Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Farha Sabri

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

This article is a round up of the key takeaways from our recent meeting with Sony’s IR team. Our main focus was on the PlayStation and subsequent hardware and software developments, the company’s mobile phones business unit, the pictures unit as well as the semiconductor business.
<ul>
<li>In the gaming segment, Sony doesn’t see Stadia as a threat since Sony mainly caters to the core gaming segment. Sony does not expect cloud gaming to offer the same quality that consoles offer to core gamers anytime soon. For the time being, Stadia will most likely appeal to casual gamers.</li>
<li>In the pictures segment, Sony is developing a Spider-Verse sequel. A definite release date is yet to be confirmed, however, looking at the first movie’s success, we can expect a similar result for the sequel upon release.</li>
<li>The company also plans to hold onto its mobile communications segment even though it is expected to make losses in FY03/19 as well. For Sony, this segment is crucial in developing 5G technologies.</li>
<li>In the semiconductors segment, Sony expects a demand hike from the number of cameras used per phone. This is in spite of the mobile phone market itself slowing down. Sony expects to increase the ASPs of these sensors going forward as well.</li>
</ul>

This article is a round up of the key takeaways from our recent meeting with Sony’s IR team. Our main focus was on the PlayStation and subsequent hardware and software developments, the company’s mobile phones business unit, the pictures unit as well as the semiconductor business.

In the gaming segment, Sony doesn’t see Stadia as a threat since Sony mainly caters to the core gaming segment. Sony does not expect cloud gaming to offer the same quality that consoles offer to core gamers anytime soon. For the time being, Stadia will most likely appeal to casual gamers.
In the pictures segment, Sony is developing a Spider-Verse sequel. A definite release date is yet to be confirmed, however, looking at the first movie’s success, we can expect a similar result for the sequel upon release.
The company also plans to hold onto its mobile communications segment even though it is expected to make losses in FY03/19 as well. For Sony, this segment is crucial in developing 5G technologies.
In the semiconductors segment, Sony expects a demand hike from the number of cameras used per phone. This is in spite of the mobile phone market itself slowing down. Sony expects to increase the ASPs of these sensors going forward as well.


Sony Corp: Key Takeaways from Our Recent Meeting with IR Team

Chart based progressive global trading strategies, Chart Partners

Thomas Schroeder

Chart based progressive global trading strategies

Chart Partners

Chart Partners objective is to discover medium-term cycle turns and profit opportunities before they unfold, within structural trends while preserving capital with clear degrees of risk. We have real return ideas. 

Markets are dynamic and trading systems must reflect this. It is crucial to determine underlying correlations and lead-lag relationships within global markets and the impact on linked instruments. Our weekly Chartonics product gives you short-term trading strategies that can be applied within the medium and longer term macro trends that are mapped out in our strategy updates. 

Our methodology fuses global market variables and isolates drivers in trends. We specialize in FX, index trade in NY and Asia with a focus on Asian stocks. 

Technical Analysis

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/563" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1">Sony Corp (6758 JP)</a> is forming a bullish descending wedge/channel that once mature will chisel out an intermediate low with scope to clear medium term breakout resistance. The tactical low near 4,400 lies just above more strategic support.Clear pivot points will help manage positioning within the bull wedge that is in the final innings.The tactical buy level is not that far from strategic support with a more bullish macro lean.MACD bull divergence is not only supportive into near term weakness but also points to a breakout above medium resistance. Risk lies with Sony not looking back after hitting our tactical low target.

Sony Corp (6758 JP) is forming a bullish descending wedge/channel that once mature will chisel out an intermediate low with scope to clear medium term breakout resistance. The tactical low near 4,400 lies just above more strategic support.Clear pivot points will help manage positioning within the bull wedge that is in the final innings.The tactical buy level is not that far from strategic support with a more bullish macro lean.MACD bull divergence is not only supportive into near term weakness but also points to a breakout above medium resistance. Risk lies with Sony not looking back after hitting our tactical low target.

Sony Trading Low Just Above Higher Conviction Intermediate Buy Support

Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Japan/Asia Long-Short

Kazuo Hirai, architest of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/563" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1">Sony Corp (6758 JP)</a>'s remarkable recovery, announced today that he would be stepping down as Sony Chairman in Jun this year.  The transition in leadership to former CFO Kenichiro Yoshida has been completed and was accomplished smoothly so we do not see any negative impact.Recent concerns about Sony's loss making smartphone unit also appear to be being addressed as the Nikkei reports that Sony would look to cut costs and headcount in half by Mar 2020. The English article is <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Sony-to-slash-smartphone-workforce-50-by-2020" target="_blank">here</a> and the slightly more detailed Japanese version is <a href="https://www.nikkei.com/nkd/company/article/?DisplayType=1&amp;n_cid=DSMMAA13&amp;ng=DGXMZO43065960Z20C19A3MM0000&amp;scode=6758&amp;ba=1" target="_blank">here</a>.

Kazuo Hirai, architest of Sony Corp (6758 JP)'s remarkable recovery, announced today that he would be stepping down as Sony Chairman in Jun this year.  The transition in leadership to former CFO Kenichiro Yoshida has been completed and was accomplished smoothly so we do not see any negative impact.Recent concerns about Sony's loss making smartphone unit also appear to be being addressed as the Nikkei reports that Sony would look to cut costs and headcount in half by Mar 2020. The English article is here and the slightly more detailed Japanese version is here.

Sony: Yoshida Tightens Discipline as Hirai Steps Away Completely

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

ja research

ja research is an independent research platform focused exclusively on Japanese equities. Leveraging data and graphic analysis provided by Japan Analytics, we provide insights on small and medium-sized companies that have been ignored by the sell-side as well as challenging conventional wisdom on larger companies. We also offer analyst and corporate access, the latter with translation if required. 

Quantitative Analysis

- MARKET COMPOSITE -<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/082/944/original/2019-03-24_06-29-24.png?1553376576" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="82944"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div>FIVE-MONTH HIGH - This bear market rally is now ending. The market composite rose by 15% from the Christmas Day low, peaking on 26th February at ¥659t. The market-value-based percentage above moving averages reached a five-month on Friday. However, the three-month change in that percentage is suggesting that a new bear phase will now commence.<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/082/945/original/2019-03-24_06-37-53.png?1553377087" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="82945"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div>SELL SIGNAL - The three-month change in the market-value-based percentage above moving averages reached 38 on Friday. Although this indicator is not always reliable as a long-term indicator, it has been helpful over shorter periods and has called the most recent peak in October and December's trough.  We now expect at least a decline in the market composite to below ¥600t and, if economic conditions continue to weaken, a re-test of the December low. <hr>- SECTORS - <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/082/947/original/2019-03-24_07-15-15.png?1553379324" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="82947"></figure><div style="text-align: left;" class="content-caption">
NB: The 'sparklines' show the three-year trend in the weighted percentage above moving average relative to the Market Composite and the 'STDev' column is a measure of the variability of that relative measure. The table also provides averages for the breaks above and breaks below and the positive and negative crossovers.</div>SECTOR BREAKDOWN - The top six sectors remain mostly domestic and defensive. REITs,Restaurants, Healthcare, Transportation, and Utilities continue from our previous review with Other Commercial Products replacing Information Technology. Equally predictable is the bottom half-dozen - Banks, Non-Bank Finance, Autos, Retail, and Metals remain from two weeks ago, with Energy replacing Construction. With the Yen having broken the ¥110 level against the US dollar on Friday, we would expect the Autos, Machinery, Electrical Equipment, Technology Hardware, and Chemicals sectors to weaken further as indicated by their Negative Crossover percentages. <hr>- COMPANIES -COMPANY MOVING AVERAGE OUTLIERS - As with the Market Composite and Sectors, the Moving Average Outlier indicator uses a weighted sum of each company's share price relative to its 5-day, 20-day, 60-day, 120-day and 240-day moving averages. 'Extreme' values are weighted sums greater than 100% and less than -100%. We would caution that this indicator is best used for timing shorter-term reversals and, in many cases, higher highs and lower lows will be seen. <div class="content-highlight">
In the DETAIL section below, we highlight the current top and bottom twenty-five large capitalisation outliers, as well as those companies that have seen the most significant positive and negative changes in their outlier percentage in the last two weeks and provide short comments on companies of particular note.
Our most extreme positive outlier two weeks ago, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/2709" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2709:1">AnGes (4563 JP)</a> is still the most extreme large cap positive outlier and gained a further 8% over the fortnight. We recommend taking short-term profits.
In the same sector <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/21001" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21001:1">Eisai (4523 JP)</a> is the most extreme negative outlier after falling by 16.6% on Friday on the discontinuation of the clinical phase 3 trials of Biogen's Alzheimer's treatment Aducanumab as the primary endpoint is unlikely to be reached. Now at an eight-month Relative Price Score low, a short-term recovery to above ¥8,000 is likely.

</div><div class="content-caption">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/082/959/original/2019-03-24_08-46-23.png?1553385811" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="82959"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/082/963/original/2019-03-24_10-37-51.png?1553391481" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="82963"></figure>Source: Japan Analytics
</div>

- MARKET COMPOSITE -Source: Japan AnalyticsFIVE-MONTH HIGH - This bear market rally is now ending. The market composite rose by 15% from the Christmas Day low, peaking on 26th February at ¥659t. The market-value-based percentage above moving averages reached a five-month on Friday. However, the three-month change in that percentage is suggesting that a new bear phase will now commence.Source: Japan AnalyticsSELL SIGNAL - The three-month change in the market-value-based percentage above moving averages reached 38 on Friday. Although this indicator is not always reliable as a long-term indicator, it has been helpful over shorter periods and has called the most recent peak in October and December's trough.  We now expect at least a decline in the market composite to below ¥600t and, if economic conditions continue to weaken, a re-test of the December low. - SECTORS - 
NB: The 'sparklines' show the three-year trend in the weighted percentage above moving average relative to the Market Composite and the 'STDev' column is a measure of the variability of that relative measure. The table also provides averages for the breaks above and breaks below and the positive and negative crossovers.SECTOR BREAKDOWN - The top six sectors remain mostly domestic and defensive. REITs,Restaurants, Healthcare, Transportation, and Utilities continue from our previous review with Other Commercial Products replacing Information Technology. Equally predictable is the bottom half-dozen - Banks, Non-Bank Finance, Autos, Retail, and Metals remain from two weeks ago, with Energy replacing Construction. With the Yen having broken the ¥110 level against the US dollar on Friday, we would expect the Autos, Machinery, Electrical Equipment, Technology Hardware, and Chemicals sectors to weaken further as indicated by their Negative Crossover percentages. - COMPANIES -COMPANY MOVING AVERAGE OUTLIERS - As with the Market Composite and Sectors, the Moving Average Outlier indicator uses a weighted sum of each company's share price relative to its 5-day, 20-day, 60-day, 120-day and 240-day moving averages. 'Extreme' values are weighted sums greater than 100% and less than -100%. We would caution that this indicator is best used for timing shorter-term reversals and, in many cases, higher highs and lower lows will be seen. 
In the DETAIL section below, we highlight the current top and bottom twenty-five large capitalisation outliers, as well as those companies that have seen the most significant positive and negative changes in their outlier percentage in the last two weeks and provide short comments on companies of particular note.
Our most extreme positive outlier two weeks ago, AnGes (4563 JP) is still the most extreme large cap positive outlier and gained a further 8% over the fortnight. We recommend taking short-term profits.
In the same sector Eisai (4523 JP) is the most extreme negative outlier after falling by 16.6% on Friday on the discontinuation of the clinical phase 3 trials of Biogen's Alzheimer's treatment Aducanumab as the primary endpoint is unlikely to be reached. Now at an eight-month Relative Price Score low, a short-term recovery to above ¥8,000 is likely.


Source: Japan Analytics


🇯🇵 Japan: Moving Average Outliers - Market Sell Signal Generated + 6920, 8036, 6758, 2326, 3064

<div class="content-caption">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/081/407/original/2019-03-09_14-25-50.png?1552109168" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="81407"></figure>
Source: Japan Analytics
</div>
JAPAN CORPORATE CASH FLOW UPDATE - This insight updates our previous <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-the-2018-q3-cash-flow-stakes-runners-riders-red-flags" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:26816">Insight</a> with data from all of the most recent quarterly reports. Our market composite cash flow model reformulates disclosed cash flows into four categories which sum to Change in Cash: -
<ul>
<li>Operating Cash Flow</li>
<li>
Investing Cash Flow (which includes Inventory Cash Flow) 
<ul>
<li>Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow less Investing Cash Flow)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Financing Cash Flow</li>
<li>Shareholder Cash Flow  (Equity Cash Flow and Dividend Cash Flow) </li>
</ul>
     =  Change in Cash (including Minorities Cash Flow)
OCF COLLAPSES - In the last three months, Japan's non-financial companies generated only ¥2.1t in Operating Cash Flow (OCF), ¥10.1t less than the previous quarter. ¥2.1t is the lowest quarterly OCF since 2016-Q2, and the quarter-on-quarter decline is the largest since 2009 and represents a substantial 'red flag' for the market.
FCF NEGATIVE - Aggregate spending on fixed assets shrunk by ¥4.5t qoq to ¥4.6t resulting in Free Cash Flow for the quarter of -¥2.5t, the first negative Free Cash Flow quarter since 2012-Q4. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/315" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/1089" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1089:1">NTT Docomo (9437 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/751" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> together generated ¥3.3t in positive Free Cash Flow for the quarter. Excluding these three companies, the aggregate total quarterly FCF was -¥5.8t, equivalent to an annualised Free Cash Flow yield of -4.3% for the universe of listed non-financial companies.
BACK TO BORROWING - To finance ¥4.5t in dividend payments, Japanese non-financial companies borrowed ¥4.8t in new debt, sold investment securities worth ¥1.9t (the most significant reduction since 2016-Q2) and raised 0.28t in new equity net of share buybacks. This increase in financing cash flow was the largest in any quarter since 2009.
SECTORS &amp; STOCKS - In the DETAIL below, we also look at sector cash flow trends and provide brief comments on some of the most significant changes in individual cash flows over the last three months including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/73" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:73:1">Toyota Motor (7203 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/315" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/13475" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13475:1">Pan Pacific International (7532 JP)</a>,  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/1040" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1040:1">Lawson (2651 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/6391" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6391:1">I</a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/6391" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6391:1">DOM (7599 JP)</a>



Source: Japan Analytics

JAPAN CORPORATE CASH FLOW UPDATE - This insight updates our previous Insight with data from all of the most recent quarterly reports. Our market composite cash flow model reformulates disclosed cash flows into four categories which sum to Change in Cash: -

Operating Cash Flow

Investing Cash Flow (which includes Inventory Cash Flow) 

Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow less Investing Cash Flow)


Financing Cash Flow
Shareholder Cash Flow  (Equity Cash Flow and Dividend Cash Flow) 

     =  Change in Cash (including Minorities Cash Flow)
OCF COLLAPSES - In the last three months, Japan's non-financial companies generated only ¥2.1t in Operating Cash Flow (OCF), ¥10.1t less than the previous quarter. ¥2.1t is the lowest quarterly OCF since 2016-Q2, and the quarter-on-quarter decline is the largest since 2009 and represents a substantial 'red flag' for the market.
FCF NEGATIVE - Aggregate spending on fixed assets shrunk by ¥4.5t qoq to ¥4.6t resulting in Free Cash Flow for the quarter of -¥2.5t, the first negative Free Cash Flow quarter since 2012-Q4. Softbank Group (9984 JP), NTT Docomo (9437 JP) and Fast Retailing (9983 JP) together generated ¥3.3t in positive Free Cash Flow for the quarter. Excluding these three companies, the aggregate total quarterly FCF was -¥5.8t, equivalent to an annualised Free Cash Flow yield of -4.3% for the universe of listed non-financial companies.
BACK TO BORROWING - To finance ¥4.5t in dividend payments, Japanese non-financial companies borrowed ¥4.8t in new debt, sold investment securities worth ¥1.9t (the most significant reduction since 2016-Q2) and raised 0.28t in new equity net of share buybacks. This increase in financing cash flow was the largest in any quarter since 2009.
SECTORS &amp; STOCKS - In the DETAIL below, we also look at sector cash flow trends and provide brief comments on some of the most significant changes in individual cash flows over the last three months including Toyota Motor (7203 JP), Softbank Group (9984 JP), Pan Pacific International (7532 JP),  Lawson (2651 JP), and IDOM (7599 JP)

🇯🇵 Japan • Largest QoQ Decline in Operating Cash Flow in a Decade - Free Cash Flow Turns Negative

Japan

Sony Group Corporation manufactures and distributes electronics products and provides related solutions. The Company produces televisions, cameras, mobiles, audio and video products. game equipment, and more. Sony Group also engages in game production,  movie production, music production, and other businesses.

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Sony Corp (SONY US)

Sony Corp: Key Takeaways from Our Recent Meeting with IR Team

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Farha Sabri

Sony Trading Low Just Above Higher Conviction Intermediate Buy Support

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Thomas Schroeder

Sony: Yoshida Tightens Discipline as Hirai Steps Away Completely

Kazuo Hirai, architest of Sony Corp (6758 JP)'s remarkable recovery, announced today that he would be stepping down as Sony Chairman in Jun this...

Mio Kato

🇯🇵 Japan: Moving Average Outliers - Market Sell Signal Generated + 6920, 8036, 6758, 2326, 3064

- MARKET COMPOSITE -FIVE-MONTH HIGH - This bear market rally is now ending. The market composite rose by 15% from the Christmas Day low, peaking on...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 Japan • Largest QoQ Decline in Operating Cash Flow in a Decade - Free Cash Flow Turns Negative

JAPAN CORPORATE CASH FLOW UPDATE - This insight updates our previous Insight with data from all of the most recent quarterly reports. Our market...

Campbell Gunn

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