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

FWD Group Holdings / Equity Capital Markets

<p>FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. </p><p>FWD is a pan-Asia life insurer operating in ten markets including Hong Kong (and Macau), Thailand (and Cambodia), Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Southeast Asia markets contributed over 40% of its Value of New Business (VNB) in 2020. It had served over 9.9m customers as of Jun 21.</p><p>In this note, we will talk about the positive aspects of the deal.</p>

FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. FWD is a pan-Asia life insurer operating in ten markets including Hong Kong (and Macau), Thailand (and Cambodia), Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Southeast Asia markets contributed over 40% of its Value of New Business (VNB) in 2020. It had served over 9.9m customers as of Jun 21.In this note, we will talk about the positive aspects of the deal.

FWD Pre-IPO - The Positives - Growing Fast

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Bottom-Up

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<p>In StubWorld this week ...</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/indofood-sukses-makmur-tbk-p" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1053:1" rel="noopener"></a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pccw-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:873:1" rel="noopener">PCCW Ltd (8 HK)</a> <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2021/0726/2021072600409.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enters into an SPA</a> with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/digitalbridge-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20231:1" rel="noopener">DigitalBridge Group (DBRG US)</a> to sell its Hong Kong and Malaysian data center businesses for US$750mn. </p>
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<p>Preceding my comments on PCCW are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.</p>
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<p>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.</p>
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<p>As always, more below the fold.</p>
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In StubWorld this week ...



PCCW Ltd (8 HK) enters into an SPA with DigitalBridge Group (DBRG US) to sell its Hong Kong and Malaysian data center businesses for US$750mn. 



Preceding my comments on PCCW are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.


These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.


As always, more below the fold.


Event-Driven

<p>In two SCMP articles on the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3128495/im-very-dissatisfied-tvbs-performance-says-chinese-media-tycoon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 April</a>, PRC media tycoon Li Ruigang, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/television-broadcasts-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19341:1" rel="noopener">Television Broadcasts (511 HK)</a>'s largest shareholder (via Young Lion Holdings), discussed his dissatisfaction with TVB's performance, saying:</p>
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<p>As a free broadcaster, TVB should be a public open platform welcoming other players in the media and entertainment industry to participate.</p>
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<p>Under the broadcasting ordinance in Hong Kong, non-permanent residents - such as Li - cannot apply for a free TV or pay TV licence, and are branded “disqualified persons”. Li added:</p>
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<p>We respect the ordinance. In the past five years, CMC was a passive investor. [But] if TVB does not reform now, it will shrink, then perish. I am now trying to bring it out from drowning.</p>
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<p>Yesterday, TVB <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2021/0412/2021041200063.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Mark Lee Po On, Vice Chairman (since <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0429/2020042902252.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April</a> last year) and Group CEO (since January 2015), had resigned. </p>
<p>This follows the resignation Charles Chan (then Chairman and NED) in <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0122/2020012200238.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January</a> last year, culminating in the re-oganisation of Young Lion Holding in last August.</p>
<p>One but can't help but speculate there are more changes afoot, one that may ultimately lead to changes in the ordinance.</p>
<p>More below the fold.</p>

In two SCMP articles on the 7 April, PRC media tycoon Li Ruigang, Television Broadcasts (511 HK)'s largest shareholder (via Young Lion Holdings), discussed his dissatisfaction with TVB's performance, saying:

As a free broadcaster, TVB should be a public open platform welcoming other players in the media and entertainment industry to participate.

Under the broadcasting ordinance in Hong Kong, non-permanent residents - such as Li - cannot apply for a free TV or pay TV licence, and are branded “disqualified persons”. Li added:

We respect the ordinance. In the past five years, CMC was a passive investor. [But] if TVB does not reform now, it will shrink, then perish. I am now trying to bring it out from drowning.

Yesterday, TVB announced Mark Lee Po On, Vice Chairman (since April last year) and Group CEO (since January 2015), had resigned. 
This follows the resignation Charles Chan (then Chairman and NED) in January last year, culminating in the re-oganisation of Young Lion Holding in last August.
One but can't help but speculate there are more changes afoot, one that may ultimately lead to changes in the ordinance.
More below the fold.

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<p>This week in StubWorld ...</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pccw-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:873:1" rel="noopener">PCCW Ltd (8 HK)</a>'s NAV discount has widened to levels around last August's Partial Offer - yet the longer-term discount remains wider still.</p>
<p>And <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a> releases its FY20 results after the close of market today. Will this be accompanied by a large placement by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus (PRX NA)</a>?</p>
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<p>Preceding my comments on PCCW and Tencent are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.</p>
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<p>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.</p>
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<p><span>Reports are now emerging PCCW is in the cross-hairs to be deleted from the MSCI in the May review.</span></p>
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<p>As always, more below the fold.</p>
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This week in StubWorld ...




PCCW Ltd (8 HK)'s NAV discount has widened to levels around last August's Partial Offer - yet the longer-term discount remains wider still.
And Tencent Holdings (700 HK) releases its FY20 results after the close of market today. Will this be accompanied by a large placement by Prosus (PRX NA)?




Preceding my comments on PCCW and Tencent are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.



These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.




Reports are now emerging PCCW is in the cross-hairs to be deleted from the MSCI in the May review.


As always, more below the fold.


<div>
<p>This week in StubWorld ...</p>
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<p>Following the <a href="https://links.sgx.com/FileOpen/THBEV_Potential_Spin_Off_Listing_of_BeerCo.ashx?App=Announcement&amp;FileID=647386" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no-objection notice</a> from the SGX concerning its BeerCo IPO, the key focus will be on the appropriate discount <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/thai-beverage-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3656:1" rel="noopener">Thai Beverage (THBEV SP)</a> will trade to the spun-off entity, and in turn, BeerCo's discount to 53.5%-held <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/saigon-beer-alcohol-beverage" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23645:1" rel="noopener">Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage (SAB VN)</a>. </p>
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<p>Preceding my comments on ThaiBev <em>and </em><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pccw-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:873:1" rel="noopener">PCCW Ltd (8 HK)</a> are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.</p>
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<div>
<p>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.</p>
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<div>
<p>As always, more below the fold.</p>
</div>


This week in StubWorld ...




Following the no-objection notice from the SGX concerning its BeerCo IPO, the key focus will be on the appropriate discount Thai Beverage (THBEV SP) will trade to the spun-off entity, and in turn, BeerCo's discount to 53.5%-held Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage (SAB VN). 




Preceding my comments on ThaiBev and PCCW Ltd (8 HK) are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.


These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.


As always, more below the fold.


StubWorld: Double Stub Via ThaiBev's BeerCo IPO

Hong Kong

HKT Trust and HKT Ltd trade together as a stapled security.  HKT Ltd provides telecommunications services.  The Company's business provides telecommunications products and services including local telephony services, local data and broadband services, international telecommunications services, and other services.

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HKT Ltd (6823 HK)

FWD Pre-IPO - The Positives - Growing Fast

FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. In this note, we will talk about the positive...

Sumeet Singh

StubWorld: The Trimming Of PCCW

One of two events are likely hereon- either HKT is taken over - not by PCCW - but by a PRC telecommunication company such as China United Network;...

David Blennerhassett

TVB (511 HK): Small Screen Saver

This stock is very beaten up. Li has a plan, it would seem. If he is given the green light, shares will pop, if not on the economics, but at least...

David Blennerhassett

StubWorld: PCCW, Naspers/Tencent

There exit few positives in PCCW's stub ops. I would look to reverse the stub - Short PCCW, Long HKT. I believe a more suitable discount to NAV is...

David Blennerhassett

StubWorld: Double Stub Via ThaiBev's BeerCo IPO

I estimate minimal upside for ThaiBev here if assuming a 25% discount to NAV. ThaiBev is trading at 16.5x trailing EV/EBITDA, but its forward EV...

David Blennerhassett

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