Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

HK Type 4 license through Ballingal Investment Advisors Ltd. ("BIA" or "BIAL")

BACKGROUND
I have 20+yrs experience in Asia doing alternative strategies (i.e. non-delta1 non long-only) in fixed income, equity derivatives, and activist/catalyst/event-driven and long-short equity strategies with most of that time spent managing money. 

4 years in fixed income macro, 8 years running internal hedge fund and 4yrs investment banking at Citi in Japan, 3 years running an Asia multi-strat portfolio at a hedge fund, 4+yrs as an independent special situations analyst.

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

McDs Japan (2702) Update: Q1 Strong As Expected, No TSE1 News

McD's Japan:  Earnings? Check. Parent Selldown OK? Check. Japanese CEO? Check TSE Prime? Unknown

Gravity Works As WeWork Doesn't; Now Plan B

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

Ten months ago, in the 2020FQ2 earnings call for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mcdonald-s-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1425:1" rel="noopener">Mcdonald's Corp (MCD US)</a>, CFO Kevin Ozan brought up the subject of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mcdonald-s-holdings-co-japan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:985:1" rel="noopener">Mcdonald's Holdings Co Japan (2702 JP)</a> a bit over 22 minutes into the call, saying that McDs fully supported McDs Japan, but they would be selling down their stake from ~49% and would in any case retain a stake of at least 35%. They started selling in the market. <div>On 20 August, MCD <a href="https://disclosure.edinet-fsa.go.jp/E01EW/download?uji.verb=W0EZA104CXP001003Action&amp;uji.bean=ee.bean.parent.EECommonSearchBean&amp;PID=W1E63011&amp;SESSIONKEY=1597918899762&amp;lgKbn=2&amp;pkbn=0&amp;skbn=1&amp;dskb=&amp;askb=&amp;dflg=0&amp;iflg=&amp;preId=1&amp;mul=2702&amp;lpr=on&amp;cal=1&amp;era=R&amp;yer=&amp;mon=&amp;pfs=4&amp;row=100&amp;idx=0&amp;str=&amp;kbn=1&amp;flg=&amp;syoruiKanriNo=&amp;s=S100JKOI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it had sold a bit over 3% of McD J, selling 4.2mm shares at ¥5,340/share on 19 August 2020. On 20 November 2020, they <a href="https://disclosure.edinet-fsa.go.jp/E01EW/download?uji.verb=W0EZA104CXP001003Action&amp;uji.bean=ee.bean.parent.EECommonSearchBean&amp;PID=W1E63011&amp;SESSIONKEY=1614669632749&amp;lgKbn=2&amp;pkbn=0&amp;skbn=1&amp;dskb=&amp;askb=&amp;dflg=0&amp;iflg=&amp;preId=1&amp;mul=2702&amp;lpr=on&amp;cal=1&amp;era=R&amp;yer=&amp;mon=&amp;pfs=4&amp;row=100&amp;idx=0&amp;str=&amp;kbn=1&amp;flg=&amp;syoruiKanriNo=&amp;s=S100K899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they had sold another 4,000,000 shares at ¥5,370/share on 19 November. On 1 March, another tranche of 4,000,000 shares was transacted at ¥5,280/share (<a href="https://disclosure.edinet-fsa.go.jp/E01EW/download?uji.verb=W0EZA104CXP001003Action&amp;uji.bean=ee.bean.parent.EECommonSearchBean&amp;PID=W1E63011&amp;SESSIONKEY=1623305683613&amp;lgKbn=2&amp;pkbn=0&amp;skbn=1&amp;dskb=&amp;askb=&amp;dflg=0&amp;iflg=&amp;preId=1&amp;mul=2702&amp;lpr=on&amp;cal=1&amp;era=R&amp;yer=&amp;mon=&amp;pfs=4&amp;row=100&amp;idx=0&amp;str=&amp;kbn=1&amp;flg=&amp;syoruiKanriNo=&amp;s=S100KWJA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> 4 March). </div>Today, with half an hour to the close, McDs announced it had reduced its stake to 37.95%, which meant they sold 3.8mm shares. There is a pattern to these transactions which was not subtle at the beginning but may be becoming more flexible as time goes on. It is reasonable for those who understand how these things work in the U.S. And understanding how they work tells you what the supply looks like going forward. And the timing of other parts of the context will tell you about McDs and TSE Prime.

Ten months ago, in the 2020FQ2 earnings call for Mcdonald's Corp (MCD US), CFO Kevin Ozan brought up the subject of Mcdonald's Holdings Co Japan (2702 JP) a bit over 22 minutes into the call, saying that McDs fully supported McDs Japan, but they would be selling down their stake from ~49% and would in any case retain a stake of at least 35%. They started selling in the market. On 20 August, MCD announced it had sold a bit over 3% of McD J, selling 4.2mm shares at ¥5,340/share on 19 August 2020. On 20 November 2020, they announced they had sold another 4,000,000 shares at ¥5,370/share on 19 November. On 1 March, another tranche of 4,000,000 shares was transacted at ¥5,280/share (reported 4 March). Today, with half an hour to the close, McDs announced it had reduced its stake to 37.95%, which meant they sold 3.8mm shares. There is a pattern to these transactions which was not subtle at the beginning but may be becoming more flexible as time goes on. It is reasonable for those who understand how these things work in the U.S. And understanding how they work tells you what the supply looks like going forward. And the timing of other parts of the context will tell you about McDs and TSE Prime.

McDs Japan (2702) Update: Parent Selldown 80% Done, or 63.6% Done.

Mcdonald's Japan

McDs Japan (2702) Update: Parent Selldown 80% Done, or 63.6% Done.