China

• We expect strong 30-35% YoY earnings growth in Plover Bay Technologies (1523 HK) for its earnings to be released in July for H1 FY24. 
• We expect the company to continue its 80% dividend payout ratio, which will result in a 4% semi-annual yield (8% annualized). 
• Trading at 12.2x with >50% ROEs and net cash of >30 mn USD, we expect the strong results to catalyze a further multiple rerate.

• Dickson Concepts Intl (113 HK) reported earnings growth of 39% YoY, led mostly by an increase in interest income on the 9.6 HKD/share of net cash/investments on the balance sheet. 
• The company’s net current asset value (NCAV) expanded to 8.2 HKD/share (Vs. FY23: 7.6 HKD/share), and with the stock at 5.2 HKD/share, it trades at a 37% discount to NCAV. 
• The dividend was increased to 45 cents ( from FY23:35 cents/share), placing the stock at an attractive dividend yield of 8.6%.

• The Hang Seng Index correction has restarted this week, after a brief 1-week bounce.
• The index may continue to downtrend for another 1-2 weeks, then a reversal should come and the uptrend should restart.
• Look at the price support area in the 17500-17000 range, because that is where my model indicates the highest chance of LONG reversal.

• Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (1929 HK) reported a weaker-than-expected FY24 net profit. Despite having HK$2.2bn net cash, the lack of a special dividend is even more disappointing. 
• Surge in unrealised loss on gold loans and a YoY contraction in margin have contributed to the poor 2H24 result. Apr-May operating figures showed a deteriorated operating environment.
• Lacking a special dividend, CTF no longer looks attractive at the current level. Overoptimistic FY25 and FY26 consensus forecasts mean earnings downgrade pressure. 

• Travel and box office data in the past three-day Dragonboat Holiday showed worrying weakness despite sharp price cuts by hotel and airlines. 
• Removing travellers from Hong Kong, inbound travel was also quite bad; 
• E-Commerce sales backed by trade-in stimulus outperformed regular merchandises, indicating consumer confidence is still low. We believe the weak travel data boded ill for consumption throughout the year.

• Luckin launched lemonade drinks with raging success of 5.08 mn cups sold for the first week, ~10% of store sales. Market cheered to send the stock higher;  
• We view it with mixed feelings. While it is margin accretive and sales enhancing,  is not conducive to improving coffee penetration and cultivating consumers’ habit for drinking coffee;
• We see Luckin as increasingly one of, instead of the, street drink company, because lemonade is actually the top selling SKU of all milk tea vendors in China. 

• Back on the 22nd May, online shopping platform play Hong Kong Television Network (1137 HK) announced a buy-back of 11.25% of shares out, at $2.15/share, a 20.8% premium to undisturbed.
• Should the Offer complete, co-founder Ricky Wong’s stake, together with concert parties, increases to 51.55% (before exercising options), up from 45.75% currently. Optically, it’s a opportunistic share grab. 
• The Offer Doc is now out, with an EGM to vote on the whitewash waiver on the 9th July. 

• Its unclear whether Yemen-based Houthis would end attacks after ceasefire
• We’ve entered peak Summer shipping season from Asia to US, Europe
• Higher spot rates have already lifted contract rates in Q2 2024

• We preview UMP Healthcare (722 HK)  earnings for FY24 (June-end), which will be declared in September, and our outlook for FY25. 
• The company has more than 300 mn HKD of net cash (almost 75% of its market cap), and even assuming a 20% dividend cut, it has an ~8% dividend yield.
• On core earnings for FY24, we estimate that the stock trades at 12x PE( ex-cash 2.8x PE), with low-hanging fruit from streamlining the business in FY25. 

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.

• Alam Sutera Realty
• China Hongqiao
• Lippo Karawaci
• Tata Motors ADR

• A8 New Media (800 HK) disclosed a Cayman scheme privatisation offer from Mr Liu Xiaosong (Founder, Chairman, CEO) at HK$0.36 per share, a 162.8% premium to the last close price. 
• The massive premium is unsurprising, as A8’s EV has been negative since April 2023 due to headwinds from the weak Chinese leasing sector and uncertainty about cash use.  
• The high takeover premium, no shareholder holding a blocking stake, and low AGM minority participation rate point to a done deal. However, this is a small-cap illiquid stock.  

• Mao Geping Cosmetics is looking to raise around US$300m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
• Mao Geping Cosmetics (MGC) operates in the premium beauty segment. Operating via its two brands, MAOGEPING and Love Keeps, MGC offers a wide range of color cosmetics and skincare products.
• In this note, we look at the company’s past performance.

• Transsion is the global No. 4 largest smartphone producer according to IDC.
• In 1Q24, shipments increased by 34% YoY and revenue increased by 88% YoY.
• We see the stock’s upside at 17% and the price target at RMB100.00.

• QuantumPharm (QUP HK) raised US$126m from its Hong Kong IPO.
• QuantumPharm is a R&D platform, utilizing quantum physics-based first-principles calculation, advanced AI, high-performance cloud computing, and scalable and standardized robotic automation to provide drug and material science R&D solutions.
• We have covered various aspects of the deal in our previous note. In this note, we will talk about the demand and trading dynamics.

• Medtide (1268709D CH) is looking to raise at least US$100m in its upcoming HK IPO. The deal will be run by Morgan Stanley and Citic Securities.
• Medtide is the third largest peptide-focused contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) worldwide in terms of sales revenue in 2023, according to F&S. 
• Its full-cycle services range from early-stage discovery, pre-clinical research and clinical development to commercial-stage production.

• Increased demand from power plants under construction outside  G-7 countries
• There is constrained supply as with many other fossil fuels
• We look at a basket of coal stocks with good balance sheets and increasing production

• The worst is behind Beijing Capital International Airport. We believe it is on track to achieve breakeven on quarterly basis in 2H24.
• We see recent parking fee hikes at Daxing Airport as a signal that more will come, which is not in the price and can bring in extra option value.
• Boom-And-Bust in China property sector is behind the airport’s share price cycle. The airport is at the cusp of a steady recovery driving mean reversion of valuation .

• Following a suspension on the 28th May, property rental play A8 New Media (800 HK) has now announced an Offer by way of a Scheme from chairman/founder/major shareholder Liu Xiaosong.
• The Cancellation price is $0.36, a whopping 162.77% to last close. The price is final.
• This is a done deal. But A8 is an illiquid micro cap. 

• Around RMB5 billion generic drugs would be included in VBP in 2024/2025 (e.g. sevoflurane/Ioversol/butorphanol tartrate). So, the assumption that all the negative effects of VBP have cleared up isn’t correct.
• Hengrui’s innovative drugs would lose growth momentum after they reach peak sales. It’s difficult for Hengrui to maintain its scale expansion or achieve the over 20% YoY revenue growth.
• Hengrui’s PE would fall below 30 (or even below 20) in the future, which means its valuation would start to enter a downward trend. Current high valuation cannot be justified.

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.

• Nickel Industries
• Road King Infrastructure
• Yankuang Energy Group

• Legend Capital (LC), one of the principal shareholders of Atour Lifestyle Holdings (ATAT US), is looking to raise around US$168m through a secondary selldown.
• This will be the third selldown by Legend Capital in just over a year’s time. Hence, the deal is well flagged.
• In this note, we will talk about the placement and run the deal through our ECM framework.

• Activist Argyle Street’s approach to closed-end investment company China Merchants China Direct Investments (133 HK) (CMCDI) has a certain David Webb-like quality.
• Apart from the deep value angle, the analysis of director Elizabeth Kan’s potential conflict of interest is particularly insightful. Argle will vote against Kan’s re-election at the 20th June AGM
• Given this upcoming vote, as I’ve done with Giordano (709 HK) and L’Occitane (973 HK) previously, it’s useful to investigate the lesser-known shareholder register, a byproduct of investigative disclosure reports.

• Some shareholders have confirmed to be acting in concert at the Court Meeting, but long-term investors may vote against the privatization because they are not satisfied with the Cancellation Price.
• The success rate of SciClone’s privatization is lower than that of China TCM and L’Occitane. If fails, there’s a high probability that the share price will fall back to HK$14/share.
• The current share price cannot provide decent returns. Together with exchange rate risk, potential failure risks, etc., there’s no need for investors to take risks at this share price level.

• New Gonow Recreational Vehicles (NGRV HK) is looking to raise US$100m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. The bookrunner on the deal is Huatai International.
• New Gonow Recreational Vehicles (NGRV) is a recreational vehicle (RV) platform with an extensive presence in Australasia that designs, develops, manufactures and sells bespoke towable RVs.
• According to Frost & Sullivan (F&S), the firm held the second-largest market share in Australasia’s RV industry in terms of 2023 sales volume.

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.

• Meituan

For our next Corporate Webinar, we are glad to welcome Miniso Group Holding Limited’s Investor Relation Specialist, Ms. Allis-Yueling Chen. 

In the upcoming webinar, Allis will share a short company presentation after which, she will engage in a fireside chat with Smartkarma Insight Provider, Eric Wen. The Corporate Webinar will include a live Q&A session.

The Corporate Webinar will be hosted on Thursday, 20 June 2024, 16:00 SGT.

About Miniso Group Holding Limited

Miniso Group Holding Limited is a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. Since Miniso Group opened its first store in China in 2013, they have successfully incubated two brands, “MINISO” and “TOP TOY”. The flagship brand “MINISO” is a globally recognized retail brand and have established a store network worldwide of 6,630 stores in more than 200 countries. The flagship brand “MINISO” offers a frequently-refreshed assortment of lifestyle products covering diverse consumer needs, and consumers are attracted to their products’ trendiness, creativeness, high quality and affordability.

• Baosteel’s SOE background helps bring more advantages- This deal is a consolidation of assets under SASAC, which may involve some strategic intent at national level. Baosteel has an upper hand. 
• ORG cannot afford to fail considering the strategic significance of CMPC for ORG. Major shareholder of CPMC Zhang Wei has picked ORG side, making it maintain the hope of winning.
• For arbitrageurs, the good news is CPMC would be acquired by either Changping Industrial or ORG, with high certainty.Baosteel is also worth watching since it could be a new leader. 

• With ORG offering a 4.9% higher price and securing Zhang Wei’s acceptance, the ball is now back in Baowu’s hands. Good reasons exist for Baowu to raise its offer price. 
• Baowu’s subsidiary Shanghai Baosteel Packaging-A (601968 CH) needs CPMC Holdings (906 HK) more than ORG, given its smaller market share and weaker profitability.
• At ORG’s offer price, CPMC’s PERs for FY24 and FY25 of 15.4x and 14.2x are cheaper than Baosteel Packaging’s 22x and 18.7x. This gives additional justifications for a higher offer. 

• Based on returns and margins, US-listed Full Truck Alliance is best comp
• Lalatech probably deserves premium valuation multiples vs Full Truck Alliance 
• An equity valuation of US$11bn+ justifiable; will investors look at recent flops?

• Minieye Technology (1426169D CH) is looking to raise US$150m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. The bookrunners on the deal are Citic Securities and CICC.
• Minieye Technology (Minieye) is an intelligent driving and cabin solutions provider in China, offering solutions for critical aspects of the driving experience, including piloting, parking and in-cabin functions.
• Providing Level 0-Level 2++ intelligent driving solutions that are full-stack in-house developed and proven by mass production, the firm has also been developing advanced Level 4 autonomous driving technologies.

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.

• China Jinmao Holdings

• We summarise the latest spreads and newsflow of merger arb situations we cover across Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Chinese ADRs.
• Highest spreads: Yichang HEC Changjiang Pharma (1558 HK), Hollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI US), Ansarada Group Ltd (AND AU), Asia Cement China (743 HK), Greatview Aseptic Packaging (468 HK).
• Lowest spreads: Alumina Ltd (AWC AU), Great Eastern Holdings (GE SP), Pact Group Holdings (PGH AU), Nagatanien Holdings (2899 JP), Mimasu Semiconductor Industry (8155 JP), QV Equities Ltd (QVE AU). 

• The New/Better A-H Premium Tracker has tables, charts, measures galore to track A/H premium positioning, southbound and northbound positioning/volatility in pairs over time, etc.
• SOUTHBOUND’s renewed buy streak continued this past week; every day net positive. Strong net buying. NORTHBOUND saw small net buying on renewables, utilities, and semiconductors.
• AH Premia rebounded off multi-year lows, on average, this past week as Hang Seng/other HK indices fell and A-shares did not do much. Liquid Hs underperformed As by 2%.

• Since the China/Taiwan situation looks increasingly tense, Xu Xudong/Far Eastern Group may be eager to privatize ACC considering geopolitical conflicts and political risks. Its business is subject to strict regulation.
• HK$3.22 Offer Price is disappointing, but the privatization isn’t completely impossible (The headcount does not apply now). A certain number of investors are still willing to accept the Offer Price. 
• For arbitrageurs, the return looks not bad. However, considering the high uncertainties/failure risks, we still advise investors to be cautious. HK$2.5/share is a price point worth participating in.

• In this insight we cover recent earnings results, revenue mix, YTD trends
• Fluctuating performance of its international segment impacted FY23 and Q124
• Improving international segment could boost overall momentum in Q2-Q4 2024

• SOUTHBOUND was again a net buyer, for HK$27.2bn this week, on small two-way volumes. China Mobile (941 HK) dominated as it reached dividend ex-date. Other high-div SOEs also saw buying.
• It is not clear how much of this is H/A discounts, expected dividend tax removal, and the KPIs for SOE CEOs to raise prices and payout ratios, but it continues.
• Valuations are acceptable. Flows are good. Policy changes are afoot. SOUTHBOUND may continue to see inflows – national team and otherwise.

• Aequitas Research puts out a weekly update on the deals that were covered by the team recently along with updates for upcoming IPOs.
• On the IPO front, we looked at Guzman Y Gomez (0817833D AU), QuantumPharm (QUP HK) and Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN US) this week.
• On the placement front, there were a few deals across Hong Kong, Australia and Japan.

• The Quiddity Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Monitor. Like the A/H Premium Monitor and HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Monitor. Lots of Flows/Position Tables and Charts with which to play.
• Last week saw NORTHBOUND net BUY RMB 5.3bn of A-shares on lower gross volumes. NORTHBOUND bought utilities, renewables, and semiconductors, and sold Kweichow Moutai, Midea, Bk Jiangsu, and Wuliangye Yibin.
• Ongoing questions as to whether the NORTHBOUND volumes to the buy side are all foreigners. Some suspect there is national team buying mixed in, as was expected from earlier announcements.

• One interesting interpretation of the new Akeso-summit cooperation is that it aims to pave the way for potential acquisition of Summit by MNC. The climax of the story hasn’t arrived.
• Jacobio is a good target for potential M&A and licensing deals. So, this company has considerable potential returns and also strong safety margin, which is worth taking a gamble on.
• There’re concerns that Genscript could face US scrutiny due to alleged ties with Chinese government. Share price rebound may not last considering geopolitical conflicts and CXO industry downturn in 24H1.

• Tuniu’s revenue grew by 71% YoY in 1Q24, as the company benefited from the travel industry’s recovery.
• Smart Share Global’s revenue plunged by 52% YoY in 1Q24 due to fewer customers in shopping malls.
• PDD plans to price products on behalf of retailers, which reflects the severe competition in e-commerce.

• Shares of RoboSense Technology, a mass producer of LiDAR products and perception solutions, rose ~86% since IPO and outperformed Hesai Group and Hang Seng Index on a YTD basis.
• Founder-Led LiDAR company priced its IPO at HK$43/share and raised ~HK$1B gross proceeds in January. RoboSense shares fell on first day of public trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
• Today, RoboSense Technology became the most valuable LiDAR company in the world and is now valued at roughly $4.6B. 

• CPMC Holdings (906 HK) disclosed a competing pre-conditional voluntary offer from ORG Technology Co., Ltd. A (002701 CH) at HK$7.21, a 4.9% premium to Changping Industrial’s HK$6.87 offer.  
• Like the Changping Industrial offer, ORG’s offer is pre-conditional on regulatory approvals and has a 50% minimum acceptance condition. Changping Industrial has secured all regulatory approvals except SAMR. 
• ORG’s skinny premium and precarious irrevocable from Mr Zhang Wei suggests Changping Industrial’s next move is to secure Mr Wei’s irrevocable with a revised higher offer.

• After six months had elapsed, and CPMC Holdings (906 HK)‘s Offeror just needing SAMR/SAFE clearance before launching a firm bid, a competing Offer from ORG Technology (002701 CH) appeared unlikely. 
• Yet in a surprise move, ORG has made a pre-conditional (NDRC, SAFE, MoC, SAMR, and shareholder approval) Offer at HK$7.21/share, a 4.9% premium to the ongoing SASAC/NCSSF Offer. 
• ORG’s pre-con Offer also has a 50% acceptance condition. ORG and concert parties have 24.43%. And Zhang Wei (22.01%) has given has an irrevocable. Directors have 0.87%. Intriguing situation. 

• Meituan reported C1Q24 revenue 6.0%/6.2% higher our estimate/consensus, and adjusted net income 19%/29% higher than our estimate/consensus. The stock fell on lower takeout order and in-store revenue guidance for C2Q24;
• The stock has two uncertainties:(1)Strategic moves by Douyin and Eleme,(2)success of overseas expansion. There are no easy answers to these two questions but we believe the corner has been turned
• We maintain the stock as BUY rating and raise TP to HK$156/share to factor in the improvement in profitability.

• Indie Semiconductor’s Q1 2024 financial results and strategic discussion provide both encouraging and cautionary insights.
• During this period, the company reported a year-over-year revenue increase of 29% to $52.4 million, driven by strong performance in their Autotech market segment, albeit slightly below the provided guidance.
• Gross profit stood at $26.4 million, reflecting a gross margin of 50.3%, which fell short of expectations due to unfavorable product mix adjustments.

• During the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, both flight and railway traffic seems sluggish, indicating a cooled-down enthusiasm for long-distance trips due to budget constraints.
• Data points to booming short-distance travel with self-driving as the major means, helped by lower price;
• Benefiting from hotel booking and catering, Meituan is the biggest beneficiary of such consumption downgrade.

• Total revenue increased by 25% YoY and all business lines grew strongly.
• In 1Q24, the operating losses from new initiatives decreased by 45% YoY, but new initiatives revenue still grow.
• We conclude that the price target can be double of the market price.

• Water Oasis (1161 HK) reported profits down 30% YoY (ex-one-off profits down 9% YoY only), but commentary cited headwinds in the business due to muted HK economic sentiment.
• Anticipating these headwinds, the company cut its semi-annual dividend by 50% to only 3.5 cents (implying a 7% yield on the current share price) despite a massive cash buildup.
• Net cash at 396 mn HKD is now 58% of the market cap. Given the current economic backdrop, we see a conservative approach to dividend payment in the medium term. 

• QuantumPharm (QUP HK) is looking to raise US$144m from its Hong Kong IPO.
• QuantumPharm is a R&D platform, utilizing quantum physics-based first-principles calculation, advanced AI, high-performance cloud computing, and scalable and standardized robotic automation to provide drug and material science R&D solutions.
• In our previous notes, we looked at the firm’s past performance and PHIP updates. In this note, we share our thoughts on valuations. 

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.

• Greentown China
• HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd
• Lippo Karawaci
• Citicore Renewable Energy

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.

• Greentown China
• HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd
• Lippo Karawaci
• Citicore Renewable Energy

• Asia Cement China (743 HK) disclosed a Cayman scheme privatisation offer from Asia Cement (1102 TT) at HK$3.22. Including the dividend, the total offer is HK$3.26, 1.7% below the last close. 
• The offer, which is final, is unattractive as it is materially below net cash and historical trading ranges. The disparity cannot be justified by the potential cash burn this year.
• While no shareholder holds the 10% blocking stake, the high AGM minority participation rates and emerging retail opposition suggest a high chance of a deal break. 

• CK Asset Holdings (1113 HK) has traded lower recently and shorts have exploded in the stock in the last few months.
• CK Asset Holdings (1113 HK) has underperformed its peers in the last 6 months and trades cheaper on forward PE and price to book.
• There will be passive selling in the stock in just over two weeks. There will be positioning, but not enough to meet passive supply. Expect a further move lower.

• After Chinese cement play Asia Cement China (743 HK) (ACC) was suspended on the 28th May, a punchy Offer from its parent Asia Cement (1102 TT) was expected. 
• Not to be. Asia Cement is offering $3.22/share, best & final. A 3.01% discount to last close, ~ 45% premium to undisturbed, and a whopping 37% discount to net cash.
• Asia Cement plus concert parties hold 73.38%, so a blocking stake at the Court Meeting is 2.662%. One (possible) aspect in Asia Cement’s favour is that ACC is not shortable.  

• A stabilizing property market matters more than other factors such as industry rivalry and shareholder return policies for the performance of leading China e-commerce players in our view.
• China’s worst property market downturn is probably behind us. This will gradually help restore consumer confidence and lift consumer propensity to spend, improving growth outlook for China e-commerce sector.
• We believe China e-commerce players will in general benefit from a stabilizing housing market. Alibaba remains the most attractive play in the space. 

• A high disease burden, high demand for chronic treatment, and an ageing population makes China an excellent opportunity for an established pharma company.
• With 1/3 of the market cap in cash, a healthy payout ratio, and a FPE of under 8, CMS is one of the bargain beneficiaries in the Chinese healthcare space.
• The founder/CEO recently purchased 8m shares. He last bought shares in 2020-2021. The share price almost tripled afterwards.

• Onewo (2602 HK), a leading China property management company with the controlling shareholder being China Vanke (H) (2202 HK), announced a major share repurchase mandate last night.
• The company intends to repurchase its shares in the open market up to HKD5.8bn, which is around 20% of the current market cap. 
• The company is trading at 13x 2024E PE on around 15% net profit growth in 2024E, and at 5% forward dividend yield. 

• Although Midea’s performance keeps growing, it is difficult for the home appliance industry to return to rapidly growing incremental market as it was during the robust development of real estate.
• As Midea’s To C business encounters growth bottleneck, To B business has become new performance driver and second growth curve, but several new businesses are facing challenges in 24Q1.
• For mature leading enterprises in home appliance industry, a valuation of 10-20x PE is reasonable, which means market value of RMB370-740 billion, assuming 2024 net profit would reach RMB37 billion.

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.

• China Jinmao Holdings
• NagaCorp Ltd
• Citicore Renewable Energy
• Yuexiu Property