Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Independent and original Asian investment research

Aletheia Capital

Aletheia Capital (HK) Ltd. (previously known as Asianomics) combines the extensive knowledge of its experienced team with technology and regulatory changes to disrupt Global Markets business in Asia. The firm is completely independent with no conflicts of interest either on Investment Banking advisory or Capital Markets execution.

Equity Bottom-Up

<h2>Growth of low end driven by Pinduoduo</h2>
<p>The growth of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pinduoduo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27250:1" rel="noopener">Pinduoduo (PDD US)</a> has spurred growth in China’s express market over the last two years, accounting for 60% or more of incremental growth in parcel volume in 2018. PDD’s emergence has boosted parcel volume growth, but this gift has come at a price: to win business from the merchants operating on PDD’s platform, express companies must offer rock-bottom pricing.</p>
<h2>Volume growth a nice gift, but it comes with a price</h2>
<p>PDD’s emergence offers strong volume growth, accompanied by downward pressure on pricing and margins. To combat these pressures, express companies must aggressively pursue parcel volume share in order to reduce unit costs (and thereby limit margin erosion). With most small express players squeezed out, we believe price competition among the remaining express firms is intensifying, with average parcel pricing down by 12-16% YoY in recent months.</p>
<h2>At high end of express &amp; logistics, less competition</h2>
<p>Away from intensifying competition at the low-end of the express sector, the high-end of China’s express segment features pockets of growth with muted competition. In time-definite (i.e., ‘overnight’) express, international express, supply chain management, and cold-chain logistics, providers tend to compete based on service levels, and their customers tend to be less price-sensitive than those at the low-end of the market. Underlying demand for these services is powered by a gradual ‘consumption upgrade’, helping merchants move high-value goods faster and more reliably compared to mainstream express products. We believe these segments offer shelter from the price competition that has emerged at the low-end of the express sector.</p>
<h2>Express market is bifurcating</h2>
<p>We see two distinct segments developing within express. At the low end, most of the listed express companies are aggressively pursuing volume share gains in order to reduce costs so they can profitably handle the low-priced parcels that are driving sector growth. Meanwhile, at the high end, SF Holding is successfully courting customers who value speed and reliability ahead of low prices. We expect profitability in this latter segment to remain fairly stable, while at the low end we expect profitability to continue eroding.</p>
<h2>Low-end pressure adds to rising capex demand, sliding returns</h2>
<p>The development of a bifurcated market comes at the same time most Chinese express companies are already facing pressures on cash flow and profitability. We believe most of the listed express companies are increasing capital expenditures in order to expand ‘last mile’ service and to build out needed infrastructure in smaller cities and rural areas. We suspect initial returns on these types of investments will be low, compounding downward pressure on margins related to PDD’s rise.</p>
<h2>Focus on high end should produce better results going forward</h2>
<p>Strong downward pressures on margins will make it increasingly difficult for most express companies to convert strong top-line growth into attractive earnings growth. In the medium-term, we believe companies with limited exposure to low-end parcel volumes are more likely to generate attractive strongest earnings growth. </p>

Growth of low end driven by Pinduoduo
The growth of Pinduoduo (PDD US) has spurred growth in China’s express market over the last two years, accounting for 60% or more of incremental growth in parcel volume in 2018. PDD’s emergence has boosted parcel volume growth, but this gift has come at a price: to win business from the merchants operating on PDD’s platform, express companies must offer rock-bottom pricing.
Volume growth a nice gift, but it comes with a price
PDD’s emergence offers strong volume growth, accompanied by downward pressure on pricing and margins. To combat these pressures, express companies must aggressively pursue parcel volume share in order to reduce unit costs (and thereby limit margin erosion). With most small express players squeezed out, we believe price competition among the remaining express firms is intensifying, with average parcel pricing down by 12-16% YoY in recent months.
At high end of express &amp; logistics, less competition
Away from intensifying competition at the low-end of the express sector, the high-end of China’s express segment features pockets of growth with muted competition. In time-definite (i.e., ‘overnight’) express, international express, supply chain management, and cold-chain logistics, providers tend to compete based on service levels, and their customers tend to be less price-sensitive than those at the low-end of the market. Underlying demand for these services is powered by a gradual ‘consumption upgrade’, helping merchants move high-value goods faster and more reliably compared to mainstream express products. We believe these segments offer shelter from the price competition that has emerged at the low-end of the express sector.
Express market is bifurcating
We see two distinct segments developing within express. At the low end, most of the listed express companies are aggressively pursuing volume share gains in order to reduce costs so they can profitably handle the low-priced parcels that are driving sector growth. Meanwhile, at the high end, SF Holding is successfully courting customers who value speed and reliability ahead of low prices. We expect profitability in this latter segment to remain fairly stable, while at the low end we expect profitability to continue eroding.
Low-end pressure adds to rising capex demand, sliding returns
The development of a bifurcated market comes at the same time most Chinese express companies are already facing pressures on cash flow and profitability. We believe most of the listed express companies are increasing capital expenditures in order to expand ‘last mile’ service and to build out needed infrastructure in smaller cities and rural areas. We suspect initial returns on these types of investments will be low, compounding downward pressure on margins related to PDD’s rise.
Focus on high end should produce better results going forward
Strong downward pressures on margins will make it increasingly difficult for most express companies to convert strong top-line growth into attractive earnings growth. In the medium-term, we believe companies with limited exposure to low-end parcel volumes are more likely to generate attractive strongest earnings growth. 

Bifurcated Chinese Express Market Developing

Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors, Fabricated Knowledge

Douglas O'Laughlin

Equity Long-Short, Semiconductors

Fabricated Knowledge

Learn more about the world's most important manufactured product. Meaningful insight, timely analysis, and an occasional investment idea.

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) - ADR / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>TSMC reported earnings. They beat Q2 estimates, but importantly they guided down Q3 and FY 2023 estimates.</li>
<li>The Q2 beat was widely expected regarding revenue, given that TSMC reports monthly revenue, but the Q3 guide was not.</li>
<li>The midpoint of the guidance has the year-over-year decline decelerating, which I didn’t expect. Moreover, the -10% annual guide throws some water on the second-half recovery. Yes, the second half will be higher than the first, but the recovery is much more muted than historical. And what’s more, margins are looking worse for N3 than a typical node.</li>
</ul>


TSMC reported earnings. They beat Q2 estimates, but importantly they guided down Q3 and FY 2023 estimates.
The Q2 beat was widely expected regarding revenue, given that TSMC reports monthly revenue, but the Q3 guide was not.
The midpoint of the guidance has the year-over-year decline decelerating, which I didn’t expect. Moreover, the -10% annual guide throws some water on the second-half recovery. Yes, the second half will be higher than the first, but the recovery is much more muted than historical. And what’s more, margins are looking worse for N3 than a typical node.


TSMC Sees Continued Weakness, and EUV's Quandary (ASML)

Mostly Borrowed Ideas Deep Dives, MBI Deep Dives

MBI Deep Dives

Mostly Borrowed Ideas Deep Dives

MBI is the abbreviation for “Mostly Borrowed Ideas”. Why “Mostly Borrowed Ideas?” As a generalist, I do not have a background in any particular sector. I enjoy navigating across industries, businesses, and countries to learn, understand, and connect the dots. In any case, most ideas and innovations are incremental in nature. Very few of us are smart enough to come up with truly original or groundbreaking ideas. I am Abdullah Al-Rezwan. I was born and brought up in Bangladesh. I went to University of Dhaka for my undergrad and majored in Finance. After working three and half years in Equity Research (Sell-side) covering Financial Sector in Bangladesh, I left Bangladesh to pursue my MBA in the US. I graduated within top 10% of the class from Cornell University's two-year MBA program and worked on the buy-side following my graduation. During my time at Cornell, I won two stock pitch competitions and also became finalists in four other competitions. I thoroughly enjoyed my stint as a generalist in the US large cap team at Madison Investments and covered a wide range of companies from UnitedHealth to Amazon and Boeing before US immigration reality paused my career in investment management. As my work authorization expired, I moved to Canada in January, 2021. Then in early 2022, I was able to return to the US.

Meta Platforms (Facebook) / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>During the weekend, I asked my twitter followers: What do you think Facebook's DAU to MAU ratio was in 2009?</li><li>The number that got the highest votes was ~80% even though I mentioned the most recent number was ~68%.</li><li>I asked this question a couple of friends in real life too and they too picked the ~80% number.</li></ul>

During the weekend, I asked my twitter followers: What do you think Facebook's DAU to MAU ratio was in 2009?The number that got the highest votes was ~80% even though I mentioned the most recent number was ~68%.I asked this question a couple of friends in real life too and they too picked the ~80% number.

Managing Director, Zero One, Zero One

Vincent Fernando, CFA

Managing Director, Zero One

<ul>
<li>This week will have some major earnings data points released. In Taiwan, UMC, Delta, Mediatek, ASE will report among other local names in our coverage.</li>
<li>Samsung &amp; SK Hynix will report this week, providing major insight into the Memory chip space for companies such as Nanya Technology and Micron.</li>
<li>TSMC &amp; ASML results last week indicate that the cycle could be bottoming in 2Q23E for these leading firms... But are we entering a two-track industry recovery?</li>
</ul>


This week will have some major earnings data points released. In Taiwan, UMC, Delta, Mediatek, ASE will report among other local names in our coverage.
Samsung &amp; SK Hynix will report this week, providing major insight into the Memory chip space for companies such as Nanya Technology and Micron.
TSMC &amp; ASML results last week indicate that the cycle could be bottoming in 2Q23E for these leading firms... But are we entering a two-track industry recovery?


Taiwan Tech Weekly: This Is a Major Earnings Week; Are We Entering a 2-Track Semiconductor Recovery?

<ul>
<li>Nvidia CEO to unveil new developments at the company's GTC developer conference tonight Asia time. TSMC and ASML could have read-throughs from the event given their key roles.</li>
<li>AUO's chairman said that he expects PC panel demand to return to normal levels later this year; indicating another sign of potential improvement in the PC and display space.</li>
<li>PC maker Asustek was a top loser in the past week; we highlight it as a potential Long/Short opportunity.</li>
</ul>


Nvidia CEO to unveil new developments at the company's GTC developer conference tonight Asia time. TSMC and ASML could have read-throughs from the event given their key roles.
AUO's chairman said that he expects PC panel demand to return to normal levels later this year; indicating another sign of potential improvement in the PC and display space.
PC maker Asustek was a top loser in the past week; we highlight it as a potential Long/Short opportunity.


Taiwan Tech Weekly: Nvidia's Latest Strategy Unveil Tonight; AUO Says PC Panel Demand Normalizing

United States

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related accessories. The Company also offers payment, digital content, cloud and advertising services. Apple Inc.'s customers are primarily in consumer, small & mid-sized business, education, enterprise and government markets worldwide.

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Apple (AAPL US)

Bifurcated Chinese Express Market Developing

We will write more about SF Holding soon as the company prepares to seek a secondary listing in Hong Kong. But we believe some of the themes we...

Daniel Hellberg

TSMC Sees Continued Weakness, and EUV's Quandary (ASML)

TSMC sees further inventory correction, I see earnings disappointments. ASML has a quandary if the entire ecosystem is trying to use EUV.

Fabricated Knowledge

Meta's Moat

During the weekend, I asked my twitter followers: What do you think Facebook's DAU to MAU ratio was in 2009? The number that got the highest votes...

MBI Deep Dives

Taiwan Tech Weekly: This Is a Major Earnings Week; Are We Entering a 2-Track Semiconductor Recovery?

TSMC & ASML results last week indicate that the cycle could be bottoming in 2Q23E for these leading firms... But are we entering a two-track...

Vincent Fernando, CFA

Taiwan Tech Weekly: Nvidia's Latest Strategy Unveil Tonight; AUO Says PC Panel Demand Normalizing

Nvidia CEO to unveil new developments at the company's GTC developer conference. TSMC and ASML could have read-throughs from the event given their...

Vincent Fernando, CFA

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