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Strategies & Market Trends : JAPAN-Nikkei-Time to go back up? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: James Strauss who wrote (3444)	8/25/2003 5:20:31 PM
From: Crossy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3902

Jim thx for your comments .. btw - let me cite you "It will be interesting to see the U.S./Japanese central bank collaboration to keep the dollar/yen relationship just right..." well, I would prefer to let the market run it's course but who knows... The US isn't hostile to Japan anymore - quite the contrary.. The current cheap yen should give exporters a boost. Once the recovery is underway. importers and domestic should benefit.. I love SOFTDRINK RELATED companies in Japan. Over there it's a 60% gross margin industry. Yet, some underwent a brutal restructuring.. my bets are in 2 firms 2551.J - Marusan-Ai - www.marusanai.co.jp - 515 Y - Either #1 or #2 in Japan Soy drinks. They own 1/3 of "american Soy products", the biggest US soybean processor firm. 'Good strategy: sourcing US soybeans to Japan (Imports), exporting technology to US for the local market (American Soy makes soy drinks and soy products for the US market and is about to enter contract operations - turnkey ready solutions for 3rd parties : say WEIGHT MANAGEMENT, especially USNA, MED etc..) all firms that could use Marusan's US Infrastructure.. At home they are importing US soybeans and also enjoying great gross margins from domestic oprations.. PRcie/Sales is 0.28 - company earns around 30 Yen per year (uptrend too), around 515 Yen now.. Now if the yen appreciates soy imports will decline in price - Margin should go up as profits.. Plus the US operation´which is very profitable too 2598.J - Asahi Soft Drinks Inc. - 500 Y - This is the softdrink operation of Asahi Brewery (parent company) - it was floated 1999 at 2000+ Yen a share. Brutal restructuring, now 500 yen a share. Turnaround expected for this year (ending Dec. 2003) - 20 Yen EPS are forcast. Price/Sales around 0.17, very cheap, 60% gross margins.. They are very active in 3 areas: new age beverages, soda & carbonated softdrinks & tea/coffee flavoured drinks.. the latter category is booming because of unusual cold weahter in Japan.. revenues tripled in their hottest product this year.. Raised to strong buy by 2 brokers.. all the best CROSSY