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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Most Read: Brilliance China Automotive, SBI Shinsei Bank, Jinko Solar, Adani Enterprises, Acotec Scientific Holdings, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Futu Holdings Ltd, Halcyon Agri, Li Auto, Warrego Energy and more

By | Daily Briefs, Most Read

In today’s briefing:

  • HSCI Index Rebalance Preview and Stock Connect: A Lot of Change
  • 2023 High Conviction – SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) – Still Reading Between the Lines
  • CSI300 Index Rebalance Preview: Early Look at Potential Changes in June
  • SENSEX Index Rebalance Preview: Adani Enterprises Could Replace Wipro
  • Acotec (6669 HK): Boston Scientific’s Partial Offer Open For Tendering
  • What Is NPS Buying & Selling?
  • Futu Holdings: Cross-Border Broking In Crosshairs
  • Halcyon Agri (HACL SP) MGO: SPA Effective, Next Is Satisfaction of Conditions Precedent
  • HSI Index Rebalance Preview: Better Late Than Never?
  • Warrego (WGO AU): Has MinRes Gatecrashed the Party?

HSCI Index Rebalance Preview and Stock Connect: A Lot of Change

By Brian Freitas

  • We see 44 potential adds (including plenty of new listings) and 19 potential deletes (on market cap, liquidity and suspension) for the Hang Seng Composite Index in March.
  • We expect 37 stocks to be added to Southbound Stock Connect following the rebalance while 37 stocks could be deleted from the trading link and become Sell-only. 
  • There are stocks that have a very high percentage of holdings via Stock Connect and there could be some unwinding prior to the stocks becoming Sell-only.

2023 High Conviction – SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) – Still Reading Between the Lines

By Travis Lundy


CSI300 Index Rebalance Preview: Early Look at Potential Changes in June

By Brian Freitas

  • Two thirds of the way through the review period, we see 15 potential index changes at the June rebalance that will be implemented at the close on 9 June.
  • We estimate a one-way turnover of 2.35% at the June rebalance leading to a one-way trade of CNY 5.57bn.
  • The potential adds have outperformed the potential deletes and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 Index (SHSZ300 INDEX) over the last six months, though there is some near-term deterioration.

SENSEX Index Rebalance Preview: Adani Enterprises Could Replace Wipro

By Brian Freitas

  • A third of the way through the review period of the June rebalance, we see one potential index change with Adani Enterprises (ADE IN) replacing Wipro Ltd (WPRO IN)
  • Adani Enterprises (ADE IN) could move lower in the short-term due to the public issue of shares but should find support from passive buying from local and global index trackers.
  • Wipro Ltd (WPRO IN) has underperformed most of its peers by a wide margin over the last year and the passive selling could provide an entry point.

Acotec (6669 HK): Boston Scientific’s Partial Offer Open For Tendering

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 12 December, Acotec Scientific (6669 HK) announced a HK$20/share partial Offer from Boston Scientific, a 31.6% premium to last close, but below August 2021’s IPO price of HK$23.80/share.  
  • Boston Scientific will acquire at least 156.7mn shares (50.01%), up to 203.7mn (65%). Irrevocables total 60.14%, comprising shares held by CA Medtech/CPE Investment, Jing Li (chairman, CEO), and Bliss Way.
  • The Composite Doc is now out and the Offer is open for acceptances. This Offer is done. The key question is the final proration. 

What Is NPS Buying & Selling?

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss a list of 60 stocks in Korea where NPS recently added or reduced 1% or more stake (27 adds and 33 reduce). 
  • Among the stocks NPS increased its stake, many of them are clear beneficiaries of the end of zero COVID policies in China including Hotel Shilla, Amorepacific Corp, and GKL. 
  • Among the top market cap stocks where the NPS decreased its stake by 1% or more, they include Lg Innotek, Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Mipo, and Posco International. 

Futu Holdings: Cross-Border Broking In Crosshairs

By David Blennerhassett

  • Just one day ahead of its dual primary listing in Hong Kong, Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US) postponed its Listing by Introduction. 
  • According to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Futu has been illegally operating cross-border securities trading without approval.
  • Suitably, the share prices of Futu and UP Fintech (TIGR US), another online brokerage forced to quit accepting new onshore investors. It’s probably too premature to buy the dip.

Halcyon Agri (HACL SP) MGO: SPA Effective, Next Is Satisfaction of Conditions Precedent

By Arun George

  • The SPA for China Hainan Rubber Industry (601118 CH) to acquire 36.00% of Halcyon Agri (HACL SP)’s outstanding shares from Sinochem International Corporation A (600500 CH) at US$0.315 is effective. 
  • Conditions precedent which relate to Chinese regulatory approvals should be satisfied shortly. Completion will trigger an MGO at US$0.315 or S$0.423 (US$/S$ rate fixed on the closing date). 
  • The MGO has a 50%+ minimum acceptance condition which requires around 40% of minorities acceptance rate. We think that this is achievable as the offer is attractive. 

HSI Index Rebalance Preview: Better Late Than Never?

By Brian Freitas

  • There are currently 76 index constituents and we can (maybe? finally! hopefully 🤞) get to 80 members in March before commencing the next leg up to 100 index constituents.
  • We list 10 potential inclusions to the index in March. Adding all 10 stocks will lead to over 6% one-way turnover, so there will be fewer inclusions.
  • All stocks will have over 1 day of ADV to buy from passive trackers. Some stocks have short interest of over 7% of float.

Warrego (WGO AU): Has MinRes Gatecrashed the Party?

By Arun George


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Daily Brief Thailand: Minor International and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thailand

In today’s briefing:

  • Minor International (MINT TB) – More Than Just Revenge Tourism

Minor International (MINT TB) – More Than Just Revenge Tourism

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Minor International (MINT TB) represents a unique combination of exposure to a diverse set of hotel and restaurant brands both in Thailand and globally making it a true recovery proxy.
  • The company’s hotel portfolio is well-diversified geographically and across different segments giving it exposure to both tourism in Thailand and globally and to the recovery in business travel. 
  • Minor Food has also seen a strong recovery as revenge dining draws consumers to dine out. Overall valuations look attractive given expected growth rates over the next two years. 

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Daily Brief Australia: Warrego Energy and more

By | Australia, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Warrego (WGO AU): Has MinRes Gatecrashed the Party?

Warrego (WGO AU): Has MinRes Gatecrashed the Party?

By Arun George


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Daily Brief South Korea: Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Shinsegae and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • What Is NPS Buying & Selling?
  • Korea Loan Guarantees: A Pair Trade Between Shinsegae & Hyundai Dept Store

What Is NPS Buying & Selling?

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss a list of 60 stocks in Korea where NPS recently added or reduced 1% or more stake (27 adds and 33 reduce). 
  • Among the stocks NPS increased its stake, many of them are clear beneficiaries of the end of zero COVID policies in China including Hotel Shilla, Amorepacific Corp, and GKL. 
  • Among the top market cap stocks where the NPS decreased its stake by 1% or more, they include Lg Innotek, Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Mipo, and Posco International. 

Korea Loan Guarantees: A Pair Trade Between Shinsegae & Hyundai Dept Store

By Douglas Kim

  • Amid sharply rising interest rates and greater economic uncertainty, the subject of loan guarantees to affiliates among Korean companies has become more important. 
  • In this insight, we discuss a pair trade between Shinsegae (long) and Hyundai Dept Store Co (short).
  • Four major reasons why we prefer Shinsegae vs Hyundai Dept Store include negative impact from equity spin-off, increasing leverage (including loan guarantees), valuations, and economies of scale. 

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Daily Brief Singapore: Halcyon Agri, Japfa Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Singapore

In today’s briefing:

  • Halcyon Agri (HACL SP) MGO: SPA Effective, Next Is Satisfaction of Conditions Precedent
  • Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution

Halcyon Agri (HACL SP) MGO: SPA Effective, Next Is Satisfaction of Conditions Precedent

By Arun George

  • The SPA for China Hainan Rubber Industry (601118 CH) to acquire 36.00% of Halcyon Agri (HACL SP)’s outstanding shares from Sinochem International Corporation A (600500 CH) at US$0.315 is effective. 
  • Conditions precedent which relate to Chinese regulatory approvals should be satisfied shortly. Completion will trigger an MGO at US$0.315 or S$0.423 (US$/S$ rate fixed on the closing date). 
  • The MGO has a 50%+ minimum acceptance condition which requires around 40% of minorities acceptance rate. We think that this is achievable as the offer is attractive. 

Japfa Ltd: Trading Cheap After AustAsia In-Specie Distribution

By David Blennerhassett


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Daily Brief Japan: SBI Shinsei Bank, Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • 2023 High Conviction – SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) – Still Reading Between the Lines
  • How Far Has Corporate Governance Progressed in 2021? (1) ~ Key Actions Section

2023 High Conviction – SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) – Still Reading Between the Lines

By Travis Lundy


How Far Has Corporate Governance Progressed in 2021? (1) ~ Key Actions Section

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Shareholder returns, including dividend policy and treasury stock retirement/buyback and growth policies improved slightly. Still, cash allocations are weak in both shareholder returns and growth, so cash is piling up.
  • The policy shareholdings is decreasing year by year, but the holdings is so large that they still account for a large % of total assets, so cash is piling up.
  • Companies with ROEs above 12% achieved even higher returns, and Tobin’s Q1.2-1.4 companies (with higher valuations than average) increased slightly. Investors may have valued companies that exhibit higher returns.

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Daily Brief United States: Futu Holdings Ltd, S&P 500, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc, Zoetis Inc, Sprott Focus Trust, Dexcom Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • Futu Holdings: Cross-Border Broking In Crosshairs
  • More Downside to Lead to Buying Opportunity?; Buy Ideas in Consumer Staples, EU Banks, Gold Miners
  • Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Detailed Credit Analysis & Financial Strength Evaluation Report
  • Zoetis Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – The Jurox Acquisition & Key Drivers
  • Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers
  • Sprott Focus Trust: An Incredibly Well-Managed Cyclical Fund
  • Zoetis Inc.: Detailed Credit Analysis & Financial Strength Evaluation Report
  • DexCom Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers

Futu Holdings: Cross-Border Broking In Crosshairs

By David Blennerhassett

  • Just one day ahead of its dual primary listing in Hong Kong, Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US) postponed its Listing by Introduction. 
  • According to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Futu has been illegally operating cross-border securities trading without approval.
  • Suitably, the share prices of Futu and UP Fintech (TIGR US), another online brokerage forced to quit accepting new onshore investors. It’s probably too premature to buy the dip.

More Downside to Lead to Buying Opportunity?; Buy Ideas in Consumer Staples, EU Banks, Gold Miners

By Joe Jasper

  • Market dynamics remain largely bearish/unchanged, and we are sticking with our call that breaks of supports on SPX, IWM,QQQ are likely to result in a test of the 2022 lows.
  • The Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) is already testing its 2022 lows, but the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 (IWM) are still 6-9% above their 2022 lows.
  • Depending on how the market responds to its 2022 lows, that could be a better area to increase risk.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Detailed Credit Analysis & Financial Strength Evaluation Report

By Baptista Research

  • Air Products and Chemicals is a behemoth in the industrial gases domain and is the third-largest industrial gas supplier in the world.
  • The company has had a decent financial performance off-late as all its regions have seen a gradual improvement in price and volume.
  • These initiatives support the company’s energy transition plan and will continue to be a significant source of revenue for it in the future.

Zoetis Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – The Jurox Acquisition & Key Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • This is our first report on animal health pharma major, Zoetis.
  • Despite the world’s volatile external environment and economic unpredictability, Zoetis has performed well from a financial standpoint given to its varied durable portfolio and global reach.
  • It delivered a 5% operating revenue increase in Q3, which reflected a decent yet below-par performance across its range of innovation-driven companion animal products, particularly in its overseas markets.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • This is our first report on industrial gases major, Air Products and Chemicals.
  • The company delivered an impressive result in the last quarter, surpassing Wall Street expectations in terms of revenues as well as earnings per share.
  • We initiate coverage on the stock of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. with a ‘Hold’ rating.

Sprott Focus Trust: An Incredibly Well-Managed Cyclical Fund

By Pearl Gray Equity and Research

  • The Sprott Focus Trust exhibits outstanding risk attribution metrics.
  • The fund’s constituents typically host high earnings yields, and ROIC ratios, suggesting that a value trap is unlikely.
  • This is a high-conviction closed-end fund with little emphasis on sector rotation. Thus, beware of recession risk.

Zoetis Inc.: Detailed Credit Analysis & Financial Strength Evaluation Report

By Baptista Research

  • Zoetis Inc is a well-known animal health pharma company.
  • Besides, their pet care products are increasingly helping to fuel growth in some of their biggest markets, like China and Australia.
  • The management also expects a high global demand for novel goods, particularly in companion animal parasiticides, dermatology, vaccines, diagnostics, and monoclonal antibodies for pain.

DexCom Inc.: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • This is our first report on medical device major, DexCom.
  • Although DexCom anticipates that these primary care connections will be crucial to its long-term consumer goals, they also enable the company to serve the nation’s extensive insulin users.
  • In addition, DexCom carried out its previously disclosed accelerated share repurchase program, buying roughly 550 million outstanding shares.

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Daily Brief China: Oriental Watch, Acotec Scientific Holdings, China MeiDong Auto, Li Auto, Jinxin Fertility Co Ltd, PICC Property & Casualty H, Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd. H, Pinduoduo, China Power International, Times China and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Oriental Watch: Ex-Dividend, 7x PE + 50% of Mkt Cap in Cash + >15% Dividend Yield
  • Acotec (6669 HK): Boston Scientific’s Partial Offer Open For Tendering
  • China MeiDong Auto Placement – Strong Track Record and Past Deals Have Held Up
  • HSI Index Rebalance Preview: Better Late Than Never?
  • Jinxin Fertility Group Placement – Weak Track Record And Recent Deals Have Performed Poorly
  • APAC Insurers Series (#1): A Hidden Gem in This Bear Market?
  • Hisense Announced the Long-Awaited Equity Incentive Scheme
  • Raise 2023 Forecasts Due to High Take Rate
  • China Power International (2380 HK): Stepping up Transformation Strategy
  • Morning Views Asia: Times China

Oriental Watch: Ex-Dividend, 7x PE + 50% of Mkt Cap in Cash + >15% Dividend Yield

By Sameer Taneja

  • Oriental Watch (398 HK) went ex-dividend on the 30th of December, post which there was a slight correction, and now the stock is 7x PE FY23 (~15% dividend yield).
  • There is a substantial margin of safety with assets worth 4+ HKD/share ( 2 HKD/share of net cash + 1 HKD/share of inventory and >1 HKD of real estate).
  • Trends point to a year of decent profitability as SSSG continues remain stable in China in November/December 2022. HK sales trended lower due to outbound travel.

Acotec (6669 HK): Boston Scientific’s Partial Offer Open For Tendering

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 12 December, Acotec Scientific (6669 HK) announced a HK$20/share partial Offer from Boston Scientific, a 31.6% premium to last close, but below August 2021’s IPO price of HK$23.80/share.  
  • Boston Scientific will acquire at least 156.7mn shares (50.01%), up to 203.7mn (65%). Irrevocables total 60.14%, comprising shares held by CA Medtech/CPE Investment, Jing Li (chairman, CEO), and Bliss Way.
  • The Composite Doc is now out and the Offer is open for acceptances. This Offer is done. The key question is the final proration. 

China MeiDong Auto Placement – Strong Track Record and Past Deals Have Held Up

By Clarence Chu

  • China MeiDong Auto (1268 HK) is looking to raise US$100m via a top-up placement.
  • Proceeds from the offering will be geared towards potential M&A and general working capital purposes.
  • In this note, we will run the deal through our ECM framework and talk about the recent updates.

HSI Index Rebalance Preview: Better Late Than Never?

By Brian Freitas

  • There are currently 76 index constituents and we can (maybe? finally! hopefully 🤞) get to 80 members in March before commencing the next leg up to 100 index constituents.
  • We list 10 potential inclusions to the index in March. Adding all 10 stocks will lead to over 6% one-way turnover, so there will be fewer inclusions.
  • All stocks will have over 1 day of ADV to buy from passive trackers. Some stocks have short interest of over 7% of float.

Jinxin Fertility Group Placement – Weak Track Record And Recent Deals Have Performed Poorly

By Ethan Aw

  • Jinxin Fertility Co Ltd (1951 HK) is looking to raise US$122m via a top-up placement. 
  • Proceeds from the offering will be used to repay its outstanding convertible bond and general corporate purposes. 
  • In this note, we will run the deal through our ECM framework and talk about the recent updates.

APAC Insurers Series (#1): A Hidden Gem in This Bear Market?

By Alec Tseung

  • The insurance sector should definitely warrant more investor attention going forward as some insurance names in the region have had a very strong year in 2022.
  • Two key markets we view positively in 2023 are China’s P&C and Korea’s L&H insurance markets, given their favorable industry catalysts and tailwinds. 
  • Among all the insurance stocks in these two markets, we believe PICC P&C and Samsung Life will continue to have an exciting year ahead.

Hisense Announced the Long-Awaited Equity Incentive Scheme

By Xin Yu, CFA

  • Hisense announced the long-awaited equity incentive scheme on Jan 2. 
  • For 100% vetting, Hisense net profit needs to grow by 62%/86%/109% from 2023 to 2025, compared with its 2021 net profit level. 
  • We have seen Hisense Home Appliance (Hisense HA) transforming itself into a more market-oriented company. 

Raise 2023 Forecasts Due to High Take Rate

By Shawn Yang

  • There has been debate: 1) why PDD’s take rate can be higher than BABA, 2) how to justify PDD’s long term margin, 3) will PDD be able to beat cons.
  • We suggest that the key driver of PDD’s outperformance in recent quarters has been the weak macro environment.
  • We raise our 2023 forecasts of total revenue and non-GAAP net income by 4% and 19%, more than consensus by 8% and 7% respectively.

China Power International (2380 HK): Stepping up Transformation Strategy

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • The three recent transactions of China Power International (2380 HK) provide solid evidences that it is accelerating its progress in transformation into a giant green energy play.
  • Partial disposal of coal-fired assets will generate significant disposal gain and reduce exposure to loss-making business. Introduction of CCB Investment as green power shareholder will improve cash flow.  
  • Acquisition of 579MW of wind power capacity will raise proportion of clean energy in its total installed capacity by 0.9pp. This also showcases strong support from its parent SPIC. 

Morning Views Asia: Times China

By Charles Macgregor

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.


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Daily Brief Credit: Morning Views Asia: Anton Oilfield and more

By | Credit, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Morning Views Asia: Anton Oilfield, Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Sands China, Times China

Morning Views Asia: Anton Oilfield, Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Sands China, Times China

By Charles Macgregor

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.


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Daily Brief Equity Bottom-Up: Pinduoduo (PDD US): More Thoughts on TEMU and more

By | Daily Briefs, Equity Bottom-Up

In today’s briefing:

  • Pinduoduo (PDD US): More Thoughts on TEMU
  • 2021 High Conviction Seven & I: Major Headwinds Deflected By The Yen Depreciation, Upside Is Limited
  • Ibiden (4062 JP): Another Chance for Long-Term Investors
  • Softbank Group – Vision Fund: Gains on Dollar Basis in Q3 but Stronger Yen Points to Quarterly Loss
  • Peptidream (4587 JP): Rising Drug Discovery Collaborations To Drive Growth; New Revenue Stream Added
  • Taiwan Tech Weekly: Signs TSMC Winning the 3-Nm Battle Vs. Samsung, Apple Bargaining Down Suppliers
  • Super Hi International: Trading Dynamics Post Listing Amid High Volatility
  • Leapmotor: Sell
  • Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine (600276.CH) – About The Performance Recovery and the Concerns Behind
  • IPAR: Catalysts for Further Growth

Pinduoduo (PDD US): More Thoughts on TEMU

By Eric Chen

  • We believe it was a wise move for PDD to launch the overseas online marketplace TEMU first off the U.S., because of its massive, lucrative and integrated retail markets.
  • Still, the adventure lacks some of the recipe for successes PDD made during its early days, and the failure of Wish suggests pricing not come at the expense of quality.
  • We expect TEMU to lose US$2bn in 2024 (1/3 of PDD’s FY22 earnings) and won’t generate meaningful profit probably until 2026, reinforcing our view on PDD’s near-term earnings risk.

2021 High Conviction Seven & I: Major Headwinds Deflected By The Yen Depreciation, Upside Is Limited

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • We would be closing our 2021 high-conviction long trade on Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP) before they release 3QFY23 results next week.
  • Although we are not expecting the company to miss consensus estimates this time around, we are expecting significant downside risks to Seven & I’s US business throughout the year.
  • Given that shares went nowhere after 12% revenue and 1% OP beats in the previous quarter is a good indication that the upside is limited.

Ibiden (4062 JP): Another Chance for Long-Term Investors

By Scott Foster

  • Operating profit hit a 15-year high in the six months to September. That appears to have been the cyclical peak. 
  • Guidance for 2H of FY Mar-23 is probably conservative, but year-on-year profit comparisons will probably be negative for at least a year. 
  • After rising by 44% from mid-October to mid-November, Ibiden’s share price has given up more than half that gain. Long term investors may again look for an entry point.

Softbank Group – Vision Fund: Gains on Dollar Basis in Q3 but Stronger Yen Points to Quarterly Loss

By Kirk Boodry

  • The Vision Fund public portfolio closed Q3 in the black as gains for Didi and AutoStore offset weakness for Asian investments Goto and Coupang. We have included updated tables inside
  • On a yen basis, however, Softbank will likely post a Q3 segment loss for Vision Fund as a weaker dollar more than offsets the local currency gains.  
  • SBG shares have traded close to the 35% discount to NAV level since end-November but that could expand if sentiment on China weakens or tech valuations remain volatile

Peptidream (4587 JP): Rising Drug Discovery Collaborations To Drive Growth; New Revenue Stream Added

By Tina Banerjee

  • Peptidream Inc (4587 JP) aspires to be a world leader in drug discovery and development to address unmet medical needs by leveraging on proprietary PDPS technology, a peptide discovery platform.
  • Driven by expanding research collaboration programs and progressing pipelines, Peptidream guided for revenue of ¥13–15B from drug discovery and development business in 2022, up from ¥9.4B in 2021.
  • Foray into Radiopharma adds a regular revenue stream. Peptidream expects the business to report revenue of ~¥11.5B and remain marginally profitable for 2022.

Taiwan Tech Weekly: Signs TSMC Winning the 3-Nm Battle Vs. Samsung, Apple Bargaining Down Suppliers

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • TSMC’s revenue could drop in the near-term due to customers cutting orders, however full year 2023E growth still likely thanks to advanced chips.
  • Samsung has guided staff internally for a major slump in its semiconductor unit’s operating profit.
  • Apple is pushing for price cuts amongst its suppliers due to weak end demand for its products.

Super Hi International: Trading Dynamics Post Listing Amid High Volatility

By Douglas Kim

  • On 30 December, Super Hi International Holding (9658 HK) completed its separate listing in HK from Haidilao by the way of introduction. The trading has been highly volatile so far.
  • Our base case valuation of Super Hi International is target price of HKD13.6 per share, which represents a 40% upside from current levels.
  • The same store sales at Super Hi improved significantly in nearly all major regions in 1H 2022. 

Leapmotor: Sell

By Xin Yu, CFA

  • Sales has been weak since October, mainly due to price hike.
  • Technology leadership may not be sustainable with limited R&D investments.
  • EREV version may not be the right solution for the company’s long-term growth. 

Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine (600276.CH) – About The Performance Recovery and the Concerns Behind

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • There could be some catalyst for Hengrui, such as the NRDL negotiation in early January 2023, the slowing down of the negative impact of VBP and the increasing outpatient volume. 
  • Hengrui’s performance low point was in 2022, and it would gradually recover after that. If investors want to invest in Hengrui, 2023 is a good time to take action.
  • However, Hengrui could be hard to return to its peak. Without the next PD-1 level blockbuster product, it would be difficult for Hengrui to achieve complete performance reversal. 

IPAR: Catalysts for Further Growth

By Hamed Khorsand

  • IPAR has added Lacoste to its portfolio of fragrance licenses and should lead to incremental growth in 2024.
  • Lacoste, like IPAR’s other major licenses, is a well-established brand that is likely to immediately contribute to sales and earnings growth when in 2024
  • Heading into the holiday shopping season of 2022, fragrance was proving as a high demand category from consumers

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