The Must Read PSA Weekly Research Round-up (week to 31 May)

REPORTS: The “AI Opportunity” in the Japanese Stock Market / Sanrio (8136 JT) / INDUSTRY INSIGHTS: Is Japan’s video game industry in crisis? / Another poor showing at the US Box office / Video games industry round-up / Memory prices soften / Cable makers as AI-data centre plays / MISCELLAENEOUS MARKET & MACRO: Readthrough from slew of economic data released on 31 May / COMPANY INSIGHTS, NEWS, PREVIEWS & RESULTS: What NEC Corp now has to do to hit its FY25 targets / NEC launches “Blue Stella” AI platform / Sony in talks to buy rock band Queen’s assets / Capcom Resident Evil update / Nidec accounting error: do we need to worry? / Asahi Kasei to acquire Calliditas Therapeutics / Toyota develops new engines for carbon neutral fuel / concerns on April performance

The Weekly Comment by Pelham Smithers

After a lukewarm response to Sony’s CEO / COO led Strategy Meeting the previous week, it was the turn of the division heads, this week…
…and they did what they do well, which is to entertain, and that was just what was needed.

Reports / Flash Notes Published This Week: Headlines at a Glance

1. The “AI Opportunity” in the Japanese Stock Market
2. Sanrio (8136 JT) Update – New Licensees Contributing to Earnings

Company / Sector / Thematic Comments at a Glance

Technology: Consumer Electronics, Gaming

1. Is Japan’s Video Game Industry in Crisis?
2. Video Games Industry Round-up
3. Another Poor Showing at the US Box Office
4. Capcom Resident Evil Update
5. Review of Sony’s Business Segment Meetings
6. Sony In Talks to Buy Rock Band Queen’s Assets
7. Other Consumer Elec / Gaming News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

Technology: Industrial Electronics / Components / Semis & SPE / Precision

8. Memory Prices Soften
9. What NEC Corp Now Has to Do to Hit Its FY25 Targets
10. NEC Launches Blue Stella AI Platform
11. Nidec Accounting Error: Do We Need To Worry?
12. Other Tech-Related News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

Chemicals / Materials

13. Asahi Kasei to Acquire Calliditas Therapeutics
14. Other Chemical / Material-Related News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

Autos

15. Toyota Develops New Engines for Carbon Neutral Fuel
16. Markets Concerned about Toyota’s April Performance

Capital Goods: Auto Parts / Machinery

17. Cable Makers’ Moves This Week
18. Other Auto Part / Machinery News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

Enterprise Software / IT Services

19. Increase in Cybozu’s April Sales Insufficient to Change Story

Pharma / Healthcare

20. Olympus: Agreement to Transfer its Orthopaedics Business in Motion
21. Otsuka, Lundbeck in Positive Rexulti Adult PTSD Data
22. Other Pharma News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

Small- / Mid-Cap Insights

23. Hotland, Sanrio MLB Game Opening Shown on Japanese TV
24. Kyoritsu Maintenance’s April KPIs

Miscellaneous / Market / Strategy / Macro

25. Economic Data:
26. Other News & Moves That Caught Our Eye

PSA in the Press

In this FT article, Pelham Smithers weighs in on the debate about whether now is the right time to buy Japan, noting that “Japan is the perfect market to invest in for anyone who thinks that they’ve missed the boat on US tech stocks,” For investors who wished they’d got into Nvidia, he counts more than 50 Japanese stocks related to AI, from SoftBank Group, owner of chip designer Arm, to Hitachi, provider of arguably the largest industrial AI platform in the world. You can get them at about half the valuations you pay for the Nasdaq Composite. “Is now the time to buy Japan?” (ft.com)

PSA Company Visits, Tours and Interviews

Visited: Hotland (3196 JT), Moriya (6226 JT)
Small Meeting with: Sanrio (8136 JT)
Presentations at: Asahi Kasei (3407 JT), Kaneka (4118 JT), Toray (3402 JT), Mitsui Chemicals (4183 JT), Adeka Corp (4401 JT), Central Glass (4044 JT), Sakai Chemical (4078 JT), Ube Mitsubishi Cement (unlisted)

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