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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Japan: Aichi Financial Group , TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Jade Group, Golf Digest Online and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • The TOPIX Big April Basket Flows:  ¥200bn a Side Including Many Multi-ADV Flows
  • In Correlation with TOPIX, Nominal GDP Has Become Even Higher, While P/B Has Been Scarce Since 2020
  • Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek
  • Full Report – Golf Digest Online (3319 JP)


The TOPIX Big April Basket Flows:  ¥200bn a Side Including Many Multi-ADV Flows

By Travis Lundy

  • Every year in April there is an interesting phenomenon with TOPIX. It is what Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA calls “The Big April Basket.” The TSE re-assesses Liquidity Factor Coefficients.
  • It also does a FFW change, and this year it has Phased Weight Reductions for those slowly leaving TOPIX and PWR re-inclusions for those identified last October as going back.
  • Janaghan had 18 “High Conviction” LF removals. All were hits. They are upweights. Then there are 34 changes to FFW coefficients.

In Correlation with TOPIX, Nominal GDP Has Become Even Higher, While P/B Has Been Scarce Since 2020

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Nominal GDP grew 1.8% from 2012 to 2017, higher than the annual average over the past 33 years, in anticipation of an escape from deflation, but TOPIX gains have stalled.
  • Nominal GDP from 2021 to 2023 will grow 3.8% per year, far above the average of the past 33 years, and the correlation with TOPIX is even higher.
  • With average P/B showing little correlation with TOPIX after 2020, expanding nominal earnings without losing out to rising prices seems to be a more important factor for stock price appreciation.

Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek

By Michael Causton

  • Jade Group has acquired Magaseek and will merge the online mall with its own fashion e-commerce platform, Locondo and hopes to create a growing rival to Zozo.
  • Magaseek was founded by Itochu 20 years ago, and the deal underlines Itochu’s growing influence over Jade as a proxy for its ambitions in fashion e-commerce and distribution.
  • However, Jade Group has seen little organic growth for its Locondo platform in recent years, and while its acquisitions have added scale, integration has been haphazard.

Full Report – Golf Digest Online (3319 JP)

By Sessa Investment Research

  • On the surface, FY23/12 consolidated OP -68% YoY, profit ATOP -53%, and FY24/12 initial guidance for a profit ATOP net loss may appear to indicate a challenging earnings environment.
  • However, closer examination reveals steady earnings improvement, and the new MTP through FY26/12 targets recouping major overseas growth investments.
  • The table below shows sequential improvement in the amount change YoY for Group EBITDA, OP and profit ATOP every quarter, with profits at all 9 levels posting YoY gains in the 4Q.

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Daily Brief China: Shanghai Electric Group Company, Huatai Securities Co Ltd (A), China Traditional Chinese Medicine, Air China Ltd (H), Tata Motors Ltd, TAL Education, Seazen (Formerly Future Land), Kayou and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: SHORTs Down 11% Vs Index Since Mid-Feb; Change the Hedge
  • Quiddity Leaderboard SSE50/180 Jun 24: Past Trades Successful but Time to Unwind Some
  • China TCM (570.HK) – Latest Updates on Privatization and the Potential Merger with Taiji Group
  • China Pair Trade Idea: Long Air China (753 HK), Short CSA (1055 HK)
  • Morning Views Asia: Tata Motors ADR, Xiaomi Corp
  • TAL Education Group: Initiation Of Coverage – What Is Its Real Business Strategy And What Is The Impact Of AI On Its Business? – Major Drivers
  • Morning Views Asia: Pakuwon Jati, Sunny Optical Technology Group
  • Kayou Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Unexplained 9M23 Slump


Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: SHORTs Down 11% Vs Index Since Mid-Feb; Change the Hedge

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • CSI 300 represents the 300 largest stocks by marketcap and liquidity from the Shanghai and Shenzhen Exchanges. CSI 500 is the next 500. There is subjectivity.
  • Here we look at potential ADDs/DELs for the CSI 300/500 rebalance in June 2024. With 93% of time passed, I expect 11 changes for CSI300, 50 for CSI 500. 
  • Some names have changed since my last insight, but the long/short trades recommended eight weeks ago gained 11.26% since. We make small changes this time.

Quiddity Leaderboard SSE50/180 Jun 24: Past Trades Successful but Time to Unwind Some

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • SSE 50 and SSE 180, respectively, aim to represent the performance of the 50 and 180 largest and most liquid A-share stocks listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
  • In this insight, we take a look at our expectations for potential index changes for SSE 50 and SSE 180 during the June 2024 index rebal event.
  • According to my estimates, the SSE 50 expected ADDs and DELs could see US$1.7bn index buying and US$828mn index selling respectively (leaving nearly $900mm of funding sales to do).

China TCM (570.HK) – Latest Updates on Privatization and the Potential Merger with Taiji Group

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Since “no dividend was proposed for the year ended 31 December 2023”, the privatization is highly likely to succeed. It may not be wise for investors to bet against privatization.
  • The recent high-level personnel changes in Taiji is “thought-provoking”, which seems to be preparing for the next step of integrating with China TCM. Spin-offs and integrations are expected within Taiji.
  • We analyzed possible playbook. In this way, CNPGC is able to solve the problem of horizontal competition. China TCM could also relist in A-share to gain higher valuations/better liquidity.

China Pair Trade Idea: Long Air China (753 HK), Short CSA (1055 HK)

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) had 15.4% interest-bearing debt denominated in USD, vs. 21.3% for China Southern Airlines (1055 HK), making it less exposed to Rmb depreciation. 
  • Recovery of international traffic and routes will help to lower unit costs. Air China’s unit costs for FY23 were Rmb4.0445, whereas CSA’s were only Rmb3.2000.
  • There is more upside for Air China’s load factor which was down 7.8pp YoY in FY23, compared with -4.7pp for CSA. 

Morning Views Asia: Tata Motors ADR, Xiaomi Corp

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


TAL Education Group: Initiation Of Coverage – What Is Its Real Business Strategy And What Is The Impact Of AI On Its Business? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • TAL Education Group (TAL) reported net revenues of USD 373.5 million for its third quarter fiscal year 2024, exhibiting an increase of 60.5% and 63.7% in U.S. dollar and RMB terms.
  • Despite the impressive revenue growth, profitability remained a concern with non-GAAP loss from operations and non-GAAP net loss attributable to TAL amounting to USD 10.2 million and USD 1.9 million, respectively.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

Morning Views Asia: Pakuwon Jati, Sunny Optical Technology Group

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


Kayou Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Unexplained 9M23 Slump

By Sumeet Singh

  • Kayou is looking to raise up to US$500m in its upcoming HK IPO.
  • Kayou is a Chinese pan-entertainment product retailer of toys, with trading cards in particular as its core product.
  • In this note, we talk about the not-so-positive aspects of the deal.

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Daily Brief Quantitative Analysis: Hong Kong: Q1 Short Interest Recap and more

By | Daily Briefs, Quantitative Analysis

In today’s briefing:

  • Hong Kong: Q1 Short Interest Recap


Hong Kong: Q1 Short Interest Recap

By Brian Freitas


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Daily Brief ESG: In Correlation with TOPIX and more

By | Daily Briefs, ESG

In today’s briefing:

  • In Correlation with TOPIX, Nominal GDP Has Become Even Higher, While P/B Has Been Scarce Since 2020


In Correlation with TOPIX, Nominal GDP Has Become Even Higher, While P/B Has Been Scarce Since 2020

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Nominal GDP grew 1.8% from 2012 to 2017, higher than the annual average over the past 33 years, in anticipation of an escape from deflation, but TOPIX gains have stalled.
  • Nominal GDP from 2021 to 2023 will grow 3.8% per year, far above the average of the past 33 years, and the correlation with TOPIX is even higher.
  • With average P/B showing little correlation with TOPIX after 2020, expanding nominal earnings without losing out to rising prices seems to be a more important factor for stock price appreciation.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | Stocks Flat; Microsoft to Spend Big on JP Data Centers and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | Stocks Flat; Microsoft to Spend Big on JP Data Centers
  • Early Sign of AI GPU Market Inflection Point?
  • A Deep Dive into Chinese Industrial Production
  • Global O&G Firms’ Credit Quality Improves on Tighter Oil Markets
  • Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor – Week Ended April 5, 2024


Ohayo Japan | Stocks Flat; Microsoft to Spend Big on JP Data Centers

By Mark Chadwick

  • US stocks in holding pattern ahead of March CPI report on Wednesday. NKY Futures point to lower open in Tokyo
  • Microsoft plans to invest $2.9 billion in data centers in Japan by 2025, responding to Tokyo’s AI computing demand
  • Seven & i Holdings mulls selling a stake in its superstore business, Ito-Yokado and York-Benimaru, by creating a new intermediate holding company

Early Sign of AI GPU Market Inflection Point?

By Andrew Lu

  • Taiwan Dell said “AI GPU shortage issue has been resolved. The lead time has been cut from 40 weeks by the end of 2023 to 8-12 weeks or less now.
  • We see this news short term positive but medium term negative to AI GPU supply chain vendors but need more information to confirm if this is an inflection point.
  • 1. Taiwan Dell got priority supply? 2. Earlier overbooking over? 3. Lead time cut by supply upside? 4. Cooling company said the same; 5. Will lead time continue to shrink?

A Deep Dive into Chinese Industrial Production

By Massif Capital Research

  • This post examines China’s economic strategies and their impact on global trade and geopolitical dynamics, focusing on the shift from low-value-added goods to high-value-added industries like lithium-ion batteries, solar cells, and EVs.
  • It highlights China’s approach of integrating economic and political strategies under the concept of “China, Inc.” where the state uses overcapacity as a strategic tool to further its geostrategic interests.
  • The current Chinese export-led strategy challenges the principles of free trade, raises concerns about the sustainability of global economic interdependence, and is the basis for fear about China dumping industrial products on developed markets.

Global O&G Firms’ Credit Quality Improves on Tighter Oil Markets

By Raghav Chandra Mathur

  • Oil spot prices have gained at a relatively stable pace since the start of 2024, with crude prices rising close to 19% year to date.
  • Robust demand due to recovery in economic activity across major markets has been a steady tailwind to oil prices despite the prevalent geo-political catalysts that have spurred across global markets.
  • Globally listed oil and gas producers and service providers have therefore seen a marginal improvement in their aggregate credit risk profiles, with their Criat Credit Cycle Index (CCCI) dropping by close to 2bps over the same period.

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor – Week Ended April 5, 2024

By Water Tower Research

  • The WTR Sustainable Index was up down 1.5% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (down 1.0%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 2.9%), and the Nasdaq Index (down 0.8%).
  • Energy Technology (12.7% of the index) was down by 5.0%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (57.1% of the index) was down by 1.0%, ClimateTech Mining was down by 1.9%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (24.1% of index) was down by 1.2%.
  • Top 10 Performers: VVPR, NEOV, KULR, ORGN, EGT, BLDE, WAVE, FAT, AQMS, HCNWF

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Daily Brief Credit: Morning Views Asia: Tata Motors ADR and more

By | Credit, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Morning Views Asia: Tata Motors ADR, Xiaomi Corp
  • Melco Resorts – Event Flash – Proposing USD 500 Mn 8NC3 Notes Issuance – Lucror Analytics
  • Morning Views Asia: Pakuwon Jati, Sunny Optical Technology Group


Morning Views Asia: Tata Motors ADR, Xiaomi Corp

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


Melco Resorts – Event Flash – Proposing USD 500 Mn 8NC3 Notes Issuance – Lucror Analytics

By Leonard Law, CFA

Melco Resorts and Entertainment (MLCO) announced yesterday that it is planning to issue USD 500 mn in 8NC3 notes. In addition, subsidiary Studio City has initiated a tender offer to repurchase up to USD 100 mn of the STCITY 6.0 ’25s. We view positively MLCO’s proposed bond issuance and the maturity extension of its credit facilities, as well as Studio City’s tender offer, as they demonstrate management’s proactive approach in managing the company’s debt maturities. The transactions will significantly reduce MLCO’s refinancing risk in FY 2025, as the company would have c. USD 1.5 bn of availability under its credit facilities that can be used to help repay the USD 1.0 bn MPEL 4.875 ’25s due in June 2025. Moreover, management has committed to prioritise debt reduction over dividend payments in FY 2024.

We view the price talk of 7.75-7.875% as fair.


Morning Views Asia: Pakuwon Jati, Sunny Optical Technology Group

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


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Daily Brief ECM: HD Hyundai Marine Solution IPO Valuation Analysis and more

By | Daily Briefs, ECM

In today’s briefing:

  • HD Hyundai Marine Solution IPO Valuation Analysis
  • WT Micro Placement – Another Well-Flagged Taiwan GDR Offering, This One Is Easier to Digest
  • ZEEKR IPO: Latest Updates as the IPO Process Restarts
  • OceanaGold Philippines IPO – Small yet Asking for a Lot
  • Afcons Infrastructure Limited Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Kayou Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Unexplained 9M23 Slump


HD Hyundai Marine Solution IPO Valuation Analysis

By Douglas Kim

  • Our base case valuation of HD Hyundai Marine Solution is target price of 98,254 won per share, representing an 18% upside from the high end of the IPO price range.
  • The company’s ROE averaged 67% in 2022 and 2023. In comparison, the comps’ ROE averaged 10.6% in the same period. [HD Hyundai Marine Solution > Comps]
  • Our base case valuation is based on 24.7x P/E (comps’ average) using our estimated net profit of 178.7 billion won for the company in 2024. 

WT Micro Placement – Another Well-Flagged Taiwan GDR Offering, This One Is Easier to Digest

By Clarence Chu

  • WT Microelectronics (3036 TT) is looking to raise US$341m in its GDR offering. The proceeds will be used to purchase raw materials overseas.
  • The deal is a very well flagged one, and will be a relatively small one to digest at just 4.8 days of the stock’s three month ADV.
  • In this note, we run the deal through our ECM framework and comment on the deal dynamics.

ZEEKR IPO: Latest Updates as the IPO Process Restarts

By Arun George

  • ZEEKR (ZK US), a premium Chinese BEV manufacturer and a subsidiary of Geely Auto (175 HK), has restarted its IPO process to raise US$500 million by listing on the NYSE.
  • We previously discussed the IPO in ZEEKR IPO: The Bull Case and ZEEKR IPO: The Bear Case
  • The latest SEC filings reinforce the bear case due to weak industry sentiment, rapidly slowing growth, ongoing operating losses and volatile FCF. 

OceanaGold Philippines IPO – Small yet Asking for a Lot

By Ethan Aw

  • OceanaGold Philippines (OGCP000D PM) is looking to raise up to US$140m in its Philippines IPO.
  • OceanaGold Philippines (OGPI) is a producer of gold and copper in the Philippines, and a subsidiary of OceanaGold Corporation, a Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) listed gold mining and exploration company.
  • In this note, we talk about the company’s historical performance and share our quick thoughts on valuation.

Afcons Infrastructure Limited Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Clarence Chu

  • Afcons Infrastructure Limited (6595396Z IN) is looking to raise US$840m in its upcoming India IPO. The bookrunners are Jefferies, Nomura, ICICI Securities, SBI Capital, DAM Capital, and Nuvama Wealth.
  • Afcons Infrastructure Limited (Afcons) is the flagship infrastructure engineering and construction company of the Shapoorji Pallonji group.
  • As per the Fitch report, the firm was one of India’s largest international infrastructure companies as per the 2023 ENR top international contractors ranking, based on FY23 international revenue.

Kayou Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Unexplained 9M23 Slump

By Sumeet Singh

  • Kayou is looking to raise up to US$500m in its upcoming HK IPO.
  • Kayou is a Chinese pan-entertainment product retailer of toys, with trading cards in particular as its core product.
  • In this note, we talk about the not-so-positive aspects of the deal.

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Daily Brief Event-Driven: The TOPIX Big April Basket Flows:  ¥200bn a Side Including Many Multi-ADV Flows and more

By | Daily Briefs, Event-Driven

In today’s briefing:

  • The TOPIX Big April Basket Flows:  ¥200bn a Side Including Many Multi-ADV Flows
  • Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: SHORTs Down 11% Vs Index Since Mid-Feb; Change the Hedge
  • S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Potential Changes from Now to June
  • KT’s Foreign Room Below 7.5%, Weight Down-Adjustment Expected in May, Resulting in 3x ADTV Outflow
  • Quiddity Leaderboard SSE50/180 Jun 24: Past Trades Successful but Time to Unwind Some
  • China TCM (570.HK) – Latest Updates on Privatization and the Potential Merger with Taiji Group
  • Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek
  • Industrivärden Q1 2024, NAV Evolution and Discount
  • EQD | KOSPI 200 WEEKLY Buy-The-Dip Opportunity


The TOPIX Big April Basket Flows:  ¥200bn a Side Including Many Multi-ADV Flows

By Travis Lundy

  • Every year in April there is an interesting phenomenon with TOPIX. It is what Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA calls “The Big April Basket.” The TSE re-assesses Liquidity Factor Coefficients.
  • It also does a FFW change, and this year it has Phased Weight Reductions for those slowly leaving TOPIX and PWR re-inclusions for those identified last October as going back.
  • Janaghan had 18 “High Conviction” LF removals. All were hits. They are upweights. Then there are 34 changes to FFW coefficients.

Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: SHORTs Down 11% Vs Index Since Mid-Feb; Change the Hedge

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • CSI 300 represents the 300 largest stocks by marketcap and liquidity from the Shanghai and Shenzhen Exchanges. CSI 500 is the next 500. There is subjectivity.
  • Here we look at potential ADDs/DELs for the CSI 300/500 rebalance in June 2024. With 93% of time passed, I expect 11 changes for CSI300, 50 for CSI 500. 
  • Some names have changed since my last insight, but the long/short trades recommended eight weeks ago gained 11.26% since. We make small changes this time.

S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Potential Changes from Now to June

By Brian Freitas

  • With three-quarters of the review period complete, there could be a bunch of changes across the S&P/ASX family of indices in June.
  • The Red 5 Ltd (RED AU) / Silver Lake Resources (SLR AU) merger could lead to an ad hoc change prior to the implementation of the June rebalance.
  • There will be 1.6-25 days of ADV to buy from passives in the inclusions while the impact on the deletions will range between 0.8-11 days of ADV.

KT’s Foreign Room Below 7.5%, Weight Down-Adjustment Expected in May, Resulting in 3x ADTV Outflow

By Sanghyun Park

  • KT’s foreign ownership declined since January, below 7.5% by last month. If it remains, the adjustment factor halves to 0.25, impacting KT’s Global Index weight.
  • With the May review screening date estimated for April 17th, swift reversal of foreign inflows seems improbable. Thus, KT’s adjustment factor dropping to 0.25 is likely.
  • This could lead to an outflow of 1.6M shares, approximately 3x ADTV. Given the prolonged price impact on telcos, exploring a long-short setup with SKT might be prudent.

Quiddity Leaderboard SSE50/180 Jun 24: Past Trades Successful but Time to Unwind Some

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • SSE 50 and SSE 180, respectively, aim to represent the performance of the 50 and 180 largest and most liquid A-share stocks listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
  • In this insight, we take a look at our expectations for potential index changes for SSE 50 and SSE 180 during the June 2024 index rebal event.
  • According to my estimates, the SSE 50 expected ADDs and DELs could see US$1.7bn index buying and US$828mn index selling respectively (leaving nearly $900mm of funding sales to do).

China TCM (570.HK) – Latest Updates on Privatization and the Potential Merger with Taiji Group

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Since “no dividend was proposed for the year ended 31 December 2023”, the privatization is highly likely to succeed. It may not be wise for investors to bet against privatization.
  • The recent high-level personnel changes in Taiji is “thought-provoking”, which seems to be preparing for the next step of integrating with China TCM. Spin-offs and integrations are expected within Taiji.
  • We analyzed possible playbook. In this way, CNPGC is able to solve the problem of horizontal competition. China TCM could also relist in A-share to gain higher valuations/better liquidity.

Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek

By Michael Causton

  • Jade Group has acquired Magaseek and will merge the online mall with its own fashion e-commerce platform, Locondo and hopes to create a growing rival to Zozo.
  • Magaseek was founded by Itochu 20 years ago, and the deal underlines Itochu’s growing influence over Jade as a proxy for its ambitions in fashion e-commerce and distribution.
  • However, Jade Group has seen little organic growth for its Locondo platform in recent years, and while its acquisitions have added scale, integration has been haphazard.

Industrivärden Q1 2024, NAV Evolution and Discount

By Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

  • As of end of Q1, NAV was SEK 166.8 billion (SEK 386/share). NAV increased by 11% due to a sharp decrease in leverage, while the portfolio value rose by 6%.
  • Industrivärden C shares are trading at a 5.5% discount to NAV (vs. 8.8% average for the last 5 years). It seems risky to bet on a further discount reduction.
  • My target NAV is SEK 173,116 million (SEK 400.8/share). My TP for the C shares of Industrivärden, assuming a 5% discount to NAV, is SEK 361.7.

EQD | KOSPI 200 WEEKLY Buy-The-Dip Opportunity

By Nico Rosti

  • The KOSPI 200 INDEX is currently pulling back for a 2nd week in a row.
  • This could be an opportunity to go LONG,  if the pullback is limited to this (or at most the next) week closing down and reaching targets between 365 and 338.
  • If the index goes down for 3 weeks and reached below 343 caution is advised: the pullback may be larger than expected in that case.

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Daily Brief Equity Bottom-Up: Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC Wins Major U.S. Support; Nanya Results; UMC Rush Orders and more

By | Daily Briefs, Equity Bottom-Up

In today’s briefing:

  • Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC Wins Major U.S. Support; Nanya Results; UMC Rush Orders
  • [#21] Namaste India 🙏 | Business Updates and Earnings Playbook
  • China Pair Trade Idea: Long Air China (753 HK), Short CSA (1055 HK)
  • Unilever (ULVR) To Separate Its Ice Cream Business
  • 10 in 10 – All about Singapore Depository Receipts (SDRs)
  • TAL Education Group: Initiation Of Coverage – What Is Its Real Business Strategy And What Is The Impact Of AI On Its Business? – Major Drivers
  • Full Report – Golf Digest Online (3319 JP)
  • Cardonomics
  • Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc.: Initiation Of Coverage – What Are The Geopolitical Factors Influencing Coal Markets? – Major Drivers
  • Masimo Corporation: Initiation Of Coverage – Expansion into Hearables and Wearables Market! – Major Drivers


Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC Wins Major U.S. Support; Nanya Results; UMC Rush Orders

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • TSMC (2330.TT; TSM.US): US$6.6bn from US CHIPS Act; the Earthquake Impact and the 2nd Japanese Fab. 
  • Memory Monitor: Nanya’s Results to Provide Latest Color on DRAM Post Earthquake; Short Int Rising 
  • UMC (2303.TT; UMC.US): Some Rush Orders Coming in and 2Q24F Could Post Positive QoQ. 

[#21] Namaste India 🙏 | Business Updates and Earnings Playbook

By Pranav Bhavsar

  • Market momentum continues to be strong. As we head into earnings season, the momentum is likely to continue.
  • Strong operational updates Info Edge India (INFOE IN); Aavas Financiers Ltd (AAVAS IN) & Sula Vineyards (SULA IN).  
  • The overall market sentiment, represented by the average revisions across all sectors, is nearly flat, with a slight positive revision for FY1E at 0.02% and essentially stable for FY2E.

China Pair Trade Idea: Long Air China (753 HK), Short CSA (1055 HK)

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) had 15.4% interest-bearing debt denominated in USD, vs. 21.3% for China Southern Airlines (1055 HK), making it less exposed to Rmb depreciation. 
  • Recovery of international traffic and routes will help to lower unit costs. Air China’s unit costs for FY23 were Rmb4.0445, whereas CSA’s were only Rmb3.2000.
  • There is more upside for Air China’s load factor which was down 7.8pp YoY in FY23, compared with -4.7pp for CSA. 

Unilever (ULVR) To Separate Its Ice Cream Business

By Garvit Bhandari

  • Unilever announced plans to separate its ice cream business into a separate publicly listed company (SpinCo), potentially via a spin-off transaction.
  • Post separation, Unilever will focus on four core businesses: beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care, and nutrition. The separation is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
  • The separation will allow Unilever to allocate capital and resources more efficiently towards higher growth categories with significant potential to scale.

10 in 10 – All about Singapore Depository Receipts (SDRs)

By Geoff Howie

10 in 10 – All about Singapore Depository Receipts (SDRs)

TAL Education Group: Initiation Of Coverage – What Is Its Real Business Strategy And What Is The Impact Of AI On Its Business? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • TAL Education Group (TAL) reported net revenues of USD 373.5 million for its third quarter fiscal year 2024, exhibiting an increase of 60.5% and 63.7% in U.S. dollar and RMB terms.
  • Despite the impressive revenue growth, profitability remained a concern with non-GAAP loss from operations and non-GAAP net loss attributable to TAL amounting to USD 10.2 million and USD 1.9 million, respectively.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

Full Report – Golf Digest Online (3319 JP)

By Sessa Investment Research

  • On the surface, FY23/12 consolidated OP -68% YoY, profit ATOP -53%, and FY24/12 initial guidance for a profit ATOP net loss may appear to indicate a challenging earnings environment.
  • However, closer examination reveals steady earnings improvement, and the new MTP through FY26/12 targets recouping major overseas growth investments.
  • The table below shows sequential improvement in the amount change YoY for Group EBITDA, OP and profit ATOP every quarter, with profits at all 9 levels posting YoY gains in the 4Q.

Cardonomics

By The Mikro Kap

  • Given that it has already been 6 months since I first bought Card Factory and the stock is currently trading only slightly above my average purchase price, I decided to send you guys a short and sweet thesis on why I believe $CARD.L is an attractive opportunity.
  • Card Factory is a greeting card and other “celebration essentials” retailer operating primarily in the UK.
  • What is unique about the Northern Europeans, particularly the British, is their habit of buying greeting cards. It is ingrained in their culture

Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc.: Initiation Of Coverage – What Are The Geopolitical Factors Influencing Coal Markets? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Alpha Metallurgical Resources, a supplier of metallurgical products for the steel industry, closed its fourth quarter with adjusted EBITDA of $266 million and achieved over $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA for the year.
  • This is the second consecutive year in which the company attained such a milestone despite facing considerable challenges during the year.
  • Alpha highlighted the robustness of its management approach which included proactive identification of issues and proactive response plans that ensured minimal impact on performance.

Masimo Corporation: Initiation Of Coverage – Expansion into Hearables and Wearables Market! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Masimo Corporation had a mixed Q4 and fiscal year 2023 earnings call, reporting both positive results and some challenges.
  • The company generated over $2 billion in consolidated revenues, with healthcare revenues reaching $1.28 billion.
  • In addition, Masimo saw strong growth in its hearables business and reported a record number of contract wins.

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Daily Brief Macro: Israel-Iran War Coming? and more

By | Daily Briefs, Macro

In today’s briefing:

  • Israel-Iran War Coming?
  • Introduction: Initiation of Coverage in the Materials Sector
  • Positioning Watch – Reflation bets are back in
  • Monday Macro: Thoughts on the Next 15 Months
  • HEM: Rolling Precariously
  • UK Politics: Plague On Both Your Houses
  • The Evolving and Varying Demographic Imprint


Israel-Iran War Coming?

By Mikkel Rosenvold

  • Welcome to this week’s Great Game, where we cover current geopolitical events relevant to your portfolio!
  • Situation: Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing several high ranking Republican Guard officers, and the whole region is now anticipating the Iranian response.
  • Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas are making little progress in their truce talks in Cairo while Israel has withdrawn from smaller areas in Southern Gaza amidst heavy diplomatic pressure from the US.

Introduction: Initiation of Coverage in the Materials Sector

By Sameer Taneja

  • Investics Research will initiate coverage of the materials sector in April 2024, starting with iron ore and then gold, coal, and steel in subsequent months (in that order).
  • The areas of coverage on asset classes will encompass the underlying commodity and the associated equities. 
  • Areas of differentiation would include in-depth coverage of all equities (small/mid and large cap) and actionable tactical ideas on the commodity.

Positioning Watch – Reflation bets are back in

By Andreas Steno

  • Hello everyone, and welcome back to our weekly positioning/sentiment overview.
  • The mood in equity markets is still good, with major indices stabilizing at levels far above all time highs despite taking some time to swallow hawkish comments from Fed officials.
  • Markets seemingly don’t care about the repricing of Fed rates until they hear it from Powell’s mouth or until they get a feeling of true pivot (on the pivot).

Monday Macro: Thoughts on the Next 15 Months

By Adventurous Investor

  • I want to start this Monday’s Macro with a very top-down discussion before digging into helpful market data.
  • Here’s the thought – we’re entering a potentially dangerous, extended 12-to-15-month period for big macro debates.
  • What matters for markets globally is what happens in the US, and what matters in the US is what the US Federal Reserve is thinking.

HEM: Rolling Precariously

By Phil Rush

  • Despite resilient data, there is market skepticism regarding the effectiveness of policy.
  • Increasing unemployment rates could necessitate interest rate reductions.
  • The Bank of England may delay cuts until February 2025 due to excess demand and inflation, while the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank may delay until September 2024.

UK Politics: Plague On Both Your Houses

By Alastair Newton

  • Recent opinion polls suggest a potential record defeat for the Conservative Party in the upcoming general election.
  • There is a risk that the Labour Party and particularly the Conservatives may misinterpret the results.
  • Both parties could potentially draw incorrect conclusions from the election outcome.

The Evolving and Varying Demographic Imprint

By Thomas Lam

  • The profile and composition of demographics, all else equal, are likely to be a persistent headwind for advanced economies
  • The impact of demographics on the Japan economy has been eye-catching for the last two decades through 2020
  • But the other advanced economies, all else equal, can potentially experience greater demographic headwinds than Japan through 2030

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