Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

<p>What color is a tree? Ask a child, and the answer is green. To a child, green is green, and all green is "tree-green." Ask an artist the same question, and the answer is a chromatic spectrum of greens blending into brownish shades in the shadows, and yellow tints in the sun.</p><p>If corporate climate pledges – especially the me-too net-zero variety so en vogue of late – were a tangible product they would come packaged in a glossy sustainability-green. You've seen it. That botanical green so impossibly organic there is something vaguely unsettling about it.</p><p>Open the package, and you might find the climate pledge equivalent of a brick in an iPhone box.</p><p>To be fair, most climate pledges are well-intentioned, but it takes just one dodgy press release from an oil supermajor for the world to go mad with greenwashing paranoia. Out-and-out greenwashing is relatively rare, however. There is a bigger issue, and a source of both risk and opportunity.</p><p>Some issuers are making <em>huge</em> promises – genuine but likely clouded by irrational exuberance from "keeping up with the Joneses" – and setting themselves up for failure, where the cost of failure is of epic proportions. Conversely, some companies are doing it right, turning risk into opportunity.</p>

What color is a tree? Ask a child, and the answer is green. To a child, green is green, and all green is "tree-green." Ask an artist the same question, and the answer is a chromatic spectrum of greens blending into brownish shades in the shadows, and yellow tints in the sun.If corporate climate pledges – especially the me-too net-zero variety so en vogue of late – were a tangible product they would come packaged in a glossy sustainability-green. You've seen it. That botanical green so impossibly organic there is something vaguely unsettling about it.Open the package, and you might find the climate pledge equivalent of a brick in an iPhone box.To be fair, most climate pledges are well-intentioned, but it takes just one dodgy press release from an oil supermajor for the world to go mad with greenwashing paranoia. Out-and-out greenwashing is relatively rare, however. There is a bigger issue, and a source of both risk and opportunity.Some issuers are making huge promises – genuine but likely clouded by irrational exuberance from "keeping up with the Joneses" – and setting themselves up for failure, where the cost of failure is of epic proportions. Conversely, some companies are doing it right, turning risk into opportunity.

Climate Pledges: Singapore and Japan Lead APAC Issuers in Quality of Climate Pledges

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

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Event-Driven

<p>On 19 April, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gulf-energy-development-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26038:1" rel="noopener">Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)</a> made a conditional voluntary tender offer for all shares in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a> that it did not hold at THB 65/share.</p><p>In the event that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gulf-energy-development-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26038:1" rel="noopener">Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)</a>'s tender offer results in them holding over 50% of the voting rights in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a>, it also announced that it would make a downstream offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advanced-info-service-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:947:1" rel="noopener">Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)</a> at THB 122.86/share, while requesting the SEC for a waiver of the obligation to make a tender offer for all shares of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/thaicom-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18019:1" rel="noopener">Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB)</a>.</p><p>The record date to attend the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gulf-energy-development-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26038:1" rel="noopener">Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)</a> shareholder EGM is 14 May and the EGM will be held on 25 June.</p><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> is a large shareholder in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a> and media reports indicate that they will not tender their shares. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> said that they view their stakes in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advanced-info-service-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:947:1" rel="noopener">Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)</a> as strategic investments.</p><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kce-electronics-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1892:1" rel="noopener">Kce Electronics Pub (KCE TB)</a> is the most likely replacement candidate for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a> in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/stock-exchange-of-thailand-set-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31493:1" rel="noopener">Stock Exchange of Thailand SET 50 Index (SET50 INDEX)</a>.</p>

On 19 April, Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB) made a conditional voluntary tender offer for all shares in Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) that it did not hold at THB 65/share.In the event that Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)'s tender offer results in them holding over 50% of the voting rights in Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB), it also announced that it would make a downstream offer for Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB) at THB 122.86/share, while requesting the SEC for a waiver of the obligation to make a tender offer for all shares of Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB).The record date to attend the Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB) shareholder EGM is 14 May and the EGM will be held on 25 June.Singtel (ST SP) is a large shareholder in Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) and media reports indicate that they will not tender their shares. Singtel (ST SP) said that they view their stakes in Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) and Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB) as strategic investments.Kce Electronics Pub (KCE TB) is the most likely replacement candidate for Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) in the Stock Exchange of Thailand SET 50 Index (SET50 INDEX).

GULF Offer for INTUCH: Index Implications

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<p>On 19 April, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gulf-energy-development-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26038:1" rel="noopener">Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)</a>, which is controlled by billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi, announced a conditional voluntary tender offer to acquire all of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a>’s shares for THB65.00 cash per share, an 11.1% premium to the unaffected price of THB58.50 per share. As of 16 April, Gulf Energy’s shareholding in Intouch stood at 18.93% of the outstanding shares. </p><p>If the tender offer results in Gulf Energy holding 50% or more of Intouch’s total voting rights, Gulf Energy will be required to make tender offers for all the shares of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advanced-info-service-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:947:1" rel="noopener">Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/thaicom-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18019:1" rel="noopener">Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB)</a> based on the chain principle. The potential tender offer price for Advanced Info Services is THB122.86 per share, which is a -27% discount to the unaffected price of THB168 per share.</p><p>In response to the announcement, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> which owns 21.00% of Intouch and 23.32% of Advanced Info Services, stated that it “<em>views its stakes in INTUCH and ADVANC as strategic investments and we believe in the long term outlook of the businesses.</em>” Singtel will review its strategic options to ensure that Intouch and Advanced Info Services shareholders get the full benefit of the intrinsic value of the businesses.</p><div class="content-highlight"><p>The launch of the Intouch tender offer is subject to key conditions precedents which are Gulf Energy shareholder approval (no less than three-quarters of the total votes from shareholders with no conflict of interests) and SEC waiver for the requirement to make a tender offer for Thaicom according to the chain principle. Post EGM approval for the tender, Gulf Energy may also buy Intouch shares before and after the tender. The tender offer has no minimum acceptance condition. Overall, we think the tender offer price is fair. </p></div>

On 19 April, Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB), which is controlled by billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi, announced a conditional voluntary tender offer to acquire all of Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)’s shares for THB65.00 cash per share, an 11.1% premium to the unaffected price of THB58.50 per share. As of 16 April, Gulf Energy’s shareholding in Intouch stood at 18.93% of the outstanding shares. If the tender offer results in Gulf Energy holding 50% or more of Intouch’s total voting rights, Gulf Energy will be required to make tender offers for all the shares of Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB) and Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB) based on the chain principle. The potential tender offer price for Advanced Info Services is THB122.86 per share, which is a -27% discount to the unaffected price of THB168 per share.In response to the announcement, Singtel (ST SP) which owns 21.00% of Intouch and 23.32% of Advanced Info Services, stated that it “views its stakes in INTUCH and ADVANC as strategic investments and we believe in the long term outlook of the businesses.” Singtel will review its strategic options to ensure that Intouch and Advanced Info Services shareholders get the full benefit of the intrinsic value of the businesses.The launch of the Intouch tender offer is subject to key conditions precedents which are Gulf Energy shareholder approval (no less than three-quarters of the total votes from shareholders with no conflict of interests) and SEC waiver for the requirement to make a tender offer for Thaicom according to the chain principle. Post EGM approval for the tender, Gulf Energy may also buy Intouch shares before and after the tender. The tender offer has no minimum acceptance condition. Overall, we think the tender offer price is fair. 

Intouch’s Conditional Voluntary Tender Offer from Gulf Energy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<div>
<p>On the 26 June 2020, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gulf-energy-development-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26038:1" rel="noopener">Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB)</a> disclosed it held 147mn shares (~4.58%) in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a>. Gulf continued to increase its stake - and make public announcements after the fact - culminating in a holding of 15% on <a href="https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30402235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">28 January</a>.</p>
<p>In its FY20 results, the <a href="https://www.set.or.th/dat/news/202102/21018001.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">management discussion</a> shed no new light as to their forward intention on Intouch.</p>
<p>Technically, Gulf could take its take all the way up to 24.99% before it was obligated to make an MGO - see <em><a href="https://skr.ma/m2vxP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quiddity M&amp;A Guide 2021: Thailand</a></em>.</p>
<p>But an energy company making a tilt for a satellite, internet, and telecommunications company?</p>
</div>
<hr>
<div>
<div>
<h3>The New News</h3>
<p>Gulf has <a href="https://www.set.or.th/set/pdfnews.do?newsId=16187886028860&amp;sequence=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it intends to make a Voluntary Tender Offer (VTO) for shares not held in Intouch at Bt65/share. If it gets to 50%, it will make a downstream offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advanced-info-service-pcl-ca1a971f-2f70-4565-b1fd-dda5b533acd3" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27653:1" rel="noopener">Advanced Info Service PCL (ADVANC-R TB)</a> at Bt122.86/share. The VTO is conditional, amongst other things, on a waiver NOT to make a  downstream offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/thaicom-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18019:1" rel="noopener">Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB</a>.</p>
<p>Bt65/share is bang-in-line with Intouch's NAV/share.</p>
<p>The Tender Offer has no minimum acceptance condition.</p>
<p>Gulf currently holds 18.93% (there was no prior announcement they had cleared 15%) of shares outstanding. If Singtel (21%) and Temasek (5.2%) tender, Gulf only needs another 4.87% to clear 50%.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p>Talk about being caught off-guard. I did not expect Gulf to lift its stake from 5% to 10%, then again to 15%. And I certainly did not expect a full Offer for Intouch.</p>
<p>More below the fold.</p>
</div>


On the 26 June 2020, Gulf Energy Development Public Company (GULF TB) disclosed it held 147mn shares (~4.58%) in Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB). Gulf continued to increase its stake - and make public announcements after the fact - culminating in a holding of 15% on 28 January.
In its FY20 results, the management discussion shed no new light as to their forward intention on Intouch.
Technically, Gulf could take its take all the way up to 24.99% before it was obligated to make an MGO - see Quiddity M&amp;A Guide 2021: Thailand.
But an energy company making a tilt for a satellite, internet, and telecommunications company?




The New News
Gulf has announced it intends to make a Voluntary Tender Offer (VTO) for shares not held in Intouch at Bt65/share. If it gets to 50%, it will make a downstream offer for Advanced Info Service PCL (ADVANC-R TB) at Bt122.86/share. The VTO is conditional, amongst other things, on a waiver NOT to make a  downstream offer for Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB.
Bt65/share is bang-in-line with Intouch's NAV/share.
The Tender Offer has no minimum acceptance condition.
Gulf currently holds 18.93% (there was no prior announcement they had cleared 15%) of shares outstanding. If Singtel (21%) and Temasek (5.2%) tender, Gulf only needs another 4.87% to clear 50%.



Talk about being caught off-guard. I did not expect Gulf to lift its stake from 5% to 10%, then again to 15%. And I certainly did not expect a full Offer for Intouch.
More below the fold.


Intouch Holdings: Gulf's Inexplicable Offer

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

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.

<p>On 13th Apr 2021, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/grabtaxi-holdings-pte-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26950:1" rel="noopener">Grab (0967655D SP)</a> announced that it plans to go public in the US in partnership with Altimeter Growth Corp (AGC US) at an equity valuation of US$39.6bn. It will raise around US$4.5bn cash through the transaction. </p><p>In this note, I'll take a quick look at the numbers and implied valuations.</p>

On 13th Apr 2021, Grab (0967655D SP) announced that it plans to go public in the US in partnership with Altimeter Growth Corp (AGC US) at an equity valuation of US$39.6bn. It will raise around US$4.5bn cash through the transaction. In this note, I'll take a quick look at the numbers and implied valuations.

Grab SPAC Listing - High on Ambition, Very High on Valuation

Singapore

Singapore Telecommunications Limited wireless telecommunication services. The Company offers diverse range of services including fixed, mobile, data, internet, TV,  and digital solutions. Singapore Telecommunications serves customers worldwide.

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Singtel (ST SP)

Climate Pledges: Singapore and Japan Lead APAC Issuers in Quality of Climate Pledges

Corporate climate pledges come many shades of green, and for some their colors start to run on closer inspection. But not in Singapore and Japan...

Kyle Rudden

GULF Offer for INTUCH: Index Implications

GULF has made a conditional voluntary tender offer for shares in INTUCH that it does not hold at THB 65/share. KCE could enter the SET50 index at...

Brian Freitas

Intouch’s Conditional Voluntary Tender Offer from Gulf Energy

Gulf Energy announced a conditional voluntary tender offer to acquire all of Intouch shares for THB65.00 cash per share. Overall, we think the...

Arun George

Intouch Holdings: Gulf's Inexplicable Offer

I don't get the logic behind the Offer. Still, this looks done. Trading at a 4.4%/11.2% gross/annualised spread, assuming five months to complete....

David Blennerhassett

Grab SPAC Listing - High on Ambition, Very High on Valuation

On 13th Apr 2021, Grab announced that it plans to go public in the US in partnership with Altimeter Growth Corp at an equity valuation of...

Sumeet Singh

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