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Serendip (7318): What Triggered the Limit Down on 11/14/25?

Serendip, a business-succession–focused M&A platform, is known for its fully integrated model—dispatching executives and engineers, driving productivity, and maintaining long-term ownership. Despite raising FY3/26 guidance by ¥10B in sales (+25%) and ¥4.5B in OP (+25%) on 11/11/25, the stock fell 18% to a limit-down on 11/14/25. At a retail investor meeting on 11/15/25, CEO Mr. …

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Katitas 8919: A Best-in-Class Model in a growing industry vs. a high price tag.

Katitas has mastered a business model that many find difficult to replicate: buying, renovating, and reselling pre-owned homes with consistent success.  With 36% foreign ownership, it’s clear that investors recognize the company’s ability to tackle Japan’s vacant housing problem. The stock trades at a premium P/E of 18x, compared to single-digit averages for other residential …

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Inabadenki 9934– AI Tailwinds in Electric Wire and HVAC; Valuation at 6–7x EV/EBITDA, 13x P/E

Outside of Electric Cable Japanese electrical wire manufacturers have performed strongly, with Fujikura emerging as the clear leader. Its dominance is well supported by a robust sales network catering to U.S. IT companies, particularly through its advanced optical wiring components. Given the surge in data center construction, demand for high-performance electric wiring remains strong. The …

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Furuno Electric 6814— 250% YTD Rally, Can Shipbuilding and Defense Keep This Stock Climbing?

Founded in 1938, Furuno Electric (cap Y295 Bn) commercialized the world’s first practical fish-finder in 1948. It is now well known for its advanced GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technologies, which are integral to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Its business spans: Maritime electronics (navigation/radar/sonar / fish-finders) Communications & sensor systems Industrial diversification into GPS/GNSS receiver …

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AlphaPolis 9467: What Asset Management One and Varecs see in this UGC pure play?

AlphaPolis (AP) is a pure user-generated content (UGC) publishing model. Founded in 2000 by Yusuke Kajimoto, formerly of Hakuhodo, AP sources highly rated light novels and manga from its online platform, AlphaPolis: Cyber Space, and selects standout titles for commercial publication. Its flagship series, Gate, has sold over 4.2 million copies. Manga (graphic novels) is …

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Potential Sale of Nippon Sanso (4091) by Mitsubishi Chemical Group (4188

Bottom Line Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) may be considering divesting its 50.5% stake in Nippon Sanso (NS), a high-margin industrial gas subsidiary. While the move could unlock capital for reinvestment into MCG’s core chemical business, it would also remove a major profit engine. The decision hinges on strategic priorities, capital efficiency, and market appetite. Strategic …

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Kyodo Printing 7914: Turning Point: Committing to Competitive Catch-Up with 2 leaders.

Under new leadership, Kyodo is accelerating its pivot from the declining paper-printing business toward higher-margin niches such as high-performance packaging materials, flexible packaging, and tube products. Margin gains in recent years already reflect this shift, and the company’s 10-year plan aims to scale these efforts further. The key question for investors: with DNP and Toppan …

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Starts Publishing (7849): FY12/24 OPM Rises 11.3% Above 5-Year Average

This women’s lifestyle media company has grown its operating profit margin to 27.2% in FY12/24—an 11.4pt increase over its 5-year average of 16%. This shift reflects a disciplined approach to audience engagement, with content strategies shaped directly by user feedback and evolving preferences. While still ultra-small at ¥16.5B in market cap, the margin trajectory and …

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Inforich 9338: Growth uncertainty? With PE at ~10x and ROE 44%

Inforich has hit a rough patch, having missed its earnings guidance. The key question now is whether this is a one-off event or indicative of deeper structural issues. I raised this concern directly with the Inforich management team, who—unsurprisingly—assert that the underperformance in 1H FY2025 was an isolated event. While I’m inclined to agree with …

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Kanro (2216 JP): Not Riding AI Wave, but Solid Earnings Spark Investor Confidence

Kanro, a ¥84.3B market cap Japanese confectioner, rose 6% on July 30 after releasing its 1H FY12/25 results that handily beat company guidance. The main driver was a significant outperformance in operating profit—up 24.5% over guidance. Sales: ¥16,725M (+2.6% vs. guidance, +7.5% y/y) Operating Profit: ¥2,664M (+24.5% vs. guidance, +13.7% y/y) Net Profit: ¥1,874M (+23.3% …

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