European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unicredit-spa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21234:1" rel="noopener">UniCredit SpA (UCG IM)</a> has raised its <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/commerzbank-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21596:1" rel="noopener">Commerzbank AG (CBK GR)</a> stake to 21%; Chancellor Scholz called it "hostile takeover". UniCredit also filed to increase its stake up to 29.9%.</li>
<li>Commerzbank’s valuation multiples remain attractive, as despite a 21.3% rise in its stock, it still trades at a price-to-book ratio (P/B) of just 0.57x, compared to UniCredit’s 0.98x.</li>
<li>The conditions remain favorable for a potential premium acquisition by UniCredit, as acquiring Commerzbank makes both strategic and financial sense. Thus I recommend to buy Commerzbank speculatively.</li>
</ul>



UniCredit SpA (UCG IM) has raised its Commerzbank AG (CBK GR) stake to 21%; Chancellor Scholz called it "hostile takeover". UniCredit also filed to increase its stake up to 29.9%.
Commerzbank’s valuation multiples remain attractive, as despite a 21.3% rise in its stock, it still trades at a price-to-book ratio (P/B) of just 0.57x, compared to UniCredit’s 0.98x.
The conditions remain favorable for a potential premium acquisition by UniCredit, as acquiring Commerzbank makes both strategic and financial sense. Thus I recommend to buy Commerzbank speculatively.


US-EU Index Rebalances / Quantitative Researcher

Dimitris Ioannidis

Global Financial Data and Analytics Platform

ORTEX

ORTEX is a global financial data and analytics platform providing real-time securities lending and short interest data, index rebalance data, holdings and insider transactions, trading signals, corporate actions and news,  stock machine learning and factor scores and other analytics. The majority of the data are downloadable and accessible through APIs.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aib-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:43916:1" rel="noopener">AIB Group (AIBG IE)</a> is expected to experience an increase in free float from 75% to 80% in November 2024 due to the Irish Government reducing its stake this month.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/commerzbank-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21596:1" rel="noopener">Commerzbank AG (CBK GR)</a> is forecasted to have a ~2% points free float decrease in Global and European Indices as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unicredit-spa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21234:1" rel="noopener">UniCredit</a> bought more than what the German Government sold.</li>
<li>The UK Government continues slashing its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/natwest-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21008:1" rel="noopener">NatWest Group (NWG LN)</a> with potential further free float increases coming in November and December 2024.</li>
</ul>



AIB Group (AIBG IE) is expected to experience an increase in free float from 75% to 80% in November 2024 due to the Irish Government reducing its stake this month.

Commerzbank AG (CBK GR) is forecasted to have a ~2% points free float decrease in Global and European Indices as UniCredit bought more than what the German Government sold.
The UK Government continues slashing its stake in NatWest Group (NWG LN) with potential further free float increases coming in November and December 2024.


European Governments' Bank Sell-Off: Boosting Confidence and Occasionally Free Float

Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Unicredit, with its solid capital adequacy and improved credit quality metrics, is well positioned to deliver on capital distribution, despite the Russian challenges</li>
<li>We estimate that, even on a relatively conservative basis, capital distribution yield could reach 12% in 2022 and also be at the top end of the peer group post-2022</li>
<li>Unicredit has often been in the shadow of Intesa in capital distribution, but we believe that consensus estimates are currently under-estimating the potential for dividends and share buy-backs at Unicredit</li>
</ul>


Unicredit, with its solid capital adequacy and improved credit quality metrics, is well positioned to deliver on capital distribution, despite the Russian challenges
We estimate that, even on a relatively conservative basis, capital distribution yield could reach 12% in 2022 and also be at the top end of the peer group post-2022
Unicredit has often been in the shadow of Intesa in capital distribution, but we believe that consensus estimates are currently under-estimating the potential for dividends and share buy-backs at Unicredit


Unicredit (UCG IM) – Attractive on Capital Distribution Potential Despite Russia

<ul>
<li>Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations</li>
<li>Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX</li>
<li>In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers</li>
</ul>


Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations
Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX
In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers


2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Executive Summary: A liquidity driven melt-up combined with month-end rebalancing to drive bank credit spread performance over the last week. Remove the month-end rebalancing and short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm payroll numbers. The short end of the rates market continued to push investors up the curve to generate returns. Awash with still rising liquidity, this melt-up was the key driver of credit spread outperformance.Risk asset volatility and talking about, talking about, talking about tapering had little lasting impact on US interest rates over the last few weeks. In fact, rate curve flattening, and falling forward breakeven rates, suggest that the interest rate market may buy the Fed’s assessment of inflation as being transitory.While the transitory mantra is believed, whispers of supply driven growth constraints are being mentioned. This would be interest rate and credit spread positive as it would extend the duration of the recovery and thereby delay late-stage economic cycle repositioning. Although not consensus, this thought is disconcerting, as it suggests the rising rates consensus is very wrong.Therefore, the risk is clearly that the rates market is underpricing the potential for an extended period of higher than anticipated inflation. However, holding cash is expensive. Moving too early to position for higher or longer than anticipated inflation may be career ending. Extending duration to take advantage of declining rates is considered insane. Carry trades remain unloved. Ergo, the silent self-doubtful suffering of the rate and credit markets. Security selection based on fundamental analysis, in so much as one avoids unexpected spread widening, may be the differentiator for outsized total returns over the next few weeks.  We elaborate on these themes within.Market Outlook: The question is whether the over-heating narrative will make a comeback and bring rate and tapering expectations closer. Financial stability risks appear binary from here. Either the Fed is over-accommodative, and it sits on its hands too long while asset bubbles over-inflate so that it gets nasty when it moves, or the Fed gets impatient, and it lowers accommodation unexpectedly which creates a risk off reaction. In both cases, curves flatten in a risk-off environment. We suspect the former is more likely, and for now, the Fed remains the bartender rather than the bouncer.

Executive Summary: A liquidity driven melt-up combined with month-end rebalancing to drive bank credit spread performance over the last week. Remove the month-end rebalancing and short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm payroll numbers. The short end of the rates market continued to push investors up the curve to generate returns. Awash with still rising liquidity, this melt-up was the key driver of credit spread outperformance.Risk asset volatility and talking about, talking about, talking about tapering had little lasting impact on US interest rates over the last few weeks. In fact, rate curve flattening, and falling forward breakeven rates, suggest that the interest rate market may buy the Fed’s assessment of inflation as being transitory.While the transitory mantra is believed, whispers of supply driven growth constraints are being mentioned. This would be interest rate and credit spread positive as it would extend the duration of the recovery and thereby delay late-stage economic cycle repositioning. Although not consensus, this thought is disconcerting, as it suggests the rising rates consensus is very wrong.Therefore, the risk is clearly that the rates market is underpricing the potential for an extended period of higher than anticipated inflation. However, holding cash is expensive. Moving too early to position for higher or longer than anticipated inflation may be career ending. Extending duration to take advantage of declining rates is considered insane. Carry trades remain unloved. Ergo, the silent self-doubtful suffering of the rate and credit markets. Security selection based on fundamental analysis, in so much as one avoids unexpected spread widening, may be the differentiator for outsized total returns over the next few weeks.  We elaborate on these themes within.Market Outlook: The question is whether the over-heating narrative will make a comeback and bring rate and tapering expectations closer. Financial stability risks appear binary from here. Either the Fed is over-accommodative, and it sits on its hands too long while asset bubbles over-inflate so that it gets nasty when it moves, or the Fed gets impatient, and it lowers accommodation unexpectedly which creates a risk off reaction. In both cases, curves flatten in a risk-off environment. We suspect the former is more likely, and for now, the Fed remains the bartender rather than the bouncer.

Bank Credit Weekly: Month-End Rebalancing Takes Risk-Off Before Take-Off

Italy

UniCredit is a pan-European commercial bank offering diverse financial services, including retail and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management. It provides solutions such as current accounts, loans, credit cards, advisory, and asset management. The company is headquartered in Milan, Italy, and traces its corporate identity back to its founding in 1870 as Banca di Genova, with the current entity formed in 1998 through a merger.

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UniCredit (UCG IM)

Unicredit Is Moving Fast

UniCredit raises stake in Commerzbank to 21%. Commerzbank remains undervalued with attractive multiples, making it a potential target for...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

European Governments' Bank Sell-Off: Boosting Confidence and Occasionally Free Float

European governments are reducing stakes in AIB Group, Commerzbank AG, and NatWest, and triggering changes in free float percentages for European...

Dimitris Ioannidis

Unicredit (UCG IM) – Attractive on Capital Distribution Potential Despite Russia

Unicredit is the worst performing of our Southern Europe banks in YTD terms. But we now see a more compelling story in risk-reward terms, despite...

Victor Galliano

2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Our 2022 high conviction ideas include buys on Sberbank, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank, as well as BBVA, Banco BPM, B3, SGX, Mastercard and...

Victor Galliano

Bank Credit Weekly: Month-End Rebalancing Takes Risk-Off Before Take-Off

Short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm...

Hank Calenti, CFA

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

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Unicredit Is Moving Fast

​UniCredit raises stake in Commerzbank to 21%. Commerzbank remains undervalued with attractive multiples, making it a potential target for...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

European Governments' Bank Sell-Off: Boosting Confidence and Occasionally Free Float

​European governments are reducing stakes in AIB Group, Commerzbank AG, and NatWest, and triggering changes in free float percentages for European...

Dimitris Ioannidis

Unicredit (UCG IM) – Attractive on Capital Distribution Potential Despite Russia

Unicredit is the worst performing of our Southern Europe banks in YTD terms. But we now see a more compelling story in risk-reward terms, despite...

Victor Galliano

2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Our 2022 high conviction ideas include buys on Sberbank, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank, as well as BBVA, Banco BPM, B3, SGX, Mastercard and...

Victor Galliano

Bank Credit Weekly: Month-End Rebalancing Takes Risk-Off Before Take-Off

Short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm...

Hank Calenti, CFA

UniCredit raises stake in Commerzbank to 21%. Commerzbank remains undervalued with attractive multiples, making it a potential target for...

European governments are reducing stakes in AIB Group, Commerzbank AG, and NatWest, and triggering changes in free float percentages for European...