HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

CK Infrastructure Holdings / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ck-infrastructure-holdings-l" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:163:1" rel="noopener">CK Infrastructure Holdings (1038 HK)</a> should thrive in the volatile market environment in 2025, given its stable earnings, diversified geography, low gearing, and consistent dividends.</li>
<li>Further reduction in US interest rate should potentially be positive to other currencies, and CKI has diversified exposure in the UK, Australia, Europe, and Canada to benefit.</li>
<li>Investors may turn more risk-averse in the next year. CKI's high earnings visibility, with many regulatory resets happening beyond 2025, is highly welcome in the market. </li>
</ul>



CK Infrastructure Holdings (1038 HK) should thrive in the volatile market environment in 2025, given its stable earnings, diversified geography, low gearing, and consistent dividends.
Further reduction in US interest rate should potentially be positive to other currencies, and CKI has diversified exposure in the UK, Australia, Europe, and Canada to benefit.
Investors may turn more risk-averse in the next year. CKI's high earnings visibility, with many regulatory resets happening beyond 2025, is highly welcome in the market. 


2025 High Conviction: CKI (1038 HK) - Perfect Harmony

Chief Executive Officer, Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Chief Executive Officer

Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Emmer Capital Partners is an Asia Pacific focused financial advisory firm engaging in strategic financial asset allocation advice, bespoke thematic research and advising early-stage companies and connecting them to investors. Emmer Capital provides macro-economic and multi-asset investment strategy inputs to institutions, family offices, private wealth managers, private equity, and corporate boards directly and through independent research platforms. Emmer Capital also advises a wide range of startup companies on fund raising and business strategy. Emmer Capital's active engagement with the print and electronic media reaches a broad spectrum of investors across the globe.

Korea Electric Power (KEPCO) / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Tariff turmoil crashed S&amp;P500 by 18% and MSCI Asia ex Japan by 13% over the past couple of weeks. But even amid this carnage, a handful of stocks have appreciated.</li>
<li>These "genuine defensives" are predominantly from utilities, telecommunications and consumer staples. HK/China and Korea dominate with one entry from Singapore. They have cheap valuations, stable earnings estimates and revenue visibility.</li>
<li>In addition to eleven defensives we highlight, there are other stocks that have appreciated - notably few HK pharmaceutical stocks HK and 18 Indian stocks. They are not cheap, however.</li>
</ul>


Tariff turmoil crashed S&amp;P500 by 18% and MSCI Asia ex Japan by 13% over the past couple of weeks. But even amid this carnage, a handful of stocks have appreciated.
These "genuine defensives" are predominantly from utilities, telecommunications and consumer staples. HK/China and Korea dominate with one entry from Singapore. They have cheap valuations, stable earnings estimates and revenue visibility.
In addition to eleven defensives we highlight, there are other stocks that have appreciated - notably few HK pharmaceutical stocks HK and 18 Indian stocks. They are not cheap, however.


Asian Equities: A Few Genuine Defensives in This Bloodbath

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ck-infrastructure-holdings-l" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:163:1" rel="noopener">CK Infrastructure Holdings (1038 HK)</a>'s share price should pick up as its portfolio of non-US infrastructure assets will become increasingly attractive.</li>
<li>Its assets will benefit from re-pricing as global inflation rates trend higher. Meanwhile, it will gain from the translation of foreign earnings back to HK$.</li>
<li>The secured 5.7% and 6.2% dividend yield for FY25F and FY26F makes CKI appealing, especially given a track record of 28 consecutive years of dividend hike.</li>
</ul>



CK Infrastructure Holdings (1038 HK)'s share price should pick up as its portfolio of non-US infrastructure assets will become increasingly attractive.
Its assets will benefit from re-pricing as global inflation rates trend higher. Meanwhile, it will gain from the translation of foreign earnings back to HK$.
The secured 5.7% and 6.2% dividend yield for FY25F and FY26F makes CKI appealing, especially given a track record of 28 consecutive years of dividend hike.


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

<ul>
<li>Snap-Back rallies have continued in the largest global equity markets (U.S., Japan, and Europe).</li>
<li>Japan's TOPIX is still below 2690-2700 and the EURO STOXX 50 is below 4884, and whether they roll over here or from marginally higher levels, lower highs remain likely.</li>
<li>It all fits with our ongoing belief (since our July 25, 2024 Int'l Compass) that MSCI ACWI is going through a 1- to 4-month pullback/consolidation (we are one month in).</li>
</ul>


Snap-Back rallies have continued in the largest global equity markets (U.S., Japan, and Europe).
Japan's TOPIX is still below 2690-2700 and the EURO STOXX 50 is below 4884, and whether they roll over here or from marginally higher levels, lower highs remain likely.
It all fits with our ongoing belief (since our July 25, 2024 Int'l Compass) that MSCI ACWI is going through a 1- to 4-month pullback/consolidation (we are one month in).


Shift Now to Defensives; Snap-Back Rally Testing Resistance $ACWI $SPX; Neutral Outlook Intact

<ul>
<li>At 5.4% for FY24-26F, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hong-kong-china-gas-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:375:1" rel="noopener">Hong Kong &amp; China Gas (3 HK)</a> has the second-highest dividend yield among its HK utility peers. A lower US rate makes it attractive.</li>
<li>An unchanged interim DPS of HK$0.12 despite a decline in reported net profit suggests the resilience of its dividend stream. Core operating profit has increased 2%.</li>
<li>While gearing has gone up, HKCG still has excellent cash-generating ability (FY23: HK$10.9bn). It has also cut back in capex with a 33% YoY drop for 1H24. </li>
</ul>


At 5.4% for FY24-26F, Hong Kong &amp; China Gas (3 HK) has the second-highest dividend yield among its HK utility peers. A lower US rate makes it attractive.
An unchanged interim DPS of HK$0.12 despite a decline in reported net profit suggests the resilience of its dividend stream. Core operating profit has increased 2%.
While gearing has gone up, HKCG still has excellent cash-generating ability (FY23: HK$10.9bn). It has also cut back in capex with a 33% YoY drop for 1H24. 


HK & China Gas (3 HK): A Yield Play Back in Favour

Hong Kong

HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments Limited is a fixed single investment trust in Hong Kong with a focus on the power industry. The Trust is a vertically integrated power utility and its operations comprise the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity to Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island.

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HK Electric Investments (2638 HK)

2025 High Conviction: CKI (1038 HK) - Perfect Harmony

CKI should thrive in a volatile market with stable earnings, diversified geography, low gearing, and consistent dividends. Further, a lower US...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Asian Equities: A Few Genuine Defensives in This Bloodbath

Despite tariff turmoil crashing markets, a few stocks in utilities, telecom & consumer staples have appreciated. These genuine defensives have...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

CKI (1038 HK): It Is the Best Time

CKI is poised to perform with non-US assets becoming more attractive, benefitting from global inflation and foreign earnings translation, offering...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Shift Now to Defensives; Snap-Back Rally Testing Resistance $ACWI $SPX; Neutral Outlook Intact

Shift Now to Defensives (Health Care, Telecommunications, Utilities, and Consumer Staples); Snap-Back Rally Testing Resistance $ACWI $SPX; Neutral...

Vermilion Research

HK & China Gas (3 HK): A Yield Play Back in Favour

HKCG offers an attractive dividend yield of 5.4% for FY24-26F, backed by its strong cash generation and reduced capex. Lower US interest rates...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

2025 High Conviction: CKI (1038 HK) - Perfect Harmony

CKI should thrive in a volatile market with stable earnings, diversified geography, low gearing, and consistent dividends. Further, a lower US...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Asian Equities: A Few Genuine Defensives in This Bloodbath

​Despite tariff turmoil crashing markets, a few stocks in utilities, telecom & consumer staples have appreciated. These genuine defensives have...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

CKI (1038 HK): It Is the Best Time

​CKI is poised to perform with non-US assets becoming more attractive, benefitting from global inflation and foreign earnings translation, offering...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Shift Now to Defensives; Snap-Back Rally Testing Resistance $ACWI $SPX; Neutral Outlook Intact

Shift Now to Defensives (Health Care, Telecommunications, Utilities, and Consumer Staples); Snap-Back Rally Testing Resistance $ACWI $SPX; Neutral...

Vermilion Research

HK & China Gas (3 HK): A Yield Play Back in Favour

HKCG offers an attractive dividend yield of 5.4% for FY24-26F, backed by its strong cash generation and reduced capex. Lower US interest rates...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Despite tariff turmoil crashing markets, a few stocks in utilities, telecom & consumer staples have appreciated. These genuine defensives have...

CKI is poised to perform with non-US assets becoming more attractive, benefitting from global inflation and foreign earnings translation, offering...