Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We've been pessimistic on prospects for ARM and recent news flow and share price performance hasn't helped but a decent report from TSMC eases some of our concerns</li>
<li>Softbank needs high teens royalty revenue growth for ARM and TSMC as a bellwether (+30% for Q3 and Q4 guidance) is better than AMD or Nvidia</li>
<li>We remain more conservative on valuation ($37bn) than Softbank assuming high single-digit growth and c. 43% EBITDA margins</li>
</ul>


We've been pessimistic on prospects for ARM and recent news flow and share price performance hasn't helped but a decent report from TSMC eases some of our concerns
Softbank needs high teens royalty revenue growth for ARM and TSMC as a bellwether (+30% for Q3 and Q4 guidance) is better than AMD or Nvidia
We remain more conservative on valuation ($37bn) than Softbank assuming high single-digit growth and c. 43% EBITDA margins


Softbank Group - The Most Important Number in Q2 Results May Be ARM Royalty Revenue

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Multiple new agencies have been reporting that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a> plans to trim its investment portfolio over the remainder of the year. </li>
<li>The reports have been coming in since the second half of the year and the company has been duly denying these rumors.</li>
<li>In this note, we look at Tencent’s shareholding in various companies to try and gauge which ones it could sell out of and how.</li>
</ul>


Multiple new agencies have been reporting that Tencent (700 HK) plans to trim its investment portfolio over the remainder of the year. 
The reports have been coming in since the second half of the year and the company has been duly denying these rumors.
In this note, we look at Tencent’s shareholding in various companies to try and gauge which ones it could sell out of and how.


Tencent Investee Selldown - The US$120bn Global Overhang

<ul>
<li>Softbank will settle all of its forward derivative contracts on Alibaba by the end of September, representing 242mn ADRs. Some had years to run so this is truly surprising</li>
<li>We estimate <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> raised $35b selling BABA-linked derivatives since mid-2020, which would imply average proceeds per ADR of $145 versus the $91 it trades at now</li>
<li>But early settlement also has us wondering when the other show will drop and if that is related to global tech, China or Alibaba specifically </li>
</ul>


Softbank will settle all of its forward derivative contracts on Alibaba by the end of September, representing 242mn ADRs. Some had years to run so this is truly surprising
We estimate Softbank Group (9984 JP) raised $35b selling BABA-linked derivatives since mid-2020, which would imply average proceeds per ADR of $145 versus the $91 it trades at now
But early settlement also has us wondering when the other show will drop and if that is related to global tech, China or Alibaba specifically 


Softbank Group Shock Settlement of Forward Alibaba Contracts Is Worrisome

<ul>
<li>Tech weakness has not only eroded the underlying asset value but raised concerns on leverage and the potential for an ARM IPO. The discount expanded by 4pp in one week</li>
<li>The timing and pricing of an ARM IPO looks more precarious as the semiconductor sector fell 13% over two days and is now down 34% from all-time highs</li>
<li>Currency tailwinds have provided some offset with an unprecedented dollar move mimiting downside in Softbank shares to 8% YTD versus a 24% decline for the $-based ADR</li>
</ul>


Tech weakness has not only eroded the underlying asset value but raised concerns on leverage and the potential for an ARM IPO. The discount expanded by 4pp in one week
The timing and pricing of an ARM IPO looks more precarious as the semiconductor sector fell 13% over two days and is now down 34% from all-time highs
Currency tailwinds have provided some offset with an unprecedented dollar move mimiting downside in Softbank shares to 8% YTD versus a 24% decline for the $-based ADR


Softbank Group - Semiconductor Weakness Expands Discount

<ul>
<li>Softbank is a $23bn winner on the China bounce as Alibaba (+37% over 2 days, $18bn) and Vision Fund (+$4.8bn) recovered from selling pressure over the last week</li>
<li>Improving sentiment aside the discount remains above 50% and the rebound appears to be more about correcting excess selling than a change in market outlook</li>
<li>We remain wary of Chinese exposure in the near-term on political, regulatory and economic risks although the worst appears to be over for now</li>
</ul>


Softbank is a $23bn winner on the China bounce as Alibaba (+37% over 2 days, $18bn) and Vision Fund (+$4.8bn) recovered from selling pressure over the last week
Improving sentiment aside the discount remains above 50% and the rebound appears to be more about correcting excess selling than a change in market outlook
We remain wary of Chinese exposure in the near-term on political, regulatory and economic risks although the worst appears to be over for now


Softbank Group - China Bounce Erases a Week of Losses

Japan

SoftBank Group Corp. provides telecommunication services. The Company also operates ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and fiber optic high-speed Internet connection, e-Commerce businesses, and Internet based advertising and auction businesses.

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Softbank Group (9984 JP)

Softbank Group - The Most Important Number in Q2 Results May Be ARM Royalty Revenue

Recent semiconductor weakness is worrisome but results from TSMC are reassuring on the timing of an ARM IPO. We value ARM at $37bn v Softbank's $40bn.

Kirk Boodry

Tencent Investee Selldown - The US$120bn Global Overhang

There have been multiple reports that Tencent (700 HK) plans to trim its investment portfolio over the remainder of the year. We look at Tencent's...

Sumeet Singh

Softbank Group Shock Settlement of Forward Alibaba Contracts Is Worrisome

Softbank has sung Alibaba’s praise for years so an early settlement of derivative contracts and sudden reduction in exposure begs the question of...

Kirk Boodry

Softbank Group - Semiconductor Weakness Expands Discount

The discount to fair value has expanded by 4pp in a week as tech weakness not only reduces net asset value but also raises concerns on an IPO of...

Kirk Boodry

Softbank Group - China Bounce Erases a Week of Losses

China bounce has added $4.8bn to Vision Fund and $18bn to Alibaba and that is enough to get us back to early March levels. We have updated the main...

Kirk Boodry

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