Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Indexes and Sectors remain extremely mixed which we believe is likely to remain the case moving forward.</li>
<li>Attractive Sectors include Energy and Financials, (and to a lesser extent Staples and Utilities) and these areas remain our primary focus.</li>
<li>Financials (XLF) and Energy (XLE) are hitting new RS highs amid rising rates and new highs in WTI crude oil -- Remain overweight/add exposure on pullbacks.</li>
</ul>


Indexes and Sectors remain extremely mixed which we believe is likely to remain the case moving forward.
Attractive Sectors include Energy and Financials, (and to a lesser extent Staples and Utilities) and these areas remain our primary focus.
Financials (XLF) and Energy (XLE) are hitting new RS highs amid rising rates and new highs in WTI crude oil -- Remain overweight/add exposure on pullbacks.


Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Shifara Samsudeen, FCMA, 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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>On 7th January 2022, iFAST announced that it would be acquiring BFC Bank Limited (a UK-based Bank) for GBP25m (S$45.9m), and will have an 85% stake in the bank.</li>
<li>The acquisition would help iFast towards achieving its five-year plan of generating an AUA of S$100bn by 2028 with a number of other strategic benefits.  </li>
<li>However, BFC Bank is currently making losses, and it is likely that integration costs and these losses would push down iFast’s profitability as well, to the extent of potential losses.</li>
</ul>


On 7th January 2022, iFAST announced that it would be acquiring BFC Bank Limited (a UK-based Bank) for GBP25m (S$45.9m), and will have an 85% stake in the bank.
The acquisition would help iFast towards achieving its five-year plan of generating an AUA of S$100bn by 2028 with a number of other strategic benefits.  
However, BFC Bank is currently making losses, and it is likely that integration costs and these losses would push down iFast’s profitability as well, to the extent of potential losses.


IFast’s Acquisition of BFC Bank: Improved AUA at the Cost of Short-Term Profitability

Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

Two days ago the U.K. Financial Reporting Council announced 125 successful signatories (aka "not greenwashers") to the revised U.K. Stewardship Code. Signatories are integrating stewardship and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors into investment decisions, to high standards.Whilst this is ostensibly limited to U.K. pension assets, ramifications are more far-reaching than it might at first appear (one indication is the number of North American and Asia Pacific signatories, in addition to the expected European names). More specifically, the broad relevance is because it:<ul>
<li>Affects firms doing business with U.K. asset managers/owners not just the managers/owners.</li>
<li>Is a quasi-blueprint for similar anti-greenwashing initiatives taking root in the U.S. and Asia.</li>
<li>Greenwashing is having an increasing impact on stocks prices (e.g., DWS Group last month).</li>
</ul>This is one battle in an emerging global war on greenwashing. The U.S. SEC has its own agenda to fight greenwashing and Asia isn't far behind (e.g., regulators in Japan stepping up scrutiny). There is more to come, and a lot to learn from this including who is (and is not) on the signatory list.

Two days ago the U.K. Financial Reporting Council announced 125 successful signatories (aka "not greenwashers") to the revised U.K. Stewardship Code. Signatories are integrating stewardship and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors into investment decisions, to high standards.Whilst this is ostensibly limited to U.K. pension assets, ramifications are more far-reaching than it might at first appear (one indication is the number of North American and Asia Pacific signatories, in addition to the expected European names). More specifically, the broad relevance is because it:
Affects firms doing business with U.K. asset managers/owners not just the managers/owners.
Is a quasi-blueprint for similar anti-greenwashing initiatives taking root in the U.S. and Asia.
Greenwashing is having an increasing impact on stocks prices (e.g., DWS Group last month).
This is one battle in an emerging global war on greenwashing. The U.S. SEC has its own agenda to fight greenwashing and Asia isn't far behind (e.g., regulators in Japan stepping up scrutiny). There is more to come, and a lot to learn from this including who is (and is not) on the signatory list.

The War on Greenwashing: UK Stewardship Code "Successful Signatories" Has Broader Implications

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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>We screen 30 European banks for their core profitability and their credit quality and coverage post 2Q21 results</li>
<li>The aim is to identify banks that are good value and have potential to deliver sustainably higher dividends going forward</li>
<li>We use a number of metrics including pre-provision and post-provision profit, cost of risk and credit quality</li>
<li>We highlight <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lloyds-banking-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21009:1" rel="noopener">Lloyds Banking (LLOY LN)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bankinter-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21253:1" rel="noopener">Bankinter SA (BKT SM)</a> and stick with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/credit-agricole-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21373:1" rel="noopener">Credit Agricole Sa (ACA FP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/credit-suisse-group-ag-f4b24f0c-c294-40b3-b491-759f0cb277e9" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27915:1" rel="noopener">Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN SW)</a> from the 1Q21 review</li>
<li>We are cautious on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intesa-sanpaolo-spa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21200:1" rel="noopener">Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP IM)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/standard-chartered-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:193:1" rel="noopener">Standard Chartered (STAN LN)</a> </li>
<li>Risks to our view include, for our bullish calls, worse than expected cost of risk, opex and fee generation; for our bear calls, better than expected revenue generation with opex control leading to higher dividend prospects</li>
</ul>


We screen 30 European banks for their core profitability and their credit quality and coverage post 2Q21 results
The aim is to identify banks that are good value and have potential to deliver sustainably higher dividends going forward
We use a number of metrics including pre-provision and post-provision profit, cost of risk and credit quality
We highlight Lloyds Banking (LLOY LN) and Bankinter SA (BKT SM) and stick with Credit Agricole Sa (ACA FP) and Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN SW) from the 1Q21 review
We are cautious on Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP IM) and Standard Chartered (STAN LN) 
Risks to our view include, for our bullish calls, worse than expected cost of risk, opex and fee generation; for our bear calls, better than expected revenue generation with opex control leading to higher dividend prospects


European & UK Banks; Screening for Investment Opportunities

Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Executive Summary: Issuance expectations are often a topic of anxiety for actively trading investors. The concern is that if issuance is expected to be large, then the value of the currently on-the-run security may fall as the market moves into the new security. Our experience is that timing matters. Any decline generally represents a buying opportunity in the older security; however, it can take a week or two for the security to regain lost value. As such, unexpected debt issuance just before quarter-end can be painful.With leverage ratios yet to be a requirement for Eurozone area banks, risk-weighted asset (RWA) capital ratios remain the constraining capital measure. By this standard, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bnp-paribas" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:525:1" rel="noopener">BNP Paribas (BNP FP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/credit-agricole-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21373:1" rel="noopener">Credit Agricole Group (ACAFP)</a> remain underweight in Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bond issuance.Amongst UK banks, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hsbc-holdings-plc-a723bd63-0890-486f-aaa0-3bb9ad2b95ce" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21976:1" rel="noopener">HSBC Holdings (HSBA LN)</a> looks to have a surplus of AT1 bonds from a RWA capital ratio perspective. However, we calculate a deficiency relative to its leverage capital ratio needs. Basel IV inflation may diminish the RWA-base surplus; but for now, HSBC’s leverage ratio is its AT1 governor.In terms of Tier 2 needs, Eurozone banks are largely where they need to be from an efficiency perspective with the main exception of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cooperatieve-rabobank-ua" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28085:1" rel="noopener">Cooperative Rabobank UA (RABO NA)</a>. Meanwhile, HSBC may be in a position to reduce its Common Equity Tier 1 levels by issuing Tier 2 bonds while remaining well above minimum capital requirements. Concurrently, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/standard-chartered-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:193:1" rel="noopener">Standard Chartered's (STAN LN)</a> Tier 2 levels are materially more than minimum regulatory requirements. These look better value than HSBC’s.

Executive Summary: Issuance expectations are often a topic of anxiety for actively trading investors. The concern is that if issuance is expected to be large, then the value of the currently on-the-run security may fall as the market moves into the new security. Our experience is that timing matters. Any decline generally represents a buying opportunity in the older security; however, it can take a week or two for the security to regain lost value. As such, unexpected debt issuance just before quarter-end can be painful.With leverage ratios yet to be a requirement for Eurozone area banks, risk-weighted asset (RWA) capital ratios remain the constraining capital measure. By this standard, BNP Paribas (BNP FP) and Credit Agricole Group (ACAFP) remain underweight in Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bond issuance.Amongst UK banks, HSBC Holdings (HSBA LN) looks to have a surplus of AT1 bonds from a RWA capital ratio perspective. However, we calculate a deficiency relative to its leverage capital ratio needs. Basel IV inflation may diminish the RWA-base surplus; but for now, HSBC’s leverage ratio is its AT1 governor.In terms of Tier 2 needs, Eurozone banks are largely where they need to be from an efficiency perspective with the main exception of Cooperative Rabobank UA (RABO NA). Meanwhile, HSBC may be in a position to reduce its Common Equity Tier 1 levels by issuing Tier 2 bonds while remaining well above minimum capital requirements. Concurrently, Standard Chartered's (STAN LN) Tier 2 levels are materially more than minimum regulatory requirements. These look better value than HSBC’s. 

Debt Capital Surplus (Shortfall) And Trading Opportunities in European Banks

United Kingdom

Lloyds Banking Group plc, through subsidiaries and associated companies, offers a range of banking and financial services. The Company provides retail banking, mortgages, pensions, asset management, insurance services, corporate banking, and treasury services.

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Lloyds Banking (LLOY LN)

Stick With Energy and Financials

Indexes and Sectors remain extremely mixed which we believe is likely to remain the case moving forward. Attractive Sectors include Energy and...

Vermilion Research

IFast’s Acquisition of BFC Bank: Improved AUA at the Cost of Short-Term Profitability

The acquisition would help iFast achieve its five-year plan of generating an AUA of S$100bn by 2028. BFC is currently making losses, alongside...

Shifara Samsudeen, FCMA, CGMA

The War on Greenwashing: UK Stewardship Code "Successful Signatories" Has Broader Implications

Telegraph from European front in global war on greenwashing. U.K. names stewardship victors ("not greenwashers"). Many notable casualties. Anti...

Kyle Rudden

European & UK Banks; Screening for Investment Opportunities

We screen banks’ core earnings & credit quality to identify banks that are good value & can deliver higher dividends - we like Lloyds, BankInter,...

Victor Galliano

Debt Capital Surplus (Shortfall) And Trading Opportunities in European Banks

Timing matters. A price decline in an on-the-run bond due to issuance represents a buying opportunity; however, it can take time to regain value....

Hank Calenti, CFA

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