Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

I investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

SK Chemicals' Timely Spinoff Announcement Amid Metrica's Activist Move: What to Make of It

SK Chemicals - Spinning Off Its Utility Business & Creating Higher Value

Shorting Entry Timing on SK Bioscience for Sep 23 Lockup Release, Considering Chuseok Holiday

Metrica Partners Urges SK Chemicals to Partially Sell SK Bioscience & Pay Higher Dividends

September Lockup Releases on KOSPI: Looking at Each Stock's Flow Situation

SK Chemicals - Its Market Cap Is Only 19% of Its Stake in SK Bioscience

Battle Lines Drawn As BABA Builds Out First/Last-Mile Capacity; But Who Will Fund 75+ Bn CNY CapEx?

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

<p>Many of the market participants were targeting the value disparity of SK Chemical vs. SK Chemicals. In the end, Metrica Partners became the first to make a move.</p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/228/700/original/Screen+Shot+2021-09-08+at+6.05.10+PM.png?1631139447" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="228700"></figure></section><div class="content-caption">(Source: Metrica Partners website)</div><hr><p>SK Chemicals vs. SK Bioscience was still a tight pair until the end of July, maintaining its NAV discount at around 70%. It is hard to see a NAV discount of 70% as severely distorted among Korean holding company/subsidiary pairs. Yes, it is still a harsh discount, but it isn't unprecedented either.</p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/228/692/original/Screen+Shot+2021-09-08+at+6.09.08+PM.png?1631138966" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="228692"></figure></section><p>But as SK Bioscience's stock price began to soar from August, the pair's coupling level completely collapsed.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/228/693/original/image_94055596421631139004681.png?1631139006" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="228693"></figure><p>Despite a significant correction in yesterday's stock prices (both SK Chemicals and SK Bioscience), thanks to Metrica, SK Chemicals is posting a discount to NAV of close to 80% based on yesterday's closing price.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="70">
<col width="70">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"NAV"}' data-sheets-note="Sang Hyun Park: Cases when a company's net cash position and the value of its publically traded interests are worth more than its market cap create the opportunity of a stub trade, in which investors can take a view that the company's core business will rise by shorting the minority stakes whilst going long the underlying. Such an opportunity has arisen in the wake of the Alibaba listing which has seen early investing company Yahoo trade at a discount to the value of its stake in Alibaba.">SK Chemicals NAV</td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Value of listed holdings"}'>Value of listed holdings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":15024.148650000001}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=SUM(R[8]C[5])">₩15,024.1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":" - % of Holdco market cap"}'>- % of Holdco market cap</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":4.401029440164908}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.00%",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/((R[3]C[-3]*R[0]C[-3])/1000000000)">440.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Value of unlisted holdings"}'>Value of unlisted holdings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":82.819}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=SUM(R[7]C[5])">₩82.8B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Stub value"}'>Stub value</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":-11693.187112}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=(R[1]C[-3]*R[-2]C[-3]/1000000000)-R[-3]C[0]-R[-1]C[0]">-₩11,693.2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Stub value per share"}'>Stub value per share</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":-995046.6405863609}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"[$₩-412]#,##0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]*1000000000/R[-3]C[-3]">-₩995,047</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Value of operating assets"}'>Value of operating assets</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":1500}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=SUM(R[8]C[5])">₩1,500.0B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"GAV"}'>GAV</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":16606.96765}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-6]C[0]+R[-4]C[0]+R[-1]C[0]">₩16,607.0B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"GAV per share"}'>GAV per share</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":1414711.2925308687}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"[$₩-412]#,##0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[4]C[-3]*1000000000">₩1,414,711</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Discount to GAV (excl. treasury shares)"}'>Discount to GAV (excl. treasury shares)</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.7946577499354616}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.00%",1]' data-sheets-formula="=(R[-1]C[0]-R[-4]C[-3])/R[-1]C[0]">79.47%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Holdco net cash/debt (de-consolidated)"}'>Holdco net cash/debt (de-consolidated)</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":-6.7}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[5]C[5]">-₩6.7B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Value of pref shares"}'>Value of pref shares</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":237.033875}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=(R[-5]C[-3]*R[-2]C[-3]+R[-5]C[-2]*R[-2]C[-2])/1000000000">₩237.0B</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"NAV"}'><strong>NAV</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":16363.233774999999}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"₩#,##0.0B"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-5]C[0]+R[-2]C[0]-R[-1]C[0]"><strong>₩16,363.2B</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"NAV per share (excl. treasury shares)"}'><strong>NAV per share (excl. treasury shares)</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":1393948.1362098644}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"[$₩-412]#,##0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[-1]C[-3]*1000000000"><strong>₩1,393,948</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Discount to NAV"}'><strong>Discount to NAV</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.7915991330998386}' data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.00%",1]' data-sheets-formula="=(R[-1]C[0]-R[-9]C[-3])/R[-1]C[0]"><strong>79.16%</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: KRX &amp; DART","6":1}'>Source: KRX &amp; DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><div class="content-highlight"><p><strong>The discount rate of 80% compared to NAV is still very badly distorted even with the local average. This means that, despite yesterday's price corrections, there is still more room to trade for value disparity on SK Chemicals vs. SK Bioscience.</strong></p></div>

Many of the market participants were targeting the value disparity of SK Chemical vs. SK Chemicals. In the end, Metrica Partners became the first to make a move.(Source: Metrica Partners website)SK Chemicals vs. SK Bioscience was still a tight pair until the end of July, maintaining its NAV discount at around 70%. It is hard to see a NAV discount of 70% as severely distorted among Korean holding company/subsidiary pairs. Yes, it is still a harsh discount, but it isn't unprecedented either.But as SK Bioscience's stock price began to soar from August, the pair's coupling level completely collapsed.Despite a significant correction in yesterday's stock prices (both SK Chemicals and SK Bioscience), thanks to Metrica, SK Chemicals is posting a discount to NAV of close to 80% based on yesterday's closing price.





SK Chemicals NAV

Value of listed holdings
₩15,024.1B


- % of Holdco market cap
440.10%


Value of unlisted holdings
₩82.8B


Stub value
-₩11,693.2B


Stub value per share
-₩995,047


Value of operating assets
₩1,500.0B


GAV
₩16,607.0B


GAV per share
₩1,414,711


Discount to GAV (excl. treasury shares)
79.47%


Holdco net cash/debt (de-consolidated)
-₩6.7B


Value of pref shares
₩237.0B



NAV
₩16,363.2B


NAV per share (excl. treasury shares)
₩1,393,948


Discount to NAV
79.16%

Source: KRX &amp; DART

The discount rate of 80% compared to NAV is still very badly distorted even with the local average. This means that, despite yesterday's price corrections, there is still more room to trade for value disparity on SK Chemicals vs. SK Bioscience.

Metrica's Activist Move on SK Chemical Is a Well-Thought-Out Strategy