'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

Former Japan Equity PM with over 30 of experience now providing database-driven analysis of the market, sectors, peer groups and stocks for LightStream Research.

Leveraging data and graphic analysis provided by Japan Analytics, and the related Japan Analytics iPad App, we provide insights on companies are often ignored by the sell-side as well as challenging conventional wisdom on the market overall.

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Market Update - Levitating on Thin Air

Yaskawa: Poor 1Q Should Correct Expectations and Share Price But Start Searching for an Entry Point

Murata Mfg. (6981 JP): Buy on Decline for the Long Term

ja research

ja research is an independent research platform focused exclusively on Japanese equities. Leveraging data and graphic analysis provided by Japan Analytics, we provide insights on small and medium-sized companies that have been ignored by the sell-side as well as challenging conventional wisdom on larger companies. We also offer analyst and corporate access, the latter with translation if required. 

Quantitative Analysis

<div class="content-caption"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/175/original/2019-09-29_05-54-31.png?1569704091" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100175"></figure></div><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>TAKE PROFITS</strong> - The 'breakout' rally above the 50-day moving average over the last thirteen trading days has added 8% to total market value and has been driven by ample liquidity, stronger US$, a lack of developments in global trade talks and more dove-like utterances and stances from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, respectively. With the US Treasury about to restore its cash balance (through large T-bill offerings) by over US$250 billion, the US monetary base could contract by over 5% in the next quarter. Markets will face a stiff headwind and, with business conditions moving from bad to worse and central banks limited in the scope of further comment/action, the fourth quarter could be as perilous as the third quarter was benign.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/176/original/2019-09-29_07-49-09.png?1569710965" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100176"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/177/original/2019-09-29_08-01-13.png?1569711690" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100177"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/178/original/2019-09-29_08-09-38.png?1569712198" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100178"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><div class="content-caption"></div><p><strong>PEAK ACTION</strong> - Both the 5-day <strong>Relative Strength Index</strong> and the 25-day <strong>Toraku Index</strong> have pulled back from extreme levels from which further upside is typically limited. In a similar vein, the 52 Week New Highs - New Lows reached a 20-month high of 141 on Thursday suggesting a peak in this bear market rally.   </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/179/original/2019-09-29_08-29-33.png?1569713388" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100179"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>VOLUME SCORE TIMELINE</strong> - Volume peaked on 13th September at the highest level of any day this year and, as of Friday, is still above the fourth-month average. Favoured Sectors continue to be non-manufacturing, especially the Internet, IT, Commercial Services and REITs Sectors. Volume is weakest in the Metals, Machinery, Technology Hardware Sectors, but also now in the 'China-related' Other Consumer Products Sector. The Bank of Japan resumed ETF purchases on Friday after an eighteen-trading day hiatus.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/180/original/2019-09-29_12-35-13.png?1569728129" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100180"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>3-MONTH SECTOR CONTRIBUTION</strong> - Relief over the apparent conclusion of Japan/US trade talks without any tariffs on Japan's <strong>Auto</strong> sector resulted in a 22 bps return contribution from the Sector; we would take profits on the conclusion of the final deal as global sales trends remain dire.  The <strong>Telecommunications</strong> Sector's underperformance reflects the 16% decline in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> over the period for reasons well-documented on this platform.  The other outperforming Sectors are mostly in domestic non-manufacturing, but <strong>Technology Hardware</strong> continues to defy underlying current business conditions, as we shall discuss below.  <strong>Retail</strong> stocks are benefiting from positive sentiment to the short-term stimulus, although the early results from the Sector, many of whose leading companies will report second-quarter results over the next two weeks, suggest this optimism is, perhaps, misplaced. Lastly, the <strong>Banks</strong> Sector appears to have reached a short-term nadir and rose by 1.6% over the period.   </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/182/original/2019-09-29_12-57-32.png?1569729476" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100182"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>SECTOR SCORE MATRIX - </strong>Our Sector Score matrix spreads all 30 Sectors by Relative Price Score and Results &amp; Revisions Score where the extreme outliers are denoted as <strong>Contrarian Sell</strong>, <strong>Contrarian Buy</strong>, <strong>Unrequited Growth</strong>, and <strong>Ex-Growth</strong>. The Information Technology Sector is the only 'Contrarian Sell', and we note that the Sector declined by 0.7% over the last three months. <strong>Consumer Services</strong> is the most Overbought Sector, mostly due to the continuing out-performance of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oriental-land-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13517:1" rel="noopener">Oriental Land (4661 JP)</a> - now the fifth-most Overbought mega-cap. <strong>Banks</strong> are no longer a 'Contrarian Buy', while, as noted in our last Update, <strong>Metals</strong> remain the value investor pick, and saw at least one broker upgrade <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nippon-steel-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:961:1" rel="noopener">Nippon Steel (5401 JP)</a> last week.    </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/201/original/2019-09-30_04-51-12.png?1569786797" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100201"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/100/202/original/2019-09-30_04-57-34.png?1569787075" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="100202"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><div class="content-caption"></div><p><strong>RESULTS &amp; REVISIONS SCORE</strong> - As we head into the next results 'season' it is instructive to note that earnings momentum is still negative and our Results &amp; Revision Score is at its lowest point since April 2017. The Series correlates well with the Cabinet Office's Leading Indicator which as of July reached a new 'post-GFC' low. Japanese listed corporated have done well to preserve their earnings power in harsh global conditions. We are about to discover how much of this is due to spending brought forward ahead of next month's consumption tax increase. </p><div class="content-highlight"><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> section below, we will review Sector performance, scores and valuation in more detail, as well as Company Results &amp; Revisions and individual stock performance over the previous three months.</p></div>

Source: Japan AnalyticsTAKE PROFITS - The 'breakout' rally above the 50-day moving average over the last thirteen trading days has added 8% to total market value and has been driven by ample liquidity, stronger US$, a lack of developments in global trade talks and more dove-like utterances and stances from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, respectively. With the US Treasury about to restore its cash balance (through large T-bill offerings) by over US$250 billion, the US monetary base could contract by over 5% in the next quarter. Markets will face a stiff headwind and, with business conditions moving from bad to worse and central banks limited in the scope of further comment/action, the fourth quarter could be as perilous as the third quarter was benign.Source: Japan AnalyticsPEAK ACTION - Both the 5-day Relative Strength Index and the 25-day Toraku Index have pulled back from extreme levels from which further upside is typically limited. In a similar vein, the 52 Week New Highs - New Lows reached a 20-month high of 141 on Thursday suggesting a peak in this bear market rally.   Source: Japan AnalyticsVOLUME SCORE TIMELINE - Volume peaked on 13th September at the highest level of any day this year and, as of Friday, is still above the fourth-month average. Favoured Sectors continue to be non-manufacturing, especially the Internet, IT, Commercial Services and REITs Sectors. Volume is weakest in the Metals, Machinery, Technology Hardware Sectors, but also now in the 'China-related' Other Consumer Products Sector. The Bank of Japan resumed ETF purchases on Friday after an eighteen-trading day hiatus.Source: Japan Analytics3-MONTH SECTOR CONTRIBUTION - Relief over the apparent conclusion of Japan/US trade talks without any tariffs on Japan's Auto sector resulted in a 22 bps return contribution from the Sector; we would take profits on the conclusion of the final deal as global sales trends remain dire.  The Telecommunications Sector's underperformance reflects the 16% decline in Softbank Group (9984 JP) over the period for reasons well-documented on this platform.  The other outperforming Sectors are mostly in domestic non-manufacturing, but Technology Hardware continues to defy underlying current business conditions, as we shall discuss below.  Retail stocks are benefiting from positive sentiment to the short-term stimulus, although the early results from the Sector, many of whose leading companies will report second-quarter results over the next two weeks, suggest this optimism is, perhaps, misplaced. Lastly, the Banks Sector appears to have reached a short-term nadir and rose by 1.6% over the period.   Source: Japan AnalyticsSECTOR SCORE MATRIX - Our Sector Score matrix spreads all 30 Sectors by Relative Price Score and Results &amp; Revisions Score where the extreme outliers are denoted as Contrarian Sell, Contrarian Buy, Unrequited Growth, and Ex-Growth. The Information Technology Sector is the only 'Contrarian Sell', and we note that the Sector declined by 0.7% over the last three months. Consumer Services is the most Overbought Sector, mostly due to the continuing out-performance of Oriental Land (4661 JP) - now the fifth-most Overbought mega-cap. Banks are no longer a 'Contrarian Buy', while, as noted in our last Update, Metals remain the value investor pick, and saw at least one broker upgrade Nippon Steel (5401 JP) last week.    Source: Japan AnalyticsRESULTS &amp; REVISIONS SCORE - As we head into the next results 'season' it is instructive to note that earnings momentum is still negative and our Results &amp; Revision Score is at its lowest point since April 2017. The Series correlates well with the Cabinet Office's Leading Indicator which as of July reached a new 'post-GFC' low. Japanese listed corporated have done well to preserve their earnings power in harsh global conditions. We are about to discover how much of this is due to spending brought forward ahead of next month's consumption tax increase. In the DETAIL section below, we will review Sector performance, scores and valuation in more detail, as well as Company Results &amp; Revisions and individual stock performance over the previous three months.

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Market Update - Take Profits