HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>YTD, H-share securities companies outperformed the HSI and HSCEI, but valuations are still undemanding at 12.7x and 11.7x PERs for FY25 and FY26.</li>
<li>2H25F earnings for the sector are too conservative at -2.5%, compared with 64.9% YoY growth in 1H25. There is significant earnings upgrade potential after the 3Q25 result announcements.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-international-capital-corporation-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1071:1" rel="noopener">China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-galaxy-securities-co-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:165:1" rel="noopener">China Galaxy Securities (H) (6881 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/everbright-securities-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22736:1" rel="noopener">Everbright Securities (H) (6178 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/csc-financial-co-ltd-115216b6-b1c3-42f3-a314-a7ed93ea0b8e" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23710:1" rel="noopener">CSC Financial (6066 HK)</a> appear interesting.</li>
</ul>


YTD, H-share securities companies outperformed the HSI and HSCEI, but valuations are still undemanding at 12.7x and 11.7x PERs for FY25 and FY26.
2H25F earnings for the sector are too conservative at -2.5%, compared with 64.9% YoY growth in 1H25. There is significant earnings upgrade potential after the 3Q25 result announcements.

China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK), China Galaxy Securities (H) (6881 HK), Everbright Securities (H) (6178 HK), and CSC Financial (6066 HK) appear interesting.


China Strategy: Interesting H-Share Securities Companies

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>
Context: Volatility cones provide a clear framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Major stocks, including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xiaomi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24409:1" rel="noopener">Xiaomi (1810 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a>, trade at historically cheap implied volatility. Upcoming earnings are starting to be reflected in November IV.</li>
<li>
Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.</li>
</ul>



Context: Volatility cones provide a clear framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.

Highlights: Major stocks, including Tencent (700 HK), Xiaomi (1810 HK), and Meituan (3690 HK), trade at historically cheap implied volatility. Upcoming earnings are starting to be reflected in November IV.

Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.


Volatility Cones: Spotting Opportunities in Tencent, JD.com, Ping An & More

Equity Derivatives and Volatility Specialist, Clifton Derivatives

John Ley

Equity Derivatives and Volatility Specialist

Clifton Derivatives

Independent derivative and volatility research firm focusing on events/catalysts, earnings, relative value and cross asset volatility strategies.

<ul>
<li>Macro assets reveal shifting volatility landscapes, with inexpensive implied vols, seasonal headwinds, and notable divergences across key markets.</li>
<li>Seasonal pressures are turning negative, with September historically weaker, while risk-reward spreads highlight CSI300 strength and SPASX200 vulnerability.</li>
<li>Implied vols remain inexpensive across most assets, with NKY, Nifty, and SPASX200 near historic lows despite shifting market dynamics.</li>
</ul>


Macro assets reveal shifting volatility landscapes, with inexpensive implied vols, seasonal headwinds, and notable divergences across key markets.
Seasonal pressures are turning negative, with September historically weaker, while risk-reward spreads highlight CSI300 strength and SPASX200 vulnerability.
Implied vols remain inexpensive across most assets, with NKY, Nifty, and SPASX200 near historic lows despite shifting market dynamics.


Global Macro Outlook (September): Cheap Vols Meet Seasonal Weakness Across Key Assets

<ul>
<li>
Context:<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd-d7b798e2-202d-4e01-9a1e-799e2ae8f0c7" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba (9988 HK)</a> reported Q1 results on 29 Aug. Despite a revenue miss, strong cloud growth and its AI chip announcement drove the stock up double digits.</li>
<li>
Highlight: Implied volatility deflated sharply post-earnings, with the September contract down 8.5% and back months also lower, while skew shifted down in parallel.</li>
<li>
Why it matters: Put the current volatility surface into context. This insight can serve as a case study of how earnings-driven repricing can inform positioning ahead of future events.</li>
</ul>



Context:Alibaba (9988 HK) reported Q1 results on 29 Aug. Despite a revenue miss, strong cloud growth and its AI chip announcement drove the stock up double digits.

Highlight: Implied volatility deflated sharply post-earnings, with the September contract down 8.5% and back months also lower, while skew shifted down in parallel.

Why it matters: Put the current volatility surface into context. This insight can serve as a case study of how earnings-driven repricing can inform positioning ahead of future events.


Alibaba (9988 HK): Stock Surges Post-Earnings, Options Market Reprices

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The September rebalance of the Hang Seng family of indices will use today's closing prices to cap the index constituent weights.  </li>
<li>The net round-trip trade across all stocks across the five indices is estimated at HK$57.55bn (US$7.4bn). There is size to trade in a lot of stocks.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd-d7b798e2-202d-4e01-9a1e-799e2ae8f0c7" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba (9988 HK)</a> has flipped from a net buy to a net sell following its huge rally yesterday.</li>
</ul>


The September rebalance of the Hang Seng family of indices will use today's closing prices to cap the index constituent weights.  
The net round-trip trade across all stocks across the five indices is estimated at HK$57.55bn (US$7.4bn). There is size to trade in a lot of stocks.

Alibaba (9988 HK) has flipped from a net buy to a net sell following its huge rally yesterday.


HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII Index Rebalance: US$7.4bn of Flows Post Capping (Sep 2025)

Hong Kong

The Hang Seng Index is a free-float capitalization-weighted index of a selection of companies from the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The components of the index are divided into four subindices: Commerce and Industry, Finance, Utilities, and Properties. The index was developed with a base level of 100 as of July 31, 1964.

Hang Seng Index (HSI INDEX)

Volatility Cones: Spotting Opportunities in Tencent, JD.com, Ping An & More

Tencent, HSBC, Meituan, JD.com, Ping An, and Xiaomi trade below the 10th percentile for one-month implied volatility, highlighting potential...

Gaudenz Schneider

Global Macro Outlook (September): Cheap Vols Meet Seasonal Weakness Across Key Assets

September outlook highlights inexpensive implied vols, seasonal pressures, and risk-reward spreads that favor CSI300 while underscoring poorrisk...

John Ley

Alibaba (9988 HK): Stock Surges Post-Earnings, Options Market Reprices

Alibaba's Q1 results drive stock up 12% despite revenue miss. Implied volatility deflated post-earnings, offering insight for future positioning.

Gaudenz Schneider

HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII Index Rebalance: US$7.4bn of Flows Post Capping (Sep 2025)

The Sep rebalance of the HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII, HSHKBIO indices will use today's closing prices for capping. The round-trip trade across the...

Brian Freitas

China Strategy: Interesting H-Share Securities Companies

​H-share securities companies show strong performance and potential for earnings upgrades, with undemanding valuations. CICC, China Galaxy,...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Volatility Cones: Spotting Opportunities in Tencent, JD.com, Ping An & More

Tencent, HSBC, Meituan, JD.com, Ping An, and Xiaomi trade below the 10th percentile for one-month implied volatility, highlighting potential...

Gaudenz Schneider

Global Macro Outlook (September): Cheap Vols Meet Seasonal Weakness Across Key Assets

September outlook highlights inexpensive implied vols, seasonal pressures, and risk-reward spreads that favor CSI300 while underscoring poorrisk...

John Ley

Alibaba (9988 HK): Stock Surges Post-Earnings, Options Market Reprices

​Alibaba's Q1 results drive stock up 12% despite revenue miss. Implied volatility deflated post-earnings, offering insight for future positioning.

Gaudenz Schneider

HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII Index Rebalance: US$7.4bn of Flows Post Capping (Sep 2025)

The Sep rebalance of the HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII, HSHKBIO indices will use today's closing prices for capping. The round-trip trade across the...

Brian Freitas

H-share securities companies show strong performance and potential for earnings upgrades, with undemanding valuations. CICC, China Galaxy,...

Alibaba's Q1 results drive stock up 12% despite revenue miss. Implied volatility deflated post-earnings, offering insight for future positioning.