SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Equity Bottom-Up

Digilife Technologies Limited / Equity Bottom-Up

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FOR the 5 trading sessions that spanned Jun 3 to 9, the Straits Times Index (STI) declined 0.5 per cent, with the FTSE China A50 Index adding 3.0 per cent, the Hang Seng Index gaining 4.5 per cent and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI falling 1.9 per cent. 

 
Overall, institutions were net sellers of Singapore stocks over the 5 sessions with S$52 million of net outflow, following the S$102 million of net outflow for the preceding 5 sessions. UOB, Singtel, DBS, Yangzijiang Financial Holding and Thai Beverage led the net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions through to Jun 9.

 Share buybacks

 
There were 23 primary-listed stocks conducting share buybacks over the 5 sessions ended Jun 9, with a total consideration of S$53,390,997, a weekly consideration tally similar to the preceding 3 weeks’.

Keppel Corporation again led the consideration tally with 3,035,800 shares bought at an average price of S$6.89 per share. This brought the total number of shares purchased on its current mandate to 1.19 per cent of its issued shares (excluding treasury shares).

 
On Jun 8, Yangzijiang Financial Holding announced the establishment of a S$200 million share buyback programme pursuant to the share buyback mandate granted by shareholders at the EGM held the same day. The company also noted that purpose of the programme is to increase shareholder value and improve the return of equity of the group.

 Director and substantial shareholder transactions

 
The 5 trading sessions saw close 90 changes to director interests and substantial shareholdings filed for more than 30 primary-listed stocks. This included 8 company director acquisitions with two disposals filed, while substantial shareholders filed 11 acquisitions and 8 disposals.

Back on Jun 2, Olam Group executive director, co-founder and group CEO Sunny Verghese acquired 500,000 shares of the company at an average price of S$1.56 per share, with a consideration of S$780,400, increasing his direct interest in Olam Group from 4.29 per cent to 4.31 per cent.

 
Also on Jun 2, Digilife Technologies chairman and non-independent non-executive director Bhupendra Kumar Modi increased his total interest in the company from 52.38 per cent to 53.99 per cent. In a share purchase agreement dated Jun 2, Spice Bulls acquired 217,105 Digilife Technologies shares from Maneesh Tripathi for a consideration of S$577,500, at S$2.66 per share. Spice Bulls is 100 per cent held by Smart Co Holding, which in turn is 100 per cent held by Modi. Tripathi resigned as non-independent non-executive director of Digilife Technologies effective May 31.

 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings

 
On Jun 6, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings substantial shareholder T. Rowe Price Associates, increased its deemed interest in the company to above the 8.0 per cent threshold. Acquiring 5,819,100 shares in the Jiangsu-based shipbuilder, at an average price of 99.9 cents per share increased its deemed interest from 7.92 per cent to 8.06 per cent. Previously T. Rowe Price Associates increased its deemed interest above the 7.00 per cent threshold on Dec 7 and above the 6.00 per cent threshold on Apr 8, 2021.

 
According to data from Bloomberg, its deemed interest in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings is spread across multiple portfolios such as the T Rowe Price Emerging Markets Discovery Stock Fund, T Rowe Price International Discovery Fund and T Rowe Price International Value Equity Fund.

 
In 2021, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings secured record order wins for 124 vessels with a total contract value of US$7.41 billion. Apart from achieving the group’s highest order wins since its listing on SGX in 2021, the company made the strategic decision to focus on new-build profitability and prioritised on building containerships and clean energy vessels. As of the end 2021, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings had an existing orderbook of US$8.50 billion for 157 vessels, with containerships accounting for US$7.08 billion or 83 per cent of total existing contract value. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings was the STI’s strongest performer in 2021 and has ranked as the second strongest STI constituent after Jardine Cycle &amp; Carriage in the 2022 year through to Jun 9. 

 Uni-Asia Group

 
On Jun 9, Uni-Asia Group executive chairman Michio Tanamoto acquired 50,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$54,250. At an average price of S$1.09 per share, this increased his total interest in the company from 3.18 per cent to 3.24 per cent.

 
His preceding acquisitions were on Aug 20, with 30,000 shares acquired at S$1.05 per share and May 21, 2021, with 50,000 shares acquired at 66.5 cents per share.

 
Tanamoto was appointed executive chairman of the Uni-Asia Group in April 2020. He was previously appointed as chairman and CEO in April 2014, before he relinquished his position as CEO in 2020 as part of the group’s succession planning. He is one of the 4 founders who established the company in 1997 and has been a director since then. He has close to 40 years of experience in financial sector, having been based in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

 
In April, Tanamoto noted that as a producer of alternative investment opportunities, Uni-Asia Group’s ongoing mission is to constantly create new investment products and develop new investors sources to increase its assets under management as well and strengthen its investment portfolio to achieve sustainable long-term growth. With 2022 also marking the group’s 25th anniversary, Tanamoto added that the group’s balance sheet is now stronger than before, following its deleveraging strategy, with a strong cashflow, as a result of the strong shipping market.

 Megachem

 
On Jun 3, Megachem managing director Sidney Chew Choon Tee acquired 93,000 shares of the company at 46.5 cents per share. With a consideration of S$43,245, this increased his total interest in the one-stop specialty chemical solutions provider from 35.65 per cent to 35.72 per cent. His preceeding acquisitions were on Apr 13 with 200 shares acquired at 45.5 cents per share and between Mar 15 and 16, with 20,000 shares acquired at 45.0 cents per share. 

 
The company reported back in February that its net profit after tax in FY21 (ended Dec 31) increased 52.0 per cent to S$8.0 million on the back of a 32.0 per cent growth in revenue to S$138.9 million. Chew noted that the group achieved a new record in revenue, as business sentiments improved, and demand recovered, with higher sales volumes and chemical prices supporting a rebound in revenue in FY21 to better than pre-Covid levels.

 
In response to a question on the sensitivity of revenue to oil prices in an online Q&amp;A with Investors in March, Megachem management noted that demand for specialty chemicals had been less sensitive to price fluctuations. The management team reasoned that oil prices had staged a remarkable rebound since the later part of 2020 which had pushed freight rates and chemical prices higher. However, the team noted that specialty chemicals, though not immune to oil price fluctuations, are less susceptible in comparison to bulk commodity chemicals, since they are a more downstream product and usage in the finished product is smaller.

 GSH Corporation

 
Between Jun 2 and 8, GSH Corporation executive chairman Sam Goi Seng Hui acquired 195,200 shares of the company at an average price of 16.7 cents per share, with a consideration of S$32,668. This increased his total interest in the property developer, hotel and resort operator from 63.62 per cent to 63.63 per cent. Goi’s preceding acquisition was on Oct 8, with 99,800 shares acquired at 16.8 cents per share. He has gradually increased his total interest in GSH Corporation from 47.97 per cent in July 2015. Goi was appointed to the GSH Corporation board in July 2012.

 
He is also the executive chairman of Tee Yih Jia Group, in addition to SGX-listed companies Hanwell Holdings and Tat Seng Packaging Group.  Goi also serves on the board of Envictus International Holdings, JB Foods and Tung Lok Restaurants (2000).  For its FY21 (ended Dec 31), GSH posted an attributable net loss of S$21.0 million, which was a decline of 49 per cent from an attributable net loss of S$14.1 million in FY20, with group revenue declining 20 per cent from S$120.2 million in FY20 to S$95.8 million in FY21.

 
GSH Corporation is a growing property developer in South-east Asia, with 5 properties under development in Malaysia and China. It also owns and operates the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, comprising 2 5-star hotels, a 104-berth marina and a 27-hole championship golf course, and the Sutera@Mantanani Resort on the Mantanani Islands in Sabah. In FY21, 67 per cent of GSH Corporation’s revenue was reported to Malaysia, with the balance reported to China.

 Inside Insights is a weekly column on The Business Times,<a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/t-rowe-price-increases-its-yzj-shipbuilding-interest-to-above-8"> read </a>the original version.
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    Share Buybacks


FOR the 5 trading sessions that spanned Jun 3 to 9, the Straits Times Index (STI) declined 0.5 per cent, with the FTSE China A50 Index adding 3.0 per cent, the Hang Seng Index gaining 4.5 per cent and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI falling 1.9 per cent. 

 
Overall, institutions were net sellers of Singapore stocks over the 5 sessions with S$52 million of net outflow, following the S$102 million of net outflow for the preceding 5 sessions. UOB, Singtel, DBS, Yangzijiang Financial Holding and Thai Beverage led the net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions through to Jun 9.

 Share buybacks

 
There were 23 primary-listed stocks conducting share buybacks over the 5 sessions ended Jun 9, with a total consideration of S$53,390,997, a weekly consideration tally similar to the preceding 3 weeks’.

Keppel Corporation again led the consideration tally with 3,035,800 shares bought at an average price of S$6.89 per share. This brought the total number of shares purchased on its current mandate to 1.19 per cent of its issued shares (excluding treasury shares).

 
On Jun 8, Yangzijiang Financial Holding announced the establishment of a S$200 million share buyback programme pursuant to the share buyback mandate granted by shareholders at the EGM held the same day. The company also noted that purpose of the programme is to increase shareholder value and improve the return of equity of the group.

 Director and substantial shareholder transactions

 
The 5 trading sessions saw close 90 changes to director interests and substantial shareholdings filed for more than 30 primary-listed stocks. This included 8 company director acquisitions with two disposals filed, while substantial shareholders filed 11 acquisitions and 8 disposals.

Back on Jun 2, Olam Group executive director, co-founder and group CEO Sunny Verghese acquired 500,000 shares of the company at an average price of S$1.56 per share, with a consideration of S$780,400, increasing his direct interest in Olam Group from 4.29 per cent to 4.31 per cent.

 
Also on Jun 2, Digilife Technologies chairman and non-independent non-executive director Bhupendra Kumar Modi increased his total interest in the company from 52.38 per cent to 53.99 per cent. In a share purchase agreement dated Jun 2, Spice Bulls acquired 217,105 Digilife Technologies shares from Maneesh Tripathi for a consideration of S$577,500, at S$2.66 per share. Spice Bulls is 100 per cent held by Smart Co Holding, which in turn is 100 per cent held by Modi. Tripathi resigned as non-independent non-executive director of Digilife Technologies effective May 31.

 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings

 
On Jun 6, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings substantial shareholder T. Rowe Price Associates, increased its deemed interest in the company to above the 8.0 per cent threshold. Acquiring 5,819,100 shares in the Jiangsu-based shipbuilder, at an average price of 99.9 cents per share increased its deemed interest from 7.92 per cent to 8.06 per cent. Previously T. Rowe Price Associates increased its deemed interest above the 7.00 per cent threshold on Dec 7 and above the 6.00 per cent threshold on Apr 8, 2021.

 
According to data from Bloomberg, its deemed interest in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings is spread across multiple portfolios such as the T Rowe Price Emerging Markets Discovery Stock Fund, T Rowe Price International Discovery Fund and T Rowe Price International Value Equity Fund.

 
In 2021, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings secured record order wins for 124 vessels with a total contract value of US$7.41 billion. Apart from achieving the group’s highest order wins since its listing on SGX in 2021, the company made the strategic decision to focus on new-build profitability and prioritised on building containerships and clean energy vessels. As of the end 2021, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings had an existing orderbook of US$8.50 billion for 157 vessels, with containerships accounting for US$7.08 billion or 83 per cent of total existing contract value. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings was the STI’s strongest performer in 2021 and has ranked as the second strongest STI constituent after Jardine Cycle &amp; Carriage in the 2022 year through to Jun 9. 

 Uni-Asia Group

 
On Jun 9, Uni-Asia Group executive chairman Michio Tanamoto acquired 50,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$54,250. At an average price of S$1.09 per share, this increased his total interest in the company from 3.18 per cent to 3.24 per cent.

 
His preceding acquisitions were on Aug 20, with 30,000 shares acquired at S$1.05 per share and May 21, 2021, with 50,000 shares acquired at 66.5 cents per share.

 
Tanamoto was appointed executive chairman of the Uni-Asia Group in April 2020. He was previously appointed as chairman and CEO in April 2014, before he relinquished his position as CEO in 2020 as part of the group’s succession planning. He is one of the 4 founders who established the company in 1997 and has been a director since then. He has close to 40 years of experience in financial sector, having been based in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

 
In April, Tanamoto noted that as a producer of alternative investment opportunities, Uni-Asia Group’s ongoing mission is to constantly create new investment products and develop new investors sources to increase its assets under management as well and strengthen its investment portfolio to achieve sustainable long-term growth. With 2022 also marking the group’s 25th anniversary, Tanamoto added that the group’s balance sheet is now stronger than before, following its deleveraging strategy, with a strong cashflow, as a result of the strong shipping market.

 Megachem

 
On Jun 3, Megachem managing director Sidney Chew Choon Tee acquired 93,000 shares of the company at 46.5 cents per share. With a consideration of S$43,245, this increased his total interest in the one-stop specialty chemical solutions provider from 35.65 per cent to 35.72 per cent. His preceeding acquisitions were on Apr 13 with 200 shares acquired at 45.5 cents per share and between Mar 15 and 16, with 20,000 shares acquired at 45.0 cents per share. 

 
The company reported back in February that its net profit after tax in FY21 (ended Dec 31) increased 52.0 per cent to S$8.0 million on the back of a 32.0 per cent growth in revenue to S$138.9 million. Chew noted that the group achieved a new record in revenue, as business sentiments improved, and demand recovered, with higher sales volumes and chemical prices supporting a rebound in revenue in FY21 to better than pre-Covid levels.

 
In response to a question on the sensitivity of revenue to oil prices in an online Q&amp;A with Investors in March, Megachem management noted that demand for specialty chemicals had been less sensitive to price fluctuations. The management team reasoned that oil prices had staged a remarkable rebound since the later part of 2020 which had pushed freight rates and chemical prices higher. However, the team noted that specialty chemicals, though not immune to oil price fluctuations, are less susceptible in comparison to bulk commodity chemicals, since they are a more downstream product and usage in the finished product is smaller.

 GSH Corporation

 
Between Jun 2 and 8, GSH Corporation executive chairman Sam Goi Seng Hui acquired 195,200 shares of the company at an average price of 16.7 cents per share, with a consideration of S$32,668. This increased his total interest in the property developer, hotel and resort operator from 63.62 per cent to 63.63 per cent. Goi’s preceding acquisition was on Oct 8, with 99,800 shares acquired at 16.8 cents per share. He has gradually increased his total interest in GSH Corporation from 47.97 per cent in July 2015. Goi was appointed to the GSH Corporation board in July 2012.

 
He is also the executive chairman of Tee Yih Jia Group, in addition to SGX-listed companies Hanwell Holdings and Tat Seng Packaging Group.  Goi also serves on the board of Envictus International Holdings, JB Foods and Tung Lok Restaurants (2000).  For its FY21 (ended Dec 31), GSH posted an attributable net loss of S$21.0 million, which was a decline of 49 per cent from an attributable net loss of S$14.1 million in FY20, with group revenue declining 20 per cent from S$120.2 million in FY20 to S$95.8 million in FY21.

 
GSH Corporation is a growing property developer in South-east Asia, with 5 properties under development in Malaysia and China. It also owns and operates the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, comprising 2 5-star hotels, a 104-berth marina and a 27-hole championship golf course, and the Sutera@Mantanani Resort on the Mantanani Islands in Sabah. In FY21, 67 per cent of GSH Corporation’s revenue was reported to Malaysia, with the balance reported to China.

 Inside Insights is a weekly column on The Business Times, read the original version.



T Rowe Price increases its YZJ Shipbuilding interest to above 8%

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23 Companies Buyback Shares in Sep, Yanlord Commences Buybacks

Asean Telco Analyst. Ex CLSA, JPMorgan & HSBC

Luis Antonio Hilado

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Telco service providers continue to face the challenges of pressure on traditional sources of carriage revenue and from attempts to realize real and/or market valuation upside from OTT forays</li><li>The need for speed continues to provide grounds for governments and consumers to keep telco capex high and suppress returns</li></ul>

Telco service providers continue to face the challenges of pressure on traditional sources of carriage revenue and from attempts to realize real and/or market valuation upside from OTT foraysThe need for speed continues to provide grounds for governments and consumers to keep telco capex high and suppress returns

Untethered Thoughts: Setting the Base (Bias) Line

Equity Analyst, TMT & Energy Specialist

HL Tan

Change is the only constant, likewise visible in the once deemed 'predictable' and 'boring' telecommunications sector. This is an add-on to Toh Zhen Zhou's <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/singapore-telcos-three-bids-for-4th-mobile-license-and-this-is-just-the-beginning" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:5611">Singapore Telcos - Three Bids for 4th Mobile License and This Is Just the Beginning</a>.May the 4th be with you. Share prices of incumbent telecom operators' (Singtel, StarHub and M1)  have declined ~1-5% in the past week vs. FSSTI +2% wow. This was after IDA announced 3 applicants for the new 4th mobile operator license in Singapore, namely from…

Change is the only constant, likewise visible in the once deemed 'predictable' and 'boring' telecommunications sector. This is an add-on to Toh Zhen Zhou's Singapore Telcos - Three Bids for 4th Mobile License and This Is Just the Beginning.May the 4th be with you. Share prices of incumbent telecom operators' (Singtel, StarHub and M1)  have declined ~1-5% in the past week vs. FSSTI +2% wow. This was after IDA announced 3 applicants for the new 4th mobile operator license in Singapore, namely from…

Singapore Telcos - What's Next? Evaluating the 'new' New Entrant Aftermath.

Differentiated global TMT & Internet Research

New Street Research Insights

New Street Research

Research is provided by our team of experienced analysts. Our work is idea driven, based on independence of thought, sector expertise, and firmly focused on fundamentals and valuation of telecoms and internet names globally. New Street is headquartered in London with offices in New York, Singapore and Australia. 

New Street Research is an independent, partner-owned, research firm specialising in equity and debt research. Our equity research embraces the following sectors:

Pan European Telecom Services and Cable
US Telecoms, Cable, Satellite and Towers
Global Emerging Market Telecoms
Japan Telecoms
Asian Internet
Pan European Healthcare
US Healthcare
Japanese Healthcare

We also provide debt research on:
Pan European Telecom Services and Cable

The rise of data usage in Emerging Markets delivers increased benefits of scale to operators. Capex and spectrum holdings become key weapons to gain market share. This tends to play well for large incumbents; large dominant telcos are increasing their dominance. With increased share of profits flowing to a dominant player, returns for the smaller players can fall to unsustainable levels. &nbsp;A number of outcomes are possible.<ol><li>If the government does not own a large stake in the dominant player then asymmetric regulation is likely to benefit the smaller players.&nbsp;</li><li>Where the government owns a stake in the dominant player, asymmetric regulation is less likely and instead a deeper consolidation of smaller players may be allowed.&nbsp;</li><li>In markets where existing players generate high returns we see a risk of new entry to erode returns. Small cell challengers are likely to be part of this picture.&nbsp;</li></ol>&nbsp;

The rise of data usage in Emerging Markets delivers increased benefits of scale to operators. Capex and spectrum holdings become key weapons to gain market share. This tends to play well for large incumbents; large dominant telcos are increasing their dominance. With increased share of profits flowing to a dominant player, returns for the smaller players can fall to unsustainable levels. &nbsp;A number of outcomes are possible.If the government does not own a large stake in the dominant player then asymmetric regulation is likely to benefit the smaller players.&nbsp;Where the government owns a stake in the dominant player, asymmetric regulation is less likely and instead a deeper consolidation of smaller players may be allowed.&nbsp;In markets where existing players generate high returns we see a risk of new entry to erode returns. Small cell challengers are likely to be part of this picture.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Urge to Merge - EM Telcos Look at Consolidation

Singapore

Digilife Technologies Limited Limited offers mobile telecommunication solutions. The Company provides a portfolio of voice, data and computing services along with VoIP technology. S 121 Ltd supports access from mobile devices through either mobile broadband (3G/4G) or WiFi.

Digilife Technologies Limited (I2I SP)

T Rowe Price increases its YZJ Shipbuilding interest to above 8%

FOR the 5 trading sessions that spanned Jun 3 to 9, the Straits Times Index (STI) declined 0.5 per cent, with the FTSE China...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

23 Companies Buyback Shares in Sep, Yanlord Commences Buybacks

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Untethered Thoughts: Setting the Base (Bias) Line

Telco service providers continue to face the challenges of pressure on traditional sources of carriage revenue and from attempts to realize real...

Luis Antonio Hilado

Singapore Telcos - What's Next? Evaluating the 'new' New Entrant Aftermath.

Change is the only constant, likewise visible in the once deemed 'predictable' and 'boring' telecommunications sector. This is an add-on to Toh...

HL Tan

The Urge to Merge - EM Telcos Look at Consolidation

The rise of data usage in Emerging Markets delivers increased benefits of scale to operators. Capex and spectrum holdings become key weapons to...

New Street Research