HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Disappointing FY22 result from raw milk company <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/austasia-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36655:1" rel="noopener">AustAsia Group (2425 HK)</a> should be well expected, but the issue is its guidance that FY23 industry outlook will stay challenging. </li>
<li>Raw milk price is still coming down and 1H23 dairy product demand recovery is slow. Capacity influx will disrupt demand-supply balance, but feed costs pressure seems to have moderated. </li>
<li>Consensus profit projections for the sector are overly optimistic and there is earnings downgrade risk after FY22 result announcement. We will shy away in the near term.</li>
</ul>


Disappointing FY22 result from raw milk company AustAsia Group (2425 HK) should be well expected, but the issue is its guidance that FY23 industry outlook will stay challenging. 
Raw milk price is still coming down and 1H23 dairy product demand recovery is slow. Capacity influx will disrupt demand-supply balance, but feed costs pressure seems to have moderated. 
Consensus profit projections for the sector are overly optimistic and there is earnings downgrade risk after FY22 result announcement. We will shy away in the near term.


China Raw Milk Industry: Takeaways from AustAsia (2425 HK) Call

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Even if you were an activist, or a trader with an activism tilt, be long <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/keisei-electric-railway-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10876:1" rel="noopener">Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP)</a> vs. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oriental-land-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13517:1" rel="noopener">Oriental Land (4661 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>Reportedly, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> is negotiating a sale of Optus. Both Singtel and Optus scotch those rumours. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alumina-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:939:1" rel="noopener">Alumina Ltd (AWC AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alcoa-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6510:1" rel="noopener">Alcoa (AA US)</a> enter into a Scheme. As expected. The key question: is CITIC, with 18.9% of shares out, supportive?</li>
</ul>


Even if you were an activist, or a trader with an activism tilt, be long Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP) vs. Oriental Land (4661 JP).
Reportedly, Singtel (ST SP) is negotiating a sale of Optus. Both Singtel and Optus scotch those rumours. 

Alumina Ltd (AWC AU) and Alcoa (AA US) enter into a Scheme. As expected. The key question: is CITIC, with 18.9% of shares out, supportive?


Last Week in Event SPACE: Keisei Electric /Oriental Land, SingTel, Alumina/Alcoa, Li Ning

<ul>
<li>I tally 50 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.</li>
<li>Two new deals were discussed this week on Smartkarma: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wam-leaders-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24274:1" rel="noopener">WAM Leaders (WLE AU)</a> scrip-deal for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/qv-equities-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24284:1" rel="noopener">QV Equities (QVE AU)</a>; and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/task-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32991:1" rel="noopener">TASK Group (TSK AU)</a>'s Scheme with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/par-technology-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:37125:1" rel="noopener">PAR Technology (PAR US)</a>. </li>
<li>Key updates took place on: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/qantm-intellectual-property" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24317:1" rel="noopener">Qantm Intellectual Property (QIP AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/superloop-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23604:1" rel="noopener">Superloop (SLC AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cimc-vehicles-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28012:1" rel="noopener">CIMC Vehicle (1839 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jsr-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17620:1" rel="noopener">JSR Corp (4185 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/roland-dg-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10653:1" rel="noopener">Roland DG Corp (6789 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/outsourcing-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7431:1" rel="noopener">Outsourcing (2427 JP)</a>.</li>
</ul>


I tally 50 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.
Two new deals were discussed this week on Smartkarma: WAM Leaders (WLE AU) scrip-deal for QV Equities (QVE AU); and TASK Group (TSK AU)'s Scheme with PAR Technology (PAR US). 
Key updates took place on: Qantm Intellectual Property (QIP AU), Superloop (SLC AU), CIMC Vehicle (1839 HK), JSR Corp (4185 JP), Roland DG Corp (6789 JP), and Outsourcing (2427 JP).


(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A:QV Equities, TASK, Qantm, Superloop, CIMC Vehicle, JSR, Roland DG, Outsourcing

<ul>
<li>Back in December 2022, agri-food play <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japfa-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15597:1" rel="noopener">Japfa Ltd (JAP SP)</a> spun-off its 62.5% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/austasia-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36655:1" rel="noopener">AustAsia Group (2425 HK)</a>, as discussed in <a href="https://skr.ma/qAzLD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution</a> 
</li>
<li>Last Friday, Bloomberg reported its key shareholder, Renaldo Santosa and his family, who collectively control ~75.5%, are considering taking Japfa private.</li>
<li>The family <a href="https://links.sgx.com/FileOpen/20240311%20Japfa%20Ltd%20Holding%20announcement.ashx?App=Announcement&amp;FileID=791556" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledges</a> it has been approached by various financiers, investment banks, but nothing definitive has emerged. Still, Japfa is worth a revisit.</li>
</ul>


Back in December 2022, agri-food play Japfa Ltd (JAP SP) spun-off its 62.5% stake in AustAsia Group (2425 HK), as discussed in Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution 

Last Friday, Bloomberg reported its key shareholder, Renaldo Santosa and his family, who collectively control ~75.5%, are considering taking Japfa private.
The family acknowledges it has been approached by various financiers, investment banks, but nothing definitive has emerged. Still, Japfa is worth a revisit.


Japfa (JAP SP): Impressive Gain. But No Firm Offer

<ul>
<li>Agri-Food play <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japfa-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15597:1" rel="noopener">Japfa Ltd (JAP SP)</a> recently distributed in-specie its 62.5% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/austasia-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36655:1" rel="noopener">AustAsia Group (2425 HK)</a>.</li>
<li>Japfa continues to hold a 55.4% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japfa-comfeed-indonesia-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8258:1" rel="noopener">Japfa Comfeed Indonesia (JPFA IJ)</a>, together with unlisted ops focused on animal proteins in Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.</li>
<li>Japfa is estimated to be trading at around a 41% discount to NAV and ~4x EV/EBITDA. </li>
</ul>


Agri-Food play Japfa Ltd (JAP SP) recently distributed in-specie its 62.5% stake in AustAsia Group (2425 HK).
Japfa continues to hold a 55.4% stake in Japfa Comfeed Indonesia (JPFA IJ), together with unlisted ops focused on animal proteins in Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Japfa is estimated to be trading at around a 41% discount to NAV and ~4x EV/EBITDA. 


Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution

Hong Kong

AustAsia Group Ltd. manufactures and distributes dairy products. The Company produces premium raw milk, room temperature milk, yogurt, and other products. AustAsia Group also produces feed products.

AustAsia Group (2425 HK)

China Raw Milk Industry: Takeaways from AustAsia (2425 HK) Call

Outlook for the raw milk industry stays challenging in FY23. Raw milk price is still coming down, 1H23 dairy product demand recovery is slow and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Last Week in Event SPACE: Keisei Electric /Oriental Land, SingTel, Alumina/Alcoa, Li Ning

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A:QV Equities, TASK, Qantm, Superloop, CIMC Vehicle, JSR, Roland DG, Outsourcing

This insight provides a summary of gross/annualised spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and...

David Blennerhassett

Japfa (JAP SP): Impressive Gain. But No Firm Offer

Quite an impressive share price gain without anything substantive to hang your hat on. I would not chase it here. I'd only get involved if there...

David Blennerhassett

Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution

At a 41% discount to NAV, Japfa appears inexpensive. As it does on an EV/EBITDA basis. But this is an illiquid holdco, with no immediate catalyst...

David Blennerhassett