Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>EMEA Financials are the largest Regional Sector underweight in global EM, with just 11.6% of managers positioned ahead of the MSCI EM index.</li>
<li>Moderate but uneven recovery underway, with buying in Greece, Saudi, Kuwait and Poland Financials.</li>
<li>Despite being the sector's predominant country holding, South African Financials are experiencing a halt in growth; nonetheless, FirstRand and Standard Bank continue to be key holdings.</li>
</ul>


EMEA Financials are the largest Regional Sector underweight in global EM, with just 11.6% of managers positioned ahead of the MSCI EM index.
Moderate but uneven recovery underway, with buying in Greece, Saudi, Kuwait and Poland Financials.
Despite being the sector's predominant country holding, South African Financials are experiencing a halt in growth; nonetheless, FirstRand and Standard Bank continue to be key holdings.


Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>There are 41 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.</li>
<li>Five new deal was discussed on Smartkarma this past week: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/newmont-mining-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14503:1" rel="noopener">Newmont</a>/<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/newcrest-mining-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:691:1" rel="noopener">Newcrest</a>; <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/first-abu-dhabi-bank-pjsc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28945:1" rel="noopener">First Abu Dhabi Bank</a>/<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/standard-chartered-plc-f07a1272-e0fc-49e2-8090-1a08715a40a1" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22649:1" rel="noopener">Standard Chartered</a>,  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/boustead-projects-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26785:1" rel="noopener">Boustead Projects (BOCJ SP)</a>; <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ihara-science-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9870:1" rel="noopener">Ihara Science (5999 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/iwasaki-electric-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13072:1" rel="noopener">Iwasaki Electric (6924 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>Key updates took place for: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitro-software-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30943:1" rel="noopener">Nitro Software Ltd (NTO AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/halcyon-agri-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18191:1" rel="noopener">Halcyon Agri (HACL SP)</a>.</li>
</ul>


There are 41 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.
Five new deal was discussed on Smartkarma this past week: Newmont/Newcrest; First Abu Dhabi Bank/Standard Chartered,  Boustead Projects (BOCJ SP); Ihara Science (5999 JP), and Iwasaki Electric (6924 JP).
Key updates took place for: Nitro Software Ltd (NTO AU), Toshiba Corp (6502 JP), and Halcyon Agri (HACL SP).


(Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Newmont/Newcrest, StanChart, Boustead Proj., Ihara, Iwasaki

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>MENA stocks hit record underweight among active Emerging Market managers</li>
<li>Only half of active managers have exposure to the region, less than 3% overweight.</li>
<li>Al Rajhi Bank is the investor favourite, though all stocks remain underinvested vs benchmark</li>
</ul>


MENA stocks hit record underweight among active Emerging Market managers
Only half of active managers have exposure to the region, less than 3% overweight.
Al Rajhi Bank is the investor favourite, though all stocks remain underinvested vs benchmark


Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Market dynamics remain healthy and we are continuing to see signs that suggest global equities are entering a new broad-based bull market.</li>
<li>Led by strength from the US, the MSCI ACWI index (ACWI-US) recently broke out to new highs above the key $105.40 resistance level, a bullish sign for global equities.</li>
<li>Global sovereign yields have moved lower in recent weeks. We expect rates to find support near current levels, creating an opportunity to add to value Sectors.</li>
</ul>


Market dynamics remain healthy and we are continuing to see signs that suggest global equities are entering a new broad-based bull market.
Led by strength from the US, the MSCI ACWI index (ACWI-US) recently broke out to new highs above the key $105.40 resistance level, a bullish sign for global equities.
Global sovereign yields have moved lower in recent weeks. We expect rates to find support near current levels, creating an opportunity to add to value Sectors.


MSCI ACWI Breaking To New Highs; Buying Financials, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, Materials

Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds simultaneously issued by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/commercial-bank-of-dubai" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29706:1" rel="noopener">Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD)</a> and the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-of-east-asia-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:341:1" rel="noopener">Bank of East Asia (BNKEA)</a> present a unique opportunity to trade on the macro and micro-economic impacts of the COVID-19 economic environment in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong SAR, respectively.  Issued on Monday, 12 October, CBD achieved a 6% coupon while BNKEA managed 5.825%. Both banks are tier 2 entities in their home markets. From our perspective, one, if not both, of these bonds was mispriced in the primary market.Having examined Bank of East Asia’s financial fundamentals in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bank-of-east-asia-strategic-review-to-set-at1-value-forewarned-is-forearmed" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:42705" rel="noopener">Strategic Review to Set AT1 Value</a>, we contrast what we like and dislike regarding CBD with BNKEA. As BNKEA’s AT1 is now trading around the fair value which we projected in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bank-of-east-asia-s-new-at1-likely-coupon-and-curve-impact" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44112" rel="noopener">Bank of East Asia’s New AT1 – Likely Coupon and Curve Impact</a>, we conclude with suggestions on how to trade this pair as a possible proxy on Dubai versus Hong Kong as well as how to trade CBD relative to other banks headquartered in the United Arab Emirates.Commercial Bank of Dubai – what we dislike:<ul>
<li>Commercial real estate exposure is high.</li>
<li>Legacy asset quality issues still haunt.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Capital buffer is adequate, but inflated by forbearance.</li></ul>Commercial Bank of Dubai – what we like:<ul>
<li>Distributable reserves should enable AT1 payments if capital buffers are depleted.</li>
<li>Ownership and connections suggest strong support.</li>
</ul>

Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds simultaneously issued by Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) and the Bank of East Asia (BNKEA) present a unique opportunity to trade on the macro and micro-economic impacts of the COVID-19 economic environment in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong SAR, respectively.  Issued on Monday, 12 October, CBD achieved a 6% coupon while BNKEA managed 5.825%. Both banks are tier 2 entities in their home markets. From our perspective, one, if not both, of these bonds was mispriced in the primary market.Having examined Bank of East Asia’s financial fundamentals in Strategic Review to Set AT1 Value, we contrast what we like and dislike regarding CBD with BNKEA. As BNKEA’s AT1 is now trading around the fair value which we projected in Bank of East Asia’s New AT1 – Likely Coupon and Curve Impact, we conclude with suggestions on how to trade this pair as a possible proxy on Dubai versus Hong Kong as well as how to trade CBD relative to other banks headquartered in the United Arab Emirates.Commercial Bank of Dubai – what we dislike:
Commercial real estate exposure is high.
Legacy asset quality issues still haunt.
Capital buffer is adequate, but inflated by forbearance.Commercial Bank of Dubai – what we like:
Distributable reserves should enable AT1 payments if capital buffers are depleted.
Ownership and connections suggest strong support.


Commercial Bank of Dubai Vs Bank of East Asia: A Tale of Two AT1s in COVID-19 Uncertainty

United Arab Emirates

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC provides banking services. The Bank offers deposits, personal loans, e-banking, trade finance, foreign exchange, and other banking services. First Abu Dhabi Bank serves customers worldwide.

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC (FAB UH)

EMEA Financials: Uneven Recovery

EMEA Financials are the largest Regional Sector underweight in global EM. Moderate but uneven recovery underway, with buying in Greece, Saudi,...

Steven Holden

(Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Newmont/Newcrest, StanChart, Boustead Proj., Ihara, Iwasaki

This insight provides a summary of gross/annualised spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and...

David Blennerhassett

Record MENA Underweight

MENA stocks hit record underweight among active Emerging Market managers. Only half of active EM managers are exposed to the region and less than...

Steven Holden

MSCI ACWI Breaking To New Highs; Buying Financials, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, Materials

Global sovereign yields have moved lower in recent weeks. We expect rates to find support near current levels, and recommend adding exposure to...

Vermilion Research

Commercial Bank of Dubai Vs Bank of East Asia: A Tale of Two AT1s in COVID-19 Uncertainty

AT1 bonds simultaneously issued by Commercial Bank of Dubai and the Bank of East Asia present an opportunity to trade the COVID-19 economic impacts...

Hank Calenti, CFA