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>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

China Life Insurance Company / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Share prices of China Life and Prudential plc have been up by 33% and 40% - 50% YTD, respectively.</li>
<li>China Life's agency restructuring is bearing fruit, as evidenced by increasing agency productivity, and is expected to continue driving new business growth and margin expansion.</li>
<li>Our previous thesis for Prudential plc remains largely intact. Albeit the strong share price performance YTD, valuation upside remains as its new business multiple continues to re-rate.</li>
</ul>


Share prices of China Life and Prudential plc have been up by 33% and 40% - 50% YTD, respectively.
China Life's agency restructuring is bearing fruit, as evidenced by increasing agency productivity, and is expected to continue driving new business growth and margin expansion.
Our previous thesis for Prudential plc remains largely intact. Albeit the strong share price performance YTD, valuation upside remains as its new business multiple continues to re-rate.


Two Asian Life Insurance Stocks (Both Up >30% YTD) Worth Closer Looks

Founder of Antler Capital

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The unfolding crisis is unlikely to have far-reaching impacts on Asia financial names, given their more robust deposit franchises and sector diversification.</li>
<li>That said, the Taiwanese financial holdcos do seem to be substantially more exposed than their peers in other markets owing to the USD fixed-income exposures at their life insurance units.</li>
<li>In a flight-to-quality scenario, we expect Fubon FHC to outperform the more geared Shin Kong FHC.</li>
</ul>


The unfolding crisis is unlikely to have far-reaching impacts on Asia financial names, given their more robust deposit franchises and sector diversification.
That said, the Taiwanese financial holdcos do seem to be substantially more exposed than their peers in other markets owing to the USD fixed-income exposures at their life insurance units.
In a flight-to-quality scenario, we expect Fubon FHC to outperform the more geared Shin Kong FHC.


Asia Financials: The Fallout from SVB and Silvergate | Where's the Biggest Asset/Liability Mismatch?

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Equity Capital Markets

FWD Group Holdings / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fwd-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:34332:1" rel="noopener">FWD Group Holdings (FWD HK)</a> is a pan-Asia insurer that has filed its PHIP to raise around US$500 million. </li>
<li>FWD initially aimed for an NYSE IPO in 2021 to raise US$2-3 billion at a US$13-15 billion valuation. An HKEx listing in 2022 was shelved due to market conditions. </li>
<li>This note outlines the investment case. My analysis suggests that the fundamentals are mixed as FWD is rapidly growing its new business, but at the expense of its margin. </li>
</ul>



FWD Group Holdings (FWD HK) is a pan-Asia insurer that has filed its PHIP to raise around US$500 million. 
FWD initially aimed for an NYSE IPO in 2021 to raise US$2-3 billion at a US$13-15 billion valuation. An HKEx listing in 2022 was shelved due to market conditions. 
This note outlines the investment case. My analysis suggests that the fundamentals are mixed as FWD is rapidly growing its new business, but at the expense of its margin. 


<ul>
<li>While FWD has achieved strong growth in certain key markets, its overall new business growth rate didn't differ significantly from the peers, AIA and Prudential.</li>
<li>Compared to the peers, it offers more exposure to Thailand/Cambodia, in terms of APE and VNB mix. But, the peers still have better scale in these markets.</li>
<li>We struggle to develop the thesis unless FWD's valuation is really attractive. It's also not expecting to pay any dividends in the near future while both peers do.</li>
</ul>


While FWD has achieved strong growth in certain key markets, its overall new business growth rate didn't differ significantly from the peers, AIA and Prudential.
Compared to the peers, it offers more exposure to Thailand/Cambodia, in terms of APE and VNB mix. But, the peers still have better scale in these markets.
We struggle to develop the thesis unless FWD's valuation is really attractive. It's also not expecting to pay any dividends in the near future while both peers do.


United Kingdom

Prudential plc is an international company which provides a wide assortment of insurance and investment products and services. Insurance products include life, accident and health, property and casualty insurance, as well as fixed and variable annuities.  Financial and investment services include personal and group pensions, equity plans, mortgages and deposit accounts.

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Prudential PLC (PRU LN)

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

Prudential plc's share prices have gone up by c. 40% in London and 50% in Hong Kong YTD. The thesis we highlighted in this note remains largely...

Alec Tseung

Two Asian Life Insurance Stocks (Both Up >30% YTD) Worth Closer Looks

After years of underperformance, China Life and Prudential are finally recovering. China Life's agency restructuring is bearing fruit while...

Alec Tseung

Asia Financials: The Fallout from SVB and Silvergate | Where's the Biggest Asset/Liability Mismatch?

For the most part, we expect Asia financial names to be able to withstand the SVB / Silvergate fallout. But risks in ALM are reminiscent of what...

Stanley Tsai, CFA

FWD Group IPO: The Investment Case

This note outlines the investment case. My analysis suggests that the fundamentals are mixed as FWD is rapidly growing its new business, but at the...

Arun George

FWD IPO: What Are We Buying?

As FWD's scale still lags behind both AIA and Prudential and its growth rate was also merely in line with them, we struggle to develop the...

Alec Tseung

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