3D Investment Partners Releases Investor Presentation Highlighting Sapporo Holdings’ Long-standing Challenges

Invites Sapporo Shareholders to Share Their Perspectives on the Company’s Strategy, Capital Allocation, Business Configuration, Governance and Growth OpportunitiesTOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3D Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. (together with the funds it manages, “3D”) today published a presentation highlighting the underperformance of Sapporo Holdings Limited (“Sapporo” or the “Company”) (2501.T) and the causes of that underperformance. 3D is one of the largest shareholders of Sapporo.
The presentation is available at:
https://www.3dipartners.com/engagement/sapporo-presentation-en-202304.pdf
In the presentation, 3D describes Sapporo’s long-standing management challenges and its failure to capitalize on the abundant potential of the Company’s iconic beverage brands. 3D believes the Company has neglected Sapporo’s alcoholic beverages business and food and beverages business (“core business”) while building a real estate development enterprise. The result has been a core business that suffers from low margins and disappointing returns.
3D has repeatedly sought to engage with Sapporo’s Board to improve Sapporo’s corporate value, but our perspectives and suggestions have been largely ignored by Sapporo. Now, 3D is reaching out to fellow owners to share our views and seek input. We intend to continue to advocate for improvements at Sapporo in an effort to enhance corporate value.
3D hopes that our fellow owners will read this presentation and provide us with their perspectives on Sapporo’s strategy, capital allocation, business configuration, governance, and growth opportunities. 3D invites all fellow owners to convey their perspectives by emailing us at 3DIPartners@3dipartners.com. We hope that our fellow owners will participate so we can communicate the views of all shareholders to Sapporo’s Board.
3D believes that it is important for Japanese listed companies to engage actively with their large institutional investors to gather input and feedback. METI’s “Practical Guidelines for Business Transformations – Toward Changes to Business Portfolios and Organizations – (Business Transformation Guideline)“ also points out that “From the viewpoint of appropriate monitoring of the capital markets as a whole through the division of roles among various investors, it would be also reasonable to have a mutually complementary relationship in which institutional investors who actively conduct engagement activities submit shareholder proposals and shareholder opinions to the company, and passive institutional investors make judgments on the pros and cons of such proposals from the perspective of improving corporate value over the medium to long term” (4.1.2).
About 3D Investment Partners Pte.
3D Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. is an independent Singapore-based Japan focused value investing fund manager founded in 2015. 3D Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. focuses on partnering with managements who share its investment philosophy of medium- to long-term value creation through compound capital growth and a common objective of achieving long-term returns.
Disclaimer
This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or sell any security or investment product, nor does it constitute professional or investment advice. This press release should not be relied on by any person for any purpose and is not, and should not be construed as investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice.
3D Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. and its affiliates and their related persons (“3DIP”) believe that the current market price of Sapporo does not reflect its intrinsic value. 3DIP acquired beneficially and/or economic interests based on its own idea that Sapporo securities have been undervalued and provides attractive investment opportunity and may in the future beneficially own and/or have an economic interest in, Sapporo securities. 3DIP intends to review its investments in Sapporo on a continuing basis and, depending upon various factors including, without limitation, Sapporo’s financial position and strategic direction, the outcome of any discussions with Sapporo, overall market conditions, other investment opportunities available to 3DIP, and the availability of Sapporo securities at prices that would make the purchase or sale of Sapporo securities desirable, 3DIP may, from time to time (in the open market or in private transactions), buy, sell, cover, hedge, or otherwise change the form or substance of any of its investments (including the investment in Sapporo securities) to any degree in any manner permitted by any applicable law, and expressly disclaims any obligation to notify others of any such changes.
3DIP provides no representation or warranty, either expressed or implied, in relation to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information contained herein, nor is it intended to be a complete statement or summary of the securities, markets, or developments referred to herein. 3DIP expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for any loss howsoever arising from any use of, or reliance on, this press release or its contents as a whole or in part by any person, or otherwise howsoever arising in connection with this press release. 3DIP hereby expressly disclaims any obligation to update or provide additional information regarding the contents of this press release or to correct any inaccuracies in the information contained in this press release.
3DIP disclaims any intention or agreement to be treated as a joint holder (kyodo hoyu sha) under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan, a closely related party (missetsu kankei sha) under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act with other shareholders, or receiving any power or permission to represent other shareholders in relation to the exercise of their voting rights, and has no intention to solicit, encourage, induce or require any person to cause other shareholders to represent such voting rights.
3DIP does not have the intention to make a proposal, directly or through other shareholders of Sapporo, to transfer or abolish the business or assets of Sapporo and/or Sapporo group companies at the general shareholders meeting of Sapporo. 3DIP does not have the intention and purpose to engage in any conduct which constricts the continuing and stable implementation of business of Sapporo and/or Sapporo Holdings group companies.
This press release may include content or quotes from news coverage or other third-party public sources (“Third-Party Materials”). Permission to quote from Third-Party Materials in this press release may neither have been sought nor obtained. The content of the Third-Party Materials has not been independently verified by 3DIP and does not necessarily represent the views of 3DIP. The authors and/or publishers of the Third-Party Materials are independent of, and may have different views to 3DIP. The quoting Third-Party Materials in this press release does not imply that 3DIP endorses or concurs with any part of the content of the Third-Party Materials or that any of the authors or publishers of the Third-Party Materials endorses or concurs with any views which have been expressed by 3DIP on the relevant subject matter. The Third-Party Materials may not be representative of all relevant news coverage or views expressed by other third parties on the stated issues.
In respect of information that has been prepared by 3DIP (and not otherwise attributed to any other party) and which appear in the English language version of this press release, in the event of any inconsistency between the English language version and the Japanese language version of this press release, the meaning of the Japanese language version shall prevail unless otherwise expressly indicated. Contacts
KRIK (PR Agent)
Koshida: +81-70-8793-3990
Sugiyama: +81-70-8793-3989