Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>For the better part of two decades, Singaporean real estate investment trusts (REITs) have provided an efficient and popular exposure to quality large-scale commercial properties. </li>
<li>Yet as global central banks hike interest rates to address inflationary pressures, can REITs retain their attractiveness?</li>
<li>SREITs have corrected as Singaporean interest rates have increased. The question is whether higher interest rates are baked in, and which SREITs will hold up; and which ones will not?</li>
</ul>


For the better part of two decades, Singaporean real estate investment trusts (REITs) have provided an efficient and popular exposure to quality large-scale commercial properties. 
Yet as global central banks hike interest rates to address inflationary pressures, can REITs retain their attractiveness?
SREITs have corrected as Singaporean interest rates have increased. The question is whether higher interest rates are baked in, and which SREITs will hold up; and which ones will not?


S-REITs: Investing In An Inflationary Environment

Event-Driven

<div>
Back on the 17 May, after ARA Asset Management <a href="https://ara.listedcompany.com/newsroom/ARAPress_Release_SMBC0Joins-ARAasStrategicShareholder_17052021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a $500mn round of equity financing from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, I reiterated a BUY on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/straits-trading-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15745:1" rel="noopener">Straits Trading (STRTR SP)</a> in <a href="https://skr.ma/TcDY5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Straits Trading: ARA's Pre-IPO Funding From SMBC</a>.
Based on the <a href="https://ara.listedcompany.com/misc/circulars/ARA-Scheme_Document_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scheme</a> value of ARA in 2017 when it was taken private, and its then-AUM, ARA was potentially worth upwards of S$6bn. This in turn assigned a value of S$1.3bn for STR's stake in ARA, ~30% above its then-current market cap.
That was pretty close to the mark.
As discussed in <a href="https://skr.ma/fJECF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESR Cayman (1821 HK) Takes Out ARA Asset Management</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/esr-cayman-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27983:1" rel="noopener">ESR Cayman (1821 HK)</a> has now all but sealed the takeover of ARA in a US$5.2bn deal.
For its part, STR will pocket US$845.3mn (S$1.14bn) - in cash &amp; ESR scrip - from the transaction.
STR's shares have gained 13% as I type. 
More below the fold. 
</div>


Back on the 17 May, after ARA Asset Management announced a $500mn round of equity financing from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, I reiterated a BUY on Straits Trading (STRTR SP) in Straits Trading: ARA's Pre-IPO Funding From SMBC.
Based on the Scheme value of ARA in 2017 when it was taken private, and its then-AUM, ARA was potentially worth upwards of S$6bn. This in turn assigned a value of S$1.3bn for STR's stake in ARA, ~30% above its then-current market cap.
That was pretty close to the mark.
As discussed in ESR Cayman (1821 HK) Takes Out ARA Asset Management, ESR Cayman (1821 HK) has now all but sealed the takeover of ARA in a US$5.2bn deal.
For its part, STR will pocket US$845.3mn (S$1.14bn) - in cash &amp; ESR scrip - from the transaction.
STR's shares have gained 13% as I type. 
More below the fold. 


Straits Trading Cheap As ARA Asset Exposure Monetized

Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

<ul>
<li>The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) recently launched a public consultation regarding a Code of Conduct for ESG ratings providers and ESG data product providers in Singapore.</li>
<li>It is the right approach for Singapore – a voluntary best-practices framework furthering one of the world's most credible "green" economies, not a regulatory force-fix of something broken.</li>
<li>No surprise ratings methodology changes. No en masse upgrades/downgrades. No acute shocks to the system. Just slow and steady progress for ESG investing and finance in Singapore.</li>
</ul>


The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) recently launched a public consultation regarding a Code of Conduct for ESG ratings providers and ESG data product providers in Singapore.
It is the right approach for Singapore – a voluntary best-practices framework furthering one of the world's most credible "green" economies, not a regulatory force-fix of something broken.
No surprise ratings methodology changes. No en masse upgrades/downgrades. No acute shocks to the system. Just slow and steady progress for ESG investing and finance in Singapore.


Singapore Code of Conduct for ESG Ratings Is Less Risk and More Reward

Travis Lundy

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mapletree-commercial-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:106:1" rel="noopener">Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT SP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mapletree-north-asia-commercial-trust" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5127:1" rel="noopener">Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP)</a> announced their prospective merger on Friday. </li>
<li>The merger ratio provides an uplift to already strong recent relative performance for MAGIC holders, and strong pro-forma NAV and DPU accretion for MCT holders. </li>
<li>And it means a lot of flow. Lots and lots of flow. </li>
</ul>



Mapletree Commercial Trust (MCT SP) and Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MAGIC SP) announced their prospective merger on Friday. 
The merger ratio provides an uplift to already strong recent relative performance for MAGIC holders, and strong pro-forma NAV and DPU accretion for MCT holders. 
And it means a lot of flow. Lots and lots of flow. 


Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Hygon Information Technology C / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The changes for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sse-science-and-technology-innovation-board-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29279:1" rel="noopener">SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX)</a> and STAR100 Index were announced post market close on Friday.</li>
<li>The coming week is a full one with capping cutoffs, review cutoffs, announcements and implementations apart from futures expiries.</li>
<li>With China open after Lunar New Year, the National Team is back pouring money into ETFs with the largest inflows to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-shenzhen-csi-300-inde" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22906:1" rel="noopener">CSI 300</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/csi-smallcap-500-index-shang" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35347:1" rel="noopener">CSI 500</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/chinext-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25483:1" rel="noopener">ChiNext</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sse-science-and-technology-innovation-board-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29279:1" rel="noopener">STAR50</a> indices.</li>
</ul>


The changes for the SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX) and STAR100 Index were announced post market close on Friday.
The coming week is a full one with capping cutoffs, review cutoffs, announcements and implementations apart from futures expiries.
With China open after Lunar New Year, the National Team is back pouring money into ETFs with the largest inflows to the CSI 300, CSI 500, ChiNext and STAR50 indices.


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: HSCEI, HSCI, HSTECH, HSIII, STTF, Top50, Div+, FXI, FnGuide

Singapore

Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust is a commercial real estate investment trust. The Trust invests in income-producing real estate that is primarily used for retail and/or office purposes.

Suntec REIT (SUN SP)

S-REITs: Investing In An Inflationary Environment

Suntec, with one of the highest gearings in the office subsector, may need to go to the market cap in hand. That or divest some assets - in what is...

David Blennerhassett

Straits Trading Cheap As ARA Asset Exposure Monetized

After my insight - Ripe For Privatisation - in October 2020, Straits Trading nicely gained ~130% over 12 months. STR then realised a ~S$685.6mn...

David Blennerhassett

Singapore Code of Conduct for ESG Ratings Is Less Risk and More Reward

Singapore's Code of Conduct for ESG ratings is more light-handed than other regulation-based approaches, but therein lies the "less risk and more...

Kyle Rudden

Mapletree Mega-Merger Means MCT Markup

The proposed Mapletree Commercial Trust and Mapletree North Asian Commercial Trust combination creates a Top 10 Asian REIT and one of Singapore's...

Travis Lundy

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: HSCEI, HSCI, HSTECH, HSIII, STTF, Top50, Div+, FXI, FnGuide

This recap highlights Insights covering Asian index rebalances (announcements/ forecasts/ IPO Fast Entry/ M&A driven changes). We also highlight...

Brian Freitas