Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-overseas-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:113:1" rel="noopener">UOB (UOB SP)</a> just released their 3Q23 results, with their IR documents attached below. Our interpretation of their numbers is less positive than their own presentation. </li>
<li>Credit growth is faltering, with worsening NIM in QoQ, and with what appears to be topping out net interest income. Citi integration costs remain an issue. </li>
<li>Underlying credit metrics with worse recoveries and worse new NPAs are not positive, nor is the 126% rise YoY in credit costs in 3Q23.  Will this improve in 4Q23? </li>
</ul>



UOB (UOB SP) just released their 3Q23 results, with their IR documents attached below. Our interpretation of their numbers is less positive than their own presentation. 
Credit growth is faltering, with worsening NIM in QoQ, and with what appears to be topping out net interest income. Citi integration costs remain an issue. 
Underlying credit metrics with worse recoveries and worse new NPAs are not positive, nor is the 126% rise YoY in credit costs in 3Q23.  Will this improve in 4Q23? 


UOB - Net Profit Down 1.5% YoY, Credit Costs +126% YoY, Citi Costs ~5% of Profit, Expect Worsening

<ul>
<li>UOB can be harder hit than peers due to its greater SME focus. SME's may be less able to absorb or pass on higher costs, or manage worse demand.</li>
<li>Domestic credit growth is at -4.1% in July YoY, from -3.3% YoY in June and from 2.1% in May. This can represent risk-aversion, worse demand, deteriorating credit metrics in SG.</li>
<li>UOB's Greater China lending is SGD52bn, nearly identical to Thailand, Malaysia combined. Building &amp; Construction NPLs rose from SGD1.1bn to SGD1.4bn HoH to 2Q23.</li>
</ul>


UOB can be harder hit than peers due to its greater SME focus. SME's may be less able to absorb or pass on higher costs, or manage worse demand.
Domestic credit growth is at -4.1% in July YoY, from -3.3% YoY in June and from 2.1% in May. This can represent risk-aversion, worse demand, deteriorating credit metrics in SG.
UOB's Greater China lending is SGD52bn, nearly identical to Thailand, Malaysia combined. Building &amp; Construction NPLs rose from SGD1.1bn to SGD1.4bn HoH to 2Q23.


UOB - Weaker Credit | Struggling Cost Base | Moving to Trading | A Changing Face

Product Marketing Manager, Criat

Raghav Chandra Mathur

Product Marketing Manager

Next-Generation Credit Analytics Provider

Criat

Criat specializes in new-generation data-driven credit analytics. Leveraging our industry-leading DeepCredit analytical technologies, we produce daily-updated forward-looking credit assessment and valuation to help financial institutions stay ahead of risks. Coupled with use-case-driven applications, we extract insights, answer questions and enable smarter credit decisions.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Insurers domiciled in Advanced Asian Economies have reaped the benefits of the higher-for-longer interest rate environment that has buoyed profitability for the sub-sector, even though operational headwinds and policy uncertainty remain key challenges for the sector in the latter half of the year.</li><li>Suffice to say the trend in Insurers’ credit risk profiles, measured using Criat’s Credit Cycle Indices (CCCIs), has been non-homogenous across the continent with firms domiciled in economies such as South Korea and Hong Kong facing a substantially higher risk than those domiciled in Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan.</li><li>Strong net investment returns over the past year have helped boost profitability for most of the sub-sector that has increased its exposure to government securities. </li></ul>

Insurers domiciled in Advanced Asian Economies have reaped the benefits of the higher-for-longer interest rate environment that has buoyed profitability for the sub-sector, even though operational headwinds and policy uncertainty remain key challenges for the sector in the latter half of the year.Suffice to say the trend in Insurers’ credit risk profiles, measured using Criat’s Credit Cycle Indices (CCCIs), has been non-homogenous across the continent with firms domiciled in economies such as South Korea and Hong Kong facing a substantially higher risk than those domiciled in Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan.Strong net investment returns over the past year have helped boost profitability for most of the sub-sector that has increased its exposure to government securities. 

Leaders and Laggards in Advanced Asia-Domiciled Insurance Sector

<ul>
<li>In the most recent quarters HSBC saw its NIM decline from around 1.7% to 1.5%</li>
<li>As the bank de-risks its CRE lending it is left with a greater proportion of bad CRE loans</li>
<li>There can be more significant impairment charges on BoCom, the USD3bn done was small</li>
</ul>


In the most recent quarters HSBC saw its NIM decline from around 1.7% to 1.5%
As the bank de-risks its CRE lending it is left with a greater proportion of bad CRE loans
There can be more significant impairment charges on BoCom, the USD3bn done was small


HSBC - The Narrative Seems to Be Missing Many Points of the Reality

<ul>
<li>HK &amp; China CRE credit impaired loans are rising sharply and high in 3Q23. We believe there is risk that the bank has to take much higher credit costs. </li>
<li>Not only Mainland China CRE where there are risks. HSBC shows its ECL coverage ratio for HK CRE rising 45% over the past nine months, from 4Q22 to 3Q23. </li>
<li>LT credit costs shows HSBC's provisioning is like during a benign environment, at ~1/3 of its LT average. Its +34% QoQ credit costs in 4Q22 is worth keeping in mind. </li>
</ul>


HK &amp; China CRE credit impaired loans are rising sharply and high in 3Q23. We believe there is risk that the bank has to take much higher credit costs. 
Not only Mainland China CRE where there are risks. HSBC shows its ECL coverage ratio for HK CRE rising 45% over the past nine months, from 4Q22 to 3Q23. 
LT credit costs shows HSBC's provisioning is like during a benign environment, at ~1/3 of its LT average. Its +34% QoQ credit costs in 4Q22 is worth keeping in mind. 


HSBC - HK & China CRE Credit Impaired Loans Now 25.8% from 20.2% | ECL Coverage for HK CRE up 45%

Singapore

United Overseas Bank Limited provides a wide range of financial services including personal financial services, wealth management, private banking, commercial and corporate banking, transaction banking, investment banking, corporate finance, capital market activities, treasury services, futures broking, asset management, venture capital management and insurance.

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UOB (UOB SP)

UOB - Net Profit Down 1.5% YoY, Credit Costs +126% YoY, Citi Costs ~5% of Profit, Expect Worsening

UOB results are out just out, they do not look good, with worsening loan growth, sharply higher credit costs, meaningful divergence in recoveries...

Daniel Tabbush

UOB - Weaker Credit | Struggling Cost Base | Moving to Trading | A Changing Face

UOB is struggling with operating costs far more than peers, partly from Citibank, partly from oil. Its credit costs are doubling. It is relying...

Daniel Tabbush

Leaders and Laggards in Advanced Asia-Domiciled Insurance Sector

Insurers domiciled in Advanced Asian Economies have reaped the benefits of the higher-for-longer interest rate environment that has buoyed...

Criat

HSBC - The Narrative Seems to Be Missing Many Points of the Reality

The HSBC narrative seems to be missing much of the reality: the sharp drop in NIM in 4Q23, the worsening proportion of bad CRE loans to total, and...

Daniel Tabbush

HSBC - HK & China CRE Credit Impaired Loans Now 25.8% from 20.2% | ECL Coverage for HK CRE up 45%

NYCB, Aozora, now Pfandbriefbank in Germany, CRE risks are clear. HSBC is not only exposed in places like Hong Kong and China, but also material...

Daniel Tabbush

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