Core Insights - QuantumScape Corporation is advancing its efforts to commercialize solid-state batteries through collaborations with Murata Manufacturing and Corning Incorporated, focusing on the ceramic separator component [1][9]. Group 1: Collaborations and Technology - The ceramic separator is a key element in QuantumScape's solid-state battery design, offering superior heat resistance and durability compared to traditional plastic separators, which enhances safety and battery life for electric vehicles [2]. - The partnership with Murata aims to transition from research to large-scale production of ceramic separators, leveraging Murata's expertise in ceramic material formulation and manufacturing processes [3]. - The collaboration with Corning focuses on refining and scaling the production process for the ceramic separators, aiming to establish industrial capabilities for mass production [4]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Solid Power is pursuing a different approach by developing sulfide-based solid-state batteries and licensing its technology to automakers, which reduces capital intensity but relies on partners for manufacturing success [6]. - SES AI is working on lithium-metal batteries with AI-driven monitoring systems and has established partnerships with major automotive companies, although it is still in the early stages of battery commercialization [7]. Group 3: Market Performance - QuantumScape's shares have increased by over 190% year to date, significantly outperforming the industry average [8].

Summary of the Conference Call on Electronic Components Industry Industry Overview - The conference focused on the **Electronic Components** industry in **Japan** with a specific emphasis on demand shifts and earnings forecasts for key players in the sector [1][4][8]. Key Points Demand and Earnings Outlook - Results for **April to June 2025** exceeded forecasts, with strong demand anticipated for **July to September 2025**. A solid foundation is necessary for earnings expansion in **2026** [1][6]. - The outlook for demand beyond **October to December 2025** remains uncertain, indicating potential volatility in the market [7]. Company Ratings and Forecasts - **Ibiden**: Rated **Overweight** with expectations to maintain a dominant share of **NVIDIA's ABF package substrates**. Current price is **6,732 JPY** with a target price of **8,300 JPY**, indicating a **23% upside** [6][10]. - **TDK**: Also rated **Overweight**, with earnings expected to expand due to high-value-added rechargeable batteries. Current price is **1,928 JPY** with a target price of **2,100 JPY**, suggesting a **9% upside** [6][10]. - **Hirose Electric**: Rated **Overweight**, benefiting from the expansion of automotive connectors. Current price is **18,700 JPY** with a target price of **20,900 JPY**, indicating a **12% upside** [6][10]. - **Niterra**: Expected to see continued earnings growth for replacement plugs and SPE electrostatic chucks. Current price is **5,326 JPY** with a target price of **5,700 JPY**, suggesting a **7% upside** [6][10]. - **Meiko Electronics**: Rated **Overweight** with continued earnings growth anticipated from expanding capacity for high-layer-count/high-density build-up PCBs. Current price is **8,380 JPY** with a target price of **8,400 JPY**, indicating a **0% upside** [6][10]. Risk-Reward Snapshot - The report includes a risk-reward snapshot ranking companies by preference, with **Ibiden** and **TDK** at the top, followed by **Hirose Electric** and **Niterra**. Companies like **Murata Manufacturing** and **Hamamatsu Photonics** are rated **Equal-Weight**, indicating a more cautious outlook [7][10]. Market Trends - The **MLCC** (Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor) market is highlighted, with expectations for **Murata's** market share to continue rising at a mild rate in the mid to long term [9]. - Capex by hyperscalers has significantly increased, indicating a positive trend for electronic components [9]. Financial Metrics - The report provides detailed financial metrics for various companies, including P/E ratios, EV/EBITDA, and ROE, which are essential for evaluating investment opportunities [10]. Additional Insights - The conference emphasized the importance of monitoring demand shifts and the potential impact of macroeconomic factors on the electronic components market [1][9]. - Analysts noted the need for investors to consider potential conflicts of interest when interpreting research from firms like **Morgan Stanley** [4][5]. This summary encapsulates the key insights and financial forecasts from the conference call, providing a comprehensive overview of the electronic components industry in Japan.

Core Viewpoint - QuantumScape has experienced a significant decline in share price, dropping nearly 46% over the past month, raising questions about whether this selloff represents a warning sign or a potential buying opportunity [1] Group 1: Recent Stock Performance - The recent sell-off was not due to any major negative developments within the company, but rather a typical case of traders cashing in after a hype-driven rally [2] - Following the announcement of the new "Cobra" separator technology, shares surged over 50% in a week, reaching a 52-week high of $15.03 on July 18, before falling more than 10% to close at $7.91 [3][4] Group 2: Technological Advancements - QuantumScape has made significant progress in solid-state battery development, transitioning to the new COBRA separator process, which offers a 25-fold productivity improvement over the previous Raptor process [10] - The COBRA process is expected to enhance manufacturability and scalability, with field testing of customer samples targeted for 2026 [11] Group 3: Partnerships and Collaborations - The collaboration with PowerCo, Volkswagen's battery subsidiary, has been expanded, introducing up to $131 million in new milestone payments over the next two years, in addition to the original $130 million [7][8] - QuantumScape has signed a joint development agreement with another major global automotive OEM, indicating a broader partnership strategy beyond Volkswagen [12][13] Group 4: Financial Position - QuantumScape ended Q2 2025 with $797.5 million in liquidity, extending its cash runway into 2029, which is six months longer than previously projected [14] - The expanded PowerCo deal is expected to help reduce net losses and improve the bottom line, providing a meaningful cushion for the company [14] Group 5: Investment Outlook - Despite recent stock volatility, the fundamentals of QuantumScape appear to be strengthening, with two major auto partners engaged and a solid financial position [16] - For investors willing to endure short-term fluctuations, this dip may present a buying opportunity for long-term gains [17]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Capital expenditures in Q2 were $8.3 million, primarily for facilities and equipment purchases to prepare for higher volume QSC5B1 sample production [15] - GAAP operating expenses and net loss in Q2 were $123.6 million and $114.7 million respectively, with an adjusted EBITDA loss of $63 million [15][16] - The company narrowed its full-year guidance for adjusted EBITDA loss to between $250 million and $270 million [16] - Liquidity at the end of Q2 was $797.5 million, with an extended cash runway forecast into 2029, a six-month improvement over previous guidance [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company announced an expansion of its collaboration with Volkswagen Group's PowerCo, with additional payments of up to $131 million over the next two years [5][6] - The upgraded deal allows PowerCo to produce up to an additional 5 gigawatt hours of QS cells annually, totaling up to 85 gigawatt hours [6][12] - The company has entered into a joint development agreement with another major global automotive OEM, enhancing collaboration beyond initial sampling [8][25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is seeing market traction accelerate as new agreements provide commercial validation and increase urgency in the automotive sector [9] - Collaboration with Murata Manufacturing is progressing well, particularly in the Japanese market where demand for solid-state batteries is strong [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is now firmly in the commercialization phase, with the expanded deal with PowerCo demonstrating the economic value of its solid-state platform [12][13] - The business model focuses on monetizing development activities early and collecting licensing royalties as customers ramp production volumes [19][20] - The COBRA process has been baselined, significantly improving efficiency and productivity for separator production [10][26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges significant challenges in scaling production but believes they are closer than ever to achieving long-term goals with world-class partners [13] - The company emphasizes the importance of adapting technology to meet customer needs and maintaining a high-touch model for collaboration [25][60] Other Important Information - The company plans to invoice PowerCo for more than $10 million for development work already performed in Q3 [17][22] - The joint QS PowerCo team is focused on satisfactory technical progress towards QSC5 industrialization, which is tied to the original $130 million prepayment [69] Q&A Session Summary Question: Significance of the expanded agreement with PowerCo - The expanded agreement validates the company's vision for a dual cash inflow model, monetizing development activities and realizing royalties as production ramps up [19][20] Question: Financial impact of the expanded agreement - The agreement is expected to improve the bottom line and extend the cash runway, with preliminary assessments indicating it will not be recognized as revenue [22][74] Question: Details on the joint development agreement with the second major global automotive customer - The JDA aims to customize technology for the customer's needs, progressing towards a full licensing arrangement [25][60] Question: Significance of the COBRA process being baselined - The COBRA process is crucial for achieving high performance in solid-state technology, enabling gigawatt-hour scale production [26][27] Question: Capacity and engagement with US defense contractors or drone manufacturers - The company is focusing on creating an ecosystem that allows for various applications, including potential interest from US defense contractors [53][55] Question: Progress on the original $130 million prepayment - The prepayment is contingent on satisfactory technical progress, with public goals aligned with this progress [69]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, GAAP operating expenses were $123.6 million and GAAP net loss was $114.7 million, with an adjusted EBITDA loss of $63 million, aligning with expectations [15][16] - The company ended Q2 with $797.5 million in liquidity, extending its cash runway into 2029, a six-month improvement over previous guidance [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company announced an expansion of its collaboration with Volkswagen Group's battery maker, PowerCo, which includes additional payments of up to $131 million over the next two years [5][6] - The first milestones linked to expected payments of more than $10 million have already been achieved [6][34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is seeing market traction accelerate as new agreements provide commercial validation and increase urgency in the automotive sector [8] - A joint development agreement has been entered with another major global automotive OEM, indicating strong demand for solid-state batteries [7][24] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The expanded deal with PowerCo demonstrates the economic value of the company's solid-state lithium metal technology platform and the effectiveness of its capital-light business model [12][20] - The company aims to monetize development activities early and collect licensing royalties as customers ramp production volumes, indicating a dual cash inflow strategy [19][20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management views the current quarter as a major inflection point, firmly entering the commercialization phase [12] - The challenges of scaling production remain significant, but the company believes it is closer than ever to achieving long-term goals with its partners [13] Other Important Information - Capital expenditures in Q2 were $8.3 million, with full-year guidance narrowed to between $45 million and $65 million [15] - The COBRA process has been baselined, which is expected to significantly improve efficiency and productivity [9][26] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the significance of the expanded agreement with PowerCo? - The expanded agreement validates the business model, providing two sources of cash inflows: monetizing development activities and realizing royalties as production ramps up [19][20] Question: Can you expand on the financial impact of this expanded agreement? - The payments from PowerCo are expected to reduce GAAP net loss and improve the bottom line, with more than $10 million to be invoiced in Q3 for development work already performed [22][71] Question: Can you elaborate on the joint development agreement with the second major global automotive customer? - The JDA aims to customize technology to meet the customer's needs, progressing towards a full commercialization and licensing arrangement [24][32] Question: What are the implications from an OpEx and CapEx standpoint regarding the expanded agreement? - The inflows from the agreement are expected to be accretive, as they align with existing operational plans [70][75] Question: How many customers can the company manage at one time? - There is an upper limit on how many customers can be managed simultaneously to ensure high-quality service and protection of intellectual property [58][60]

Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry Overview - **Industry**: Electronic Components in Japan - **Key Companies**: Ibiden, TDK, Murata, Taiyo Yuden, HDD manufacturers Core Insights 1. **Investor Interest in HDDs**: There has been a notable increase in investor inquiries regarding HDDs, particularly concerning the production bottlenecks and capacity increases for NL-HDDs in data centers. The production volume of NL-HDDs dropped from 7.45 million units in June 2022 to 2.60 million units in June 2023, with a partial recovery to 6.16 million units by May 2025 [8][8][8] 2. **Earnings Growth Expectations**: Investors have high expectations for Ibiden's earnings growth in the medium term, driven by its significant market share in FC packages for NVIDIA GPUs. However, there are concerns regarding near-term earnings for F3/26 [3][3][3] 3. **AI and Computing Demand**: Companies like Ibiden, TDK, and Murata are expected to benefit from the growing demand for computing components due to the rise of AI technologies. Ibiden is projected to see substantial increases in unit prices of its FC package boards with each new GPU generation [2][2][2] 4. **TDK's Market Position**: TDK has a ~40% share of the global mobile device battery market and is anticipated to see significant sales and profit growth from rechargeable batteries starting in F3/26 2Q. However, there is skepticism among investors regarding TDK's communication strategy about its earnings [4][4][4] 5. **Murata's Earnings Potential**: Investors believe that while Murata's F3/26 1Q earnings are favorable, concerns about declining sales of RF modules for 2025 model smartphones may hinder share price growth. The demand for MLCCs is expected to have a more significant impact on earnings than RF modules [7][7][7] Additional Important Points 1. **Production Bottlenecks**: The decline in NL-HDD production is attributed to workforce reductions during previous downturns, making it challenging to scale up production in response to rising demand. Companies like Suncall have exited the suspension manufacturing market, contributing to supply issues [8][8][8] 2. **Market Dynamics**: The market is demanding increased capacity for NL-HDDs, with manufacturers raising product capacities to 24TB and beyond. This shift is creating a competitive landscape where bottlenecks in production are a critical concern [8][8][8] 3. **Valuation and Risks**: Ibiden's valuation is based on a DCF model with a WACC of 6.3%. Risks include potential competition from overseas in the ABF package market and weaker-than-expected demand for CPUs [15][16][16] Conclusion The electronic components industry in Japan is experiencing significant interest from investors, particularly in the context of AI and computing advancements. Companies like Ibiden, TDK, and Murata are positioned to benefit from these trends, although they face challenges related to production capacity and market dynamics.

Company Overview - QuantumScape has significantly underperformed the market, with shares declining over 20% in the past year, and remains a pre-revenue business several years post-IPO [1] - The company is currently in the "sampling stage," focusing on shipping battery system samples to potential customers for testing [3] Progress and Collaborations - QuantumScape is advancing towards commercialization by collaborating with Volkswagen Group's battery manufacturing company and other automakers, while also building a network of vendors and suppliers [4] - The company aims to produce batteries with energy density significantly higher than traditional lithium-ion batteries, capable of charging from 10% to 80% in under 15 minutes [4] Financial Status - QuantumScape is projected to incur an adjusted EBITDA loss between $250 million and $280 million for the full year [5] - The company has approximately $860 million in cash and liquidity, providing financial runway until 2028 without needing additional capital [6] Strategic Timeline - The CEO has outlined a strategic blueprint indicating that QuantumScape plans to demonstrate its technology through product samples, progressing to more comprehensive installations [8][9] - The company aims to achieve some level of commercialization of its first batteries next year, with a long-term strategy focused on continuous platform improvement [10] Market Potential - The CEO anticipates that by 2040, there will be over a terawatt-hour per year of solid-state batteries produced, positioning QuantumScape as a market leader [11] - Current EV battery production costs are around $140 per kilowatt-hour, with predictions suggesting solid-state battery costs could drop to $70 billion market size in 15 years if QuantumScape leads the market [12]

日本股市，大幅上涨！ 今日，亚太市场多数上涨，日经225指数一度涨超700点，盘中涨幅超过2%。当天，日本首相石破茂表 示，目前没有考虑对美采取报复性关税措施。石破茂称，日本经济再生大臣赤泽亮正本周将作为首席贸易 谈判代表首次访问美国，启动与美国的贸易谈判。 同日，日本央行行长植田和男表示，由于美国的关税政策，全球和日本国内经济的不确定性急剧上升。日 本央行将从可持续实现2%通胀目标的角度出发，审视经济、物价和金融发展的同时，适当引导货币政 策。 高盛分析师表示，如果日元对美元汇率升至130，日本持续通胀的前景变得黯淡，日本央行可能会考虑暂 停加息。 另据最新消息，花旗将日本股市评级从"减持"上调至"增持"。 日本股市走强 日本股市今日大幅走强，日经225指数盘中一度涨超700点。截至收盘时，日经225指数上涨近400点，涨 幅为1.18%。特朗普政府宣布将智能手机排除在"对等关税"对象之外，缓解了相关行业受影响的担忧，这 也支撑了日本股市。 九州金融集团涨近4%，南都银行、名古屋银行涨近3%，三井住友金融集团涨近2%。电子零件制造商 TDK（东电化）涨超4%，芯片测试设备制造商爱德万测试涨幅接近5%，为iP ...