HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK)</a> should see an YoY reduction in loss contribution from the 29.99%-owned associate <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cathay-pacific-airways-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:243:1" rel="noopener">Cathay Pacific Airways (293 HK)</a>, based on CX's latest guidance that losses for 1H21 will be less than both 1H20 and 2H20. If we extrapolate the 1Q21 losses from Air China's associated companies to the full year, we should potentially see as least 30% YoY losses reduction. In our view, this will be of significant help to Air China's bottom-line recovery in FY21.CX's 24.5% MoM passenger traffic rebound in May echoed the sequential improvement of Air China's regional and international traffic. The increase in global vaccination rates and resumption of more long-haul flights suggested an improving outlook for CX's international passenger traffic. This should offer an added support to Air China which, we think as a recovery play, is trading on undemanding 12-month forward P/B multiple of 0.98x - the average level since 2016.

Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) should see an YoY reduction in loss contribution from the 29.99%-owned associate Cathay Pacific Airways (293 HK), based on CX's latest guidance that losses for 1H21 will be less than both 1H20 and 2H20. If we extrapolate the 1Q21 losses from Air China's associated companies to the full year, we should potentially see as least 30% YoY losses reduction. In our view, this will be of significant help to Air China's bottom-line recovery in FY21.CX's 24.5% MoM passenger traffic rebound in May echoed the sequential improvement of Air China's regional and international traffic. The increase in global vaccination rates and resumption of more long-haul flights suggested an improving outlook for CX's international passenger traffic. This should offer an added support to Air China which, we think as a recovery play, is trading on undemanding 12-month forward P/B multiple of 0.98x - the average level since 2016.   

Air China (753 HK): Positive Implications from CX's May Traffic Announcement

Founder of Antler Capital

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In the spirit of the long-awaited UEFA Euro 2020, we present our inaugural "China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook", which summarizes our views on the names that are best positioned to navigate an environment of progressively slower credit growth, tighter liquidity and rising defaults. 
Our screen consists of 100+ stocks in the A/H share universe, as well as a select number of international / non-traditional names that have significant exposures to China's financial system. We have a preference for larger-cap and liquid names, which are then filtered by our opinions on their fundamentals, value, momentum and recent trading volumes. We also try to make our selections versatile and less vulnerable to single-factor movements.
Each player's position on the pitch and the team formation itself convey incremental information about our thoughts on the sector's performance over a three to six-month horizon. To the extent possible, we intend to update our ideas on a periodic basis. This provides a feedback loop with our other ongoing research on the industry.
However, our team selections are not investment recommendations. Instead, they are meant to give structure to our analysis. The playbook allows us to articulate our views on the sector in a timely, concise manner. Our objective is to ensure we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as sentiments on the sector remain bleak.
With that out of the way, the following is our starting XI. We will dive deeper into our rationale for our selections in the remainder of this insight (Exhibit 1).
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
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<td style="width: 726.047px;">Exhibit 1: China Financials | Silver Linings Playbook</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 726.047px;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/213/768/original/image_768460236451623962508577.png?1623962508" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="213768"></figure>

Source: Our analysis
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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In the spirit of the long-awaited UEFA Euro 2020, we present our inaugural "China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook", which summarizes our views on the names that are best positioned to navigate an environment of progressively slower credit growth, tighter liquidity and rising defaults. 
Our screen consists of 100+ stocks in the A/H share universe, as well as a select number of international / non-traditional names that have significant exposures to China's financial system. We have a preference for larger-cap and liquid names, which are then filtered by our opinions on their fundamentals, value, momentum and recent trading volumes. We also try to make our selections versatile and less vulnerable to single-factor movements.
Each player's position on the pitch and the team formation itself convey incremental information about our thoughts on the sector's performance over a three to six-month horizon. To the extent possible, we intend to update our ideas on a periodic basis. This provides a feedback loop with our other ongoing research on the industry.
However, our team selections are not investment recommendations. Instead, they are meant to give structure to our analysis. The playbook allows us to articulate our views on the sector in a timely, concise manner. Our objective is to ensure we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as sentiments on the sector remain bleak.
With that out of the way, the following is our starting XI. We will dive deeper into our rationale for our selections in the remainder of this insight (Exhibit 1).



Exhibit 1: China Financials | Silver Linings Playbook





Source: Our analysis




Related Insights
China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows 
Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer 
China Macro: PPI Peaks, while CPI Eases Tightening Fears 
China Macro: Exports Disappoint, but It's Still Early in the Game 
Glut and Famine: China's Monetary Conditions a Notch Tighter in May 
ICBC: The Bond Identity | A Zero-Growth Dividend Discount Story 
BOC Aviation (2588 HK): The Stars Don't Look Bigger, but They Do Look Brighter

China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook

A close look on the May traffic for the Chinese airlines will reveal that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK)</a> continued to make positive progress to narrow down its gap against <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a>. The former's overall passenger traffic YoY growth was 6.7pp better than the latter in the month; and its freight traffic was even at a 25.4% YoY growth, compared with just 5.9% for CSA. We saw that Air China has already stopped its underperformance against CSA starting Apr, with both stocks moving very much in tandem in the last three months. With the recent local COVID-19 case outbreak in Guangdong, particularly Guangzhou which negatively affect scheduled flights into CSA's headquarter hub, we see room for near-term outperformance at Air China. With better pick-up of international traffic going forward, we expect Air China to widen its outperformance into 2H21.

A close look on the May traffic for the Chinese airlines will reveal that Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) continued to make positive progress to narrow down its gap against China Southern Airlines (1055 HK). The former's overall passenger traffic YoY growth was 6.7pp better than the latter in the month; and its freight traffic was even at a 25.4% YoY growth, compared with just 5.9% for CSA. We saw that Air China has already stopped its underperformance against CSA starting Apr, with both stocks moving very much in tandem in the last three months. With the recent local COVID-19 case outbreak in Guangdong, particularly Guangzhou which negatively affect scheduled flights into CSA's headquarter hub, we see room for near-term outperformance at Air China. With better pick-up of international traffic going forward, we expect Air China to widen its outperformance into 2H21. 

Chinese Airlines: China Southern (1055 HK) Seeing More Pressure than Air China (753 HK)

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport / Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/guangzhou-baiyun-international-airport" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10819:1" rel="noopener">Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (600004 CH)</a> (GBIA) posted another month of good traffic performance with aircraft movement and passenger throughput rose by 44.9% YoY and 94.1% YoY, respectively. Thanks to the strength on the domestic routes, we believe it has sustained traffic outperformance against both <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-international-airport-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6511:1" rel="noopener">Shanghai International Airport (600009 CH)</a> (SIAC) and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/beijing-capital-international-airport-bcia" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10626:1" rel="noopener">Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) (694 HK)</a> in May.However, we are concerned that the recent outbreak of local COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou and Guangdong will negatively affect traffic in Jun and Jul as the local health commissions and governments stepped up measures to contain the spread. We have already seen a 69.5% decline in the scheduled Shanghai-Guangzhou flights operated by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK)</a> in a 14-day period since the peak on 27 May. Share price of GBIA outperformed SIAC by 14.9pp YTD and the outbreak in southern China is likely to trigger the former to give back some of its outperformance in the near term until the dust is settled.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (600004 CH) (GBIA) posted another month of good traffic performance with aircraft movement and passenger throughput rose by 44.9% YoY and 94.1% YoY, respectively. Thanks to the strength on the domestic routes, we believe it has sustained traffic outperformance against both Shanghai International Airport (600009 CH) (SIAC) and Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) (694 HK) in May.However, we are concerned that the recent outbreak of local COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou and Guangdong will negatively affect traffic in Jun and Jul as the local health commissions and governments stepped up measures to contain the spread. We have already seen a 69.5% decline in the scheduled Shanghai-Guangzhou flights operated by China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) and Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) in a 14-day period since the peak on 27 May. Share price of GBIA outperformed SIAC by 14.9pp YTD and the outbreak in southern China is likely to trigger the former to give back some of its outperformance in the near term until the dust is settled. 

Guangzhou Baiyun Intl Airport (600004 CH): Facing Challenges in the Near Term

BOC Aviation | BOCAVI <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/boc-aviation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22689:1" rel="noopener">(2588 HK)</a> 
As a follow-up on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/david-blennerhassett" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:840" rel="noopener">David Blennerhassett</a>'s Smartkarma Original <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/asia-pac-airports-ups-but-mostly-downs" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51855" rel="noopener">Asia-Pac Airports: Ups, But Mostly Downs</a>, we take a look at BOCAVI, which, in our view, is a compelling alternative to APAC airport operators and airlines as a post-Covid trade.
BOCAVI is a highly geared play on the resumption of air travel. The stock has gone through periods of significant out/underperformance against the APAC airports and airlines and may continue to give investors high beta in either direction. The geographical exposure is broad, but there is a heavy skew towards short-haul flights, which will see the earliest acceleration in passenger traffic.
Management's countercyclical capex expansion increasingly looks like a shrewd bet. At its core, BOCAVI is in the capital management business. Strong liquidity and BOC's explicit backing have allowed the lessor to grow its purchase-and-leaseback portfolio through the depths of the pandemic. While airlines are still hemorrhaging cash, over 99% of BOCAVI's aircraft remain cash-generating.  
We expect the firm's undiscounted committed revenues to top USD20bn in 2021. By year-end, the value of the portfolio will have doubled since 2014. We estimate the present value of this cashflow stream to be HKD72.80/share. We are essentially getting free growth optionality. 
We are buyers at book value. The stock is trading at 8x P/E and 1.1x P/B on a 12M forward basis. BOCAVI is reasonably liquid, with a market cap of USD6bn and average daily turnover of USD3.5mn. Besides the obvious risk of protracted lockdowns globally, a well-functioning USD bond market and BOC's funding support are critical to our investment case.
Attachment: BOCAVI Financial Summary

BOC Aviation | BOCAVI (2588 HK) 
As a follow-up on David Blennerhassett's Smartkarma Original Asia-Pac Airports: Ups, But Mostly Downs, we take a look at BOCAVI, which, in our view, is a compelling alternative to APAC airport operators and airlines as a post-Covid trade.
BOCAVI is a highly geared play on the resumption of air travel. The stock has gone through periods of significant out/underperformance against the APAC airports and airlines and may continue to give investors high beta in either direction. The geographical exposure is broad, but there is a heavy skew towards short-haul flights, which will see the earliest acceleration in passenger traffic.
Management's countercyclical capex expansion increasingly looks like a shrewd bet. At its core, BOCAVI is in the capital management business. Strong liquidity and BOC's explicit backing have allowed the lessor to grow its purchase-and-leaseback portfolio through the depths of the pandemic. While airlines are still hemorrhaging cash, over 99% of BOCAVI's aircraft remain cash-generating.  
We expect the firm's undiscounted committed revenues to top USD20bn in 2021. By year-end, the value of the portfolio will have doubled since 2014. We estimate the present value of this cashflow stream to be HKD72.80/share. We are essentially getting free growth optionality. 
We are buyers at book value. The stock is trading at 8x P/E and 1.1x P/B on a 12M forward basis. BOCAVI is reasonably liquid, with a market cap of USD6bn and average daily turnover of USD3.5mn. Besides the obvious risk of protracted lockdowns globally, a well-functioning USD bond market and BOC's funding support are critical to our investment case.
Attachment: BOCAVI Financial Summary

BOC Aviation (2588 HK): The Stars Don't Look Bigger, but They Do Look Brighter

China

China Southern Airlines Company Limited provides commercial airline services throughout China, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.  The Company also provides other airline related services including aircraft maintenance and air catering.

China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates in the civil aviation industry. It offers passenger, cargo, mail delivery, ground, cargo handling, and other extended transportation services.

Air China Limited provides passenger, cargo, and airline-related services in China.  The Company is primarily based in Beijing and a major hub for domestic and international air transportation.  Air China's airline-related services include aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul service, ground services, and in-flight catering services.

Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. provides passenger and freight air transportation. The Company also provides charter flight services. 

Spring Airlines Co., Ltd. offers air transportation services. The Company provides domestic air transportation, international air transportation, cargo transportation, and other services. Spring Airlines also offers ticket home delivery, insurance transaction, and other services.

Juneyao Airlines Co. Ltd. supplies air transportation services. The Company provides domestic and international routes for passengers and cargoes. Juneyao Airlines also offers ticket home delivery and electronic ticketing services.

China Express Airlines Co., Ltd. provides air transportation services. The Company offers passenger and freight air transportation, aviation equipment maintenance and aircraft leasing, ticket and hotel booking, consulting, and other services. China Express Airlines serves customers worldwide.

China Express Airlines Co Ltd (002928 CH)

COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd offers marine freight transportation services.  The Company offers container shipping, dry bulk shipping, logistics services, freight forwarding, and terminal and container leasing services internationally.  COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd operates container ships and terminals, and manufactures shipping containers.

S.F. Holding Co., Ltd operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides logistics, order tracking, supply chain management, and warehousing services. S.F. Holding operates worldwide.

Daqin Railway Co., Ltd. mainly provides coal transportation service in Northern China. It also operates passenger transportation business.

Singapore Airlines Limited provides air transportation, engineering, pilot training, air charter, and tour wholesaling services. The Company's airline operation covers Asia, Europe, the Americas, South West Pacific, and Africa.

ANA Holdings Inc provides a variety of air transportation-related services. The Company offers scheduled & unscheduled air passenger services and air courier services. ANA sells aircraft parts and provides travel arrangement & reservation services as well.

United Airlines Holdings Inc is an airline holding company.  The Company owns and operates airlines that transports persons, property and mail throughout the United States and abroad.

Southwest Airlines Co. is a domestic airline that provides primarily short-haul, high-frequency, point-to-point service.  The Company offers flights throughout the United States.

International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. provides transportation services. The Company offers international and domestic air passenger and cargo transportation services. International Consolidated Airlines Group serves customers worldwide.

International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG LN)

International Consolidated Airlines Group

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is an airline that provides both domestic and international flight services.  The Company provides passenger and cargo services to destinations in Chile, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, and the Pacific.  LATAM Airlines operates passenger aircraft and cargo freighters.

InterGlobe Aviation Limited provides passenger airlines services. The Company offers ground management, air transportation, terminal maintenance, and other services. InterGlobe Aviation conducts its business globally.

Turk Hava Yollari Anonim Ortakligi (THY), also known as Turkish Airlines, provides passenger and cargo air transportation services. The Company serves all domestic destinations as well as the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and South Africa.

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited operates scheduled airline services. The Company also provides related services, including airline catering, aircraft handling, and engineering.

Qantas Airways Limited provides transportation of passengers through two airlines including Qantas (full service carrier) and Jetstar (low cost carrier), operating international, domestic and regional services. The Company also includes Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Freight which generates diverse revenue streams and adds value for customers and investors.

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Air China Ltd (A) (601111 CH)

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We see risk of GBIA underperforming its peers in the near term on the back of the increase in domestic COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou and Guangdong,...

Osbert Tang, CFA

BOC Aviation (2588 HK): The Stars Don't Look Bigger, but They Do Look Brighter

As downstream players continue to hemorrhage cash, over 99% of BOCAVI’s aircraft are still cash-generating. Valuation is undemanding for a high...

Stanley Tsai, CFA

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