Category

Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Utilities: Azure Power Global Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Utilities Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Morning Views Asia: Azure Power Global Ltd, Evergrande, Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Medco Energi


Morning Views Asia: Azure Power Global Ltd, Evergrande, Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Medco Energi

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 Energy/Materials: Origin Energy, Indika Energy, Empire Energy, ADF Group and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Origin: Brookfield Bumps. AustralianSuper Say Meh.
  • Origin Energy (ORG AU): AusSuper Wreaks Havoc on Brookfield/EIG’s Final Offer
  • Indika Energy – Earnings Flash – 9M FY 2023 Results – Lucror Analytics
  • Empire Energy Group Ltd – Cashed up – Next Stop FID
  • ADF Group – Value Stock Entering Multi-Year Growth Cycle


Origin: Brookfield Bumps. AustralianSuper Say Meh.

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 31st October, AustralianSuper (with 13.67% of shares out and Origin Energy (ORG AU)‘s largest shareholder) argued the Brookfield/EIG-backed Consortium Offer remained substantially below its estimate of fair value.
  • Brookfield/EIG have now increased their Offer by 8% to $9.53/share from $8.81/share, which now comprises cash components of A$6.59/share and US$1.86/share. A consideration-reducing fully-franked dividend of A$0.39/share is expected.
  • The Offer is declared “best and final.” It is above the top-end of the IE’s valuation range. AustralianSuper should accept the revised terms. But they say no.

Origin Energy (ORG AU): AusSuper Wreaks Havoc on Brookfield/EIG’s Final Offer

By Arun George

  • Origin Energy (ORG AU)  has disclosed a best and final offer from Brookfield/EIG at A$6.59 and US$1.86 per share, which implies A$9.53 per share, 8.1% higher than the previous offer.
  • AusSuper will vote against the final offer. Taking advantage of the share price dip, AusSuper is said to have further increased its shareholding to 14.98% of outstanding shares.
  • The scheme will likely fail as a minority YES vote turnout of 88% is required to pass. Brookfield/EIG could return with an off-market takeover offer, but it also faces issues. 

Indika Energy – Earnings Flash – 9M FY 2023 Results – Lucror Analytics

By Trung Nguyen

In our view, Indika Energy’s 9M/23 results were weaker than expected due to a sharp decline in Kideco’s production and sales volume in Q3, lower-than-expected profitability at Kideco (which accounts for 90% of Indika’s EBITDA) and negative OCF, which came as a surprise. The balance sheet turned to a net debt position, after a few quarters of net cash. Liquidity remains sound, with a large (albeit fast shrinking) cash position.

OCF and FCF were negative, which was surprising as Indika has previously managed to generate positive FCF even when coal prices were lower than current levels. The last time the company generated negative FCF was in 2015, during a major coal downturn. We believe that the negative OCF may be due to the new businesses, which are ramping up. Indika’s key business strategy in the medium term is to diversify away from and reduce its reliance on coal-related activities, with the company aiming to derive 50% of its revenue from non-coal sources by 2025. The new businesses include a gold mine, renewable energy solutions (mainly solar power), electric scooters and several digital technology businesses.


Empire Energy Group Ltd – Cashed up – Next Stop FID

By Research as a Service (RaaS)

  • Empire Energy Group Limited (ASX:EEG) is an oil and gas producer/developer, with onshore Northern Territory (NT) and US oil/gas production assets.
  • EEG has the largest tenement position in the highly prospective Greater McArthur Basin, which includes the Beetaloo Sub-basin.
  • The investment case is building with the development model becoming more defined after the completion of the Carpentaria-3H testing campaign. 

ADF Group – Value Stock Entering Multi-Year Growth Cycle

By Atrium Research

  • ADF is entering a multi-year growth phase due to major tailwinds in infrastructure spending and non-residential construction.
  • ADF Group Inc. (DRX:TSX, ADFJF:OTC) is a North American leader in the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of complex steel structures for non-residential construction.
  • ADF has posted a long-term track record of growing revenue and EBITDA, but we believe it has entered a multi-year growth cycle where it can post consistent growth and FCF generation.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Keisei Electric Railway Co, Ventia, HNI Corp, Odyssey Marine Exploration and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Keisei Electric: Results Unimpressive, Yet Investor Activism Appeal Remains
  • Ventia Services Group Placement- Coming Ahead of Lockup but Is Well Flagged, past Deals Have Done Ok
  • HNI Corporation – Raising Estimates Following Strong 3Q Earnings Report
  • Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. – Exploring and Developing Seabed Resources Responsibly


Keisei Electric: Results Unimpressive, Yet Investor Activism Appeal Remains

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP)‘s FQ2 earnings, released on October-31st, surpassed revenue and OP expectations, yet the company revised down its revenue and OP guidance by ¥8.8bn and ¥200m.
  • Despite this, the share price has surged over 10% in recent days, likely influenced by activist investor Palliser Capital’s interest and a significant 30% increase in annual dividend guidance.
  • However, during earnings, the company remained silent about the activist investor’s proposal to reduce its Oriental Land (4661 JP) ownership below 15%.

Ventia Services Group Placement- Coming Ahead of Lockup but Is Well Flagged, past Deals Have Done Ok

By Sumeet Singh

  • Ventia (VNT AU) (VSG)’s two largest shareholders, Apollo Global Management and CIMIC Group, aim to raise around US$174m via selling 11.7% of the company.
  • The two investors have pared their stake thrice this year and this will be the final cleanup sale. All the past deals have done ok.
  • In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics.

HNI Corporation – Raising Estimates Following Strong 3Q Earnings Report

By Water Tower Research

  • We are raising our non-GAAP (adjusted) EPS estimates for 4Q23 and 2024 following HNI’s strong 3Q23 earnings report on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
  • Our sales estimates have moderated. Following the 3Q23 report, margins should be sustainably stronger.
  • HNI reported 3Q23 adjusted EPS of $0.93, $0.30 better than consensus. Sales were roughly in line. 

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. – Exploring and Developing Seabed Resources Responsibly

By Water Tower Research

  • We hosted a fireside chat with Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors Mark D. Gordon.
  • This report contains a transcript of the fireside chat from October 12, 2023, which can be accessed on demand.
  • Deep roots and unique capabilities. Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. is a company with nearly 30 years of experience exploring and recovering deep-sea sites, amassing more than 24,000 hours of deep-sea experience, and exploring more than 74,000 square kilometers of the seafloor in the process.

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Kyocera Corp, Tesla Motors, Silergy Corp, Aehr Test Systems, Duolingo, SenSen Networks, Bharti Airtel, QYOU Media and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • Kyocera (6971) And Their $10bn KDDI Stake – Did They Get CorpGov Religion?
  • Tesla (TSLA) No Longer Prevails, a Dilemma and Touch Challenges Ahead
  • Silergy (6415.TT): The Revenue Could Be Upside Around 17% in 4Q23F.
  • SiC as a Dog (Part 2)
  • Duolingo Valuation Update: Year-End Profit Taking Is Likely As ARR Growth Is Slowing Down
  • SenSen Networks – Eyeing scalable growth through smart cities
  • Bharti Airtel – Earnings Flash – Q2 FY 2023-24 Results – Lucror Analytics
  • QYOU: Unleashing the Power of Social Media Influencers


Kyocera (6971) And Their $10bn KDDI Stake – Did They Get CorpGov Religion?

By Travis Lundy

  • Yesterday, Kyocera Corp (6971 JP) announced Q2 results and lowered its full-year forecast. Then the CEO said it was “reconsidering” what to do with KDDI shares (after an AGM disaster).
  • The company had already planned to borrow ¥500bn against the KDDI stake to return capital to shareholders. That was in the price 5+ months ago. 
  • The new hope is that Kyocera just got Corporate Governance Religion. I have my doubts, and even if it did, you have to look carefully at their ambitious plans.

Tesla (TSLA) No Longer Prevails, a Dilemma and Touch Challenges Ahead

By Andrew Lu

  • Tesla is facing a dilemma whether to aggressively cut price to boost shipment but lose margins or to keep price stable with a more moderated shipment growth like 10-20% y/y.
  • Three challenges ahead: 1. Collapsing margin vs. rising margin for key competitors? 2. Cybertruck is selling at a loss, more margin downside? 3. Valuation reset for lower sales CAGR?
  • Cautious on Tesla as its sales/earnings CAGR is falling below 20% with a rich valuation until we see cost cut on Cybertruck, FSD AI breakthrough, and low price model introduction.

Silergy (6415.TT): The Revenue Could Be Upside Around 17% in 4Q23F.

By Patrick Liao

  • Revenue was up 14.5% QoQ and down 31% YoY in 3Q23, but it could see an increase of about 17% QoQ and 3% YoY in 4Q23F. 
  • Silergy Corp (6415 TT) needs to increase another place to its Foundry source out of China and Taiwan.
  • The Automotive segment is expected to show significant growth and is likely to reach double digits by the end of 2024F.

SiC as a Dog (Part 2)

By Douglas O’Laughlin

  • The sickness in Silicon Carbide started at On semi.
  • Let’s look through the results and see the drivers, the big deal, and what we should do about it.
  • The market freaked out about Silicon Carbide, specifically On semiconductor, saying that automotive demand for the year will be weaker.

Duolingo Valuation Update: Year-End Profit Taking Is Likely As ARR Growth Is Slowing Down

By Andrei Zakharov

  • Duolingo shares have outperformed in 2023, with shares up ~115% over the year versus ~26% gain on the Nasdaq. The company priced its IPO at $102 a share in 2021.
  • EdTech unicorn achieved the highest-ever MAUs and DAUs in 2QFY23, while paid subscribers reached 5.2M, ~7% of MAUs. Management raised top-line and profitability guidance for FY23. 
  • With a market cap of ~$7.4B on a fully diluted basis, Duolingo shares trade at ~13x and ~10x EV/Rev on my FY23/FY24 estimates, a significant premium to comparable companies.

SenSen Networks – Eyeing scalable growth through smart cities

By Edison Investment Research

SenSen’s Q1 update signals positive momentum following record FY23 results. Q1 saw customer receipts exceed operating costs on a trailing 12-month basis, a key milestone towards its target to reach profitability this year. Encouraging FY24 lead indicators include a recent tender announcement, potentially one of SenSen’s most significant smart cities deals yet, and the settlement of the Angel dispute, which marks SenSen’s gaming exit. Proceeds from Angel’s investment in SenSen and the ongoing rights issue should support the company to more actively pursue the much larger smart cities opportunity, which is now the group’s sole focus.


Bharti Airtel – Earnings Flash – Q2 FY 2023-24 Results – Lucror Analytics

By Trung Nguyen

Bharti Airtel’s Q2/23-24 results were robust in our view, with solid revenue and earnings growth across the Indian and African businesses. Operational stats were healthy, with strong increases in user bases and ARPU (particularly the 5G customer base). The financial risk profile remains stable. Liquidity is adequate.


QYOU: Unleashing the Power of Social Media Influencers

By Atrium Research

  • QYOU Media has posted nine consecutive quarters of YoY growth, representing a 33% CAGR using its repeatable content strategy.
  • QYOU Media (QYOU:TSXV) produces and distributes broadcast and digital media content featuring leading social media influencers in India and the U.S.
  • Across its platforms, QYOU’s content is viewed by over 125M people each week, providing major brands access to loyal fanbases.

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Daily Brief Health Care: Celltrion Healthcare , TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Cipla Ltd, Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals and more

By | Daily Briefs, Healthcare

In today’s briefing:

  • Celltrion Merger Update: Limits Lifted
  • What Is the Path for Resolving the Challenges of Life Insurance Companies’ Policy Shareholdings?
  • 2023 High Conviction Update: Cipla (CIPLA IN)- Q2 Result Beats Estimates; Margin Guidance Raised
  • Paradigm Biopharma – Q1 results recap iPPS progress in OA & MPS


Celltrion Merger Update: Limits Lifted

By David Blennerhassett

  • Back on the 17 August, biopharmaceuticals developer and producer Celltrion Inc (068270 KS) announced a merger with Celltrion Healthcare (091990 KS).
  • On October 23rd, shareholders approved the merger. The appraisal rights exercise period commenced on the 23 October and ends on November 13. 28th December is the merger’s effective date.
  • Initially, the stock purchase rights limit was set at 1₩tn; however Celltrion Group’s founder/Chairman Seo Jung-jin has removed this limit. That takes care of NPS, which opposes the merger.

What Is the Path for Resolving the Challenges of Life Insurance Companies’ Policy Shareholdings?

By Aki Matsumoto

  • It should be noted that some companies that state that they do not possess takeover defenses also indicate that they will take “appropriate measures.”
  • Addition of ROE and % of independent directors to the approval/disapproval of takeover defense agenda is likely an afterthought to add these conditions to favor the introduction of takeover defense.
  • It’ll take several years before life insurance companies show signs of change in voting. It’ll be interesting to see how they come to terms with their corporate clients and stewardship.

2023 High Conviction Update: Cipla (CIPLA IN)- Q2 Result Beats Estimates; Margin Guidance Raised

By Tina Banerjee

  • In Q2FY24, Cipla Ltd (CIPLA IN) clocked record-high quarterly revenue at INR66.8B (+15% YoY), and EBITDA margin of 26%, driven by double-digit growth across India, North America, and South Africa.
  • U.S. business reported highest ever revenue of $229M. India revenue is up 10% YoY, driven by continued market beating performance in branded prescription and trade generics businesses.
  • Cipla raised FY24 EBITDA margin guidance from 23% to 23% to 24% with bias towards the higher end. The company started FY24 with an EBITDA margin guidance of 21–22%.

Paradigm Biopharma – Q1 results recap iPPS progress in OA & MPS

By Edison Investment Research

Paradigm announced Q1 results (for the quarter ending 30 September) and a A$30m capital raise to potentially extend its cash runway through to mid CY25. Management attributed increased spending in the quarter to increased clinical and recruiting activity, which translated into a higher net cash outflow from operating activities of A$22.5m (vs A$17.1m in Q423). With the PARA_OA_008 programme now concluded, as well as the upcoming completion of the mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) VI Phase II trial and anticipated lower costs for PARA_OA_002, management expects R&D spend to decline in Q224, from A$21.9 in Q124 (vs A$16.1m in Q423). At the quarter end, the company had a cash balance of A$33.6m.


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Daily Brief Industrials: Keisei Electric Railway Co, Ventia, HNI Corp, Odyssey Marine Exploration and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Keisei Electric: Results Unimpressive, Yet Investor Activism Appeal Remains
  • Ventia Services Group Placement- Coming Ahead of Lockup but Is Well Flagged, past Deals Have Done Ok
  • HNI Corporation – Raising Estimates Following Strong 3Q Earnings Report
  • Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. – Exploring and Developing Seabed Resources Responsibly


Keisei Electric: Results Unimpressive, Yet Investor Activism Appeal Remains

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Keisei Electric Railway Co (9009 JP)‘s FQ2 earnings, released on October-31st, surpassed revenue and OP expectations, yet the company revised down its revenue and OP guidance by ¥8.8bn and ¥200m.
  • Despite this, the share price has surged over 10% in recent days, likely influenced by activist investor Palliser Capital’s interest and a significant 30% increase in annual dividend guidance.
  • However, during earnings, the company remained silent about the activist investor’s proposal to reduce its Oriental Land (4661 JP) ownership below 15%.

Ventia Services Group Placement- Coming Ahead of Lockup but Is Well Flagged, past Deals Have Done Ok

By Sumeet Singh

  • Ventia (VNT AU) (VSG)’s two largest shareholders, Apollo Global Management and CIMIC Group, aim to raise around US$174m via selling 11.7% of the company.
  • The two investors have pared their stake thrice this year and this will be the final cleanup sale. All the past deals have done ok.
  • In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics.

HNI Corporation – Raising Estimates Following Strong 3Q Earnings Report

By Water Tower Research

  • We are raising our non-GAAP (adjusted) EPS estimates for 4Q23 and 2024 following HNI’s strong 3Q23 earnings report on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
  • Our sales estimates have moderated. Following the 3Q23 report, margins should be sustainably stronger.
  • HNI reported 3Q23 adjusted EPS of $0.93, $0.30 better than consensus. Sales were roughly in line. 

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. – Exploring and Developing Seabed Resources Responsibly

By Water Tower Research

  • We hosted a fireside chat with Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors Mark D. Gordon.
  • This report contains a transcript of the fireside chat from October 12, 2023, which can be accessed on demand.
  • Deep roots and unique capabilities. Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. is a company with nearly 30 years of experience exploring and recovering deep-sea sites, amassing more than 24,000 hours of deep-sea experience, and exploring more than 74,000 square kilometers of the seafloor in the process.

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Daily Brief Consumer: Tongcheng Travel Holdings , Midea Group Co Ltd A, Zhongsheng Group, LT Foods Ltd, Lf Corp, CyberAgent Inc, Mayora Indah and more

By | Consumer, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Quiddity HSTECH Dec 23 Flow Expectations: US$512mn One-Way Flows if the Expected Change Takes Place
  • Midea Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case
  • Quiddity HSCEI Dec 23 Rebalance: Zhongsheng Vs China Grand Pair Interesting if Deletion Is Confirmed
  • Global Rice Market Disrupted: India’s Export Ban Sparks Chaos and Worries
  • Korea Small Cap Gem #26: LF Corp – A Deep Value Play and the Lee Hyori Effect
  • CyberAgent: Gaming Shows Some Recovery but New Releases Yet to Shift Momentum for Games
  • Mayora Indah (MYOR IJ) – Classy Biscuits and Beverages


Quiddity HSTECH Dec 23 Flow Expectations: US$512mn One-Way Flows if the Expected Change Takes Place

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSTECH Index tracks the performance of the top 30 technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to certain technology themes.
  • The index changes and the indicative component weights for the December 2023 index review will be published in a couple of weeks.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes and the resultant capping flows for the HSTECH Index in December 2023.

Midea Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case

By Arun George

  • Midea Group Co Ltd A (000333 CH), the world’s biggest home appliances maker, has filed for a H Share listing to raise US$1 billion, according to press reports.   
  • Midea is the world’s largest home appliance company in sales volume and revenue in 2022. Its subsidiary, KUKA Group, is one of the world’s “big four” industrial robotics companies.
  • The investment case rests on return to growth, margin on an upward trajectory, cash generation, strong balance sheet and undemanding valuation. 

Quiddity HSCEI Dec 23 Rebalance: Zhongsheng Vs China Grand Pair Interesting if Deletion Is Confirmed

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The HSCEI serves as a benchmark to reflect the overall performance of the top 50 “Mainland China” Securities listed in Hong Kong.
  • In a couple of weeks, the official index changes and the indicative weights for the final index members for the December 2023 rebalance will be announced.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes and the resultant capping flows for HSCEI in December 2023.

Global Rice Market Disrupted: India’s Export Ban Sparks Chaos and Worries

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • India’s rice export ban triggers global market chaos, leading to panic buying and uncertainty in rice supply, affecting both India and Thailand.
  • El Niño’s drought threatens Thailand’s rice production, adding to the crisis. Other Asian nations impose export bans, raising inflation concerns.
  • Global rice prices rise, impacting vulnerable nations and sparking fears of a repeat of the 2008 rice crisis due to protectionist policies.

Korea Small Cap Gem #26: LF Corp – A Deep Value Play and the Lee Hyori Effect

By Douglas Kim

  • Lf Corp (093050 KS) is the 26th company in our Korea Small Cap Gems series. 
  • LF Corp is one of the leading apparel companies in Korea which has a market cap of 411 billion won. LF Corp is trading at 0.3x P/B and 4x P/E.
  • A key near-term catalyst is better than expected sales of the Reebok branded apparel that are promoted by the pop icon Lee Hyori. 

CyberAgent: Gaming Shows Some Recovery but New Releases Yet to Shift Momentum for Games

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • CA reported 4Q and full-year FY09/2023 results today. 4Q revenue increased 5% YoY while OP dropped more than 50% during the quarter. Revenues beat consensus while OP fell behind.
  • Games revenues further decreased YoY during the quarter (improved QoQ) while it managed to report an OP which was possible due to UMA MUSUME’s game anniversary.
  • Though CA released a new game in September and few lined-up for release, until the company releases a hit title like UMA MUSUME, we expect the recovery to be slow.

Mayora Indah (MYOR IJ) – Classy Biscuits and Beverages

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Mayora Indah (MYOR IJ) saw a significant positive surge in profitability from lower raw material prices and lower operating costs in 3Q2023, which suggests it will beat its FY2023 guidance.
  • The company continues to launch new variants in both biscuits and beverages with a slant towards premiumisation and is also more aggressively attacking export markets, where its brands are strong.
  • Mayora Indah (MYOR IJ) is expanding factory capacity to fuel growth in 2024 but should also benefit from pre-election spending from 4Q2023. Valuations look attractive versus historical comparisons.

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Daily Brief Financials: HDFC Bank, Cloudchain, Japan Hotel Reit Investment and more

By | Daily Briefs, Financials

In today’s briefing:

  • HDFC Bank: Steady ROA Despite NIM Compression Post Merger
  • Cloudchain Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Japan REITs: Long Japan Hotel REIT and Short Nippon Building Fund on Industry Fundamentals


HDFC Bank: Steady ROA Despite NIM Compression Post Merger

By Ankit Agrawal, CFA

  • As highlighted in our prior notes, HDFC Bank (HDFCB IN) has been able to maintain its ROA and ROE despite NIM compression post merger.
  • As the excess liquidity (related to the merger) recedes over the next 3-4 quarters, ROA and ROE should further normalize.
  • HDFCB has been able to clock 5%ish QoQ growth across deposits and loans, allaying growth concerns on a larger base post merger.

Cloudchain Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Ethan Aw

  • Cloudchain (CC CH) is looking to raise up to US$200m in its upcoming HK IPO. The deal will be run by China Securities International, ABC International, ICBC and Maxa Capital.
  • Cloudchain is an independent industry digital finance platform in China, serving anchor enterprises, chain-related enterprises, and financial institutions. 
  • According to F&S, it is the largest independent digitalized corporate credit confirming platform in China. Its user base had grown at a CAGR of 75.1% from 2020 to 2022. 

Japan REITs: Long Japan Hotel REIT and Short Nippon Building Fund on Industry Fundamentals

By Jacob Cheng

  • In this insight, among the J-REIT universe, we explore the pair trade idea of LONG Japan Hotel REIT and SHORT Nippon Building Fund
  • Among the real estate subsectors, we expect hotels continue to see superior performance on the back of tourism recovery, while office market will continue to be weak
  • Both JHR and NBF are large caps with good trading liquidity.  In terms of valuation, we see more upside in JHR (20%) than NBF (0%)

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Daily Brief Financials: Hokuhoku Financial Group, Resona Holdings, USD, Standard Chartered, DBS, China Minsheng Banking H, EURO/US DOLLAR, Bank Negara Indonesia Persero, Marsh & Mclennan, Bakkt and more

By | Daily Briefs, Financials

In today’s briefing:

  • Japan H1 Bank Earnings: Interest/Fees Up, Expenses/Credit Costs Down – Opportunity Abounds, Still
  • Japanese Banks – Nearing the Yield Curve Control End-Game
  • Fed Watch: Why Should the Fed Abandon the Planned Year-End Hike?
  • STAN – Stage 2 Loans Surge | Expect Migration to Stage 3 Loans | Credit Costs Can Move 50% Higher
  • DBS – Fines, Negative Loan Growth, Greater China CRE Risks, UOB & STAN & HSBC Illustrative
  • China Minsheng Bank’s NII Decline Has Slowed for 3Q23, Asset Quality Stabilized For Now
  • FX Watch – Exploring FX Fundamentals
  • Indonesian Banks Screener; Negara Remains the Stand Out
  • Marsh & McLennan Companies: String Of Recent Acquisitions Driving Growth? – Major Drivers
  • Bakkt Holdings, Inc. – Lightning Network Going Mainstream


Japan H1 Bank Earnings: Interest/Fees Up, Expenses/Credit Costs Down – Opportunity Abounds, Still

By Travis Lundy

  • 40% of Banks outside the Top 7 (none of which offered H1 guidance) in the TOPIX Banks Index have now changed H1 guidance or reported H1. 2 reported both up.
  • 92% of the others have revised up H1 net income guidance a weighted average of 47%. Net Interest Income, Corporate fees/comms are up, expenses and credit costs are down.
  • Big tables with data, reasons for guidance changes, and buyback history of each presented below.

Japanese Banks – Nearing the Yield Curve Control End-Game

By Victor Galliano

  • The latest BoJ adjustment to its yield curve control lifts the hard yield ceiling of 1% on 10 year JGBs, making it “a reference” and allowing yields to exceed it
  • 10 year JGB yields are close to 1%, with Japanese bond yields steepening further which is positive for Japanese banks, especially those with a high share of floating-rate credit exposures
  • We stick with our positive views on Resona, Mizuho, SMFG and Hachijuni; we add Concordia to our buy list for its high share of floating rate credit exposure

Fed Watch: Why Should the Fed Abandon the Planned Year-End Hike?

By Andreas Steno

  • Welcome to our short and sweet Fed preview.
  • No one expects policy action from the Fed this week, but Powell could decide to reiterate that the dot plot remains intact given the most recent information received.
  • We doubt that Powell will bring about a strong guidance for a December hike, but unless the wheels come off, it’s very likely that they will be tempted to deliver that hike come December.

STAN – Stage 2 Loans Surge | Expect Migration to Stage 3 Loans | Credit Costs Can Move 50% Higher

By Daniel Tabbush

  • Our focus is not on the decimation of earnings at Standard Chartered (STAN LN) but rather the granular detail of stage 2 and stage 3 loans
  • There is tremendous growth in stage 2 loans in the quarter, which means the bank enters the quarter with a far higher pool that can migrate to stage 3
  • Stage 3 remains markedly higher provisions, and the bank’s rise in credit costs is still fairly low, it can rise another 50% before hitting average rates

DBS – Fines, Negative Loan Growth, Greater China CRE Risks, UOB & STAN & HSBC Illustrative

By Daniel Tabbush

  • The MAS is not at all happy with the frequent digital banking services outages at DBS (DBS SP). There will be fines and higher required capital. 
  • The outlook for the home market lending is already poor, with negative loan growth in recent months. Probes of money laundering will likely make lending even more sparse.
  • UOB (UOB SP) , Standard Chartered (STAN LN) , HSBC Holdings (HSBA LN) results are all illustrative of risks facing DBS (DBS SP) before results come out, especially credit costs.

China Minsheng Bank’s NII Decline Has Slowed for 3Q23, Asset Quality Stabilized For Now

By Fern Wang

  • NII decline has slowed but the overall profitability is lacklustre
  • Asset quality stabilized for now, real estate exposure remains a concern
  • We believe the turnaround of the bank is still pretty far off. 

FX Watch – Exploring FX Fundamentals

By Andreas Steno

  • Hello everyone, and welcome to a shorter piece on where to find fundamental value in the current FX environment.
  • We’ll take a trip back to the theory books and use some of the good old correlations and fundamental value metrics to give some insights on the best FX bets now that the tightening cycle is likely soon coming to an end.
  • Read along, as we run through the most important pairs below.

Indonesian Banks Screener; Negara Remains the Stand Out

By Victor Galliano

  • Bank Negara remains our top pick for its deep value attributes of low PE multiples and its very attractive PEG ratio, whilst improving post-provision returns and registering strong liquidity
  • We also keep Bank Mandiri on a buy rating, for its premium returns and undemanding PE multiples; Bank Central Asia, albeit fully valued in our view, has impressive return
  • Bank Rakyat again registered worsening pre-provision returns in 3Q23, along with cost of risk; its heavily MSME focused loan mix implies a high structural cost of risk going forward

Marsh & McLennan Companies: String Of Recent Acquisitions Driving Growth? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. managed to exceed the revenue and earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • The company achieved an unprecedented quarterly underlying revenue growth over two decades and reported substantial growth in adjusted EPS.
  • Marsh McLennan Agency acquired Graham Company, a top-100 US insurance and benefits broker and risk management consultancy, bolstering the company’s Mid-Atlantic presence.

Bakkt Holdings, Inc. – Lightning Network Going Mainstream

By Water Tower Research

  • On October 23, Bakkt announced that it was supporting the new Universal Money Address (UMA) open standard for money transmission.
  • This is being done in collaboration with Lightspark, where Bakkt will be one of its initial partners.
  • The initial launch of the UMA- capable Lightning service will support cross-border remittances, B2B settlement, instantaneous deposits and withdrawals for trading, or globally interoperable P2P.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Polycab India , Hanwha Corporation, Shenzhen International, ZTO Express Cayman , Paccar Inc, Waste Management, General Electric , Ask Automotive, Illinois Tool Works, 3M Co and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • AMFI Stock Reclassification Preview (Dec 2023): HUGE Outperformance as Active and Passive Meet
  • Hanwha Corp: Updated NAV Analysis – Defense Assets Undervalued
  • Shenzhen Intl (152 HK): A Big Step Forward
  • The Four Listed Chinese Express Companies Suffered Significant Margin Erosion in Q323
  • PACCAR Inc: Does The Battery Revolution Imply A Possible Investment Opportunity? – Major Drivers
  • Waste Management: Recycling Tech Transforms Business! Inside their Next-Gen Sustainability Approach! – Major Drivers
  • General Electric Company: A Lucrative Strategy Of Future-Proof Investments Revealed! – Major Drivers
  • ASK Automotive Pre-IPO – Business Has Been Resilient, Although Concentration Risk Remains Elevated
  • Illinois Tool Works Inc.: Surge in China’s Automotive Segment – Unveiling Recent Big Winners! – Major Drivers
  • 3M Company: How They’re Dominating the Market! – Major Drivers


AMFI Stock Reclassification Preview (Dec 2023): HUGE Outperformance as Active and Passive Meet

By Brian Freitas

  • We see 8 stocks moving from MidCap to LargeCap, 8 stocks moving from LargeCap to MidCap, 13 stocks from SmallCap to MidCap, and 14 stocks from MidCap to SmallCap.
  • Some stocks are expected to be inclusions to global indices later this month while others are potential NIFTY Index and/or Nifty Next 50 Index changes in March.
  • On average, the upward migrating stocks have outperformed the downward migrating stocks by close to 100% over the last 8 months. The passive flow can be used as an exit.

Hanwha Corp: Updated NAV Analysis – Defense Assets Undervalued

By Douglas Kim

  • We provide an updated NAV analysis of Hanwha Corporation which is a holding company of the Hanwha Group. We argue that Hanwha Corp’s shares are trading excessively below its NAV. 
  • Hanwha Corp is down 10.5% YTD, underperforming Hanwha Aerospace (up 54.2% YTD). Hanwha Corp’s stake in Hanwha Aerospace is worth 1.9 trillion won (14% higher than Hanwha Corp’s market cap). 
  • Our NAV analysis of Hanwha Corporation (000880 KS) suggests NAV of 2.3 trillion won or NAV per share of 30,203 won which is 33% higher than current price.

Shenzhen Intl (152 HK): A Big Step Forward

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Shenzhen International (152 HK) has reached agreement with the government on the South China Logistics Park Phase I transformation and it will receive Rmb1.058bn compensation.
  • The sum equals a significant 9% of SZI’s market capitalisation. The agreement also kick-started the project’s long-term contribution, which may provide an income stream lasting 3-5 years.
  • The deal showcased SZI’s ability to realise the underlying value of its assets. The stock should not be valued on its earnings, and its 0.3x P/B is deeply undervalued.

The Four Listed Chinese Express Companies Suffered Significant Margin Erosion in Q323

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Given declining prices and slowing volume growth, we anticipated lower Q3 express margins
  • The four China-listed express firms saw Op Inc margin fall from 5.3% in Q2 to 3.9% in Q3
  • SF fared better than ‘sort & transport’ names, but its freight forwarding segment still a drag

PACCAR Inc: Does The Battery Revolution Imply A Possible Investment Opportunity? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • PACCAR managed to surpass the revenue and earnings expectations of Wall Street, with net income surging by 60% year-over-year to a historic $1.23 billion, accompanied by a 23% increase in revenues.
  • PACCAR Parts also played a pivotal role in the company’s success, with third-quarter revenues reaching $1.58 billion and Parts pretax profits increasing by 10% to $412 million.
  • PACCAR Financial achieved an impressive pretax income of $134 million in the financial sector in the third quarter.

Waste Management: Recycling Tech Transforms Business! Inside their Next-Gen Sustainability Approach! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Waste Management delivered a mixed result in the recent quarter, with revenues below market expectations but surpassed the analyst consensus regarding earnings.
  • The solid waste business was the driving force behind this achievement, with organic revenue growth in collection and disposal aligning well with expectations.
  • The resilience of solid waste volumes, with positive trends in commercial volumes and special waste growth, stood out.

General Electric Company: A Lucrative Strategy Of Future-Proof Investments Revealed! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • General Electric Company delivered an all-around beat in the previous quarter.
  • Orders increased by double digits, with services up by 15% and equipment up by 22%, driven primarily by the commercial aerospace sector.
  • The aerospace segment, in particular, experienced substantial growth, with commercial engines and services leading the way.

ASK Automotive Pre-IPO – Business Has Been Resilient, Although Concentration Risk Remains Elevated

By Clarence Chu

  • Ask Automotive (7175293Z IN) is looking to raise around US$145m in its upcoming India IPO. 
  • ASK Automotive (ASKA) is the largest manufacturer of brake-shoe and advanced braking (AB) systems for 2Ws in India, in terms of FY23 production volume for OEMs and the branded IAM.
  • As per CRISIL, it had an approximate 50% market share in said market. The IPO is expected to consist of 100% secondary shares, with promoters trimming their stakes.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.: Surge in China’s Automotive Segment – Unveiling Recent Big Winners! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Illinois Tool Works delivered a mixed set of results in its most recent results, with revenues falling short of Wall Street expectations but above-par earnings.
  • The company had relatively stable organic growth in the quarter, with a 2% increase on an equal-day basis.
  • Operating margin for the third quarter reached 26.5%, marking a 200-basis point increase compared to the previous year.

3M Company: How They’re Dominating the Market! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • 3M Company delivered an all-around beat in the most recent quarterly result.
  • This success has positioned the company for a promising conclusion to the year 2023.
  • The company also addresses potential risk and uncertainty by resolving significant litigation matters, such as Combat Arms and PFAS litigation.

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  • ✓ Company Data and News
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