Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Flawed economic theory, poor execution, and fatal over-reach have crippled Trump's chances of winning a Trade War before it even started.</li>
<li>Even with sound execution, the thought leaders behind Trump’s policy had predicted only a narrow path to success. Trump’s promises that it would be easy will backfire.</li>
<li>Historical precedents show tariffs can lead to massive political losses, and trading partners are exploiting this weakness in the U.S. position adroitly.</li>
</ul>


Flawed economic theory, poor execution, and fatal over-reach have crippled Trump's chances of winning a Trade War before it even started.
Even with sound execution, the thought leaders behind Trump’s policy had predicted only a narrow path to success. Trump’s promises that it would be easy will backfire.
Historical precedents show tariffs can lead to massive political losses, and trading partners are exploiting this weakness in the U.S. position adroitly.


Equity Bottom-Up

Keisei Electric Railway Co / Equity Bottom-Up

Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd. provides passenger rail and bus transportation services in the Metropolitan Tokyo and Chiba prefecture areas.  The Company operates department and supermarket stores, hotels, travel agents, movie theater and restaurants, and sells, leases, and maintains real estate.  Keisei Electric is a shareholder of Oriental Land Co., Ltd. which operates Tokyo Disneyland.

<ul>
<li>Activist investors, confusing market price with intrinsic value, have shot themselves in the foot by offering terrible advice to Keisei Railway’s management. </li>
<li>When Keisei followed advice from the activist, selling just 1% of the shares of Oriental Land, Keisei's share price collapsed, proving market price has nothing to do with intrinsic value. </li>
<li>Keisei’s revenue growth and return on investment are stronger than most of its peers, and the crash in its stock price caused by activists might create an opportunity for others.</li>
</ul>


Activist investors, confusing market price with intrinsic value, have shot themselves in the foot by offering terrible advice to Keisei Railway’s management. 
When Keisei followed advice from the activist, selling just 1% of the shares of Oriental Land, Keisei's share price collapsed, proving market price has nothing to do with intrinsic value. 
Keisei’s revenue growth and return on investment are stronger than most of its peers, and the crash in its stock price caused by activists might create an opportunity for others.


Keisei Railway (9009) Gets Bad Advice from Activists, Which Is Good for The Rest of US

Lasertec Corporation develops, designs, manufactures and markets photomask inspection systems to make semiconductor devices, confocal scanning laser microscopes and liquid crystal display (LCD) inspection systems.

<ul>
<li>Lixil increased operating profit by 15.7% YoY, to ¥20.6bn, compared to consensus estimates for an 18% decline. The stock trades at 80% of book value.</li>
<li>TEPCO earned ¥112bn compared to a consensus forecast of a ¥3bn loss. It trades at 35% of book value.</li>
<li>Lasertec increased EBIT by 122% to ¥47.7bn compared to consensus estimates for ¥27bn, and the stock trading at the lowest multiples relative to Topix in seven years.  </li>
</ul>


Lixil increased operating profit by 15.7% YoY, to ¥20.6bn, compared to consensus estimates for an 18% decline. The stock trades at 80% of book value.
TEPCO earned ¥112bn compared to a consensus forecast of a ¥3bn loss. It trades at 35% of book value.
Lasertec increased EBIT by 122% to ¥47.7bn compared to consensus estimates for ¥27bn, and the stock trading at the lowest multiples relative to Topix in seven years.  


Unloved Japan Round-Up: Some Massive Results Surprises

ROHM COMPANY LIMITED manufactures custom linear integrated circuits and semiconductor devices for use primarily in consumer electronics.  The Company has plants and sales offices worldwide.  Rohm's subsidiaries include Wako Electric and Apollo Electronics.

<ul>
<li>More than 40 potential turnaround stocks will report Q3 results in the coming weeks. </li>
<li>The average spread between the lowest and highest street estimate for the stocks on our target list is a gaping 45%. This doesn't mean what most people think it means.</li>
<li>Rohm, Taiyo Yuden, Yamato, Hamamatsu, JFE, Tsuruha look nice, but we pass on Shiseido and Mazda.</li>
</ul>


More than 40 potential turnaround stocks will report Q3 results in the coming weeks. 
The average spread between the lowest and highest street estimate for the stocks on our target list is a gaping 45%. This doesn't mean what most people think it means.
Rohm, Taiyo Yuden, Yamato, Hamamatsu, JFE, Tsuruha look nice, but we pass on Shiseido and Mazda.


Unloved Japan Roundup: Don't Panic Ahead of Q3 Results Rush

SHIFT Inc. offers information technology outsourcing services. The Company provides outsourcing software testing services to corporations and individual clients. SHIFT also provides software solutions and consulting services, as well as educational classes and programs.

<ul>
<li>Shift reported a 95% increase in OP, to ¥3.2bn, compared to consensus estimate of ¥2.6bn on January 14 after the close.</li>
<li>Just under 5 months ago, we suggested the stock was about 45% undervalued. It is up 40%.</li>
<li>We still expect 20% annual growth through 2030. This is no longer a turnaround stock, but now one of the most solid growth stocks in the market.</li>
</ul>


Shift reported a 95% increase in OP, to ¥3.2bn, compared to consensus estimate of ¥2.6bn on January 14 after the close.
Just under 5 months ago, we suggested the stock was about 45% undervalued. It is up 40%.
We still expect 20% annual growth through 2030. This is no longer a turnaround stock, but now one of the most solid growth stocks in the market.


Michael Allen is a representative director of Azabu Research, an independent research company focused on turnaround situations in the Japanese stock market. He has covered Japanese stocks for more than 30 years in both sell-side and buy-side roles and is fluent in both written and spoken Japanese.  He holds a degree in international studies from the University of Pacific, and certificates in corporate governance from both the Board Director Training Institute of Japan and the Wharton School of Business.