Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

In 1933, British author James Hilton published a book called Lost Horizon, which was four years later more famously made into a movie of the same name by Frank Capra. The movie depicts a love story in a mythical utopia hidden in the mountains - a paradise removed from the earth, unbothered by the cares of the world, where people live very long lives in harmony with each other and their environment. It is a fabulous movie in terms of scenery and sets, though its treatment of non-western culture is somewhat 1937-ish.<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/188/506/original/ronald+colman.jpg?1613231797" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="188506"></figure></section>The name of this temperate paradise on earth "found" by plane crash survivor Robert Conway (the character played by Ronald Colman) is the now-famous Shangri-La and it is at the western end of the Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山). The subject of this insight is Kunlun Energy (昆侖能源有限公司) and as you can see, the characters of the two Kunluns have nothing to do with each other, but it's a nice movie. <h3>The News and The Backdrop</h3>On 22 December last year, HK-listed China energy investment holdco <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> made an announcement regarding the sale of its 60% equity interest in Beijing Pipeline and 75% equity interest in Dalian LNG to an entity called PipeChina, which is 29.9% owned by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/petrochina-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:262:1" rel="noopener">PetroChina (857 HK)</a>. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/osbert-tang-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:3879" rel="noopener">Osbert Tang, CFA</a> published a report on 23 December regarding the sale, and subsequently another in the middle of January regarding how Kunlun Energy would look on a pro-forma basis afterwards. I think this deserves a closer look.

In 1933, British author James Hilton published a book called Lost Horizon, which was four years later more famously made into a movie of the same name by Frank Capra. The movie depicts a love story in a mythical utopia hidden in the mountains - a paradise removed from the earth, unbothered by the cares of the world, where people live very long lives in harmony with each other and their environment. It is a fabulous movie in terms of scenery and sets, though its treatment of non-western culture is somewhat 1937-ish.The name of this temperate paradise on earth "found" by plane crash survivor Robert Conway (the character played by Ronald Colman) is the now-famous Shangri-La and it is at the western end of the Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山). The subject of this insight is Kunlun Energy (昆侖能源有限公司) and as you can see, the characters of the two Kunluns have nothing to do with each other, but it's a nice movie. The News and The BackdropOn 22 December last year, HK-listed China energy investment holdco Kunlun Energy (135 HK) made an announcement regarding the sale of its 60% equity interest in Beijing Pipeline and 75% equity interest in Dalian LNG to an entity called PipeChina, which is 29.9% owned by PetroChina (857 HK). Osbert Tang, CFA published a report on 23 December regarding the sale, and subsequently another in the middle of January regarding how Kunlun Energy would look on a pro-forma basis afterwards. I think this deserves a closer look. 

Will Investors Find Shangri-La in Kunlun?

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

We think <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> will become an attractive gas utilities company after it completed the transaction to dispose of its Beijing Pipeline and Dalian LNG. By then, we see over 70% of its earnings will derive from natural gas sales business, a profile that compares well with its peers in the gas utilities sector.In valuation terms, the new Kunlun will trade on just 10.5x PER for FY22F, well below 14x for its peers. While its ROE is lower than peers, this is due to its huge cash on hand even after the distribution of special dividends. Its FY22F P/B of 0.64x (on ex-special dividend basis) appears undemanding, especially given that, before making any investment in natural gas end-user sales business with the proceeds as planned, net cash (after special dividend) will still amount to 57% of the share price.

We think Kunlun Energy (135 HK) will become an attractive gas utilities company after it completed the transaction to dispose of its Beijing Pipeline and Dalian LNG. By then, we see over 70% of its earnings will derive from natural gas sales business, a profile that compares well with its peers in the gas utilities sector.In valuation terms, the new Kunlun will trade on just 10.5x PER for FY22F, well below 14x for its peers. While its ROE is lower than peers, this is due to its huge cash on hand even after the distribution of special dividends. Its FY22F P/B of 0.64x (on ex-special dividend basis) appears undemanding, especially given that, before making any investment in natural gas end-user sales business with the proceeds as planned, net cash (after special dividend) will still amount to 57% of the share price. 

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): How Will the New Kunlun Look Like?

Quantitative Analysis

Our "Buy the Worst" strategy intended to beat the Hang Seng Index in 2020, as laid out in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/buy-the-worst-a-simple-strategy-to-beat-the-hang-seng-index-in-2020-and-the-years-to-come" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:35427" rel="noopener">"Buy the Worst" - A Simple Strategy to Beat the Hang Seng Index in 2020 and the Years to Come?</a>, did not work out well. The portfolio of the five worst performing Index constituents in 2019 registered an average of 26.1% plunge in share price YTD, sharply underperformed the 5.8% decline in HSI. In our view, this is primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the old economy stocks (which all five are) hardest. As for this year, as of 29 Dec, the five worst-performing HSI stocks YTD are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/citic-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20590:1" rel="noopener">Citic Ltd (267 HK)</a> (again!), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-overseas-land-invest" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:419:1" rel="noopener">China Overseas Land &amp; Investment Ltd (688 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cnooc-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:175:1" rel="noopener">CNOOC Ltd (883 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aac-technologies-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6544:1" rel="noopener">AAC Technologies Holdings (2018 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-unicom-hong-kong-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1016:1" rel="noopener">China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK)</a>. While they do not look likely to outperform the Index in next year from their business exposure, we highlight that a rotation into old economy stocks as COVID-19 vaccines help to open up global economic recovery is a potential wild card.

Our "Buy the Worst" strategy intended to beat the Hang Seng Index in 2020, as laid out in "Buy the Worst" - A Simple Strategy to Beat the Hang Seng Index in 2020 and the Years to Come?, did not work out well. The portfolio of the five worst performing Index constituents in 2019 registered an average of 26.1% plunge in share price YTD, sharply underperformed the 5.8% decline in HSI. In our view, this is primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the old economy stocks (which all five are) hardest. As for this year, as of 29 Dec, the five worst-performing HSI stocks YTD are Citic Ltd (267 HK) (again!), China Overseas Land &amp; Investment Ltd (688 HK), CNOOC Ltd (883 HK), AAC Technologies Holdings (2018 HK) and China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK). While they do not look likely to outperform the Index in next year from their business exposure, we highlight that a rotation into old economy stocks as COVID-19 vaccines help to open up global economic recovery is a potential wild card.  

A Review Of "Buy the Worst" Strategy in 2020 and Can It Beat the Hang Seng Index in 2021?

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> finally concluded the sale of its 60% equity interest in Beijing Pipeline and 75% equity interest in Dalian LNG to PipeChina at a very favourable 1.9x P/B multiple. This is significantly better than 1.21x and 1.43x that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/petrochina-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:262:1" rel="noopener">Petrochina Co Ltd H (857 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-petroleum-chemical-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:369:1" rel="noopener">China Petroleum &amp; Chemical (386 HK)</a> got from their deals with PipeChina, respectively.With net cash inflow of Rmb37bn, or HK$4.94/share (ie 77% of current share price), Kunlun intends to pay out 50% of such cash. That said, the overall dividend yield for FY21F will reach 40.5%. After the transaction, based on sum-of-the-parts valuation, we place Kunlun at HK$10.58, meaning that it trades on a steep 39% discount. We believe Kunlun will escalate its expansion into the downstream gas sales business going forward, and this should narrow its valuation discount to gas utilities peers.

Kunlun Energy (135 HK) finally concluded the sale of its 60% equity interest in Beijing Pipeline and 75% equity interest in Dalian LNG to PipeChina at a very favourable 1.9x P/B multiple. This is significantly better than 1.21x and 1.43x that Petrochina Co Ltd H (857 HK) and China Petroleum &amp; Chemical (386 HK) got from their deals with PipeChina, respectively.With net cash inflow of Rmb37bn, or HK$4.94/share (ie 77% of current share price), Kunlun intends to pay out 50% of such cash. That said, the overall dividend yield for FY21F will reach 40.5%. After the transaction, based on sum-of-the-parts valuation, we place Kunlun at HK$10.58, meaning that it trades on a steep 39% discount. We believe Kunlun will escalate its expansion into the downstream gas sales business going forward, and this should narrow its valuation discount to gas utilities peers. 

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Very Favourable Valuation for Pipeline and Dalian LNG Disposals

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

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Index Rebalance

The Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited (HSIL) should announce the results of the March 2021 review of the Hang Seng Family of Indexes on 19 February. The constituent changes will be effective after the close of trading on 5 March.We expect the March 21 review for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-china-enterprises-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22900:1" rel="noopener">Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI INDEX)</a> to have only 1 deletion, though there is a low probability of another set of changes. Post <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-health-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29677:1" rel="noopener">JD Health (6618 HK)</a>'s Fast Entry into the index, there needs to be one deletion at the March review. At the current time, the lowest ranked index constituent is <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/petrochina-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:262:1" rel="noopener">Petrochina Co Ltd H (857 HK)</a> and the stock should be deleted at the March review.There was a medium probability of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/country-garden-services-holdings-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27343:1" rel="noopener">Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK)</a> being included in the index. That has now become a low probability event post <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-health-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29677:1" rel="noopener">JD Health (6618 HK)</a>'s inclusion in the index. If <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/country-garden-services-holdings-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27343:1" rel="noopener">Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK)</a> is included in the index, then <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hengan-intl-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29:1" rel="noopener">Hengan Intl Group (1044 HK)</a> could be deleted.The potential changes to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-china-enterprises-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22900:1" rel="noopener">Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI INDEX)</a> over the next 6 months will also have serious implications for the dividend futures expiring in 2021, 2022 and beyond.

The Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited (HSIL) should announce the results of the March 2021 review of the Hang Seng Family of Indexes on 19 February. The constituent changes will be effective after the close of trading on 5 March.We expect the March 21 review for the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI INDEX) to have only 1 deletion, though there is a low probability of another set of changes. Post JD Health (6618 HK)'s Fast Entry into the index, there needs to be one deletion at the March review. At the current time, the lowest ranked index constituent is Petrochina Co Ltd H (857 HK) and the stock should be deleted at the March review.There was a medium probability of Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK) being included in the index. That has now become a low probability event post JD Health (6618 HK)'s inclusion in the index. If Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK) is included in the index, then Hengan Intl Group (1044 HK) could be deleted.The potential changes to the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI INDEX) over the next 6 months will also have serious implications for the dividend futures expiring in 2021, 2022 and beyond.

HSCEI Index Rebalance Preview: One Deletion For Sure, Could Be One More Change

China

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation produces and trades petroleum and petrochemical products. The Company offers gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, ethylene, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, and chemical fertilizers. China Petroleum & Chemical markets its products throughout China.

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China Petroleum & Chemical (386 HK)

Will Investors Find Shangri-La in Kunlun?

Kunlun Energy is the wrong price. Investors have not yet digested the event. They should take a closer look. There is potentially a LOT of upside...

Travis Lundy

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): How Will the New Kunlun Look Like?

Kunlun will become a cheap and quality gas utility after completion of Beijing Pipeline and Dalian LNG disposal. This Insight looks at its FY22...

Osbert Tang, CFA

A Review Of "Buy the Worst" Strategy in 2020 and Can It Beat the Hang Seng Index in 2021?

While our "Buy the Worst" strategy underperformed the HSI sharply YTD, we see extending the strategy into 2021 may catch up as the rotation back to...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Very Favourable Valuation for Pipeline and Dalian LNG Disposals

Kunlun secured a very good deal of 1.9x P/B for the disposal of its interest in Beijing pipeline and Dalian LNG. It will payout 50% of proceeds at...

Osbert Tang, CFA

HSCEI Index Rebalance Preview: One Deletion For Sure, Could Be One More Change

Following JD Health's Fast Entry into the HSCEI, PetroChina is a high probability deletion in March. There is a low probability of Country Garden...

Brian Freitas

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