Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

KT Capital Group

Principal investments and advisory firm that focuses on connecting the CIS countries with East Asia.

Principal investments and advisory firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Pru is currently trading below its embedded value, with the valuation assigning a negative value for the group’s new business profits.</li>
<li>Given its quality franchise across all key markets in Asia and continued strong new business recovery (to pre-Covid levels), this doesn’t seem to make sense at all.</li>
<li>We would continue underwriting the investment case of Pru in the coming year, with the stock offering significant upside potential. </li>
</ul>


Pru is currently trading below its embedded value, with the valuation assigning a negative value for the group’s new business profits.
Given its quality franchise across all key markets in Asia and continued strong new business recovery (to pre-Covid levels), this doesn’t seem to make sense at all.
We would continue underwriting the investment case of Pru in the coming year, with the stock offering significant upside potential. 


2024 High Conviction: Underwriting Prudential’s Investment Case into 2024

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>The FRTIB benchmark switch from the EAFE Index to the ACWI IMI ex-USA ex-China ex-Hong Kong Index will result in a round trip trade of around US$56bn.</li>
<li>The changes for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-shenzhen-csi-300-inde" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22906:1" rel="noopener">CSI 300</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/csi-smallcap-500-index-shang" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35347:1" rel="noopener">CSI 500</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sse-science-and-technology-innovation-board-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29279:1" rel="noopener">STAR50</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-stock-exchange-sse-50-a-share-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31073:1" rel="noopener">SSE50</a> and a bunch of other mainland China indices will be announced after market close on Friday.</li>
<li>Relatively quiet week for ETF flows with no major creations or redemptions during the week.</li>
</ul>


The FRTIB benchmark switch from the EAFE Index to the ACWI IMI ex-USA ex-China ex-Hong Kong Index will result in a round trip trade of around US$56bn.
The changes for the CSI 300, CSI 500, STAR50, SSE50 and a bunch of other mainland China indices will be announced after market close on Friday.
Relatively quiet week for ETF flows with no major creations or redemptions during the week.


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: FRTIB, Japan, CSI300, CSI500, STAR50, WuXi XDC, Asahi

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

<ul>
<li>Despite MercadoLibre’s non-benchmark status, ownership among active EM managers has reached new highs.</li>
<li>MercadoLibre has been the beneficiary of significant manager rotation over the last year, with 131 funds increasing weights and 29 opening new positions.</li>
<li>MercadoLibre is now the 8th largest holding on an average weight basis and has recently overtaken AIA Group as the largest overweight stock position across all regions.</li>
</ul>


Despite MercadoLibre’s non-benchmark status, ownership among active EM managers has reached new highs.
MercadoLibre has been the beneficiary of significant manager rotation over the last year, with 131 funds increasing weights and 29 opening new positions.
MercadoLibre is now the 8th largest holding on an average weight basis and has recently overtaken AIA Group as the largest overweight stock position across all regions.


Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

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.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyze statistics on top repurchases over one week, one month, one quarter and one year periods ended on May 26th based on HKEx daily reports.</li>
<li>In the past 7 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were Tencent (700 HK), Aia (1299 HK), Ck Asset (1113 HK).</li>
<li>In the past 30 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were Aia (1299 HK), Tencent (700 HK), Yihai International (1579 HK).</li>
</ul>


We analyze statistics on top repurchases over one week, one month, one quarter and one year periods ended on May 26th based on HKEx daily reports.
In the past 7 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were Tencent (700 HK), Aia (1299 HK), Ck Asset (1113 HK).
In the past 30 days, the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares from the market were Aia (1299 HK), Tencent (700 HK), Yihai International (1579 HK).


Hong Kong Buybacks Weekly (May 26th): Tencent, AIA, CK Asset

<ul>
<li>Given Pru's demerger in 2021, it now offers investors a good alternative to AIA to tap into the development and the growth potential of the life insurance sector in Pan-Asia.</li>
<li>AIA has a more balanced business across so many markets in APAC, while Pru skews toward Southeast Asia.</li>
<li>Pru's P/BV is currently at a 30% discount to AIA's and is trading at the same level as the year-end when China just announced the re-opening of its borders.</li>
</ul>


Given Pru's demerger in 2021, it now offers investors a good alternative to AIA to tap into the development and the growth potential of the life insurance sector in Pan-Asia.
AIA has a more balanced business across so many markets in APAC, while Pru skews toward Southeast Asia.
Pru's P/BV is currently at a 30% discount to AIA's and is trading at the same level as the year-end when China just announced the re-opening of its borders.


APAC Insurers Series (#2): AIA or Prudential?

Hong Kong

AIA Group Limited offers insurance and financial services. The Company writes life insurance for individuals, businesses, accident, and health insurance, as well as retirement planning and wealth management services.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

AIA Group Ltd (1299 HK)

2024 High Conviction: Underwriting Prudential’s Investment Case into 2024

We continue underwriting Pru’s investment case into 2024, with the market now assigning a negative new business multiple. Any modest improvement in...

Alec Tseung

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: FRTIB, Japan, CSI300, CSI500, STAR50, WuXi XDC, Asahi

This recap highlights Insights covering Asian index rebalances (announcements/ forecasts/ IPO Fast Entry/ M&A driven changes). We also highlight...

Brian Freitas

MercadoLibre's Bullish Run Continues

MercadoLibre has been the beneficiary of significant manager rotation over the last year, overtaking AIA Group as the largest overweight stock...

Steven Holden

Hong Kong Buybacks Weekly (May 26th): Tencent, AIA, CK Asset

We analyzed the Hong Kong buyback data in the past week and highlight the top 3 companies that repurchased the most shares were Tencent (700 HK),...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

APAC Insurers Series (#2): AIA or Prudential?

Pru’s recent correction offers investors an opportune window to buy into its premium franchise (vs. AIA), although both stocks provide investors...

Alec Tseung

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)