Global Emerging Market Equities, Propitious Research

Wium Malan, CFA

Global Emerging Market Equities

Independent, Fundamental Quantitative Research

Propitious Research

Fully independent, fundamental and quantitative equity research, focused on companies in the Telecommunication, Media, Technology, Internet and Healthcare sectors in the Global Emerging Markets. Idea generation focused on Quality stocks, trading below their intrinsic Value, with sound Corporate Governance.

Quantitative Analysis

This insight provides the output, and an overview of our, machine learning-driven, proprietary GEM screening model, which takes a three-pronged approach to find the best medium-term long ideas within the top100 largest stocks in the MSCI GEM Index. The model is based on 1) a typical quantitative multifactor screening model, enhanced by two Artificial Intelligence Technology-based approaches using 2) a Deep Neural Network model, and 3) a Recurrent Neural Network model. This model, which has been developed and tweaked over the past 24 months (and implemented in its current state for &gt;12 months), has a solid real-world performance track record, which I set out in the detail below. Notable new entrants to the top decile this month include bottom-fishing in Chinese education through <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/new-oriental-education-tech-grp-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:531:1" rel="noopener">New Oriental Education (EDU US)</a>, Russian internet play <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yandex-nv-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:414:1" rel="noopener">Yandex (YNDX US)</a>, Brazilian beverages giant <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ambev-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24454:1" rel="noopener">Ambev SA (ABEV3 BZ)</a>, and a rebound call on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>.<table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">rank</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">Name</td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Sector</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">Location</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">prev.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tata-consultancy-svcs-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18708:1" rel="noopener">Tata Consultancy Svcs (TCS IN)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Information Technology</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">India</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shenzhou-intl-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10415:1" rel="noopener">Shenzhou Intl Group Holdings (2313 HK)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Consumer Discretionary</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">China</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">3</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/new-oriental-education-technology-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32210:1" rel="noopener">New Oriental Education &amp; Technology Group (9901 HK)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Consumer Discretionary</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">China</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">92</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yandex-nv-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:414:1" rel="noopener">Yandex (YNDX US)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Communication</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">Russian Federation</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">88</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-land-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:418:1" rel="noopener">China Resources Land (1109 HK)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Real Estate</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">China</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ambev-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24454:1" rel="noopener">Ambev SA (ABEV3 BZ)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Consumer Staples</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">Brazil</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">56</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ncsoft-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5169:1" rel="noopener">NCSOFT Corp (036570 KS)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Communication</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">Korea (South)</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">8</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Communication</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">China</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">61</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hindustan-unilever-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13828:1" rel="noopener">Hindustan Unilever (HUVR IN)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Consumer Staples</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">India</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9062px;">10</td>
<td style="width: 262.578px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/maruti-suzuki-india-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:733:1" rel="noopener">Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL IN)</a> </td>
<td style="width: 185.766px;">Consumer Discretionary</td>
<td style="width: 147.797px;">India</td>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 74.9531px;">89</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="5" style="text-align: left; width: 746px;">Source: FactSet financial data and analytics, my estimates and calculations, Tensorflow, Keras, Google Colaboratory, pandas</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>As usual, please feel free to reach out for the full output table, any questions, clarifications needed or suggestions.

This insight provides the output, and an overview of our, machine learning-driven, proprietary GEM screening model, which takes a three-pronged approach to find the best medium-term long ideas within the top100 largest stocks in the MSCI GEM Index. The model is based on 1) a typical quantitative multifactor screening model, enhanced by two Artificial Intelligence Technology-based approaches using 2) a Deep Neural Network model, and 3) a Recurrent Neural Network model. This model, which has been developed and tweaked over the past 24 months (and implemented in its current state for &gt;12 months), has a solid real-world performance track record, which I set out in the detail below. Notable new entrants to the top decile this month include bottom-fishing in Chinese education through New Oriental Education (EDU US), Russian internet play Yandex (YNDX US), Brazilian beverages giant Ambev SA (ABEV3 BZ), and a rebound call on Tencent (700 HK).









rank
Name
Sector
Location
prev.


1

Tata Consultancy Svcs (TCS IN) 
Information Technology
India
19


2

Shenzhou Intl Group Holdings (2313 HK) 
Consumer Discretionary
China
12


3

New Oriental Education &amp; Technology Group (9901 HK) 
Consumer Discretionary
China
92


4

Yandex (YNDX US) 
Communication
Russian Federation
88


5

China Resources Land (1109 HK) 
Real Estate
China
33


6

Ambev SA (ABEV3 BZ) 
Consumer Staples
Brazil
56


7

NCSOFT Corp (036570 KS) 
Communication
Korea (South)
18


8

Tencent (700 HK) 
Communication
China
61


9

Hindustan Unilever (HUVR IN) 
Consumer Staples
India
70


10

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL IN) 
Consumer Discretionary
India
89

Source: FactSet financial data and analytics, my estimates and calculations, Tensorflow, Keras, Google Colaboratory, pandas

As usual, please feel free to reach out for the full output table, any questions, clarifications needed or suggestions.

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

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 Bottom-Up

China's Xinhua news agency released a report this morning describing online gaming as spiritual opium highlighting that the youth has suffered from the addictiveness of the online game. As a result, sentiment for online gaming companies was weak  in the morning. We are of the view that the regulation on the online gaming sector has been more of less done in the past and if there's any new tightening targeting the control of play time of the youth, it will be more likely fine-tuning from the past policy guidance. Therefore the impact on online gaming companies should be manageable.

China's Xinhua news agency released a report this morning describing online gaming as spiritual opium highlighting that the youth has suffered from the addictiveness of the online game. As a result, sentiment for online gaming companies was weak  in the morning. We are of the view that the regulation on the online gaming sector has been more of less done in the past and if there's any new tightening targeting the control of play time of the youth, it will be more likely fine-tuning from the past policy guidance. Therefore the impact on online gaming companies should be manageable. 

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Equity Capital Markets

<div class="content-highlight">
On 3 August, a Chinese state media outlet (Economic Information Daily) mentioned that the online video games are like "spiritual opium." The article mentioned more curbs on the online video game industry are necessary as there are significant concerns that these games may be harming millions of people, especially the younger generation.
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/tencent-falls-after-china-media-calls-online-gaming-spiritual-opium-2021-08-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Economic Information Daily</a> stated that "No industry, no sport, can be allowed to develop in a way that will destroy a generation," likening online video games to "electronic drugs".
</div>We believe that there is an increasing probability of the Chinese government cracking down much more severely on the online/mobile gaming sector in China which could severely impact major game companies such as Krafton. We now believe that the valuation of Krafton is likely to drift towards the low-to-mid end of our valuation sensitivity analysis over the next 6 to 12 months, which would suggest implied market cap of 17.3 trillion won to 23 trillion won (344,487 won per share to 455,942 won per share). We continue to have a NEGATIVE view of the Krafton IPO.


On 3 August, a Chinese state media outlet (Economic Information Daily) mentioned that the online video games are like "spiritual opium." The article mentioned more curbs on the online video game industry are necessary as there are significant concerns that these games may be harming millions of people, especially the younger generation.
Economic Information Daily stated that "No industry, no sport, can be allowed to develop in a way that will destroy a generation," likening online video games to "electronic drugs".
We believe that there is an increasing probability of the Chinese government cracking down much more severely on the online/mobile gaming sector in China which could severely impact major game companies such as Krafton. We now believe that the valuation of Krafton is likely to drift towards the low-to-mid end of our valuation sensitivity analysis over the next 6 to 12 months, which would suggest implied market cap of 17.3 trillion won to 23 trillion won (344,487 won per share to 455,942 won per share). We continue to have a NEGATIVE view of the Krafton IPO. 

Chinese Government to Crack Down on the Online Gaming Sector? A Big Negative for the Krafton IPO

Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Japan/Asia Long-Short

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/krafton-ipo-this-should-be-pulled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(1) Krafton IPO – This Should Be Pulled | Smartkarma </a>we said:
<blockquote>
Given the increasingly aggressive moves in China to reign in tech companies we also believe that greater regulation of mobile gaming overall is not impossible. Not only is there a strong gambling element but it is not likely to be viewed as positive for productivity at a time when labour cost inflation is an increasing problem. We believe stricter curbs on mobile gaming in China are a matter of time though we do not yet have a clear idea as to when this might occur.
</blockquote>
Apparently that matter of time is <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/China-tech/Tencent-dives-after-Chinese-media-calls-gaming-spiritual-opium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looking like it will be a lot sooner than we expected</a>.

In (1) Krafton IPO – This Should Be Pulled | Smartkarma we said:

Given the increasingly aggressive moves in China to reign in tech companies we also believe that greater regulation of mobile gaming overall is not impossible. Not only is there a strong gambling element but it is not likely to be viewed as positive for productivity at a time when labour cost inflation is an increasing problem. We believe stricter curbs on mobile gaming in China are a matter of time though we do not yet have a clear idea as to when this might occur.

Apparently that matter of time is looking like it will be a lot sooner than we expected.

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, plans to raise around US$1bn in its Hong Kong IPO. The company has also obtained investments from Baidu and Alibaba, along with other investors.As of Mar 21, it had 183m online music MAUs, 24m online music services monthly paying users, 438,000 social entertainment services monthly paying users. It had over 60m music tracks, of which more than 1m were created by registered independent artists. Its daily active users on average spent 76mins daily listening to music. CVI’s revenue has grown 4.3x over FY18-20, to RMB4.9bn. There have been no signs of slowdown as its revenue increased by 102% in FY19 and was up another 111% in FY20. Both online music services and social entertainment services revenue have shown strong growth. Online music services revenue grew by 73% in 2019 and another 47.6% in 2020. Social entertainment services revenue was the largest driver of growth, as it grew by 344% in 2019 and was up another 320% in 2020. However, it remains a distant second player in the market and has yet to make a profit.We covered various aspects of the deal in our previous notes, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/cloud-village-netease-music-pre-ipo-was-in-the-slow-stream-playing-catch-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Was in the slow stream, playing catch-up ,</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/cloud-village-netease-music-pre-ipo-tencent-music-peer-comp-regulatory-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Tencent Music Peer Comp, Regulatory Impact </a>and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/cloud-village-netease-music-pre-ipo-initial-thoughts-on-valuation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Initial Thoughts on Valuation</a>.In this note, we will talk about the PHIP updates.

Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, plans to raise around US$1bn in its Hong Kong IPO. The company has also obtained investments from Baidu and Alibaba, along with other investors.As of Mar 21, it had 183m online music MAUs, 24m online music services monthly paying users, 438,000 social entertainment services monthly paying users. It had over 60m music tracks, of which more than 1m were created by registered independent artists. Its daily active users on average spent 76mins daily listening to music. CVI’s revenue has grown 4.3x over FY18-20, to RMB4.9bn. There have been no signs of slowdown as its revenue increased by 102% in FY19 and was up another 111% in FY20. Both online music services and social entertainment services revenue have shown strong growth. Online music services revenue grew by 73% in 2019 and another 47.6% in 2020. Social entertainment services revenue was the largest driver of growth, as it grew by 344% in 2019 and was up another 320% in 2020. However, it remains a distant second player in the market and has yet to make a profit.We covered various aspects of the deal in our previous notes, Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Was in the slow stream, playing catch-up , Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Tencent Music Peer Comp, Regulatory Impact and Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Initial Thoughts on Valuation.In this note, we will talk about the PHIP updates.

Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Mixed PHIP Update, Updated Thoughts on Valuation

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)

Screening for GEMs: August 2021

This insight provides an overview of our, machine learning-driven, proprietary GEM screening model, based on a Multifactor model, a Deep Neural...

Wium Malan, CFA

Tencent: Over-Reaction to Xinhua News

We analyze why the market over-react to the article published by Xinhua News Agency targeting the online gaming industry. We think Tencent is well...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Chinese Government to Crack Down on the Online Gaming Sector? A Big Negative for the Krafton IPO

There is an increasing probability of the Chinese government cracking down much more severely on the online gaming sector in China that could cause...

Douglas Kim

Krafton IPO - Didi'd by Spiritual Opium?

News laying the ground for tightened regulation on online gaming in China is hitting related stocks hard with many down 10%, but the juiciest short...

Mio Kato

Cloud Village (NetEase Music) Pre-IPO - Mixed PHIP Update, Updated Thoughts on Valuation

Cloud Village Inc. (CVI), also known as NetEase Music, plans to raise around US$1bn in its Hong Kong IPO. The company has also obtained investments...

Sumeet Singh

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