Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>According to Bloomberg, KKR and PAG are considering bids for Hong Kong broadband play <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hkbn-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:289:1" rel="noopener">HKBN Ltd (1310 HK)</a></strong>.</li>
<li>Private equity firms, possibly including Stonepeak, are understood to be conducting due diligence on HKBN, which has a current market cap of ~US$1.6bn. </li>
<li>Increased broadband usage became a Covid trend. That looks set to continue. This is a steady business, with an attractive yield. </li>
</ul>


According to Bloomberg, KKR and PAG are considering bids for Hong Kong broadband play HKBN Ltd (1310 HK).
Private equity firms, possibly including Stonepeak, are understood to be conducting due diligence on HKBN, which has a current market cap of ~US$1.6bn. 
Increased broadband usage became a Covid trend. That looks set to continue. This is a steady business, with an attractive yield. 


<ul>
<li>The Cayman Islands is seeking to eliminate the "headcount test" for Schemes of Arrangement.</li>
<li>Such an amendment will provide greater certainty for Hong Kong Schemes, wherein 59% of all listed companies are Cayman Islands incorporated. </li>
<li>This development arrives a tad late for <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/razer-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24380:1" rel="noopener">Razer Inc (1337 HK)</a></strong>, which is trading wide to terms, exactly on account of the fact it could potentially fail the headcount test. </li>
</ul>


The Cayman Islands is seeking to eliminate the "headcount test" for Schemes of Arrangement.
Such an amendment will provide greater certainty for Hong Kong Schemes, wherein 59% of all listed companies are Cayman Islands incorporated. 
This development arrives a tad late for Razer Inc (1337 HK), which is trading wide to terms, exactly on account of the fact it could potentially fail the headcount test. 


Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Despite the recent share price gain, <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-unicom-hong-kong-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1016:1" rel="noopener">China Unicom (762 HK)</a> </strong>is inexpensive with respect to parent <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-united-network-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12620:1" rel="noopener">China United Network (600050 CH)</a></strong> - its pseudo domestic A-share twin - and to peers.</li>
<li>Preceding my comments on Unicom, are the current setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos. </li>
<li>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity of US$1mn, and a % market capitalisation &gt;20%.</li>
</ul>


Despite the recent share price gain, China Unicom (762 HK) is inexpensive with respect to parent China United Network (600050 CH) - its pseudo domestic A-share twin - and to peers.
Preceding my comments on Unicom, are the current setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos. 
These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity of US$1mn, and a % market capitalisation &gt;20%.


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.

Equity Capital Markets

<div><p>FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. </p></div><div><p>FWD is a pan-Asia life insurer operating in ten markets including Hong Kong (and Macau), Thailand (and Cambodia), Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Southeast Asia markets contributed over 40% of its Value of New Business (VNB) in 2020. It had served over 9.9m customers as of Jun 21.</p></div><div><div>In our previous note, we spoke about the positive  and negatives aspects of the deal in our earleir notes, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/fwd-pre-ipo-the-positives-growing-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FWD Pre-IPO - The Positives - Growing Fast</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/fwd-pre-ipo-the-negatives-strategy-remains-unclear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FWD Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Strategy Remains Unclear</a>.</div></div><p></p><p>In this note we will undertake a peer comparison.</p>

FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. FWD is a pan-Asia life insurer operating in ten markets including Hong Kong (and Macau), Thailand (and Cambodia), Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Southeast Asia markets contributed over 40% of its Value of New Business (VNB) in 2020. It had served over 9.9m customers as of Jun 21.In our previous note, we spoke about the positive  and negatives aspects of the deal in our earleir notes, FWD Pre-IPO - The Positives - Growing Fast and FWD Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Strategy Remains Unclear.In this note we will undertake a peer comparison.

<div>
<p>Back on the 27 July, wood flooring manufacturer <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nature-home-holding-company" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20543:1" rel="noopener">Nature Home Holding Company (2083 HK)</a> <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2021/0727/2021072701813.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an Offer from its founding shareholders, by way of a Scheme, at HK$1.70/share. The Offer Price will not be increased. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dehua-tb-new-decoration-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4444:1" rel="noopener">Dehua Tb New Decoration A (002043 CH)</a> has given an irrevocable rollover undertaking for its 19.6% stake. </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>The Scheme Document was <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2021/0913/2021091301428.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despatched</a> on the 14 September with the Court Meeting scheduled for the 6 October. Provided all resolutions pass, cheques are expected to be despatched on or before the 26 October.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>The Offer looked done and the gross/annualised spread tightened into 2%/26.5% on the 19 September.</p>
<p>Then the wheels fell off, with the gross spread widening out to 38% as I type, and trading well below the undisturbed price.</p>
<p>Nature Homes had previously flagged concerns with outstanding trade receivables with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-evergrande-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:479:1" rel="noopener">Evergrande Real Estate Group (3333 HK)</a>, and potentially the ubiquitous negative news surrounding China's second-largest developer is having a knock-on-affect. Plus there are a number of other factors at work that <em>could</em> be bucketed under buyer's remorse.</p>
<p>But the Offeror &amp; concert parties cannot simply walk away from this deal. Not without breaching the Takeover's Code. And which shareholder will <em>not</em> vote this through given where it is trading? </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>More below the fold.</p>
</div>


Back on the 27 July, wood flooring manufacturer Nature Home Holding Company (2083 HK) announced an Offer from its founding shareholders, by way of a Scheme, at HK$1.70/share. The Offer Price will not be increased. Dehua Tb New Decoration A (002043 CH) has given an irrevocable rollover undertaking for its 19.6% stake. 


The Scheme Document was despatched on the 14 September with the Court Meeting scheduled for the 6 October. Provided all resolutions pass, cheques are expected to be despatched on or before the 26 October.


The Offer looked done and the gross/annualised spread tightened into 2%/26.5% on the 19 September.
Then the wheels fell off, with the gross spread widening out to 38% as I type, and trading well below the undisturbed price.
Nature Homes had previously flagged concerns with outstanding trade receivables with Evergrande Real Estate Group (3333 HK), and potentially the ubiquitous negative news surrounding China's second-largest developer is having a knock-on-affect. Plus there are a number of other factors at work that could be bucketed under buyer's remorse.
But the Offeror &amp; concert parties cannot simply walk away from this deal. Not without breaching the Takeover's Code. And which shareholder will not vote this through given where it is trading? 


More below the fold.


Nature Home (2083 HK): Risk Aversity Sees Spread Blow Out

Hong Kong

PCCW Limited is a Hong Kong-based information and communication technology (ICT) and telecommunications company. It provides fixed-line, broadband, mobile communication, and media entertainment services, including the OTT video streaming service Viu, alongside IT solutions and property development. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong and was founded in 1925.

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PCCW (8 HK)

HKBN (1310 HK): KKR & PAG's Pipe Dreams

There is as yet, no firm Offer. Shares are up ~3%. It's a steady business, with solid shareholder backing, strong management, and a decent yield...

David Blennerhassett

Caymans To Decapitate The Headcount

This is a positive development. Avoiding another Glorious Property fiasco - or even the more dodgy share splitting seen in the PCCW Ltd (8 HK)...

David Blennerhassett

StubWorld: Unicom's "Hs" Are Cheap

Unicom is inexpensive versus domestic and international peers, and compared to historical levels. The company is net cash with a solid yield....

David Blennerhassett

FWD Pre-IPO - Peer Comparison

FWD, a pan-Asian life insurer founded by Richard Li, aims to raise up to US$3bn in its US IPO. In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison.

Sumeet Singh

Nature Home (2083 HK): Risk Aversity Sees Spread Blow Out

Given HK events have been a bloodbath this year, I thought this may trade wide. But not this wide. If you have the risk appetite, then get involved...

David Blennerhassett

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