Tokyo – Tuesday, 21 May 2019: CLSA, Asia’s leading capital markets and investment groups, opens the 15th CLSA Japan Forum in Tokyo today. The invitation only-event brings 420 global investors from more than 20 countries to Japan to meet with 170 leading public corporations and to hear from 40 specialist speakers on the issues and trends impacting Japan’s markets.
Since its inception in 2004, the CLSA Japan Forum has become a must-attend event for foreign and domestic institutional investors to gain direct access to corporate Japan and to global experts on Japan’s key industries. CLSA’s award-winning equity analysts and strategists will present alongside invited speakers on topics that include:
- Sustainable tourism and integrated casino resort planning
- Consumer and retail innovation in Japan’s labour-challenged market
- Corporate governance and shareholder activism in Japan
- Japan’s automotive industry
- AI, machine learning and robotics
- Real estate and finance
As Japan prepares to introduce integrated casino resorts, James Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, and George Tanasijevich, President and CEO of Marina Bay Sands and Managing Director, Global Development of Las Vegas Sands, will deliver keynote speeches on the development of the resort tourism industry in Japan. CLSA’s Tokyo-based gaming analyst Jay Defibaugh will present his outlook for the sector in Japan, a market expected to soon become the world’s third largest.
With issues of corporate governance and shareholder activism in Japan continuing to raise interest around the globe, Ryohei Yanagi, Director, Investor Relations at Eisai, will demonstrate how solid corporate governance can help boost companies’ ROE. Four years after the introduction of Japan’s corporate governance code, Nicholas Benes, Representative Director of The Board Director Training Institute of Japan, will look back at the progress made by corporates, and explore how investors can help drive the agenda further. Japan Strategist Nicholas Smith will discuss how Topix EPS growth has outperformed other world indices’ and how recent corporate governance issues have affected Japan Inc.
Japanese automakers have been in the spotlight this year, and CLSA’s Deputy Head of Japan Research, Christopher Richter, will assess the impact of ride-hailing and other disruptors on legacy automakers.
Raffaello D’Andrea, Founder, Verity Studios AG and Professor at ETH Zurich and inventor of the robots that revolutionised warehouses around the globe, will unveil his world-acclaimed drones and provide his vision of the coming machine revolution. Also in the tech space, Yonghua Lin, Lab Director at IBM Research China, will talk about artificial intelligence (AI) for enterprises. Morten Paulsen, CLSA’s Head of Japan Research, will discuss Japanese machinery and robotics, while CLSA’s Amit Garg and Hideo Noda will identify structural winners in Japan’s technology sector.
Simon Kemp, CEO of marketing agency Kepios, will explore Japanese consumers’ online behaviour while CLSA’s consumer analysts will discuss winning business strategies in the consumer retail sector in Japan and Asia.
William Montgomery, CLSA’s Japan real estate analyst, will explore the long-term value proposition of J-Reits, while CLSA’s Hideyasu Ban will discuss investment opportunities in Japan financials.
Oliver Matthew, recently appointed CLSA Country Head of Japan, commented: “Timed to coincide with the ushering in of the Reiwa era, the 15th CLSA Japan Forum will examine the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for the country. As Japan looks to new leadership, foreign investors seek CLSA’s analysis and insight to make strategic investment decisions. With 170 listed companies confirmed to attend, I believe this Forum provides an unparalleled platform for investors to uncover new investment and business opportunities while engaging with leading Japan-market opinion formers.”
The 15th CLSA Japan Forum takes place at Grand Hyatt Tokyo from 21 to 24 May 2019.