EVENTS:   Best Equity Short Ideas Conference Call 12 - Zach Shannon/Corto Capital Advisors & Craig Huber/Huber Research Partners & Thomas Beevers /Forensic Alpha & Ed Steele/Iron Blue Financials & Bill Campbell/Paragon Intel - 12 Nov 25   Will AI Deflate the World? Macro Lessons from Three Industrial Revolutions and China - Manoj Pradhan/Talking Heads Macro - 13 Nov 25     ROADSHOWS: Forest Products Sector Equity and Commodity Research With Expertise in Distressed Debt - Kevin Mason /ERA Research   •   London   12 - 14 Nov 25       Buyside to Buyside Forum and Expert Calls across TMT, Consumer, Healthcare and Fintech - Andrew Peters /Revelare Partners   •   London   17 - 19 Nov 25       Fundamental US Healthcare Short Ideas - Dr Elliot Favus /Favus Institutional Research   •   London   17 - 19 Nov 25      

Fortnightly Publication Highlighting Latest Insights From IRF Providers

Company Research

Citizen Watch (7762)

Consumer Discretionary

Asymmetric Advisors

Announces a massive buyback, crowning what has a been a great 2 years of performance since Asymmetric Advisors, as the only broker in the market recommending the stock, turned bullish in Feb 2021. Their buy thesis was based around this long overlooked name having a very cash rich balance sheet, emerging from 3 years of intense restructuring and asset write downs and re-orientation of its watch business towards higher priced, premium models. This delivered a major earnings recovery, and having announced a 6% buyback in May 2022, management has surprised the market again by detailing plans to repurchase up to 25.6% of its outstanding shares.

Edition: 154

- 17 February, 2023


Citizen Watch (7762)

Consumer Discretionary

Asymmetric Advisors

Contrarian Buy - Asymmetric are the only broker with a Positive rating on the name. Shares are up 90% since they turned bullish in Feb 2021. Citizen has been able to engineer a strong earnings recovery after restructuring, promoting its higher end watches and a recovery in its machine tool business. 9x CoE (but heading for substantial earnings overshoot due to FX so more like 7-8x); FCF yield of 14%; 5% dividend; 0.7x PBR with ¥86bn net cash (49% of M/Cap) - the stock looks great value and has strong momentum following the company’s impressive 1Q results.

Edition: 143

- 02 September, 2022