Quantum technology 분야, 일본 리드

April 10, 2021 (Saturday) Sunny

・It is believed that concerns about the economy and the future have spread due to the novel coronavirus,

and in the last December to this January when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could be measured, birth rates fell by 10-20% in many countries.

・At the government COVID-19 Task Force on the 9th, measures equivalent to a state of emergency will be applied in three prefectures—Tokyo, Kyoto, and Okinawa—under the “priority prevent the spread” measures.

From the 12th, Kyoto and Okinawa will run until May 5, and Tokyo until May 11. Including Osaka, Hyogo, and Miyagi which are already in effect, the scope will expand to six prefectures.

・British investment fund CVC Capital Partners has submitted a fourfold proposal regarding Toshiba <6502> [closing price 4,265 yen].

It envisions participation from the government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (JIC) and business companies, proposing to buy back at 5,000 yen per share.

A tender offer (TOB) is planned for early July, with delisting expected in October.

To privatize Toshiba, whose activist shareholders are in ongoing conflict, and to raise corporate value, aiming to relist about three years later.

・The government has decided, regarding the treated water accumulating in the site of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, to discharge it into the sea.

A formal decision will be made at a ministers’ meeting on the 13th. Aiming for sea discharge within two years.

・The United States is newly proposing international rules on digital taxation, targeting large IT companies.

Targeting firms based on scale of revenue and profit margins.

The plan would narrow the target to about 100 companies worldwide. Specific numerical criteria have not yet been shown.

・The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will tighten regulations to reduce coal-fired power plants with high greenhouse gas emissions domestically.

New criteria will focus on plants with higher generation efficiency.

Many inefficient old coal-fired plants will need to be retired or updated by around 2030.

・Abandoning coal power is strongly advocated by Europe.

France plans to abolish coal power by 2022, and oil-producing Germany by 2038, setting time limits to phase out coal.

Coal-fired power will face increased scrutiny from overseas investors.

ESG (environment, social, governance) investors’ international organizations PRI and two others will send a public letter in March to Minister Hiraki Kaneko of Economy, Trade and Industry calling for stops to coal-fired power plans before construction.

・This spring, a global rise in inflation is expected.

The United States is likely to see inflation surpass 2% in March’s rate release on the 13th, the first in 1 year and 1 month.

If worries about an overheating economy grow, it could lead to adjustments in monetary easing.

・On the 9th, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced 18 projects that will be funded by a 2 trillion yen fund to support corporate R&D toward a decarbonized society.

Projects include lowering costs for industrial power generation and solar power, establishing hydrogen supply networks, and developing automotive batteries,

and in the future, after deciding project goals and funding amounts, a call for applications will begin, with commercialization expected in the first half of the 2021 fiscal year.

・AEON <8267> [closing price 3,212.0 yen] is at a turning point in management.

On the 9th, announced the consolidated results for the fiscal year ending February 2021, with a final loss of 71 billion yen (the previous year was a profit of 26.8 billion yen), the largest ever.

Due to store closures and declining customer numbers from the pandemic, not only general merchandise, but also tenant operations and financial services worsened.

With a goal of 1 trillion yen in digital-related sales, it seeks a rebound, but the shadow of the US retailer Walmart, which serves as a model, remains distant.

・Yaskawa Electric <6506> [closing price 5,910 yen] Orders, which had slumped due to the novel coronavirus, have almost turned positive for the first time in about three years.

In addition to strong performance in China, recovery is underway domestically and in the Americas, with net profit for the fiscal year ending February 2022 expected at 31.7 billion yen, up 67% from the previous year.

This suggests the manufacturing investment appetite of major countries is returning.

　

・Leopalace21 <8848> [closing price 154 yen] faces uncertainty in its management reconstruction.

On the 9th, the occupancy rate in March was 81.72%, down more than 1 point from the previous year, marking 32 consecutive months below the previous year.

Although the break-even point of 80% was exceeded, the occupancy rate remains low for peak-season demand.

・Non-performing loans among Chinese financial institutions are rising again.

The year-end 2020 balance sheets of four major state-owned banks, including China Construction Bank, rose 22% from the previous year-end.

When the repayment deferral measures related to the novel coronavirus end, bad loans may increase further.

・A summary by Nikkei and Nikkei QUICK News of a survey by Chinese economists shows

The mean forecast for China’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth is 8.5%, up from 8.2% in the December 2020 survey.

The average growth forecast for 2021 Q1–Q3 is 17.9%, expecting a rebound from the previous year’s negative growth.

・Global coronavirus infection and death figures as of 4:00 PM on April 9, compiled by Johns Hopkins University: Worldwide 1,339,631,000 people (14,440 deaths)

United States 31,002,264 (1,000) Brazil 13,060,542 (780) India 13,060,542 (780) France 5,000,155 (752) Russia 4,563,026 (358) United Kingdom 4,384,954 (53)

Italy 3,717,602 (487) Turkey 3,689,866 (258) Spain 3,336,637 (142) Germany 2,966,789 (294) Poland 2,499,507 (958) Colombia 2,492,081 (247)