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

Equity Bottom-Up

<p>The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced last week that it will award a full digital bank license to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> and to a consortium including <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> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> in a move to liberalize the local banking industry. In this insight, we consider the potential for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> to benefit from this new pillar. </p>
<p>Like traditional banks, these players will provide retail customers with services such as opening accounts, deposits, as well as issuing debit and credit cards, The difference being that digital banks will not have a physical presence and all banking services will be done online.</p>
<p>The MAS will also grant digital wholesale bank licenses to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:787:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (BABA US)</a> and a consortium including Greenland Financial, Linklogis Hong Kong, and Beijing Cooperative Equity Investment Fund. Digital wholesale banks can serve corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises.</p>
<p>This should be taken positively for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-telecommunications" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20:1" rel="noopener">Singtel (ST SP)</a> and, signaling a firm move by the former to further build its exposure into the financial space beyond digital payments. It has already been making significant headway with digital payments as a late starter, especially in Indonesia.</p>
<p>SeaMoney and ShopeePay saw positive momentum across Garena and Shopee during 3Q2020, with the total mobile wallet payment volume exceeding US$2.1bn and quarterly paying users surpassing 17.8m. The eventual prospect of selling financial services to Sea Money and Shopee Pay users must make sense as a long-term growth driver. </p>
<p>No doubt that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> has caught out short sellers in their droves but for good reason, in that it keeps delivering on growth and is already forging a path to profitability with increasingly positive EBITDA over the past two quarters. This will continue to be a stock to own in 2021, with digital payments and other related financial services becoming increasingly important. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sea-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8509:1" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd (SE US)</a> just announced that it is to raise US$2bn-2.6bn in new funds through a placement of new ADS shares. This will provide the company with further funding to ramp up its digital bank and other digital finance businesses. The company had over US$3.5bn in cash or equivalents at end of 3Q2020, so this only adds to its firepower. </p>

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced last week that it will award a full digital bank license to Sea Ltd (SE US) and to a consortium including Grab (0967655D SP) and Singtel (ST SP) in a move to liberalize the local banking industry. In this insight, we consider the potential for Sea Ltd (SE US) to benefit from this new pillar. 
Like traditional banks, these players will provide retail customers with services such as opening accounts, deposits, as well as issuing debit and credit cards, The difference being that digital banks will not have a physical presence and all banking services will be done online.
The MAS will also grant digital wholesale bank licenses to Alibaba Group (BABA US) and a consortium including Greenland Financial, Linklogis Hong Kong, and Beijing Cooperative Equity Investment Fund. Digital wholesale banks can serve corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises.
This should be taken positively for Sea Ltd (SE US) and Singtel (ST SP) and, signaling a firm move by the former to further build its exposure into the financial space beyond digital payments. It has already been making significant headway with digital payments as a late starter, especially in Indonesia.
SeaMoney and ShopeePay saw positive momentum across Garena and Shopee during 3Q2020, with the total mobile wallet payment volume exceeding US$2.1bn and quarterly paying users surpassing 17.8m. The eventual prospect of selling financial services to Sea Money and Shopee Pay users must make sense as a long-term growth driver. 
No doubt that Sea Ltd (SE US) has caught out short sellers in their droves but for good reason, in that it keeps delivering on growth and is already forging a path to profitability with increasingly positive EBITDA over the past two quarters. This will continue to be a stock to own in 2021, with digital payments and other related financial services becoming increasingly important. 
Sea Ltd (SE US) just announced that it is to raise US$2bn-2.6bn in new funds through a placement of new ADS shares. This will provide the company with further funding to ramp up its digital bank and other digital finance businesses. The company had over US$3.5bn in cash or equivalents at end of 3Q2020, so this only adds to its firepower. 

Sea Ltd (SE US) - Financial Services the Third Pillar?

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.

Equity Capital Markets

Pop Mart International Group L / Equity Capital Markets

<div><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pop-mart-international-group-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29016:1" rel="noopener">POP MART (POP HK)</a> raised around US$775m in its Hong Kong IPO. Pop Mart (PM) is the largest and fastest growing pop toy company in China, in terms of 2019 revenue and revenue CAGR over 2017-19. PM had a 8.5% market share by retail value, making it the largest player in the pop toy retailing market.</p></div><div><p>In our previous insights, we spoke about the various aspects of the deal: </p></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-the-positives-expanding-portfolio-wider-distribution-explosive-earnings-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO - The Positives - Expanding Portfolio+Wider Distribution= Explosive Earnings Growth,</a> and</li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-the-negatives-is-it-a-brand-owner-or-just-a-retailer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Is It a Brand Owner or Just a Retailer?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-peer-set-and-valuation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:41850" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO - Peer Set and Valuation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-quick-note-on-the-ground-pop-up-stores-are-effective" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO Quick Note - On the Ground - Pop-Up Stores Are Effective</a></li>
</ul></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-phip-updates-still-riding-on-past-expansion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO - PHIP Updates - Still Riding on past Expansion</a></li></ul></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-pre-ipo-valuation-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart Pre-IPO - Valuation Updates</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/pop-mart-ipo-making-you-pay-well-for-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pop Mart IPO - Making You Pay Well for Growth</a></li>
</ul></div><p>In this insight, I'll talk about the subscription levels and provide a table with implied valuations.</p>

POP MART (POP HK) raised around US$775m in its Hong Kong IPO. Pop Mart (PM) is the largest and fastest growing pop toy company in China, in terms of 2019 revenue and revenue CAGR over 2017-19. PM had a 8.5% market share by retail value, making it the largest player in the pop toy retailing market.In our previous insights, we spoke about the various aspects of the deal: 

Pop Mart Pre-IPO - The Positives - Expanding Portfolio+Wider Distribution= Explosive Earnings Growth, and
Pop Mart Pre-IPO - The Negatives - Is It a Brand Owner or Just a Retailer?
Pop Mart Pre-IPO - Peer Set and Valuation
Pop Mart Pre-IPO Quick Note - On the Ground - Pop-Up Stores Are Effective
Pop Mart Pre-IPO - PHIP Updates - Still Riding on past Expansion
Pop Mart Pre-IPO - Valuation Updates
Pop Mart IPO - Making You Pay Well for Growth
In this insight, I'll talk about the subscription levels and provide a table with implied valuations.

Pop Mart IPO Trading - Set for a Pop but We Won't Be Chasing

APAC IPOs & Placements

Zhen Zhou, Toh

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/archosaur-games" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28948:1" rel="noopener">Archosaur Games (9990 HK)</a> (AG) is a mobile game developer in China with a focus on mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPGs). The company is backed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/perfect-world-co-ltd-china" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28923:1" rel="noopener">Perfect World (002624 CH)</a>. It has a track record of developing and publishing popular MMORPGs which include Dragon Raja (龙族幻想), Fantasy Zhuxian (梦幻诛仙), and Loong Craft (六龙争霸).</p>
<div>
<p>AG was listed on the 15th of July, 2020, and it has traded well since then, still holding onto its 110% gain since IPO. But in October, share price dipped on the back of the rise in popularity of Genshin Impact. But we think that AG still offers one of the best exposure to mobile MMORPG game development given the track record of the company.</p>
</div>

Archosaur Games (9990 HK) (AG) is a mobile game developer in China with a focus on mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPGs). The company is backed by Tencent Holdings (700 HK) and Perfect World (002624 CH). It has a track record of developing and publishing popular MMORPGs which include Dragon Raja (龙族幻想), Fantasy Zhuxian (梦幻诛仙), and Loong Craft (六龙争霸).

AG was listed on the 15th of July, 2020, and it has traded well since then, still holding onto its 110% gain since IPO. But in October, share price dipped on the back of the rise in popularity of Genshin Impact. But we think that AG still offers one of the best exposure to mobile MMORPG game development given the track record of the company.


2021 High Conviction - Archosaur Games (祖龙娱乐) - A Bet on the Mobile RPG Boom

<p>Airbnb aims to raise up to US$3.1bn in its US listing. Airbnb is a global short-stay offering platform. To put it simply, it connects hosts, who post available accommodation on Airbnb, with guests, who make bookings for the accommodation. It charges a fee for this service.</p><p>As of 9M20, it had 4 million hosts in more than 220 countries and regions around the world. Since inception, its hosts have welcomed over 825m guest arrivals and have cumulatively earned over $110bn. In 2019, it had 54m active bookers worldwide, who booked 327m nights and experiences on Airbnb.</p><p>Over 2017-19, the company reported steady growth in earnings led by an increase in the number of bookings. Its overall number of guests and hosts have been growing as well, with most metrics heading in the right direction. </p><p>I’ve covered various aspects of the deal in my previous note, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/airbnb-ipo-time-for-a-good-break-even-from-the-share-lock-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Airbnb IPO - Time for a good break - even from the  share lock-up</a>. </p><p>In this note, I’ll take a look at its peers recent performance and talk about valuations.</p>

Airbnb aims to raise up to US$3.1bn in its US listing. Airbnb is a global short-stay offering platform. To put it simply, it connects hosts, who post available accommodation on Airbnb, with guests, who make bookings for the accommodation. It charges a fee for this service.As of 9M20, it had 4 million hosts in more than 220 countries and regions around the world. Since inception, its hosts have welcomed over 825m guest arrivals and have cumulatively earned over $110bn. In 2019, it had 54m active bookers worldwide, who booked 327m nights and experiences on Airbnb.Over 2017-19, the company reported steady growth in earnings led by an increase in the number of bookings. Its overall number of guests and hosts have been growing as well, with most metrics heading in the right direction. I’ve covered various aspects of the deal in my previous note, Airbnb IPO - Time for a good break - even from the  share lock-up. In this note, I’ll take a look at its peers recent performance and talk about valuations.

Airbnb IPO - Peer Comparison and Valuation - Smaller but Nimbler, Possible COVID Winner

Silver Point

Thomas J. Monaco

Independent Insight Provider

Silver Point is a boutique research firm that focuses on the broader financial services sector, with a particular focus on troubled institutions globally. 

Asia Ex Japan

<p><strong><em>*RBA Speech – A Positive For Aussie BNPL: </em></strong>The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) indicated that the status-quo for the buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) sector is likely to continue into the foreseeable future – which is a significant positive for Tencent Holding’s (700.HK) [Tencent] Afterpay Touch (APT.AU) [Afterpay]. Specifically, BNPL operators can still prevent merchants from passing on transaction fees;</p><p><em><strong>*Strong Momentum As We Head Into Holiday Season: </strong></em>Just as we head into the holiday season, Tencent’s Afterpay provided some strong key metrics in its latest media release as discussed in “Tencent Holdings – Father Christmas” note dated December 3, 2020.  What a magnificent six months this has been for Afterpay, and the next six months look to be even more transformational with operations beginning in the European Union, launches of banking products, and potentially the launch of the business in Asia (likely under the tutelage of Tencent); and</p><p><em><strong>*More Magic Fairy Dust:</strong></em> Tencent continues to hit it out of the park with its Afterpay stake. In addition to a superb return on investment of 400% over the past six months since the stake announcement, this alliance with Australia’s premier financial technology Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company is paying dividends to Tencent in numerous other ways.</p>

*RBA Speech – A Positive For Aussie BNPL: The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) indicated that the status-quo for the buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) sector is likely to continue into the foreseeable future – which is a significant positive for Tencent Holding’s (700.HK) [Tencent] Afterpay Touch (APT.AU) [Afterpay]. Specifically, BNPL operators can still prevent merchants from passing on transaction fees;*Strong Momentum As We Head Into Holiday Season: Just as we head into the holiday season, Tencent’s Afterpay provided some strong key metrics in its latest media release as discussed in “Tencent Holdings – Father Christmas” note dated December 3, 2020.  What a magnificent six months this has been for Afterpay, and the next six months look to be even more transformational with operations beginning in the European Union, launches of banking products, and potentially the launch of the business in Asia (likely under the tutelage of Tencent); and*More Magic Fairy Dust: Tencent continues to hit it out of the park with its Afterpay stake. In addition to a superb return on investment of 400% over the past six months since the stake announcement, this alliance with Australia’s premier financial technology Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company is paying dividends to Tencent in numerous other ways.

China

Tencent Holdings Limited operates as an investment holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides Internet and mobile value-added services (VAS), online advertising, and e-commerce transactions. Tencent Holdings offers services to users worldwide.

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Tencent (700 HK)

Sea Ltd (SE US) - Financial Services the Third Pillar?

Sea Ltd keeps delivering on growth and is forging a path to profitability with increasingly positive EBITDA over the past two quarters. Financial...

Angus Mackintosh

Pop Mart IPO Trading - Set for a Pop but We Won't Be Chasing

POP MART raised around US$775m in its Hong Kong IPO. Pop Mart is the largest and fastest growing pop toy company in China, in terms of 2019 revenue...

Sumeet Singh

2021 High Conviction - Archosaur Games (祖龙娱乐) - A Bet on the Mobile RPG Boom

AG was listed on the 15th of July, 2020, and it has traded well since then. AG offers one of the best exposure to mobile MMORPG game development...

Zhen Zhou, Toh

Airbnb IPO - Peer Comparison and Valuation - Smaller but Nimbler, Possible COVID Winner

Airbnb aims to raise up to US$3.1bn in its US listing. Even at the revised price range, the stock is still at a discount to booking.com.

Sumeet Singh

Tencent Holdings – After The Speech

TENCENT HOLDINGS: Reserve Bank of Australia indicated that the status-quo for BNPL is likely to continue – which is a significant positive for...

Thomas J. Monaco

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