Equity Research in HK and Mainland China

Li Tang

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Politburo released meeting statement pledged to strengthen anti-monopoly efforts in 2021 as it seeks to rein in what it called disorderly capital expansion Xinhua reported. In line with this delegates from 23 provincial SAMRs (The State Administration for Market Regulation ) attended an anti-monopoly conference held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Thursday.The timing of the meeting comes as eyes are turning towards both the financial regulators and the SAMR in the battle to rein in expansion at the major technology companies. The extent of the action the SAMR will take is unclear, but the trajectory of policy is clear: to rein in the lightly regulated expansion of large tech conglomerates.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This conference has not garnered a lot of media attention, but we think the follow-up statements or circulars is worthy of investors’ attention. This comes after the release of several guidelines and opinions from various ministries to regulate online sales promotions and livestreaming.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The SAMR, STA, and the CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China) also summoned the major internet platforms including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-com-inc-adr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD.com Inc (ADR) (JD US)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (BABA US)</a> , ByteDance, Didi, Kuaishou, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pinduoduo-inc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pinduoduo (PDD US)</a> to a meeting last month to call for greater self-supervision over market abuse.</p>

The Politburo released meeting statement pledged to strengthen anti-monopoly efforts in 2021 as it seeks to rein in what it called disorderly capital expansion Xinhua reported. In line with this delegates from 23 provincial SAMRs (The State Administration for Market Regulation ) attended an anti-monopoly conference held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Thursday.The timing of the meeting comes as eyes are turning towards both the financial regulators and the SAMR in the battle to rein in expansion at the major technology companies. The extent of the action the SAMR will take is unclear, but the trajectory of policy is clear: to rein in the lightly regulated expansion of large tech conglomerates.
This conference has not garnered a lot of media attention, but we think the follow-up statements or circulars is worthy of investors’ attention. This comes after the release of several guidelines and opinions from various ministries to regulate online sales promotions and livestreaming.
The SAMR, STA, and the CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China) also summoned the major internet platforms including JD.com Inc (ADR) (JD US) , Meituan (3690 HK) , Alibaba Group (BABA US) , ByteDance, Didi, Kuaishou, Pinduoduo (PDD US) to a meeting last month to call for greater self-supervision over market abuse.

Regulators Holds National Symposium To Strengthen Anti-Monopoly Rules

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

<div>
<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> plans to raise around US$2.2bn in a primary follow-on offering. The stock is up 4x this year and has risen 10x since its IPO in 2017. </p>
<p>We have covered the company since listing, links to our previous notes are below. In this note, I'll talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.</p>
<p>Links to our prior SEA coverage:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sea-ltd-trade-idea-time-to-shine-market-discounting-e-commerce-to-almost-zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd Trade Idea - Time to Shine - Market Discounting E-Commerce to Almost Zero</a></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sea-ltd-placement-capitalizing-on-momentum" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:28366" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd Placement - Capitalizing on Momentum</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sea-ltd-ipo-review-e-commerce-constitutes-64-of-sotp-valuation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:14375" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd IPO Review - E-Commerce Constitutes 64% of SOTP Valuation</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sea-ltd-ipo-review-a-pure-exposure-to-se-asia-s-e-commerce-gaming-despite-stiff-competition" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:13958" rel="noopener">Sea Ltd IPO Review - A Pure Exposure to SE Asia's E-Commerce &amp; Gaming Despite Stiff Competition</a></li>
</ul>
</div>


Sea Ltd (SE US) plans to raise around US$2.2bn in a primary follow-on offering. The stock is up 4x this year and has risen 10x since its IPO in 2017. 
We have covered the company since listing, links to our previous notes are below. In this note, I'll talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.
Links to our prior SEA coverage:

Sea Ltd Trade Idea - Time to Shine - Market Discounting E-Commerce to Almost Zero

Sea Ltd Placement - Capitalizing on Momentum 

Sea Ltd IPO Review - E-Commerce Constitutes 64% of SOTP Valuation 
Sea Ltd IPO Review - A Pure Exposure to SE Asia's E-Commerce &amp; Gaming Despite Stiff Competition



SEA Ltd Placement - New Business Needs New Money

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?

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

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Tracking Traffic

Focusing on Asian logistics, transportation, and travel companies

Kerry Express Thailand / Equity Capital Markets

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kerry-express-thailand" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29253:1" rel="noopener">Kerry Express Thailand (KEX TB)</a> recently announced an IPO price range of 25-28 baht per share and plans to finally list its shares in late December. In this note we update KEX's EV/Revenue and EV/EBITDA valuations relative to those of the Chinese express delivery sector, which we believe are the most appropriate 'comps' for this issue. </p><p>In this note we also highlight recent competitor actions in the Thai express market. In its Q320 earnings call, Chinese express company <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/best-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25494:1" rel="noopener">BEST Inc (BEST US)</a> announced it was considering 'strategic options' for all non-core businesses, including its express operation in Thailand. In the long-run, Best's  withdrawal from the market could be an opportunity for KEX, or a threat. </p><p>In the near-term, however, Best's potential actions in Thailand don't alter our thinking about KEX's IPO. We believe KEX at the IPO price range is attractively valued, particularly for a clear market leader in a fast-growing sector exposesd to several positive secular trends. </p>

Kerry Express Thailand (KEX TB) recently announced an IPO price range of 25-28 baht per share and plans to finally list its shares in late December. In this note we update KEX's EV/Revenue and EV/EBITDA valuations relative to those of the Chinese express delivery sector, which we believe are the most appropriate 'comps' for this issue. In this note we also highlight recent competitor actions in the Thai express market. In its Q320 earnings call, Chinese express company BEST Inc (BEST US) announced it was considering 'strategic options' for all non-core businesses, including its express operation in Thailand. In the long-run, Best's  withdrawal from the market could be an opportunity for KEX, or a threat. In the near-term, however, Best's potential actions in Thailand don't alter our thinking about KEX's IPO. We believe KEX at the IPO price range is attractively valued, particularly for a clear market leader in a fast-growing sector exposesd to several positive secular trends. 

Kerry Express Thailand (KEX) IPO: Update on Valuation Range & Competitor Actions

China

Alibaba Group Holding Limited provides online sales services. The Company provides internet infrastructure, electronic commerce, online financial, and internet content services through its subsidiaries. Alibaba Group Holding offers its products and services worldwide.

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Alibaba Group Holding (BABA US)

Regulators Holds National Symposium To Strengthen Anti-Monopoly Rules

It is significant that Politburo and the delegates from 23 provinces and municipality all gathered to discuss the Anti-Monopoly Rules

Li Tang

SEA Ltd Placement - New Business Needs New Money

Sea Ltd (SE US) plans to raise around US$2.2bn in a primary follow-on offering. The stock is up 4x this year and has risen 10x since its IPO in 2017.

Sumeet Singh

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

Kerry Express Thailand (KEX) IPO: Update on Valuation Range & Competitor Actions

We update our views of KEX's IPO valuation ahead of its late December listing. We also highlight the potential sale of a domestic competitor. We...

Tracking Traffic

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