APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Clarence Chu

APAC 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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> is looking to raise A$365m (US$230m) for capital expenditure and to plug its funding gap for the Kathleen Valley Lithium (KVL) project. </li>
<li>Together, the combined A$1.14bn equity/debt raising comes after Albemarle abandoned its A$6.6bn (US$4.2bn) acquisition bid for Liontown Resources earlier in the week.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.</li>
</ul>



Liontown Resources (LTR AU) is looking to raise A$365m (US$230m) for capital expenditure and to plug its funding gap for the Kathleen Valley Lithium (KVL) project. 
Together, the combined A$1.14bn equity/debt raising comes after Albemarle abandoned its A$6.6bn (US$4.2bn) acquisition bid for Liontown Resources earlier in the week.
In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.


Liontown Resources Placement - While Discount Is Wide, It Is at a Premium to Its Pre-Takeover Price

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

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> resumes trading today after announcing a raise of up to A$1.18bn to fully fund the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project to first production and beyond.</li>
<li>The equity component is up to A$421m and the placement price of A$1.8/share is a 35.5% discount to the last close.</li>
<li>The placement price is higher than the stock price prior to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/albemarle-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7678:1" rel="noopener">Albemarle Corp (ALB US)</a> offer and during a period when its peers have performed poorly.</li>
</ul>



Liontown Resources (LTR AU) resumes trading today after announcing a raise of up to A$1.18bn to fully fund the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project to first production and beyond.
The equity component is up to A$421m and the placement price of A$1.8/share is a 35.5% discount to the last close.
The placement price is higher than the stock price prior to the Albemarle Corp (ALB US) offer and during a period when its peers have performed poorly.


Liontown Resources (LTR AU): State of Play

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources</a>' Suspension from Quotation "pending the release of an announcement regarding the finalisation of funding arrangements associated with the Kathleen Valley Project" could last till the open 20 October.</li>
<li>Short interest continued to increase prior to the trading halt and passive selling will be higher following Hancock increasing its stake to 19.9%.</li>
<li>The immediate funding for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> could come from debt sources with an equity raise coming later this year or early next year.</li>
</ul>



Liontown Resources' Suspension from Quotation "pending the release of an announcement regarding the finalisation of funding arrangements associated with the Kathleen Valley Project" could last till the open 20 October.
Short interest continued to increase prior to the trading halt and passive selling will be higher following Hancock increasing its stake to 19.9%.
The immediate funding for Liontown Resources (LTR AU) could come from debt sources with an equity raise coming later this year or early next year.


Liontown Resources (LTR AU): Trading Halt Extended; Passive Selling Update

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> is trading near A$3/share, the level of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/albemarle-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7678:1" rel="noopener">Albemarle Corp (ALB US)</a>'s revised offer and where Hancock Prospecting has been buying recently. </li>
<li>With Hancock Prospecting accumulating a stake of nearly 17% over the last month, there will be a float reduction for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> in the next few months.</li>
<li>Short interest has been increasing and the passive selling could provide an exit for the shorts. But Hancock Prospecting could also use the opportunity to buy more <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources</a> stock.</li>
</ul>



Liontown Resources (LTR AU) is trading near A$3/share, the level of Albemarle Corp (ALB US)'s revised offer and where Hancock Prospecting has been buying recently. 
With Hancock Prospecting accumulating a stake of nearly 17% over the last month, there will be a float reduction for Liontown Resources (LTR AU) in the next few months.
Short interest has been increasing and the passive selling could provide an exit for the shorts. But Hancock Prospecting could also use the opportunity to buy more Liontown Resources stock.


Liontown Resources (LTR AU): Passive Selling on Lower Float

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>Back on the 28 March, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/liontown-resources-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20488:1" rel="noopener">Liontown Resources (LTR AU)</a> rejected the third proposal of $2.50/share from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/albemarle-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7678:1" rel="noopener">Albemarle (ALB US)</a>, the world’s largest lithium producer, citing terms were opportunistic.</li>
<li>Then everything went quiet. There appeared to be an interested party building a stake ~$2.75/share, but nothing concrete emerged. </li>
<li>Now Albemarle has returned with a revised indicative proposal of $3.00/share - best and final. Due diligence has been granted. The board is supportive if terms are firmed.</li>
</ul>


Back on the 28 March, Liontown Resources (LTR AU) rejected the third proposal of $2.50/share from Albemarle (ALB US), the world’s largest lithium producer, citing terms were opportunistic.
Then everything went quiet. There appeared to be an interested party building a stake ~$2.75/share, but nothing concrete emerged. 
Now Albemarle has returned with a revised indicative proposal of $3.00/share - best and final. Due diligence has been granted. The board is supportive if terms are firmed.


Australia

Liontown Resources Ltd. explores for and mines base metals.

Liontown Resources (LTR AU)

Liontown Resources Placement - While Discount Is Wide, It Is at a Premium to Its Pre-Takeover Price

After withdrawing its takeover bid, Albemarle is now looking to sell its entire stake in LTR. The stake sale will remove the overhang, and the deal...

Clarence Chu