Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Itausa is trading at an 19.6% discount to the HoldCo’s NAV, with the discount narrowing sharply over the last two months</li>
<li>In addition, after a big increase in the dividend per share announced due to 2021 results, we believe that it is unlikely to see another big increase going forward</li>
<li>Banco Itaú Unibanco, Itausa’s largest investment, is positively geared to the hiking interest rate cycle by the Brazil central bank; we prefer direct exposure to the bank versus the holdco</li>
</ul>


Itausa is trading at an 19.6% discount to the HoldCo’s NAV, with the discount narrowing sharply over the last two months
In addition, after a big increase in the dividend per share announced due to 2021 results, we believe that it is unlikely to see another big increase going forward
Banco Itaú Unibanco, Itausa’s largest investment, is positively geared to the hiking interest rate cycle by the Brazil central bank; we prefer direct exposure to the bank versus the holdco


Itausa (ITSA4 BZ) – Too Narrow a NAV Discount, and the Dividend Yield Is No Longer Compelling

Equity Bottom-Up

Itau Unibanco Holding  / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Banco do Brasil is the clear value pick among LatAm banks, with sound credit quality and capital metrics as well as positive asset sensitivity on a delayed basis</li>
<li>Itaú Unibanco is the most asset sensitive of the Brazilian banks, with its large consumer exposure, and it shows positive trends in terms of asset quality</li>
<li>Santander Brasil has greater credit quality headwinds than peers and is the least asset sensitive of the big four peers, with Bradesco’s positive asset sensitivity repricing more slowly</li>
</ul>


Banco do Brasil is the clear value pick among LatAm banks, with sound credit quality and capital metrics as well as positive asset sensitivity on a delayed basis
Itaú Unibanco is the most asset sensitive of the Brazilian banks, with its large consumer exposure, and it shows positive trends in terms of asset quality
Santander Brasil has greater credit quality headwinds than peers and is the least asset sensitive of the big four peers, with Bradesco’s positive asset sensitivity repricing more slowly


Brazil Banks: Our Picks on Asset Sensitivity and Credit Quality Are Itaú Unibanco & Banco Do Brasil

<ul>
<li>The prospect of Russia being excluded from key emerging market indices is very real, in our view, and here we focus on the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF</li>
<li>The main beneficiaries of an index re-balancing would be the dominant EM Asian economies, and select African economies, but we cannot disregard LatAm and in particular we concentrate on financials</li>
<li>Largest weightings aside, we highlight our preferred LatAm financial names based on fundamentals; Banco do Brasil, B3, BanColombia and Banco del Bajio, we also remove Banorte from the sell list</li>
</ul>


The prospect of Russia being excluded from key emerging market indices is very real, in our view, and here we focus on the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
The main beneficiaries of an index re-balancing would be the dominant EM Asian economies, and select African economies, but we cannot disregard LatAm and in particular we concentrate on financials
Largest weightings aside, we highlight our preferred LatAm financial names based on fundamentals; Banco do Brasil, B3, BanColombia and Banco del Bajio, we also remove Banorte from the sell list


EM Banks and Financials – The Rebalancing in Index Weightings from the LatAm Perspective

<ul>
<li>Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations</li>
<li>Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX</li>
<li>In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers</li>
</ul>


Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations
Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX
In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers


2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Nubank’s shares are above the issue price post-IPO, with investors buying into the digital banking opportunity in Brazil as well as Mexico and Colombia</li>
<li>The bulls argue that the growth potential is not yet reflected in valuations; it has very low costs, and its positive returns will follow from greater loan and product penetration</li>
<li>Nubanks’s valuation is very stretched; good customer penetration does not yet equal deep product penetration which drives revenue growth, and new markets – Mexico and Colombia – will pressure costs</li>
</ul>


Nubank’s shares are above the issue price post-IPO, with investors buying into the digital banking opportunity in Brazil as well as Mexico and Colombia
The bulls argue that the growth potential is not yet reflected in valuations; it has very low costs, and its positive returns will follow from greater loan and product penetration
Nubanks’s valuation is very stretched; good customer penetration does not yet equal deep product penetration which drives revenue growth, and new markets – Mexico and Colombia – will pressure costs


Nubank (NU US) – IPO Done, Now Comes the Hard Part

Brazil

Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. attracts deposits and offer retail, commercial, corporate, and private banking services. The Bank offers consumer loans, financial management, insurance, pension plans, treasury services, mortgage loans, lease financing, securities brokerage, and foreign exchange services.

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Itau Unibanco Holding (ITUB4 BZ)

Itausa (ITSA4 BZ) – Too Narrow a NAV Discount, and the Dividend Yield Is No Longer Compelling

Itausa's NAV discount has narrowed sharply, it has little scope of dividend growth, and is selling down its XP stake at a tricky moment; we prefer...

Victor Galliano

Brazil Banks: Our Picks on Asset Sensitivity and Credit Quality Are Itaú Unibanco & Banco Do Brasil

Itaú Unibanco, the most asset sensitive big-cap Brazil bank, benefits from the BCB's recent monetary tightening, with Banco do Brasil & its sound...

Victor Galliano

EM Banks and Financials – The Rebalancing in Index Weightings from the LatAm Perspective

Potential Russian shares exclusion from indices is real, with Asian EMs set to gain big, but do not disregard LatAm; our preferred financials are...

Victor Galliano

2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Our 2022 high conviction ideas include buys on Sberbank, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank, as well as BBVA, Banco BPM, B3, SGX, Mastercard and...

Victor Galliano

Nubank (NU US) – IPO Done, Now Comes the Hard Part

More than other digital banks, Nubank suffers from a disconnect between size of customer base & loan & deposit balances; also, we estimate that...

Victor Galliano

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