HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

China Communications Construction / Equity Bottom-Up

3Q21 result of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> (CCCC) marks another steady quarter with reported growth of 4.9% YoY. We believe the improvement in construction business has been partly offset by weaker toll road operation given the negative traffic impact from higher domestic COVID-19 cases during the summer time. Hence, recurring profit was weaker with a marginal 1.2% decline in 3Q21. Nonetheless, 9M21 vs. 9M19 still sees a steady CAGR of 4.8% in earnings. Also, there is good YoY growth in operating cash flow.We expect a recovery in traffic to bode well for CCCC's investment projects, adding to its good cost management and positive reversal in credit and asset impairments. The encouraging 3Q21 new contract momentum (+57.6% YoY) and the sharp rebound in overseas contracts signed is expected to underpin CCCC's outlook for the next two years. Valuation multiples are clearly still very undemanding - 0.21x P/B, 3.3x PER and 6% dividend yield.

3Q21 result of China Communications Construction (1800 HK) (CCCC) marks another steady quarter with reported growth of 4.9% YoY. We believe the improvement in construction business has been partly offset by weaker toll road operation given the negative traffic impact from higher domestic COVID-19 cases during the summer time. Hence, recurring profit was weaker with a marginal 1.2% decline in 3Q21. Nonetheless, 9M21 vs. 9M19 still sees a steady CAGR of 4.8% in earnings. Also, there is good YoY growth in operating cash flow.We expect a recovery in traffic to bode well for CCCC's investment projects, adding to its good cost management and positive reversal in credit and asset impairments. The encouraging 3Q21 new contract momentum (+57.6% YoY) and the sharp rebound in overseas contracts signed is expected to underpin CCCC's outlook for the next two years. Valuation multiples are clearly still very undemanding - 0.21x P/B, 3.3x PER and 6% dividend yield. 

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Sustaining a Stable Track in 3Q21

We welcome the strong rebound in new contracts signed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> (CCCC) in 3Q21, and believe it is set to maintain good momentum on the back of local governments' infrastructure spending and the recovery in overseas demand. New contracts signed for domestic market rose 52.9% YoY while overseas surged 113% in the quarter, fuelling a 57.6% YoY growth in total new contract signed. Such pace looks very encouraging when compared with the 10.2% YoY drop recorded in overall new contracts in 2Q21.With 9M21 new contract value amounted to Rmb1trn, CCCC has already achieved 86% of its annual new contract target, and it looks very likely that actual full-year figure will beat its guidance. We expect urban construction (48% of total 3Q21 new contract) will continue to fuel the growth, as local governments strive to achieve "common prosperity" by improving overall living standard. The acceleration in issuance of special purpose bonds in 2H21 will definitely boost the funding for more infrastructure construction, thus benefiting CCCC's contracts on hand, in our view.

We welcome the strong rebound in new contracts signed by China Communications Construction (1800 HK) (CCCC) in 3Q21, and believe it is set to maintain good momentum on the back of local governments' infrastructure spending and the recovery in overseas demand. New contracts signed for domestic market rose 52.9% YoY while overseas surged 113% in the quarter, fuelling a 57.6% YoY growth in total new contract signed. Such pace looks very encouraging when compared with the 10.2% YoY drop recorded in overall new contracts in 2Q21.With 9M21 new contract value amounted to Rmb1trn, CCCC has already achieved 86% of its annual new contract target, and it looks very likely that actual full-year figure will beat its guidance. We expect urban construction (48% of total 3Q21 new contract) will continue to fuel the growth, as local governments strive to achieve "common prosperity" by improving overall living standard. The acceleration in issuance of special purpose bonds in 2H21 will definitely boost the funding for more infrastructure construction, thus benefiting CCCC's contracts on hand, in our view. 

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Exciting New Contract Momentum Fuels Outlook

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> (CCCC) has a very solid 1H21 with net profit growth of 88.3% YoY. While the low base in 1H20 has exaggerated the growth rate; relative to 1H19, net profit still increased 18.3%, implying a healthy operational recovery back to pre-pandemic level. The remarkable 28.5% YoY increase in new contract value also demonstrated its strong foothold in the domestic market. All in all, we believe the market should be happy with CCCC's interim result. We believe CCCC will maintain good new contract momentum for the rest of the year as supported by the acceleration of issuance of special purpose bonds by local governments. Having already achieved 58% of its full-year target, there is potential for it to beat its FY21 expectation. The current excellent backlog, which equals to 4.75x its FY20 revenue, also implies that forward earnings are well secured. At 0.2x P/B, 2.8x PER and 6.6% dividend yield for FY21, we believe CCCC is grossly undervalued.

China Communications Construction (1800 HK) (CCCC) has a very solid 1H21 with net profit growth of 88.3% YoY. While the low base in 1H20 has exaggerated the growth rate; relative to 1H19, net profit still increased 18.3%, implying a healthy operational recovery back to pre-pandemic level. The remarkable 28.5% YoY increase in new contract value also demonstrated its strong foothold in the domestic market. All in all, we believe the market should be happy with CCCC's interim result. We believe CCCC will maintain good new contract momentum for the rest of the year as supported by the acceleration of issuance of special purpose bonds by local governments. Having already achieved 58% of its full-year target, there is potential for it to beat its FY21 expectation. The current excellent backlog, which equals to 4.75x its FY20 revenue, also implies that forward earnings are well secured. At 0.2x P/B, 2.8x PER and 6.6% dividend yield for FY21, we believe CCCC is grossly undervalued. 

China Comm Const (1800 HK): A Healthy 1H21 with Full Operational Recovery

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> has a fruitful 1H21 as reflected by impressive new contract growth and profit recovery. Driven by the strength at the domestic market, overall new contract addition reached Rmb685.1bn, a good 28.5% YoY growth. Such pace is the fastest when compared with the annual growth rate since FY15, and this solid project pipeline will translate into positive profit momentum over the next three years.CCCC has also issued positive profit alert for 1H21, guiding for between 109.70% and 139.01% YoY growth in net profit. For 2Q21 standalone, the YoY growth should reach an even higher 1.4-2.1x. We see limited regulatory risks for CCCC given the infrastructure construction industry landscape and its centrally-owned SOE status. In our view, its ROE of 6.9% for FY21F and 7.5% for FY22F highly justify a re-rating in its P/B multiple which currently stands at 0.19x on a 12-month forward basis.

China Communications Construction (1800 HK) has a fruitful 1H21 as reflected by impressive new contract growth and profit recovery. Driven by the strength at the domestic market, overall new contract addition reached Rmb685.1bn, a good 28.5% YoY growth. Such pace is the fastest when compared with the annual growth rate since FY15, and this solid project pipeline will translate into positive profit momentum over the next three years.CCCC has also issued positive profit alert for 1H21, guiding for between 109.70% and 139.01% YoY growth in net profit. For 2Q21 standalone, the YoY growth should reach an even higher 1.4-2.1x. We see limited regulatory risks for CCCC given the infrastructure construction industry landscape and its centrally-owned SOE status. In our view, its ROE of 6.9% for FY21F and 7.5% for FY22F highly justify a re-rating in its P/B multiple which currently stands at 0.19x on a 12-month forward basis. 

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Well Placed for an Upturn

Founder of Antler Capital

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

For all the roller coaster rides the sector has taken investors on over the years, the Chinese property developers have been unsettlingly consistent in one regard. The CNY1tn fixed asset investment (FAI) homebuilders coughed up in May continued a two-decades long secular trend that may make or break China's still fragile recovery (Exhibit 1).
The Debt-Fueled Supercycle. The sector has seen its share of excesses and corrections, exemplified by the post-GFC FAI expansion and subsequent retrenchment. Covid might have driven up construction costs, but the enthusiasm of would-be homeowners has shown no signs of abating. Just as the developers are working overtime to deleverage their balance sheets, household debt is piling up and may approach alarming levels over the next five years if mortgage growth doesn't decelerate quickly enough.
The Inventory Drawdown. Behind the headline FAI number is a more nuanced picture of inventory reductions and landbank replenishment. Housing starts slowed in May and dipped below project completions on a 12-month rolling basis. This affords cash-strapped property firms an opportunity to rebuild their cashflows, while deploying cash to projects in hand.
The Insatiable Demand. The 0.5% m/m or 5% y/y rise in home prices last month may appear benign in other settings. In the context of China's already exorbitant base, recent data points are a cause for concern. Among the largest cities across the country, those in the Greater Bay Area stand out as outliers, with valuations skyrocketing in spite of the latest round of lockdowns.
The Aggressive Developers. The increasingly bullish undertones of sell-side notes that have landed on our desks are centered around the inventory drawdown / cashflow rebuild story of the perceived higher-quality names in the space. We are not buyers of that story just yet and our work suggests that many developers have been acquiring land at a more aggressive rate than they had planned at the beginning of the year. Regulators are already keeping a close eye on recent transactions and we think we should too.
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<td style="width: 746px;">Exhibit 1: Monthly Housing FAI | 3M Moving Avg (CNY bn)</td>
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<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/215/144/original/image_45072834061624549646155.png?1624549646" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="215144"></figure>
Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis
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For all the roller coaster rides the sector has taken investors on over the years, the Chinese property developers have been unsettlingly consistent in one regard. The CNY1tn fixed asset investment (FAI) homebuilders coughed up in May continued a two-decades long secular trend that may make or break China's still fragile recovery (Exhibit 1).
The Debt-Fueled Supercycle. The sector has seen its share of excesses and corrections, exemplified by the post-GFC FAI expansion and subsequent retrenchment. Covid might have driven up construction costs, but the enthusiasm of would-be homeowners has shown no signs of abating. Just as the developers are working overtime to deleverage their balance sheets, household debt is piling up and may approach alarming levels over the next five years if mortgage growth doesn't decelerate quickly enough.
The Inventory Drawdown. Behind the headline FAI number is a more nuanced picture of inventory reductions and landbank replenishment. Housing starts slowed in May and dipped below project completions on a 12-month rolling basis. This affords cash-strapped property firms an opportunity to rebuild their cashflows, while deploying cash to projects in hand.
The Insatiable Demand. The 0.5% m/m or 5% y/y rise in home prices last month may appear benign in other settings. In the context of China's already exorbitant base, recent data points are a cause for concern. Among the largest cities across the country, those in the Greater Bay Area stand out as outliers, with valuations skyrocketing in spite of the latest round of lockdowns.
The Aggressive Developers. The increasingly bullish undertones of sell-side notes that have landed on our desks are centered around the inventory drawdown / cashflow rebuild story of the perceived higher-quality names in the space. We are not buyers of that story just yet and our work suggests that many developers have been acquiring land at a more aggressive rate than they had planned at the beginning of the year. Regulators are already keeping a close eye on recent transactions and we think we should too.



Exhibit 1: Monthly Housing FAI | 3M Moving Avg (CNY bn)




Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis




Related Insights


China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook 

Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer 

China Macro: Operation Twist | The Deposit Version 

China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows 

China Macro: PPI Peaks, while CPI Eases Tightening Fears 

China Macro: Exports Disappoint, but It's Still Early in the Game 


China Properties: Like Clockwork, Real Estate Investments Haven't Skipped a Beat

China

China Railway Construction Corporation Limited provides transportation infrastructure construction services. The Company constructs railway, highway, urban track, and other infrastructure. China Railway Construction also provides real estate development and materials trading services.

China Railway Construction Cor (601186 CH)

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China Railway Construction Cor (601186 CH)

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Sustaining a Stable Track in 3Q21

CCCC's flat 3Q21 reflects better construction but lower toll road profit, partly as traffic is disrupted by COVID-19 cases during summer. Outlook...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Exciting New Contract Momentum Fuels Outlook

CCCC has a fruiful 3Q21 with overall new contract value grew 57.6% YoY, signficantly accelerated from 28.5% in 1H21. The strong rebound in overseas...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Comm Const (1800 HK): A Healthy 1H21 with Full Operational Recovery

The market should welcome CCCC's 88.3% 1H21 profit growth, and we expect new contract momentum to stay strong. Its backlog covered 4.75x its FY20...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Well Placed for an Upturn

Good new contract value momentum and positive profit alert are both encouraging to CCCC. We believe its valuations are undemandiing at just 0.19x P...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Properties: Like Clockwork, Real Estate Investments Haven't Skipped a Beat

Housing FAI in May continued a secular trend that may make or break China's recovery. Inventory drawdowns may afford developers some breathing...

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)