HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

China Everbright Environment / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Despite a 3.8% decline in FY23 net profit, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-environment-group-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15946:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Environment (257 HK)</a>'s profitability has still outperformed its peers by significant magnitudes. </li>
<li>Positive notes in the result are an increase in operation service revenue proportion, expansion in EBITDA margin, improvement in financial position, and addition of new projects.</li>
<li>It is easy for CEE to achieve the market expectation of a 9.8% growth in FY24. Yet, it just trade on 3.6x PER, 8.5% yield, and 0.34x P/B. </li>
</ul>


Despite a 3.8% decline in FY23 net profit, China Everbright Environment (257 HK)'s profitability has still outperformed its peers by significant magnitudes. 
Positive notes in the result are an increase in operation service revenue proportion, expansion in EBITDA margin, improvement in financial position, and addition of new projects.
It is easy for CEE to achieve the market expectation of a 9.8% growth in FY24. Yet, it just trade on 3.6x PER, 8.5% yield, and 0.34x P/B. 


China Everbright Environment (257 HK): Being Penalised Too Much

<ul>
<li>The FY21 result of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-environment-group-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15946:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Environment (257 HK)</a> (CEE) should look impressive and we see improvement in cash flow to relieve market concerns on leverage and financial position.  </li>
<li>New project addition is solid over the last three months, adding about 5% to operational project portfolio. Strong special purpose bonds issuance in 4Q21 and 2022 will fuel pipeline momentum.</li>
<li>Valuations look undemanding at 4.1x PER and 0.65x P/B for FY22F; and by maintaining payout ratio at c.30%, dividend yields are at attractive 6.4% and 7.4% for next 2 years.</li>
</ul>


The FY21 result of China Everbright Environment (257 HK) (CEE) should look impressive and we see improvement in cash flow to relieve market concerns on leverage and financial position.  
New project addition is solid over the last three months, adding about 5% to operational project portfolio. Strong special purpose bonds issuance in 4Q21 and 2022 will fuel pipeline momentum.
Valuations look undemanding at 4.1x PER and 0.65x P/B for FY22F; and by maintaining payout ratio at c.30%, dividend yields are at attractive 6.4% and 7.4% for next 2 years.


China Everbright Environment (257 HK): Roaring in the Year of Tiger!

<p>We think <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-environment-group-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15946:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Environment (257 HK)</a> (CEE) is the best-performing environment company within the China Everbright Group, as evidenced by the 38.8% YoY growth in 1H21 earnings (ex-consolidated subsidiaries <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-water-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31446:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Water (1857 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-greentech-0377b31c-5401-466f-987e-9a176b05fb52" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24085:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Greentech (1257 HK)</a>). Management's indication in the post-1H21 call that operating cash flow rose 77% YoY in the period is also a good sign.</p><p>Excellent new project momentum and secured project pipeline should drive CEE's earnings in the next two years. The trend of increase in operation service revenue is also positive as this should support the growth in recurrent income and operating cash flow. We continue to see encouraging outlook for its waste-to-energy business, and with 21 projects under construction, this segment will underpin its profit outlook.  In our view, CEE's valuations of 4.1x PER and 0.61x P/B for FY21 are very appealing.  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-environment-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2832:1" rel="noopener"></a></p>

We think China Everbright Environment (257 HK) (CEE) is the best-performing environment company within the China Everbright Group, as evidenced by the 38.8% YoY growth in 1H21 earnings (ex-consolidated subsidiaries China Everbright Water (1857 HK) and China Everbright Greentech (1257 HK)). Management's indication in the post-1H21 call that operating cash flow rose 77% YoY in the period is also a good sign.Excellent new project momentum and secured project pipeline should drive CEE's earnings in the next two years. The trend of increase in operation service revenue is also positive as this should support the growth in recurrent income and operating cash flow. We continue to see encouraging outlook for its waste-to-energy business, and with 21 projects under construction, this segment will underpin its profit outlook.  In our view, CEE's valuations of 4.1x PER and 0.61x P/B for FY21 are very appealing.  

China Everbright Environment (257 HK): The Most Impressive of All

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Although 5% GDP growth target for 2023 is at the low end of market speculation of 5.5-6%, we think this reflects the government's conservative stance amid post-COVID recovery. </li>
<li>A 0.2pp higher budget deficit and a special purpose bond quota of Rmb3.8trn suggested that government spending will stay as important economic driver.</li>
<li>Consumption is another major stimulus for economic growth, and more supportive measures will be rolled out - we have seen many cities planning to hand out consumption vouchers.</li>
</ul>


Although 5% GDP growth target for 2023 is at the low end of market speculation of 5.5-6%, we think this reflects the government's conservative stance amid post-COVID recovery. 
A 0.2pp higher budget deficit and a special purpose bond quota of Rmb3.8trn suggested that government spending will stay as important economic driver.
Consumption is another major stimulus for economic growth, and more supportive measures will be rolled out - we have seen many cities planning to hand out consumption vouchers.


China NPC: Implications of Government Working Report 2023

China Conch Venture Holdings / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-conch-venture-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19943:1" rel="noopener">China Conch Venture Holdings (586 HK)</a> is now at negative stub value, the low-end since 2020. This is despite a 16.4% growth in 1H22 core earnings to Rmb542m.</li>
<li>The company's waste-to-energy (WTE) capacity will increase by 25% in FY23 and its internal target calls for an earnings CAGR of 33% between FY21 and FY25 for WTE segment.</li>
<li>We should not underestimate the potential from new business initiatives including cathode and anode materials and lithium battery recycling. They have good medium-to-long term exposure to China's new energy industry.</li>
</ul>



China Conch Venture Holdings (586 HK) is now at negative stub value, the low-end since 2020. This is despite a 16.4% growth in 1H22 core earnings to Rmb542m.
The company's waste-to-energy (WTE) capacity will increase by 25% in FY23 and its internal target calls for an earnings CAGR of 33% between FY21 and FY25 for WTE segment.
We should not underestimate the potential from new business initiatives including cathode and anode materials and lithium battery recycling. They have good medium-to-long term exposure to China's new energy industry.


Conch Venture (586 HK): An Overlooked Value Play

Hong Kong

China Everbright International Limited provides environmental protection project management and consultancy services. The Company's operations are broken up into environmental energy, environmental water, environmental construction and environmental technology.

China Everbright Environment (257 HK)