IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>On 24 July, 3D Investment Partners proposed to privatise <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tohokushinsha-film-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15129:1" rel="noopener">Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP)</a> through a tender at JPY600-650. 3D has extended the offer validity period from 23 to 30 August.  </li>
<li>The controlling shareholder, Mr Hisako, claims he is not a seller regardless of price. The Board goes through the motions, knowing that Mr Hisako will decide the offer's fate. </li>
<li>3D’s persistence suggests that Mr Hisako's resolve might be checked by bumping the offer. As this outcome is likely, the shares will continue to trade through terms.  </li>
</ul>


On 24 July, 3D Investment Partners proposed to privatise Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP) through a tender at JPY600-650. 3D has extended the offer validity period from 23 to 30 August.  
The controlling shareholder, Mr Hisako, claims he is not a seller regardless of price. The Board goes through the motions, knowing that Mr Hisako will decide the offer's fate. 
3D’s persistence suggests that Mr Hisako's resolve might be checked by bumping the offer. As this outcome is likely, the shares will continue to trade through terms.  


Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP): 3D Persists Despite Strong Pushback

<ul>
<li>On 24 July, 3D Investment Partners proposed to privatise <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tohokushinsha-film-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15129:1" rel="noopener">Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP)</a> through a tender offer at JPY600-650 per share. A special committee will evaluate the proposal. </li>
<li>3D’s privatisation plan, in its current terms, is a non-starter as the price is low, and its activism campaign has so far been met with the Board’s scepticism.</li>
<li>The possible scenarios are that a white knight emerges to buy 3D’s stake/launch a counteroffer, 3D bumps the offer price, or the Board introduces a more ambitious MTM plan.</li>
</ul>


On 24 July, 3D Investment Partners proposed to privatise Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP) through a tender offer at JPY600-650 per share. A special committee will evaluate the proposal. 
3D’s privatisation plan, in its current terms, is a non-starter as the price is low, and its activism campaign has so far been met with the Board’s scepticism.
The possible scenarios are that a white knight emerges to buy 3D’s stake/launch a counteroffer, 3D bumps the offer price, or the Board introduces a more ambitious MTM plan.


Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP): Potential Scenarios as 3D Lobs a Privatisation Proposal

Pan-Asia Index Flows & Special Situations, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Pan-Asia Index Flows & Special Situations

Quiddity Advisors

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

<ul>
<li>The TOPIX liquidity factor removal names (upweights) for April 2023 were announced after the close on Friday 7th April 2023 as expected.</li>
<li>According to the announcement, 22 names will see their Liquidity Factors removed and experience index inflows later this month. </li>
<li>Today was the first day of trading post-announcement and the 22 names gained +1.1% (+0.47% vs the TOPIX Index). I feel there could be more upside for some names.</li>
</ul>


The TOPIX liquidity factor removal names (upweights) for April 2023 were announced after the close on Friday 7th April 2023 as expected.
According to the announcement, 22 names will see their Liquidity Factors removed and experience index inflows later this month. 
Today was the first day of trading post-announcement and the 22 names gained +1.1% (+0.47% vs the TOPIX Index). I feel there could be more upside for some names.


TOPIX Big April Basket 23: 100% Hit Rate for High Conviction Basket; Focus on Surprises Next

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Major Japanese broadcaster <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-broadcasting-system" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12981:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Broadcasting System (9401 JP)</a> has a long history of being a target for wannabe activists. The company has long held a large securities portfolio, anchored by shares in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-electron-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:280:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Electron (8035 JP)</a> (Tokyo Electron was originally a spinoff of TBS) and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/recruit-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15070:1" rel="noopener">Recruit Holdings (6098 JP)</a>. The company has long had cash and other securities, and a decent chunk of real estate in a prime area of Akasaka (for a while I even used to work next to their HQ, and walked through the grounds on the way to the subway every day). But the company has long rebuffed corporate overtures to bring it into new businesses, and investor overtures to get to With a new buyback program announced last week after a sale of some securities, the company has finally thrown shareholders - and the two known activists - a bone.It is a tiny bone, with most of the meat already picked off.These two activists together may hold &lt;3% of shares out. They have too little heft to compete against management backed by corporate and financial crossholders who appear to hold more like 55+%. While there is tremendous value in the shares, it is not clear that TBS has any interest in selling its assets other than little by little, providing a little cash to shareholders here and there, and investing the rest.More below.

Major Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System (9401 JP) has a long history of being a target for wannabe activists. The company has long held a large securities portfolio, anchored by shares in Tokyo Electron (8035 JP) (Tokyo Electron was originally a spinoff of TBS) and Recruit Holdings (6098 JP). The company has long had cash and other securities, and a decent chunk of real estate in a prime area of Akasaka (for a while I even used to work next to their HQ, and walked through the grounds on the way to the subway every day). But the company has long rebuffed corporate overtures to bring it into new businesses, and investor overtures to get to With a new buyback program announced last week after a sale of some securities, the company has finally thrown shareholders - and the two known activists - a bone.It is a tiny bone, with most of the meat already picked off.These two activists together may hold &lt;3% of shares out. They have too little heft to compete against management backed by corporate and financial crossholders who appear to hold more like 55+%. While there is tremendous value in the shares, it is not clear that TBS has any interest in selling its assets other than little by little, providing a little cash to shareholders here and there, and investing the rest.More below.

The Activism at TBS - There's a History, And There Is NEW Activity, But Don't Hold Your Breath

'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. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<div class="content-caption">

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/078/315/original/2019-02-09_12-04-43.png?1549681495" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="78315"></figure>
Source: Japan Analytics
</div>
TUMBLING DICE - After <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/18379" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1">ZOZO (3092 JP)</a> (-52%) and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/27149" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27149:1">Mercari (4385 JP)</a> (-50%), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/8197" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8197:1">CyberAgent (4751 JP)</a> is the worst-performing large-cap Internet stock in Japan over the last seven months.  The company is the sector's leading foreigner-held stock with over 48% (60%+ of the float) held by institutional investors such as Baillie Gifford (11.9%), JP Morgan AM (6.9%), Tybourne Capital (5.1%) and Blackrock Japan (5.0%). Having outperformed the sector and the market annually over the last nine years by 38% and 25%, respectively, over the seven months since the stock peaked in terms of our Relative Price Score on 13th July, CyberAgent shares have declined by 56%, underperforming the market by 48% and the sector by 37%.
PASSIVE PERILS - We will discuss the 'perils ' of Passive TV in the DETAIL below. However, CyberAgent is yet another good example of the 'perils' of passive investing. On September 5th Nikkei Inc. announced that CyberAgent would replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/19521" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19521:1">Furukawa (5715 JP)</a> in the Nikkei 225 index, with the inclusion occurring on October 1st. Since the ¥6050 intraday peak of the week before inclusion in the index, the shares have declined by 49% in 90 trading days.   
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/078/317/original/2019-02-09_12-52-50.png?1549684397" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="78317"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source: CyberAgent Way 2018</div>
SUMMARY - CyberAgent's business has three 'pillars', internet advertising, mobile gaming software, and media. The latter now includes the linear free-to-view AbemaTV business, which helped drive the share price to a post-listing high of ¥6930 in July 2018. Since then, business conditions for two of these 'pillars' have degraded significantly,  while the fledgeling TV business remains in 'up-front' investment mode. To cap what will be a turbulent year for CyberAgent, the company is moving into a new head office building in Shibuya called 'Abema Towers' in March. We shall refrain from making any analogies to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper_Index" target="_blank">Skyscraper Index</a>. 
<div class="content-highlight">
This Insight will review: - 
<ul>
<li class="">CyberAgent's growth strategy</li>
<li class="">The company's track profitability track record from the perspective of Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT), Comprehensive Income and Operating Profit margins </li>
<li class="">The three main business segments - Internet Advertising, Game Software, and Media</li>
<li class="">Cash Flow and Valuation</li>
</ul>
We will also attempt to value AbemaTV and will reverse-engineer some target metrics that would justify the market's current implied ¥41b valuation for this business, a valuation that reached ¥543b only seven months ago. 
</div>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/078/318/original/2019-02-09_13-06-39.png?1549685220" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="78318"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source: CyberAgent Way 2018</div>
VISION SHIFT? - In previous years, CyberAgent had a clear vision statement - 'To create the 21st century's leading company'. The company's recent performance has led to a change of tone, and CyberAgent is now rather more modestly just 'Aiming to be a company with medium to long-term supporters'.  In the vein of the lyrics from the best song on the best Rolling Stones album, Exile on Main Street, the business has recently been at 'all sixes and sevens and nines'. In the search for new 'supporters', we encourage CyberAgent to just 'keep on rolling', letting the dice fall where they may. 
<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6U8JlcB_BzA" width="963" height="722" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center>
<div class="content-caption">Exile on Main Street/Tumbling Dice - Jagger/Richards 1972 </div>




Source: Japan Analytics

TUMBLING DICE - After ZOZO (3092 JP) (-52%) and Mercari (4385 JP) (-50%), CyberAgent (4751 JP) is the worst-performing large-cap Internet stock in Japan over the last seven months.  The company is the sector's leading foreigner-held stock with over 48% (60%+ of the float) held by institutional investors such as Baillie Gifford (11.9%), JP Morgan AM (6.9%), Tybourne Capital (5.1%) and Blackrock Japan (5.0%). Having outperformed the sector and the market annually over the last nine years by 38% and 25%, respectively, over the seven months since the stock peaked in terms of our Relative Price Score on 13th July, CyberAgent shares have declined by 56%, underperforming the market by 48% and the sector by 37%.
PASSIVE PERILS - We will discuss the 'perils ' of Passive TV in the DETAIL below. However, CyberAgent is yet another good example of the 'perils' of passive investing. On September 5th Nikkei Inc. announced that CyberAgent would replace Furukawa (5715 JP) in the Nikkei 225 index, with the inclusion occurring on October 1st. Since the ¥6050 intraday peak of the week before inclusion in the index, the shares have declined by 49% in 90 trading days.   

Source: CyberAgent Way 2018
SUMMARY - CyberAgent's business has three 'pillars', internet advertising, mobile gaming software, and media. The latter now includes the linear free-to-view AbemaTV business, which helped drive the share price to a post-listing high of ¥6930 in July 2018. Since then, business conditions for two of these 'pillars' have degraded significantly,  while the fledgeling TV business remains in 'up-front' investment mode. To cap what will be a turbulent year for CyberAgent, the company is moving into a new head office building in Shibuya called 'Abema Towers' in March. We shall refrain from making any analogies to the Skyscraper Index. 

This Insight will review: - 

CyberAgent's growth strategy
The company's track profitability track record from the perspective of Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT), Comprehensive Income and Operating Profit margins 
The three main business segments - Internet Advertising, Game Software, and Media
Cash Flow and Valuation

We will also attempt to value AbemaTV and will reverse-engineer some target metrics that would justify the market's current implied ¥41b valuation for this business, a valuation that reached ¥543b only seven months ago. 


Source: CyberAgent Way 2018
VISION SHIFT? - In previous years, CyberAgent had a clear vision statement - 'To create the 21st century's leading company'. The company's recent performance has led to a change of tone, and CyberAgent is now rather more modestly just 'Aiming to be a company with medium to long-term supporters'.  In the vein of the lyrics from the best song on the best Rolling Stones album, Exile on Main Street, the business has recently been at 'all sixes and sevens and nines'. In the search for new 'supporters', we encourage CyberAgent to just 'keep on rolling', letting the dice fall where they may. 

Exile on Main Street/Tumbling Dice - Jagger/Richards 1972 

Japan

WOWOW INC. provides broadcasting services via satellite. The Company provides BS digital broadcasting services as well as media advertising services. Wowow delivers TV programs such as movies, sports events, live concerts, and dramas to its subscribers.

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Wowow Inc (4839 JP)

Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP): 3D Persists Despite Strong Pushback

3D’s persistence suggests a strategy to test the controlling shareholder's resolve by bumping the offer. As this outcome is likely, the shares will...

Arun George

Tohokushinsha Film (2329 JP): Potential Scenarios as 3D Lobs a Privatisation Proposal

The possible scenarios are that a white knight emerges to buy 3D’s stake/launch a counteroffer, 3D bumps the offer price, or the Board introduces a...

Arun George

TOPIX Big April Basket 23: 100% Hit Rate for High Conviction Basket; Focus on Surprises Next

There could be around US$450mn of flows and an average of 12 days of ADV to buy for the 13 names which I identify as "surprise" names. I expect...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

The Activism at TBS - There's a History, And There Is NEW Activity, But Don't Hold Your Breath

Major Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System (9401 JP) has a long history of being a target for wannabe activists. The company has long...

Travis Lundy

CyberAgent: Tumbling Dice

TUMBLING DICE - After ZOZO (3092 JP) (-52%) and Mercari (4385 JP) (-50%), CyberAgent (4751 JP) is the worst-performing large-cap Internet stock in...

Campbell Gunn

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