In this briefing:
- Silverlake Axis Rally Ignition and Hurdles
- TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: HK & Macau Gained ‘Share’ in December, Continuing H218 Trend
- Honda Chooses CATL as Battery Partner for Their EVs; Panasonic Has Lost the Chance
- Sumco Reports Solid Growth in Revenue and Operating Profit; Stock Is Still Trading at a Discount
- Nintendo Downgrades Switch Unit Sales Forecast for FY03/19 Despite Strong 3Q Financial Performance
1. Silverlake Axis Rally Ignition and Hurdles
Silverlake Axis (SILV SP) triggered a buy above the triangle formation break at 0.43 and the daily MACD barrier outlined in our recent update Silver Lake Bottom Targets . The pick up in buy volumes were noted as an underlying positive as rally energy started to take shape.
Buy volumes have picked up nicely after noted accumulation in late 2018.
The failure to reach for a final low has set in motion the rally toward medium term pivot resistance and more importantly a test on the higher end of the intermediate range.
Near term, this rally is looking extended. We like buying weakness for a press through pocket resistance. Silverlake rallies tend to be explosive.
2. TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: HK & Macau Gained ‘Share’ in December, Continuing H218 Trend
Tracking Traffic/Chinese Tourism is the hub for all of our research on China’s tourism sector. This monthly report features analysis of Chinese tourism data, notes from our conversations with industry participants, and links to recent company news and thematic pieces. Our aim is to highlight important trends in China’s tourism sector (and changes to those trends).
In this issue readers can find:
- As it has throughout the latter half of 2018, HK & Macau traffic boomed in December: Over the last several months, we believe Chinese tourists have been staying ‘closer to home’, for a variety of reasons. December’s Chinese outbound tourist figures support this idea, as visits to nearby Hong Kong and Macau surged, and trips to destinations farther afield moderated.
- An analysis of December domestic Chinese travel activity, which remained subdued: Overall domestic travel demand, measured in passenger-kms, grew by 3.4% in December, similar to H118 growth. But while rail and highway travel growth held up relatively well compared to earlier in 2018, air travel in December was again weak relative to H118’s strength, up 9.1% after climbing 13.8% in the first half of the year.
- China-to-USA travel activity continued to weaken in December: US tourist and student visa issuance and visits to Hawaii all declined again in December. We think the declines reflect some Chinese tourists turning cautious on the economy (and thus disposable income), but the declines may also reflect changing Chinese policy.
Although we remain positive on the long-term growth of Chinese tourism, it’s clear that near-term demand growth has slowed, and that Chinese tourists are generally staying closer to home and probably spending less than they were a year ago.
Happy New Year (of the Pig)!
3. Honda Chooses CATL as Battery Partner for Their EVs; Panasonic Has Lost the Chance
CATL (A) (300750 CH) announced on Monday that it has signed a deal with Honda Motor (7267 JP) for jointly developing Li-ion batteries. This news comes to us as no surprise, given CATL’s effort in expanding market share globally by tying with leading automakers such as Nissan Motor (7201 JP), Daimler AG (DAI GR), and Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag (BMW GR). It seems that the Chinese battery leader is now targeting leading Japanese automakers alongside their focus on luxury automakers in Europe ( BMW to Invest in CATL: Chinese Battery Maker to Gain Exposure in Europe?). Following Panasonic Corp (6752 JP)’s news about forming a Joint Venture with Toyota, we were under the impression that Panasonic would hit a deal with Honda as well. However, it seems that CATL has emerged as a first mover and secured a steady business by partnering with Honda, one of the leading automakers in Japan. Although Panasonic and Honda joined hands for developing a swappable battery system in Indonesia, the team hasn’t really gone ahead in developing Li-ion batteries. Honda’s battery sales are now for CATL, while Panasonic has lost a steady business deal unless the latter makes plans with Honda to develop new battery technologies such as solid-state batteries. In our opinion, Honda and CATL, being leaders in their respective industries, when joined together via this agreement should capture a strong position in the auto sector which is striding towards electrification. The effect of this news on CATL share price cannot be really seen as the markets are closed for ongoing holidays in China. Panasonic, however, opened -5.1% low on February 5th, mainly due to its disappointing 3QFY03/19 earnings and could be partly due to this news.
4. Sumco Reports Solid Growth in Revenue and Operating Profit; Stock Is Still Trading at a Discount
Sumco (3436 JP) reported its 4QFY12/18 and Full-year FY12/18 results yesterday (5th February). The company reported double-digit growth in revenue and operating profit for 4QFY12/18 driven by strong demand for semiconductor silicon wafers across all sizes alongside a favourable trend in wafer prices. Revenue grew 17.7% YoY in the 4th quarter, in spite of missing its own top-line estimate by 1.7% and falling a touch below consensus and our estimates. Operating profit increased 57.1% YoY to JPY20.9bn, yet again falling below guidance, consensus and our estimates. The strong growth in operating profit resulted in a 640-bps expansion in the operating profit margin to 25.3% compared to the 18.9% reported in 4QFY12/17.
Sumco Reports Double-Digit Growth in Revenue and Operating Profit While Falling Below Targets
4QFY12/18 (JPYbn) | 4QFY12/17 | 4QFY12/18 | YoY | Actual Vs. Company | Actual Vs. Consensus | Actual Vs. LSR |
Revenue | 70.2 | 82.6 | 17.7% | -1.7% | -1.7% | -1.7% |
Operating Profit | 13.3 | 20.9 | 57.1% | -0.5% | -1.6% | -1.6% |
Operating Profit Margin | 18.9% | 25.3% |
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5. Nintendo Downgrades Switch Unit Sales Forecast for FY03/19 Despite Strong 3Q Financial Performance
- Nintendo recorded strong revenue and OP performance in 3QFY03/19. Revenue for the quarter amounted to JPY608.4bn (+25.9% YoY) and OP amounted to JPY158.6bn (+36.1% YoY).
- Albeit strong performance across topline and bottomline, the company downgraded the sales units forecast for the Switch from 20m to 17m for FY03/19. Switch unit sales continue to be heavily driven by software releases. The company has only two hit software releases planned for 4QFY03/19. As such, the company has not made any changes to guidance.
- The company continues to broaden its reach in the mobile gaming market with two releases set for summer 2019. While this may help the company reduce its reliance on gaming consoles over the long run, currently, mobile games make up less than 10% of the company’s topline.
- Based on our estimates, Nintendo is currently trading at a FY1 EV/EBIT multiple of 11.4x, lower than its historical median of 13.4x.
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