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

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<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/the-we-company" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28061:1" rel="noopener">The We Company (WeWork) (WE US)</a> sold its majority stake in its China business to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/153f2775-72cc-451e-b7a3-03978c69f97b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trustbridge Partners</a> for $200 million, a price far below the $5 billion where the unit had been valued in 2018.But in 2018, WeWork was still being pitched by its bankers to investors as worth as much as $100 billion, substantially higher versus my $5-7 billion estimate. Less than a year later WeWork's IPO collapsed and it sunk into insolvency as I had projected (see <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/gravity-works-as-wework-doesn-t-now-plan-b" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:32107" rel="noopener">Gravity Works As WeWork Doesn't; Now Plan B</a> on 9/17/20). We know how that worked out. Times and fortunes have changed for the worse since then, and now WeWork is lucky to get a meaningful price for any of its still struggling assets, as we can see in the following quick review.Read on as Bond Angle discussion continues...

The We Company (WeWork) (WE US) sold its majority stake in its China business to Trustbridge Partners for $200 million, a price far below the $5 billion where the unit had been valued in 2018.But in 2018, WeWork was still being pitched by its bankers to investors as worth as much as $100 billion, substantially higher versus my $5-7 billion estimate. Less than a year later WeWork's IPO collapsed and it sunk into insolvency as I had projected (see Gravity Works As WeWork Doesn't; Now Plan B on 9/17/20). We know how that worked out. Times and fortunes have changed for the worse since then, and now WeWork is lucky to get a meaningful price for any of its still struggling assets, as we can see in the following quick review.Read on as Bond Angle discussion continues...

Breaking: WeWork Nets $200 Million for China Business

Sold! Softbank is said to be closing in on a deal to sell <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/arm-holdings-plc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arm Holdings (ARM LN)</a> to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nvidia-corp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US)</a> for more than $40 billion in cash and stock in a deal that could be announced as soon as Monday, according to reports out today by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/softbank-nearing-deal-to-sell-arm-holdings-to-nvidia-for-more-than-40-billion-11599928360?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a> and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6bfe40a5-2426-4743-98cd-6fed9dd01b98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times</a>.
This finally may be some good news for Softbank's investors, shaken by news last week that it had launched a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/75587aa6-1f1f-4e9d-b334-3ff866753fa2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">massive options program so large it helped move markets</a> on stocks it just bought. 
This was funded with cash Softbank had said it must protect against conditions too risky to allow it to execute promised stock buybacks and debt repayment to repair its damaged balance sheet (read more in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/softbank-s-son-feeling-the-force-with-options-funded-with-cash-it-had-pledged-to-protect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Softbank's Son "Feeling The Force" With Options Funded With Cash It Had Pledged To Protect</a> on 9/8/20).
I warned last week Softbank had deliberately withheld and misrepresented material information about such a dramatic change in strategy direction and risk in its earnings presentation to investors just weeks ago.
On Saturday, Softbank's top investors went straight to the top to find out why—the answer is troubling, but not surprising.
<div class="content-highlight">
Read on for Bond Angle commentary.
</div>

Sold! Softbank is said to be closing in on a deal to sell Arm Holdings (ARM LN) to NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US) for more than $40 billion in cash and stock in a deal that could be announced as soon as Monday, according to reports out today by The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
This finally may be some good news for Softbank's investors, shaken by news last week that it had launched a massive options program so large it helped move markets on stocks it just bought. 
This was funded with cash Softbank had said it must protect against conditions too risky to allow it to execute promised stock buybacks and debt repayment to repair its damaged balance sheet (read more in Softbank's Son "Feeling The Force" With Options Funded With Cash It Had Pledged To Protect on 9/8/20).
I warned last week Softbank had deliberately withheld and misrepresented material information about such a dramatic change in strategy direction and risk in its earnings presentation to investors just weeks ago.
On Saturday, Softbank's top investors went straight to the top to find out why—the answer is troubling, but not surprising.

Read on for Bond Angle commentary.


Softbank Wrapping up Arm Sale While Wrestling With Alarmed Investors

<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

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

As Tesla chooses the “unusual” option of conducting equity financing through an At The Market offering we think it is an apt time to take a trip down memory lane and examine some of the qualitative similarities of the company’s culture and situation with one of the previous companies that was going to change the world and disrupt all those who just didn’t get it… Enron.

As Tesla chooses the “unusual” option of conducting equity financing through an At The Market offering we think it is an apt time to take a trip down memory lane and examine some of the qualitative similarities of the company’s culture and situation with one of the previous companies that was going to change the world and disrupt all those who just didn’t get it… Enron.

<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> stock closed near $2,100 per share on Friday, making it more expensive at more than $381 billion versus the combined equity of its next five competitors <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/general-motors-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18811:1" rel="noopener">General Motors Co (GM US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ford-motor-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19225:1" rel="noopener">Ford Motor Co (F US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toyota-motor-corp-spon-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8245:1" rel="noopener">Toyota Motor Corp Spon Adr (TM US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/volkswagen-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21738:1" rel="noopener">Volkswagen (VOW GR)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nissan-motor-co-ltd-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8768:1" rel="noopener">Nissan Motor (ADR) (NSANY US)</a>. Notice I didn't say more "valuable." That's because the stock now is selling at 1153x earnings, with enterprise value 84x my 2020 EBITDA estimate (as affirmed in my report <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/investors-aren-t-worried-but-tesla-seems-to-be" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:39074" rel="noopener">Investors Aren't Worried, But Tesla Seems To Be</a> on 8/17/20).Now, this doesn't mean I am a Tesla "hater" (or a seventh-grader) or "in the pocket of big oil." But then, people say a lot of dubious things to justify Tesla's stock price like:<ul>
<li>Tesla should be priced like a tech company, not an auto company. </li>
<li>Tesla is profitable and generates free cash flow.</li>
<li>Analysts just don't understand Tesla's business.</li>
<li>Tesla's insane demand plus its prospective battery-making business makes it worth the valuation.</li>
<li>Panic over COVID-19 is "dumb" and it will be over by April. Wait, those <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/01/coronavirus-has-elon-musk-acting-like-just-another-used-car-salesman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statements came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk</a> and they were categorically false and dangerous misinformation when he said them.</li>
</ul>Meanwhile, we're still waiting for the "more than one million" Tesla "robotaxis" with "full self-driving hardware, feature complete at a reliably level that we would consider that no one needs to pay attention" as Musk promised by July of this year on Autonomy Day in April 2019 and which now are significantly overdue (see <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/tesla-autonomy-day-takes-investors-for-another-ride" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:29339" rel="noopener">Tesla "Autonomy Day" Takes Investors For Another Ride</a> on 4/24/19).I mean, if you can't trust claims from Elon Musk what about Tesla's bulls? <div class="content-highlight">Read on as Bond Angle the Curmudgeon takes on Tesla myths even bigger than its stock price.</div>

Tesla Motors (TSLA US) stock closed near $2,100 per share on Friday, making it more expensive at more than $381 billion versus the combined equity of its next five competitors General Motors Co (GM US), Ford Motor Co (F US), Toyota Motor Corp Spon Adr (TM US), Volkswagen (VOW GR), and Nissan Motor (ADR) (NSANY US). Notice I didn't say more "valuable." That's because the stock now is selling at 1153x earnings, with enterprise value 84x my 2020 EBITDA estimate (as affirmed in my report Investors Aren't Worried, But Tesla Seems To Be on 8/17/20).Now, this doesn't mean I am a Tesla "hater" (or a seventh-grader) or "in the pocket of big oil." But then, people say a lot of dubious things to justify Tesla's stock price like:
Tesla should be priced like a tech company, not an auto company. 
Tesla is profitable and generates free cash flow.
Analysts just don't understand Tesla's business.
Tesla's insane demand plus its prospective battery-making business makes it worth the valuation.
Panic over COVID-19 is "dumb" and it will be over by April. Wait, those statements came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and they were categorically false and dangerous misinformation when he said them.
Meanwhile, we're still waiting for the "more than one million" Tesla "robotaxis" with "full self-driving hardware, feature complete at a reliably level that we would consider that no one needs to pay attention" as Musk promised by July of this year on Autonomy Day in April 2019 and which now are significantly overdue (see Tesla "Autonomy Day" Takes Investors For Another Ride on 4/24/19).I mean, if you can't trust claims from Elon Musk what about Tesla's bulls? Read on as Bond Angle the Curmudgeon takes on Tesla myths even bigger than its stock price.

Things People Believe: Flat Earth, Faked Moon Landings, and Tesla $2100

United States

WeWork Inc. provides co-working spaces for individuals and entrepreneurs. The Company offers private offices, office suites, headquarters, and custom build out options to fit a variety of office needs, as well as desk spaces and conference rooms. WeWork serves customers worldwide.

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WeWork (WEWKQ US)

Breaking: WeWork Nets $200 Million for China Business

The We Company (WeWork) (WE US) is lucky to get $200 million for its China business, in my view, even though it had been valued at $5 billion back...

Vicki Bryan

Softbank Wrapping up Arm Sale While Wrestling With Alarmed Investors

Sold! Softbank has agreed to sell Arm Holdings (ARM LN) to NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US) for more than $40 billion in cash and stock in a deal that could...

Vicki Bryan

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

Tesla – A Comparison With Enron

As Tesla chooses the “unusual” option of conducting equity financing through an At The Market offering we think it is an apt time to take a trip...

Mio Kato

Things People Believe: Flat Earth, Faked Moon Landings, and Tesla $2100

Tesla Motors (TSLA US) stock closed near $2,100 per share on Friday, making it more expensive at more than $381 billion versus the combined equity...

Vicki Bryan

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