HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tongcheng-travel-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27363:1" rel="noopener">Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK)</a>'s 1Q25 adjusted net profit surged 41.1%, suggesting an accelerating momentum. It should continue to outperform <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com Group (9961 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>Good cost management, even as revenue rose 13.2%, has enhanced adjusted EBITDA margin by 5.3pp YoY - this trend will sustain. </li>
<li>More visa convenience will boost inbound and outbound travel. At end-1Q25, net cash equals 14% of market capitalisation, and it can still generate ROE of 12-15%. </li>
</ul>



Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK)'s 1Q25 adjusted net profit surged 41.1%, suggesting an accelerating momentum. It should continue to outperform Trip.com Group (9961 HK). 
Good cost management, even as revenue rose 13.2%, has enhanced adjusted EBITDA margin by 5.3pp YoY - this trend will sustain. 
More visa convenience will boost inbound and outbound travel. At end-1Q25, net cash equals 14% of market capitalisation, and it can still generate ROE of 12-15%. 


Tongcheng Travel (780 HK): Regaining Momentum, Better Choice than Trip.com

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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pony-ai-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:44035:1" rel="noopener">Pony AI (PONY US)</a> raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.</li>
<li>As per Frost &amp; Sullivan, Pony AI was among the first companies in China to obtain licenses to operate fully driverless robotaxis in all four Tier-1 cities in China.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.</li>
</ul>



Pony AI (PONY US) raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.
As per Frost &amp; Sullivan, Pony AI was among the first companies in China to obtain licenses to operate fully driverless robotaxis in all four Tier-1 cities in China.
In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.


Pony AI IPO Lockup - US$4.3bn Lockup Release with Stock at 69x EV/Sales

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

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The review period for the June rebalance of the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-tech-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31367:1" rel="noopener">HSTECH INDEX</a> ended on 31 March, the changes will be announced on 16 May and implemented on 6 June.</li>
<li>Following the launch of the God's Eye ADAS, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> could become eligible for index inclusion after meeting the Autonomous theme and Innovation screening.</li>
<li>The inclusion of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> in the index could result in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-literature-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24388:1" rel="noopener">China Literature (772 HK)</a> being deleted from the index in June.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the June rebalance of the HSTECH INDEX ended on 31 March, the changes will be announced on 16 May and implemented on 6 June.
Following the launch of the God's Eye ADAS, BYD (1211 HK) could become eligible for index inclusion after meeting the Autonomous theme and Innovation screening.
The inclusion of BYD (1211 HK) in the index could result in China Literature (772 HK) being deleted from the index in June.


HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: BYD (1211 HK) Could Replace China Literature (772 HK); Huge Trade

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Wanda Hotel Development Company / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wanda-hotel-development-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15233:1" rel="noopener">Wanda Hotel Development (169 HK)</a>, <a href="https://di.hkex.com.hk/di/NSForm2.aspx?fn=CS20241018E00444&amp;sa2=as&amp;sid=290&amp;corpn=Wanda+Hotel+Development+Co.+Ltd.&amp;sd=24%2f04%2f2024&amp;ed=24%2f04%2f2025&amp;cid=0&amp;sa1=cl&amp;scsd=24%2f04%2f2024&amp;sced=24%2f04%2f2025&amp;sc=169&amp;src=MAIN&amp;lang=EN&amp;g_lang=en&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">65.05%</a> held by Wang Jianlin, is selling its hotel property arm to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (9961 HK)</a>-backed <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tongcheng-travel-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27363:1" rel="noopener">Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK)</a>.</li>
<li>Wang Jianlin's cash-strapped Dalian Wanda Group has been offloading assets such as the $8.3bn sale of its mall management business to a PAG-led consortium in March last year.</li>
<li>Wanda Hotel proposes distributing all or part of the proceeds from the sale. Given Wang's controlling shareholding, I'd tilt towards the former.</li>
</ul>



Wanda Hotel Development (169 HK), 65.05% held by Wang Jianlin, is selling its hotel property arm to Tencent (700 HK) and Trip.com (9961 HK)-backed Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK).
Wang Jianlin's cash-strapped Dalian Wanda Group has been offloading assets such as the $8.3bn sale of its mall management business to a PAG-led consortium in March last year.
Wanda Hotel proposes distributing all or part of the proceeds from the sale. Given Wang's controlling shareholding, I'd tilt towards the former.


Wanda Hotel (169 HK) To Offload Hotel Management Arm

<ul>
<li>We see 281 Chinese companies listed on U.S Stock Exchanges with a total market cap of US$869bn. 32 of these companies are listed on the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hong-kong-exchanges-clearing" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:490:1" rel="noopener">HKEX (388 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>If the rumours of Chinese stocks being delisted from U.S. Exchanges gathers steam, we could see a wave of secondary listings in Hong Kong.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pdd-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27250:1" rel="noopener">PDD Holdings</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/full-truck-alliance-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33429:1" rel="noopener">Full Truck Alliance</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vipshop-holdings-ltd-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1088:1" rel="noopener">Vipshop Holdings</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tal-education-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1124:1" rel="noopener">TAL Education</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zeekr-intelligent-technology-holding" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36785:1" rel="noopener">ZEEKR</a> are the largest China ADRs with no HK listing and could come under pressure.</li>
</ul>


We see 281 Chinese companies listed on U.S Stock Exchanges with a total market cap of US$869bn. 32 of these companies are listed on the HKEX (388 HK). 
If the rumours of Chinese stocks being delisted from U.S. Exchanges gathers steam, we could see a wave of secondary listings in Hong Kong.

PDD Holdings, Full Truck Alliance, Vipshop Holdings, TAL Education and ZEEKR are the largest China ADRs with no HK listing and could come under pressure.


What if China ADRs Are Delisted from US Exchanges?

China

Tencent Holdings Limited operates as an investment holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides Internet and mobile value-added services (VAS), online advertising, and e-commerce transactions. Tencent Holdings offers services to users worldwide.

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Tencent Holdings (ADR) (TCEHY US)

Tongcheng Travel (780 HK): Regaining Momentum, Better Choice than Trip.com

Tongcheng reports a 41.1% surge in 1Q25 adjusted net profit, driven by good cost control. More visa convenience will boost growth, and it is...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Pony AI IPO Lockup - US$4.3bn Lockup Release with Stock at 69x EV/Sales

Pony AI (PONY US) raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.

Sumeet Singh

HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: BYD (1211 HK) Could Replace China Literature (772 HK); Huge Trade

BYD could replace China Literature in the HSTECH in June. There will be FAF upweights for a few stocks. Funding outflows will be big and there will...

Brian Freitas

Wanda Hotel (169 HK) To Offload Hotel Management Arm

Wanda Hotel is selling its hotel property arm to Tencent/Trip.com-backed Tongcheng. Wanda said it will distribute all or part of the proceeds....

David Blennerhassett

What if China ADRs Are Delisted from US Exchanges?

The escalating tariff wars have increased calls in the U.S for Chinese companies to be delisted. While there have been few mentions of an...

Brian Freitas

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Tongcheng Travel (780 HK): Regaining Momentum, Better Choice than Trip.com

​Tongcheng reports a 41.1% surge in 1Q25 adjusted net profit, driven by good cost control. More visa convenience will boost growth, and it is...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Pony AI IPO Lockup - US$4.3bn Lockup Release with Stock at 69x EV/Sales

Pony AI (PONY US) raised around US$260m in its upsized US ADR listing in Nov 2024. The lockup on its pre-IPO investors is set to expire soon.

Sumeet Singh

HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: BYD (1211 HK) Could Replace China Literature (772 HK); Huge Trade

BYD could replace China Literature in the HSTECH in June. There will be FAF upweights for a few stocks. Funding outflows will be big and there will...

Brian Freitas

Wanda Hotel (169 HK) To Offload Hotel Management Arm

Wanda Hotel is selling its hotel property arm to Tencent/Trip.com-backed Tongcheng. Wanda said it will distribute all or part of the proceeds....

David Blennerhassett

What if China ADRs Are Delisted from US Exchanges?

The escalating tariff wars have increased calls in the U.S for Chinese companies to be delisted. While there have been few mentions of an...

Brian Freitas

Tongcheng reports a 41.1% surge in 1Q25 adjusted net profit, driven by good cost control. More visa convenience will boost growth, and it is...