Greater China Equity Long/Short Analyst

Eric Chen

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Meituan has navigated through its most challenging period since IPO as competition moderates and reorg comes close to completion. </li>
<li>1Q results should kick off an upward earnings cycle through to the end of 2024 when the company’s efforts to revamp loss-making new initiative businesses gather pace. </li>
<li>That said, lack of clear topline driver remains the key reason for our cautious view about the sustainability of re-rating. Maintain neutral.</li>
</ul>


Meituan has navigated through its most challenging period since IPO as competition moderates and reorg comes close to completion. 
1Q results should kick off an upward earnings cycle through to the end of 2024 when the company’s efforts to revamp loss-making new initiative businesses gather pace. 
That said, lack of clear topline driver remains the key reason for our cautious view about the sustainability of re-rating. Maintain neutral.


Meituan (3690 HK): Lack of Clear Topline Driver Remains a Concern

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

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/asm-pacific-technology-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15061:1" rel="noopener">ASM Pacific Technology (522 HK)</a> is expected to replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-healthcare-and-technol" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27008:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Healthcare and Technol (1833 HK)</a> in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-tech-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31367:1" rel="noopener">Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH INDEX)</a> at the September rebalance.</li>
<li>Constituent changes and capping changes will result in a one-way turnover of 3.7% and that will result in a round-trip trade of HK$7.8bn (US$1bn).</li>
<li>Short interest is near the lows on both stocks but there has been a recent tick higher for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/asm-pacific-technology-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15061:1" rel="noopener">ASM Pacific Technology (522 HK)</a>.</li>
</ul>



ASM Pacific Technology (522 HK) is expected to replace Ping An Healthcare and Technol (1833 HK) in the Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH INDEX) at the September rebalance.
Constituent changes and capping changes will result in a one-way turnover of 3.7% and that will result in a round-trip trade of HK$7.8bn (US$1bn).
Short interest is near the lows on both stocks but there has been a recent tick higher for ASM Pacific Technology (522 HK).


HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: ASM Pacific (522) Could Replace Ping An Health (1833); US$1bn Trade

<ul>
<li>A month out from cutoff for the September rebalance, we see one potential change for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-china-large-cap-etf" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:766:1" rel="noopener">iShares China Large-Cap (FXI) (FXI US)</a>. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-tower-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27037:1" rel="noopener">China Tower (788 HK)</a> is a potential inclusion while <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-international-capital-corporation-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1071:1" rel="noopener">China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK)</a> should be deleted from the ETF.</li>
<li>Shorts have been dropping in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-tower-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27037:1" rel="noopener">China Tower (788 HK)</a> and are near their lows while increasing in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-international-capital-corporation-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1071:1" rel="noopener">China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>


A month out from cutoff for the September rebalance, we see one potential change for the iShares China Large-Cap (FXI) (FXI US). 

China Tower (788 HK) is a potential inclusion while China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK) should be deleted from the ETF.
Shorts have been dropping in China Tower (788 HK) and are near their lows while increasing in China International Capital Corporation (3908 HK). 


FXI Rebalance Preview: One High Probability Change; One More Possible

Blue Lotus Non US Internet research, Blue Lotus Research Institute

Ying Pan

Blue Lotus Non US Internet research

China growth and global non-US Internet equities

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Blue Lotus Research is a Hong Kong Type 4 Licensed investment advisory firm focusing on Chinese growth equities and global non-US Internet equities

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>3690 HK/TCOM US: Online catering is robust in 2Q24, while online tourism diminishing quickly（+/-）</li>
<li>1024 HK: Source said Kuaishou's video generation LLM, Kling AI, has surpassed one million total application users.（+）</li>
<li>3690 HK:Meituan may launch food delivery service in Riyadh in September or October this year (+)</li>
</ul>


3690 HK/TCOM US: Online catering is robust in 2Q24, while online tourism diminishing quickly（+/-）
1024 HK: Source said Kuaishou's video generation LLM, Kling AI, has surpassed one million total application users.（+）
3690 HK:Meituan may launch food delivery service in Riyadh in September or October this year (+)


[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/TCOM US/1024 HK/BIDU US/PDD US/AMZN US/NTES US/700 HK/BABA US

<ul>
<li>Meituan reported C4Q23 revenue beat our estimate/consensus by 0.7%/1.4%; operating profit beat our estimate/consensus by 37.3%/48.6%, mainly due to order volume surprise, which is unsustainable in our view.</li>
<li>However, we think Meituan’s near term pressures did not change: (1) core biz OPM drop due to rising low-price orders and subsidies; (2) resuming competition from Eleme/Douyin/PDD</li>
<li>We maintain the stock as SELL rating but raise TP by HK$13 to HK$70 to factor in the loss cutting commitment in the community group buying biz.</li>
</ul>


Meituan reported C4Q23 revenue beat our estimate/consensus by 0.7%/1.4%; operating profit beat our estimate/consensus by 37.3%/48.6%, mainly due to order volume surprise, which is unsustainable in our view.
However, we think Meituan’s near term pressures did not change: (1) core biz OPM drop due to rising low-price orders and subsidies; (2) resuming competition from Eleme/Douyin/PDD
We maintain the stock as SELL rating but raise TP by HK$13 to HK$70 to factor in the loss cutting commitment in the community group buying biz.


[Meituan (3690 HK, SELL, TP HK$70) TP Change]: Margin Reflects Persistent Competitive Pressure

China

Meituan operates as a web based shopping platform for locally found consumer products and retail services. The Company offers deals of the day by selling vouchers on local services and entertainment, dining, delivery, and other services. Meituan provides its services throughout China.

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Meituan (3690 HK)

Meituan (3690 HK): Lack of Clear Topline Driver Remains a Concern

While we expect 1Q24 to kick off an upward earnings cycle for Meituan, lack of clear topline driver remains a concern given its valuation premium...

Eric Chen

HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: ASM Pacific (522) Could Replace Ping An Health (1833); US$1bn Trade

ASMPT is down a LOT today following results that were weaker than expected and guidance that was lower than projected earlier. With potential...

Brian Freitas

FXI Rebalance Preview: One High Probability Change; One More Possible

There should be 1 change for the FXI ETF in Sep. There could be another change if Wuxi Apptec underperforms some of the other stocks by 3% over the...

Brian Freitas

[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/TCOM US/1024 HK/BIDU US/PDD US/AMZN US/NTES US/700 HK/BABA US

Online catering is thriving, while online tourism is declining. Kuaishou's video generation AI has over one million users. Meituan may expand food...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

[Meituan (3690 HK, SELL, TP HK$70) TP Change]: Margin Reflects Persistent Competitive Pressure

Meituan beats revenue and profit estimates, but unsustainable order volume surprise. Near-term pressures remain, stock maintained as SELL with...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Meituan (3690 HK): Lack of Clear Topline Driver Remains a Concern

​While we expect 1Q24 to kick off an upward earnings cycle for Meituan, lack of clear topline driver remains a concern given its valuation premium...

Eric Chen

HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: ASM Pacific (522) Could Replace Ping An Health (1833); US$1bn Trade

ASMPT is down a LOT today following results that were weaker than expected and guidance that was lower than projected earlier. With potential...

Brian Freitas

FXI Rebalance Preview: One High Probability Change; One More Possible

There should be 1 change for the FXI ETF in Sep. There could be another change if Wuxi Apptec underperforms some of the other stocks by 3% over the...

Brian Freitas

[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/TCOM US/1024 HK/BIDU US/PDD US/AMZN US/NTES US/700 HK/BABA US

​Online catering is thriving, while online tourism is declining. Kuaishou's video generation AI has over one million users. Meituan may expand food...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

[Meituan (3690 HK, SELL, TP HK$70) TP Change]: Margin Reflects Persistent Competitive Pressure

​Meituan beats revenue and profit estimates, but unsustainable order volume surprise. Near-term pressures remain, stock maintained as SELL with...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

While we expect 1Q24 to kick off an upward earnings cycle for Meituan, lack of clear topline driver remains a concern given its valuation premium...

Online catering is thriving, while online tourism is declining. Kuaishou's video generation AI has over one million users. Meituan may expand food...

Meituan beats revenue and profit estimates, but unsustainable order volume surprise. Near-term pressures remain, stock maintained as SELL with...