Equity Research Analyst - Long-Short

Raj S, CA, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Meitu’s business model is not threatened by new AI image generation models. Long-term positioning remains intact. Last-mile workflows, a seventeen-year aesthetic dataset, and stable founder-led execution sustainable clear Moats.</li>
<li>Overseas markets offer materially higher pay-ratios and ARPU. Productivity and e-commerce tools drive the mix shift toward high-margin growth. Both support multi-year revenue compounding independent of AI capex cycles.</li>
<li>Recent Correction due to AI substitution fears drove the multiple to ~27x, placing PEG below 1x on 30% CAGR. Long-term buy with 100% upside and potential for strong re-rating.</li>
</ul>


Meitu’s business model is not threatened by new AI image generation models. Long-term positioning remains intact. Last-mile workflows, a seventeen-year aesthetic dataset, and stable founder-led execution sustainable clear Moats.
Overseas markets offer materially higher pay-ratios and ARPU. Productivity and e-commerce tools drive the mix shift toward high-margin growth. Both support multi-year revenue compounding independent of AI capex cycles.
Recent Correction due to AI substitution fears drove the multiple to ~27x, placing PEG below 1x on 30% CAGR. Long-term buy with 100% upside and potential for strong re-rating.


Meitu Inc (1357 HK): AI a Threat? Not Really - Long-Term Compounder Driven by Dual Growth Engines

Asian Hedge Fund Manager, Long Short Equity, Macro

David Mudd

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio beat the Hong Kong indexes in June and was flat to its benchmark with a loss of 6.98%.</li>
<li>The Hong Kong market experienced heavy selling in the second half of June, as both foreign and mainland investors reduced their exposure.</li>
<li>At the end of June, we sold positions in the electric utilities, technology, consumer, and property sectors. We added positions in the broker, biotech, telecom, and industrial sectors.</li>
</ul>


The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio beat the Hong Kong indexes in June and was flat to its benchmark with a loss of 6.98%.
The Hong Kong market experienced heavy selling in the second half of June, as both foreign and mainland investors reduced their exposure.
At the end of June, we sold positions in the electric utilities, technology, consumer, and property sectors. We added positions in the broker, biotech, telecom, and industrial sectors.


Index Rebal/Special Situations, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Index Rebal/Special Situations

Quiddity Advisors

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The HSTECH Index tracks the performance of the top technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to certain technology themes.</li>
<li>The market consultation results have been announced. All proposed changes will be adopted in full with two additional requirements to avoid low-liquidity and low-revenue names.</li>
<li>We expect 20 ADDs and no DELs in December 2026. We estimate one-way flow of around US$4bn with 11 expected ADDs having more than 3x ADV to buy.</li>
</ul>


The HSTECH Index tracks the performance of the top technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to certain technology themes.
The market consultation results have been announced. All proposed changes will be adopted in full with two additional requirements to avoid low-liquidity and low-revenue names.
We expect 20 ADDs and no DELs in December 2026. We estimate one-way flow of around US$4bn with 11 expected ADDs having more than 3x ADV to buy.


Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Dec26: New Rules Confirmed with Some Modifications; Latest Expectations

<ul>
<li>The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 9.7% in May, outperforming its benchmark by 10.57%.  The portfolio has outperformed Hong Kong indexes by 57% to 75% since its inception in 10/2024.</li>
<li>The portfolio has a Sharpe ratio of 1.37 since its inception, with a mean excess annualized return of 21% and a beta of 1.2.  </li>
<li>At the end of May, we sold our remaining positions in the mining and materials sectors and added positions in the power, consumer and property sectors.</li>
</ul>


The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 9.7% in May, outperforming its benchmark by 10.57%.  The portfolio has outperformed Hong Kong indexes by 57% to 75% since its inception in 10/2024.
The portfolio has a Sharpe ratio of 1.37 since its inception, with a mean excess annualized return of 21% and a beta of 1.2.  
At the end of May, we sold our remaining positions in the mining and materials sectors and added positions in the power, consumer and property sectors.


<ul>
<li>
The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio posted a -0.5% return for April. Since its inception, the HK Alpha portfolio has outperformed the HK indexes by 38.69% to 60.42%.  </li>
<li>Overall alpha generation remains at 64% of overall returns.  The Sharpe ratio for the portfolio is 1.15, compared with 0.89 for the benchmark.</li>
<li>As the US retreats from its war in Iran, we have repositioned the portfolio by adding exposure to the AI-related tech sector, including platform, agentic, and hardware.</li>
</ul>



The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio posted a -0.5% return for April. Since its inception, the HK Alpha portfolio has outperformed the HK indexes by 38.69% to 60.42%.  
Overall alpha generation remains at 64% of overall returns.  The Sharpe ratio for the portfolio is 1.15, compared with 0.89 for the benchmark.
As the US retreats from its war in Iran, we have repositioned the portfolio by adding exposure to the AI-related tech sector, including platform, agentic, and hardware.


China

Meitu is an AI-driven technology company specializing in image, video, and design creation software and applications. Its key products include mobile apps like Meitu App, BeautyCam, and Wink, offering photo editing, beauty enhancement, and video editing tools. The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Xiamen, China.

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Meitu (1357 HK)

Meitu Inc (1357 HK): AI a Threat? Not Really - Long-Term Compounder Driven by Dual Growth Engines

Meitu's business model remains strong and AI image generation threat is overdone, with overseas markets and e-comm vertical being growth drivers....

Raj S, CA, CFA

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (June 2026)

At mid-month, we note that pc makers are passing on higher chip and component costs to consumers. For this reason, we sold our positions in Lenovo...

David Mudd

Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Dec26: New Rules Confirmed with Some Modifications; Latest Expectations

There could be more than 5x ADV to buy for the top 5 expected ADDs. Many other names have more than 1x ADV to trade. The flow expectations can...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (May 2026)

The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 9.7% in May, outperforming its benchmark by 10.57%. The portfolio has outperformed Hong Kong indexes by 57%...

David Mudd

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (April 2026)

The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio posted a -0.5% return for April. Since its inception, the HK Alpha portfolio has outperformed the HK indexes by...

David Mudd

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Meitu Inc (1357 HK): AI a Threat? Not Really - Long-Term Compounder Driven by Dual Growth Engines

​Meitu's business model remains strong and AI image generation threat is overdone, with overseas markets and e-comm vertical being growth drivers....

Raj S, CA, CFA

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (June 2026)

At mid-month, we note that pc makers are passing on higher chip and component costs to consumers. For this reason, we sold our positions in Lenovo...

David Mudd

Quiddity Leaderboard HSTECH Dec26: New Rules Confirmed with Some Modifications; Latest Expectations

There could be more than 5x ADV to buy for the top 5 expected ADDs. Many other names have more than 1x ADV to trade. The flow expectations can...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (May 2026)

The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio gained 9.7% in May, outperforming its benchmark by 10.57%. The portfolio has outperformed Hong Kong indexes by 57%...

David Mudd

HONG KONG ALPHA PORTFOLIO: (April 2026)

The Hong Kong Alpha portfolio posted a -0.5% return for April. Since its inception, the HK Alpha portfolio has outperformed the HK indexes by...

David Mudd

Meitu's business model remains strong and AI image generation threat is overdone, with overseas markets and e-comm vertical being growth drivers....