All Posts By

Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief India: Bharti Hexacom and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bear Case


Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bear Case

By Arun George

  • Bharti Hexacom (6597372Z IN), a 70% owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel (BHARTI IN), aims to raise up to US$513 million at an IPO price range of Rs542-570 per share.
  • In Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bull Case, we highlighted the key elements of the bull case. In this note, we outline the bear case.
  • The bear case rests on low geographic diversification, slowing growth, share overhang from TCIL’s desire to exit fully, mid-tier revenue growth and EBITDA margin. 

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Japan: Roland DG Corp, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Look Holdings Incorporated and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Roland DG (6789 JP): Taiyo Hoping for the Best as Brother Plays the Waiting Game
  • Shareholder Returns Should Be Examined on a Cash Basis, Not on a Net Profit Basis
  • Look HD Bullish on Fashion Imports and Exports


Roland DG (6789 JP): Taiyo Hoping for the Best as Brother Plays the Waiting Game

By Arun George

  • In response to Roland DG Corp (6789 JP) request, on 22 March, Taiyo said it was considering a revised offer. However, Taiyo has since remained silent. 
  • Despite discussions with Brother Industries (6448 JP), the Board have not been able to eliminate dis-synergies concerns. The Board has left the decision to accept the Taiyo offer to shareholders.
  • While the Board is trying to dissuade Brother, Brother will take its offer directly to shareholders if the Taiyo offer fails. Taiyo’s behaviour suggests a reluctance to bump. 

Shareholder Returns Should Be Examined on a Cash Basis, Not on a Net Profit Basis

By Aki Matsumoto

  • The pace of share repurchases in 2023 (+1.4%, YoY) is not sufficient compared to the increase in corporate profits, and there is much room for reconsideration of cash allocations.
  • In Japan, where many manufacturers keep CapEx within the depreciation, it’s more important to verify whether shareholder return is appropriate on a cash basis rather than a net income basis.
  • Companies that fail to formulate measures to generate ROE that exceeds the cost of capital in accordance with TSE requests are not able to achieve an appropriate cash allocation.

Look HD Bullish on Fashion Imports and Exports

By Michael Causton

  • It has been a tough few years for premium fashion importers. 
  • Decimated sales during Covid were followed by a sharp depreciation in the Yen that has forced a hike in prices and/or a squeeze on profits.
  • Look has found some solutions, adding new brands while exploring new markets and expects significant upside in revenues and profits.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Private Markets: PINTAR Gets US$3M in Pre-Series A Funding Round to Help Workers Get Out of the Middle Income Trap and more

By | Daily Briefs, Private Markets

In today’s briefing:

  • PINTAR Gets US$3M in Pre-Series A Funding Round to Help Workers Get Out of the Middle Income Trap


PINTAR Gets US$3M in Pre-Series A Funding Round to Help Workers Get Out of the Middle Income Trap

By e27

  • Indonesian edutech platform PINTAR announced that it has raised US$3 million in Pre-Series A funding led by Havez Capital with the participation of SIG Venture Capital.
  • In a press statement, the startup said that the funding marks a new chapter for PINTAR in achieving its mission of helping Indonesian workers to upskill and get out of the middle-income trap with the help of technology.
  • Starting in 2013 under the HarukaEdu and Pintaria brands, PINTAR offers various online education programmes for college and university levels, enterprise training programmes for employees, boot camp certification and masterclasses.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief ESG: Shareholder Returns Should Be Examined on a Cash Basis and more

By | Daily Briefs, ESG

In today’s briefing:

  • Shareholder Returns Should Be Examined on a Cash Basis, Not on a Net Profit Basis


Shareholder Returns Should Be Examined on a Cash Basis, Not on a Net Profit Basis

By Aki Matsumoto

  • The pace of share repurchases in 2023 (+1.4%, YoY) is not sufficient compared to the increase in corporate profits, and there is much room for reconsideration of cash allocations.
  • In Japan, where many manufacturers keep CapEx within the depreciation, it’s more important to verify whether shareholder return is appropriate on a cash basis rather than a net income basis.
  • Companies that fail to formulate measures to generate ROE that exceeds the cost of capital in accordance with TSE requests are not able to achieve an appropriate cash allocation.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Technical Analysis: Downgrading Real Estate to Underweight; Bullish Outlook Intact; Broadening Participation and more

By | Daily Briefs, Technical Analysis

In today’s briefing:

  • Downgrading Real Estate to Underweight; Bullish Outlook Intact; Broadening Participation


Downgrading Real Estate to Underweight; Bullish Outlook Intact; Broadening Participation

By Joe Jasper

  • Our bullish outlook initiated on November 7, 2023 remains intact; this intermediate-to-long-term outlook is likely to stay in place as long as 4800 support holds on the SPX (7-10% downside).
  • To be clear, we aren’t calling for a pullback to 4800; we view it as a worst-case scenario for the S&P 500, and we want to be prepared for anything.
  • Shorter-Term, we remain bullish on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) as they both refuse to close below their 20-day MAs for more than 2-3 consecutive days.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | Nvidia Loses Steam and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | Nvidia Loses Steam
  • SC on Standardisation Rate for Medical Procedures: Likely Impact on Listed Hospital Players
  • Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor – NWeek Ended March 22, 2024


Ohayo Japan | Nvidia Loses Steam

By Mark Chadwick

  • The S&P 500 closed lower for the third consecutive session. Consumer confidence slips to lowest level since November
  • Meiji’s chocolate-themed “Mushroom Mountain” earphones vanished in 10 minutes, leaving fans craving more of the sweet sound experience.
  • Kirin’s “Sunny Wind” beer blows in with a refreshing taste and a breeze of tradition preservation.

SC on Standardisation Rate for Medical Procedures: Likely Impact on Listed Hospital Players

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • Supreme Court’s warning to enforce CGHS rates on private hospitals sparks market concerns, leading to a significant correction in hospital company stock prices.
  • Failure to standardize hospital pricing raises questions about patient affordability, quality of healthcare, and financial viability of private hospitals, impacting investors and healthcare consumers alike.
  • Explore the complexities of healthcare regulation, implications for hospital companies, and potential investment opportunities amid the evolving landscape of standardized medical treatment costs.

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor – NWeek Ended March 22, 2024

By Water Tower Research

  • The WTR Sustainable Index was down by 1.1% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (up 2.3%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 1.6%), and the Nasdaq Index (up 3.0%).
  • Energy Technology (12.5% of the index) was up by 1.5%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (55.5% of the index) was up by 1.4%, ClimateTech Mining was down 3.0% and Advanced Transportation Solutions (24.2% of index) was down 8.1%.
  • Top 10 Performers: GOEV, AMTX, ZEV, LICY, LIDR, EVTV, FFIE, KULR, MVST, NEOV

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief ECM: Globalwafers GDR Offering – Coming to Market Earlier than Anticipated and more

By | Daily Briefs, ECM

In today’s briefing:

  • Globalwafers GDR Offering – Coming to Market Earlier than Anticipated
  • Shinhan Financial Group Placement – Another Selldown, Momentum Is Strong but Deal Is Large
  • Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bear Case
  • Pre-IPO Zhejiang Taimei Medical Technology – Be Cautious About the “valuation Bubble”
  • MIXUE/ChaPanda/Good Me/Auntea Pre-IPO – Updated Peer Comparison


Globalwafers GDR Offering – Coming to Market Earlier than Anticipated

By Ethan Aw

  • Globalwafers (6488 TT) is looking to raise up to US$681m in its GDR offering. The proceeds will be used to purchase raw materials overseas.
  • The deal is a somewhat large one to digest at 20.2 days of three month ADV and the proceeds will be used to purchase raw materials overseas. 
  • In this note, we run the deal through our ECM framework and comment on deal dynamics.

Shinhan Financial Group Placement – Another Selldown, Momentum Is Strong but Deal Is Large

By Sumeet Singh

  • BNP Paribas (BNP FP) is looking to raise around US$680m via selling 3.5% of its stake in Shinhan Financial (055550 KS).
  • This will be the fourth selldown for the stock since the start of the year. It will also be the largest one of the lot, so far.
  • In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.

Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bear Case

By Arun George

  • Bharti Hexacom (6597372Z IN), a 70% owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel (BHARTI IN), aims to raise up to US$513 million at an IPO price range of Rs542-570 per share.
  • In Bharti Hexacom IPO: The Bull Case, we highlighted the key elements of the bull case. In this note, we outline the bear case.
  • The bear case rests on low geographic diversification, slowing growth, share overhang from TCIL’s desire to exit fully, mid-tier revenue growth and EBITDA margin. 

Pre-IPO Zhejiang Taimei Medical Technology – Be Cautious About the “valuation Bubble”

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Taimei has transformed from a classic SaaS model to an industrial Internet platform, with value-added digital services as main source of revenue.However, this may not necessarily bring better financial performance.
  • Considering declining revenue growth/gross margin, as well as constantly increasing customer acquisition cost, it’s highly uncertain whether Taimei can successfully turn losses into profits in 2025 as expected by management.
  • The significant valuation changes in Series E/E+/F Financing attracted the attention of Shanghai Stock Exchange.Taimei is actually not confident in its future performance. Its valuation could be lower than Yidu.

MIXUE/ChaPanda/Good Me/Auntea Pre-IPO – Updated Peer Comparison

By Sumeet Singh

  • Mixue Group is looking to raise about US$1bn in its Hong Kong IPO, while Sichuan Baicha  (ChaPanda), Guming (Good me) and Auntea are said to be looking to raise around US$300m.
  • All four are primarily focussed on providing freshly-made drinks, including freshly-made fruit drinks, and tea, with some selling ice cream, coffee, baked goods and ready to drink beverages as well.
  • We undertook a peer comparison in Feb 2024. In this note, we add Auntea to the mix and include the latest financials for ChaPanda.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Event-Driven: Roland DG (6789 JP): Taiyo Hoping for the Best as Brother Plays the Waiting Game and more

By | Daily Briefs, Event-Driven

In today’s briefing:

  • Roland DG (6789 JP): Taiyo Hoping for the Best as Brother Plays the Waiting Game
  • Block Deal Sale of 3.6% Stake in Shinhan Financial by BNP Paribas
  • HanaTour Management Sale: Minority Shareholder Tender Offer & Price Premium Assessment
  • CIMC Vehicles (1839 HK): Vote on 18 April as Uncertainty Lingers on the 90% Acceptance Threshold
  • Hanmi Science: NPS Sides With Mother (Chairwoman) And Daughter
  • Hana Tour Service: Major Shareholders Including IMM PE Likely to Sell Their Shares
  • EQD | S&P/ASX200 Pullback In Sight (This Week or the Next)
  • Quiddity Leaderboard F100/​​​250 Jun 24: LONG OCN – SHORT FSJ Could Be Interesting
  • Preference for Deleveraging, Model Update
  • W-Scope IPO Lock-Up – Part of the Parent’s Stake Will Be Freed, but It’s Been Adding Instead


Roland DG (6789 JP): Taiyo Hoping for the Best as Brother Plays the Waiting Game

By Arun George

  • In response to Roland DG Corp (6789 JP) request, on 22 March, Taiyo said it was considering a revised offer. However, Taiyo has since remained silent. 
  • Despite discussions with Brother Industries (6448 JP), the Board have not been able to eliminate dis-synergies concerns. The Board has left the decision to accept the Taiyo offer to shareholders.
  • While the Board is trying to dissuade Brother, Brother will take its offer directly to shareholders if the Taiyo offer fails. Taiyo’s behaviour suggests a reluctance to bump. 

Block Deal Sale of 3.6% Stake in Shinhan Financial by BNP Paribas

By Douglas Kim

  • After the market close on 26 March, it was announced that BNP Paribas plans to sell its 3.6% stake in Shinhan Financial in a block deal sale 18.7 million shares). 
  • The block deal sale is estimated to be about 900 billion won, which would represent one of the largest block deal sales in Korea in the past several years.
  • We have a Negative view on the Shinhan Financial Group block deal and we would not subscribe to it due to three major reasons. 

HanaTour Management Sale: Minority Shareholder Tender Offer & Price Premium Assessment

By Sanghyun Park

  • HanaTour seeks new ownership after 4 years under IMM PE. Despite COVID-19 setbacks, successful restructuring attracts attention from online travel and investment giants.
  • Market rumors hint at Yanolja and Hotels.com interest, possibly intensifying acquisition competition, leading to a higher price premium. IMM’s 16.68% stake may value at ₩250B, a 35% premium.
  • Last year’s mandatory tender offer for 50%+1 share awaits legislation. Unlikely to affect HanaTour sale. Nonetheless, potential acquirers may buy additional shares, suggesting further premium formation in share price.

CIMC Vehicles (1839 HK): Vote on 18 April as Uncertainty Lingers on the 90% Acceptance Threshold

By Arun George

  • CIMC Vehicle Group Co Ltd (1839 HK) has despatched the offer document, and the H Share HK$7.50 offer is open. The H Shareholders class vote is on 18 April.  
  • The key condition is approval by at least 75% of independent H Shareholders (<10% of all independent H Shareholders rejection) along with a 90% minimum acceptance condition.  
  • The de-rating of peers and ongoing US investigation favours meeting the 90% threshold. However, the dire minority AGM/EGM participation rates suggest that retail apathy may derail the offer. 

Hanmi Science: NPS Sides With Mother (Chairwoman) And Daughter

By Douglas Kim

  • After the market close on 26 March, it was reported that NPS has decided it will side with Chairwoman Young-Sook Song (mother) and her daughter Ju-Hyun Lim. 
  • As a result, Chairwoman Young-Sook Song (mother) and Ju-Hyun Lim have secured 40.86% of the shares, which is slightly higher than the ownership of her two sons (38.4%). 
  • In the near term, this battle for the control of the company could have a positive impact on Hanmi Science’s share price. 

Hana Tour Service: Major Shareholders Including IMM PE Likely to Sell Their Shares

By Douglas Kim

  • Hana Tour Service (039130 KS), the number one travel platform in Korea,  announced that IMM PE (controlling shareholder of the company) is planning to sell its controlling stake. 
  • The total stake in the company that is up for sale could rise to 27.78%, including stakes held by Hana Tour founder Park Sang-hwan and co-founder Kwon Hee-seok. 
  • Potential buyers of the controlling stake in Hana Tour include Yanolja, Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Trip.com.

EQD | S&P/ASX200 Pullback In Sight (This Week or the Next)

By Nico Rosti

  • The S&P/ASX 200 Index has reached a specific resistance level that often precedes a short-term pullback, when this pattern is encountered.
  • The pullback may happen next week, but this week is also a potential candidate since the 2nd week up is usually pretty weak when this pattern is encountered.
  • Hold your LONG positions and cover them to hedge. Going SHORT is probably best at the end of the week, on Friday, if the week is closing up.

Quiddity Leaderboard F100/​​​250 Jun 24: LONG OCN – SHORT FSJ Could Be Interesting

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes for F100 and F250 in the run-up to the June 2024 index rebal event.
  • There could be up to three intra-review changes for the F250 index during the next two months.
  • Separately, there could be one change for F100 and two changes for F250 during the regular rebalance in June 2024.

Preference for Deleveraging, Model Update

By Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

  • Net debt improved by around €1 billion to c. €5.8 billion. Prioritising deleveraging and allocations to new venture investments over dividends seem to have a negative impact on valuation.
  • Porsche SE is viewed as a holding company of Volkswagen Group, which should warrant a discount of 15%-25% on the stock, instead of the massive 44.6% discount to NAV.
  • Assuming a typical company holding discount of 15-25% range, the current share price indicates Porsche SE is liable for the whole c. €6.5 billion legal claims.

W-Scope IPO Lock-Up – Part of the Parent’s Stake Will Be Freed, but It’s Been Adding Instead

By Sumeet Singh

  • WCP raised around US$314m via selling a mix of primary and secondary shares in its Korean IPO. The lockup on some of its parent’s stake will expire soon.
  • WCP designs, manufactures, and sells separators, which are one of the four core materials for secondary Lithium-ion batteries.
  • In this note, we will talk about the lock-up dynamics and updates since our last note.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Credit: Greentown China – Earnings Flash – FY 2023 Results – Lucror Analytics and more

By | Credit, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Greentown China – Earnings Flash – FY 2023 Results – Lucror Analytics
  • Morning Views Asia: MGM China Holdings, Pakuwon Jati


Greentown China – Earnings Flash – FY 2023 Results – Lucror Analytics

By Leonard Law, CFA

Greentown China’s FY 2023 performance was satisfactory in our view, given the above-industry sales, stable top line and acceptable (albeit reduced) gross margin. Importantly, its access to onshore financing appears healthy and liquidity is adequate. In addition, the company remains active in land acquisitions and has a good quality land bank, mostly in high-tier cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

That said, leverage remained somewhat weak. Moreover, Greentown is more exposed to a prolonged industry downturn (vs. peers such as Longfor Group and China Vanke), due to its low recurring income and outsized exposure to the property development segment. This means that the company’s contracted sales and margins are likely to remain soft despite outperforming the industry. In the meantime, Greentown will likely focus on improving operating efficiency by maintaining a high sell-through rate and fast churn for its projects.

We revise our fundamental Credit Bias to “Negative” from “Stable”, and move our trade recommendation on the GRNCH 5.95 ’24s to “Buy” from “Hold” .


Morning Views Asia: MGM China Holdings, Pakuwon Jati

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars



Daily Brief Equity Bottom-Up: BYD (1211 HK): Strong Revenue in 2023 and to Change Strategy in 2024 and more

By | Daily Briefs, Equity Bottom-Up

In today’s briefing:

  • BYD (1211 HK): Strong Revenue in 2023 and to Change Strategy in 2024
  • Micron’s Earnings and Broadcom’s Accelerators
  • Anta Sports (2020 HK):  2024 High Conviction Update – Earnings Beat In 2H23
  • [Tencent (700 HK, BUY, TP HK$351) TP Change]: Improvement of Earning Quality Should Be Sustainable
  • Bukalapak.com (BUKA IJ) – On the Cusp of Breakeven
  • Delta Taiwan Vs. Thailand Monitor: Delta Taiwan Surges As New AI Play; But Shorts Amassing as Well
  • BABA’s Babies: They Are All Grown Up! Ali Pictures: A Blockbuster Company
  • Sinotrans (598. HK) Continues to Deliver
  • Novo Nordisk: Is the FDA Approval of Wegovy Worth an Extra $460 Bn?
  • [Meituan (3690 HK, SELL, TP HK$70) TP Change]: Margin Reflects Persistent Competitive Pressure


BYD (1211 HK): Strong Revenue in 2023 and to Change Strategy in 2024

By Ming Lu

  • Total revenue increase by 42% and automobile revenue increased by 49% in 2023.
  • The gross margin improved significantly in 2023, especially in 4Q23.
  • We believe BYD will move its focus from ‘low price for sales volume’ to ‘development of new vehicle models’.

Micron’s Earnings and Broadcom’s Accelerators

By Douglas O’Laughlin

  • I wrote about this in my recent post about HBM, and it seems almost everything I talked about became true. HBM is going to bail out the memory markets meaningfully.
  • Let’s talk about earnings, but I was hoping you could keep this post in mind while I discuss Micron.
  • These are the kinds of beats we start to see when the cycle turns. Now, the stocks have begun to anticipate this, but given the pricing dynamics of HBM, I feel very confident in Micron’s ability to hit a new cycle high in profitability.


Anta Sports (2020 HK):  2024 High Conviction Update – Earnings Beat In 2H23

By Steve Zhou, CFA

  • At noon time today, Anta Sports Products (2020 HK) released strong 2023 results which beat expectations. 
  • Anta currently trades at a forward PE of 18x based on estimated 2024 earnings (assuming a conservative 15% yoy growth in 2024 earnings). 
  • I expect the company’s net profit to grow 15-20% CAGR in 2024-2026.  Anta’s historical forward PE is around 24x since 2017. 

[Tencent (700 HK, BUY, TP HK$351) TP Change]: Improvement of Earning Quality Should Be Sustainable

By Ying Pan

  • Tencent reported C4Q23 revenue, IFRS operating profit, and non-IFRS net income in-line with our estimates and in-line with consensus, with non-game revenues exceeding while game revenue missing expectations;
  • We believe the shift from game to non-game should enhance Tencent multiples but the market might have concerns on the sustainability of this change. 
  • We believe this change is sustainable with game revenue reaccelerating and non-game revenue continues to gain weight. We cut TP by 3% to reflect slow game recovery in C1H24.

Bukalapak.com (BUKA IJ) – On the Cusp of Breakeven

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Bukalapak.com (BUKA IJ) booked a slightly weaker finish to the year than expected with a slowdown in revenue growth in 4Q2023 and a miss on adjusted EBITDA breakeven.
  • The key reason was a thinning out of non-performing specialty businesses which impacted short-term revenues but will improve revenues and adjusted EBITDA. as the focus shifts to higher take-rate businesses.
  • Bukalapak.com PT Tbk (BUKA IJ) is guiding for +15-20% revenue growth and positive adjusted EBITDA in 2024 with execution on this being paramount. Valuations remain attractive.

Delta Taiwan Vs. Thailand Monitor: Delta Taiwan Surges As New AI Play; But Shorts Amassing as Well

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • Delta Taiwan Outperforms Delta Thailand After Showcasing Its AI Power Efficiency Solutions at NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US)’s GTC Conference 
  • Delta Taiwan vs. Thailand Valuation Mismatch Has Corrected Further; Delta Thailand Finally Worth Less Than Its Parent
  • Short Interest Spiked for Delta Taiwan; Taiwan Rally Short-Term Overdone Due to AI Concept Stock Hype?

BABA’s Babies: They Are All Grown Up! Ali Pictures: A Blockbuster Company

By David Mudd

  • Alibaba Pictures (1060 HK) is expanding rapidly into complimentary areas such as online ticketing of cinema and live events with the recent acquisition of  Damai.cn from parent Alibaba.
  • Alibaba Group Holding (9988 HK) is considering injecting other media platform assets like Youku  to realize synergies among its portfolio of companies.
  • Ali Pictures (Alipics) legacy film production business continues to expand globally with its American film production company, Amblin which is a partnership with Steven Spielberg.

Sinotrans (598. HK) Continues to Deliver

By Rikki Malik

  • Cost and business optimisations lead to increased profits as revenues drop due to freight rate declines
  • Successfully pivoting by geography as the global trading environment changes
  • The company increases its dividend payout in a sign of confidence for the future

Novo Nordisk: Is the FDA Approval of Wegovy Worth an Extra $460 Bn?

By Avien Pillay

  • FDA approval of Wegovy is overvalued at approx. $460 billion. Market exaggerated the worth without proper assessment of weight loss results and risks associated with the drug.
  • Clinical trials showed a 14.9% weight loss with diet and exercise; real-world results would be lower. Impact on BMI for obese individuals won’t be significant. Long-term use is questionable.
  • Competition in the GLP-1 market is fierce. Novo Nordisk faces challenges in India and China, increased capex spending, and risks from compounding pharmacies and potential legal issues.

[Meituan (3690 HK, SELL, TP HK$70) TP Change]: Margin Reflects Persistent Competitive Pressure

By Ying Pan

  • Meituan reported C4Q23 revenue beat our estimate/consensus by 0.7%/1.4%; operating profit beat our estimate/consensus by 37.3%/48.6%, mainly due to order volume surprise, which is unsustainable in our view.
  • However, we think Meituan’s near term pressures did not change: (1) core biz OPM drop due to rising low-price orders and subsidies; (2) resuming competition from Eleme/Douyin/PDD
  • We maintain the stock as SELL rating but raise TP by HK$13 to HK$70 to factor in the loss cutting commitment in the community group buying biz.

💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars