Research from Asian Century Stocks, Asian Century Stocks

Michael Fritzell

Research from Asian Century Stocks

Providing financial journalism in the Asia-Pacific

Asian Century Stocks

Asian Century Stocks is a newsletter providing financial journalism for companies and stocks in the Asia-Pacific. 
The Asian Century Stocks logotype “百” stands for “one hundred” or a “century”. The economic centre of gravity is moving towards Asia. Yet most global investors are missing out.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Orbis Japan Equity Fund recently wrote about auto supplier <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/koito-manufacturing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15841" rel="noopener">Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP)</a> in their <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/9ecb757d-eb06-44b8-836a-e25e2a92658e?j=eyJ1IjoiNGw4bzJ0In0.mRWyfA0pZX4OpuLi73L47WeYJ_ccqy9266JSt_5dbKo" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/9ecb757d-eb06-44b8-836a-e25e2a92658e?j%3DeyJ1IjoiNGw4bzJ0In0.mRWyfA0pZX4OpuLi73L47WeYJ_ccqy9266JSt_5dbKo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731988981096000&amp;usg=AOvVaw28QVMvDwFXl0HOJcCfGTk1" rel="noopener">second-quarter 2024 letter</a>.</li><li>So, who is Koito? It’s the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive lighting products, serving primarily Japanese customers such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda.</li><li>What stood out in Orbis’s second-quarter letter is that Koito plans to return JPY 350 billion to shareholders in the next five years, more than half the current market cap. Rational capital allocation is rare in Japan, so this number caught my attention.</li></ul>

Orbis Japan Equity Fund recently wrote about auto supplier Koito Manufacturing (7276 JP) in their second-quarter 2024 letter.So, who is Koito? It’s the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive lighting products, serving primarily Japanese customers such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda.What stood out in Orbis’s second-quarter letter is that Koito plans to return JPY 350 billion to shareholders in the next five years, more than half the current market cap. Rational capital allocation is rare in Japan, so this number caught my attention.

Overseas Chinese Equities, Aequitas Research

Ming Lu

Overseas Chinese Equities

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.

<ul>
<li>In March 2024, BYD’s Sales volume increased by 46% YoY and Li Auto’s sales volume increased by 39% YoY.</li>
<li>AliPay announced that foreigners’ consumption amount in China in March was ten times of last year.</li>
<li>Facing stagnancy and competition, Alibaba’s Taobao removed service charges from its retailers.</li>
</ul>


In March 2024, BYD’s Sales volume increased by 46% YoY and Li Auto’s sales volume increased by 39% YoY.
AliPay announced that foreigners’ consumption amount in China in March was ten times of last year.
Facing stagnancy and competition, Alibaba’s Taobao removed service charges from its retailers.


China Consumption Weekly (8 Apr 2024): BYD, Li Auto, Trip.com, Alibaba

External broker reports(aggregated public sources), CMB International

CMB International

External broker reports(aggregated public sources)

Incorporated in Hong Kong, supported by the mainland and targeting in global market, CMB International Capital Corporation Limited (“CMBI”) is an integrated financial institution providing comprehensive and professional services. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Bank ("CMB"), by leveraging on the Group’s synergy and coordination in domestic and overseas markets, as well as CMB’s strong resources and outstanding social reputation, CMBI and its subsidiaries have been actively implementing diversified business strategies and set up an overall layout of main business segments including Corporate Finance, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Global Markets and Structured Finance, etc. Adhering to the philosophy of “being clients oriented and increasing our own values by the way of creating value for clients”, CMBI endeavors to provide quality and integrated financial services to institutional, corporate and individual customers both domestic and overseas including Hong Kong IPO sponsorship and underwriting, share placement and rights issue for listed companies, financial advisors, bonds issuance services, asset management, direct investment, wealth management, equity sales and trading, etc.

<ul><li>Although BYD’s 4Q23 gross margin narrowed 0.9ppt QoQ, its earnings quality remained high.</li><li>We revise down our FY24E sales volume by 3% to 3.6mn units and net profit by 16% to RMB33.0bn amid stiffer-than-expected competition.</li><li>Nevertheless, we are of the view that BYD’s FY24E earnings could be resilient aided by overseas expansion, more premium products and little financial burden from FY23.</li></ul><p><em>Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.</em></p>

Although BYD’s 4Q23 gross margin narrowed 0.9ppt QoQ, its earnings quality remained high.We revise down our FY24E sales volume by 3% to 3.6mn units and net profit by 16% to RMB33.0bn amid stiffer-than-expected competition.Nevertheless, we are of the view that BYD’s FY24E earnings could be resilient aided by overseas expansion, more premium products and little financial burden from FY23.Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

BYD (1211 HK) - Good FY23 Earnings Quality

<ul>
<li>Total revenue increase by 42% and automobile revenue increased by 49% in 2023.</li>
<li>The gross margin improved significantly in 2023, especially in 4Q23.</li>
<li>We believe BYD will move its focus from 'low price for sales volume' to 'development of new vehicle models'.</li>
</ul>


Total revenue increase by 42% and automobile revenue increased by 49% in 2023.
The gross margin improved significantly in 2023, especially in 4Q23.
We believe BYD will move its focus from 'low price for sales volume' to 'development of new vehicle models'.


BYD (1211 HK): Strong Revenue in 2023 and to Change Strategy in 2024

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The Quiddity Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Monitor. Like the A/H Premium Monitor and HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Monitor. Lots of Flows/Position Tables and Charts with which to play.</li>
<li>Last week saw NORTHBOUND net BUY RMB 16.1bn of A-shares on VERY strong average activity after +9.9bn and +12.1bn RMB the two weeks before. Some National Team buying this week.</li>
<li>Renewables selling was tempered. Finance and Industry saw large net buying. Five of the top ten buys among liquid NORTHBOUND stocks were finance. Info Tech saw net selling. Again. </li>
</ul>


The Quiddity Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Monitor. Like the A/H Premium Monitor and HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Monitor. Lots of Flows/Position Tables and Charts with which to play.
Last week saw NORTHBOUND net BUY RMB 16.1bn of A-shares on VERY strong average activity after +9.9bn and +12.1bn RMB the two weeks before. Some National Team buying this week.
Renewables selling was tempered. Finance and Industry saw large net buying. Five of the top ten buys among liquid NORTHBOUND stocks were finance. Info Tech saw net selling. Again. 


Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 9 Feb 2024): Decent Net Momo Buying, Especially in Financials

China

BYD Company Limited, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells automobiles. The Company also researches, develops, manufactures and sells batteries, which are applied on mobile phones, cordless phones, power tools and other kinds of portable electronic devices.

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BYD (1211 HK)

Koito Mfgr － 2024 Update (7276 JP)

It’s the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive lighting products, serving primarily Japanese customers such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda.

Asian Century Stocks

China Consumption Weekly (8 Apr 2024): BYD, Li Auto, Trip.com, Alibaba

In March 2024, BYD’s Sales volume increased by 46% YoY and Li Auto increased by 39% YoY. AliPay announced foreigners’ consumption amount in China...

Ming Lu

BYD (1211 HK) - Good FY23 Earnings Quality

We believe that investors are likely to prefer EV makers with solid earnings, as they are more likely to withstand the rising competition.

CMB International

BYD (1211 HK): Strong Revenue in 2023 and to Change Strategy in 2024

Total revenue increase by 42% and automobile revenue increased by 49% in 2023. We believe BYD will move its focus from low price to new vehicle...

Ming Lu

Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 9 Feb 2024): Decent Net Momo Buying, Especially in Financials

NORTHBOUND saw very strong overall activity and decent net buying in the four-day week ahead of the long Chinese New Year holidays. Renewables...

Travis Lundy

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