Report

PSA Strategy: Japan Market Strategy for FY22 Q2

The Japanese stock market is in an interesting phase where the Bank of Japan is supporting the bond market rather than the stock market. While this phase lasts, the dollar should remain above ¥120/$ and perhaps strengthen further against the yen. This report looks at what this phase might mean for the Japanese stock market as a whole, and for stock selection. The PSA Focus List has also been updated.
Underlyings
Advantest Corp.

Advantest and its consolidated subsidiaries manufacture and sell semiconductor and component test system products and mechatronics-related products such as test handlers and device interfaces. Co. also engages in research and development activities and provides maintenance and support services associated with these products. Co.'s principal business segments are semiconductor and component test system; mechatronics system; and services, support and others. Product lines include test systems for memory semiconductors and non-memory semiconductors; test handlers, mechatronic-applied products, and for handling semiconductor devices.

Alps Alpine Co. Ltd.

Alps Electric is engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic components and automotive audio equipment. Electronic Components segment offers detector switches, slide switches, power switches, tactile switches, magnetic sensors, humidity sensors, pressure sensors, connectors, encoders, potentiometers, multi control devices, communication modules, actuators and other electronic components for automobiles, smartphones, home appliances and other consumer electronics. Automotive Infotainment segment offers head units, navigation systems and rear view cameras. Logistics segment provides transportation, warehousing and forwarding services specializing in electronic components.

Asahi Kasei Corporation

Asahi Kasei is a holding company. Co., through its affiliates, operates in three principal business segments. Material segment manufactures and sells petrochemicals, synthetic rubber, performance materials, household products (plastic wrap and storage bags), cleaning agents, elastic polyurethane filament, and battery separators. Homes segment is engaged in the development, construction and sale of unit houses and apartment buildings; and the provision of construction materials. Health Care segment manufactures and sells pharmaceuticals, diagnostic reagents, and critical care devices. In addition, Co. is engaged in the electricity supply, engineering, and employment agency businesses.

Astellas Pharma Inc.

Astellas Pharma is engaged in the development, research, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceuticals. Co. operates its operation in Japan, Americas, Europe, and Asia/Oceania. Co.'s principal product for the global market include "Xtandi" a therapeutic agent for prostatic cancer, "Eligard" a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist for the treatment of prostate cancer,"Prograf" an immunosuppressant used to prevent rejection in organ transplants, "Vesicare" a treatment for overactive bladder, "Harnal ( "Omnic" in the U.S. and Europe)" an 1 blocking agent for prostatic and urethral smooth muscle, and "Fungurad ("Mycamine" in the U.S. and Europe)" a candin-type antifungal agent.

CyberAgent Inc.

CyberAgent is an information technology company. Media segment is engaged in the operation of internet TV station "AbemaTV," free live streaming programs without subscription "FRESH!," blog service "Ameba," matching services "Tapple" and music streaming service "AWA." Game segment offers a variety of games for smartphones such as "GRANBLUE FANTASY." Internet Advertisement segment is engaged in the provision of internet advertising agency services. Investment Development is engaged in the corporate venture capital business, as well as the establishment and operation of investment fund. Others segment is engaged in the operation of smartphone media.

DENSO CORPORATION

Denso and its affiliates are mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of automobile electronic, electrical parts, and other components. Co.'s principal business segments are powertrain control systems, electronic systems, thermal systems, information and safety systems, small motors, industrial systems and consumer products. Co.'s principal products include starters, alternators, engine management systems, components for gasoline, diesel and electric hybrid vehicles, engine ECUs, hybrid ICs, air conditioners, radiators, remote keyless entry controllers, car navigation systems, car-mounted ETC devices, motors, bar code handy scanners and industrial robots.

Dentsu Group Inc.

Dentsu is an advertising company. Co. provides a diverse range of services befitting a solution-building partner with the ability to address various client issues, including management, business activities and marketing plans, at both the corporate and organizational levels. Co. operates in two business segments. Domestic segment is engaged in the provision of domestic advertising, marketing and contents business services, as well as the information system development and consulting, and the provision of real estate and casualty insurance agency services. Overseas segment is engaged in the advertising and marketing services outside of Japan.

Disco Corporation

DISCO and its affiliates are mainly engaged in the manufacture, sale and maintenance of precision cutting, grinding and polishing machines. Co. is also engaged in the manufacture and sale of precision diamond abrasive tools, and disassembly and recycling of precision cutting, grinding and polishing machines. Co.'s principal precision machines are dicing and cutting saws, laser saws, grinders, polishers, wafer mounters, die separators, surface planers, water jet saws, and products for new processes. Co.'s principal precision processing tools are dicing blades, grinding wheels, and dry polishing wheels.

Ferrotec Corporation

Mazda Motor Corp.

Mazda Motor and its affiliates are mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of passenger and commercial vehicles. Co. provides compact vehicles, sports cars, sedans, mini vans, light cars, commercial vehicles, welfare vehicles and customized vehicles, as well as car accessories. Co.'s principal products are four-wheeled vehicles, gasoline reciprocating engines, diesel engines, and automatic and manual transmissions for vehicles. Co.'s principal brand automobiles include Demio, Axela, Atenza, CX-3, CX-5, CX-8, Roadster, Carol, Flair, Flair Wagon, Scrum Wagon, Bongo, Titan, Familia Van, and Scrum Van/Truck.

Mercari Inc.

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Murata Manufacturing is mainly engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of electronic components and modules in Japan, North America and certain other Asian and European countries. Co.'s products are sold mainly to electronics companies for use as components in telecommunication, computer, audio, video, automotive electronics and other electronic products. Co. is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of electronic parts and related products, including components for capacitors and piezoelectric products, as well as modules products; the provision of welfare services, personnel services, education and training services, as well as the leasing and management of real estate.

Nabtesco Corporation

Nabtesco is engaged in the design, manufacture, sales, and repair of industrial machinery and components. Co. operates in three business segments: component solutions, transport solutions and accessibility solutions. Co.'s principal products are high precision reducers and actuators for industrial robots, construction machinery, solar tracking equipment, automatic door drive units, automobile air-break systems, automatic testing/training equipment, connecting device, various types of actuators, remote control systems for marine vessels, automatic door systems, smoke exhausting systems and platform safety system as well as nursing care equipment and industrial equipment.

NET PROTECTIONS HLDGS INC

NEXON Co. Ltd.

Nexon is engaged in the production, development and delivering on-line games. Along with its subsidiaries and affiliates, Co. provides PC online-games and mobile games in Japan, Korea, China, North America and Europe as well as Asian countries. Co.'s principal existing game titles include "MapleStory," "Sudden Attack," "Dungeon & Fighter," "Counter-Strike Online," and "EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online 3." Co. also offers services such as consulting related to PC online-game distribution, in-game advertising, and merchandising incidental to PC online business. As of Dec 31 2017, Co. has 26 consolidated subsidiaries and 14 affiliates.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Nissan Motor, along with its subsidiaries and associated companies, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of vehicles, marine products and related parts; and the provision of finance services throughout world. Co.'s principal businesses are automobile and sales financing. Automobile segment manufactures electric vehicles, sedans, sport coupes, compact cars, mini vans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, and station wagons. Co.'s principal brand names include "Leaf," "Infiniti," "Murano," "Altima," "Maxima," "Sentra," "Quest," "Cedric," "Days Roox," "e-NV200," "Note e-Power," "Caravan," "Wingroad," "GT-R," "Farilady Z, among others. Sales Financing segment provides sales financing services..

Nissha Co.Ltd.

Nissha is engaged in the production of general printed matter in the fields of art and commercial printing as well as surface decoration of products technology. Co. manufactures IMD and IML, metallized paper, and heat transfer foils used for simultaneous molding and printing of plastic products and decorations for mobile phones, notebook PCs, automotive interiors and home appliances; and manufactures functional devices such as film based Touch Sensors "Fine Touch" used in tablet devices, smartphones, game consoles, industrial equipment and automotive. Co. also manufactures and sells its own brand products to medical institutions and provides marketing and sales promotion materials.

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

Nomura Research Institute is mainly engaged in the provision of consulting, financial and industrial IT services, and IT platform services. Consulting Services segment offers management consulting and system consulting services. Financial IT Solutions segment provides IT services including system development, operation outsourcing, and shared-online services for securities, insurance, banking, and other financial industries. Industrial IT Solutions segment provides IT services for distribution, manufacturing, service, and healthcare industries. IT Platform Services segment offers IT infrastructure services, managed services, and advanced information technology services.

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd.

Recruit Holdings is a holding company. Through its affiliates, Co. operates in four business segments: marketing media, HR media, staffing, and other. Marketing Media segment is engaged in the provision of information on housing, bridal, post-secondary education for high school students, automobiles, lodging accommodation, restaurants, and beauty salons. HR Media segment is engaged in the provision of services that offer employment information to job seekers both in Japan and overseas. Staffing segment is engaged in the provision of staffing services in Japan and overseas. Other segment is engaged in the planning, operation, outsourcing, and other of digital content services.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics is a semiconductor solution provider. Co.'s solutions include electronic products and systems for communications, computing and peripherals, consumer electronics, as well as automotive and industrial sectors. Along with its subsidiaries and associated company, Co. operates in four business segments: automotive, industrial, broad-based and other semiconductors. Co.'s principal products are microcontrollers, microprocessors, smart analogs, secure MCUs (Microcontroller Units), embedded systems platform, software, tools, IPDs (Intelligent Power Devices), power MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), analog and mixed-signal ICs, and transistors.

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd

Shin-Etsu Chemical is mainly engaged in the manufacturing and sales of polyvinyl chloride and organic chemicals, silicon, functional chemicals, semiconductor silicon, electronic and functional materials, and others. Co.'s principal products include polyvinyl chloride, caustic soda products, methanol, chloromethane, silicon products, cellulose derivatives, silicon metal, poval (polyvinyl alcohol), synthetic pheromones, semiconductor silicon products, rare earth magnets, encapsulation materials, photoresists, photomask blanks, synthetic quartz products, epoxy molding compounds, pellicles, and resin processed products. Co. is also engaged in the export of plant equipment and others.

Shinko Electric (6967 JT)

Sony Corporation

Sony is engaged in the development, design, production, manufacture, offer and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments and devices for consumer, professional and industrial markets such as network services, game hardware and software, televisions, audio and video recorders and players, still and video cameras, mobile phones, and semiconductors. Co. is engaged in the development, production, manufacture, and distribution of recorded music and the management and licensing of the words and music of songs as well as the production and distribution of animation titles. Co. is also engaged in the production, acquisition and distribution of motion pictures and television.

Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd.

Square Enix Holdings is a holding company that is mainly engaged in the entertainment industry. Co., through its subsidiaries, operates in four business segments. The Digital Entertainment business is engaged in the design, development, sale, licensed sale and operation of digital entertainment contents focusing on computer games. The Amusement segment is engaged in the operation of amusement facilities, the design, development, manufacture, sale and rental of amusement equipment. The Publishing segment is involved in the publication of comic magazines, books and game related books. The Rights Property segment is involved design, production, sale and grant of secondary works.

SUBARU CORP

SUBARU and its affiliates are mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of automobiles and aerospace-related equipment. The Automobiles segment is engaged in the manufacture, sale and repair of passenger cars and their components under the name of "SUBARU." The Aerospace segment is engaged in the manufacture, sale and repair of commercial and defense aircrafts, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and their components. In addition, Co. is engaged in the manufacture, sale and repair of generators, engine-equipped machinery, agricultural machinery, construction machinery and their components; the leasing of real estate; and the manufacture and sale of temporary houses.

SUMCO Corporation

SUMCO is a manufacturing company that is mainly engaged in the high-purity silicon business. Along with its subsidiaries, Co. is involved in the manufacture and sale of various silicon wafers for semiconductors, including polished wafers, epitaxial wafers and special wafers; the production and sale of wafers; and the provision of technical and sales marketing support services in overseas markets, including the U.S., the U.K., Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. In addition, Co., through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the finance and personnel services in the U.S.

TDK Corporation

TDK is a manufacturer of recording media, ferrite products and recording device products, and a producer of inductor, ceramic capacitor, magnet, HDD head and other components. Co.'s principal business segments are passive components, sensor application products, magnetic application products, film application products and others. Co.'s principal products include ceramic capacitors, aluminum electrolytic capacitors, film capacitors, inductive devices, high-frequency components, piezoelectric materials and circuit protection components, sensors, HDD head suspension, recording devices, power supplies and magnets, and mechatronics.

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

Tokyo Electron is a supplier of semiconductor production equipment ("SPE") and flat panel display ("FPD") selling through global network that spans Japan, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Co.'s principal products are coater/developers, plasma etch systems, thermal processing systems, single wafer deposition systems, cleaning systems (auto wet station, single wafer cleaning system, pre-clean system and scrubber system), wafer prober, FPD coater/developers and FPD plasma etch/ash systems. In addition, Co., through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the provision of transportation services, insurance services, as well as the support services for Co.'s photovoltaic cell ("PV") production equipment.

Toyota Motor Corp.

Toyota Motor is an automobile manufacturer. Co. is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, and sale of sedans, minivans, compact cars, sport-utility vehicles, trucks and related parts and accessories throughout the world. Co. provides financing, vehicle and equipment leasing and certain other financial services primarily to its dealers and their customers to support the sales of vehicles and other products manufactured by Co. Co.'s principal business segments are automotive operations, financial services operations and other operations. Co. sells its vehicles in approximately 190 countries and regions, and markets for its automobiles in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia.

ULVAC Inc.

ULVAC is engaged in the manufacture and sale of vacuum systems and equipment. The Vacuum Machinery segment provides sputtering systems, CVD systems, vacuum evaporation systems, etching systems, annealing systems, ion implantation systems, vacuum furnaces and vapor deposition polymerization systems for semiconductor processing, LED devices, photovoltaics, optic films, LCD displays, magnetic sensors, and electronic materials; and vacuum components including vacuum pumps, gauges, leak detectors, vacuum valves, and vacuum parts. The Vacuum Application segment provides sputtering target materials, evaporation deposition materials, and titanium and tantalum processing products.

Yaskawa Electric Corporation

Yaskawa Electric and its affiliates are mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of electric motors, industrial robots and industrial electrical control systems. Co.'s principal products include AC/DC servomotors, spindle motors for machine tools, programmable controllers, numerical controls, general-purpose/special-system inverters, industrial robots, clean robots, vacuum robots, transfer systems in clean/vacuum rooms, industrial electrical control systems for metal processing, cold rolling and paper making, water supply/sewage control systems, power receiving/distribution panels, circuit breakers, high-voltage switchgears, and energy-saving motor drivers.

Provider
Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd
Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd

Founded in 2009, Pelham Smithers Associates (PSA) provides market intelligence on Asian technology, focusing in particular on Japan. The industries covered by our team of specialists are: consumer electronics, telecomms, pharmaceuticals, internet, electronic parts and materials, automotive technology, retail and capital goods. 

PSA produces both company and sector reports. The focus of PSA’s research is to identify winners and losers as new technologies impact the top and bottom lines of corporations. Critical to our research is the clear explanation of how these new technologies work and how they impact companies and industries. 

The founding partners have worked closely together for twenty years and the team has more than doubled in size since 2012. 

Analysts
Pelham Smithers

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