Chief Economist & Political Strategist, CrossASEAN Research

Prasenjit K. Basu

Chief Economist & Political Strategist

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>After 8 quarters of employment-led growth, productivity grew 1.5%YoY in Q2CY24, as machinery investment grew 3.8%YoY. The large pipeline of unfulfilled investment commitments from 2022 should boost machinery investment further. </li>
<li>NODX rebounded to 13.2%YoY growth (16.1%YoY volume growth) in Jul-Aug'24, and the BoP current account surplus was 20% of GDP in H1CY24. As productivity accelerates, inflation will moderate. </li>
<li>We expect real GDP to grow 3.7% in 2024. But lower inflation will allow S$NEER's pace of appreciation to be reduced (Oct'24) and S$NEER re-centered lower (Mar'25). Bullish. </li>
</ul>


After 8 quarters of employment-led growth, productivity grew 1.5%YoY in Q2CY24, as machinery investment grew 3.8%YoY. The large pipeline of unfulfilled investment commitments from 2022 should boost machinery investment further. 
NODX rebounded to 13.2%YoY growth (16.1%YoY volume growth) in Jul-Aug'24, and the BoP current account surplus was 20% of GDP in H1CY24. As productivity accelerates, inflation will moderate. 
We expect real GDP to grow 3.7% in 2024. But lower inflation will allow S$NEER's pace of appreciation to be reduced (Oct'24) and S$NEER re-centered lower (Mar'25). Bullish. 


Singapore: Productivity-Led Cyclical Recovery Will Dampen Inflation, Ease Policy

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The review period for a global index and a bunch of local indices ended last week. The announcement of the changes will be made in 1 week to 4 weeks.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/strike-energy-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12473:1" rel="noopener">Strike Energy (STX AU)</a> will replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/costa-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22632:1" rel="noopener">Costa Group Holdings (CGC AU)</a> in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-p-asx-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22901:1" rel="noopener">S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX)</a> at the close on 8 February.</li>
<li>The inflows to mainland China ETFs continue for another week. There were big inflows to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-india-etf" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:282:1" rel="noopener">iShares India ETF (INDA US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-india-small-cap" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32064:1" rel="noopener">Ishares India Small-Cap (SMIN US)</a>. </li>
</ul>


The review period for a global index and a bunch of local indices ended last week. The announcement of the changes will be made in 1 week to 4 weeks.

Strike Energy (STX AU) will replace Costa Group Holdings (CGC AU) in the S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) at the close on 8 February.
The inflows to mainland China ETFs continue for another week. There were big inflows to iShares India ETF (INDA US) and Ishares India Small-Cap (SMIN US). 


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: N225, ASX, STAR50, NIFTY50, KRX New Deal, UOL SP, Korea Passive

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uol-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:142:1" rel="noopener">UOL Group (UOL SP)</a> has underperformed its Singapore peers and the drop in market cap could result in the stock being deleted from global passive portfolios in February.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uol-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:142:1" rel="noopener">UOL Group (UOL SP)</a> has traded higher since end October and there has been a steady increase in cumulative excess volume on the stock since then.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uol-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:142:1" rel="noopener">UOL Group (UOL SP)</a> trades richer than its closest peer, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/city-developments-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:57:1" rel="noopener">City Developments (CIT SP)</a>, on EV/Sales and EV/EBITDA. The recent outperformance presents a trading opportunity.</li>
</ul>



UOL Group (UOL SP) has underperformed its Singapore peers and the drop in market cap could result in the stock being deleted from global passive portfolios in February.

UOL Group (UOL SP) has traded higher since end October and there has been a steady increase in cumulative excess volume on the stock since then.

UOL Group (UOL SP) trades richer than its closest peer, City Developments (CIT SP), on EV/Sales and EV/EBITDA. The recent outperformance presents a trading opportunity.


UOL Group (UOL SP): At Risk of Passive Selling in February

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.

<ul>
<li>Temasek raised around US$300m via its secondary selldown in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-airlines-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:74:1" rel="noopener">Singapore Airlines (SIA SP)</a> in Jun 2023. The lockup from that placement will expire soon.</li>
<li>Temasek still owns over 50% of SIA and hence, any selldown might not come before SIA reports its 1H23/24 results in mid-Nov 2023.</li>
<li>In this note, we talk about the placement lockup dynamics.</li>
</ul>


Temasek raised around US$300m via its secondary selldown in Singapore Airlines (SIA SP) in Jun 2023. The lockup from that placement will expire soon.
Temasek still owns over 50% of SIA and hence, any selldown might not come before SIA reports its 1H23/24 results in mid-Nov 2023.
In this note, we talk about the placement lockup dynamics.


SIA Placement Lockup - Time for Another Trim of Its US$7bn Stake

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<ul>
<li>The Ong directors tried every trick in the book to derail the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hwa-hong-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6648:1" rel="noopener">Hwa Hong Corp (HWAH SP)</a> offer. The trump card was hiring Evercore to attract competing offers by 25 July.</li>
<li>The Board confirmed today that there are no competing offers. This is a catalyst for shareholders sitting on the fence to accept the S$0.40 per share offer.</li>
<li>The offer closes on 1 August. While meeting the 50%+ minimum acceptance condition will be a close-run, we think it will be met. The gross spread is 5.3%.     </li>
</ul>


The Ong directors tried every trick in the book to derail the Hwa Hong Corp (HWAH SP) offer. The trump card was hiring Evercore to attract competing offers by 25 July.
The Board confirmed today that there are no competing offers. This is a catalyst for shareholders sitting on the fence to accept the S$0.40 per share offer.
The offer closes on 1 August. While meeting the 50%+ minimum acceptance condition will be a close-run, we think it will be met. The gross spread is 5.3%.     


Singapore

City Developments Limited is a property developer and owner. The Company, through its subsidiaries, are principally engaged in the investment of properties and shares, property management, project management and the provision of consultancy services, hospitality-related information technology, and procurement services. City Developments has a global presence.

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City Developments (CIT SP)

Singapore: Productivity-Led Cyclical Recovery Will Dampen Inflation, Ease Policy

Productivity is accelerating amid a machinery investment-led cyclical rebound. ULCs & inflation are declining, even as RGDP accelerates to 3.7%...

Prasenjit K. Basu

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: N225, ASX, STAR50, NIFTY50, KRX New Deal, UOL SP, Korea Passive

This recap highlights Insights covering Asian index rebalances (announcements/ forecasts/ IPO Fast Entry/ M&A driven changes). We also highlight...

Brian Freitas

UOL Group (UOL SP): At Risk of Passive Selling in February

UOL Group could be deleted from global passive portfolios in February and trackers will need to sell 16x ADV. UOL Group has outperformed City Dev...

Brian Freitas

SIA Placement Lockup - Time for Another Trim of Its US$7bn Stake

Temasek raised around US$300m via its secondary selldown in Singapore Airlines (SIA SP) in Jun 2023. The lockup from that placement will expire soon.

Sumeet Singh

Hwa Hong Confirms No Competing Offers

It will be close but we think the offer meets the 50%+ minimum acceptance condition. The offer lapses at 5:30 pm on 1 August. At the last close,...

Arun George

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Singapore: Productivity-Led Cyclical Recovery Will Dampen Inflation, Ease Policy

​Productivity is accelerating amid a machinery investment-led cyclical rebound. ULCs & inflation are declining, even as RGDP accelerates to 3.7%...

Prasenjit K. Basu

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: N225, ASX, STAR50, NIFTY50, KRX New Deal, UOL SP, Korea Passive

This recap highlights Insights covering Asian index rebalances (announcements/ forecasts/ IPO Fast Entry/ M&A driven changes). We also highlight...

Brian Freitas

UOL Group (UOL SP): At Risk of Passive Selling in February

UOL Group could be deleted from global passive portfolios in February and trackers will need to sell 16x ADV. UOL Group has outperformed City Dev...

Brian Freitas

SIA Placement Lockup - Time for Another Trim of Its US$7bn Stake

Temasek raised around US$300m via its secondary selldown in Singapore Airlines (SIA SP) in Jun 2023. The lockup from that placement will expire soon.

Sumeet Singh

Hwa Hong Confirms No Competing Offers

It will be close but we think the offer meets the 50%+ minimum acceptance condition. The offer lapses at 5:30 pm on 1 August. At the last close,...

Arun George

Productivity is accelerating amid a machinery investment-led cyclical rebound. ULCs & inflation are declining, even as RGDP accelerates to 3.7%...