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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US listed China companies.</li>
<li>The Hong Kong visit was on the back of the 26th Aug 2022 announcement by PCAOB and CSRC that they had entered into an agreement with US authorities for access.</li>
<li>In this note, we'll talk about the latest developments, possible outcomes and implications.</li>
</ul>


PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US listed China companies.
The Hong Kong visit was on the back of the 26th Aug 2022 announcement by PCAOB and CSRC that they had entered into an agreement with US authorities for access.
In this note, we'll talk about the latest developments, possible outcomes and implications.


China ADRs Delisting - Friday Could Be Judgment Day for over US$800bn Mcap of Stocks

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Seeing as though it is Chinese New Year week, I thought it might be appropriate to conduct a brief analysis of US-listed China plays.</li>
<li>According to a recent US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report, 265 Chinese companies were listed on the NYSE, Nasdaq and NYSE American exchanges in January 2024 worth US$848bn. </li>
<li>That's down from 252 companies worth US$1.03tn a year ago, a 17.5% decline. 91% of the total market capitalization of Chinese firms listed on U.S. exchanges use VIEs.</li>
</ul>


Seeing as though it is Chinese New Year week, I thought it might be appropriate to conduct a brief analysis of US-listed China plays.
According to a recent US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report, 265 Chinese companies were listed on the NYSE, Nasdaq and NYSE American exchanges in January 2024 worth US$848bn. 
That's down from 252 companies worth US$1.03tn a year ago, a 17.5% decline. 91% of the total market capitalization of Chinese firms listed on U.S. exchanges use VIEs.


Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

Equity Analyst

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Asia-Based leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform MoneyHero has filed to go public in the US by merging with Bridgetown Holdings and raise proceeds of up to US$154m.</li>
<li>This would give MoneyHero a pre-money enterprise value of US$200m and an equity value of US$198m with post-money EV of US$342m assuming no redemption by Bridgetown’s public shareholders.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/moneyhero-global-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:39828:1" rel="noopener">MoneyHero Global (1534965D HK)</a>  plans to use proceeds from the deal to further accelerate growth and capture market opportunity in the region.</li>
</ul>


Asia-Based leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform MoneyHero has filed to go public in the US by merging with Bridgetown Holdings and raise proceeds of up to US$154m.
This would give MoneyHero a pre-money enterprise value of US$200m and an equity value of US$198m with post-money EV of US$342m assuming no redemption by Bridgetown’s public shareholders.

MoneyHero Global (1534965D HK)  plans to use proceeds from the deal to further accelerate growth and capture market opportunity in the region.


MoneyHero SPAC Listing: Thoughts on Valuation

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.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK)</a> is restructuring its business holdings, with at its core the setting up of a financial holding company</li>
<li>In addition, Ant will return to its roots in the payments division, it will set up a personal credit reporting company as well as establishing a consumer finance company</li>
<li>The official press release does not mention the investmentech arm that includes Ant’s in-house asset manager, but there is financial press speculation that it may be required to shrink its asset base</li>
<li>In essence, the new structure and more intrusive regulation will limit Ant’s ability to extract synergies from its – previously – tight knit financial eco-system, which can only hurt its potential develop further economies of scale and deliver premium revenue and earnings growth</li>
<li>It is also likely that in its consumer credit business it will need to retain a higher proportion of loans originated, thereby necessitating higher capital levels; the personal credit reporting company will also provide PBoC with access to Ant’s “big data” on payments, credit and other financial products</li>
<li>Despite the need for further clarity on the regulatory structure going forward, as well as the lack of any updated Ant financials to December 2020, we have arrived at a revised valuation range for Ant, based on our pre-money SOTP, of USD122-144bn</li>
<li>The regulator’s focus on big FinTech in China and especially Ant is constructive for the prospects of other less dominant non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) in China, such as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lexinfintech-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26036:1" rel="noopener">Lexinfintech Holdings (LX US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lufax-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29690:1" rel="noopener">Lufax Holdings (LU US)</a>, as well as retail focused banks like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/postal-savings-bank-of-china" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22848:1" rel="noopener">Postal Savings Bank of China (1658 HK)</a> </li>
<li>Risks to our cautious view on Ant include an ability for management to navigate the climate of tighter regulatory constraints and to deliver better than expected premium growth and returns from its digital financial platform</li>
</ul>



Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK) is restructuring its business holdings, with at its core the setting up of a financial holding company
In addition, Ant will return to its roots in the payments division, it will set up a personal credit reporting company as well as establishing a consumer finance company
The official press release does not mention the investmentech arm that includes Ant’s in-house asset manager, but there is financial press speculation that it may be required to shrink its asset base
In essence, the new structure and more intrusive regulation will limit Ant’s ability to extract synergies from its – previously – tight knit financial eco-system, which can only hurt its potential develop further economies of scale and deliver premium revenue and earnings growth
It is also likely that in its consumer credit business it will need to retain a higher proportion of loans originated, thereby necessitating higher capital levels; the personal credit reporting company will also provide PBoC with access to Ant’s “big data” on payments, credit and other financial products
Despite the need for further clarity on the regulatory structure going forward, as well as the lack of any updated Ant financials to December 2020, we have arrived at a revised valuation range for Ant, based on our pre-money SOTP, of USD122-144bn
The regulator’s focus on big FinTech in China and especially Ant is constructive for the prospects of other less dominant non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) in China, such as Lexinfintech Holdings (LX US) and Lufax Holdings (LU US), as well as retail focused banks like Postal Savings Bank of China (1658 HK) 
Risks to our cautious view on Ant include an ability for management to navigate the climate of tighter regulatory constraints and to deliver better than expected premium growth and returns from its digital financial platform


Alibaba Group Holding  / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Globally, banking regulators are upping their scrutiny of Big Techs in finance, with China at the forefront of the regulatory effort to “level the playing field” between Big Techs and its banks</li>
<li>China stands out globally for the broad and rapid establishment of its Big Techs across the domestic finance ecosystem, led by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK)</a> </li>
<li>Regulatory constraints on Ant Group’s online finance operations could potentially curtail the growth of its credit business; yet it has recently been reported that Ant is calling for a higher share of commissions from transactions on its payments platform</li>
<li>This could provide Ant with a revenue boost to its payments business, but we still see the big risk to Ant’s prospects (and its revised valuation) coming from tighter restrictions to its lending business and possibly the asset management arm, as well as the introduction of the e-Yuan eroding its leadership in digital payments</li>
<li>Consequently, we remain cautious on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:787:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (BABA US)</a>, and we stick with our view that key beneficiaries are smaller FinTechs like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lexinfintech-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26036:1" rel="noopener">Lexinfintech Holdings (LX US)</a> and, in the bank sector, the domestic bank <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/postal-savings-bank-of-china" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22848:1" rel="noopener">Postal Savings Bank of China (1658 HK)</a>
</li>
<li>Risks to our view include lighter touch regulation from PBoC on the large FinTechs including Ant; another risk is Ant Group being able to avoid a meaningful loss of market share in payments and being able to deliver stronger than expected returns from asset management operations to more than offset the restrictions on credit operations</li>
</ul>


Globally, banking regulators are upping their scrutiny of Big Techs in finance, with China at the forefront of the regulatory effort to “level the playing field” between Big Techs and its banks
China stands out globally for the broad and rapid establishment of its Big Techs across the domestic finance ecosystem, led by Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK) 
Regulatory constraints on Ant Group’s online finance operations could potentially curtail the growth of its credit business; yet it has recently been reported that Ant is calling for a higher share of commissions from transactions on its payments platform
This could provide Ant with a revenue boost to its payments business, but we still see the big risk to Ant’s prospects (and its revised valuation) coming from tighter restrictions to its lending business and possibly the asset management arm, as well as the introduction of the e-Yuan eroding its leadership in digital payments
Consequently, we remain cautious on Alibaba Group (BABA US), and we stick with our view that key beneficiaries are smaller FinTechs like Lexinfintech Holdings (LX US) and, in the bank sector, the domestic bank Postal Savings Bank of China (1658 HK)

Risks to our view include lighter touch regulation from PBoC on the large FinTechs including Ant; another risk is Ant Group being able to avoid a meaningful loss of market share in payments and being able to deliver stronger than expected returns from asset management operations to more than offset the restrictions on credit operations


China

LexinFintech Holdings Ltd. operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides online consumer finance services. LexinFintech Holdings offers installments, money loans, wealth management, and other financial services. LexinFintech Holdings serves customers in China.

Lexinfintech Holdings (LX US)

China ADRs Delisting - Friday Could Be Judgment Day for over US$800bn Mcap of Stocks

PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US...

Sumeet Singh

Musings On US-Listed China Plays

Investors in Chinese companies may be willing to support activities that are contrary to US national interests, including technology used for...

David Blennerhassett

MoneyHero SPAC Listing: Thoughts on Valuation

Asian personal finance aggregation and comparison platform MoneyHero has filed to go public in the US by merging with Bridgetown Holdings....

Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

Ant Group: Nearing Regulatory Closure

Ant Group is restructuring its operations, under PBoC pressure which will limit Ant’s ability to extract synergies from its entire financial...

Victor Galliano

Ant Group: Alibaba’s Albatross?

Ant is demanding higher transactions fees on its payment platform, which could help but it should not offset the PBoC's constraints on its credit...

Victor Galliano