-on-tech-giants-fueled-powerful-market-rally-11599232205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a> which confirmed speculation Thursday by <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/speculation-emerges-over-identity-mystery-marketwide-call-buyer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zero Hedge</a>.Softbank's option trades added to $40 billion in call-buying over the past month traced to retail investors. The resulting frenzy netted Softbank <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/53aa19bb-fc9a-46fd-aafd-4bc3669ab161" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$4 billion in option trading gains—on paper—</a>on its own <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/softbanks-bet-on-tech-giants-fueled-powerful-market-rally-11599232205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$50 billion notional exposure</a>. By comparison, Softbank's newly acquired long positions in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/amazon-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:409:1" rel="noopener">Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alphabet-inc-cl-c" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11369:1" rel="noopener">Alphabet Inc Cl C (GOOG US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/microsoft-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15273:1" rel="noopener">Microsoft Corp (MSFT US)</a>,  and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tesla-motors-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20279:1" rel="noopener">Tesla Motors (TSLA US)</a> are worth just <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3eec59a3-cb51-487c-aacd-68a0c7e46f2f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$2 billion</a>, almost all that's left of the $10 billion Softbank spent late in the June quarter buying and selling mostly tech stocks at heady prices. Those holdings now are also subject to sharp declines triggered when Softbank's option scheme was revealed. Sure enough, Softbank <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9e5827e9-893a-453e-b28d-88c1c0adc9d5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost $9 billion in market value</a> on Monday.There's plenty of intense scrutiny underway to understand these trades and what their impact ultimately proves to be. I'm more interested in Softbank's drastic change in strategy and its alternative deployment of cash from $40 billion raised in stock fire sales forced by its wary banks and legacy mega-investors who cut him and Softbank off after decades of seemingly endless billions in available funding when his recklessness netted Softbank and Vision Fund tens of billions of dollars in record losses. This certainly is not what Softbank told investors to expect mere weeks ago.Instead, Softbank's actions signal arrogance, or desperation, or worse—that CEO Masayoshi Son feels unrestrained and back in his Star Wars Zone with $40 billion in fresh cash.<div class="content-highlight">Read on for a Bond Angle deep dive into the belly of Softbank, The Whale, and what Son feels free to do with its $40 billion in cash that was pledged to bolster Softbank's bloodied balance sheet.</div>

Softbank Group (9984 JP) was revealed on Friday as the massive NASDAQ whale helping to drive unprecedented option volume in recent weeks with its multi-billion dollar call-buying spree in the biggest tech names, as reported by Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal which confirmed speculation Thursday by Zero Hedge.Softbank's option trades added to $40 billion in call-buying over the past month traced to retail investors. The resulting frenzy netted Softbank $4 billion in option trading gains—on paper—on its own $50 billion notional exposure. By comparison, Softbank's newly acquired long positions in Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US), Alphabet Inc Cl C (GOOG US), Microsoft Corp (MSFT US),  and Tesla Motors (TSLA US) are worth just $2 billion, almost all that's left of the $10 billion Softbank spent late in the June quarter buying and selling mostly tech stocks at heady prices. Those holdings now are also subject to sharp declines triggered when Softbank's option scheme was revealed. Sure enough, Softbank lost $9 billion in market value on Monday.There's plenty of intense scrutiny underway to understand these trades and what their impact ultimately proves to be. I'm more interested in Softbank's drastic change in strategy and its alternative deployment of cash from $40 billion raised in stock fire sales forced by its wary banks and legacy mega-investors who cut him and Softbank off after decades of seemingly endless billions in available funding when his recklessness netted Softbank and Vision Fund tens of billions of dollars in record losses. This certainly is not what Softbank told investors to expect mere weeks ago.Instead, Softbank's actions signal arrogance, or desperation, or worse—that CEO Masayoshi Son feels unrestrained and back in his Star Wars Zone with $40 billion in fresh cash.Read on for a Bond Angle deep dive into the belly of Softbank, The Whale, and what Son feels free to do with its $40 billion in cash that was pledged to bolster Softbank's bloodied balance sheet.

Softbank's Son "Feeling The Force" With Options Funded With Cash It Had Pledged To Protect

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Last Week in Event SPACE: Toshiba, Softbank, Cardinal Resources, Sembcorp, Intouch, SingTel, 58.Com

The <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-after-Abe/Japan-phone-carriers-fear-rate-cuts-under-a-Prime-Minister-Suga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikkei has highlighted potential risks to Japan’s telcos</a> if Chief Cabinet Minister Yoshihide Suga becomes Japan’s next prime minister as is now widely expected.  While this trade follows on from pressure applied by Suga over the last couple of years and is unlikely to surprise investors we believe the context is important to note and discuss it briefly below.

The Nikkei has highlighted potential risks to Japan’s telcos if Chief Cabinet Minister Yoshihide Suga becomes Japan’s next prime minister as is now widely expected.  While this trade follows on from pressure applied by Suga over the last couple of years and is unlikely to surprise investors we believe the context is important to note and discuss it briefly below.

Softbank Corp – A Simple Suga PM Telco Trade

Senior Credit Analyst, Lucror Analytics

Leonard Law, CFA

Senior Credit Analyst

High Yield Experts

Lucror Analytics

Lucror Analytics is a leading credit and ESG research specialist and a provider of technology solutions for differentiated fixed income strategies. Our roots are in bottom-up fundamental credit analysis with a specialization in high yield corporate credits from Europe, Asia and Latin America. We are one of few research specialists integrating ESG considerations with fundamental credit research through a dedicated ESG platform. Our ESG assessment covers five key criteria: Disclosure, E,S, & G Pillars, Controversies, ESG Impact on Credit and ESG Momentum.

Recognizing the importance and value-add of Factor Investing in fixed income, Lucror developed the Smart Quant Navigator (SQN), an intuitive platform that helps clients devise and implement factor-based strategies ranging from pure quant to active fundamental, with integrated ESG.

Our company has been at the forefront of developments in the fixed income markets, identifying opportunities and consistently delivering new products and value-adding solutions to clients. Lucror has close relationships with the largest and most reputable asset managers, family offices, hedge funds, investment and wealth managers globally.

In this month’s “In-Focus” section, we provide an update on the Indonesian real estate sector, including the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, regulatory and accounting developments, and the macro outlook. We also comment broadly on the H1/20 results of the Indonesian real estate players under our coverage. The Asia Monthly focuses on providing updates on recent events, information on new issues and spread movements, as well as summarising our top picks, and discussing specific areas of interest in the “In-Focus” section. The Asia Monthly is intended to broaden investors' understanding of the Asian USD high-yield market.

  In this month’s “In-Focus” section, we provide an update on the Indonesian real estate sector, including the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, regulatory and accounting developments, and the macro outlook. We also comment broadly on the H1/20 results of the Indonesian real estate players under our coverage.   The Asia Monthly focuses on providing updates on recent events, information on new issues and spread movements, as well as summarising our top picks, and discussing specific areas of interest in the “In-Focus” section. The Asia Monthly is intended to broaden investors' understanding of the Asian USD high-yield market.  

Asia HY Monthly - Indonesian Property Update (2020) - Lucror Analytics

Japan

SoftBank Group Corp provides telecommunication services.  The Company also operates ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and fiber optic high-speed Internet connection, e-Commerce businesses, and Internet based advertising and auction businesses.

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Softbank Group (ADR) (SFTBY US)

Softbank Group – Funding Secured by Masayoshi Musk?

The Japanese language Nikkei had an article out yesterday after the close discussing the possibility of a Softbank MBO. Of course, with Softbank...

Mio Kato

Softbank's Son "Feeling The Force" With Options Funded With Cash It Had Pledged To Protect

The market is eager to know what Softbank plans to do with a burgeoning war chest from bigger and bigger stock sales. The better question is why...

Vicki Bryan

Last Week in Event SPACE: Toshiba, Softbank, Cardinal Resources, Sembcorp, Intouch, SingTel, 58.Com

Last Week in Event SPACE ... Plus, other events, CCASS movements and Mood Spins. (This insight covers specific insights & comments...

David Blennerhassett

Softbank Corp – A Simple Suga PM Telco Trade

The Nikkei has highlighted potential risks to Japan’s telcos if Chief Cabinet Minister Yoshihide Suga becomes Japan’s next prime minister as is now...

Mio Kato

Asia HY Monthly - Indonesian Property Update (2020) - Lucror Analytics

In this month’s “In-Focus” section, we provide an update on the Indonesian real estate sector, including the impact of the ongoing COVID-19...

Lucror Analytics

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