Daily Brief Event-Driven: Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP): State of Play and more

• Despite Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP)‘s rejection, Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD CN) remains prepared to enter collaborative and friendly discussions to focus on finding greater value for 7&i shareholders. 
• Couche-Tard’s options are to return with a revised offer, go hostile or walk away. Couche-Tard will likely test the Board’s resolve by returning with a higher offer.
• The Board’s options are to go through the motions (appointing IFAs), conduct a market check or launch a more aggressive action plan to placate restive shareholders. 

• ASX 200 index rebalancing: West Gold and Yancoal added, Strike Energy removed
• Impact on stock prices and trading dynamics around index inclusions and removals
• Observations on companies prematurely entering the index and facing challenges after being removed

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• KT’s foreign room is likely staying below 3.75% for November, setting up an ETF recall play. We’ve seen short-term buying pressure in similar past index reshuffles.
• The ETF recall impact peaks right after the announcement. KT’s May downweight saw a 5% spike in two trading days post-announcement.
• KT’s price moves more with downweights than SK Telecom’s because of higher overseas borrowing demand. This trend should hold, so setting up a position before the November announcement makes sense.

• Quiddity’s “Who is Ready” series of insights aims to objectively identify names listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that are potential additions to the TOPIX Index in future.
• SUNWELS Co (9229 JP) and Macbee Planet (7095 JP) moved to the Prime market in July 2024 and their TOPIX Inclusion events took place at the end of August 2024.
• We currently have CELSYS (3663 JP), Japan Eyewear Holdings (5889 JP), and Core Concept Technologies Inc (4371 JP) in our TOPIX Inclusions pre-event watchlist.

• On the 18th June, personal computer parts and accessories play PC Partner (1263 HK) (PCP) announced a SGX listing was under consideration; and a possible withdrawal of the HKEx listing.
• PCP’s 30th August announcement provided clarity on a step-by-step approach for the HKEx withdrawal. I recently held zooms with the SFC and SGX for added clarification.
• PCP’s exchange relocation is predicated on PCP’s operational expansion into new markets, in particular, Southeast Asia. How and when the SGX becomes the preferred trading exchange  remains an unanswered question. 

• In the annals of foreign buyers of Japanese tourism-related real estate assets, there have been a few good examples, and several disasters. Yesterday, we got a new suitor for assets. 
• Fortress SPV Ontario GK will attempt to buy out Fukushima-based Joban Kosan (9675 JP) through a double Tender Offer. 
• There is a history here of a bump on an MBO on an associated company. That may have caused it to trade at a premium on Day 1. It’s unrelated.

• Itochu’s Textile division continues to execute the directive from its CEO to expand reach and coverage in the fashion and lifestyle sectors, with sports one of the major target categories.
• It will completely absorb Descente as part of this plan, meaning the brand is likely to become one of the largest in the portfolio.
• The ongoing tender offer will likely succeed giving Itochu a bargain and investors no stake in the future.

• Last Friday, the S&P Index Committee announced the changes to the S&P500, S&P400, S&P600, and other indices, along with the result of a recent consultation on capping methodology.
• The result is about US$23bn a side of flows for the major indices
• In the S&P500, DELL, PLTR, and ERIE are ADDs. AAL, ETSY, and BIO are DELETEs. But as always, just knowing the names is deceptive. The history matters more.