Founder/CEO of ROK Advisory, ROK Advisory LLC

Ken S. Kim

Founder/CEO of ROK Advisory

ROK Advisory LLC

ROK is an independent research advisory firm. We guide you to minimize the information gap between foreign and local investors in Northeast Asia with a focus in Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Independent Research Advisory Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

SK Innovation Co., Ltd. refines, markets, and distributes oil.  The Company produces a variety of petroleum products, such as gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleumgas (LPG), and diesel oil.  SK Energy also manufactures petrochemical p roducts, including paraxylene, synthetic resins, styrene monomer, and ethylene.

<ul>
<li>Has SK Innovation raised enough money for its longer term ambitions? </li>
<li>What is the stock pricing in that is not apparent on the balance sheet? </li>
<li>It seems really given their capex outlet, dilutive cap raising is the only solution</li>
</ul>


Has SK Innovation raised enough money for its longer term ambitions? 
What is the stock pricing in that is not apparent on the balance sheet? 
It seems really given their capex outlet, dilutive cap raising is the only solution


Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. manufactures a wide range of consumer and industrial electronic equipment and products such as semiconductors, personal computers, peripherals, monitors, televisions, and home appliances including air conditioners and microwave ovens. The Company also produces Internet access network systems and telecommunications equipment including mobile phones.

<ul>
<li>Local press states that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-pref-shares" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23591:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics Pref Shares (005935 KS)</a>sold shares as they look to invest in their future capex</li>
<li>The capex amount for 2023 will be around 40-50 trillion KRW and it doesn't seem like W3 trillion is a needle mover</li>
<li>With a new 3 year shareholder return plan, I would think maybe cash is needed to secure ammunition for M&amp;A</li>
</ul>


Local press states that Samsung Electronics Pref Shares (005935 KS)sold shares as they look to invest in their future capex
The capex amount for 2023 will be around 40-50 trillion KRW and it doesn't seem like W3 trillion is a needle mover
With a new 3 year shareholder return plan, I would think maybe cash is needed to secure ammunition for M&amp;A


<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:191:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics (005930 KS)</a> has been a nice outperformer relative to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sk-hynix-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16955:1" rel="noopener">SK Hynix (000660 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/micron-technology-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13382:1" rel="noopener">Micron Technology (MU US)</a> due to valuation, tech merit and exposure to AI</li>
<li>For cyclical stocks, no matter defensive vs. peers, does it make more sense to play the pure plays?</li>
<li>On the recent settlement between Elliott and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-c-t-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:481:1" rel="noopener">Samsung C&amp;T (028260 KS)</a> , there was a secret payment made to just Elliott. What about the other minority shareholders?!</li>
</ul>



Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) has been a nice outperformer relative to SK Hynix (000660 KS) and Micron Technology (MU US) due to valuation, tech merit and exposure to AI
For cyclical stocks, no matter defensive vs. peers, does it make more sense to play the pure plays?
On the recent settlement between Elliott and Samsung C&amp;T (028260 KS) , there was a secret payment made to just Elliott. What about the other minority shareholders?!


At the Core Lies Why Anything Named Samsung Deserves a Discount

Ecopro Co., Ltd. specializes in developing chemical absorbent and NDC (Nano Carbon Ball) in the field of environmental materials for the prevention of air pollution.  The Company's products include environment-related chemical filters, second battery materials, and CO catalyst.

<ul>
<li>A SELL note from a broker on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ecopro-bm-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27873:1" rel="noopener">Ecopro BM Co Ltd (247540 KS)</a> was a key reason for the 7% and 8+% fall for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ecopro-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19029:1" rel="noopener">Ecopro Co Ltd (086520 KS)</a> .  </li>
<li>Is this finally start of the end of the rally for the poster boy for Korean EV </li>
<li>When will earnings matter and what are the catalysts that could start the downfall?</li>
</ul>


A SELL note from a broker on Ecopro BM Co Ltd (247540 KS) was a key reason for the 7% and 8+% fall for Ecopro Co Ltd (086520 KS) .  
Is this finally start of the end of the rally for the poster boy for Korean EV 
When will earnings matter and what are the catalysts that could start the downfall?


Kakao Corp. provides Internet portal services such as news, free e-mail, and leisure information.  The Company also offers cross-platform mobile messaging application that allows users to exchange messages.

<ul>
<li>Why <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakaobank-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33501:1" rel="noopener">KakaoBank (323410 KS)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-games-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26730:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-pay-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29675:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Pay (377300 KS)</a> were hit recently</li>
<li>Aside from the sum of the 3, why <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a> is getting hit further</li>
<li>Are near the bottom or is there more to go? </li>
</ul>


Why KakaoBank (323410 KS) , Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS) and Kakao Pay (377300 KS) were hit recently
Aside from the sum of the 3, why Kakao Corp (035720 KS) is getting hit further
Are near the bottom or is there more to go? 


Is Kakao Cheap or Not? Actions Louder than Words

24 yrs on sell side and buyside.  General investment perspective is that few companies are great allocators of capital