The Scarcity Trade The Scarcity Trade
Independent Asia small-cap research

Underfollowed Asian small caps, before the catalyst.

I research overlooked companies in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, with a focus on semiconductors, holding-company discounts, and special situations. Start with a $2,500 fixed institutional research pilot: one fresh, fully sourced memo with valuation scenarios, risks, catalysts, and a 30-day update.

1–2 memos per month in an ongoing relationship · approximately 69,000 companies screened · top candidates manually reviewed and underwritten
~3 weeksbefore the activists

May 22, 2026: I published WUS Printed Circuit (2316.TW) at approximately 0.25x the value of its listed stake in Shenzhen-listed 002463.SZ. June 10–15, 2026: Palliser Capital and Metrica Partners disclosed activist positions and value-enhancement proposals on the same thesis.

Independent analyst focused on underfollowed Asian small caps. I pair broad systematic screening with manual review and underwriting of top candidates using local-language filings, with particular emphasis on semiconductors, holding-company discounts, and event-driven situations, names that rarely have English-language coverage.

Institutional research pilot

Start with one fixed-scope research engagement.

The $2,500 fixed pilot is designed to show the sourcing, judgment, and written work before either side considers an ongoing relationship.

01

$2,500 fixed pilot

One fresh, fully sourced institutional research memo on an agreed underfollowed Asian small cap.

A focused first engagement.
02

What is included

Valuation scenarios, key risks and catalysts, a 45-minute readout, and one update 30 days after delivery.

One memo, readout, and follow-up update.
03

After a successful pilot

A founding research relationship is $4,000 per month for 1–2 fully sourced memos and catalyst monitoring.

Ongoing only when the pilot demonstrates fit.

All engagements and ongoing relationships are subject to applicable compliance clearance.

Published before the catalyst

A public, timestamped research archive.

Research published before subsequent corporate, activist, or market developments. Each entry links to the original, dated source.

May 22, 2026
WUS Printed Circuit (2316.TW) published trading at approximately 0.25x the value of its listed stake in Shenzhen-listed 002463.SZ. How I was early: a cross-border holding-company and NAV screen flagged the Taiwan parent's discount to its listed stake in the Shenzhen AI-PCB leader, and local-language filings confirmed the cross-border ownership and NAV structure. June 10–15, 2026: Palliser Capital and Metrica Partners subsequently disclosed activist positions and value-enhancement proposals on the same thesis.
Original sourcing
Mirae Corp (025560.KS), a Korean ATE semiconductor test-handler the market files under autos/defense. An early English-language public analysis in a name with very limited prior English coverage.

See the full archive on Substack →

Track record

Personal-account performance.

Broker-calculated, unaudited time-weighted returns from my personal brokerage account. A personal, concentrated account, not a managed-fund composite, shown with its drawdowns, not just its gains.

 Broker-calculated, unaudited · Interactive Brokers PortfolioAnalyst
+412.6%
Since inception, time-weighted
Jul 20, 2023 – Jun 16, 2026
+71.2%
S&P 500 (Total Return)
Same period, same basis
+408.1%
Trailing 12 months
vs. S&P 500 +27.2%
Sharpe 0.95  ·  max drawdown 48.9%  ·  annualized volatility 22.7%  ·  largest position as of June 16, 2026: Mirae Corp (025560.KS), an idea I sourced early.
Largest contributors to return

The gains concentrated in a small number of high-conviction positions across three themes, not broad diversification.

Largest realized contributors
Golconda Gold (GG)+67.2%
Sun Residential RE (SRES)+25.9%
SK Hynix GDS (HY9H)+25.0%
Thor Explorations (THX)+20.9%
Qualitau (QLTU)+15.3%
AltynGold (ALTN)+14.6%
Silver Mountain (AGMR)+11.5%
LPKF Laser (LPK)+9.9%
Open position as of June 16, 2026
Mirae Corp (025560.KS)+25.9%
Where the gains came from

Three clusters, not broad diversification: gold and precious-metals miners; Korea semiconductors and the SK complex (memory and NAV re-rating); and AI and tech optionality.

Contribution to total return per Interactive Brokers PortfolioAnalyst. Realized positions are closed and booked; positions shown as open reflect the June 16, 2026 snapshot and do not imply later status.

Published thesisPublishedEntryTargets (bear / base / bull)StatusMemo
WUS Printed Circuit (2316.TW) May 22, 2026 ~NT$151 NT$150 / 250 / 375 Open as of June 16, 2026 Read

Personal brokerage account; high concentration and volatility, with the majority of cumulative gains realized in 2026. Returns are broker-calculated, unaudited, and time-weighted per Interactive Brokers PortfolioAnalyst (Jul 20, 2023 – Jun 16, 2026). Past performance does not guarantee future results; this is a personal account, not a managed-fund track record, and nothing here is investment advice. A redacted statement is available to prospective institutional clients on request.

Research process

Systematic coverage, manual underwriting.

The sourcing pipeline is a starting point, not the research product. The work combines broad systematic coverage, primary local-language sources, and disciplined hand underwriting of top candidates most desks ignore.

1

Screen broadly

A proprietary pipeline ranks approximately 69,000 global small and micro caps across roughly 156 countries into a ranked top-100 watchlist. View the live watchlist →

2

Source locally

Survivors are read against primary local-language filings and disclosures, not just English summaries.

3

Underwrite by hand

NAV / SOTP, forward order-book reconstruction, comparable valuation, catalysts, and bear/base/bull with downside.

4

Publish on the record

Theses are timestamped publicly, so the work can be judged on dated evidence rather than assertion.

About
Dheeraj Namburu

Independent analyst focused on underfollowed Asian small caps.

I combine systematic screening with manual review and underwriting of top candidates using local-language filings, with particular emphasis on semiconductors, holding-company discounts, and event-driven situations. The aim is a small number of well-sourced research memos for institutional clients.

Dheeraj Namburu · NYC · software engineer · Brown (Econ + CS) · publishing public equity research since 2022.  LinkedIn · X · GitHub · Substack

Research pilot

Worth a conversation?

Request details on the $2,500 fixed pilot, book a 15-minute call, or review the 2316 case study. Engagements are subject to applicable compliance clearance.

Request pilot details Book a call Read the 2316 case study