Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>We believe that the nine Korean banks (on average) are likely to continue to underperform KOSPI in the next 6-12 months due to the continued rising delinquencies.</li>
<li>The major reasons for higher loans and cards delinquency ratios include higher interest rate burdens, higher inflation rates, inverted yield curve, weakening economy, and pressures on disposable income.</li>
<li>The delinquency ratios of the largest nine banks in Korea all worsened in 1Q 2023 (for both banks and credit cards).</li>
</ul>


We believe that the nine Korean banks (on average) are likely to continue to underperform KOSPI in the next 6-12 months due to the continued rising delinquencies.
The major reasons for higher loans and cards delinquency ratios include higher interest rate burdens, higher inflation rates, inverted yield curve, weakening economy, and pressures on disposable income.
The delinquency ratios of the largest nine banks in Korea all worsened in 1Q 2023 (for both banks and credit cards).


Korean Banks: Sharp Rise in Delinquency Ratios in 1Q 2023 & Inverted Yield Curve

<ul>
<li>Svb Financial has collapsed and Credit Suisse is on the verge of collapse. We discuss a trading strategy on Korean banks amid the ongoing turbulence on the global banking system.</li>
<li>Our trading strategy is to go long on a basket of three largest banks in Korea (KB, Shinhan, Hana) and go short on a basket of five smaller banks. </li>
<li>Post collapse of SVB Financial, one clear signal appears to be increasing global capital allocation to the "too big to fail banks" and reduced capital allocation to regional banks.</li>
</ul>


Svb Financial has collapsed and Credit Suisse is on the verge of collapse. We discuss a trading strategy on Korean banks amid the ongoing turbulence on the global banking system.
Our trading strategy is to go long on a basket of three largest banks in Korea (KB, Shinhan, Hana) and go short on a basket of five smaller banks. 
Post collapse of SVB Financial, one clear signal appears to be increasing global capital allocation to the "too big to fail banks" and reduced capital allocation to regional banks.


Investors' Capital Allocation Shift Among Korean Banks Post Collapse of SVB Financial

Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

<ul>
<li>Among the EM digital banks covered, we remain negative on Inter and continue to see Bank Jago as an over-valued growth play; we are neutral on Nubank and Kakaobank</li>
<li>Client penetration is improving, yet digital banks, with the exception of Nubank, need to achieve better product penetration to enhance digital efficiency and better leverage off their lower cost bases</li>
<li>Neobanks’ other key hurdles to enhanced profitability are delinquency and cost of risk charges along with increased regulatory risk; high capital absorption from fast loan growth is another investor concern</li>
</ul>


Among the EM digital banks covered, we remain negative on Inter and continue to see Bank Jago as an over-valued growth play; we are neutral on Nubank and Kakaobank
Client penetration is improving, yet digital banks, with the exception of Nubank, need to achieve better product penetration to enhance digital efficiency and better leverage off their lower cost bases
Neobanks’ other key hurdles to enhanced profitability are delinquency and cost of risk charges along with increased regulatory risk; high capital absorption from fast loan growth is another investor concern


EM Digital Banks Review – Inter and Bank Jago in the Negative Spotlight

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

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>South Korea moves to the bottom of the 'big 4' as managers aggressively rotate portfolios in 2022.</li>
<li>Nearly a 5th of Asia Ex-Japan managers made the switch to underweight over the last 6-months, pushing allocations to their lowest levels in over a decade. </li>
<li>KakaoBank, Samsung SDI, Kakao Corp and Samsung Electronics Pref Shares saw allocations fall the most.</li>
</ul>


South Korea moves to the bottom of the 'big 4' as managers aggressively rotate portfolios in 2022.
Nearly a 5th of Asia Ex-Japan managers made the switch to underweight over the last 6-months, pushing allocations to their lowest levels in over a decade. 
KakaoBank, Samsung SDI, Kakao Corp and Samsung Electronics Pref Shares saw allocations fall the most.


Asia Ex-Japan Funds Rotate Out of South Korea

<ul>
<li>Over the past decade, Cyclical sectors have traded places with Sensitive sectors as the largest allocation among active Asia Ex-Japan investors. </li>
<li>The last cycle started in early 2019 and saw Sensitive overtake Cyclicals and move to a key overweight, but this peaked in mid-2021 and has started to reverse.</li>
<li>The major rotation on the year so far has been a scaling back of Technology and Communication Services allocations in favour of Financials and Consumer Discretionary/Staples</li>
</ul>


Over the past decade, Cyclical sectors have traded places with Sensitive sectors as the largest allocation among active Asia Ex-Japan investors. 
The last cycle started in early 2019 and saw Sensitive overtake Cyclicals and move to a key overweight, but this peaked in mid-2021 and has started to reverse.
The major rotation on the year so far has been a scaling back of Technology and Communication Services allocations in favour of Financials and Consumer Discretionary/Staples


Asia Ex-Japan:  Tech to Financials Rotation

South Korea

KakaoBank Corp. operates bank businesses. The Company provides deposit money, withdraw money, credit cards, stock accounts, linked loans, and other services. KakaoBank conducts businesses in South Korea.

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KakaoBank (323410 KS)

Korean Banks: Sharp Rise in Delinquency Ratios in 1Q 2023 & Inverted Yield Curve

We believe that the nine Korean banks (on average) are likely to continue to underperform KOSPI in the next 6-12 months due to the continued rising...

Douglas Kim

Investors' Capital Allocation Shift Among Korean Banks Post Collapse of SVB Financial

Svb Financial has collapsed and Credit Suisse is on the verge of collapse. We discuss a trading strategy on Korean banks amid the ongoing...

Douglas Kim

EM Digital Banks Review – Inter and Bank Jago in the Negative Spotlight

EM digital banks need to deliver better product penetration on the back of client penetration to enhance returns; we stay negative on Inter and...

Victor Galliano

Asia Ex-Japan Funds Rotate Out of South Korea

Active Asia Ex-Japan managers have rotated away from South Korean stocks in 2022, pushing allocations towards their lowest level in over a decade.

Steven Holden

Asia Ex-Japan: Tech to Financials Rotation

Asia Ex-Japan funds are in the midst of a major rotation out of Technology and Communication Services stocks and in to Financials and Consumer...

Steven Holden

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