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Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Brain Science – An Opportunity or a Trap? and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Brain Science – An Opportunity or a Trap?
  • Ohayo Japan | Nvidia Surges
  • #16 India Insight: Hyundai IPO, Vedanta Growth, HFCL Exemption
  • #20Business Buzz: GamesStop Shares Fell, Nvidia Insider Selling, Berkshire Reduces Stake in BYD
  • [Blue Lotus Daily]:981HK/LKNCY US/BGNE US
  • US Banks – Buy Now, Default Later?
  • [Blue Lotus Daily – TMT Update]:PDD/BABA /JD/3690HK/VIPS/700HK/CPNG/TEMU/13948 KR/TCOM/ATAT/BILI


Brain Science – An Opportunity or a Trap?

By Vincy Ip

  • Brain disorders, including various neurological and mental diseases, are the hidden danger with the largest social burden among all diseases. 
  • With strong government support across the globe and accelerating private financing, we identify four key areas of investment opportunities in brain science, including neurotherapeutics, neurodiagnostics, neurosurgery, and brain-computer interface (BCI).
  • Even though the concept of BCI looks promising, its scalability, application, and monetisation potential remain uncertain in the near term and hence the invesmtent risks would be high. 

Ohayo Japan | Nvidia Surges

By Mark Chadwick

  • U.S. stocks edged higher with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite setting new records before the Juneteenth holiday break
  • Toyota’s shareholders reelected all board members, including Chairman Akio Toyoda, despite advisory firms’ opposition due to recent test irregularities
  • Nintendo announced that “The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2” will premiere in Japan on April 24, 2026, following its US debut on April 3, 2026

#16 India Insight: Hyundai IPO, Vedanta Growth, HFCL Exemption

By Sudarshan Bhandari

  • Hyundai Motor India files for India’s largest IPO, faces supply chain risks
  • Vedanta’s growth initiatives aim to boost EBITDA to $10 billion
  • HFCL, India’s only firm exempt from European optical fiber anti-dumping duties

#20Business Buzz: GamesStop Shares Fell, Nvidia Insider Selling, Berkshire Reduces Stake in BYD

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • GameStop shares fell 12.1% after a disappointing annual shareholder meeting
  • Nvidia insiders sell over $700 million in shares as stock soars 164%
  • Blackstone bids $1.74 billion to acquire Japanese digital comic distributor Infocom

[Blue Lotus Daily]:981HK/LKNCY US/BGNE US

By Eric Wen

  • 981HK: Huawei Wuhu Supercomputing Center opens services, which benefits SMIC. (/)
  • LKNCY US: Cotti Coffee Changes Product Formulas and Supply Chain, Ramps up Promotion for Fruit Coffee (-)
  • BGNE US: AstraZeneca Calquence Phase III results set up competition for BeiGene’s Zanubrutinib

US Banks – Buy Now, Default Later?

By Daniel Tabbush

  • Credit costs, net charge-offs, are rising rapidly for US credit card companies and also for many banks
  • The ‘buy now, pay later’ industry is fairly new, Apple’s new announcement to exit this business suddenly, may be testimony to stresses
  • The proportion of US credit card delinquencies/total US delinquencies is now higher than past credit cycles

[Blue Lotus Daily – TMT Update]:PDD/BABA /JD/3690HK/VIPS/700HK/CPNG/TEMU/13948 KR/TCOM/ATAT/BILI

By Ying Pan

  • PDD US/BABA US/JD US/3690 HK/VIPS US: NBS publishes data social retail consumption data for May 2024 (+/+/+/+/-)
  • 700 HK: <Need for Speed Mobile> to officially launch on July 11, with pre-registration surpassed 26 mn (+)
  • CPNG/BABA/TEMU/139480.KR:Coupang told to stop favoring its own products in its algorithm (-/+/+)

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Daily Brief Credit: Morning Views Asia: China Jinmao Holdings and more

By | Credit, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Morning Views Asia: China Jinmao Holdings, ENN Energy, ENN Natural Gas, MGM China Holdings


Morning Views Asia: China Jinmao Holdings, ENN Energy, ENN Natural Gas, MGM China Holdings

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 Technical Analysis: Bullish Outlook Intact; Downgrading Industrials and Transportation to Underweight and more

By | Daily Briefs, Technical Analysis

In today’s briefing:

  • Bullish Outlook Intact; Downgrading Industrials and Transportation to Underweight


Bullish Outlook Intact; Downgrading Industrials and Transportation to Underweight

By Joe Jasper

  • Despite some more mixed signals, a majority of market dynamics still suggests a risk-on environment. Our bullish outlook since early November 2023 remains intact with SPX and QQQ uptrends intact.
  • Near-Term we continue to expect to see support at the 20-day MA and 21-day EMA on the SPX (currently 5325-5330) and QQQ (currently $460-462).
  • Longer-Term, we’re bullish as long as the SPX is above 5191 and QQQ is above $449. We’d need to see breakdowns below these levels in order to shift to neutral.

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Daily Brief Event-Driven: Blackstone Does a BIG Deal for Infocom (4348) – Minorities Get ¥6 and more

By | Daily Briefs, Event-Driven

In today’s briefing:

  • Blackstone Does a BIG Deal for Infocom (4348) – Minorities Get ¥6,060/Share
  • [JAPAN ACTIVISM] – Murakami Group Goes Activisting on Exedy (7278) – Room To Run
  • Pref-Centred Dividend Plays with Expanded ISA Tax Benefits in Value-Up Context
  • L’Occitane (973 HK): No, PLP Is Not Getting A Back-End Bump
  • KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co
  • Infocom (4348 JP): Blackstone’s Long-Awaited JPY6,060 Tender Offer
  • LS Materials: A Sharp Increase in Short Selling Post Block Deal Sale
  • KDDI and Lawson: Loyalty Points Just the Start
  • Quiddity SET 50 Jun 24 Rebal: 4 Changes Confirmed; LONGs up 5.2% Vs SHORTs in a Month
  • JSE June ’24 Rebalance: Top Buys (Banks!) And Sells (NPN, PRX)


Blackstone Does a BIG Deal for Infocom (4348) – Minorities Get ¥6,060/Share

By Travis Lundy

  • 15 weeks ago, a specialised media outlet suggested Teijin Ltd (3401 JP) was in process to sell its stake in Infocom Corp (4348 JP)
  • I caught up later, after the stock had run up significantly, but writing bullishly here and here. Since then, the stock is up another 33-35%.
  • Today we finally got the announced deal. Blackstone will buy the stock at a valuation of ¥280bn, paying ¥6,060/share for the minority stake, and buying back Teijin’s stake at ¥4,340/share.

[JAPAN ACTIVISM] – Murakami Group Goes Activisting on Exedy (7278) – Room To Run

By Travis Lundy

  • Late May, Aisin (7259 JP) announced a sell-down of its 34% stake in Exedy Corp (7278 JP) – a big non-dilutive offering, pricing 11% below undisturbed. Exedy announced a buyback.
  • Announced on the 27th of May, shares fell sharply the next day, it priced on the 3rd, and offering shares traded on the 10th. Then the price started climbing back.
  • My first and second pieces argued that buyback accretion, index impact, and change in register shape all meant it was a buy. Activist Murakami agreed, now he has 6.5%. 

Pref-Centred Dividend Plays with Expanded ISA Tax Benefits in Value-Up Context

By Sanghyun Park

  • Local stock market focuses on ISA tax benefits expansion; political push for higher tax-exempt limits seen as pivotal event.
  • Investors expect dividend stocks to outperform due to ISA tax advantages: tax exemptions within limits and lower 9.9% taxation on excess amounts, boosting ISA-based equity investments.
  • ETF influence declining; ISA tax benefits may boost dividend plays, heightening interest in preferred stocks tied to efforts to redeem them, impacting equity costs.

L’Occitane (973 HK): No, PLP Is Not Getting A Back-End Bump

By David Blennerhassett

  • In a long-awaited development, L’Occitane (973 HK)  announced during the lunchbreak yesterday, a scrip alternative. Plus Pleasant Lake Partners (PLP) (3.25%) will accept the Offer (either in cash or scrip). 
  • This was positive news. And the market reacted accordingly, up ~1.0% in the afternoon session.
  • One quirk in the doc was the perception those electing the scrip alternative may get a higher % in the unlisted Offeror. A back-end bump for PLP? (Hint: No).

KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co

By Brian Freitas


Infocom (4348 JP): Blackstone’s Long-Awaited JPY6,060 Tender Offer

By Arun George

  • Following months of press speculation, Infocom Corp (4348 JP) announced a Blackstone (BX US) tender offer at JPY6,060 per share, a 177.3% premium to the undisturbed price. 
  • After the share consolidation, Infocom will repurchase Teijin Ltd (3401 JP)’s stake at a share repurchase price of JPY4,231. The process is expected to be completed in early October.
  • The offer is a knockout bid helped by auction. This is a done deal with payment commencing from 7 August. At the last close, the gross spread was 0.5%.

LS Materials: A Sharp Increase in Short Selling Post Block Deal Sale

By Douglas Kim

  • On 14 June, KeiStone Partners sold 2.51 million shares (3.7% of outstanding shares) of LS Materials at the block deal sales price of 26,350 won per share.
  • In the next several weeks/months, there will likely be increased concerns about additional selling of LS Materials by KeiStone Partners. 
  • Due to recent block deal sale, higher short selling volume, and concerns about additional selling by Keistone Partners, LS Materials shares could face further weakness in the next 6-12 months. 

KDDI and Lawson: Loyalty Points Just the Start

By Michael Causton

  • KDDI will complete its acquisition of a 50% share in Lawson this month and the chain will then delist.
  • KDDI is promising a rapid introduction of services and fresh ideas to leverage its new retail arm.
  • It will begin by unifying premium loyalty point membership under the Ponta brand and offer new services that it hopes will help boost share. What out LY.

Quiddity SET 50 Jun 24 Rebal: 4 Changes Confirmed; LONGs up 5.2% Vs SHORTs in a Month

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The June 2024 index changes for Thailand’s SET 50 index were announced after market close yesterday (17th June 2024).
  • Initially we expected only three changes but after the index methodology was revised in May 2024, we revised our expectations and we had 4 expected ADDs/DELs.
  • All 4 expected ADDs/DELs turned out to correct. In this insight, we take a look at our estimation of expected flows and potential trade ideas based on the flow dynamics.

JSE June ’24 Rebalance: Top Buys (Banks!) And Sells (NPN, PRX)

By Charlotte van Tiddens, CFA

  • On Friday, JSE indices will be rebalanced in the closing auction.
  • There will be no constituent changes to the Top 40, FINI, FINDI, INDI or RESI indices (ALSI gets reviewed in March and September).
  • The upcoming rebalance will be the first review since the vanilla and SWIX indices were merged in March

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Daily Brief ECM: Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) IPO: Valuation Insights and more

By | Daily Briefs, ECM

In today’s briefing:

  • Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) IPO: Valuation Insights
  • Webtoon Entertainment IPO – Thoughts on Valuation
  • Bajaj Housing Finance Pre-IPO – The Positives – Strong Brand, Fast Growth
  • Webtoon Entertainment IPO Valuation Analysis


Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) IPO: Valuation Insights

By Arun George


Webtoon Entertainment IPO – Thoughts on Valuation

By Ethan Aw

  • Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) is looking to raise up to US$315m in its US IPO, down from an earlier reported float of US$500m.
  • Webtoon Entertainment is a global storytelling platform where a community of creators and users discover, create and share new content.
  • In our previous notes, we talked about the company’s historical performance and undertook a peer comparison. In this note, we share our thoughts on valuation.

Bajaj Housing Finance Pre-IPO – The Positives – Strong Brand, Fast Growth

By Sumeet Singh

  • Bajaj Housing Finance (BHF IN) is looking to raise around US$830m in its upcoming India IPO. 
  • BHF is a non-deposit taking housing finance company engaged in mortgage lending since FY18. Its mortgage products include home loans, loans against property, lease rental discounting and developer financing.
  • In this note, we talk about the positive aspects of the deal.

Webtoon Entertainment IPO Valuation Analysis

By Douglas Kim

  • Webtoon announced that it is targeting a valuation of up to US$2.7 billion in the upcoming IPO. The IPO price range is from US$18 to US$21 per share. 
  • The company is aiming to raise as much as US$315 million in this IPO. Blackrock Asset Management has indicated interest of purchasing up to US$50 million in this IPO.
  • Our base case valuation of Webtoon is market cap of US$3.6 billion or target price of US$27.9 per share (33% higher than the high end of the IPO price range). 

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Daily Brief Equity Bottom-Up: Tech Supply Chain Tracker (19-Jun-2024): Taiwan wafer industry in 2Q24 and more

By | Daily Briefs, Equity Bottom-Up

In today’s briefing:

  • Tech Supply Chain Tracker (19-Jun-2024): Taiwan wafer industry in 2Q24
  • Memory Monitor: Computex Showed Micron Leapfrog SK Hynix and Samsung; ‘Boring’ DRAM Could Now Hot Up
  • Micron’s HBM. Multiple Billions Incoming..
  • Morepen Laboratories (MORE IN): Strong Performance in FY24; Positive Momentum to Sustain
  • COFCO Joycome (1610 HK): Brewing a Hog Cycle Upturn?
  • Globalfoundries Inc (GFS) – Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024
  • 3M Company: Global Market Dynamics and Restructuring Initiatives! – Major Drivers
  • Pathward Financial Inc (CASH) – Sunday, Mar 17, 2024
  • Coherent Corp: Expansion and Diversification in Telecom and Datacom Optics & Other Major Drivers
  • Kuok Khoon Hong and George Yeo boost Wilmar stakes


Tech Supply Chain Tracker (19-Jun-2024): Taiwan wafer industry in 2Q24

By Tech Supply Chain Tracker

  • Taiwan’s wafer foundry industry set to expand in Q2 2024 with potential government and financial support.
  • London Tech Week 2024 showcases AI, semiconductors, deep tech, startups, and global tech partnerships.
  • Quanta sees profits double despite workforce reduction, while Intel invests in Luxshare in China to boost market presence.

Memory Monitor: Computex Showed Micron Leapfrog SK Hynix and Samsung; ‘Boring’ DRAM Could Now Hot Up

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • Computex showed how Micron has successfully leap-frogged SK Hynix and Samsung in HBM DRAM for AI Servers.
  • Now, older ‘boring’ DRAM prices could surge as HBM DRAM production is voraciously consuming memory fab capacity.
  • Why Nanya Tech shares could surge higher — A DRAM memory trade for those who don’t want to chase steep 52-week highs in Micron and SK Hynix.

Micron’s HBM. Multiple Billions Incoming..

By William Keating

  • HBM revenue on track to jump from a few hundred million in 2024 to “multiple” billions in 2025
  • Micron expects to become FCF positive in the second half of their fiscal 2024 and to have a record revenue year in their fiscal 2025. 
  • Micron’s is doing custom work on their HBM solutions. Customers are signing LTAs with defined pricing. This could easily spread to Micron’s non-HBM products also. 

Morepen Laboratories (MORE IN): Strong Performance in FY24; Positive Momentum to Sustain

By Tina Banerjee

  • In FY24, Morepen Laboratories (MORE IN) achieved revenue, EBITDA, and PAT growth of 20%, 101% and 150%, YoY, respectively, driven by medical devices and API businesses.
  • Business has stabilized in FY24 and Morepen is seeing fresh buying of medical devices. With expanding capacity, glucometer and BP monitor are expected to maintain ~30% growth momentum.
  • Morepen aims to expand API product portfolio and geographic reach, while maintaining global leadership positioning in six key widely used API products.

COFCO Joycome (1610 HK): Brewing a Hog Cycle Upturn?

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Cofco Joycome (1610 HK) is in a good position to benefit from the hog cycle upturn. China’s anti-dumping investigation into imported pork from the EU may also disrupt supply.
  • Its average hog price has increased by 12.7% YTD and by 1.6% YoY for 5M24. Market hog price further surged by 10.4% in the week of 12-Jun from end-May.
  • Its P/B of 0.78x is inexpensive at 1SD below the 5-year average. Its peers like Muyuan Foodstuff (002714 CH) and Wens Foodstuff Group (300498 CH) are also interesting. 

Globalfoundries Inc (GFS) – Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Globalfoundries Inc. is an American semiconductor foundry spun out of Advanced Micro Devices in 2009.
  • The company operates four fabs in the US, Germany, and Singapore, making it the only scaled pure-play outside of China and Taiwan.
  • In 2018, Globalfoundries shifted its focus to producing lagging-edge, feature-rich semiconductors after halting investment in leading-edge chip development.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


3M Company: Global Market Dynamics and Restructuring Initiatives! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • In the first quarter of 2024, 3M reported significant achievements and detailed the financial impacts of strategic decisions, including the successful spin-off of its Health Care business, now known as Solventum.
  • The separation into two distinct entities is designed to enhance focused growth and improve capital allocation tailored to different market dynamics, thereby representing a strategic realignment to boost shareholder value.
  • This quarter also saw the company addressing its legal challenges with settlements in the Public Water Suppliers and Combat Arms litigation, resulting in predictable future cash flows related to these issues.

Pathward Financial Inc (CASH) – Sunday, Mar 17, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Pathward Financial, Inc. is a BaaS company that partners with prepaid card issuers to provide prepaid card services to consumers and businesses
  • Prepaid cards are used for various purposes such as fintech apps, payroll, gift cards, or rebates, with Pathward acting as the banking sponsor for these programs
  • Pathward earns revenue through collecting deposits, investing in higher-yielding assets, and earning revenue from payments such as interchange fees, with impressive financial metrics including an adjusted NIM of 4.5% and ROTE of 30%

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


Coherent Corp: Expansion and Diversification in Telecom and Datacom Optics & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Coherent Corp. reported a solid third-quarter performance for Fiscal Year 2024, signaling strong underlying business dynamics despite some operational hitches.
  • The company emphasized a noteworthy sequential revenue increase of almost 7% and an almost 50% rise in non-GAAP EPS which marked significant growth.
  • Operating cash flow stood robust at $117 million, with a substantial portion directed towards capital investments and debt repayment.

Kuok Khoon Hong and George Yeo boost Wilmar stakes

By Geoff Howie

  • Kuok Khoon Hong and George Yeo boost Wilmar stakes Institutions were net sellers of Singapore stocks in the five trading sessions up to Jun 13, with S$3.6 million of net institutional outflow, as 23 primary-listed companies conducted buybacks with a total consideration of S$88.8 million.
  • Stamford Land Corp executive chairman Ow Chio Kiat increased his total interest from 45.86 to 45.88 per cent, acquiring 246,800 shares at S$0.40 a share between Jun 6 and 11.

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Daily Brief Macro: CX Daily: China’s Sports Corruption Dragnet Casts Pall Ahead of Paris Olympics and more

By | Daily Briefs, Macro

In today’s briefing:

  • CX Daily: China’s Sports Corruption Dragnet Casts Pall Ahead of Paris Olympics
  • Momentum Trading Opportunities In Agricultural Commodities
  • Energy Cable: Short shipping companies?
  • Australia RBA Cash Rate Target 4.35% (consensus 4.35%) in Jun-24
  • EA Inflation Stays Soft Despite Rise
  • Great Game – Why Tesla is winning the EU-China trade war


CX Daily: China’s Sports Corruption Dragnet Casts Pall Ahead of Paris Olympics

By Caixin Global

  • Corruption / Cover Story: China’s sports corruption dragnet casts pall ahead of Paris Olympics
  • Euro Cup / Chinese brands intend to triumph at Euro Cup 2024
  • Cyberbully / China rolls out new rules for online sites to curb cyberbullying

Momentum Trading Opportunities In Agricultural Commodities

By Pranay Yadav

  • Corn futures show high potential for momentum trading, peaking in early-year gains and declining from June, matching seasonal harvest patterns in major producers like China and Brazil.
  • Over the past five years, momentum trading in soybean futures outperformed other crops with average annual returns of USD 13,600, though 2024 saw significant losses reflecting its counter cyclical performance.
  • Bearish outlook for corn in 2024 due to increased global production outlook from key regions, bearish shifts by asset managers, and USDA forecasts predicting lower season-average prices.

Energy Cable: Short shipping companies?

By Ulrik Simmelholt

  • Hello from a sunny Copenhagen where the Euro 24 fever is upon us all.
  • This week we’ll do a chart heavy analysis on shipping and nat gas.
  • We were stopped out of our long position in shipping in February due to false reports on a deal with the Houthis that sent the market tanking.

Australia RBA Cash Rate Target 4.35% (consensus 4.35%) in Jun-24

By Heteronomics AI

  • The RBA held the cash rate at 4.35%, reflecting a cautious approach in response to persistent inflation and excess demand pressures, aligning with the economic consensus.
  • Domestic consumption trends, labour market conditions, and global economic uncertainties will influence future policy decisions, focusing on achieving the 2-3% inflation target by the second half of 2025.
  • The RBA emphasizes data-driven decision-making and remains vigilant to upside inflation risks, maintaining flexibility in its policy stance to ensure inflation returns to target sustainably.
This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

EA Inflation Stays Soft Despite Rise

By Phil Rush

  • Final EA HICP inflation at 2.57% in May confirmed the surprisingly strong flash, with services inflation another 5bps above an already resurgent pace at 4.13%.
  • Underlying inflationary pressures converged across countries at a slightly below-target monthly impulse. Fundamental support from wages should prevent an undershoot.
  • The consensus increased over the past month, but the gap to our forecast typically remains 0.1pp or less. ECB cuts can continue if its peers follow its dovish path soon.

Great Game – Why Tesla is winning the EU-China trade war

By Mikkel Rosenvold

  • Welcome to this weeks Great Game, in which we will cover 3 major stories right now – European EV tariffs, the upcoming election in France and the turmoil in Brazil.
  • EU Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles Situation: The European Commission is expected to disclose this week the tariffs it plans to impose on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) due to what it says are excessive subsidies.
  • This move follows Washington’s recent decision to quadruple duties for Chinese EVs to 100%, although Brussels is expected to set significantly lower tariffs.

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Daily Brief Thailand: Ngern Tid Lor and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thailand

In today’s briefing:

  • Quiddity SET 50 Jun 24 Rebal: 4 Changes Confirmed; LONGs up 5.2% Vs SHORTs in a Month


Quiddity SET 50 Jun 24 Rebal: 4 Changes Confirmed; LONGs up 5.2% Vs SHORTs in a Month

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The June 2024 index changes for Thailand’s SET 50 index were announced after market close yesterday (17th June 2024).
  • Initially we expected only three changes but after the index methodology was revised in May 2024, we revised our expectations and we had 4 expected ADDs/DELs.
  • All 4 expected ADDs/DELs turned out to correct. In this insight, we take a look at our estimation of expected flows and potential trade ideas based on the flow dynamics.

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Daily Brief Japan: Infocom Corp, Exedy Corp, Lawson Inc, COPRO-HOLDINGS Co Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Blackstone Does a BIG Deal for Infocom (4348) – Minorities Get ¥6,060/Share
  • [JAPAN ACTIVISM] – Murakami Group Goes Activisting on Exedy (7278) – Room To Run
  • Infocom (4348 JP): Blackstone’s Long-Awaited JPY6,060 Tender Offer
  • KDDI and Lawson: Loyalty Points Just the Start
  • 4Q Follow-Up – Copro-Holdings (7059 JP)


Blackstone Does a BIG Deal for Infocom (4348) – Minorities Get ¥6,060/Share

By Travis Lundy

  • 15 weeks ago, a specialised media outlet suggested Teijin Ltd (3401 JP) was in process to sell its stake in Infocom Corp (4348 JP)
  • I caught up later, after the stock had run up significantly, but writing bullishly here and here. Since then, the stock is up another 33-35%.
  • Today we finally got the announced deal. Blackstone will buy the stock at a valuation of ¥280bn, paying ¥6,060/share for the minority stake, and buying back Teijin’s stake at ¥4,340/share.

[JAPAN ACTIVISM] – Murakami Group Goes Activisting on Exedy (7278) – Room To Run

By Travis Lundy

  • Late May, Aisin (7259 JP) announced a sell-down of its 34% stake in Exedy Corp (7278 JP) – a big non-dilutive offering, pricing 11% below undisturbed. Exedy announced a buyback.
  • Announced on the 27th of May, shares fell sharply the next day, it priced on the 3rd, and offering shares traded on the 10th. Then the price started climbing back.
  • My first and second pieces argued that buyback accretion, index impact, and change in register shape all meant it was a buy. Activist Murakami agreed, now he has 6.5%. 

Infocom (4348 JP): Blackstone’s Long-Awaited JPY6,060 Tender Offer

By Arun George

  • Following months of press speculation, Infocom Corp (4348 JP) announced a Blackstone (BX US) tender offer at JPY6,060 per share, a 177.3% premium to the undisturbed price. 
  • After the share consolidation, Infocom will repurchase Teijin Ltd (3401 JP)’s stake at a share repurchase price of JPY4,231. The process is expected to be completed in early October.
  • The offer is a knockout bid helped by auction. This is a done deal with payment commencing from 7 August. At the last close, the gross spread was 0.5%.

KDDI and Lawson: Loyalty Points Just the Start

By Michael Causton

  • KDDI will complete its acquisition of a 50% share in Lawson this month and the chain will then delist.
  • KDDI is promising a rapid introduction of services and fresh ideas to leverage its new retail arm.
  • It will begin by unifying premium loyalty point membership under the Ponta brand and offer new services that it hopes will help boost share. What out LY.

4Q Follow-Up – Copro-Holdings (7059 JP)

By Sessa Investment Research

  • FY2024/3 Earnings Result Summary: COPRO-HOLDINGS. Co., Ltd., (hereafter, the Company) announced the full year results for FY2024/3 after the market close on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
  • The key consolidated figures include net sales of ¥24,098 mn (+28.2% YoY), operating profit of ¥2,141 mn (+62.0% YoY), ordinary profit of ¥2,211 mn (+67.0% YoY), and profit attributable to owners of parent (hereafter, net profit) of ¥1,463 mn (+69.3% YoY).
  • Having posted a dramatic increase in net sales due to record hiring, COPRO CONSTRUCTION. Co., Ltd., which operates the Company’s core construction technician dispatching business, made substantial contributions to increased earnings.

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Daily Brief South Korea: Hyundai Motor , Webtoon Entertainment, E&D Co Ltd, LS Materials and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • Pref-Centred Dividend Plays with Expanded ISA Tax Benefits in Value-Up Context
  • Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) IPO: Valuation Insights
  • KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co
  • LS Materials: A Sharp Increase in Short Selling Post Block Deal Sale
  • Webtoon Entertainment IPO – Thoughts on Valuation


Pref-Centred Dividend Plays with Expanded ISA Tax Benefits in Value-Up Context

By Sanghyun Park

  • Local stock market focuses on ISA tax benefits expansion; political push for higher tax-exempt limits seen as pivotal event.
  • Investors expect dividend stocks to outperform due to ISA tax advantages: tax exemptions within limits and lower 9.9% taxation on excess amounts, boosting ISA-based equity investments.
  • ETF influence declining; ISA tax benefits may boost dividend plays, heightening interest in preferred stocks tied to efforts to redeem them, impacting equity costs.

Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) IPO: Valuation Insights

By Arun George


KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co

By Brian Freitas


LS Materials: A Sharp Increase in Short Selling Post Block Deal Sale

By Douglas Kim

  • On 14 June, KeiStone Partners sold 2.51 million shares (3.7% of outstanding shares) of LS Materials at the block deal sales price of 26,350 won per share.
  • In the next several weeks/months, there will likely be increased concerns about additional selling of LS Materials by KeiStone Partners. 
  • Due to recent block deal sale, higher short selling volume, and concerns about additional selling by Keistone Partners, LS Materials shares could face further weakness in the next 6-12 months. 

Webtoon Entertainment IPO – Thoughts on Valuation

By Ethan Aw

  • Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) is looking to raise up to US$315m in its US IPO, down from an earlier reported float of US$500m.
  • Webtoon Entertainment is a global storytelling platform where a community of creators and users discover, create and share new content.
  • In our previous notes, we talked about the company’s historical performance and undertook a peer comparison. In this note, we share our thoughts on valuation.

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