Category

Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Japan: Exedy Corp, Kagome Co Ltd, Chiba Bank, Miroku Jyoho Service, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Avant Corp, Pci Holdings Inc/Jp, D.Western Therapeutics Institute Inc., Geechs Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder
  • Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase
  • Chiba Bank – Short Term Borrowing Surges, Just at the Wrong Time
  • Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928)
  • Clues to Management Change Are % Independent Directors and …..
  • Avant Group Corporation (TSE:3836)
  • Quick Look – PCI Holdings (3918 JP)
  • D. Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI) (4576 JP) – New Fundraising Secured in June
  • Geechs (7060 Jp) – Indispensable Company for Solving Japan’s Shortage of IT Human Resources


Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder

By Arun George

  • Murakami’s entity, City Index Eleventh, and daughter reported a 5.46% position in Exedy Corp (7278 JP). The shares purchases began two days after the Aisin (7259 JP) secondary offering.
  • Murakami’s average buy-in price is JPY2,607.30 per share, 2.3% higher than the recent secondary offering price of JPY2,549.
  • Murakami’s disclosure suggests two possibilities: the start of an activist campaign or a short-term pump-and-dump play. Recent precedents suggest the latter.

Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase

By Travis Lundy

  • In January, Kagome Co Ltd (2811 JP) announced an acquisition of an additional 50% stake in a US equity affiliate. It is transformational. Incremental ROIC is truly excellent.
  • At the time, they said they’d finance the purchase with a bridge loan but would sell treasury shares for ¥25bn or less to cover it. They announced the shelf then.
  • Friday they announced the Offering. Today shares fell 8+%. This is now cheap. 

Chiba Bank – Short Term Borrowing Surges, Just at the Wrong Time

By Daniel Tabbush

  • Short term borrowing rose 2.3x in the past four quarters, alongside rising interest rates
  • During this time, long term borrowings were actually down, so no locking in of low rates
  • As such, Chiba is not fully, or hardly benefiting from BOJ policy changes, with NIM down

Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928) , which offers on-premises, hybrid (IaaS) and cloud accounting software to Japanese enterprises of various sizes.
  • Our purchase is centred around the business achieving further transition to the cloud, allowing for substantial margin improvement through the accumulation of high gross margin SaaS revenue.
  • This transition has impacted firm profitability in the short term due to the shift in revenue recognition as quoted below by the company

Clues to Management Change Are % Independent Directors and …..

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Companies with low valuations have lower ROE, ROA, and foreign ownership as well as inferior board practices and key actions. Conversely, companies with high valuations show the opposite relationship.
  • Over the past year, companies that increased their valuations were those with already  high valuations, return on capital and foreign ownership that further improved their earnings and increased their valuations.
  • This suggests that companies that have begun to make progress in management reform by improving board operations and clarifying management policies through engagement by overseas investors have achieved positive results.

Avant Group Corporation (TSE:3836)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Avant was founded in 1997 by the current CEO Tetsuji Morikawa and is a Japanese holding company of financial and non-financial software which have the collective goal of assisting its clientele to increase corporate value.
  • This includes ‘Diva’ as Japan’s foremost (43% market share) consolidated accounting software and board meetings platform in addition to ‘Avant’, a management system for corporate value enhancement through consolidation of information (Avant Cruise) , charting (Avant Chart) , and corporate value enhancement (Avant Compass).
  • Lastly, there is ‘Zeal’ which includes several non-financial platforms that help organise and integrate (with Avant Cruise) from external sources. And interestingly, Avant also owns and operates Internet Disclosure Co, which runs Kaijinet, a site I have frequently visited over the years.

Quick Look – PCI Holdings (3918 JP)

By Sessa Investment Research

  • PCI Holdings, Inc. (hereafter, the Company) is an IT provider of IT-related services and hardware, mainly focusing on embedded system technology such as embedded software, embedded computers, and the like.
  • Though it is a relatively young company, born in 2005, it has grown up to be large enough to have net sales of ¥28,500 mn for FY2023/9 with approximately 1,600 employees along with organic growth and acquisition of many companies.
  • Going forward, it will change the corporate structure and make it more profitable by investing its cashflow from its core businesses, the Engineering Business and the Product/Device Business, into the ICT Solutions Business, which has considerable potential growth fields such as solution development using AI, IoT platform and the like.

D. Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI) (4576 JP) – New Fundraising Secured in June

By Sessa Investment Research

  • Major milestones with high expectations coming in the next 2-3 years: 1) Phase IIb US trials for H-1337 as “first choice as a second-line Glaucoma drug” for patients who do not respond to PGs (top-line data is expected in the 2H of 2024)
  • 2) 2024 application/approval and 2025 launch of DW-1002 in Japan, 2023 application and 2024 approval/launch in China, as well as orphan drug designation for combination formula MembraneBlue-DualⓇ (DW-1002 + trypan blue) in the US
  • 3) in Japan, start P2 clinical trials in 2024, P3 trials in late 2025 though 2026, and normal schedule application for approval for regenerative cell-therapy DWR-2206 in 2027

Geechs (7060 Jp) – Indispensable Company for Solving Japan’s Shortage of IT Human Resources

By Sessa Investment Research

  • Japan is expected to face a shortfall of up 790,000 IT workers in 2030.
  • GEECHS views this shortage of IT human resources as a social issue that the Group should solve.
  • The Company’s current core business is its IT freelance matching business (Japan) that matches companies that want to outsource work to outside workers with IT freelancers who want to do that work, and the Company receives a matching fee as the IT freelancer sharing agent. 

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Daily Brief Industrials: Berli Jucker, Countplus Ltd, Begbies Traynor, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Toro Co, Armstrong World Industries, U-Haul Holding , ATS and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • SET50 Index Rebalance: 4 Changes Next Week; One Could Surprise
  • Count (ASX:CUP)
  • Begbies Traynor (LSE:BEG) | May 1, 2024
  • Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.: Strategic Focus on Technological Enhancements in Mission Technologies! – Major Drivers
  • Toro Co (TTC) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024
  • Armstrong World Industries Inc.: Strengthened Market Position through Unique Value Propositions! – Major Drivers
  • UHAL: Reports Fiscal 2024 Results: Total revenues declined 4.1%
  • ATS Corporation: Acquisition of Paxiom Group to Expand Automation Solutions Portfolio & Other Major Drivers


SET50 Index Rebalance: 4 Changes Next Week; One Could Surprise

By Brian Freitas


Count (ASX:CUP)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Count (ASX:CUP) is an accounting and wealth business in Australia which is both the 18th largest Accounting firm whilst simultaneously being the 3rd largest AFSL holder in the country after its consolidation of Diverger (ASX:DVR) due to be implemented on the 1st of March 2024.
  • As some may gather, our shares in Count have come from the implementation of Diverger transaction, and as a result I will be focusing on the specifics of the combined business and its prospects.

  • First, Count’s Accounting division generates the lion’s share of its revenue and earnings, but the same can be said of its invested capital with all the related contract assets and receivables of some $20m at YE FY2023 whereas the net revenue due to advisers is more than what is due to from the client by an estimated $2.4m in the wealth division (negative net working capital).


Begbies Traynor (LSE:BEG) | May 1, 2024

By Hurdle Rate

  • Begbies Traynor is one the UK’s largest outfits of insolvency practitioners which are also in the process of growing its non-insolvency service lines such as corporate finance, financial advisory, asset valuations, PP&E transactions, and property consultancy.
  • Whilst these service lines differ there is much collusion between them allowing for revenue synergies where appropriate.
  • For reference I suggest that readers refer to my older write up which goes into detail about the business.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.: Strategic Focus on Technological Enhancements in Mission Technologies! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • HII, known for its expertise in shipbuilding and defense technologies, reported a mixed first quarter for 2024.
  • The first quarter was marked by a record revenue of $2.8 billion, illustrating robust demand for HII’s offerings in shipbuilding and a significant growth in their Mission Technologies segment.
  • The revenue increase manifested a 4.9% rise compared to the previous year, driven largely by advancements in the aforementioned sectors.

Toro Co (TTC) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Toro specializes in the manufacturing and sale of removal products for industries such as golf courses, sports fields, public parks, and agricultural operations
  • The company also offers maintenance and repair services to drive recurring revenue from its customer base
  • Toro’s products are known for their durability, efficiency, and innovation, helping them maintain a strong market position and grow their customer base, ultimately driving steady profits and shareholder value.

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.


Armstrong World Industries Inc.: Strengthened Market Position through Unique Value Propositions! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Armstrong World Industries commenced 2024 with robust first-quarter results, demonstrating sustained growth momentum from the previous year.
  • The report indicates a notable increase in key financial metrics, including a 5% rise in net sales and a significant 16% growth in adjusted EBITDA.
  • Additionally, an impressive 23% increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share and a 46% surge in adjusted free cash flow highlights efficient financial management.

UHAL: Reports Fiscal 2024 Results: Total revenues declined 4.1%

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • U-Haul Holding Company is the parent company of U-Haul International, the world’s largest consumer truck and trailer rental company.
  • U-Haul is also the third largest self-storage operator in North America.
  • U-Haul benefited in a leveraged manner from the increase in demand for self-moving services during the pandemic.

ATS Corporation: Acquisition of Paxiom Group to Expand Automation Solutions Portfolio & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • ATS Corporation has demonstrated resilience and strategic execution in its latest quarterly and annual financial results, delivering robust performance across its diverse business segments.
  • The year witnessed the highest revenues and earnings in the company’s history, underpinned by significant order bookings, particularly in the fourth quarter.
  • This growth was further bolstered by strategic acquisitions and a focus on innovation, which has expanded ATS’s proprietary technology and patent portfolio.

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Daily Brief Health Care: Prodia, D.Western Therapeutics Institute Inc., IN8bio and more

By | Daily Briefs, Healthcare

In today’s briefing:

  • Prodia (PRDA IJ) – Increasingly Esoteric
  • D. Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI) (4576 JP) – New Fundraising Secured in June
  • INAB: INB-100 Update at EHA24 Ole!


Prodia (PRDA IJ) – Increasingly Esoteric

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Prodia (PRDA IJ) suffered from a seasonal downturn in 1Q2024 as Lebaran slowed its testing volumes from corporates, with opex related to Prodia Digital impacting margins in the quarter.
  • The company’s testing mix is shifting in a meaningful way towards esoteric testing, which commands significantly higher margins plus it is building out its genomic testing, which yields higher returns.
  • Investment in Prodia Digital should slow in the coming quarters, helping to improve margins. with new outlets driving revenues. Valuations are unjustifiably low with 2Q2024 numbers likely to be positive.

D. Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI) (4576 JP) – New Fundraising Secured in June

By Sessa Investment Research

  • Major milestones with high expectations coming in the next 2-3 years: 1) Phase IIb US trials for H-1337 as “first choice as a second-line Glaucoma drug” for patients who do not respond to PGs (top-line data is expected in the 2H of 2024)
  • 2) 2024 application/approval and 2025 launch of DW-1002 in Japan, 2023 application and 2024 approval/launch in China, as well as orphan drug designation for combination formula MembraneBlue-DualⓇ (DW-1002 + trypan blue) in the US
  • 3) in Japan, start P2 clinical trials in 2024, P3 trials in late 2025 though 2026, and normal schedule application for approval for regenerative cell-therapy DWR-2206 in 2027

INAB: INB-100 Update at EHA24 Ole!

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • IN8Bio is a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biotechnology company using ?d T cells against solid and hematological tumors.
  • Its pipeline is built on the DeltEx platform & drug resistant immunotherapy (DRI) technology which have produced clinical candidates targeting leukemia & GBM.
  • INB-100 is evaluating leukemia in a Ph1 study, while INB-200 & INB-400 are Ph1 and Ph2 assets evaluating GBM.

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Daily Brief Utilities: Infratil Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Utilities Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Infratil Placement – Riding the AI Wave, but Deal Timing Seems Opportunistic


Infratil Placement – Riding the AI Wave, but Deal Timing Seems Opportunistic

By Sumeet Singh

  • Infratil Ltd (IFT NZ) aims to raise around US$613m (NZ$1bn) via an institutional placement.
  • Proceeds from the placement will be used to fund IFT’s share of capex for its data center arm, CDC.
  • In this note, we will talk about the placement and run the deal through our ECM framework.

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Archean Chemical Industries, Iron Ore, Gold, NioCorp Developments , Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., Sylvamo and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • The Beat Ideas- Archean Chemical: The Bromine Leader of India
  • Persistent Weakness in Chinese Real Estate Will Drag Iron Ore Prices Down
  • Be Careful Precious Metals Bulls & Tailrisk Secular Inflation
  • NioCorp Developments – Opportunities and optimisations
  • Plains All American Pipeline: How Is Their Focus on Enhanced Free Cash Flow Generation Expected To Materialize? – Major Drivers
  • Sylvamo Corp (SLVM) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024


The Beat Ideas- Archean Chemical: The Bromine Leader of India

By Sudarshan Bhandari


Persistent Weakness in Chinese Real Estate Will Drag Iron Ore Prices Down

By Srinidhi Raghavendra

  • Chinese real estate investments fell 10.1% in the first five months of 2024 YoY. New home prices fell at the fastest pace in more than 9.5 years in May.
  • Fresh bank lending in China rebounded well expectations in May. Chinese banks issued 950B yuan (v/s 1.36T yuan issued last May) in new loans last month.
  • China’s consumer inflation held flat in May amid feeble domestic demand, uneven economic recovery, and consumer confidence weakness.

Be Careful Precious Metals Bulls & Tailrisk Secular Inflation

By The Commodity Report

  • Be Careful Precious Metals Bulls Another friendly reminder that positioning in copper remains super speculative bullish – aka, there is much room for speculators to reduce their bullish bets again.
  • The same can be said for gold and copper, but not for crude oil.
  • Once again, there seems to be less demand than people realize – especially from China.

NioCorp Developments – Opportunities and optimisations

By Edison Investment Research

Since our initiation note in January, NioCorp has 1) raised c US$7.6m in debt and equity instruments, 2) de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange, 3) announced the results of a scoping study, which suggested that the adoption of a Railveyor system could lead to material savings in both capex and opex at its Elk Creek project as well as reducing the underground mine’s carbon footprint, and 4) announced that it has received a preliminary, non-binding indicative financing term sheet from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) with respect to NioCorp’s application for US$800m in debt financing to develop the project. This note updates our valuation of NioCorp for all of the above as well as the construction of an aluminium-scandium master alloy line at the mine, the size and timing of future equity fund-raisings and rare earth oxide pricing assumptions.


Plains All American Pipeline: How Is Their Focus on Enhanced Free Cash Flow Generation Expected To Materialize? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Plains All American reported its first quarter 2024 results, reaffirming its commitment to capital discipline, generating free cash flow, and returning capital to investors.
  • The management highlighted an adjusted EBITDA of $718 million for the quarter and is optimistic about achieving its full-year EBITDA guidance of between $2.625 billion and $2.725 billion.
  • These results align with the company’s February projections and are supported by strong underlying operations and strategic investments.

Sylvamo Corp (SLVM) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Sylvamo’s stock has greatly appreciated since its spin-off from IP in 2021, with a recent price of $57 per share and total return of 135%
  • The company is now valued at $2.4 billion with an enterprise value of $3 billion, making it an attractive value investment
  • Factors contributing to its appeal include potential growth in Brazilian assets, the end of inventory destocking in North America, and expectations for improved earnings in Europe

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.


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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) – ADR, Miroku Jyoho Service, Unisplendour Corporation Limited, Avant Corp, Xero Ltd, Pci Holdings Inc/Jp, Commvault Systems, Comscore Inc, JFrog, Plexus Corp and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC’s 3nm Shortage & Upcoming Price Hikes; Samsung Unveils AI Catch-Up Plan
  • Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928)
  • Tech Supply Chain Tracker (18-Jun-2024): H3C partners with Foxconn on Malaysia data center investment.
  • Avant Group Corporation (TSE:3836)
  • Xero’s Price Hikes
  • Quick Look – PCI Holdings (3918 JP)
  • Commvault Systems Inc.: What Will Be The Overall Revenue Impact Of The Enhancement of Cyber Resilience Solutions? – Major Drivers
  • Comscore Inc (SCOR) – Saturday, Mar 16, 2024
  • JFrog Ltd.: How Are They Successfully Expanding Cloud Services Revenue? – Major Drivers
  • Plexus Corp: Expanding Market Presence in Industrial Sector – Major Drivers


Taiwan Tech Weekly: TSMC’s 3nm Shortage & Upcoming Price Hikes; Samsung Unveils AI Catch-Up Plan

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • TSMC’s 3nm Shortage: Capacity Filled Until 2026 Amid Surging Demand; Strategic Price Hikes Coming Soon
  • Top Gainers/Losers: Taiwan Tech Rallies Alongside TSMC, Apple, Nvidia, ARM Strength
  • Samsung Unveils Pathway to Catch Up With TSMC in the AI Foundry Race

Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Miroku Jyoho Service (TSE:9928) , which offers on-premises, hybrid (IaaS) and cloud accounting software to Japanese enterprises of various sizes.
  • Our purchase is centred around the business achieving further transition to the cloud, allowing for substantial margin improvement through the accumulation of high gross margin SaaS revenue.
  • This transition has impacted firm profitability in the short term due to the shift in revenue recognition as quoted below by the company

Tech Supply Chain Tracker (18-Jun-2024): H3C partners with Foxconn on Malaysia data center investment.

By Tech Supply Chain Tracker

  • H3C and Foxconn partner in Malaysia for data center investment; Tsinghua Unigroup continues acquisitions in the tech industry.
  • Chinese automakers urged to invest in cleaner technologies, form strategic partnerships, and comply with EU regulations under new EV tariffs.
  • Microsoft & Qualcomm exceed pre-orders with AI-powered Copilot+ PC; Hyundai plans to list Indian arm; SEMICON India to showcase advancements in semiconductor industry.

Avant Group Corporation (TSE:3836)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Avant was founded in 1997 by the current CEO Tetsuji Morikawa and is a Japanese holding company of financial and non-financial software which have the collective goal of assisting its clientele to increase corporate value.
  • This includes ‘Diva’ as Japan’s foremost (43% market share) consolidated accounting software and board meetings platform in addition to ‘Avant’, a management system for corporate value enhancement through consolidation of information (Avant Cruise) , charting (Avant Chart) , and corporate value enhancement (Avant Compass).
  • Lastly, there is ‘Zeal’ which includes several non-financial platforms that help organise and integrate (with Avant Cruise) from external sources. And interestingly, Avant also owns and operates Internet Disclosure Co, which runs Kaijinet, a site I have frequently visited over the years.

Xero’s Price Hikes

By Hurdle Rate

  • This is the first blog post on the Hurdle Rate website, a series of blog posts which I intend to cover specific topics rather than unit trust investments.
  • From time to time I may consider company deep dives, but predominately I want to make these posts more specific in nature around the global landscape in professional and financial services.
  • Today’s post is going to talk about the recent bombshell that is Xero’s price hikes, a controversial topic here in Australia for the accounting industry, and a perfect start to the blogroll given my background and focus.

Quick Look – PCI Holdings (3918 JP)

By Sessa Investment Research

  • PCI Holdings, Inc. (hereafter, the Company) is an IT provider of IT-related services and hardware, mainly focusing on embedded system technology such as embedded software, embedded computers, and the like.
  • Though it is a relatively young company, born in 2005, it has grown up to be large enough to have net sales of ¥28,500 mn for FY2023/9 with approximately 1,600 employees along with organic growth and acquisition of many companies.
  • Going forward, it will change the corporate structure and make it more profitable by investing its cashflow from its core businesses, the Engineering Business and the Product/Device Business, into the ICT Solutions Business, which has considerable potential growth fields such as solution development using AI, IoT platform and the like.

Commvault Systems Inc.: What Will Be The Overall Revenue Impact Of The Enhancement of Cyber Resilience Solutions? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Commvault recently wrapped up an impressive Fiscal Year 2024, demonstrating robust financial health and strategic progress.
  • Their fourth-quarter earnings highlighted a 10% increase in total revenue, reaching $223 million.
  • This growth was significantly propelled by a 27% rise in subscription revenue, which now constitutes over half of the total revenue stream.

Comscore Inc (SCOR) – Saturday, Mar 16, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Comscore underwent recapitalization in 2021, issuing $204M in convertible preferred stock
  • Decline in equity capitalization led to removal from major market indexes, but recent improvements in fundamentals have created significant equity value
  • Preferred holders may convert stock into common stock at a discount, and have the option to request a one-time special dividend valued at $45M, declining annually if specific borrowing conditions are met.

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.


JFrog Ltd.: How Are They Successfully Expanding Cloud Services Revenue? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • JFrog’s First Quarter 2024 financial report showcases a strong financial position with notable overall growth and a positive outlook, marked by significant developments and strategic initiatives across the company.
  • Total revenue reached $100.3 million, reflecting a 26% year-over-year increase, driven by robust cloud revenue and growing enterprise subscriptions.
  • Cloud revenue notably increased to $36.9 million, marking a 47% growth from the previous year.

Plexus Corp: Expanding Market Presence in Industrial Sector – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Plexus Corp recently reported fiscal second quarter 2024 results which showcased the company’s capacity to maintain a robust growth trajectory and strong operational performance amidst a mixed business environment.
  • Plexus announced fiscal second quarter revenue of $967 million, which sat at the top end of the company’s guidance, with a non-GAAP EPS of $0.94.
  • The non-GAAP operating margin was reported at 4.2%.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Berli Jucker, Countplus Ltd, Begbies Traynor, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Toro Co, Armstrong World Industries, U-Haul Holding , ATS and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • SET50 Index Rebalance: 4 Changes Next Week; One Could Surprise
  • Count (ASX:CUP)
  • Begbies Traynor (LSE:BEG) | May 1, 2024
  • Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.: Strategic Focus on Technological Enhancements in Mission Technologies! – Major Drivers
  • Toro Co (TTC) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024
  • Armstrong World Industries Inc.: Strengthened Market Position through Unique Value Propositions! – Major Drivers
  • UHAL: Reports Fiscal 2024 Results: Total revenues declined 4.1%
  • ATS Corporation: Acquisition of Paxiom Group to Expand Automation Solutions Portfolio & Other Major Drivers


SET50 Index Rebalance: 4 Changes Next Week; One Could Surprise

By Brian Freitas


Count (ASX:CUP)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Count (ASX:CUP) is an accounting and wealth business in Australia which is both the 18th largest Accounting firm whilst simultaneously being the 3rd largest AFSL holder in the country after its consolidation of Diverger (ASX:DVR) due to be implemented on the 1st of March 2024.
  • As some may gather, our shares in Count have come from the implementation of Diverger transaction, and as a result I will be focusing on the specifics of the combined business and its prospects.

  • First, Count’s Accounting division generates the lion’s share of its revenue and earnings, but the same can be said of its invested capital with all the related contract assets and receivables of some $20m at YE FY2023 whereas the net revenue due to advisers is more than what is due to from the client by an estimated $2.4m in the wealth division (negative net working capital).


Begbies Traynor (LSE:BEG) | May 1, 2024

By Hurdle Rate

  • Begbies Traynor is one the UK’s largest outfits of insolvency practitioners which are also in the process of growing its non-insolvency service lines such as corporate finance, financial advisory, asset valuations, PP&E transactions, and property consultancy.
  • Whilst these service lines differ there is much collusion between them allowing for revenue synergies where appropriate.
  • For reference I suggest that readers refer to my older write up which goes into detail about the business.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.: Strategic Focus on Technological Enhancements in Mission Technologies! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • HII, known for its expertise in shipbuilding and defense technologies, reported a mixed first quarter for 2024.
  • The first quarter was marked by a record revenue of $2.8 billion, illustrating robust demand for HII’s offerings in shipbuilding and a significant growth in their Mission Technologies segment.
  • The revenue increase manifested a 4.9% rise compared to the previous year, driven largely by advancements in the aforementioned sectors.

Toro Co (TTC) – Monday, Mar 18, 2024

By Value Investors Club

  • Toro specializes in the manufacturing and sale of removal products for industries such as golf courses, sports fields, public parks, and agricultural operations
  • The company also offers maintenance and repair services to drive recurring revenue from its customer base
  • Toro’s products are known for their durability, efficiency, and innovation, helping them maintain a strong market position and grow their customer base, ultimately driving steady profits and shareholder value.

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.


Armstrong World Industries Inc.: Strengthened Market Position through Unique Value Propositions! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Armstrong World Industries commenced 2024 with robust first-quarter results, demonstrating sustained growth momentum from the previous year.
  • The report indicates a notable increase in key financial metrics, including a 5% rise in net sales and a significant 16% growth in adjusted EBITDA.
  • Additionally, an impressive 23% increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share and a 46% surge in adjusted free cash flow highlights efficient financial management.

UHAL: Reports Fiscal 2024 Results: Total revenues declined 4.1%

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • U-Haul Holding Company is the parent company of U-Haul International, the world’s largest consumer truck and trailer rental company.
  • U-Haul is also the third largest self-storage operator in North America.
  • U-Haul benefited in a leveraged manner from the increase in demand for self-moving services during the pandemic.

ATS Corporation: Acquisition of Paxiom Group to Expand Automation Solutions Portfolio & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • ATS Corporation has demonstrated resilience and strategic execution in its latest quarterly and annual financial results, delivering robust performance across its diverse business segments.
  • The year witnessed the highest revenues and earnings in the company’s history, underpinned by significant order bookings, particularly in the fourth quarter.
  • This growth was further bolstered by strategic acquisitions and a focus on innovation, which has expanded ATS’s proprietary technology and patent portfolio.

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Daily Brief Financials: Chiba Bank, Lufax Holding , Bitcoin, Upstart Holdings , India Shelter Finance, Centrepoint Alliance, SelfWealth Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Financials

In today’s briefing:

  • Chiba Bank – Short Term Borrowing Surges, Just at the Wrong Time
  • Closing Lufax
  • Crypto Crisp: Imminent Surge in Liquidity
  • Upstart Holdings Inc.: Enhanced Model Accuracy and Funnel Throughput! – Major Drivers
  • India Shelter Finance US$240m Lock-Up Expiry – Multi-Bagger Gains Are Ripe for the Taking
  • Centrepoint Alliance (ASX:CAF)
  • Selfwealth (ASX:SWF)


Chiba Bank – Short Term Borrowing Surges, Just at the Wrong Time

By Daniel Tabbush

  • Short term borrowing rose 2.3x in the past four quarters, alongside rising interest rates
  • During this time, long term borrowings were actually down, so no locking in of low rates
  • As such, Chiba is not fully, or hardly benefiting from BOJ policy changes, with NIM down

Closing Lufax

By Turtles all the way down

  • It has come to my attention that Lufax management has recently altered the terms of their convertible debt: Based on the terms and conditions of the Ping An Convertible Promissory Notes, as a result of the Special Dividend, the Conversion Price will be adjusted from US$12.
  • Based on the terms and conditions of the Ping An Convertible Promissory Notes, as a result of the Special Dividend, the Conversion Price will be adjusted from US$12.76 per Share as at the date of this circular to US$2.32 per Share upon settlement of the Special Dividend, and thus, upon full conversion, the Ping An Convertible Promissory Notes can be converted into a maximum number of 421,077,586 Shares (the “Conversion Shares”).
  • The Company considers that the adjustment formula is in line with market practice for anti-dilution provisions in convertible securities.

Crypto Crisp: Imminent Surge in Liquidity

By Mads Eberhardt

  • Last Wednesday, the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May was released, showing soft inflation.
  • However, during the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (FED) subsequent FOMC meeting on the same day, the Fed was more hawkish than expected, indicating only a 25 basis points interest rate cut this year.
  • This led to declines across the crypto market.

Upstart Holdings Inc.: Enhanced Model Accuracy and Funnel Throughput! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Upstart has reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, showing several positives and negatives.
  • The company, a leader in AI-enabled lending, has been proactive in adjusting its operational strategies to align with current economic conditions while also planning for sustainable growth.
  • Focusing on the positives, Upstart announced a decrease in fixed expenses due to reduced headcount and streamlined operations, which saved the company approximately $20 million annually.

India Shelter Finance US$240m Lock-Up Expiry – Multi-Bagger Gains Are Ripe for the Taking

By Clarence Chu

  • India Shelter Finance (0570670D IN) listed in India on 20th Dec 2023 after raising US$144m. The pre-IPO investors had trimmed a portion of their stakes in the IPO
  • India Shelter Finance (ISF) is a retail-focused HFC targeting the self-employed customer with a focus on first time home loan takers in the low and middle income group.
  • Coming up for six-month lockup expiry on 18th Jun 2024 are the firm’s pre-IPO shareholders and a portion of the promoters’ stakes.

Centrepoint Alliance (ASX:CAF)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Centrepoint Alliance (ASX:CAF) is an Australian financial services business providing licensing in both financial and credit advice along with a managed portfolios business and support services such as assistance with Xplan implementation (Financial Planning software.
  • Centrepoint is a business I have been following for many years, having owned it myself in the past when it was a net-net.
  • Back then it was paying significant amounts of cash to legacy clients claiming remediation for fee-for-no-service complaints. 

Selfwealth (ASX:SWF)

By Hurdle Rate

  • Selfwealth is an ASX-listed online broker Selfwealth is ironically the domestic broker the trust uses with me having used it for over 6 years with great satisfaction.
  • Comparing ASX pricing of Selfwealth to some of its primary competitors it is worthwhile to note that the cheapest broker I could find is Superhero which just this month introduced $2 brokerage fees on ASX trades up to $20,000 as it engages in a price war with Stake.
  • Selfwealth at a price of $9.50 might seem monumental in comparison, but I would say that Selfwealth has a $9.50 regardless of trade size, making trades >$95,000 cheaper than both Stake and Superhero.

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Daily Brief Consumer: L’Occitane, Exedy Corp, Hengdeli Holdings, XPeng , Kagome Co Ltd, New Oriental Education & Techn, Hyundai Motor India , Taste Gourmet, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX and more

By | Consumer, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • L’Occitane (973 HK): Share Alternative a Crucial Step Towards the Offer Being Declared Unconditional
  • Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder
  • Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK): Negative EV Play Halted
  • Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Sep 24: No Changes but US$425mn One-Way Flows Due to Capping
  • Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase
  • Quiddity Leaderboard HSCEI Sep 24: Two Changes Possible; US$256mn One-Way
  • Hyundai Motor India IPO Preview
  • L’Occitane (973.HK) – The Privatization Is About to Succeed
  • Shortlist Of High Conviction Ideas: Income, Value, and Margin of Safety – June 2024
  • Clues to Management Change Are % Independent Directors and …..


L’Occitane (973 HK): Share Alternative a Crucial Step Towards the Offer Being Declared Unconditional

By Arun George

  • L’Occitane (973 HK) announced the share alternative at an exchange ratio of 10 rollover shares for each offer share, subject to a cap of 5% of outstanding shares.
  • The share alternative option will help the offer and was likely required to get Pleasant Lake Partners’ support (3.25% of outstanding shares). There is minimal vocal opposition to the offer. 
  • Irrevocables/Letters of support represent 49.83% of disinterested shares. An attractive offer and the share alternative facilitate meeting the minimum acceptance condition, which requires an 80% disinterested acceptance rate (ex. irrevocables).

Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder

By Arun George

  • Murakami’s entity, City Index Eleventh, and daughter reported a 5.46% position in Exedy Corp (7278 JP). The shares purchases began two days after the Aisin (7259 JP) secondary offering.
  • Murakami’s average buy-in price is JPY2,607.30 per share, 2.3% higher than the recent secondary offering price of JPY2,549.
  • Murakami’s disclosure suggests two possibilities: the start of an activist campaign or a short-term pump-and-dump play. Recent precedents suggest the latter.

Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK): Negative EV Play Halted

By David Blennerhassett

  • Watch accessory play Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK) is currently suspended pursuant to the Takeovers Code.
  • Potentially founder Zhang Yuping (holding 17%), CEO Tony Cheung (16%) and/or Swatch Group (UHR SW) (9.94%) may table an Offer. My money is on Zhang.
  • This is a very illiquid name. What is interesting is that Hengdeli has net cash of HK$1.3bn – as at 31 December 2023 – against a market cap of HK$0.59bn.

Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Sep 24: No Changes but US$425mn One-Way Flows Due to Capping

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSTECH Index tracks the performance of the top 30 technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to certain technology themes.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the rankings of potential ADDs and potential DELs for the September 2024 index rebal event.
  • We do not see any index changes in September 2024 but there could be one-way flows of US$425mn due to capping.

Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase

By Travis Lundy

  • In January, Kagome Co Ltd (2811 JP) announced an acquisition of an additional 50% stake in a US equity affiliate. It is transformational. Incremental ROIC is truly excellent.
  • At the time, they said they’d finance the purchase with a bridge loan but would sell treasury shares for ¥25bn or less to cover it. They announced the shelf then.
  • Friday they announced the Offering. Today shares fell 8+%. This is now cheap. 

Quiddity Leaderboard HSCEI Sep 24: Two Changes Possible; US$256mn One-Way

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSCEI serves as a benchmark to reflect the overall performance of the top 50 “Mainland China” securities listed in Hong Kong.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes and the resultant capping flows for HSCEI index rebal event in September 2024.
  • Based on the current data, I see two ADDs and two DELs.

Hyundai Motor India IPO Preview

By Douglas Kim

  • Hyundai Motor India is getting ready to complete its IPO in 2H 2024. Hyundai Motor India plans to offer up to 142.2 million shares (17.5% stake) to investors. 
  • Hyundai Motor (005380 KS) currently owns a 100% stake in Hyundai Motor India. The IPO of Hyundai Motor India could raise as much as US$3 billion.
  • If Hyundai Motor India (HMI) is valued at US$25 billion and HMC sells a 17.5% stake in the company, HMC’s remaining stake in HMI would be worth nearly US$21 billion.  

L’Occitane (973.HK) – The Privatization Is About to Succeed

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • So far, about 49.8% of disinterested shares from Irrevocable Undertakings/Non-binding Letters of Support would accept the Share Offer. Success is within reach based on a “good enough” privatization price. 
  • The Share Alternative is mainly aimed at investors who are hoping for the future re-listing of L’Occitane in the overseas markets – They can still get a vantage point.
  • However, re-listing seems still distant/uncertain. The value of Rollover Shares in the future remains uncertain. Investors would face risks if they choose the Share Alternative. The Cash Alternative is preferred.

Shortlist Of High Conviction Ideas: Income, Value, and Margin of Safety – June 2024

By Sameer Taneja


Clues to Management Change Are % Independent Directors and …..

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Companies with low valuations have lower ROE, ROA, and foreign ownership as well as inferior board practices and key actions. Conversely, companies with high valuations show the opposite relationship.
  • Over the past year, companies that increased their valuations were those with already  high valuations, return on capital and foreign ownership that further improved their earnings and increased their valuations.
  • This suggests that companies that have begun to make progress in management reform by improving board operations and clarifying management policies through engagement by overseas investors have achieved positive results.

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Most Read: L’Occitane, Great Eastern Holdings, Hyundai Motor India , Exedy Corp, Hengdeli Holdings, XPeng , New Oriental Education & Techn, Kagome Co Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Most Read

In today’s briefing:

  • L’Occitane (973 HK): Who Owns What, And When
  • Great Eastern (GE SP): Inching Towards Suspension
  • L’Occitane (973 HK): Share Alternative a Crucial Step Towards the Offer Being Declared Unconditional
  • Hyundai Motor India IPO: Key Facts and Financials at a Glance
  • Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder
  • Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK): Negative EV Play Halted
  • Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Sep 24: No Changes but US$425mn One-Way Flows Due to Capping
  • Quiddity Leaderboard HSCEI Sep 24: Two Changes Possible; US$256mn One-Way
  • Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase
  • Korean Government Is Pushing for a Comprehensive Inheritance Reforms – Will They Pass or Fail?


L’Occitane (973 HK): Who Owns What, And When

By David Blennerhassett

  • A fortnight ago, I sought access to L’Occitane (973 HK)‘s lesser-known shareholder register, a byproduct of investigative disclosure reports under Chapter 571, s329 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance.
  • This is the same register I discussed in Giordano (709 HK): A Closer Look At The Shareholder Register Ahead Of The SGM; and one also used by proxy solicitors. 
  • The register confirms what has been long rumoured about a certain shareholder activist. It is also informative for what isn’t present. 

Great Eastern (GE SP): Inching Towards Suspension

By David Blennerhassett

  • Back on the 10th May, OCBC (OCBC SP) made a voluntary unconditional general Offer for the 11.56% in life/non-life insurer Great Eastern Holdings (GE SP) not held.
  • At a 36.9% premium to last close, the S$25.60/share Offer Price appeared fair. Yet GE has consistently traded through terms, potentially as someone seeks to block delisting, and negotiate terms.
  • OCBC has now declared terms final. The IFA says “not fair, but reasonable” – and recommends shareholders accept the Offer. GE will be suspended at the close of the Offer.

L’Occitane (973 HK): Share Alternative a Crucial Step Towards the Offer Being Declared Unconditional

By Arun George

  • L’Occitane (973 HK) announced the share alternative at an exchange ratio of 10 rollover shares for each offer share, subject to a cap of 5% of outstanding shares.
  • The share alternative option will help the offer and was likely required to get Pleasant Lake Partners’ support (3.25% of outstanding shares). There is minimal vocal opposition to the offer. 
  • Irrevocables/Letters of support represent 49.83% of disinterested shares. An attractive offer and the share alternative facilitate meeting the minimum acceptance condition, which requires an 80% disinterested acceptance rate (ex. irrevocables).

Hyundai Motor India IPO: Key Facts and Financials at a Glance

By Devi Subhakesan

  • Hyundai Motor India’s proposed IPO is an offer for sale by its parent, Hyundai Motor Company, Korea, and reported to raise USD3 billion, potentially making it India’s largest IPO ever.  
  • Hyundai Motor India’s sales growth has been driven by strong domestic and export sales, both in volume and unit realisation.
  • With SUVs now making up 62% of Hyundai Motor India’s domestic volumes, up from 45% in FY2021, the shift towards premium models has boosted profit margins.

Exedy Corp (7278 JP): Murakami Becomes a Substantial Shareholder

By Arun George

  • Murakami’s entity, City Index Eleventh, and daughter reported a 5.46% position in Exedy Corp (7278 JP). The shares purchases began two days after the Aisin (7259 JP) secondary offering.
  • Murakami’s average buy-in price is JPY2,607.30 per share, 2.3% higher than the recent secondary offering price of JPY2,549.
  • Murakami’s disclosure suggests two possibilities: the start of an activist campaign or a short-term pump-and-dump play. Recent precedents suggest the latter.

Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK): Negative EV Play Halted

By David Blennerhassett

  • Watch accessory play Hengdeli Holdings (3389 HK) is currently suspended pursuant to the Takeovers Code.
  • Potentially founder Zhang Yuping (holding 17%), CEO Tony Cheung (16%) and/or Swatch Group (UHR SW) (9.94%) may table an Offer. My money is on Zhang.
  • This is a very illiquid name. What is interesting is that Hengdeli has net cash of HK$1.3bn – as at 31 December 2023 – against a market cap of HK$0.59bn.

Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Sep 24: No Changes but US$425mn One-Way Flows Due to Capping

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSTECH Index tracks the performance of the top 30 technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to certain technology themes.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the rankings of potential ADDs and potential DELs for the September 2024 index rebal event.
  • We do not see any index changes in September 2024 but there could be one-way flows of US$425mn due to capping.

Quiddity Leaderboard HSCEI Sep 24: Two Changes Possible; US$256mn One-Way

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSCEI serves as a benchmark to reflect the overall performance of the top 50 “Mainland China” securities listed in Hong Kong.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes and the resultant capping flows for HSCEI index rebal event in September 2024.
  • Based on the current data, I see two ADDs and two DELs.

Kagome (2811) – Well-Flagged Slightly Dilutive Equity Financing for High ROIC Purchase

By Travis Lundy

  • In January, Kagome Co Ltd (2811 JP) announced an acquisition of an additional 50% stake in a US equity affiliate. It is transformational. Incremental ROIC is truly excellent.
  • At the time, they said they’d finance the purchase with a bridge loan but would sell treasury shares for ¥25bn or less to cover it. They announced the shelf then.
  • Friday they announced the Offering. Today shares fell 8+%. This is now cheap. 

Korean Government Is Pushing for a Comprehensive Inheritance Reforms – Will They Pass or Fail?

By Douglas Kim

  • In the past several days, the South Korean Presidential Office has announced that it is pushing for a comprehensive inheritance tax reforms.
  • Although the Presidential Office mentioned it is pushing to reduce highest inheritance tax rates from 60% to 30%, the more likely scenario is to reduce this rate to about 50%.
  • The lump sum personal deduction of 500 million won or inheritance tax which has been maintained for nearly 27 years could be doubled to about 1 billion won or more. 

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