Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Australia's ASIC releases the aggregated short position data four business days after the reporting day. Data in this insight is up to 17th August, published on the 21st August.</li>
<li>The largest industry net increase in the past week was A$0.1bn into "Media/Services"; the largest industry net decrease was A$0.4bn out of "Banks". Net shorts declined A$0.7bn week-on-week.</li>
<li>Companies mentioned in this regular weekly report include: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pls-group-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7460:1" rel="noopener">PLS Group (PLS AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/woodside-energy-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13190:1" rel="noopener">Woodside Energy Group (WDS AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/car-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:701:1" rel="noopener">CAR Group (CAR AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xero-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:390:1" rel="noopener">Xero Ltd (XRO AU)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wisetech-global-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22669:1" rel="noopener">Wisetech Global (WTC AU)</a>.</li>
</ul>


Australia's ASIC releases the aggregated short position data four business days after the reporting day. Data in this insight is up to 17th August, published on the 21st August.
The largest industry net increase in the past week was A$0.1bn into "Media/Services"; the largest industry net decrease was A$0.4bn out of "Banks". Net shorts declined A$0.7bn week-on-week.
Companies mentioned in this regular weekly report include: PLS Group (PLS AU), Woodside Energy Group (WDS AU), CAR Group (CAR AU), Xero Ltd (XRO AU), and Wisetech Global (WTC AU).


Aussie Shorts [17 Aug 2026]: PLS Group, Woodside Energy, CAR Group, Xero, Wisetech Global

Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal, Shenton Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China Biotech

Shenton Research

Shenton Research is an independent Asia Pacific equity specialist. Our quantitative research covers index rebalancing flows, alongside exchange data analytics accross Asia Pacific. On the equity capital markets side, we focus on Asia Pacific ECM, especially biotech and TMT. Our lead analyst is frequently cited by international media.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyzed the changes in short interest of ASX Stocks as of Aug 14th (reported today). The aggregated short interest was USD49.4bn.</li>
<li>We tabulate league tables for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.</li>
<li>We highlight short interest changes in CSL, South32, Iress, Computershare, Coles.</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in short interest of ASX Stocks as of Aug 14th (reported today). The aggregated short interest was USD49.4bn.
We tabulate league tables for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.
We highlight short interest changes in CSL, South32, Iress, Computershare, Coles.


ASX Short Interest Weekly (Aug 14th): CSL, South32, Iress, Computershare, Coles

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.

Index Rebalance

Virgin Australia Holdings / Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Bain Capital raised around US$440m via selling some of its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/virgin-australia-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:814:1" rel="noopener">Virgin Australia (VAH AU)</a> IPO in June 2025. All of Bain’s stake could be released from escrow soon.</li>
<li>Virgin Australia (VA) is the second largest airline group operating in the Australian aviation market, with an average 32% domestic RPT capacity market share in CY24.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.</li>
</ul>


Bain Capital raised around US$440m via selling some of its stake in Virgin Australia (VAH AU) IPO in June 2025. All of Bain’s stake could be released from escrow soon.
Virgin Australia (VA) is the second largest airline group operating in the Australian aviation market, with an average 32% domestic RPT capacity market share in CY24.
In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.


Aequitas: Virgin Australia IPO Lockup - Bain Set for Full and Final US$600m Release

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) / Technical Analysis

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) (2330 TT)

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

<ul>
<li>Global equities (MSCI ACWI) continue to hold above $93 on ACWI-US, a level that, since January, we had anticipated would cap upside in 2023. </li>
<li>While ACWI-US remains below $96-$97 (a target we discussed was possible in our April 18, 2023 Int’l Macro Vision), we could easily see $93 act as support moving forward.</li>
<li>Therefore, we are bullish on global equities as long as ACWI-US is above $93, targeting $110.29. This is the measured move price target following the inverse head-and-shoulders breakout.</li>
</ul>


Global equities (MSCI ACWI) continue to hold above $93 on ACWI-US, a level that, since January, we had anticipated would cap upside in 2023. 
While ACWI-US remains below $96-$97 (a target we discussed was possible in our April 18, 2023 Int’l Macro Vision), we could easily see $93 act as support moving forward.
Therefore, we are bullish on global equities as long as ACWI-US is above $93, targeting $110.29. This is the measured move price target following the inverse head-and-shoulders breakout.


MSCI ACWI-US Bullish Above $93; EURO STOXX 50 Holding At Uptrend; Buys in Discretionary, Tech, Svcs.

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>There has been a recent surge in short interest in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sonic-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14466:1" rel="noopener">Sonic Healthcare</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/stockland" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:661:1" rel="noopener">Stockland</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/car-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:701:1" rel="noopener">CAR Group</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cochlear-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:918:1" rel="noopener">Cochlear</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/asx-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:552:1" rel="noopener">ASX</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wisetech-global-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22669:1" rel="noopener">Wisetech Global</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xero-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:390:1" rel="noopener">Xero</a>.</li>
<li>Short interest ranges from 8.7-30.8 days of ADV and from 4.4%-14.4% of free float.</li>
<li>The market is positioned for the deletion of some of these stocks from a global index in August and there will be covering against the passive flow.</li>
</ul>


There has been a recent surge in short interest in Sonic Healthcare, Stockland, CAR Group, Cochlear, ASX, Wisetech Global and Xero.
Short interest ranges from 8.7-30.8 days of ADV and from 4.4%-14.4% of free float.
The market is positioned for the deletion of some of these stocks from a global index in August and there will be covering against the passive flow.


Australia: Shorts Surging in SHL, SGP, CAR, COH, ASX, WTC, XRO

New Zealand

Xero Limited offers an online accounting system.  The software features bank transaction importing, a cashbook, a general ledger, invoicing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, financial reporting, and management of expense claims.

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Xero Ltd (XRO AU)

Aussie Shorts [17 Aug 2026]: PLS Group, Woodside Energy, CAR Group, Xero, Wisetech Global

The largest industry net increase in the past week was A$0.1bn into "Media/Services"; the largest industry net decrease was A$0.4bn out of "Banks"....

David Blennerhassett

ASX Short Interest Weekly (Aug 14th): CSL, South32, Iress, Computershare, Coles

We analyzed ASX short interest report for the past week and highlight short interest changes in CSL, South32, Iress, Computershare, Coles.

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Aequitas: Virgin Australia IPO Lockup - Bain Set for Full and Final US$600m Release

Bain Capital raised around US$440m via selling some of its stake in Virgin Australia (VAH AU) IPO in June 2025. All of Bain’s stake could be...

Sumeet Singh

MSCI ACWI-US Bullish Above $93; EURO STOXX 50 Holding At Uptrend; Buys in Discretionary, Tech, Svcs.

MSCI $ACWI Bullish Above $93, inverse head-and-shoulders breakout targets $110; EURO $STOXX 50 Holding At the Uptrend; Buys in Consumer...

Vermilion Research

Australia: Shorts Surging in SHL, SGP, CAR, COH, ASX, WTC, XRO

Short interest has been surging in some stocks as positioning increases for potential index deletions in August and September. Short interest...

Brian Freitas

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