Activist Watcher icon

Help & Usage

Basic operations and FAQ for Activist Watcher

Basic Operations

1. Viewing Reports

The home screen displays the latest large shareholding reports in chronological order. Each report card shows submission date, issuer name (stock), holder name (investor), and ownership ratio changes. Tap a report card to view details, or tap the issuer/holder name to go to their profile screens.

2. Viewing Holder & Issuer Profiles

Holder profile screens show basic information about specific investors (funds, etc.), a list of all reports they've submitted, and a list of the stocks they hold. Issuer profile screens show all reports submitted for a specific stock and a list of investors holding that stock. The holder list includes joint holders as well as the representative filer, and you can navigate from a joint holder to the stocks they hold.

3. Using Search

The search screen lets you search for reports by holder name (investor), issuer name (stock), or securities code. Results update in real-time for quick access to the information you need. Search history is saved automatically, so you can quickly return to targets you check repeatedly.

4. Notification Settings

Toggle push notifications ON/OFF in the settings screen. Choose between two styles: real-time alerts for breaking updates, or an evening digest that summarizes the day's reports. You'll receive notifications when new large shareholding reports are registered or when a holder's ownership ratio increases or decreases — there is no threshold on the size of the change. Tap notifications to go directly to the relevant report details.

5. Watch Feature

Register holders (investors) and issuers (stocks) of interest to your watchlist. Register them from holder or issuer detail screens or from search results, and use the watch screen to review the latest status of everything you have registered in one place. The free plan allows up to 3 registrations in total across issuers and holders; Premium removes the limit. Premium also lets you set the notification scope to "Watched only" in settings, so you receive notifications only for registered items.

6. Viewing Disclosure & Tender Offer Documents

Issuer profile screens show annual securities reports, semi-annual reports, and extraordinary reports, as well as tender offer documents such as tender offer notifications and position statements. Holder profile screens provide access to tender offer documents. Documents open as PDFs. The free plan includes the latest single document; Premium unlocks past documents. Coverage begins with filings dated on or after January 1, 2025.

7. Ownership Trend Charts (Premium)

With Premium, view ownership ratio trend charts for specific holder-issuer pairs. Access chart screens by tapping targets in holder or issuer profile screens. Even when the representative filer of a joint holding group changes partway through, the trend is shown as a single continuous chart.

8. Checking Rankings

The ranking screen displays rankings of stocks and holders based on large shareholding report filing activity. Switch between weekly, monthly, and three-month period views. Free plan shows top 5; Premium plan shows up to top 100.

9. Average Acquisition Price & Holding Purpose Changes (Premium)

The report detail screen shows a reference average acquisition price as of that report, derived from the acquisition funds and share count. For amendment reports, you can also see how the holding purpose changed from the previous report, with added and removed passages highlighted. In the full-text view you can toggle between diff view and normal view. Both are Premium features, but the "Changed from previous" badge on reports whose holding purpose has changed is available on the free plan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a large shareholding report?

A large shareholding report is a document that investors must submit to Japan's Financial Services Agency (EDINET) when they hold 5% or more of a listed company's shares, or when their ownership ratio changes by 1% or more. These reports allow you to track major investors' stock holdings.

Q2: Where does the data come from?

Data is automatically retrieved from EDINET (Electronic Disclosure for Investors' NETwork), operated by Japan's Financial Services Agency. We use official data to provide accurate and reliable information.

Q3: What notifications will I receive?

You will receive notifications when new large shareholding reports are registered. Notifications are classified into five types: new report, ownership ratio increase, ownership ratio decrease, correction report, and amendment with no ratio change. There is no threshold — any change in ownership ratio is eligible for notification. You can filter notifications to receive only "important reports" related to activist activity or acquisitions. The Premium plan allows individual ON/OFF settings for each notification type.

Q4: What's the difference between Free and Premium plans?

The Free plan includes report viewing, search, push notifications, rankings (top 5), holding purpose classification, the watch feature (up to 3 registrations in total across issuers and holders), and disclosure document viewing (latest 1). Premium adds holding ratio trend charts, reference average acquisition price, highlighted changes in holding purpose, unlimited watchlist registrations, full ranking access (top 100), granular notification scope (watched targets only) and type settings, and access to past disclosure documents.

Q5: How many items can I add to my watchlist?

The free plan allows up to 3 registrations in total across issuers (stocks) and holders (investors). Premium removes the limit, so you can add as many items of interest as you like.

Q6: What should I do if notifications aren't working?

First, check that push notifications are enabled in the settings screen. Also verify that notifications are permitted for the app in your device settings. If notifications still don't arrive, try restarting the app or contact support.

Q7: How can I view report PDFs?

Tap the "View PDF" button in the report details screen to open the official EDINET PDF file in an external browser. Use this to review formal disclosure content.

Q8: Can I use the app offline?

The app requires an internet connection. Report data is retrieved from EDINET, so an online environment is necessary to view the latest information.

Q9: How far back can I view past reports?

The app covers large shareholding reports and disclosure documents filed on or after January 1, 2025. Scroll down on the home screen to load past reports, or use the search feature to narrow down to a specific stock or holder.

Q10: How do I pay for and manage my subscription?

Payment is processed through your Apple ID or Google Play account. Manage or cancel subscriptions in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions on iPhone, or Google Play Store > Account > Payments & subscriptions on Android.

Q11: Will Premium transfer to a new device?

Yes, log in with the same Apple ID or Google account and use the "Restore Purchase" button in the subscription screen to restore your Premium plan.

Q12: Can I use this app's information for investment decisions?

This app is for information purposes only and does not provide investment advice or recommendations. Always make investment decisions at your own responsibility. While report data is retrieved from EDINET, we do not guarantee content accuracy.

Q13: What is holding purpose classification?

This feature automatically classifies holding purposes stated in large shareholding reports into categories such as "Significant Proposals" and "Tender Offers," displaying them as badges on report cards. It helps you quickly identify important reports related to activist shareholder proposals and tender offers.

Q14: What is the reference average acquisition price?

It is the average price per share as of a given report, calculated from the acquisition funds and share count stated in the large shareholding report. It helps you gauge roughly what price level a major investor bought in at. It is a reference value derived by simple calculation from the figures in the report, and does not guarantee the actual purchase price or timing. This is a Premium feature.

Q15: What are the "Changed from previous" badge and diff view for holding purpose?

When an amendment report's holding purpose differs from the previous report, the app shows a "Changed from previous" badge. This badge is available on the free plan. Premium adds a diff view that highlights the passages that were added or removed. Holding purpose appears as a preview in lists; open the full text via "Read more" to toggle between diff view and normal view.

Q16: Can I view tender offer (TOB) documents?

Yes. You can view tender offer documents such as tender offer notifications and position statements. Issuer profile screens show them alongside disclosure documents like annual securities reports; holder profile screens provide access to tender offer documents. The free plan includes the latest single document; Premium unlocks past documents.

Q17: What does the "delayed" mark on a report mean?

It marks a large shareholding report filed well after its reporting obligation date, so you can spot conspicuously late filings at a glance. You can set the threshold for what counts as delayed to 14, 30, or 90 days in the settings screen.

Q18: Where can I see holdings by joint holders?

The holders tab on the issuer profile screen shows joint holders in addition to the representative filer. You can also navigate from a joint holder to the issuers (stocks) they hold. This is useful for tracking, for example, an individual investor involved with several activist funds.

Q19: Can I change how securities codes and company names are displayed?

Yes. In the settings screen you can choose whether to show the securities code next to the issuer name, and how to show it (badge, separate line, or hidden). The app interface is in Japanese only; turning off the setting labeled 「(株)等を表示する」 ("Show (株) etc.") omits company designations such as "Co., Ltd." from issuer and holder names. Securities codes also appear on report detail and ownership trend screens.

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Contact

If the FAQ above doesn't solve your problem or you have other questions, please feel free to contact us.

Support Email: apps@obaonline.net

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