Reader question: The Bank of Kyoto?

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Disclaimer: This article constitutes the author’s personal views only and is for entertainment purposes only. It is not to be construed as financial advice in any shape or form. Please do your own research and seek your own advice from a qualified financial advisor. From time to time, the author may hold positions in the below-mentioned stocks consistent with the views and opinions expressed in this article. This is a disclosure - not recommendations to buy or sell stocks.

Someone wrote an article on Seeking Alpha a few weeks ago about the Bank of Kyoto’s non-core equity portfolio, which sits on unrealised gains of JPY 1 trillion. Since then, I have discussed the idea with a reader, and I want to share my conclusion with you.

Executive summary

• Bank of Kyoto is a typical Japanese regional bank with a decent deposit franchise and close relationships with corporate borrowers in the Kyoto Prefecture.

• What makes the stock stand out is the bank’s JPY 1,163 billion stock portfolio, which inclu…