Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Credit risk markets remained decoupled between the US and Asia as spreads on US Caa-rated entities continued to defy gravity. The risk-on wave continued to swell through US risk asses on additional positive vaccine news. Combined with a Goldilocks election outcome whereby President Trump loses the election, but Joe Biden does not win a mandate, spreads on the US Caa-rated complex tightened to inside Asia’s HY index for the first time since 2014. Is it time to sell the Caa bull market?  Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s decision to cancel several underutilized emergency Fed programs at the end of the year may raise expectations for the Fed to expand its asset purchase program or target its purchases more directly along the Treasury curve at its December meeting. We are set-up for disappointment.  Against this background, Asia’s HY Additional Tier 1 underperformed Subordinated and Senior Unsecured securities as near-term global growth concerns outweighed vaccine progress. Most of the underperforming bond were issued over the last three months. This suggests these may have been issued at the top of the market, in spread terms. Amongst Additional Tier 1 bonds, Hong Kong-headquartered banks led advances. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-of-east-asia-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:341:1" rel="noopener">Bank of East Asia's (23 HK)</a> announcement that it would call its 5.5% coupon December-callable AT1 bond aided sentiment. We first recommended that investors overweight this security in mid-February within <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bank-of-east-asia-overweight-short-call-at1-on-refinancing-ability" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:36787" rel="noopener">Bank of East Asia: Overweight Short-Call AT1 on Refinancing Ability</a> and recently re-iterated this call within <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bank-of-east-asia-buy-the-inefficient-capital-securities" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:42753" rel="noopener">Bank of East Asia: Buy the Inefficient Capital Securities</a>. Victory lap over.Concurrently, Turkish HY Senior Unsecured bank bonds again materially outperformed their global peers following delivery of a more orthodox monetary policy regime. Nonetheless, Turkish bank bonds continue to trade wide of similarly rated entities in other emerging markets.  Given the starting point for a potential Turkish bank bond rally, we anticipate a virus versus vaccine market immunity in Turkish-bank bonds returns over the near term.   Over US$13 billion was raised by financial institutions in USD, Euros and Sterling across the credit continuum. Amongst higher-yield issued securities, the UK Co-operative Bank’s Caa1 rated bond makes India’s <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/iifl-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20197:1" rel="noopener">IIFL Finance's (IIFL IN)</a> US$-bond look cheap in comparison. However, unlike India where every bank rescue requires a liability moratorium, the Co-operative Bank resolution three years ago was not damaging to the financial system. India’s rescue of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lakshmi-vilas-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17552:1" rel="noopener">Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB IN)</a> this week is no exception. For our views on this please see: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/lakshmi-vilas-bank-dbs-rescue-is-a-wasted-option" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45471" rel="noopener">Lakshmi Vilas Bank: DBS Rescue Is a Wasted Option</a>.US$-debt issuance should be slowed by the upcoming US holiday on Thursday. We could see a short-lived resurgence in early December and then drift sideways until heavy issuance re-emerges in January.Market Outlook: Over the near term, tension between longer-term optimism from vaccine driven economies and the shorter-term reality of increasing Coronavirus lockdowns are likely to weigh on the market in the coming weeks. Positive vaccine news combined with a goldilocks US election outcome lowers the likelihood of excessive US federal stimulus. This should cap additional upward pressure on US Treasury yields until vision increases on likely H2 ’21 US economic growth, post-vaccine distribution. Reflation remains on hold. This could limit US dollar weakness and limit positive impacts on reflationary beneficiaries such as bank valuations and Emerging Markets (EM) assets.

Credit risk markets remained decoupled between the US and Asia as spreads on US Caa-rated entities continued to defy gravity. The risk-on wave continued to swell through US risk asses on additional positive vaccine news. Combined with a Goldilocks election outcome whereby President Trump loses the election, but Joe Biden does not win a mandate, spreads on the US Caa-rated complex tightened to inside Asia’s HY index for the first time since 2014. Is it time to sell the Caa bull market?  Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s decision to cancel several underutilized emergency Fed programs at the end of the year may raise expectations for the Fed to expand its asset purchase program or target its purchases more directly along the Treasury curve at its December meeting. We are set-up for disappointment.  Against this background, Asia’s HY Additional Tier 1 underperformed Subordinated and Senior Unsecured securities as near-term global growth concerns outweighed vaccine progress. Most of the underperforming bond were issued over the last three months. This suggests these may have been issued at the top of the market, in spread terms. Amongst Additional Tier 1 bonds, Hong Kong-headquartered banks led advances. Bank of East Asia's (23 HK) announcement that it would call its 5.5% coupon December-callable AT1 bond aided sentiment. We first recommended that investors overweight this security in mid-February within Bank of East Asia: Overweight Short-Call AT1 on Refinancing Ability and recently re-iterated this call within Bank of East Asia: Buy the Inefficient Capital Securities. Victory lap over.Concurrently, Turkish HY Senior Unsecured bank bonds again materially outperformed their global peers following delivery of a more orthodox monetary policy regime. Nonetheless, Turkish bank bonds continue to trade wide of similarly rated entities in other emerging markets.  Given the starting point for a potential Turkish bank bond rally, we anticipate a virus versus vaccine market immunity in Turkish-bank bonds returns over the near term.   Over US$13 billion was raised by financial institutions in USD, Euros and Sterling across the credit continuum. Amongst higher-yield issued securities, the UK Co-operative Bank’s Caa1 rated bond makes India’s IIFL Finance's (IIFL IN) US$-bond look cheap in comparison. However, unlike India where every bank rescue requires a liability moratorium, the Co-operative Bank resolution three years ago was not damaging to the financial system. India’s rescue of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB IN) this week is no exception. For our views on this please see: Lakshmi Vilas Bank: DBS Rescue Is a Wasted Option.US$-debt issuance should be slowed by the upcoming US holiday on Thursday. We could see a short-lived resurgence in early December and then drift sideways until heavy issuance re-emerges in January.Market Outlook: Over the near term, tension between longer-term optimism from vaccine driven economies and the shorter-term reality of increasing Coronavirus lockdowns are likely to weigh on the market in the coming weeks. Positive vaccine news combined with a goldilocks US election outcome lowers the likelihood of excessive US federal stimulus. This should cap additional upward pressure on US Treasury yields until vision increases on likely H2 ’21 US economic growth, post-vaccine distribution. Reflation remains on hold. This could limit US dollar weakness and limit positive impacts on reflationary beneficiaries such as bank valuations and Emerging Markets (EM) assets.

Bank Credit Weekly: Virus Vs. Vaccine: Time to Sell the Caa-Bull?

ASEAN Insight Provider, CrossASEAN Research

Angus Mackintosh

ASEAN Insight Provider

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

Cross Asset Strategy

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Corrigenda: There is an error in this Insight. Please note the correction.
Correction: The Insight <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bjbr-positive-fundamental-momentum-at-a-decent-valuation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44897" rel="noopener">BJBR: Positive Fundamental Momentum at a Decent Valuation</a> was improperly attributed to Thomas Monaco. It was published by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/paul-hollingworth" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:2554" rel="noopener">Paul Hollingworth</a>.
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The week that was in <a href="mailto:ASEAN@Smartkarma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASEAN@Smartkarma</a> is filled with another eclectic mix of differentiated, substantive, and actionable insights from across South East Asia and includes macro, top-down and thematic pieces, as well as actionable equity bottom-up and credit insights over the past week.
We add below a NEW section, which includes emerging themes in ASEAN and selects important news flow or developments for commentary, which may impact SE Asian companies and markets.  
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<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/smartkarma-corporate-webinar-indo-banks-the-worst-is-over" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44882" rel="noopener">Smartkarma Corporate Webinar | Indo Banks: The Worst Is Over</a>- 10th November at 4 pm.
For our next Corporate Webinar, we welcome <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-mandiri-persero-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:441:1" rel="noopener">Bank Mandiri Persero (BMRI IJ)</a>'s Group Head of Investor Relations, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/yohan-setio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yohan Setio</a>, who will share some company updates and sit down for a fireside chat with Smartkarma Insight Provider <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/angus-mackintosh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angus Mackintosh</a>.
<h2>Indonesia's Recovery and the Next Digital Darling</h2>
This week below the fold we look at Indonesia's recent economic numbers which saw the country slide into recession, its first since the Asian Crisis but find it encouraging that the economy is moving onto a recovery track. We see selective banks and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46:1" rel="noopener">Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> as core ways to play this recovery. 
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> is SoutEast Asia's largest Market Cap stock, and there are very few if any alternatives to get exposure to the region's e-commerce boom, certainly in the listed universe. One potential future candidate is <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/elang-mahkota-teknologi-tbk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7752:1" rel="noopener">Emtek (EMTK IJ),</a> which is the major shareholder of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/surya-citra-media-pt-tbk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14739:1" rel="noopener">PT Surya Citra Media Tbk (SCMA IJ)</a> but it also has stakes in Bukalapak and Dana, the number three digital payments player in Indonesia and a JV with Ant Financial.
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/elang-mahkota-teknologi-tbk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7752:1" rel="noopener">Emtek (EMTK IJ)</a> has announced that it will seek approval for a stock split in December but this may not be the end of the story. Any restructuring which brings all of its digital assets under one roof and improves liquidity would certainly help the company attract more institutional investors and secure a higher valuation. 
<h3>Macro Insights</h3>
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/thai-strategy-2021-part-2-top-10-stock-picks" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:40851" rel="noopener">Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 2): Top 10 Stock Picks,</a> our Thai guru <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/athaporn-arayasantiparb-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:766" rel="noopener">Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA</a> lays out his top stock picks in Thailand for next year.
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/thai-strategy-2021-part-3-sector-outlooks" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:40864" rel="noopener">Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 3): Sector Outlooks,</a> our Thai guru <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/athaporn-arayasantiparb-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:766" rel="noopener">Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA</a> provides us with his sector strategy in Thailand for the coming year. 
<h3>Equity Bottom Up</h3>
In an Indonesian Insight,<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/astra-international-asii-ij-an-auto-recovery-story-with-a-golden-digital-twist" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Astra International (ASII IJ) - An Auto-Recovery Story with a Golden Digital Twist</a>, CrossASEAN Insight provider<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/angus-mackintosh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Angus Mackintosh</a> returns to look at<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> after a conversation with management. 
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pt-surya-citra-media-tbk-scma-ij-let-the-games-begin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44914" rel="noopener">PT Surya Citra Media Tbk (SCMA IJ) - Let the Games Begin,</a> CrossASEAN Insight Provider <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/angus-mackintosh" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:937" rel="noopener">Angus Mackintosh</a> revisits one of Indonesia's leading media companies, which has an increasingly digital twist.
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/aem-holdings-optimistic-on-fy21-fair-value-remains-at-5-sgd-41-upside" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44915" rel="noopener">AEM Holdings: Optimistic on FY21; Fair Value Remains at 5 SGD (41% Upside),</a> CrossASEAN Insight Provider <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/nicolas-van-broekhoven-24a66c2d-bca4-4f5b-adda-c4e2bcc509f4" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1208" rel="noopener">Nicolas Van Broekhoven</a> revisits <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aem-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11019:1" rel="noopener">AEM Holdings (AEM SP)</a> after an impressive set of results and remains positive.
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/bjbr-positive-fundamental-momentum-at-a-decent-valuation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44897" rel="noopener">BJBR: Positive Fundamental Momentum at a Decent Valuation,</a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/thomas-j-monaco" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1716" rel="noopener">Thomas J. Monaco</a> writes on this smaller Indonesian lender with a positive slant.
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/oversea-chinese-banking-corp-still-not-a-great-eastern" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44901" rel="noopener">Oversea Chinese Banking Corp – Still Not A Great Eastern,</a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/thomas-j-monaco" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1716" rel="noopener">Thomas J. Monaco</a> looked in detail at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/great-eastern-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13993:1" rel="noopener">Great Eastern Holdings (GE SP)</a> numbers ahead of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oversea-chinese-banking-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:114:1" rel="noopener">Oversea Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC SP)</a> results. 
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/oversea-chinese-banking-corp-solid" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45061" rel="noopener">Oversea Chinese Banking Corp. – Solid,</a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/thomas-j-monaco" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1716" rel="noopener">Thomas J. Monaco</a> revisits this Singapore lender with a positive view post its recent 3Q2020 numbers. 
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/surya-citra-media-pt-tbk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14739:1" rel="noopener"></a>In<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/dbs-group-holdings-not-trending-the-right-way-yet" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> DBS Group Holdings – Not Trending The Right Way Yet</a>,<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/thomas-j-monaco" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Thomas J. Monaco</a> reports back<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dbs-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> DBS Group Holdings (DBS SP)</a>'s post its recent 3Q2020 results with a chequered view.
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In this Thai Insight,<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hmpro-expect-government-stimulus-scheme-drive-4q20-recover-qoq" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> HMPRO: Expect Government Stimulus Scheme Drive 4Q20 Recover QoQ,</a> our friends at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/companies/country-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="companies:965" rel="noopener">Country Group</a> circle back to Thailand's leading home improvements player <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/home-product-center-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9906:1" rel="noopener">Home Product Center (HMPRO TB)</a>. 
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In<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/synex-solid-earnings-growth-outlook-but-largely-priced-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> SYNEX: Solid Earnings Growth Outlook but Largely Priced In</a>,<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/companies/country-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Country Group</a> provides a view on<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/synnex-thailand-pcl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Synnex Thailand (SYNEX TB),</a> following the recent run-up in the share price. 
In this Thai Insight, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/scc-strong-3q20-thanks-to-petrochemical-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SCC: Strong 3Q20 Thanks to Petrochemical Spread</a>, our friends at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/companies/country-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="companies:965" rel="noopener">Country Group</a> return to look at<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/siam-cement-pcl-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Siam Cement (SCC TB)</a> post 3Q2020 results. 
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/mc-prominent-denim-brand-with-new-growth-momentum" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45077" rel="noopener">MC: Prominent Denim Brand with New Growth Momentum,</a> our friends at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/companies/country-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="companies:965" rel="noopener">Country Group</a>initiate on this leading Thai denim apparel player. They initiate coverage of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mc-group-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17093:1" rel="noopener">MC Group Pcl (MC TB)</a> with a BUY rating and a target price of Bt12.0, derived from 18.5x FY21E PER, which is +1SD above its 5-year trading average but slightly lower than its global apparel peers.
<h3>Credit Insights</h3>
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/lippo-karawaci-earnings-flash-q3-fy-2020-results-lucror-analytics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lippo Karawaci - Earnings Flash - Q3 FY 2020 Results</a>, credit specialist<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/trung-nguyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Trung Nguyen</a> looks at<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lippo-karawaci-tbk-pt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Lippo Karawaci (LPKR IJ)'s</a> after its recent results, which continued to be robust in Q32020. 
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/chandra-asri-earnings-flash-9m-fy-2020-results-lucror-analytics" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44814" rel="noopener">Chandra Asri - Earnings Flash - 9M FY 2020 Results</a> credit specialist <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/leonard-law-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:7106" rel="noopener">Leonard Law, CFA</a> circles back to this leading chemicals player post 3Q2020 results.


Corrigenda: There is an error in this Insight. Please note the correction.
Correction: The Insight BJBR: Positive Fundamental Momentum at a Decent Valuation was improperly attributed to Thomas Monaco. It was published by Paul Hollingworth.



The week that was in ASEAN@Smartkarma is filled with another eclectic mix of differentiated, substantive, and actionable insights from across South East Asia and includes macro, top-down and thematic pieces, as well as actionable equity bottom-up and credit insights over the past week.
We add below a NEW section, which includes emerging themes in ASEAN and selects important news flow or developments for commentary, which may impact SE Asian companies and markets.  

Smartkarma Corporate Webinar | Indo Banks: The Worst Is Over- 10th November at 4 pm.
For our next Corporate Webinar, we welcome Bank Mandiri Persero (BMRI IJ)'s Group Head of Investor Relations, Yohan Setio, who will share some company updates and sit down for a fireside chat with Smartkarma Insight Provider Angus Mackintosh.
Indonesia's Recovery and the Next Digital Darling
This week below the fold we look at Indonesia's recent economic numbers which saw the country slide into recession, its first since the Asian Crisis but find it encouraging that the economy is moving onto a recovery track. We see selective banks and Astra International (ASII IJ) as core ways to play this recovery. 
Sea Ltd (SE US) is SoutEast Asia's largest Market Cap stock, and there are very few if any alternatives to get exposure to the region's e-commerce boom, certainly in the listed universe. One potential future candidate is Emtek (EMTK IJ), which is the major shareholder of PT Surya Citra Media Tbk (SCMA IJ) but it also has stakes in Bukalapak and Dana, the number three digital payments player in Indonesia and a JV with Ant Financial.
Emtek (EMTK IJ) has announced that it will seek approval for a stock split in December but this may not be the end of the story. Any restructuring which brings all of its digital assets under one roof and improves liquidity would certainly help the company attract more institutional investors and secure a higher valuation. 
Macro Insights
In Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 2): Top 10 Stock Picks, our Thai guru Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA lays out his top stock picks in Thailand for next year.
In Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 3): Sector Outlooks, our Thai guru Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA provides us with his sector strategy in Thailand for the coming year. 
Equity Bottom Up
In an Indonesian Insight, Astra International (ASII IJ) - An Auto-Recovery Story with a Golden Digital Twist, CrossASEAN Insight provider Angus Mackintosh returns to look at Astra International (ASII IJ) after a conversation with management. 
In PT Surya Citra Media Tbk (SCMA IJ) - Let the Games Begin, CrossASEAN Insight Provider Angus Mackintosh revisits one of Indonesia's leading media companies, which has an increasingly digital twist.
In AEM Holdings: Optimistic on FY21; Fair Value Remains at 5 SGD (41% Upside), CrossASEAN Insight Provider Nicolas Van Broekhoven revisits AEM Holdings (AEM SP) after an impressive set of results and remains positive.
In BJBR: Positive Fundamental Momentum at a Decent Valuation,Thomas J. Monaco writes on this smaller Indonesian lender with a positive slant.
In Oversea Chinese Banking Corp – Still Not A Great Eastern,Thomas J. Monaco looked in detail at Great Eastern Holdings (GE SP) numbers ahead of Oversea Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC SP) results. 
In Oversea Chinese Banking Corp. – Solid,Thomas J. Monaco revisits this Singapore lender with a positive view post its recent 3Q2020 numbers. 
In DBS Group Holdings – Not Trending The Right Way Yet, Thomas J. Monaco reports back DBS Group Holdings (DBS SP)'s post its recent 3Q2020 results with a chequered view.



In this Thai Insight, HMPRO: Expect Government Stimulus Scheme Drive 4Q20 Recover QoQ, our friends at Country Group circle back to Thailand's leading home improvements player Home Product Center (HMPRO TB). 



In SYNEX: Solid Earnings Growth Outlook but Largely Priced In, Country Group provides a view on Synnex Thailand (SYNEX TB), following the recent run-up in the share price. 
In this Thai Insight, SCC: Strong 3Q20 Thanks to Petrochemical Spread, our friends at Country Group return to look at Siam Cement (SCC TB) post 3Q2020 results. 
In MC: Prominent Denim Brand with New Growth Momentum, our friends at Country Groupinitiate on this leading Thai denim apparel player. They initiate coverage of MC Group Pcl (MC TB) with a BUY rating and a target price of Bt12.0, derived from 18.5x FY21E PER, which is +1SD above its 5-year trading average but slightly lower than its global apparel peers.
Credit Insights
In Lippo Karawaci - Earnings Flash - Q3 FY 2020 Results, credit specialist Trung Nguyen looks at Lippo Karawaci (LPKR IJ)'s after its recent results, which continued to be robust in Q32020. 
In Chandra Asri - Earnings Flash - 9M FY 2020 Results credit specialist Leonard Law, CFA circles back to this leading chemicals player post 3Q2020 results.

The Week that Was in ASEAN@Smartkarma - Indonesia's Recovery and the Next Digital Darling

Executive Summary: A Goldilocks scenario outcome whereby President Trump loses the election, but Joe Biden does not win a mandate led to material US High Yield (HY) index spread tightening, driven by Caa-rated entities.Markets were overpricing a Blue Democratic Party sweep prior to the US election, as we predicted. Now they are overpricing an inhibited tax and regulatory agenda under a Biden Presidency and Republican Senate. The run-off for two Senate seats in Georgia could see Republicans’ lose the Senate. As such, the amount of potential fiscal stimulus under the new administration remains difficult to handicap. Plus, regulatory changes are now largely driven by Executive Orders.In Asia, despite improving Purchasing Managers Index results and an unexpected acceleration in China’s October exports, Asia’s HY market underperformed the US on global economic growth concerns. Increasing Coronavirus cases in Europe and a pre-Christmas lock-down are a headwind for Asia’s export growth and tourism over the near term. Concurrently, Biden’s Coronavirus plan also adds to uncertainty. Furthermore, expectations that Joe Biden may be less confrontational than President Trump with China may prove wrong as the new President would focus on mid-term elections and the need to prove himself where he won narrowly. However, despite these potential negatives, Asia’s HY index looks oversold particularly relative to US Caa-rated index levels.The suspension of Ant Financial’s (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-financial-services-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Group (6688 HK)</a> )initial public offering (IPO) in China and Hong Kong also negatively affected Asia’s risk sentiment and raised serious questions on China’s regulatory due process. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hsbc-holdings-plc-a723bd63-0890-486f-aaa0-3bb9ad2b95ce" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21976:1" rel="noopener">HSBC's (HSBA LN)</a> shares sold-off following the Ant Financial announcement despite the firm not waiving interest charges on margin borrowing for the suspended IPO. With a China-centric growth strategy, HSBC’s business model is increasingly caught in the middle of a developing bi-polar world.Nonetheless, never missing an opportunity to test the market, HSBC Holdings was the only financial institution to issue debt in the global capital markets this week. We assess the attractiveness of these Euro-denominated bonds within. In Asia, primary US$-bond sales plunged to just US$0.9b from US$6.8 billion in the prior week as borrowers awaited the U.S presidential election outcome. With interest rates diving lower, we anticipate additional issuance over the next few weeks as issuers fill 2021 borrowing needs early.Against this background, Asia’s lower duration Senior Unsecured bonds outperformed Tier 2 and Additional Tier 1 securities, in concert with concerns surrounding global economic growth potential over the near term. The top performing and underperforming bonds were short- and long-duration in nature, respectively.  Market Outlook: A less expansionary US fiscal policy should reduce upward pressure on U.S. rates and is likely to support yield-seeking, including Emerging Markets (EM) fixed income securities over time. In the near term, risk asset and bank valuations may remain volatile through the year-end as large levels of cash remain on the sidelines.

Executive Summary: A Goldilocks scenario outcome whereby President Trump loses the election, but Joe Biden does not win a mandate led to material US High Yield (HY) index spread tightening, driven by Caa-rated entities.Markets were overpricing a Blue Democratic Party sweep prior to the US election, as we predicted. Now they are overpricing an inhibited tax and regulatory agenda under a Biden Presidency and Republican Senate. The run-off for two Senate seats in Georgia could see Republicans’ lose the Senate. As such, the amount of potential fiscal stimulus under the new administration remains difficult to handicap. Plus, regulatory changes are now largely driven by Executive Orders.In Asia, despite improving Purchasing Managers Index results and an unexpected acceleration in China’s October exports, Asia’s HY market underperformed the US on global economic growth concerns. Increasing Coronavirus cases in Europe and a pre-Christmas lock-down are a headwind for Asia’s export growth and tourism over the near term. Concurrently, Biden’s Coronavirus plan also adds to uncertainty. Furthermore, expectations that Joe Biden may be less confrontational than President Trump with China may prove wrong as the new President would focus on mid-term elections and the need to prove himself where he won narrowly. However, despite these potential negatives, Asia’s HY index looks oversold particularly relative to US Caa-rated index levels.The suspension of Ant Financial’s (Ant Group (6688 HK) )initial public offering (IPO) in China and Hong Kong also negatively affected Asia’s risk sentiment and raised serious questions on China’s regulatory due process. HSBC's (HSBA LN) shares sold-off following the Ant Financial announcement despite the firm not waiving interest charges on margin borrowing for the suspended IPO. With a China-centric growth strategy, HSBC’s business model is increasingly caught in the middle of a developing bi-polar world.Nonetheless, never missing an opportunity to test the market, HSBC Holdings was the only financial institution to issue debt in the global capital markets this week. We assess the attractiveness of these Euro-denominated bonds within. In Asia, primary US$-bond sales plunged to just US$0.9b from US$6.8 billion in the prior week as borrowers awaited the U.S presidential election outcome. With interest rates diving lower, we anticipate additional issuance over the next few weeks as issuers fill 2021 borrowing needs early.Against this background, Asia’s lower duration Senior Unsecured bonds outperformed Tier 2 and Additional Tier 1 securities, in concert with concerns surrounding global economic growth potential over the near term. The top performing and underperforming bonds were short- and long-duration in nature, respectively.  Market Outlook: A less expansionary US fiscal policy should reduce upward pressure on U.S. rates and is likely to support yield-seeking, including Emerging Markets (EM) fixed income securities over time. In the near term, risk asset and bank valuations may remain volatile through the year-end as large levels of cash remain on the sidelines.

Bank Credit Weekly: Election Goldilocks Priced-In as Growth Concerns Increase

Asean-focused. Ex-Head of Thai Research

Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA

Asean (Thailand) Focused Independent Research

M Corp Review

M Corp is led by Athaporn Arayasantiparb who served as Head of Research for UOB and ANZ in Thailand and was an award-winning telecoms analyst at UBS in 2010 (AsiaMoney Thailand category) and Regional Strategist for DMG in Singapore. Prior to that, he also served as Kasikornbank credit analyst and scholar. He has a total work experience of 17 years, of which 14 were in research and 4 in research management roles. He started his career as an engineer for PTT and currently manages family investments. He holds an MBA from Stern (NYU) and CFA Charter since 2006. Apart from IPO Radar, which focuses on future listings, MCorp Review also provides six on-going thematic series ranked by frequency in descending order, namely: 1) Silicon Stories (technology) 2) Sathorn Series (financial services) 3) Thai-Coons (billionaire origin stories) 4) Reality Check (data-driven, investigative) 5) Thai Media Spotlight; and 6) Thai Macro Watch (global market drivers).

Equity Bottom-Up

For the upcoming year, we have selected 10 stocks for our country portfolio, and they can be broken down into three groups: <ul>
<li>
Big cap picks. Big caps tend to outperform during times of strong QE flows. These include our top pick in large sectors except energy (BBL, AIS), the world's most valuable airport (AOT), and MINT (Thailand's only top 20 global hotel chain).</li>
<li>
Recent listings. CRC was listed in 2020 and is considered an important recovery play. In particular, we are excited about two new listings in 2021 as well, namely NForce and Kerry (Thailand).</li>
<li>
Small cap rebounds. Interestingly, a number of small cap stocks can also stand out and provide your portfolio with alpha. These include contractor SKY, massage operator SPA, and the country's incredibly fast-growing gaming company AS (AsiaSoft).</li>
</ul>

For the upcoming year, we have selected 10 stocks for our country portfolio, and they can be broken down into three groups: 

Big cap picks. Big caps tend to outperform during times of strong QE flows. These include our top pick in large sectors except energy (BBL, AIS), the world's most valuable airport (AOT), and MINT (Thailand's only top 20 global hotel chain).

Recent listings. CRC was listed in 2020 and is considered an important recovery play. In particular, we are excited about two new listings in 2021 as well, namely NForce and Kerry (Thailand).

Small cap rebounds. Interestingly, a number of small cap stocks can also stand out and provide your portfolio with alpha. These include contractor SKY, massage operator SPA, and the country's incredibly fast-growing gaming company AS (AsiaSoft).


Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 2): Top 10 Stock Picks

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A call with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46:1" rel="noopener">Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> management revealed that it has seen the worst of it for its core auto division, with a gradual recovery underway for both its autos and motorbikes, where its market share is back to pre-COVID-19 levels at 52% and 75% respectively.  Most of the company's businesses have already started to see significant recoveries from COVID-19 and this momentum will continue into the end of the year and into 2021. Watch out for the increasing impact of digitalization and potential acquisitions utilizing the proceeds of the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-permata-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:728:1" rel="noopener">Bank Permata (BNLI IJ)</a> sale.
</div>
October may see slightly less positive car sales given a 2nd round of PSBB measures were in place for half the month and consumers delayed purchases in the hope that luxury tax would be removed, which did not happen. 
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46:1" rel="noopener">Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> financial services arm is seeing some recovery and has already made adequate provisioning.
The company has a rock-solid balance sheet post the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-permata-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:728:1" rel="noopener">Bank Permata (BNLI IJ)</a> sale but is considering a number of investment opportunities, potentially in the digital space where it has already invested in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gojek" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25976:1" rel="noopener">Gojek (1379371D IJ)</a>.
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46:1" rel="noopener">Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> is very focused on digitalizing its overall business with an "Astra Digital" department at head office focused on creating synergies across its businesses, as well as utilizing data analytics.
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-tractors-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:698:1" rel="noopener">United Tractors (UNTR IJ)</a> is supported by its gold exposure, where this business is worth more than the rest of its businesses combined. 
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astra-international-tbk-pt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46:1" rel="noopener">Astra International (ASII IJ)</a> remains one of our top picks for the recovery in the Indonesian economy going into 2021. It trades on 12.7x FY21E PER, with EPS growth forecast at +9.5% and +20.6% for FY21E and FY22E respectively.


A call with Astra International (ASII IJ) management revealed that it has seen the worst of it for its core auto division, with a gradual recovery underway for both its autos and motorbikes, where its market share is back to pre-COVID-19 levels at 52% and 75% respectively.  Most of the company's businesses have already started to see significant recoveries from COVID-19 and this momentum will continue into the end of the year and into 2021. Watch out for the increasing impact of digitalization and potential acquisitions utilizing the proceeds of the Bank Permata (BNLI IJ) sale.

October may see slightly less positive car sales given a 2nd round of PSBB measures were in place for half the month and consumers delayed purchases in the hope that luxury tax would be removed, which did not happen. 
Astra International (ASII IJ) financial services arm is seeing some recovery and has already made adequate provisioning.
The company has a rock-solid balance sheet post the Bank Permata (BNLI IJ) sale but is considering a number of investment opportunities, potentially in the digital space where it has already invested in Gojek (1379371D IJ).
Astra International (ASII IJ) is very focused on digitalizing its overall business with an "Astra Digital" department at head office focused on creating synergies across its businesses, as well as utilizing data analytics.
United Tractors (UNTR IJ) is supported by its gold exposure, where this business is worth more than the rest of its businesses combined. 
Astra International (ASII IJ) remains one of our top picks for the recovery in the Indonesian economy going into 2021. It trades on 12.7x FY21E PER, with EPS growth forecast at +9.5% and +20.6% for FY21E and FY22E respectively.

Astra International (ASII IJ) - An Auto-Recovery Story with a Golden Digital Twist

Thailand

Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited provides various banking and financial services including commercial, consumer, credit card, and mortgage lending, international trade financing, investment banking, and securities services.

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Bangkok Bank Public (BBL TB)

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Thai Strategy 2021 (Part 2): Top 10 Stock Picks

Go with big caps (BBL, MINT) to catch the QE wave. Give the new listings (CRC, KEX) a shot, and don't miss out on AsiaSoft, our ultimate top pick.

Athaporn Arayasantiparb, CFA

Astra International (ASII IJ) - An Auto-Recovery Story with a Golden Digital Twist

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