Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

KT Capital Group

Principal investments and advisory firm that focuses on connecting the CIS countries with East Asia.

Principal investments and advisory firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>PICC P&amp;C's Q3 underwriting profitability deteriorated due to typhoon/catastrophe-related losses in both motor and non-motor business.</li>
<li>Samsung Life's new business growth momentum continued in Q3'23; new business CSM margin slightly improved QoQ.</li>
<li>Prudential disclosed limited details in its Q3 results but we can see the growth trend of new business volume and profits continuing in the quarter.</li>
</ul>


PICC P&amp;C's Q3 underwriting profitability deteriorated due to typhoon/catastrophe-related losses in both motor and non-motor business.
Samsung Life's new business growth momentum continued in Q3'23; new business CSM margin slightly improved QoQ.
Prudential disclosed limited details in its Q3 results but we can see the growth trend of new business volume and profits continuing in the quarter.


APAC Insurers Series (#4): How We See the 3 Insurance Stocks in 2024

<ul>
<li>Given Pru's demerger in 2021, it now offers investors a good alternative to AIA to tap into the development and the growth potential of the life insurance sector in Pan-Asia.</li>
<li>AIA has a more balanced business across so many markets in APAC, while Pru skews toward Southeast Asia.</li>
<li>Pru's P/BV is currently at a 30% discount to AIA's and is trading at the same level as the year-end when China just announced the re-opening of its borders.</li>
</ul>


Given Pru's demerger in 2021, it now offers investors a good alternative to AIA to tap into the development and the growth potential of the life insurance sector in Pan-Asia.
AIA has a more balanced business across so many markets in APAC, while Pru skews toward Southeast Asia.
Pru's P/BV is currently at a 30% discount to AIA's and is trading at the same level as the year-end when China just announced the re-opening of its borders.


APAC Insurers Series (#2): AIA or Prudential?

<ul>
<li>PICC P&amp;C's thesis has materialized and played out well this year, with the stock being HK's best-performing Chinese insurer.</li>
<li>Samsung Life's share price recovered slightly since our last update as LT Korean government bond yields further increased.</li>
<li>Prudential's thesis is slowly being played out, with its P/BV discount to AIA having narrowed; but still a long way to go. </li>
</ul>


PICC P&amp;C's thesis has materialized and played out well this year, with the stock being HK's best-performing Chinese insurer.
Samsung Life's share price recovered slightly since our last update as LT Korean government bond yields further increased.
Prudential's thesis is slowly being played out, with its P/BV discount to AIA having narrowed; but still a long way to go. 


APAC Insurers Series (#3): Initial Theses At Different Stages of Being Played Out

<ul>
<li>Pru is currently trading below its embedded value, with the valuation assigning a negative value for the group’s new business profits.</li>
<li>Given its quality franchise across all key markets in Asia and continued strong new business recovery (to pre-Covid levels), this doesn’t seem to make sense at all.</li>
<li>We would continue underwriting the investment case of Pru in the coming year, with the stock offering significant upside potential. </li>
</ul>


Pru is currently trading below its embedded value, with the valuation assigning a negative value for the group’s new business profits.
Given its quality franchise across all key markets in Asia and continued strong new business recovery (to pre-Covid levels), this doesn’t seem to make sense at all.
We would continue underwriting the investment case of Pru in the coming year, with the stock offering significant upside potential. 


2024 High Conviction: Underwriting Prudential’s Investment Case into 2024

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>It seems like every week, Bloomberg reports a HK-listed company weighing privatisation options. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hkbn-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:289:1" rel="noopener">HKBN (1310 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/esr-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27983:1" rel="noopener">ESR (1821 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsonite-international-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12790:1" rel="noopener">Samsonite (1910 HK)</a> have all been rumoured of late.</li>
<li>Last Friday, Samsonite <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2024/0322/2024032200048.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it was focused on pursuing the listing of its shares on a second exchange.</li>
<li>No preferred exchange was mentioned. Nor whether the goal is to secure a dual primary listing, or a secondary listing. A buyout, for now, appears to be on the backburner.</li>
</ul>


It seems like every week, Bloomberg reports a HK-listed company weighing privatisation options. HKBN (1310 HK), ESR (1821 HK), and Samsonite (1910 HK) have all been rumoured of late.
Last Friday, Samsonite announced it was focused on pursuing the listing of its shares on a second exchange.
No preferred exchange was mentioned. Nor whether the goal is to secure a dual primary listing, or a secondary listing. A buyout, for now, appears to be on the backburner.


Samsonite (1910 HK): Dual-Listing Musings

Hong Kong

Prudential Public Limited Company provides long term savings and protection products. The Company offers life and health insurance for long term business including asset management services. Prudential serves customers in Asia and Africa.

Prudential (2378 HK)

APAC Insurers Series (#4): How We See the 3 Insurance Stocks in 2024

While we see limited upside in both PICC P&C and Samsung Life, we believe Prudential is the only one out of the three insurance stocks we...

Alec Tseung

APAC Insurers Series (#2): AIA or Prudential?

Pru’s recent correction offers investors an opportune window to buy into its premium franchise (vs. AIA), although both stocks provide investors...

Alec Tseung

APAC Insurers Series (#3): Initial Theses At Different Stages of Being Played Out

Theses for the three insurers we highlighted are at different stages of being played out: PICC P&C's has most materialized while Pru's still has a...

Alec Tseung

2024 High Conviction: Underwriting Prudential’s Investment Case into 2024

We continue underwriting Pru’s investment case into 2024, with the market now assigning a negative new business multiple. Any modest improvement in...

Alec Tseung

Samsonite (1910 HK): Dual-Listing Musings

A secondary NASDAQ listing appears preferable. One that is a dual primary listing. A privatisation cannot be ruled out. But it won't come cheap. If...

David Blennerhassett