Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, raised around US$420m in its Hong Kong IPO in Dec 21. The IPO was almost entirely taken up by cornerstones.</li>
<li>The company had also earlier obtained investments from Baidu and Alibaba, along with other mainly PE investors. These investors will be released from their lock-up on 1st Jun 2022.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the lock-up dynamics and updates over the past few months.</li>
</ul>


Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, raised around US$420m in its Hong Kong IPO in Dec 21. The IPO was almost entirely taken up by cornerstones.
The company had also earlier obtained investments from Baidu and Alibaba, along with other mainly PE investors. These investors will be released from their lock-up on 1st Jun 2022.
In this note, we will talk about the lock-up dynamics and updates over the past few months.


Cloud Village IPO Lock-Up - Selling the PE Stock (US$350m) Might Solve the Liquidity Issues

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation / Equity Capital Markets

Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vertex-technology-acquisition-corporation-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35394:1" rel="noopener">Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC SP)</a> agreed to a De-SPAC transaction with 17LIVE, the top pure-play live streaming platform (by revenue) in Japan and Taiwan combined.</li>
<li>Industry data and the financials suggest that 17LIVE does not have a sustainable competitive advantage to translate its position into high earnings quality. </li>
<li>The purchase consideration of 17LIVE in the De-SPAC transaction is S$925.1 million (US$682.2 million). Our valuation analysis suggests that this consideration is full.</li>
</ul>



Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC SP) agreed to a De-SPAC transaction with 17LIVE, the top pure-play live streaming platform (by revenue) in Japan and Taiwan combined.
Industry data and the financials suggest that 17LIVE does not have a sustainable competitive advantage to translate its position into high earnings quality. 
The purchase consideration of 17LIVE in the De-SPAC transaction is S$925.1 million (US$682.2 million). Our valuation analysis suggests that this consideration is full.


Vertex Technology Acquisition (VTAC SP)/17LIVE: Turn Off

Alibaba Group Holding  / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>On 28th Mar 2023, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:787:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US)</a> announced that it would adopt a new organizational and governance structure, splitting into six major business groups and other investments.</li>
<li>Alibaba also stated that each of the business groups would be set up as an independent entity with its own board and the groups will eventually seek to list.</li>
<li>In our previous notes, we highlighted which divisions could list and looked at some of the divisions in more detail. In this note, we will talk about the local operations.</li>
</ul>


On 28th Mar 2023, Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US) announced that it would adopt a new organizational and governance structure, splitting into six major business groups and other investments.
Alibaba also stated that each of the business groups would be set up as an independent entity with its own board and the groups will eventually seek to list.
In our previous notes, we highlighted which divisions could list and looked at some of the divisions in more detail. In this note, we will talk about the local operations.


Alibaba Potential IPOs - Part 5 - An Early Look at Local Operations

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

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>There are 35 adds and 28 deletes for the Hang Seng Composite Index (HSCI) at the March rebalance to take the number of index constituents up to 527.</li>
<li>We expect 29 of the 35 inclusions to the HSCI will be added to Stock Connect, while 20 of the 28 HSCI deletions will be removed from Southbound Stock Connect.</li>
<li>19 stocks could be deleted from Stock Connect only since their average market cap has dropped below HK$5bn- unless the new threshold of HK$4bn is approved in the next week.</li>
</ul>


There are 35 adds and 28 deletes for the Hang Seng Composite Index (HSCI) at the March rebalance to take the number of index constituents up to 527.
We expect 29 of the 35 inclusions to the HSCI will be added to Stock Connect, while 20 of the 28 HSCI deletions will be removed from Southbound Stock Connect.
19 stocks could be deleted from Stock Connect only since their average market cap has dropped below HK$5bn- unless the new threshold of HK$4bn is approved in the next week.


HSCI Index Rebalance: 35 Adds, 28 Deletes & Changes to Southbound Stock Connect

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/iqiyi-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26755:1" rel="noopener">IQIYI Inc (IQ US)</a> aims to raise net proceeds of US$442.3 million through the placement of 76.5 million ADS at US$5.90 per ADS.</li>
<li>The net proceeds will be used for working capital purposes, including serving its existing debt obligations. The placement closes on 19 January. </li>
<li>The placement price is fair vs peers and is an opportunity to play iQiyi’s expected topline recovery which is supported by ongoing margin improvement and declining cash burn. </li>
</ul>



IQIYI Inc (IQ US) aims to raise net proceeds of US$442.3 million through the placement of 76.5 million ADS at US$5.90 per ADS.
The net proceeds will be used for working capital purposes, including serving its existing debt obligations. The placement closes on 19 January. 
The placement price is fair vs peers and is an opportunity to play iQiyi’s expected topline recovery which is supported by ongoing margin improvement and declining cash burn. 


IQIYI (IQ US) Placement: Fair Price for a Potential but Risky Recovery Play

China

CLOUD VILLAGE INC operates as a music company. The Company develops a leading online music paltform which provides community centric online music services, social entertainment services, and other services. Cloud Village provides its services throughout China.

Cloud Village (9899 HK)

Cloud Village IPO Lock-Up - Selling the PE Stock (US$350m) Might Solve the Liquidity Issues

Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, raised around US$420m in its Hong Kong IPO in Dec 21. Investors will be released from their...

Sumeet Singh

Vertex Technology Acquisition (VTAC SP)/17LIVE: Turn Off

Industry data and the financials suggest caution is warranted. The purchase consideration of 17LIVE in the De-SPAC transaction is S$925.1 million...

Arun George

Alibaba Potential IPOs - Part 5 - An Early Look at Local Operations

On 28th Mar 2023, Alibaba (BABA US) announced that it would adopt a new organizational and governance structure. In those note we take an early...

Sumeet Singh

HSCI Index Rebalance: 35 Adds, 28 Deletes & Changes to Southbound Stock Connect

There are 35 adds & 28 deletes for the HSCI in March leading to 29 adds & 20 deletes for Stock Connect. 19 index constituents could be dropped from...

Brian Freitas

IQIYI (IQ US) Placement: Fair Price for a Potential but Risky Recovery Play

The placement price is fair vs peers and is an opportunity to play iQiyi’s expected topline recovery which is supported by ongoing margin...

Arun George