Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Today, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sumitomo-mitsui-financial-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:217:1" rel="noopener">Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-ufj-financial-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:218:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)</a> reported H1 earnings. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mizuho-financial-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:219:1" rel="noopener">Mizuho Financial Group (8411 JP)</a> reported yesterday.</li>
<li>Mizuho raised full-year NP guidance by ~5%, passing the Street. SMFG raised its FY NP guidance 12.2%, also beating the Street. MUFG didn't raise guidance but H1 saw 71% progress.</li>
<li>Today, SMFG raised its div, and both SMFG (¥150bn) and MUFG (¥400bn) announced buybacks. Cross-holding unwind progress is waaay lower than we'd like, but capital stronger as a result.</li>
</ul>


Today, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP) reported H1 earnings. Mizuho Financial Group (8411 JP) reported yesterday.
Mizuho raised full-year NP guidance by ~5%, passing the Street. SMFG raised its FY NP guidance 12.2%, also beating the Street. MUFG didn't raise guidance but H1 saw 71% progress.
Today, SMFG raised its div, and both SMFG (¥150bn) and MUFG (¥400bn) announced buybacks. Cross-holding unwind progress is waaay lower than we'd like, but capital stronger as a result.


I Like Big Bank Buybacks And I Cannot Lie

Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There is no easy way to gather duration data of securities held by Japan's regional banks</li>
<li>In IR material of the largest 8 regional banks, Resona and Chiba stand out, at opposite ends</li>
<li>On blunt equity/assets SBI Sumishin Net Bank stands out at only 1.5%</li>
</ul>


There is no easy way to gather duration data of securities held by Japan's regional banks
In IR material of the largest 8 regional banks, Resona and Chiba stand out, at opposite ends
On blunt equity/assets SBI Sumishin Net Bank stands out at only 1.5%


Resona & Chiba - Duration Longest at Resona, Shortest at Chiba, Implications for YCC Relief

<ul>
<li>What's new is that Japan's domestic credit growth is accelerating, and it's now better than in Singapore, for instance; accelerating to 2.51% YoY in July from 0.77% February low</li>
<li>Loan growth and higher JGB yields, both matter for net interest income, and margins. Two year JGB yields are 0.035% on 22 September compared with -0.075% on 30 June.</li>
<li>Profit delta can rise further for Japan's banks due to better NPLs, with the largest banks' credit costs/loans moving to 5bps in 1Q24, vs 21bps in 4Q22, 11bps in 1Q23</li>
</ul>


What's new is that Japan's domestic credit growth is accelerating, and it's now better than in Singapore, for instance; accelerating to 2.51% YoY in July from 0.77% February low
Loan growth and higher JGB yields, both matter for net interest income, and margins. Two year JGB yields are 0.035% on 22 September compared with -0.075% on 30 June.
Profit delta can rise further for Japan's banks due to better NPLs, with the largest banks' credit costs/loans moving to 5bps in 1Q24, vs 21bps in 4Q22, 11bps in 1Q23


Japan Banks - Accelerating Domestic Credit | JGB Yields Higher | Provisions -79% QoQ & -58% YoY

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>In April 2022, after long prep and considerable public comment as to desires and design, the TSE launched its new market segments designed to encourage governance and foreign investment.</li>
<li>At the time, the TSE wanted to showcase Japan's best blue chips. In March, JPX announced JPX Prime 150, designed to make visible</li>
<li>In March 2023, JPX announced JPX Prime 150, to "make visible the leading Japanese companies that are estimated to create value." Ambitious? Yes. Fated to fail? Probably. Badly constructed?  Definitely. </li>
</ul>


In April 2022, after long prep and considerable public comment as to desires and design, the TSE launched its new market segments designed to encourage governance and foreign investment.
At the time, the TSE wanted to showcase Japan's best blue chips. In March, JPX announced JPX Prime 150, designed to make visible
In March 2023, JPX announced JPX Prime 150, to "make visible the leading Japanese companies that are estimated to create value." Ambitious? Yes. Fated to fail? Probably. Badly constructed?  Definitely. 


The TSE's New 'Better' Index:  JPX Prime 150

<ul>
<li>On 8 May I wrote <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-flow-foreign-investor-inflows-may-increase" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:101617" rel="noopener">JAPAN FLOW: Foreign Investor Inflows May Increase</a>.  Since the data used in that insight, TSE data shows net foreign buying of ¥3.5trln+. </li>
<li>Investor flows appear to work in patterns which are correlated to TOPIX gains and outperformance vs S&amp;P500. </li>
<li>The history of autocorrelation of net buying suggests while the current streak may end, a four week average of net buys could remain positive for a while. </li>
</ul>


On 8 May I wrote JAPAN FLOW: Foreign Investor Inflows May Increase.  Since the data used in that insight, TSE data shows net foreign buying of ¥3.5trln+. 
Investor flows appear to work in patterns which are correlated to TOPIX gains and outperformance vs S&amp;P500. 
The history of autocorrelation of net buying suggests while the current streak may end, a four week average of net buys could remain positive for a while. 


JAPAN FLOW: Foreign Investor Inflows Increased; Next Is Foreigners Vs Buybacks Vs GPIF

Japan

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. manages financial operations for its subsidiaries. The Company provides commercial banking and a variety of financial services.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP)

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Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP)

I Like Big Bank Buybacks And I Cannot Lie

Japan's Three Megabanks reported earnings on 13-14 November. Two raised FY guidance above the street. MUFG did not raise guidance but H1 saw 71%...

Travis Lundy

Resona & Chiba - Duration Longest at Resona, Shortest at Chiba, Implications for YCC Relief

With rising yields on 10 year JGBs and on 1 year JGBs it is worth re-visting the stand outs in duration, Resona and Chiba.

Daniel Tabbush

Japan Banks - Accelerating Domestic Credit | JGB Yields Higher | Provisions -79% QoQ & -58% YoY

Japan's banks are seeing accelerating domestic credit growth, better than Singapore now. JGB yields remain higher than in the past, credit costs...

Daniel Tabbush

The TSE's New 'Better' Index: JPX Prime 150

The TSE is launching a new JPX Prime 150 Index on 3 July 2023. It is 150 stocks with high PBRs and high "Equity Spread" (ROE vs cost of capital)...

Travis Lundy

JAPAN FLOW: Foreign Investor Inflows Increased; Next Is Foreigners Vs Buybacks Vs GPIF

Foreign Investor Flows in Japan matter. They always matter, and recently, more foreign investor flow has mattered more. History shows there is room...

Travis Lundy

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