Daily Briefs

• Total revenue growth rate climbed up 27% YoY in 1Q24 with all businesses growing strongly.
• Smartphone shipments grew by 34% YoY and achieved global No. 3.
• In 1Q24, the gross margins of all major businesses obviously improved.

• Sun Art Retail (6808 HK)‘s FY24 (fiscal year ending March) numbers were overall unimpressive, with sales down 13% yoy and net loss increasing to RMB1.6bn.
• The new CEO’s strategy is to refocus on SSSG of offline traffic and restore price competitiveness.  April and May SSSG improved. 
• The stock is up 20% since my initial insight on the name in March, and I believe more upside remains.

• In a tough macro environment with travel as perhaps the only bright spot in consumption
• However, equally compelling is the demand negatives of overseas travel as a somewhat luxurious consumption item and tough competition at home;
• Given the stock’s valuation, we maintain the rating as SELL but raise TP to US$45/ADS, implying 2025 PE of 15x.

• FTA’s revenue growth accelerated in Q124 and exceeded management guidance
• Gross and OpInc margins (cash basis) both improved sharply in Q124
• Growth, profitability, mix improved, but FTA no longer so cheap; HOLD

• Toyota Motor Corporation recently concluded its fiscal year ended March 2024 with notable financial results and established expectations for the upcoming fiscal year.
• The company’s actual operating income reached a record JPY 5.35 trillion, significantly bolstered by support and cooperation from various stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, and dealers.
• This substantial figure reflects the company’s commitment to region and product-based management over many years.

• Chailease is facing pressure in all of its markets, Taiwan, China and Asean, with no signs of easing.
• High frequency data (HFD) from Chailease gives us April monthly numbers, with double digit  net profit decline and a greater EPS decline
• Credit costs are now elevated at peak levels since early FY19 for the past two quarters, and we wonder if FY24 will see far higher figures, given economic weaknesses?

• Terumo Corp (4543 JP) reported 18% revenue growth in Q4FY24, driven by C&V and TBCT businesses. With the steady progress in profit improvement measures, operating profit rose 45%.
• For FY25, the company expects revenue of ¥980B (up 6% YoY), operating profit of ¥165B (up 18% YoY), and net profit of ¥122B (up 15% YoY).
• The company remains cautious and provided a conservative FY25 guidance. Improvement in any its assumptions provides room for upward revision of the guidance.

• The major K-Pop stocks had the biggest up day so far this year on 23 May, driven by potential easing of Korean cultural contents restrictions by the Chinese government. 
• In the past nine years, there has been a ban on Korean singers’ performances in China.
• Among the major K-Pop stocks, we continue to have a Positive View on S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS) but bearish on HYBE (352820 KS) and YG Entertainment (122870 KS).

• China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK) is a laggard among the Chinese securities companies. With the rebound in HSI and Shanghai Composite, such divergence should narrow.
• The investment banking business should recover following the rebound in the secondary market and equity valuations. HK’s IPO funds raised are forecast to double in 2024.
• At 0.4x 12-month P/B, the market has deeply discounted CICC’s earnings outlook. However, as earnings recovery will be fast, its share price will react rapidly.

• Marvell has historically performed well in the market but is now shifting its focus to growth areas such as AI, cloud computing, and faster data networks
• Despite recent cyclical weakness, the company is expected to see improved performance and strong earnings growth
• Reactivating the account is a strategic move to capitalize on Marvell’s promising future prospects and potential increase in stock 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.