Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Mazda’s domestic unit volume was up 24% in September, compared to an industrywide total of only 1.1%.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, Q2 consensus EBIT estimates have come down by 32% since the release of Q1 results.</li>
<li>But the yield is over 6%, and the Payout ratio is only 17% even on the new estimates.</li>
</ul>


Mazda’s domestic unit volume was up 24% in September, compared to an industrywide total of only 1.1%.
Meanwhile, Q2 consensus EBIT estimates have come down by 32% since the release of Q1 results.
But the yield is over 6%, and the Payout ratio is only 17% even on the new estimates.


Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>An interview in the <strong><a href="https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC05BL30V00C24A7000000/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikkei</a></strong> of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/koito-manufacturing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15841:1" rel="noopener">Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP)</a> CFO Takahito OTAKE offered the comment that Koito Mfg expected a shareholder return of 130% a year through March 2029.</li>
<li>The stock popped 19% after lunch on that comment, then fell back to end up 5.0%.</li>
<li>This is the same pop as we saw end-March. Then it was +24.6% and it stayed up the next day. Same reason for the pop. This was an echo.</li>
</ul>


An interview in the Nikkei of Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP) CFO Takahito OTAKE offered the comment that Koito Mfg expected a shareholder return of 130% a year through March 2029.
The stock popped 19% after lunch on that comment, then fell back to end up 5.0%.
This is the same pop as we saw end-March. Then it was +24.6% and it stayed up the next day. Same reason for the pop. This was an echo.


Koito Mfg (7276) Bounces The Same as It Bounced in March On the Same News - An Echo? Meh Again.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Today (27 June 2024) after the close, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aisin-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11809:1" rel="noopener">Aisin (7259 JP)</a> announced three Toyota Group companies (Toyota, Toyota Industries, and Denso) would sell shares in Aisin in a ¥180bn offering.</li>
<li>This is ALL of Denso's holdings, 63% of Toyota Industries stake, and ~12% of Toyota's stake. Separately, Aisin announced a 17mm share (6.3%) ¥100bn buyback and a 3:1 split Oct1.</li>
<li>The recent yuho shows us the progress of Aisin's promised selldown of crossholdings. There are three large chunks left. One is easy. The climb to capital allocation credibility easier too.</li>
</ul>


Today (27 June 2024) after the close, Aisin (7259 JP) announced three Toyota Group companies (Toyota, Toyota Industries, and Denso) would sell shares in Aisin in a ¥180bn offering.
This is ALL of Denso's holdings, 63% of Toyota Industries stake, and ~12% of Toyota's stake. Separately, Aisin announced a 17mm share (6.3%) ¥100bn buyback and a 3:1 split Oct1.
The recent yuho shows us the progress of Aisin's promised selldown of crossholdings. There are three large chunks left. One is easy. The climb to capital allocation credibility easier too.


Big Aisin (7259) Offering Sets Stage for First Toyota Group Full Unwind

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.

<ul>
<li>Aisin is already achieving strong growth, across many markets, and this should continue with more sales into EV and HEV markets</li>
<li>Financial strength is improving, with gearing moving lower, and debt/ebitda moving lower</li>
<li>Balance sheet clean up can lead to some volatility, but overall a general positive, as is the focus on capital management</li>
</ul>


Aisin is already achieving strong growth, across many markets, and this should continue with more sales into EV and HEV markets
Financial strength is improving, with gearing moving lower, and debt/ebitda moving lower
Balance sheet clean up can lead to some volatility, but overall a general positive, as is the focus on capital management


Aisin - 141% Profit Growth, With Future to Have More Sales for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/koito-manufacturing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15841:1" rel="noopener">Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP)</a> is a $4bn marketcap (~$6bn sales) Toyota Group auto parts manufacturer specialising in lighting parts, famous for being a T.Boone Pickens target in the 1980s.</li>
<li>As Toyota Group's leaders restructure their cross-holdings and try to get to 1.0x PBR and a high enough ROE to sustain it, capital efficiency is on the block. </li>
<li>Koito today announced a revised Mid-Term Management Plan, a change in KPIs (higher), a large shareholder return plan, and a large buyback. As always, the fun is in the details.</li>
</ul>



Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP) is a $4bn marketcap (~$6bn sales) Toyota Group auto parts manufacturer specialising in lighting parts, famous for being a T.Boone Pickens target in the 1980s.
As Toyota Group's leaders restructure their cross-holdings and try to get to 1.0x PBR and a high enough ROE to sustain it, capital efficiency is on the block. 
Koito today announced a revised Mid-Term Management Plan, a change in KPIs (higher), a large shareholder return plan, and a large buyback. As always, the fun is in the details.


Koito Mfg (7276) - New Medium Term Plan, BIG Buyback, Even Bigger Shareholder Returns Planned

Japan

Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd manufactures resin and rubber parts for automobiles. The Company's products include instrument panel modules, spoilers, weather-strip brake hoses, air bag systems, and steering wheels. The Company has offices in the US, Canada, China, Taiwan, and the UK. Toyoda Gosei also produces lightemitting diode (LEDs) for cellular phones and digital cameras.

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Toyoda Gosei (7282 JP)

Unloved Japan Roundup: Bracing for Q3

Mazda’s domestic volume up 24% in September, compared to industrywide average of 1.1%. Q2 estimates down by 32% in 3 months, but yield over 6%,...

Michael Allen

Koito Mfg (7276) Bounces The Same as It Bounced in March On the Same News - An Echo? Meh Again.

Koito Mfg popped 19% today on an interview with the CFO showing as a headline in the Nikkei. The contents? The MTMP from 9 weeks ago and the end...

Travis Lundy

Big Aisin (7259) Offering Sets Stage for First Toyota Group Full Unwind

Aisin today announced a large equity offering by 3 Toyota Group companies. ¥180bn of offering against a buyback of ¥100bn. Some overhang. Some...

Travis Lundy

Aisin - 141% Profit Growth, With Future to Have More Sales for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Buyback just announced of 17m shares or 6.3% of shares, this is significant, and where the Aisin story is already fundamentally strong.

Daniel Tabbush

Koito Mfg (7276) - New Medium Term Plan, BIG Buyback, Even Bigger Shareholder Returns Planned

Koito Mfg announces a MTM and a larbigge buyback. Cross-holders sold the last one; could sell this one too. Combo of accretion, div, EPS growth,...

Travis Lundy

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