Report
Hiroyuki Terada ...
  • Joel Scheiman
  • Julie Boote
  • Lindsay Whipp
  • Pelham Smithers
  • William Nestuk

The PSA Weekly Research Round Up for the week to 26 Jan 2024

Weekly Comment Summary
As in 2023, Japan looks to be doing well on the surface, but is it flattering to deceive? Almost unbelievably, despite Tokyo’s strong start, Topix has underperformed MSCI World in USD terms YTD. Pelham Smithers highlights one key reason for the poor performance and suggests what returns the market could generate in the year of the Dragon.

PSA Company Visits, Tours and Interviews
• Visited: Nidec (6594 JT)
• Conference Calls with: Hamee (3134 JT), Insource (6200 JT), WingArc1st (4432 JT)
• Presentations at: Shin-Etsu Chemical (4063 JT), Nitto Denko (6988 JT). Fanuc (6954 JT), HCM (6305 JT)

PSA Weekly Contents at a Glance
Reports / Flash Notes Summaries
1. Insource Co Ltd (6200 JT) – Turning Headwinds into Tailwinds
2. TIS Inc (3626 JT) – A Steady Ship Sailing in Fair Winds

Company / Sector / Thematic Comments
Technology: Consumer Electronics, Gaming
1. Bandai Namco (9832 JT) Key Game Tekken 8 to be Released on 26 Jan
2. Sony (6758 JT) Confirms Zee Merger Terminated
3. Is Sony’s Gaming Division OP Set to Drive a +40% Boost in Overall Profits?
4. Other Consumer Elec / Gaming News & Moves That Caught Our Eye
Technology: Industrial Electronics / Components / Semis & SPE / Precision
5. NEC (6701 JT) Brings “Beyond 5G / 6G” to the Market’s Attention
6. Murata (6981 JT) May Build 4th Plant in Shimane – Kyodo
7. Disco’s (6146 JT) FY23 Q3 OP +25% YoY
8. Nidec (6594 JT) Lowers FY23 Profit Guidance on China EV Woes
9. Hioki EE (6866 JT): FY23 Q4 OP -27% YoY, FY24 CE Short of Consensus
10. Koa Corp (6999 JT) FY23 Q3 OP -48% YoY, but Beat Expectations
11. Other Tech-Related News & Moves That Caught Our Eye
Chemicals / Materials
12. Shin-Etsu Polymer Cuts FY23 Full-Year Guidance
13. Shin-Etsu’s (4063 JT) FY23 Q3 OP Affected by One-Time Write-Downs
14. Other Chemical / Material-Related News & Moves That Caught Our Eye
Autos
15. Honda (7267 JT) Upbeat about US Sales Outlook
16. Tesla’s (TSLA US) Q4 Disappoints
17. Honda (7267 JT) / GM Start Hydrogen Fuel Cell System Production
Auto Parts / Machinery
18. Daikin (6367 JT) Expanding in Africa; Chinese Competition Increasing for Daifuku (6383 JT)
19. Fanuc (6954 JT) FY23 Q3 Preview / Results
20. HCM (6305 JT) FY23 Q3 Preview / Results
21. Fujitsu General (6755 JT) Slashes its FY23 OP Forecast (again)
Enterprise Software / IT Services
22. Did Shift (3697 JT) Get Too Big for Its Boots? Or Does It Just Need to Get New, Larger Ones?
23. OBC (4733 JT) Gains on its Stellar FY23 Q3 Results
Small- / Mid-Cap Insights
24. Insource’s (6200 JT) FY24 Q1 Shows Improved Profitability
Miscellaneous / Market / Strategy / Macro
25. Japan Earnings Season Early Reports Preview
26. Japan Dec Department Store Sales Rise +5.4% YoY
27. Rising JGB Yields
28. Jan Tokyo CPI Up Just +1.6% YoY as Prices Fall MoM
29. Other News & Moves That Caught Our Eye
List of PSA Published Reports Since October 2023
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
Hiroyuki Terada

Joel Scheiman

Julie Boote

Lindsay Whipp

Pelham Smithers

William Nestuk

Other Reports from Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd

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