HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

China Southern Airlines / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>While China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) saw passenger traffic up 17.3% in Jan, this is at the expense of higher capacity, leading to a 1.8pp YoY passenger load contraction. </li>
<li>Its cargo traffic underperformed both CEA and Air China with a YoY decline; and this is disappointing in a period of time where airfreight rate is at record-breaking level.  </li>
<li>We see reduced local travel demand, higher operating costs, weaker cargo business, pressure on yield and higher base of comparison key challenges in 2022, and prefer Air China Ltd (753 HK). </li>
</ul>


While China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) saw passenger traffic up 17.3% in Jan, this is at the expense of higher capacity, leading to a 1.8pp YoY passenger load contraction. 
Its cargo traffic underperformed both CEA and Air China with a YoY decline; and this is disappointing in a period of time where airfreight rate is at record-breaking level.  
We see reduced local travel demand, higher operating costs, weaker cargo business, pressure on yield and higher base of comparison key challenges in 2022, and prefer Air China Ltd (753 HK). 


China Southern Airlines (1055 HK): A Tough Start

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Various figures for the Chinese New Year holidays suggested that the domestic tourism market is lukewarm in 2022. However, there are evidences that high-end consumption is better than low-end.</li>
<li>Weak cross-province tourism and low-end spending are likely negative to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/maoyan-entertainment" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27451:1" rel="noopener">Maoyan Entertainment (1896 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-pictures-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20724:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Pictures (1060 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/imax-china-holding-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:888:1" rel="noopener">IMAX China Holding (1970 HK)</a>.  </li>
<li>Good duty-free sales and high-end spending are beneficial to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-tourism-group-duty-free-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12278:1" rel="noopener">CTG Duty Free Corp (601888 CH)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fosun-tourism-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27439:1" rel="noopener">Fosun Tourism (1992 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fosun-international-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:433:1" rel="noopener">Fosun International (656 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/chow-tai-fook-jewellery-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:549:1" rel="noopener">Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (1929 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>


Various figures for the Chinese New Year holidays suggested that the domestic tourism market is lukewarm in 2022. However, there are evidences that high-end consumption is better than low-end.
Weak cross-province tourism and low-end spending are likely negative to China Southern Airlines (1055 HK), Maoyan Entertainment (1896 HK), Alibaba Pictures (1060 HK) and IMAX China Holding (1970 HK).  
Good duty-free sales and high-end spending are beneficial to CTG Duty Free Corp (601888 CH), Fosun Tourism (1992 HK), Fosun International (656 HK) and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (1929 HK). 


2022 Chinese New Year Holidays - Some Winners and Losers

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyse the changes of A/H premium on 136 stocks over the last week.</li>
<li>Information technology and health care led the increases of A/H premium while consumer staple led the decreases of A/H premium. </li>
<li>We highlight A/H premium increases for Flat Glass, Cansino, and China Eastern Air. </li>
</ul>


We analyse the changes of A/H premium on 136 stocks over the last week.
Information technology and health care led the increases of A/H premium while consumer staple led the decreases of A/H premium. 
We highlight A/H premium increases for Flat Glass, Cansino, and China Eastern Air. 


A/H Premium Weekly: Flat Glass, Cansino, China Eastern Air

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (753 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-eastern-airlines-co-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1079:1" rel="noopener">China Eastern Airlines (670 HK) </a>issued profit warnings for FY21, guiding for Rmb36.8-43.3bn aggregate losses, worse than FY20. </li>
<li>On QoQ basis, CSA's bottom line is significantly weaker as losses enlarged 3.1x in 4Q21, versus 38.4% for CEA and 54% for Air China, based on the mid-point of guidances.</li>
<li>We expect Air China to outperform CSA (YTD: 1.6pp), backed by more international traffic, border opening of China, favourable cargo demand and pricing, and improvement at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cathay-pacific-airways-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:243:1" rel="noopener">Cathay Pacific (293 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>



Air China Ltd (753 HK), China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) and China Eastern Airlines (670 HK) issued profit warnings for FY21, guiding for Rmb36.8-43.3bn aggregate losses, worse than FY20. 
On QoQ basis, CSA's bottom line is significantly weaker as losses enlarged 3.1x in 4Q21, versus 38.4% for CEA and 54% for Air China, based on the mid-point of guidances.
We expect Air China to outperform CSA (YTD: 1.6pp), backed by more international traffic, border opening of China, favourable cargo demand and pricing, and improvement at Cathay Pacific (293 HK). 


Chinese Airlines: A Tale of Three Loss-Making, but Outperforming, Companies

<ul>
<li>Passenger traffic momentum of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK)</a> has picked up in Dec and it also narrowed down it gap against <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>The resurgence of international traffic over the next two years with more border openings will provide significant benefits to Air China, helping it to recover its depressed load factors.</li>
<li>Air China outperformed HSCEI by 3.6pp YTD, but we still consider its P/B of 1.0x, or around historical average, not stretched. Strength of Rmb is also a potential positive factor.</li>
</ul>


Passenger traffic momentum of Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) has picked up in Dec and it also narrowed down it gap against China Southern Airlines (1055 HK). 
The resurgence of international traffic over the next two years with more border openings will provide significant benefits to Air China, helping it to recover its depressed load factors.
Air China outperformed HSCEI by 3.6pp YTD, but we still consider its P/B of 1.0x, or around historical average, not stretched. Strength of Rmb is also a potential positive factor.


China

China Southern Airlines Company Limited provides commercial airline services throughout China, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.  The Company also provides other airline related services including aircraft maintenance and air catering.

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China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)