Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal, Shenton Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China Biotech

Shenton Research

Shenton Research is an independent Asia Pacific equity specialist. Our quantitative research covers index rebalancing flows, alongside exchange data analytics accross Asia Pacific. On the equity capital markets side, we focus on Asia Pacific ECM, especially biotech and TMT. Our lead analyst is frequently cited by international media.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>OpenAI, Anthropic and Google released frontier models, while OpenAI cancelled GPT-6.1 Astra after safety tests and the FTC opened a probe into AI-agent safety.</li>
<li>Anthropic's IPO prospectus showed Q2 revenue of USD 11.5bn, OpenAI sought at least USD 30bn at a USD 1.4tn valuation, and Meta launched an enterprise AI platform.</li>
<li>Amazon explored moving USD 8bn of Nvidia chips into a leaseback vehicle, AMD agreed to buy World Labs for USD 8.2bn, and Firmus priced its ASX IPO.</li>
</ul>


OpenAI, Anthropic and Google released frontier models, while OpenAI cancelled GPT-6.1 Astra after safety tests and the FTC opened a probe into AI-agent safety.
Anthropic's IPO prospectus showed Q2 revenue of USD 11.5bn, OpenAI sought at least USD 30bn at a USD 1.4tn valuation, and Meta launched an enterprise AI platform.
Amazon explored moving USD 8bn of Nvidia chips into a leaseback vehicle, AMD agreed to buy World Labs for USD 8.2bn, and Firmus priced its ASX IPO.


This Week in AI (Sep 27-Oct 3): OpenAI Drops Astra for Sol; Sonnet 5.5 Nears Opus at 1/2 the Price

Smartkarma AI Primers, Smartkarma

αSK Primers

Smartkarma AI Primers

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
 <li>
<a href="https://smartkarma.com/entities/baidu-inc-class-a">Baidu</a>'s strategic pivot to AI, particularly through its AI Cloud and autonomous driving initiatives, is becoming a core revenue driver, with the Core AI-powered business showing significant year-over-year growth.</li>
 <li>The company's dominant position in China's search engine market provides a stable foundation and a massive user base to deploy and monetize new AI-driven applications like the ERNIE Bot.</li>
 <li>A potential conversion to a dual-primary listing in Hong Kong and subsequent inclusion in the Southbound Stock Connect could unlock significant passive investment from mainland Chinese investors, acting as a major near-term catalyst.</li>
</ul>This content is AI-generated and displayed for general informational purposes only. Please verify independently before use.


  
Baidu's strategic pivot to AI, particularly through its AI Cloud and autonomous driving initiatives, is becoming a core revenue driver, with the Core AI-powered business showing significant year-over-year growth.
  The company's dominant position in China's search engine market provides a stable foundation and a massive user base to deploy and monetize new AI-driven applications like the ERNIE Bot.
  A potential conversion to a dual-primary listing in Hong Kong and subsequent inclusion in the Southbound Stock Connect could unlock significant passive investment from mainland Chinese investors, acting as a major near-term catalyst.
This content is AI-generated and displayed for general informational purposes only. Please verify independently before use.

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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/baidu-inc-class-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32212:1" rel="noopener">Baidu (9888 HK)</a> is looking to convert from a Secondary Listing to a Dual Primary Listing on the HKEX before the end of the year.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/baidu-inc-class-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32212:1" rel="noopener">Baidu</a> should be added to the Southbound Stock Connect Buy-and-Sell list at the next rebalance of the Hang Seng Composite Index (HSCI) following the conversion.</li>
<li>A float increase in the Hang Seng family and another index inclusion will bring in estimated passive buying of HK$11.8bn (US$1.5bn) along with buying from mainland investors via Stock Connect.</li>
</ul>



Baidu (9888 HK) is looking to convert from a Secondary Listing to a Dual Primary Listing on the HKEX before the end of the year.

Baidu should be added to the Southbound Stock Connect Buy-and-Sell list at the next rebalance of the Hang Seng Composite Index (HSCI) following the conversion.
A float increase in the Hang Seng family and another index inclusion will bring in estimated passive buying of HK$11.8bn (US$1.5bn) along with buying from mainland investors via Stock Connect.


Baidu (9888 HK): Secondary to Dual Primary Conversion; US$1.5bn Passive Buy + Stock Connect

DZT Research

DZT Research is an independent Asia Pacific equity specialist. Our quantitative research covers index rebalancing flows, alongside exchange data analytics accross Asia Pacific. On the equity capital markets side, we focus on Asia Pacific ECM, especially biotech and TMT. Our lead analyst is frequently cited by international media.

<ul>
<li>Primary conversion. Baidu (9888 HK) announced on 16 Jul 2026 that its board approved pursuing dual-primary conversion. This note assesses the Connect path, conditions, and timeline.</li>
<li>ADD timing. Baidu retains WVR through conversion, so the ADD path runs through the regular semi-annual cycle. We assess whether the September 2026 regular batch ADD is attainable.</li>
<li>Trading perspective. Prior Connect ADD cases show positive southbound flows in all five peers and positive 10-day returns in all five.</li>
</ul>


Primary conversion. Baidu (9888 HK) announced on 16 Jul 2026 that its board approved pursuing dual-primary conversion. This note assesses the Connect path, conditions, and timeline.
ADD timing. Baidu retains WVR through conversion, so the ADD path runs through the regular semi-annual cycle. We assess whether the September 2026 regular batch ADD is attainable.
Trading perspective. Prior Connect ADD cases show positive southbound flows in all five peers and positive 10-day returns in all five.


Baidu-SW: Primary Conversion and Connect Inclusion Timeline Analysis

Asian Hedge Fund Manager, Long Short Equity, Macro

David Mudd

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 16.26% in January resulting in a 6.2% outperformance to its benchmark.  The portfolio has outperformed HK indexes by 48% to 63% since inception on 10/1/24.</li>
<li>Hong Kong Alpha has generated 50% of its return from alpha and has a Sharpe ratio of 1.79 since inception.  The portfolio's annualized mean excess return is 28%.</li>
<li>At the end of January, we reduced positions in the materials, communications, and conglomerate sectors and added positions in the food, energy, and manufacturing sectors.</li>
</ul>


Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 16.26% in January resulting in a 6.2% outperformance to its benchmark.  The portfolio has outperformed HK indexes by 48% to 63% since inception on 10/1/24.
Hong Kong Alpha has generated 50% of its return from alpha and has a Sharpe ratio of 1.79 since inception.  The portfolio's annualized mean excess return is 28%.
At the end of January, we reduced positions in the materials, communications, and conglomerate sectors and added positions in the food, energy, and manufacturing sectors.


HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (January 2026)

China

Baidu is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and artificial intelligence. Its core business includes its dominant search engine, online marketing services, cloud computing, and autonomous driving technologies. Key products and services include Baidu Search, Baidu App, Baidu Maps, Baidu Baike, iQIYI, and the Apollo autonomous driving platform. The company was founded in January 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

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Baidu (9888 HK)

This Week in AI (Sep 27-Oct 3): OpenAI Drops Astra for Sol; Sonnet 5.5 Nears Opus at 1/2 the Price

This week in AI: OpenAI scrapped GPT-6.1 Astra and shipped Sol, Anthropic released Sonnet 5.5 at half Opus's price, and Google launched Gemini 4...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Primer: Baidu (9888 HK) - Aug 2026

Baidu's strategic pivot to AI, particularly through its AI Cloud and autonomous driving initiatives, is becoming a core revenue driver, with...

αSK Primers

Baidu (9888 HK): Secondary to Dual Primary Conversion; US$1.5bn Passive Buy + Stock Connect

Baidu applied to the HKEX on 22 July for conversion to a dual primary listing. There are procedural issues that need to be completed, and the...

Brian Freitas

Baidu-SW: Primary Conversion and Connect Inclusion Timeline Analysis

Baidu confirmed it will pursue conversion to dual-primary listing, effective within 2026. WVR precedent points to a regular-cycle Connect ADD, and...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (January 2026)

At the end of January, we began to move out of materials and tech and into early cycle sectors. We continue with mid-month exposure adjustments: we...

David Mudd

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