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.

Equity Capital Markets

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/didi-chuxing-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27467:1" rel="noopener">DiDi Chuxing (DIDI US)</a>/Xiaoju Kuaizhi is the world's largest mobility technology platform by annual active users and by average daily transactions for the twelve months ended 31 March 2021, according to CIC. Xiaoju Kuaizhi is best known for its DiDi Chuxing app in China where consumers can access mobility and other essential services. It acquired rival Kuaidi Dache in February 2015 for $2.2 billion and then acquired the China operations of Uber Technologies for $7.0 billion in August 2016.  Didi is seeking to raise as much as $10 billion through a US listing, according to press reports. Didi is backed by Softbank Vision Fund (21.5% stake), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uber-technologies-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:430:1" rel="noopener">Uber (UBER US)</a> (12.8%), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a> (6.8%), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:787:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (BABA US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toyota-motor-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:73:1" rel="noopener">Toyota Motor (7203 JP)</a>. Ride-hailing platforms depend heavily on customers in high-density populated cities. China which has 14 metropolitan areas with a population of over 10 million offers the ideal conditions for ride-hailing platforms to flourish. Didi’s core china mobility business is heading on the right trajectory with rising growth and improving margin. <div class="content-highlight">However, Didi is saddled with two other businesses (international and other initiatives) which are driven by its global ambitions and its desire to provide a broad array of service offerings to consumers and drivers. This ecosystem strategy is sensible for a business that is trying to make it costlier for customers to switch to rival platforms by leveraging a core business that is highly profitable and cash generative. Unfortunately, Didi’s core business is not close to achieving this status and the international and other initiatives business look like unnecessary and costly distractions. In combination with the ongoing regulatory overhang and less than ideal financial disclosure, we are inclined to give the Didi IPO a pass.</div>For readers interested in Didi's peers which are also seeking IPOs/SPAC deals, we highlight our research notes: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/grab-spac-deal-delivering-the-goods" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50305" rel="noopener">Grab SPAC Deal: Delivering the Goods</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/grab-spac-deal-a-sensible-super-app-valuation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50344" rel="noopener">Grab SPAC Deal: A Sensible Super-App Valuation?</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hello-ipo-initiation-goodbye" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50795" rel="noopener">Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hello-ipo-1q21-update-does-not-change-the-avoid-tag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51119" rel="noopener">Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/dida-ipo-initiation-sharing-a-lift" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:47652" rel="noopener">Dida IPO Initiation: Sharing a Lift</a>

DiDi Chuxing (DIDI US)/Xiaoju Kuaizhi is the world's largest mobility technology platform by annual active users and by average daily transactions for the twelve months ended 31 March 2021, according to CIC. Xiaoju Kuaizhi is best known for its DiDi Chuxing app in China where consumers can access mobility and other essential services. It acquired rival Kuaidi Dache in February 2015 for $2.2 billion and then acquired the China operations of Uber Technologies for $7.0 billion in August 2016.  Didi is seeking to raise as much as $10 billion through a US listing, according to press reports. Didi is backed by Softbank Vision Fund (21.5% stake), Uber (UBER US) (12.8%), Tencent (700 HK) (6.8%), Alibaba Group (BABA US) and Toyota Motor (7203 JP). Ride-hailing platforms depend heavily on customers in high-density populated cities. China which has 14 metropolitan areas with a population of over 10 million offers the ideal conditions for ride-hailing platforms to flourish. Didi’s core china mobility business is heading on the right trajectory with rising growth and improving margin. However, Didi is saddled with two other businesses (international and other initiatives) which are driven by its global ambitions and its desire to provide a broad array of service offerings to consumers and drivers. This ecosystem strategy is sensible for a business that is trying to make it costlier for customers to switch to rival platforms by leveraging a core business that is highly profitable and cash generative. Unfortunately, Didi’s core business is not close to achieving this status and the international and other initiatives business look like unnecessary and costly distractions. In combination with the ongoing regulatory overhang and less than ideal financial disclosure, we are inclined to give the Didi IPO a pass.For readers interested in Didi's peers which are also seeking IPOs/SPAC deals, we highlight our research notes: Grab SPAC Deal: Delivering the Goods Grab SPAC Deal: A Sensible Super-App Valuation? Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag Dida IPO Initiation: Sharing a Lift 

Didi Chuxing (Xiaoju Kuaizhi) Initiation: In for a Bumpy Ride?

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.

DiDi Chuxing (Didi), the world’s largest mobility technology platform, aims to raise around US$10bn in its US listing. It is backed by Softbank and Tencent, along with other investors.It is present in over 4,000 cities, counties and towns across 15 countries. As of twelve months ending (LTM) 1Q21, it had 493m annual active users and 15m drivers, who participated in 41m average daily transactions. It generated a gross transaction value of RMB341bn over LTM1Q21.  In this note, we provide a brief background and financials overview.

DiDi Chuxing (Didi), the world’s largest mobility technology platform, aims to raise around US$10bn in its US listing. It is backed by Softbank and Tencent, along with other investors.It is present in over 4,000 cities, counties and towns across 15 countries. As of twelve months ending (LTM) 1Q21, it had 493m annual active users and 15m drivers, who participated in 41m average daily transactions. It generated a gross transaction value of RMB341bn over LTM1Q21.  In this note, we provide a brief background and financials overview.  

DiDi Chuxing Pre-IPO - One of Asia's Largest IPOs This Year - Tearsheet

Full Truck Alliance   / Equity Capital Markets

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/full-truck-alliance" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33429:1" rel="noopener">Full Truck Alliance (YMM US)</a> (FTU),  China’s largest digital freight platform by gross transaction value, aims to raise up to US$1.5bn via a US listing. It is backed by Softbank and Sequoia.In our earlier note, we spoke about the positive aspects of the deal, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/full-truck-alliance-pre-ipo-the-positives-category-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full Truck Alliance Pre-IPO - The Positives - Category Leader</a>. In this note, we'll talk about the not so positive aspects.

Full Truck Alliance (YMM US) (FTU),  China’s largest digital freight platform by gross transaction value, aims to raise up to US$1.5bn via a US listing. It is backed by Softbank and Sequoia.In our earlier note, we spoke about the positive aspects of the deal, Full Truck Alliance Pre-IPO - The Positives - Category Leader. In this note, we'll talk about the not so positive aspects.

Full Truck Alliance Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Still a Mixed Bag

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hello-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33031:1" rel="noopener">Hello Inc (1883864D US)</a>, which is backed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK)</a>, is China's third-largest local services platform by transaction volume, according to iResearch. Hello offers bike-sharing and e-bike sharing services known as Hello Bike and Hello e-Bike. It also has a carpooling marketplace known as Hello Carpooling. Hello is seeking to raise $1 billion through a Nasdaq listing, according to press reports.   In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hello-ipo-initiation-goodbye" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50795" rel="noopener">Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye</a> we stated that Hello’s investor pitch is that its various businesses create a flywheel that drives user spending growth with limited user acquisition costs. However, Hello remains saddled with a core business (shared two-wheeler services) that has challenging prospects due to declining growth, low profitability and high cash burn. <div class="content-highlight">Hello has released an updated F-1 filing disclosing its 1Q21 performance and other developments. At first glance, the 1Q21 update looks stunning due to accelerating growth and margin progression. However, a closer look, suggests that business continues to face daunting challenges. Overall, we stick to our view to give the Hello IPO a pass.    </div>

Hello Inc (1883864D US), which is backed by Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK), is China's third-largest local services platform by transaction volume, according to iResearch. Hello offers bike-sharing and e-bike sharing services known as Hello Bike and Hello e-Bike. It also has a carpooling marketplace known as Hello Carpooling. Hello is seeking to raise $1 billion through a Nasdaq listing, according to press reports.   In Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye we stated that Hello’s investor pitch is that its various businesses create a flywheel that drives user spending growth with limited user acquisition costs. However, Hello remains saddled with a core business (shared two-wheeler services) that has challenging prospects due to declining growth, low profitability and high cash burn. Hello has released an updated F-1 filing disclosing its 1Q21 performance and other developments. At first glance, the 1Q21 update looks stunning due to accelerating growth and margin progression. However, a closer look, suggests that business continues to face daunting challenges. Overall, we stick to our view to give the Hello IPO a pass.    

Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag

APAC IPOs & Placements

Zhen Zhou, Toh

Hello Inc. is looking to raise up to US$1bn in its upcoming U.S. IPO.Hello Inc (HI) is a local services platform in China. The company operates a mobile app called Hello,  which provides a range of local services that include shared two-wheeler services, carpooling market place, and emerging local services and products that includes e-scooters and in-store services marketplace, ride-hailing, hotel reservations, mobile grocery stores and online advertising services.In this note, we will look at the company’s business model, operating data, financials, and share our thoughts on the IPO.

Hello Inc. is looking to raise up to US$1bn in its upcoming U.S. IPO.Hello Inc (HI) is a local services platform in China. The company operates a mobile app called Hello,  which provides a range of local services that include shared two-wheeler services, carpooling market place, and emerging local services and products that includes e-scooters and in-store services marketplace, ride-hailing, hotel reservations, mobile grocery stores and online advertising services.In this note, we will look at the company’s business model, operating data, financials, and share our thoughts on the IPO.

Hello Inc (哈罗出行) Pre-IPO - Nowhere near Being Sustainable

China

Dida offers carpooling and online taxi hailing services in China

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Dida (DIDA HK)

Didi Chuxing (Xiaoju Kuaizhi) Initiation: In for a Bumpy Ride?

Didi is seeking to raise as much as $10 bn. Due to the costly distractions of the non-core business, regulatory overhang and less than ideal...

Arun George

DiDi Chuxing Pre-IPO - One of Asia's Largest IPOs This Year - Tearsheet

DiDi Chuxing (Didi), the world’s largest mobility technology platform, aims to raise around US$10bn in its US listing. It is backed by Softbank and...

Sumeet Singh

Full Truck Alliance Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Still a Mixed Bag

Full Truck Alliance (YMM US), China’s largest digital freight platform by gross transaction value, aims to raise up to US$1.5bn via a US listing....

Sumeet Singh

Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag

Hello has released an updated F-1 filing disclosing its 1Q21 performance and other developments. The 1Q21 results suggest that business continues...

Arun George

Hello Inc (哈罗出行) Pre-IPO - Nowhere near Being Sustainable

Hello Inc. is looking to raise up to US$1bn in its upcoming U.S. IPO. Hello Inc (HI) is a local services platform in China.

Zhen Zhou, Toh

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