Asian Hedge Fund Manager, Long Short Equity, Macro

David Mudd

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Hong Kong market continues to consolidate during the early stage of its Secular Bull Market.  Strength and momentum indicators show further weakness ahead.</li>
<li>Materials and healthcare sectors have lost momentum with other sectors trendless.  Analysts target 20% price gains in materials sector over the next year.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-taiping-insurance-hldgs-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:489:1" rel="noopener">China Taiping Insurance Hldgs (966 HK)</a>  shares fell on Thursday on concerns over the insurer’s estimated HK$2.6B exposure to a HK residential project at the center of a deadly fire.
</li>
</ul>


Hong Kong market continues to consolidate during the early stage of its Secular Bull Market.  Strength and momentum indicators show further weakness ahead.
Materials and healthcare sectors have lost momentum with other sectors trendless.  Analysts target 20% price gains in materials sector over the next year.

China Taiping Insurance Hldgs (966 HK)  shares fell on Thursday on concerns over the insurer’s estimated HK$2.6B exposure to a HK residential project at the center of a deadly fire.



The Heat Is On: News Flow and Sentiment in CHINA / HONG KONG (November 27)

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The A-H share premium has narrowed by an average of 35pp YTD. Despite the recent A-share recovery, the premium remains depressed relative to the start of the year.</li>
<li>Aggressive players may keep playing the leaders in the trend - the Chinese insurers like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-life-insurance-co-ltd-9f877d22-7cf7-4b00-b525-cec71139f369" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5794:1" rel="noopener">China Life (2628 HK)</a> and securities companies like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/guolian-securities-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:535:1" rel="noopener">Guolian Minsheng Securities H (1456 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>Conservative players, however, may look at the laggards in AH premium contraction like the Chinese banks - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/industrial-and-commercial-bank-of-china-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1119:1" rel="noopener">ICBC (H) (1398 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-merchants-bank-co-ltd-3388a037-4214-4997-b45d-520518cfdb57" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10987:1" rel="noopener">China Merchants Bank H (3968 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>


The A-H share premium has narrowed by an average of 35pp YTD. Despite the recent A-share recovery, the premium remains depressed relative to the start of the year.
Aggressive players may keep playing the leaders in the trend - the Chinese insurers like China Life (2628 HK) and securities companies like Guolian Minsheng Securities H (1456 HK). 
Conservative players, however, may look at the laggards in AH premium contraction like the Chinese banks - ICBC (H) (1398 HK) and China Merchants Bank H (3968 HK). 


China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

External broker reports(aggregated public sources), CMB International

CMB International

External broker reports(aggregated public sources)

Incorporated in Hong Kong, supported by the mainland and targeting in global market, CMB International Capital Corporation Limited (“CMBI”) is an integrated financial institution providing comprehensive and professional services. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Bank ("CMB"), by leveraging on the Group’s synergy and coordination in domestic and overseas markets, as well as CMB’s strong resources and outstanding social reputation, CMBI and its subsidiaries have been actively implementing diversified business strategies and set up an overall layout of main business segments including Corporate Finance, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Global Markets and Structured Finance, etc. Adhering to the philosophy of “being clients oriented and increasing our own values by the way of creating value for clients”, CMBI endeavors to provide quality and integrated financial services to institutional, corporate and individual customers both domestic and overseas including Hong Kong IPO sponsorship and underwriting, share placement and rights issue for listed companies, financial advisors, bonds issuance services, asset management, direct investment, wealth management, equity sales and trading, etc.

<ul><li>The NFRA announced to raise the cap for Chinese insurers’ equity asset allocation ratio corresponding to the comprehensive solvency ratio (CSR) by 5% for whose CSR ranging from (150%, 200%), (250%, 300%) and above 350%.</li><li>The financial regulator eased equity investment upside for Chinese insurers to broaden incremental capital injection to the real economy in joint with other efforts to shore up the market sentiment, in our view.</li><li>From a top-down perspective, we reckon the action could bring RMB1.66tn incremental funds to the stock market if the industry expanded the equity allocation to the upper limit of 30% of total insurance funds by end-FY24.</li></ul>Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

The NFRA announced to raise the cap for Chinese insurers’ equity asset allocation ratio corresponding to the comprehensive solvency ratio (CSR) by 5% for whose CSR ranging from (150%, 200%), (250%, 300%) and above 350%.The financial regulator eased equity investment upside for Chinese insurers to broaden incremental capital injection to the real economy in joint with other efforts to shore up the market sentiment, in our view.From a top-down perspective, we reckon the action could bring RMB1.66tn incremental funds to the stock market if the industry expanded the equity allocation to the upper limit of 30% of total insurance funds by end-FY24.Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

China Insurance - Raised Cap for Insurer’s Equity Asset Allocation Could Unleash Max. RMB 1.7tn...

<ul><li>Life growth diverged in Dec among listed peers, yet the market trends weakened overall in Nov-Dec, due to eased momentum of 2025 jumpstart sales.</li><li>Total life premium of six H-share listed insurers fell 2.5% YoY to RMB 82.3bn in Dec, -1.9pct MoM compared to Nov.</li><li>Listed life peers’ premium growth ranged from a peak of increase by 19% YoY (NCI) to a decline of 45% YoY (Sunshine Life) in Dec, as the contribution of agency FYP varied.</li></ul>Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

Life growth diverged in Dec among listed peers, yet the market trends weakened overall in Nov-Dec, due to eased momentum of 2025 jumpstart sales.Total life premium of six H-share listed insurers fell 2.5% YoY to RMB 82.3bn in Dec, -1.9pct MoM compared to Nov.Listed life peers’ premium growth ranged from a peak of increase by 19% YoY (NCI) to a decline of 45% YoY (Sunshine Life) in Dec, as the contribution of agency FYP varied.Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

China Insurance - 11/12M Monthly: Life Sales Diverged During the Jumpstart

<ul>
<li>CSRC's Market Value Management Guidelines will indirectly benefit the H-share stocks with their A-share counterparts with a P/B of below 1x.  </li>
<li>Chinese banks dominated the list with below-book A-shares. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-everbright-bank-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16221:1" rel="noopener">China Everbright Bank (6818 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-citic-bank-corp-ltd-ea6c25fd-4b20-45cb-a4a6-df7a60136f03" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:653:1" rel="noopener">China Citic Bank H (998 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/industrial-and-commercial-bank-of-china-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1119:1" rel="noopener">ICBC (H) (1398 HK)</a> are the prime beneficiaries.</li>
<li>Infrastructure construction companies <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-railway-construction-corp-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:263:1" rel="noopener">China Railway Cons Corp (1186 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-railway-group-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:264:1" rel="noopener">China Railway Group H (390 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Comm Cons (1800 HK)</a> are also well-positioned to gain.</li>
</ul>


CSRC's Market Value Management Guidelines will indirectly benefit the H-share stocks with their A-share counterparts with a P/B of below 1x.  
Chinese banks dominated the list with below-book A-shares. China Everbright Bank (6818 HK), China Citic Bank H (998 HK), and ICBC (H) (1398 HK) are the prime beneficiaries.
Infrastructure construction companies China Railway Cons Corp (1186 HK), China Railway Group H (390 HK), and China Comm Cons (1800 HK) are also well-positioned to gain.


China & HK Strategy: Names to Watch for Market Value Management

China

New China Life Insurance provides a comprehensive range of life insurance products and services, including traditional life, health, and accident insurance, to individual and institutional clients. The company also manages and invests insurance funds through its subsidiaries. It is headquartered in Beijing, China, and was founded in September 1996.

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New China Life Insurance (1336 HK)

The Heat Is On: News Flow and Sentiment in CHINA / HONG KONG (November 27)

Hong Kong market continues to consolidate during the early stage of its Secular Bull Market. Strength and momentum indicators show further...

David Mudd

China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Insurance - Raised Cap for Insurer’s Equity Asset Allocation Could Unleash Max. RMB 1.7tn...

The NFRA announced to raise the cap for Chinese insurers’ equity asset allocation ratio corresponding to the comprehensive solvency ratio (CSR) by...

CMB International

China Insurance - 11/12M Monthly: Life Sales Diverged During the Jumpstart

Life growth diverged in Dec among listed peers, yet the market trends weakened overall in Nov-Dec, due to eased momentum of 2025 jumpstart sales.

CMB International

China & HK Strategy: Names to Watch for Market Value Management

SASAC issued "Several opinions on improving and strengthening the market value management of listed companies controlled by central enterprises"...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

The Heat Is On: News Flow and Sentiment in CHINA / HONG KONG (November 27)

Hong Kong market continues to consolidate during the early stage of its Secular Bull Market. Strength and momentum indicators show further...

David Mudd

China Strategy: Trading the A-H Premium Stocks

​The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Insurance - Raised Cap for Insurer’s Equity Asset Allocation Could Unleash Max. RMB 1.7tn...

The NFRA announced to raise the cap for Chinese insurers’ equity asset allocation ratio corresponding to the comprehensive solvency ratio (CSR) by...

CMB International

China Insurance - 11/12M Monthly: Life Sales Diverged During the Jumpstart

Life growth diverged in Dec among listed peers, yet the market trends weakened overall in Nov-Dec, due to eased momentum of 2025 jumpstart sales.

CMB International

China & HK Strategy: Names to Watch for Market Value Management

SASAC issued "Several opinions on improving and strengthening the market value management of listed companies controlled by central enterprises"...

Osbert Tang, CFA

The A-H share premium has narrowed by 35pp YTD, with Chinese insurers and securities companies leading the trend for aggressive players, while...