HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<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> should have a decent operating performance in 1H21, with good growth achieved for natural gas sales, LPG sales, LNG terminal and also the exploration and production segment. Their performance all look to be ahead of the full-year guidance put forward in FY20 result announcement in Mar 2021 - this is encouraging.Gas project M&amp;A momentum stays decent and, with IRRs of 10-12%, the returns are ahead of the hurdle level of 8%. Following <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-gas-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14315:1" rel="noopener">China Gas Holdings' (384 HK)</a>  Shiyan gas explosion, local governments now prefer large SOEs to invest in projects given their more stringent safety standards, and this is an advantage of Kunlun. The gas industry also entails less regulatory risks amid government's heightened regulatory measures towards various industries lately. The recent pull-back has made valuations even more appealing, in our view.

Kunlun Energy (135 HK) should have a decent operating performance in 1H21, with good growth achieved for natural gas sales, LPG sales, LNG terminal and also the exploration and production segment. Their performance all look to be ahead of the full-year guidance put forward in FY20 result announcement in Mar 2021 - this is encouraging.Gas project M&amp;A momentum stays decent and, with IRRs of 10-12%, the returns are ahead of the hurdle level of 8%. Following China Gas Holdings' (384 HK)  Shiyan gas explosion, local governments now prefer large SOEs to invest in projects given their more stringent safety standards, and this is an advantage of Kunlun. The gas industry also entails less regulatory risks amid government's heightened regulatory measures towards various industries lately. The recent pull-back has made valuations even more appealing, in our view.  

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Positive Takeaways from Discussion with Company

Despite the good share price performance after going ex-dividends, <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> still has significant upside potential, in our view. YTD, industry and peer figures have already showed a very solid underlying picture of China's gas consumption market. We updated our financial projections to incorporate the good 1Q21 result of Kunlun Gas, particularly to reflect the lower-than-expected minority interests which means that its wholly-owned subsidiaries are more profitable than non-wholly-owned which is a fact likely to be missed by the market.We project 3-year EPS CAGR of 20% for Kunlun's continuing operations, with ROE of 10.9% for FY22; and the stock trades on just 10.9x PER for FY21F and 0.9x P/B for FY22F. Such growth, return and valuation metrics clearly put the stock in an attractive zone relative to the peers' multiples - average sector growth is 15.9% at PER of 15.6x and average ROE of 17.7% at 2.2x P/B. More importantly, we see its net cash over the next two years to amount to 26-37% of the current share price.

Despite the good share price performance after going ex-dividends, Kunlun Energy (135 HK) still has significant upside potential, in our view. YTD, industry and peer figures have already showed a very solid underlying picture of China's gas consumption market. We updated our financial projections to incorporate the good 1Q21 result of Kunlun Gas, particularly to reflect the lower-than-expected minority interests which means that its wholly-owned subsidiaries are more profitable than non-wholly-owned which is a fact likely to be missed by the market.We project 3-year EPS CAGR of 20% for Kunlun's continuing operations, with ROE of 10.9% for FY22; and the stock trades on just 10.9x PER for FY21F and 0.9x P/B for FY22F. Such growth, return and valuation metrics clearly put the stock in an attractive zone relative to the peers' multiples - average sector growth is 15.9% at PER of 15.6x and average ROE of 17.7% at 2.2x P/B. More importantly, we see its net cash over the next two years to amount to 26-37% of the current share price.

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Updated Financial Projections Point to Still Very Undemanding Valuations

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

This is a warning insight. It is not actionable per se. It is designed to be informative. The dividend payment ex-dates are confusing. Some people are confusing. This insight hopes to put that right in the safest way possible so investors do not make an error on what will be a one-time 30% dividend.

This is a warning insight. It is not actionable per se. It is designed to be informative. The dividend payment ex-dates are confusing. Some people are confusing. This insight hopes to put that right in the safest way possible so investors do not make an error on what will be a one-time 30% dividend. 

Kunlun Energy (135) - Be Careful Of The Special Div Dates

Last year, the major gas pipeline companies owned by the SOEs all announced they were selling their intercity infrastructure and port offloading and storage operations to a new SOE called PipeChina. A few SOEs signed Sale and Purchase agreements in mid-2020. <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> signed theirs in December. For Kunlun, that agreement went through at the end of March. The bulk of the payment should have gone through at the end of April, and When Kunlun reported its earnings in late March, it reported full-year on an ongoing basis with the Discontinued Assets representing a different set of numbers. At that point, Kunlun became an energy distribution company which was primarily a city gas company, and a big pile of cash. As <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/osbert-tang-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:3879" rel="noopener">Osbert Tang, CFA</a> discussed in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/kunlun-energy-135-hk-a-fantastic-1q21-at-kunlun-gas" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50930" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Fantastic 1Q21 at Kunlun Gas</a> the largest contributor to the remaining business had a "fantastic Q1". Year-on-year results this year were always going to be "good" simply because of the growth from start of year to end of year in 2020. Straightline serial no-growth in 2021 would still have resulted in year-on-year growth, which itself seemed not to be in the minds of analysts looking at the pro-forma post-sale Kunlun. Surprisingly, since the announcement in December that the trade had been done, while Kunlun is up, because others are up just as much, the relative cheapness of Kunlun vs peers has actually increased.Below are data/visualizations suggesting how to look at Kunlun today.

Last year, the major gas pipeline companies owned by the SOEs all announced they were selling their intercity infrastructure and port offloading and storage operations to a new SOE called PipeChina. A few SOEs signed Sale and Purchase agreements in mid-2020. Kunlun Energy (135 HK) signed theirs in December. For Kunlun, that agreement went through at the end of March. The bulk of the payment should have gone through at the end of April, and When Kunlun reported its earnings in late March, it reported full-year on an ongoing basis with the Discontinued Assets representing a different set of numbers. At that point, Kunlun became an energy distribution company which was primarily a city gas company, and a big pile of cash. As Osbert Tang, CFA discussed in Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Fantastic 1Q21 at Kunlun Gas the largest contributor to the remaining business had a "fantastic Q1". Year-on-year results this year were always going to be "good" simply because of the growth from start of year to end of year in 2020. Straightline serial no-growth in 2021 would still have resulted in year-on-year growth, which itself seemed not to be in the minds of analysts looking at the pro-forma post-sale Kunlun. Surprisingly, since the announcement in December that the trade had been done, while Kunlun is up, because others are up just as much, the relative cheapness of Kunlun vs peers has actually increased.Below are data/visualizations suggesting how to look at Kunlun today. 

Kunlun Energy (135 HK) Approaching The Special Div - Still The Wrong Price

The most important subsidiary and key source of earnings of <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> - unlisted Kunlun Gas - reported a fantastic 42.9% YoY growth in earnings for 1Q21. Even relative to 1Q19, the net profit figure is still 30.8% higher. While gross margin contracted YoY, likely due to higher procurement costs, the exciting volume growth has offset the impact of cost inflation, in our view.Kunlun Gas' 1Q21 net profit already equals to 37.5% of its total in last year, indicating a very positive start for FY21. Moreover, it has a very comfortable gearing of 19.5% and good operating cash flow, meaning that there is no need for it to seek funding from parent Kunlun Energy. Hence, Kunlun Energy can pursue more value-enhancing acquisitions through its cash on hand. All in all, the result implies great start for Kunlun Energy in 1Q21 - Kunlun Gas accounted for 72% of Kunlun Energy's net profit from continuing operations in last year.

The most important subsidiary and key source of earnings of Kunlun Energy (135 HK) - unlisted Kunlun Gas - reported a fantastic 42.9% YoY growth in earnings for 1Q21. Even relative to 1Q19, the net profit figure is still 30.8% higher. While gross margin contracted YoY, likely due to higher procurement costs, the exciting volume growth has offset the impact of cost inflation, in our view.Kunlun Gas' 1Q21 net profit already equals to 37.5% of its total in last year, indicating a very positive start for FY21. Moreover, it has a very comfortable gearing of 19.5% and good operating cash flow, meaning that there is no need for it to seek funding from parent Kunlun Energy. Hence, Kunlun Energy can pursue more value-enhancing acquisitions through its cash on hand. All in all, the result implies great start for Kunlun Energy in 1Q21 - Kunlun Gas accounted for 72% of Kunlun Energy's net profit from continuing operations in last year. 

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Fantastic 1Q21 at Kunlun Gas

Hong Kong

China Resources Gas Group Ltd distributes natural gas and petroleum gas in the cities of Chengdu, Fuyang, Huaibei, Linhai, Suzhou and Wuxi in the PRC. The Company also operates compressed natural gas filling stations in Chengdu, Nanjing and Wuxi. The group also is involved in bottled liquefied petroleum gas distribution in cities of Fuyang, Suzhou and Wuxi.

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CR Gas (1193 HK)

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Our updated financial projections, referencing its valuation relative to peers, point to the fact that there is still very significant upside...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Kunlun Energy (135) - Be Careful Of The Special Div Dates

Kunlun's Special Div is upon us. BE CAREFUL OF YOUR DATES. There appears to be some confusion out there. Check and double check the docs and your...

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Kunlun Energy (135 HK) Approaching The Special Div - Still The Wrong Price

Kunlun has outperformed its peers since the announcement of the disposal of its pipeline business. There is one week til the ex-date of the special...

Travis Lundy

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Fantastic 1Q21 at Kunlun Gas

Kunlun Energy's most important unlisted subsidiary Kunlun Gas achieved net profit growth of 42.9% in 1Q21, and this is an impressive start for the...

Osbert Tang, CFA

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