Smartkarma Daily Briefs

• ESR Group (1821 HK)’s preconditional scheme offer from the consortium is either cash (HK$13.00), scrip or a combination of cash/scrip. The offer is final.
• The precondition relates to several regulatory approvals. The precondition satisfaction does not carry the same risk as the China Traditional Chinese Medicine (570 HK) deal break.   
• The irrevocable (31.03% of outstanding shares) ensure that shareholders with blocking or close to blocking stakes are supportive. This is a done deal, with timing the key risk. 

• HK$13.00/Share (deemed final). That’s the key takeaway here as the Starwood/Warburg Pincus Consortium (finally) tables a firm offer, by way of a pre-conditional Scheme.
• Pre-Conditions are extensive, with a long stop date of the 4th September 2025.
• HK$13.00 is below prior expectations of a HK$14+ handle. But with irrevocables of 30.79% of the register (and 51.24% of Scheme shares), this is done. A scrip option is afforded.

• GEM banks Bradesco, Hana and Bank of Baroda are buys due to deep value with positive returns catalysts; the sell on premium-valued Nubank is due to fundamental return headwinds emerging
• In the Japanese banks we identify Mizuho and Resona as key beneficiaries of higher benchmark rates going forward, alongside very attractive valuations and supported by strategic share portfolios
• CME Group is our 2025 pick in global exchanges, as a flow monster with a very strong competitive position; PagSeguro is the deep value, contrarian pick in payments

• The KOSPI 200 is in a steady bear market with political turmoil further depressing the outlook. Volatility increased in the near term, leading to an inverted term structure.
• The Nifty 50 is approaching its 50-day average from below. Call options profit from low implied volatility and present an attractive opportunity to profit on the upside.
• The Hang Seng continues to stand out as the index with positive correlation between implied volatility and index performance. Interestingly, the relationship is not symmetric between up- and down moves.

Georgia Capital’s (GCAP’s) net asset value (NAV) per share increased by 6.2% q-o-q in Q324 in Georgian lari terms (3.3% in sterling). The private portfolio companies performed well operationally, whereas the stock value of GCAP’s holding in Bank of Georgia (BoG) remained flat quarter-on-quarter, after de-rating in Q224 amid political uncertainty. Meanwhile, international strategic investors seem to remain confident in Georgia’s prospects, as highlighted by GCAP’s strong uplift on the disposal of the beer and distribution business to Royal Swinkels, which added 1.8pp to its NAV performance. GCAP continues NAV-accretive buybacks (+2.4pp accretion in Q324) financed by record-high recurring dividends received from the portfolio. However, its shares continue to trade at a wide discount to reported NAV of 48.9% (narrowing slightly versus the one-year average of 54.6%).

Q324 DPS was fully covered by adjusted earnings and despite a delay in resolving rent collection with My Space, one of the two recent problem tenants, we expect this to remain the case. My Space has ceased its partial rent payments since June but rent collection on the assets re-tenanted from Parasol to Westmoreland is expected to increase. With a My Space resolution taking longer, our forecasts for FY24 are reduced but are sufficient to cover DPS., while the shares continue to yield more than 9%.