HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We continued to be cautious on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-gas-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14315:1" rel="noopener">China Gas Holdings (384 HK)</a> given the challenges faced. It guided for a flat dollar margin in FY23 but we think this is optimistic.</li>
<li>Connection fees are likely to stay under pressure after a 42.1% decline in FY22. It only projects 2.6-2.9m new residential connections for FY23, compared with 2.9m in FY22.</li>
<li>Although China Gas is now the cheapest Hong Kong-listed China gas utilities company, it takes time to regain market confidence. At similar valuation, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> looks more interesting. </li>
</ul>


We continued to be cautious on China Gas Holdings (384 HK) given the challenges faced. It guided for a flat dollar margin in FY23 but we think this is optimistic.
Connection fees are likely to stay under pressure after a 42.1% decline in FY22. It only projects 2.6-2.9m new residential connections for FY23, compared with 2.9m in FY22.
Although China Gas is now the cheapest Hong Kong-listed China gas utilities company, it takes time to regain market confidence. At similar valuation, Kunlun Energy (135 HK) looks more interesting. 


China Gas Holdings (384 HK): Not Giving It the Benefit of Doubt

<ul>
<li>Healthy 17.2% growth in 1Q22 net profit of Kunlun Gas, the most important subsidiary of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a>, provides a welcoming evidence to ease market concerns on costs.  </li>
<li>While gross margin was down 0.2pp YoY, it expanded by 0.4pp QoQ. Key cost items including selling, administrative and R&amp;D are all under control, boosting EBIT margin by 0.5pp YoY.</li>
<li>1Q22 is a record quarter for Kunlun Gas, and gearing stays comfortable with strong operating cash flow. We believe such set of result signals good 1Q22 for Kunlun Energy. </li>
</ul>


Healthy 17.2% growth in 1Q22 net profit of Kunlun Gas, the most important subsidiary of Kunlun Energy (135 HK), provides a welcoming evidence to ease market concerns on costs.  
While gross margin was down 0.2pp YoY, it expanded by 0.4pp QoQ. Key cost items including selling, administrative and R&amp;D are all under control, boosting EBIT margin by 0.5pp YoY.
1Q22 is a record quarter for Kunlun Gas, and gearing stays comfortable with strong operating cash flow. We believe such set of result signals good 1Q22 for Kunlun Energy. 


Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Record Quarter for Kunlun Gas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

Orient Overseas International / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Current at 66 constituents, we expect to reach 80 <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hong-kong-hang-seng-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22899:1" rel="noopener">HSI INDEX</a> constituents by the end of the year before moving higher towards 100 index members in 2023.</li>
<li>We list 10 stocks that could be added to the index in June - with one-way turnover close to 6%, the actual number of inclusions will be lower.</li>
<li>We also list out another 8 stocks that could possibly be added in June, though the probability of a September/ December inclusion is higher.</li>
</ul>


Current at 66 constituents, we expect to reach 80 HSI INDEX constituents by the end of the year before moving higher towards 100 index members in 2023.
We list 10 stocks that could be added to the index in June - with one-way turnover close to 6%, the actual number of inclusions will be lower.
We also list out another 8 stocks that could possibly be added in June, though the probability of a September/ December inclusion is higher.


HSI Index Rebalance Preview: Will The Pace of Inclusions Pick Up?

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> posted a 43.6% YoY growth in net profit for FY21, which is ahead of peers like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/enn-energy-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:316:1" rel="noopener">ENN Energy (2688 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-gas-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20525:1" rel="noopener">CR Gas (1193 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>While 2H21 gas sales segment is weaker, the contraction of dollar margin for Kunlun is light at 3.8% YoY. The other gas utilities companies are seeing 12-15% decline.</li>
<li>Its net cash reached Rmb3.3bn at end-FY21, and number of new city gas projects reached 17 in 2H21, vs. 13 only in 1H21, indicating good pick-up in momentum. </li>
</ul>



Kunlun Energy (135 HK) posted a 43.6% YoY growth in net profit for FY21, which is ahead of peers like ENN Energy (2688 HK) and CR Gas (1193 HK). 
While 2H21 gas sales segment is weaker, the contraction of dollar margin for Kunlun is light at 3.8% YoY. The other gas utilities companies are seeing 12-15% decline.
Its net cash reached Rmb3.3bn at end-FY21, and number of new city gas projects reached 17 in 2H21, vs. 13 only in 1H21, indicating good pick-up in momentum. 


Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Better FY21 than Peers

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 analyze statistics on top repurchases over one week, one month, one quarter and one year periods ended on Mar 11 based on HKEx daily reports.</li>
<li>In the past 7 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were China Gas (384 HK), Dynam Japan (6889 HK), Tianli Education (1773 HK).</li>
<li>In the past 30 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were China Mobile (941 HK), China Gas (384 HK), Man Wah (1999 HK).</li>
</ul>


We analyze statistics on top repurchases over one week, one month, one quarter and one year periods ended on Mar 11 based on HKEx daily reports.
In the past 7 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were China Gas (384 HK), Dynam Japan (6889 HK), Tianli Education (1773 HK).
In the past 30 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were China Mobile (941 HK), China Gas (384 HK), Man Wah (1999 HK).


Hong Kong

China Gas Holdings Ltd. invests in, operates and manages natural gas distribution pipelines.  The Company distributes and sells natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial users, and bottles and sells compressed natural gas.  China Gas also constructs and operates gas stations.

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China Gas Holdings (384 HK)