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>PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US listed China companies.</li>
<li>The Hong Kong visit was on the back of the 26th Aug 2022 announcement by PCAOB and CSRC that they had entered into an agreement with US authorities for access.</li>
<li>In this note, we'll talk about the latest developments, possible outcomes and implications.</li>
</ul>


PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US listed China companies.
The Hong Kong visit was on the back of the 26th Aug 2022 announcement by PCAOB and CSRC that they had entered into an agreement with US authorities for access.
In this note, we'll talk about the latest developments, possible outcomes and implications.


China ADRs Delisting - Friday Could Be Judgment Day for over US$800bn Mcap of Stocks

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

Bright Smart Securities And / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bright-smart-securities-and" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20511:1" rel="noopener">Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK)</a> will benefit from Ant Financial's technology innovation capabilities, customer group, digitalisation, and cross-selling to over 640m of Alipay users.</li>
<li>With <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/futu-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27858:1" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)</a> having an average PER of 19x for 2020-2025, we use 15x for BSS after a conservative estimate of 50% earnings growth in 5 years. </li>
<li>We value BSS at HK$8.13, but this is a conservative estimate. Its earnings growth is likely to be faster than our forecast, given its better leverage on the new parent.  </li>
</ul>



Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK) will benefit from Ant Financial's technology innovation capabilities, customer group, digitalisation, and cross-selling to over 640m of Alipay users.
With Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US) having an average PER of 19x for 2020-2025, we use 15x for BSS after a conservative estimate of 50% earnings growth in 5 years. 
We value BSS at HK$8.13, but this is a conservative estimate. Its earnings growth is likely to be faster than our forecast, given its better leverage on the new parent.  


Bright Smart (1428 HK): An Attempt to Derive a Value

<ul>
<li>The offer price of HK$3.28 by Ant Financial is attractive - 2.9x P/B and 8.3x PER, both on 12-month forward basis. It is also appealing relative to peers.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bright-smart-securities-and" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20511:1" rel="noopener">Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK)</a>'s massive outperformance against the HSI showed its strong marketing and execution capabilities. Ant Financial will bring many synergies to it.  </li>
<li>Risk-Averse investors may take this opportunity to cash out, but we are on the long-term bull camp and prefer to hold for further upside. </li>
</ul>


The offer price of HK$3.28 by Ant Financial is attractive - 2.9x P/B and 8.3x PER, both on 12-month forward basis. It is also appealing relative to peers.

Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK)'s massive outperformance against the HSI showed its strong marketing and execution capabilities. Ant Financial will bring many synergies to it.  
Risk-Averse investors may take this opportunity to cash out, but we are on the long-term bull camp and prefer to hold for further upside. 


Bright Smart (1428 HK): To Sell or Not to Sell?

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Bright Smart Securities And / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bright-smart-securities-and" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20511:1" rel="noopener">Bright Smart Securities And (1428 HK)</a>'s Chairman entered a SPA with Ant Holdco to sell his 50.55% stake at HK$3.28, a 7.5% premium to the last close.</li>
<li>The SPA completion requires approval from both the NDRC and SFC. Unusually, Ant has the option of extending the long-stop date, reflecting a possibility of extra scrutiny by the regulators.</li>
<li>Under Rule 26.1 of the Code, upon completion, Ant will be required to make an unconditional mandatory cash offer at HK$3.28. The MGO price is final and a knockout offer.  </li>
</ul>



Bright Smart Securities And (1428 HK)'s Chairman entered a SPA with Ant Holdco to sell his 50.55% stake at HK$3.28, a 7.5% premium to the last close.
The SPA completion requires approval from both the NDRC and SFC. Unusually, Ant has the option of extending the long-stop date, reflecting a possibility of extra scrutiny by the regulators.
Under Rule 26.1 of the Code, upon completion, Ant will be required to make an unconditional mandatory cash offer at HK$3.28. The MGO price is final and a knockout offer.  


Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK): Ant’s Possible Unconditional MGO at HK$3.28

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

KT Capital Group

Principal investments and advisory firm that focuses on connecting the CIS countries with East Asia.

Principal investments and advisory firm

<ul>
<li>Hindenburg Research published a short-selling report accusing the company and its Chairman &amp; CEO of evading sanctions, fabricating revenue, market manipulations, etc.</li>
<li>One area that could warrant more attention is the acquisitions Freedom carried out over the past 18 months, where numerous target companies were personally invested by its Chairman &amp; CEO.</li>
<li>In Kazakhstan, it's difficult to have full visibility into these target companies’ shareholders and for whom exactly Freedom was providing liquidity.</li>
</ul>


Hindenburg Research published a short-selling report accusing the company and its Chairman &amp; CEO of evading sanctions, fabricating revenue, market manipulations, etc.
One area that could warrant more attention is the acquisitions Freedom carried out over the past 18 months, where numerous target companies were personally invested by its Chairman &amp; CEO.
In Kazakhstan, it's difficult to have full visibility into these target companies’ shareholders and for whom exactly Freedom was providing liquidity.


Freedom Holding: A Kazakh Scam Being Uncovered?

United States

UP Fintech Holding Limited operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides online securities brokerage services. Up Fintech Holding serves customers in China.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
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UP Fintech (TIGR US)

China ADRs Delisting - Friday Could Be Judgment Day for over US$800bn Mcap of Stocks

PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US...

Sumeet Singh

Bright Smart (1428 HK): An Attempt to Derive a Value

Bright Smart benefits from Ant Financial's technology and customer base, with potentially faster-than-forecast growth. At a 50% 5-year growth and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Bright Smart (1428 HK): To Sell or Not to Sell?

Ant Financial's attractive offer price of HK$3.28 for Bright Smart is appealing relative to peers, and is at a good premium to historical P/B and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK): Ant’s Possible Unconditional MGO at HK$3.28

The Chairman is selling out to Ant at a knockout price (HK$3.28). Completion will trigger an unconditional MGO. Timing is the key risk, which is...

Arun George

Freedom Holding: A Kazakh Scam Being Uncovered?

Freedom Holding has been acquiring companies that were personally invested by its Chairman & CEO. This is another area that should warrant more...

Alec Tseung

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

China ADRs Delisting - Friday Could Be Judgment Day for over US$800bn Mcap of Stocks

PCAOB officials concluded their Hong Kong visit last month and PCAOB is due to announce its annual judgment on whether it had adequate access to US...

Sumeet Singh

Bright Smart (1428 HK): An Attempt to Derive a Value

​Bright Smart benefits from Ant Financial's technology and customer base, with potentially faster-than-forecast growth. At a 50% 5-year growth and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Bright Smart (1428 HK): To Sell or Not to Sell?

​Ant Financial's attractive offer price of HK$3.28 for Bright Smart is appealing relative to peers, and is at a good premium to historical P/B and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Bright Smart Securities (1428 HK): Ant’s Possible Unconditional MGO at HK$3.28

The Chairman is selling out to Ant at a knockout price (HK$3.28). Completion will trigger an unconditional MGO. Timing is the key risk, which is...

Arun George

Freedom Holding: A Kazakh Scam Being Uncovered?

Freedom Holding has been acquiring companies that were personally invested by its Chairman & CEO. This is another area that should warrant more...

Alec Tseung

Bright Smart benefits from Ant Financial's technology and customer base, with potentially faster-than-forecast growth. At a 50% 5-year growth and...

Ant Financial's attractive offer price of HK$3.28 for Bright Smart is appealing relative to peers, and is at a good premium to historical P/B and...