Taiwan Conglomerates Rising Political Risks upon Media Pressure on Far Eastern Group (遠東集團) What's New — Apple Daily today reported that Douglas Hsu, the chairman of Far Eastern Group, bribed the former first family with US$11.5mn in 2004. We maintain our view that the legal system won't reach a conclusion fast, and it may be too early to say related companies have no investment value fundamentally. However, the event implies the risk that the media may frontrun the government and push for stricter investigations into the recent scandal of the former president, and we believe the news would, in the short-term, affect sentiment in the Far Eastern Group companies, and probably even for other companies close to the former president.
What if...: Our fundamental view — If the prosecutors can't find evidence or agree to pardon Douglas Hsu in exchange for testifying against the former president, the impact should be minimal for Far Eastern Group. However, if Douglas Hsu is found guilty and is convicted, the risk is that the operation of the group will be affected given his tight control over the group, and no strong successor is in sight. In our view, Asia Cement is relatively immune as the operation and strategies are guided by their senior consultant. On the other hand, Far Eastern Textile and Far Eastern Department Store rely more on Douglas Hsu, as the first is the holding company and the second needs Douglas's guidance on expansion plans.