Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok reaffirmed the Corporate Value Up program, pushing up the major value driven/low PBR stocks in Korea today.</li>
<li>Deputy Prime Minister Choi emphasized that as part of Corporate Value Up program, corporate tax benefits to companies that have made efforts to strengthen shareholder return policy will be provided.</li>
<li>The Korean government also plans to revise the law to separate taxation on the dividend income of shareholders of companies that expand dividends.</li>
</ul>


The Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok reaffirmed the Corporate Value Up program, pushing up the major value driven/low PBR stocks in Korea today.
Deputy Prime Minister Choi emphasized that as part of Corporate Value Up program, corporate tax benefits to companies that have made efforts to strengthen shareholder return policy will be provided.
The Korean government also plans to revise the law to separate taxation on the dividend income of shareholders of companies that expand dividends.


Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There are signs that the South Korean REIT market may have bottomed in the past 3-6 months after significant market underperformance from 2021 to 4Q 2023.</li>
<li>The 16 major Korean REIT stocks are up on average 5% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is up 1.4% in the same period.</li>
<li>Differential in REIT dividend yield/Korean bond yield, meaningful discount to NAV, and increased capital allocation from Corporate Value Up program have been driving outperformance of Korean REIT stocks this year.</li>
</ul>


There are signs that the South Korean REIT market may have bottomed in the past 3-6 months after significant market underperformance from 2021 to 4Q 2023.
The 16 major Korean REIT stocks are up on average 5% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is up 1.4% in the same period.
Differential in REIT dividend yield/Korean bond yield, meaningful discount to NAV, and increased capital allocation from Corporate Value Up program have been driving outperformance of Korean REIT stocks this year.


Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

Private Capital Markets

Kyobo Life Insurance Co Ltd / Private Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>News and rumors about a potential IPO of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kyobo-life-insurance-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33146:1" rel="noopener">Kyobo Life Insurance Co Ltd (KYLINZ KS)</a> resurfaced given the strong performance of the equity market in Korea.</li>
<li>Korean life insurance's sector outlook remains uncertain given the country's prolonged low interest rate environment and the upcoming regulatory and accounting standard changes.</li>
<li> Kyobo Life's current shareholding structure is dominated by private equity and other institutional investors which are actively looking to exit.</li>
<li>Its implied value per share based on peers' trading multiples is unlikely to generate a decent recent for these institutional investors.</li>
<li>Kyobo Life's IPO plan remains very challenging.</li>
</ul>


News and rumors about a potential IPO of Kyobo Life Insurance Co Ltd (KYLINZ KS) resurfaced given the strong performance of the equity market in Korea.
Korean life insurance's sector outlook remains uncertain given the country's prolonged low interest rate environment and the upcoming regulatory and accounting standard changes.
 Kyobo Life's current shareholding structure is dominated by private equity and other institutional investors which are actively looking to exit.
Its implied value per share based on peers' trading multiples is unlikely to generate a decent recent for these institutional investors.
Kyobo Life's IPO plan remains very challenging.


Kyobo Life: Challenging Sector Outlook with Most Existing Shareholders Hoping to Get Out

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Ethan Aw

APAC 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

Doosan Robotics  / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/doosan-robotics" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36816:1" rel="noopener">Doosan Robotics (DOOSANROBO KS)</a> is looking to raise up to US$314m in its Korean IPO. </li>
<li>Doosan Robotics (DR) manufactures and sells collaborative robots (Cobots). The firm’s product portfolio primarily includes different series of robot arms as well as its coffee module. </li>
<li>In our previous notes, we looked at the company’s past performance and undertook a peer comparison. In this note, we talk about valuation.</li>
</ul>



Doosan Robotics (DOOSANROBO KS) is looking to raise up to US$314m in its Korean IPO. 
Doosan Robotics (DR) manufactures and sells collaborative robots (Cobots). The firm’s product portfolio primarily includes different series of robot arms as well as its coffee module. 
In our previous notes, we looked at the company’s past performance and undertook a peer comparison. In this note, we talk about valuation.


Doosan Robotics IPO - Thoughts on Valuation - A Punt at Best, a Crash at Worst

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>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?

South Korea

Samsung Life Insurance Co., Ltd. provides insurance services. The Company offers life and health insurance services. Samsung Life Insurance serves customers in South Korea.

Samsung Life Insurance (032830 KS)

Mr. Choi Goes to Washington

The Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok reaffirmed the Corporate Value Up program, pushing up the major value driven/low PBR stocks in Korea today.

Douglas Kim

South Korean REITs May Have Bottomed

There are signs that the South Korean REIT market may have bottomed in the past 3-6 months after significant market underperformance from 2021 to...

Douglas Kim

Kyobo Life: Challenging Sector Outlook with Most Existing Shareholders Hoping to Get Out

Kyobo Life's potential IPO remains difficult given the uncertain sector outlook and conflicting shareholders' interests.

Alec Tseung

Doosan Robotics IPO - Thoughts on Valuation - A Punt at Best, a Crash at Worst

Doosan Robotics (DOOSANROBO KS) is looking to raise up to US$314m in its Korean IPO. comparison. In this note, we talk about valuation.

Ethan Aw

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