Asia L/S Equity PM/Macro/Thematic Idea Generation

Rikki Malik

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>A review of recent events/data impacting our investment themes and outlook</li>
<li>Chinese onshore markets now on a roll- will it continue?</li>
<li>The fight over critical materials heats up as the rally broadens out</li>
</ul>


A review of recent events/data impacting our investment themes and outlook
Chinese onshore markets now on a roll- will it continue?
The fight over critical materials heats up as the rally broadens out


Overview #33 Ignore the Noise, Follow the Money: China’s Next Leg Higher

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Event-Driven

<ul>
<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>/ <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:787:1" rel="noopener">BABA US)</a>will announce quarterly results on Friday, August 29, 7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time. The timing is crucial for options expiries in HK and the US.</li>
<li>
Highlight: The options market provides estimates for the anticipated price move. Implied volatility is projected to decline post-event; this Insight maps the resulting term structure.</li>
<li>
Why Read: Get the expected move and a view of the post-event volatility term structure.</li>
</ul>



Alibaba (9988 HK/ BABA US)will announce quarterly results on Friday, August 29, 7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time. The timing is crucial for options expiries in HK and the US.

Highlight: The options market provides estimates for the anticipated price move. Implied volatility is projected to decline post-event; this Insight maps the resulting term structure.

Why Read: Get the expected move and a view of the post-event volatility term structure.


Alibaba (9988 HK): Expected Earnings-Day Swings and Options Market View

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xiaomi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24409:1" rel="noopener">Xiaomi (1810 HK)</a> reported 2Q25 results on 19 Aug, beating expectations. This Insight analyzes price reactions in Hong Kong and two overseas markets.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Implied volatility dropped sharply post-earnings, both across the term structure and skew.</li>
<li>
Why it matters: With Xiaomi’s implied volatility now at historically cheap levels, investors may find opportunities in long-volatility strategies ahead of the next earnings in November.</li>
</ul>



Xiaomi (1810 HK) reported 2Q25 results on 19 Aug, beating expectations. This Insight analyzes price reactions in Hong Kong and two overseas markets.

Highlights: Implied volatility dropped sharply post-earnings, both across the term structure and skew.

Why it matters: With Xiaomi’s implied volatility now at historically cheap levels, investors may find opportunities in long-volatility strategies ahead of the next earnings in November.


Xiaomi (1810 HK): Earnings Recap & Volatility Dynamics

<ul>
<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> will announce quarterly results on Friday, August 29, 7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time.  In the lead-up, options strategies on the Hong Kong Exchange showcase a variety of approaches.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Recent option trades show a bias towards bullish sentiment. Two strategies using weekly options expiring soon after the earnings announcement are explored.</li>
<li>
Why Read: This review offers real-market insight into how sophisticated participants are positioning ahead of Tencent’s earnings.</li>
</ul>



Alibaba (9988 HK) will announce quarterly results on Friday, August 29, 7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time.  In the lead-up, options strategies on the Hong Kong Exchange showcase a variety of approaches.

Highlights: Recent option trades show a bias towards bullish sentiment. Two strategies using weekly options expiring soon after the earnings announcement are explored.

Why Read: This review offers real-market insight into how sophisticated participants are positioning ahead of Tencent’s earnings.


Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades Ahead of Earnings

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The A-H share premium has narrowed by an average of 35pp YTD. Despite the recent A-share recovery, the premium remains depressed relative to the start of the year.</li>
<li>Aggressive players may keep playing the leaders in the trend - the Chinese insurers like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-life-insurance-co-ltd-9f877d22-7cf7-4b00-b525-cec71139f369" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5794:1" rel="noopener">China Life (2628 HK)</a> and securities companies like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/guolian-securities-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:535:1" rel="noopener">Guolian Minsheng Securities H (1456 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>Conservative players, however, may look at the laggards in AH premium contraction like the Chinese banks - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/industrial-and-commercial-bank-of-china-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1119:1" rel="noopener">ICBC (H) (1398 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-merchants-bank-co-ltd-3388a037-4214-4997-b45d-520518cfdb57" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10987:1" rel="noopener">China Merchants Bank H (3968 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>


The A-H share premium has narrowed by an average of 35pp YTD. Despite the recent A-share recovery, the premium remains depressed relative to the start of the year.
Aggressive players may keep playing the leaders in the trend - the Chinese insurers like China Life (2628 HK) and securities companies like Guolian Minsheng Securities H (1456 HK). 
Conservative players, however, may look at the laggards in AH premium contraction like the Chinese banks - ICBC (H) (1398 HK) and China Merchants Bank H (3968 HK). 


China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

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)

Overview #33 Ignore the Noise, Follow the Money: China’s Next Leg Higher

A review of recent events/data impacting our investment themes and outlook. We look at the Chinese breakout and laggards in the material sector

Rikki Malik

Alibaba (9988 HK): Expected Earnings-Day Swings and Options Market View

Alibaba (BABA US // 9988 HK) reports today, 29 Aug pre-open US. US-listed options expiring 29 Aug price a 1-day move of 5.8%, with the ATM...

Gaudenz Schneider

Xiaomi (1810 HK): Earnings Recap & Volatility Dynamics

Xiaomi beats 2Q25 expectations, triggering a drop in implied volatility and highlighting potential opportunities for investors in long-volatility...

Gaudenz Schneider

Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades Ahead of Earnings

As Alibaba heads into 29 August earnings, option markets reveal activity from near-term spreads to longer-dated positioning. This Insight unpacks...

Gaudenz Schneider

China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Overview #33 Ignore the Noise, Follow the Money: China’s Next Leg Higher

A review of recent events/data impacting our investment themes and outlook. We look at the Chinese breakout and laggards in the material sector

Rikki Malik

Alibaba (9988 HK): Expected Earnings-Day Swings and Options Market View

Alibaba (BABA US // 9988 HK) reports today, 29 Aug pre-open US. US-listed options expiring 29 Aug price a 1-day move of 5.8%, with the ATM...

Gaudenz Schneider

Xiaomi (1810 HK): Earnings Recap & Volatility Dynamics

Xiaomi beats 2Q25 expectations, triggering a drop in implied volatility and highlighting potential opportunities for investors in long-volatility...

Gaudenz Schneider

Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades Ahead of Earnings

As Alibaba heads into 29 August earnings, option markets reveal activity from near-term spreads to longer-dated positioning. This Insight unpacks...

Gaudenz Schneider

China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

​The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...

Osbert Tang, CFA

The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...