Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Link Administration, Micron Technology, PSK Holdings Inc, NetEase , Xiaomi Corp, Kuaishou Technology, Sourcenext Corp, BaishanCloud, Sun*, Azbil Corp and more

• The Link Administration (LNK AU) IE considers Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)’s A$2.26 offer fair and reasonable as it is within its A$2.11-2.70 per share valuation range.
• The scheme remains conditional on several regulatory approvals – FIRB, Central Bank of Ireland, Isle of Man Financial Services Authority, India SEBI, and Financial Services Agency of Japan.
• Several substantial shareholders have sold or exited, lowering the scheme’s risk. At the last close and for the 16 May payment, the gross/annualised spread was 1.3%/9.7%.

• Q224 revenues of $5.8 billion, up 23% QoQ and up 58% YoY. It also well above the high end of the guided range of $5.5 billion.
• Net income turned positive & amounted to $476 million. This compares to a loss of $1 billion in Q124
• Forecasting current quarter revenues of $6.6 billion & gross margin of 26.5% at their respective midpoints

• KRX announced special changes to KOSDAQ 150. Since STCube (052020 KS) has been designated as “administrative issue,” the Korea Exchange will exclude it from KOSDAQ 150 on 26 March 2024. 
• PSK Holdings Inc (031980 KS) will be new addition to KOSDAQ 150 index, replacing ST Cube.
• PSK Holdings’ core business is providing process technology, source, and hardware for semiconductor packaging equipment.

• Despite a disappointing 4Q2023 earnings report, NetEase (9999 HK) remains firmly amid an earnings upgrade cycle.
• With NetEase touching on being oversold, near-term momentum indicators are displaying bullish signals.
• NetEase currently trades more than one standard deviation below its rolling 5-year historic average PE ratio.

Xiaomi Corp’s FY 2023 results were better than expected in our view, with much-improved profitability. The balance sheet remains healthy, and liquidity is sound. We expect the company to continue performing well, driven by a projected recovery in the smartphone market, Xiaomi’s premiumisation strategy and strong demand in overseas markets. Global smartphone shipments remain weak, but may be bottoming out. We believe the company is well-positioned for future growth.

The smart EV development has drained less cash than we had expected so far. Xiaomi has been able to fund the investment using internal cash flow. Pricing for the SU7 (scheduled to be launched next week) has not been disclosed. The EV market in China is extremely competitive, with over 150 carmakers. Apple has exited the EV business due to a lack of competitive advantage, and Xiaomi may face the same issue. While it is unclear if Xiaomi will be successful in the EV business, we believe it may not be as detrimental to the credit as originally feared.

• Operating profit and its margin reached historical high in 4Q23.
• Monthly active user base continued to expand, which is rare for other apps.
• GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) of the live broadcasting sales increased rapidly by 29% YoY in 4Q23.

• Sourcenext Corp (4344 JP) plans, develops, and sells PC software, smartphone apps, and IoT products.
• In POCKETALK®, besides the existing device business, the company will focus on sales of software products, including Simultaneous Interpreter for the POCKETALK® for BUSINESS series for corporate customers.
• The revision is mainly due to the extended lead time from inquiry to full-scale orders for the POCKETALK for BUSINESS Simultaneous Interpretation web browser version.

• Baishan Cloud, China’s independent edge cloud service provider, filed to go public in Hong Kong. CICC and investment bank Haitong are the lead underwriters in this offering.
• Founded in 2015, BaishanCloud (1568617D HK) is led by its CEO and Founder, Mr. HUO Tao, and a highly experienced founding team.
• I believe the company will achieve a break-even this year, coupled with a strong international expansion, potential revenue acceleration and gross margin improvement as the business continues to scale up.

• Sun* (4053 JP) provides consulting, software development, recruiting, and other services to companies that seek to create value or businesses, including startups.
• In FY12/23, revenue was JPY12.5bn (+16.5% YoY), operating profit JPY1.8bn (+96.8% YoY), recurring profit JPY2.3bn (+99.1% YoY), and net income attributable to owners of the parent JPY1.6bn (+90.4% YoY).
• Sun* does not disclose a medium-term business plan with quantitative targets, but it releases qualitative targets related to KPI growth.

• Azbil Corp (6845 JP) provides automation services for buildings, factories, and plants and also offers subsistence-related automation services in the lifestyle area.
• In FY03/23, sales were JPY278.4bn (+8.5% YoY), operating profit was JPY31.3bn (+10.7% YoY), recurring profit was JPY32.1bn (+8.9% YoY), and net income attributable to owners of the parent was JPY22.6bn.
• Azbil in May 2021 announced a new medium-term management plan to cover the four fiscal years from FY03/22 to FY03/25 and new long-term targets for FY03/31.