'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 • Revisions & Results 23rd April - "Getting Worse Rapidly" + OBICs, TGas, Canon, Omron

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET (& COVID-19) UPDATE 26th April - Thin End of the Wedge

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 28th April - The 'Unlimited' BoJ + Panasonic, T.Yuden, Kao, Kyocera

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 20th April - Take Aways and LI(Not)FULL

CyberAgent (4751 JP): Limited Upside in the Short-Run

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 21st April - Catching Up : Revising Down

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET (& COVID-19) UPDATE 19th April - Overshoot

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Japan Consumer discretionary / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/129/213/original/File%202020-04-23%205%2019%2052.jpeg?1587587091" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="129213"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/129/215/original/File%202020-04-23%205%2019%2008.jpeg?1587587183" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="129215"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Marco Piani</div><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>TIMELINES</strong> - The excellent timelines prepared by @Marco_Piani provide a novel interpretation of Japan's 'rank' in the progression of COVID-19 on terms of both cases and deaths. The data confirms that Japan is 'lagging' the World in both respects. Also of note are the 'second waves' that are appearing in several countries, including South Africa, Argentina, Poland and the Philippines. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/129/216/original/2020-04-23_05-29-31.png?1587587408" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="129216"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Arbor Data Science</div><p><strong>GOING-OUT RELATED</strong> - As the hospital system overflows, the government is becoming more strident in its attempts to have greater compliance with the current 'suggestions' on social distancing and working from home diverting attention from their failure to anticipate the breakdown of the medical system.  PM Abe has resorted to pleading with citizens not to make their traditional home-town visits over Golden Week, while the still-crowded supermarkets may be required to limit the number of shoppers at any one time. As is evident from the Google search data above, Japan (and Singapore and latterly Indonesia) are on diverging 'paths' from most European countries, and it is premature to consider any exit strategies. <strong>We conclude that the current states of emergency across all Japanese prefectures will be extended beyond the end of Golden Week on 6th May, probably to the end of next month.</strong></p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/129/259/original/2020-04-23_07-06-14.png?1587593194" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="129259"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>IMPENDING PEAK</strong> - The first of the March year-end company results were announced yesterday and will become a deluge over the eight trading days either side of the Golden Week holidays. As many companies are now avoiding interim and annual forecasts, the absolute number of data points will be reduced. </p><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> below, we shall review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made yesterday.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for the nine results was 5:0:4; and for the 23 revisions/forecasts, the split was 10:1:12. Of the six companies reporting annual results, only one made a forecast for the current year. Dry cleaner <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hakuyosha-company-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4492:1" rel="noopener">Hakuyosha (9731 JP)</a> withdrew its December year-end forecasts. Three companies cut their dividends; two increased. </p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Everybody talks as if they know what is going to happen - nobody knows what is going to happen - Charlie Munger</strong></p></blockquote>

Source • Marco PianiTIMELINES - The excellent timelines prepared by @Marco_Piani provide a novel interpretation of Japan's 'rank' in the progression of COVID-19 on terms of both cases and deaths. The data confirms that Japan is 'lagging' the World in both respects. Also of note are the 'second waves' that are appearing in several countries, including South Africa, Argentina, Poland and the Philippines. Source • Arbor Data ScienceGOING-OUT RELATED - As the hospital system overflows, the government is becoming more strident in its attempts to have greater compliance with the current 'suggestions' on social distancing and working from home diverting attention from their failure to anticipate the breakdown of the medical system.  PM Abe has resorted to pleading with citizens not to make their traditional home-town visits over Golden Week, while the still-crowded supermarkets may be required to limit the number of shoppers at any one time. As is evident from the Google search data above, Japan (and Singapore and latterly Indonesia) are on diverging 'paths' from most European countries, and it is premature to consider any exit strategies. We conclude that the current states of emergency across all Japanese prefectures will be extended beyond the end of Golden Week on 6th May, probably to the end of next month.Source • Japan AnalyticsIMPENDING PEAK - The first of the March year-end company results were announced yesterday and will become a deluge over the eight trading days either side of the Golden Week holidays. As many companies are now avoiding interim and annual forecasts, the absolute number of data points will be reduced. In the DETAIL below, we shall review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made yesterday.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for the nine results was 5:0:4; and for the 23 revisions/forecasts, the split was 10:1:12. Of the six companies reporting annual results, only one made a forecast for the current year. Dry cleaner Hakuyosha (9731 JP) withdrew its December year-end forecasts. Three companies cut their dividends; two increased. Everybody talks as if they know what is going to happen - nobody knows what is going to happen - Charlie Munger

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 22nd April - Timelines + JAL/ZOZO/Mizuno/CyberAgent