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. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aeon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3:1" rel="noopener">Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)</a> is Japan’s largest retail conglomerate by revenues but it struggles to make respectable profits.</p><p>Now, as with Seven-Eleven at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a>, Aeon may have found the high margin star subsidiary it has been looking for: Welcia Holdings.</p><p>Welcia is the country’s leading drugstore chain and is growing strongly, exceeding ¥1 trillion in sales for the first time and forecasting an increase to ¥1.8 trillion through 2023.</p><p>Last year, it made almost as much profit as the whole of Aeon combined but there are plenty of opportunities to extract more profit from this sector.</p><p>Like most Japanese drugstore stocks, Welcia is currently trading at historically high levels thanks to a surge in sales from March onwards (see below for details)  but with more consolidation coming in the sector led by the leaders, Welcia is a solid buy when dips in the market provide an opportunity.</p>

Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP) is Japan’s largest retail conglomerate by revenues but it struggles to make respectable profits.Now, as with Seven-Eleven at Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP), Aeon may have found the high margin star subsidiary it has been looking for: Welcia Holdings.Welcia is the country’s leading drugstore chain and is growing strongly, exceeding ¥1 trillion in sales for the first time and forecasting an increase to ¥1.8 trillion through 2023.Last year, it made almost as much profit as the whole of Aeon combined but there are plenty of opportunities to extract more profit from this sector.Like most Japanese drugstore stocks, Welcia is currently trading at historically high levels thanks to a surge in sales from March onwards (see below for details)  but with more consolidation coming in the sector led by the leaders, Welcia is a solid buy when dips in the market provide an opportunity.

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kirindo-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20564:1" rel="noopener">Kirindo Holdings (3194 JP)</a> is now the dominant drugstore chain in Kansai and this position gives it a base to build further.</p><p>Over the next three years, the company plans to expand its range of own brands, particularly in cosmetics and health foods, and to increase the proportion of its nearly 400 stores that offer prescription drug services.</p><p>This, Kirindo hopes, will grow sales by 12% through FY2022, but <strong>it is targeting profits up by 70% in the same period</strong>.</p><p>Given its strong share in the Kansai market, Kirindo <strong>could also become a takeover target in the longer-term war for national dominance. </strong></p><p>For more on the expected increase in M&amp;A activity in the drugstore market, please see our indepth review of the sector: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japanese-drugstores-with-maturity-comes-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em>Japanese drugstores: with maturity comes marriage.</em></strong></a></p>

Kirindo Holdings (3194 JP) is now the dominant drugstore chain in Kansai and this position gives it a base to build further.Over the next three years, the company plans to expand its range of own brands, particularly in cosmetics and health foods, and to increase the proportion of its nearly 400 stores that offer prescription drug services.This, Kirindo hopes, will grow sales by 12% through FY2022, but it is targeting profits up by 70% in the same period.Given its strong share in the Kansai market, Kirindo could also become a takeover target in the longer-term war for national dominance. For more on the expected increase in M&amp;A activity in the drugstore market, please see our indepth review of the sector: Japanese drugstores: with maturity comes marriage.

Kirindo Establishing Drugstore Dominance in Kansai

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/454/original/2020-04-18_16-16-49.png?1587194226" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128454"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>MARKING TIME</strong> - Japanse equities were becalmed last week, rising by 0.84%, while the Yen traded at 107 all week. The Bank of Japan bought ETFs on Wednesday and Thursday despite the relative calm and are on a path for April to equal the total purchases made in March. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/455/original/2020-04-18_17-43-44.png?1587199447" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128455"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>MARKING MULTIPLES</strong> - As we have been covering in our daily Results &amp; Revisions updates, forward earnings continue to decline gradually. As previously noted, the market multiple will rise over the next month as full-year forecasts for FY2021 are announced to at least the early 2020 peak of 17.6 times. This adjustment process will be complicated by a lack of initial forecasts from many leading companies and by a delay in the publication of annual <em>yuho</em> audited financial statements until the late summer. 'Robust' analysis will be at a premium.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/651/original/File%202020-04-20%204%2023%2024.jpeg?1587324271" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128651"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/652/original/File%202020-04-20%204%2024%2019.jpeg?1587324282" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128652"></figure><p></p><div class="content-caption">Source • ourworldindata.org</div><p><strong>COVID CASE COUNT</strong> - Japan's COVID-19 daily case-count has trended down this week compared to the weel before and is now on a par with Sweden and Singapore. Daily fatalities are averaging double figures as this lagging statistics reflects the higher case count of two weeks ago and are still within the East Asian 'range' of 0-10 a day. New case counts of below 100 and a declining trend, as is the case in South Korea, Denmark and Austria will be required by the end of Golden Week on May 6th for Japan to consider any relaxation of its now nationwide 'state of emergency'. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/558/original/File%202020-04-19%2016%2028%2027.jpeg?1587281926" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128558"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/559/original/File%202020-04-19%2016%2023%2014.jpeg?1587281952" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128559"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • ourworldindata.org</div><p><strong>JAPAN'S TESTING VACUUM</strong> - We have noted the lack of testing in Japan in an earlier <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-market-update-hit-the-boj-bid-and-wait-for-the-absolute-value-opportunity" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37670" rel="noopener">Insight</a> and the two charts above from Oxford's Global Change Data Lab highlights Japan's outlier status in this regard and the implications for confirmed case counts and confirmed deaths. This deficiency has led many data scientists to study excess mortality rates. At present, there is insufficient data from the Health Ministry in Japan to make any valid comparisons. Based on other countries, Japan's excess mortality will likely price to be slightly higher for the over 65s and lower for everyone else. In any case, a massive testing capability will form a key component of any viable exit strategy.     </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/479/original/File%202020-04-19%206%2024%2053.jpeg?1587245112" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128479"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • stopcovid19.jp</div><p><strong>OVERSHOOT</strong> - Unfortunately for patients and the government, hospitals are now full in many prefectures. Central Tokyo hospitals are turning away patients requiring ambulances to take patients to outlying parts of the prefecture - although this situation is not unusual in normal times. Despite ample time to prepare, the government has failed to provide for the 'overshoot' that they had been warning the public it was necessary to avoid. Japan also has a lower ratio of intensive care beds, (5) per 100,000 people, than many other developed countries. The previous policy of hospitalising every case, however mild, has been reversed and local governments have now requisitioned 210,000 hotel rooms to house those not in need of urgent medical intervention. While Japan's COVID-19 strategy has, so far, followed the less economically-damaging Swedish model (see below), a failure to address the hospital overshoot risks the country being forced to follow the UK's 'u-turn' into total lockdown from which exit strategies are much harder. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/650/original/2020-04-20_04-02-00.png?1587322973" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128650"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Tokyo Metropolitan Government</div><p><strong>PEAKING OUT?</strong> On Sunday, Tokyo only 107 new cases, the lowest Sunday total for three weeks and the first decline. Tokyo now has over 3,000 cases out of a population of almost 14 million. The rate of doubling is now decelerating from one week to two weeks. Meanwhile, transit through major railway stations has declined by 70-80% across Japan. A lowering of new cases next week will be crucial to keep the hospitals from overflowing and the Prime Minister's reputation from falling further.</p><p><strong>FALLOUT</strong> - PM Abe's political capital is another casualty of this disease. It has emerged that his coalition partner the lay-Buddhist Komeito party threatened to walk out if the cash-for-all policy was not implemented requiring Abe to amend a previously-agreed budget bill much to the fury of the Ministry of Finance. The latter was able to require an application process as a means of limiting the amounts dispersed. However, in a bow to the changing circumstance, this process can be conducted online without, it seems, the need for in-person <em>hanko</em> certification. An additional complication is that Abe has 'fallen out' with his main bureaucratic 'fixer' and the main conduit with Komeito, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga. Abe's poll ratings will probably never recover, and only his long-cherished desire to open the Tokyo Olympics in July 20121 will keep him in office. As will be true in many countries, the COVID-19 policy post mortems will be brutal and fatal for many previously Teflon-like political careers.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/486/original/File%202020-04-18%2013%2054%2022.jpeg?1587246944" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128486"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Agoop</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/488/original/File%202020-04-18%2013%2053%2001.jpeg?1587247186" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128488"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward   Orange Line = Concentration of people at 11 pm</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/490/original/File%202020-04-18%2014%2000%2004.jpeg?1587247628" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128490"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward  Red Line = Population earning more than ¥15m a year</div><p><strong>HOTSPOTS &amp; FAT CATS</strong> - Some support for the government's policy of shutting down Tokyo's nightlife comes from data which correlates case count per Tokyo ward and population clusters in each area at 11 pm.  The correlation is much higher than both population levels and public transport transit through each ward. The second highest correlation was with income levels, suggesting that Tokyo' rich have a greater tendency to frequent bars, restaurants and other forms of evening entertainment, while no doubt considering themselves immune. This correlation has been anecdotally confirmed by the growing number of figures from the media and entertainment world who have contracted the disease and bears out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's focus on avoiding the 3 'C's - <strong>C</strong>ongregations <strong>C</strong>onversing in <strong>C</strong>onfined spaces. The plug has been pulled on Tokyo's '<em>mizushobai'</em> or 'water trade'.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/663/original/File%202020-04-20%205%2020%2010.jpeg?1587327650" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128663"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Johns Hopkins CSSE</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/478/original/2020-04-19_06-16-22.png?1587244624" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128478"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • LockdownTV</div><p><strong>PROF GIESECKE &amp; THE SWEDISH MODEL</strong> - Lastly, this <a href="https://youtu.be/bfN2JWifLCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of an interview with retired Swedish epidemiologist, Professor Johan Giesecke, provides an update on the policy options that governments have faced in their responses to COVID-19, the background to Sweden's policy and the difficulties of exiting from lockdown strategies. A summary of his talk is as follows:-</p><blockquote>
<p>Lockdown policies are not evidence-based</p>
<p>The correct policy is to protect the old and the frail only - this will eventually lead to herd immunity as a by-product - the initial UK response, which was similar to Sweden's was better  - before they made a 180 degree U-turn</p>
<p>The UK's Imperial College paper was not very good and he has never seen an unpublished paper have so much policy impact - the paper was  too pessimistic and any such models are a dubious basis for public policy</p>
<p>The flattening of the curve is due to the most vulnerable dying first as much as the lockdown policy</p>
<p>The outcomes will eventually be similar for all countries regardless of policy pursued</p>
<p>Covid-19 is a mild disease similar to the flu, and it was the novelty of the disease that scared people - the fatality rate of Covid-19 is the region of 0.1%</p>
<p>At least 50% of the population will be shown to have already had the disease when mass antibody testing becomes available - achieving 'herd immunity'</p>
</blockquote><p>In the <strong>DETAIL </strong>below, we shall explore some of the emerging themes for the post-COVID-19 world, review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made on Friday and, finally, look at our lists the Moving Average 'Outliers'.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for Friday's three results announcements was 1:0:2. For the 20 revisions/forecasts, the split was 7:1:12 - although two of the positive outcomes were securities brokers making initial 'forecasts' of a year-on-year return to profitability after the full-year results have been finalised. Peer Groups revising down included <strong>Advertising Services</strong>, <strong>Apparel &amp; Footwear</strong>, <strong>Retail-Apparel &amp; Footwear</strong>, <strong>Hotels &amp; Resorts</strong>, <strong>Employment &amp; Staffing</strong>, and<strong> Restaurants</strong>. Upward revisions were seen in<strong> Retail-Food &amp; Drink</strong>, <strong>Personal Products</strong>, and<strong> Public Relations</strong>.</p>

Source • Japan AnalyticsMARKING TIME - Japanse equities were becalmed last week, rising by 0.84%, while the Yen traded at 107 all week. The Bank of Japan bought ETFs on Wednesday and Thursday despite the relative calm and are on a path for April to equal the total purchases made in March. Source • Japan AnalyticsMARKING MULTIPLES - As we have been covering in our daily Results &amp; Revisions updates, forward earnings continue to decline gradually. As previously noted, the market multiple will rise over the next month as full-year forecasts for FY2021 are announced to at least the early 2020 peak of 17.6 times. This adjustment process will be complicated by a lack of initial forecasts from many leading companies and by a delay in the publication of annual yuho audited financial statements until the late summer. 'Robust' analysis will be at a premium.Source • ourworldindata.orgCOVID CASE COUNT - Japan's COVID-19 daily case-count has trended down this week compared to the weel before and is now on a par with Sweden and Singapore. Daily fatalities are averaging double figures as this lagging statistics reflects the higher case count of two weeks ago and are still within the East Asian 'range' of 0-10 a day. New case counts of below 100 and a declining trend, as is the case in South Korea, Denmark and Austria will be required by the end of Golden Week on May 6th for Japan to consider any relaxation of its now nationwide 'state of emergency'. Source • ourworldindata.orgJAPAN'S TESTING VACUUM - We have noted the lack of testing in Japan in an earlier Insight and the two charts above from Oxford's Global Change Data Lab highlights Japan's outlier status in this regard and the implications for confirmed case counts and confirmed deaths. This deficiency has led many data scientists to study excess mortality rates. At present, there is insufficient data from the Health Ministry in Japan to make any valid comparisons. Based on other countries, Japan's excess mortality will likely price to be slightly higher for the over 65s and lower for everyone else. In any case, a massive testing capability will form a key component of any viable exit strategy.     Source • stopcovid19.jpOVERSHOOT - Unfortunately for patients and the government, hospitals are now full in many prefectures. Central Tokyo hospitals are turning away patients requiring ambulances to take patients to outlying parts of the prefecture - although this situation is not unusual in normal times. Despite ample time to prepare, the government has failed to provide for the 'overshoot' that they had been warning the public it was necessary to avoid. Japan also has a lower ratio of intensive care beds, (5) per 100,000 people, than many other developed countries. The previous policy of hospitalising every case, however mild, has been reversed and local governments have now requisitioned 210,000 hotel rooms to house those not in need of urgent medical intervention. While Japan's COVID-19 strategy has, so far, followed the less economically-damaging Swedish model (see below), a failure to address the hospital overshoot risks the country being forced to follow the UK's 'u-turn' into total lockdown from which exit strategies are much harder. Source • Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentPEAKING OUT? On Sunday, Tokyo only 107 new cases, the lowest Sunday total for three weeks and the first decline. Tokyo now has over 3,000 cases out of a population of almost 14 million. The rate of doubling is now decelerating from one week to two weeks. Meanwhile, transit through major railway stations has declined by 70-80% across Japan. A lowering of new cases next week will be crucial to keep the hospitals from overflowing and the Prime Minister's reputation from falling further.FALLOUT - PM Abe's political capital is another casualty of this disease. It has emerged that his coalition partner the lay-Buddhist Komeito party threatened to walk out if the cash-for-all policy was not implemented requiring Abe to amend a previously-agreed budget bill much to the fury of the Ministry of Finance. The latter was able to require an application process as a means of limiting the amounts dispersed. However, in a bow to the changing circumstance, this process can be conducted online without, it seems, the need for in-person hanko certification. An additional complication is that Abe has 'fallen out' with his main bureaucratic 'fixer' and the main conduit with Komeito, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga. Abe's poll ratings will probably never recover, and only his long-cherished desire to open the Tokyo Olympics in July 20121 will keep him in office. As will be true in many countries, the COVID-19 policy post mortems will be brutal and fatal for many previously Teflon-like political careers.Source • AgoopSource • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward   Orange Line = Concentration of people at 11 pmSource • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward  Red Line = Population earning more than ¥15m a yearHOTSPOTS &amp; FAT CATS - Some support for the government's policy of shutting down Tokyo's nightlife comes from data which correlates case count per Tokyo ward and population clusters in each area at 11 pm.  The correlation is much higher than both population levels and public transport transit through each ward. The second highest correlation was with income levels, suggesting that Tokyo' rich have a greater tendency to frequent bars, restaurants and other forms of evening entertainment, while no doubt considering themselves immune. This correlation has been anecdotally confirmed by the growing number of figures from the media and entertainment world who have contracted the disease and bears out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's focus on avoiding the 3 'C's - Congregations Conversing in Confined spaces. The plug has been pulled on Tokyo's 'mizushobai' or 'water trade'.Source • Johns Hopkins CSSESource • LockdownTVPROF GIESECKE &amp; THE SWEDISH MODEL - Lastly, this video of an interview with retired Swedish epidemiologist, Professor Johan Giesecke, provides an update on the policy options that governments have faced in their responses to COVID-19, the background to Sweden's policy and the difficulties of exiting from lockdown strategies. A summary of his talk is as follows:-
Lockdown policies are not evidence-based
The correct policy is to protect the old and the frail only - this will eventually lead to herd immunity as a by-product - the initial UK response, which was similar to Sweden's was better  - before they made a 180 degree U-turn
The UK's Imperial College paper was not very good and he has never seen an unpublished paper have so much policy impact - the paper was  too pessimistic and any such models are a dubious basis for public policy
The flattening of the curve is due to the most vulnerable dying first as much as the lockdown policy
The outcomes will eventually be similar for all countries regardless of policy pursued
Covid-19 is a mild disease similar to the flu, and it was the novelty of the disease that scared people - the fatality rate of Covid-19 is the region of 0.1%
At least 50% of the population will be shown to have already had the disease when mass antibody testing becomes available - achieving 'herd immunity'
In the DETAIL below, we shall explore some of the emerging themes for the post-COVID-19 world, review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made on Friday and, finally, look at our lists the Moving Average 'Outliers'.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for Friday's three results announcements was 1:0:2. For the 20 revisions/forecasts, the split was 7:1:12 - although two of the positive outcomes were securities brokers making initial 'forecasts' of a year-on-year return to profitability after the full-year results have been finalised. Peer Groups revising down included Advertising Services, Apparel &amp; Footwear, Retail-Apparel &amp; Footwear, Hotels &amp; Resorts, Employment &amp; Staffing, and Restaurants. Upward revisions were seen in Retail-Food &amp; Drink, Personal Products, and Public Relations.

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET (& COVID-19) UPDATE 19th April - Overshoot

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/200/original/2020-04-09_06-30-15.png?1586381444" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127200"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • NHK</div><p><strong>SOCIAL SPREADING</strong> - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's case-count continues to climb and is becoming more widespread geographically. There is anecdotal evidence of movement by those that can afford to do so to other areas of the country, which perhaps explains some of these increases. The Governor of Okinawa, which saw five new cases yesterday, has pleaded with citizens of other parts of Japan not to travel there. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Nagoya has been over-ruled by the Bolsonaro-like Governor of Aichi Prefecture in his request to implement stricter controls. A similar dynamic is playing out between the Governor of Tokyo, which saw a new high of 144 new cases yesterday, and the national government.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/201/original/IMG_1197.jpg?1586382076" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127201"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • NHK</div><p><strong>THE PATH TO 80%</strong> -  Japan's goal is to reduce social mobility by 80% and, as measured by activity on the <em>Yamanote</em> rail loop-line around central Tokyo, this was largely achieved last weekend. The reduction on weekdays at peak times from 30th March to 3rd April is still 40% as is activity at the famous Shibuya 'scramble' crossing as shown above. From personal observation, the public and businesses have yet to respond fully to the government's recommendations and there is still confusion as to which business can stay open and if so under what conditions they should operate. The default position, so far, for most non-leisure-related consumer-facing companies is to remain open with customer-distancing.  As the UK has learned to its cost, consistent and repeated messaging is required to ensure even a minimal level of compliance.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/205/original/2020-04-09_07-03-22.png?1586383423" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127205"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • OECD, Financial Times</div><p><strong>FALLOUT</strong> - Forty-two companies have already declared bankruptcy since the onset of COVID-19, all of which are hotels or tour companies. In light of the unclear messaging on compensation for businesses, a Tokyo taxi company yesterday laid off all of its 600 drivers recommending that claiming unemployment benefit would be the quickest way for them to receive benefits while suggesting they would be rehired at a later date. Unsurprisingly the 'Economy Watchers' survey which measures confidence in an array of 1,812 retail, restaurant and service-industry staff fell to 14.2 in March, the lowest score since the series started in 2002. The more robust Cabinet Office index of consumer confidence covering 6,806 households reached an eleven-year low of 30.9, slightly ahead of the March 2009 low of 29.4 and downgraded its assessment to 'worsening'. The OECD has published some ominous forecasts for the potential impact on GDP broken down by sector. We consider this to be a 'worst-case' scenario in the event of a full shutdown of social activity which the government is trying to avoid at all costs.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/212/original/File%202020-04-09%204%2005%2042.jpeg?1586384975" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127212"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/214/original/2020-04-09_03-38-04.png?1586385031" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127214"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Financial Times</div><div class="content-caption"></div><p><strong>PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE</strong> - In this respect, it is important to reflect that the case and absolute fatality rates from COVID-19 in Japan (as is also true in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea) are very low. Medical scientists and several recent <strong><a href="https://www.icnarc.org/About/Latest-News/2020/03/22/Report-On-196-Patients-Critically-Ill-With-Covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studies</a></strong>have posited that these benign outcomes may be related to a variety of physiological and environmental factors such as nutrition, obesity, air quality and exposure to Vitamin-D producing sunlight. Such factors may also explain the outcomes so far in Australia and Argentina relative to Spain and Italy. Having experienced the twin traumas of the 2008 financial crisis and the events of "3/11", the Japanse government and Japanese industry are pursuing a measured response which, we believe, will result in a less traumatic economic outcome than other developed countries may experience. Some Twitter 'wags' have compared the chart above to Hokusai's famous ukiyo-e print "<em>Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura</em>". The natural metaphor is quite apt as is the enduring quality of Fuji-san in the distance.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/216/original/2020-04-09_03-36-31.png?1586386089" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127216"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Hokusai</div><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> below, we shall review the fourteen results announcements and twelve revisions or initial forecasts. The positive/negative balance for results was 9:5, for revisions and forecasts the split was 2:0:9 continuing the recent trend of pessimistic outlooks for consumer-orientated businesses. </p>

Source • NHKSOCIAL SPREADING - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's case-count continues to climb and is becoming more widespread geographically. There is anecdotal evidence of movement by those that can afford to do so to other areas of the country, which perhaps explains some of these increases. The Governor of Okinawa, which saw five new cases yesterday, has pleaded with citizens of other parts of Japan not to travel there. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Nagoya has been over-ruled by the Bolsonaro-like Governor of Aichi Prefecture in his request to implement stricter controls. A similar dynamic is playing out between the Governor of Tokyo, which saw a new high of 144 new cases yesterday, and the national government.Source • NHKTHE PATH TO 80% -  Japan's goal is to reduce social mobility by 80% and, as measured by activity on the Yamanote rail loop-line around central Tokyo, this was largely achieved last weekend. The reduction on weekdays at peak times from 30th March to 3rd April is still 40% as is activity at the famous Shibuya 'scramble' crossing as shown above. From personal observation, the public and businesses have yet to respond fully to the government's recommendations and there is still confusion as to which business can stay open and if so under what conditions they should operate. The default position, so far, for most non-leisure-related consumer-facing companies is to remain open with customer-distancing.  As the UK has learned to its cost, consistent and repeated messaging is required to ensure even a minimal level of compliance.Source • OECD, Financial TimesFALLOUT - Forty-two companies have already declared bankruptcy since the onset of COVID-19, all of which are hotels or tour companies. In light of the unclear messaging on compensation for businesses, a Tokyo taxi company yesterday laid off all of its 600 drivers recommending that claiming unemployment benefit would be the quickest way for them to receive benefits while suggesting they would be rehired at a later date. Unsurprisingly the 'Economy Watchers' survey which measures confidence in an array of 1,812 retail, restaurant and service-industry staff fell to 14.2 in March, the lowest score since the series started in 2002. The more robust Cabinet Office index of consumer confidence covering 6,806 households reached an eleven-year low of 30.9, slightly ahead of the March 2009 low of 29.4 and downgraded its assessment to 'worsening'. The OECD has published some ominous forecasts for the potential impact on GDP broken down by sector. We consider this to be a 'worst-case' scenario in the event of a full shutdown of social activity which the government is trying to avoid at all costs.Source • Financial TimesPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE - In this respect, it is important to reflect that the case and absolute fatality rates from COVID-19 in Japan (as is also true in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea) are very low. Medical scientists and several recent studieshave posited that these benign outcomes may be related to a variety of physiological and environmental factors such as nutrition, obesity, air quality and exposure to Vitamin-D producing sunlight. Such factors may also explain the outcomes so far in Australia and Argentina relative to Spain and Italy. Having experienced the twin traumas of the 2008 financial crisis and the events of "3/11", the Japanse government and Japanese industry are pursuing a measured response which, we believe, will result in a less traumatic economic outcome than other developed countries may experience. Some Twitter 'wags' have compared the chart above to Hokusai's famous ukiyo-e print "Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura". The natural metaphor is quite apt as is the enduring quality of Fuji-san in the distance.Source • HokusaiIn the DETAIL below, we shall review the fourteen results announcements and twelve revisions or initial forecasts. The positive/negative balance for results was 9:5, for revisions and forecasts the split was 2:0:9 continuing the recent trend of pessimistic outlooks for consumer-orientated businesses. 

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 8th April - Getting to 80%▼& The GDP Contraction Lottery

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

<p>We continue to believe global equities (ACWI-US) are likely to test the recent low made on March 23, with an undercut of roughly 10% also in the cards. This expectation is supported by price action during prior major waterfall declines in past recessionary periods. With the global economy likely headed for a recession (or worse) we believe it is important to stay with the Sectors that have been outperforming amid the COVID-19 pandemic as we believe they are likely to continue outperforming. That means we are sticking primarily with Staples, Health Care, and Technology. We are also expanding our recommendations to include bottom-up ideas within several other Sectors.</p>

We continue to believe global equities (ACWI-US) are likely to test the recent low made on March 23, with an undercut of roughly 10% also in the cards. This expectation is supported by price action during prior major waterfall declines in past recessionary periods. With the global economy likely headed for a recession (or worse) we believe it is important to stay with the Sectors that have been outperforming amid the COVID-19 pandemic as we believe they are likely to continue outperforming. That means we are sticking primarily with Staples, Health Care, and Technology. We are also expanding our recommendations to include bottom-up ideas within several other Sectors.

Global Equities (ACWI-US) Likely to Retest the March Low

Japan

WELCIA HOLDINGS CO.,LTD. is a holding company established through a merger of Welcia Kanto and Takada Pharmacy.  The Group mainly operates drug chain stores which sell medicines, health foods, cosmetics, nursery items and daily necessity goods.

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🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 8th April - Getting to 80%▼& The GDP Contraction Lottery

SOCIAL SPREADING - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's...

Campbell Gunn

Global Equities (ACWI-US) Likely to Retest the March Low

We continue to believe global equities (ACWI-US) are likely to test the recent low made on March 23, with an undercut of roughly 10% also in the...

Vermilion Research

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