Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Reportedly (AFR), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> is in advanced talks to sell Optus, Australia’s second-largest telco, to Brookfield for A$16bn-A$18bn. </li>
<li>SingTel quickly <a href="https://links.sgx.com/FileOpen/SGX%20Announcement%2020240313.ashx?App=Announcement&amp;FileID=791796" target="_blank" rel="noopener">countered</a> there is no impending deal; and "Optus remains an integral and strategic part of the Singtel Group and we are committed to Australia for the long term."</li>
<li>Optus' EBITDA in 3Q24 and 9M24 fell 1.8% and 8.3% in S$ terms. Extrapolating out for FY24E suggests pricing under this (very) indicative Offer of around 7.6-8.6 turns of EBITDA.</li>
</ul>


Reportedly (AFR), Singtel (ST SP) is in advanced talks to sell Optus, Australia’s second-largest telco, to Brookfield for A$16bn-A$18bn. 
SingTel quickly countered there is no impending deal; and "Optus remains an integral and strategic part of the Singtel Group and we are committed to Australia for the long term."
Optus' EBITDA in 3Q24 and 9M24 fell 1.8% and 8.3% in S$ terms. Extrapolating out for FY24E suggests pricing under this (very) indicative Offer of around 7.6-8.6 turns of EBITDA.


Optus Sale Would Be A BIG Payday For SingTel

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.

<ul>
<li>TPG Telecom was formed by a merger of Vodafone and TPG in Jul 2020. The merger resulted in the shares owned by Vodafone, Hutchison and DavidTeoh, being put in escrow.</li>
<li>The lockup on those shares will expire this month. David Teoh, TPG’s founder, has sold some stock before in Dec 21 and could look to exit his remaining shareholding.</li>
<li>In this note, we talk about the upcoming lock-up release and its dynamics.</li>
</ul>


TPG Telecom was formed by a merger of Vodafone and TPG in Jul 2020. The merger resulted in the shares owned by Vodafone, Hutchison and DavidTeoh, being put in escrow.
The lockup on those shares will expire this month. David Teoh, TPG’s founder, has sold some stock before in Dec 21 and could look to exit his remaining shareholding.
In this note, we talk about the upcoming lock-up release and its dynamics.


TPG Telecom Possible Selldown - Founder Could Look to Raise up to US$1bn with a Clean Exit

<ul>
<li>Even if you were an activist, or a trader with an activism tilt, be long <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/keisei-electric-railway-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10876:1" rel="noopener">Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP)</a> vs. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oriental-land-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13517:1" rel="noopener">Oriental Land (4661 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>Reportedly, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> is negotiating a sale of Optus. Both Singtel and Optus scotch those rumours. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alumina-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:939:1" rel="noopener">Alumina Ltd (AWC AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alcoa-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6510:1" rel="noopener">Alcoa (AA US)</a> enter into a Scheme. As expected. The key question: is CITIC, with 18.9% of shares out, supportive?</li>
</ul>


Even if you were an activist, or a trader with an activism tilt, be long Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP) vs. Oriental Land (4661 JP).
Reportedly, Singtel (ST SP) is negotiating a sale of Optus. Both Singtel and Optus scotch those rumours. 

Alumina Ltd (AWC AU) and Alcoa (AA US) enter into a Scheme. As expected. The key question: is CITIC, with 18.9% of shares out, supportive?


Last Week in Event SPACE: Keisei Electric /Oriental Land, SingTel, Alumina/Alcoa, Li Ning

<ul>
<li>The hunter becomes the hunted. After <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/superloop-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23604:1" rel="noopener">Superloop (SLC AU)</a> failed to clinch <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/symbio-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20292:1" rel="noopener">Symbio Holdings (SYM AU)</a> last year, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aussie-broadband-pty-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30812:1" rel="noopener">Aussie Broadband (ABB AU)</a> has now made an Offer for Superloop.</li>
<li>ABB's indicative Offer provides Superloop shareholders with 0.21 new ABB shares for each Superloop share held, or an indicative Offer price of A$0.95/share, a 33.2% premium to the three-month VWAP.</li>
<li>ABB has picked up 19.9% in Superloop, also at A$0.95/share. Superloop has yet to respond.  </li>
</ul>


The hunter becomes the hunted. After Superloop (SLC AU) failed to clinch Symbio Holdings (SYM AU) last year, Aussie Broadband (ABB AU) has now made an Offer for Superloop.
ABB's indicative Offer provides Superloop shareholders with 0.21 new ABB shares for each Superloop share held, or an indicative Offer price of A$0.95/share, a 33.2% premium to the three-month VWAP.
ABB has picked up 19.9% in Superloop, also at A$0.95/share. Superloop has yet to respond.  


ABB Targets Superloop After Taking Out Symbio

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

<ul>
<li>Right on the heels of acquiring <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/symbio-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20292:1" rel="noopener">Symbio Holdings (SYM AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aussie-broadband-pty-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30812:1" rel="noopener">Aussie Broadband (ABB AU)</a> has made a non-binding indicative offer to take <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/superloop-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23604:1" rel="noopener">Superloop (SLC AU)</a> private.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/superloop-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23604:1" rel="noopener">Superloop (SLC AU)</a> had initiated the proposal to take <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/symbio-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20292:1" rel="noopener">Symbio Holdings (SYM AU)</a> private before <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aussie-broadband-pty-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30812:1" rel="noopener">Aussie Broadband (ABB AU)</a> swooped in. Now ABB has SLC in its sights.</li>
<li>The offer is a small premium and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aussie-broadband-pty-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30812:1" rel="noopener">Aussie Broadband Pty Ltd (ABB AU)</a>'s 33.2% premium claim is disingenuous at best. Expect pushback from the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/superloop-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23604:1" rel="noopener">Superloop Ltd (SLC AU)</a> Board.</li>
</ul>


Right on the heels of acquiring Symbio Holdings (SYM AU), Aussie Broadband (ABB AU) has made a non-binding indicative offer to take Superloop (SLC AU) private.

Superloop (SLC AU) had initiated the proposal to take Symbio Holdings (SYM AU) private before Aussie Broadband (ABB AU) swooped in. Now ABB has SLC in its sights.
The offer is a small premium and Aussie Broadband Pty Ltd (ABB AU)'s 33.2% premium claim is disingenuous at best. Expect pushback from the Superloop Ltd (SLC AU) Board.


Aussie Broadband's Non-Binding Indicative Offer for Superloop

Australia

Telstra Corporation Limited is a full service domestic and international telecommunications provider for Australia.  The Company provides telephone exchange lines to homes and businesses, supplying local, long distance and international telephone calls and supplying mobile telecommunications services. Telstra also provides data, internet, on-line services and directory services.

Telstra Corp (TLS AU)

Optus Sale Would Be A BIG Payday For SingTel

SingTel is a deep value play, and an inexpensive entry into Bharti; yet the market pushes the implied stub further into negative territory. A sale...

David Blennerhassett

TPG Telecom Possible Selldown - Founder Could Look to Raise up to US$1bn with a Clean Exit

TPG Telecom was formed by a merger of Vodafone and TPG in Jul 2020. The merger resulted in the shares owned by Vodafone, Hutchison and David Teoh,...

Sumeet Singh

Last Week in Event SPACE: Keisei Electric /Oriental Land, SingTel, Alumina/Alcoa, Li Ning

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

ABB Targets Superloop After Taking Out Symbio

Trading tight at a gross spread of ~0.5%. Unless you believe this warrants a bump - I'm not convinced it does - there's probably not much to do...

David Blennerhassett

Aussie Broadband's Non-Binding Indicative Offer for Superloop

ABB has made an NBIO to acquire Superloop. SLC shareholders will receive 0.21 ABB shares for each SLC share. Premium is low and the SLC Board is...

Brian Freitas