China Merchants Bank – Massive 4Q20 Charge-Offs

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Tencent Holdings – Slap On The Wrist For Now

Alibaba (BABA): This Online Antitrust Wave, A Risk, But Not A Massacre

Gravity Works As WeWork Doesn't; Now Plan B

Bifurcated Chinese Express Market Developing

Silver Point

Thomas J. Monaco

Independent Insight Provider

Silver Point is a boutique research firm that focuses on the broader financial services sector, with a particular focus on troubled institutions globally. 

Asia Ex Japan

Equity Bottom-Up

Alibaba Group Holding  / Equity Bottom-Up

*SAMR Sideshow: The State Administration for Market Regulations (SAMR) fined Alibaba Holdings (BABA.US) [Alibaba] on December 14, 2020, SAMR has also launched an inquiry into alleged monopolistic practices at Alibaba whereby it pressures merchants who sell goods on Taobao and Tmall to commit to not selling on competitor platforms which is considered “standard market practice” by Alibaba. The most equitable outcome to this practice, in our view, could be the termination of these exclusive relationships, which no doubt will negatively impact revenues – but this is just a sideshow; and*Moving A Rubber Tree Plant: More importantly, however, Alibaba’s Ant Group was summoned to meet with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), and State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) – which now follow the abrupt cancellation of Ant Group’s enormous USD 34 bn IPO – the largest IPO in history. A crackdown on Alibaba/Ant and other fintech firms was likely to happen at some point given the unbridled systemic risk they pose both on the lending and funding front which is overshadowed by technology.

*SAMR Sideshow: The State Administration for Market Regulations (SAMR) fined Alibaba Holdings (BABA.US) [Alibaba] on December 14, 2020, SAMR has also launched an inquiry into alleged monopolistic practices at Alibaba whereby it pressures merchants who sell goods on Taobao and Tmall to commit to not selling on competitor platforms which is considered “standard market practice” by Alibaba. The most equitable outcome to this practice, in our view, could be the termination of these exclusive relationships, which no doubt will negatively impact revenues – but this is just a sideshow; and*Moving A Rubber Tree Plant: More importantly, however, Alibaba’s Ant Group was summoned to meet with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), and State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) – which now follow the abrupt cancellation of Ant Group’s enormous USD 34 bn IPO – the largest IPO in history. A crackdown on Alibaba/Ant and other fintech firms was likely to happen at some point given the unbridled systemic risk they pose both on the lending and funding front which is overshadowed by technology.  

Alibaba Group Holding

Alibaba Group Holding – Go Limp