HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

Cathay Pacific Airways / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>There is room for FY23 result of <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> to beat market expectations on stronger traffic volume and better yield performance.  </li>
<li>Resumption of more capacity, from 70% of the pre-pandemic level at end-FY23, will drive FY24 earnings with ROE at 12-13%, putting it on an inexpensive 0.65x P/B. </li>
<li>Its associate <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> will also benefit from the release of pent-up demand in the domestic market and the recovery in international travel. </li>
</ul>


There is room for FY23 result of Cathay Pacific Airways (293 HK) to beat market expectations on stronger traffic volume and better yield performance.  
Resumption of more capacity, from 70% of the pre-pandemic level at end-FY23, will drive FY24 earnings with ROE at 12-13%, putting it on an inexpensive 0.65x P/B. 
Its associate Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) will also benefit from the release of pent-up demand in the domestic market and the recovery in international travel. 


Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Taking off with Momentum

Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower, AIR Control Tower

Neil Glynn

Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower is an independent research and analysis platform. Its mission is to provide impactful insight and analysis across the global airline industry at a company and market level via detailed financial models to aid decision making for key stake holders at a time when risks have seldom, if ever, been higher and the global sector grapples with the imperative of funding de-carbonisation. Unique analysis forecasting global carrier-level earnings/cash flows, and restructuring/de-leveraging prospects, is designed to dynamically assess the health of the industry, predict surprises and identify potential requirements for third party support.

Insights on the global airline industry

<ul>
<li>Cathay Pacific's strong end to 2023 has been well flagged but we think expectations are too low for 2024.</li>
<li>ANA, JAL and Korean Air have each seen unit pax revenue momentum accelerate into calendar 4Q23 which bodes well for 2024 prospects, particularly as manpower challenges slow capacity restoration.</li>
<li>Our 2024 EBITDAR is 5% ahead of consensus while we are 11% ahead at the net income level.</li>
</ul>


Cathay Pacific's strong end to 2023 has been well flagged but we think expectations are too low for 2024.
ANA, JAL and Korean Air have each seen unit pax revenue momentum accelerate into calendar 4Q23 which bodes well for 2024 prospects, particularly as manpower challenges slow capacity restoration.
Our 2024 EBITDAR is 5% ahead of consensus while we are 11% ahead at the net income level.


Cathay Pacific – Strong Pax Momentum Suggests 2024 Can Outperform Expectations

<ul>
<li>We publish a detailed update on the APAC airline sector, featuring ANA, Cathay Pacific, JAL, Korean Air, Qantas and Singapore Airlines, addressing cargo yield normalisation, and unit cost inflation.</li>
<li>We see 24% upside to consensus EBITDAR for JAL in FY24 to March 2024, and 24% downside risk at Singapore Airlines based on our detailed analysis and quarterly earnings bridges.</li>
<li>We expect earnings at most carriers to decline in calendar 2024 versus 2023 as the combination of cargo yield normalisation, fuel price pressure, and further capacity restoration prompt margin declines.</li>
</ul>


We publish a detailed update on the APAC airline sector, featuring ANA, Cathay Pacific, JAL, Korean Air, Qantas and Singapore Airlines, addressing cargo yield normalisation, and unit cost inflation.
We see 24% upside to consensus EBITDAR for JAL in FY24 to March 2024, and 24% downside risk at Singapore Airlines based on our detailed analysis and quarterly earnings bridges.
We expect earnings at most carriers to decline in calendar 2024 versus 2023 as the combination of cargo yield normalisation, fuel price pressure, and further capacity restoration prompt margin declines.


APAC Airline Sector – Cost Inflation Management Differentials Crucial as Cargo Yields Normalise

<ul>
<li>The recent discrimination incident will likely affect traffic recovery pace of <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> negatively if it turns into a full-scale boycott by mainland passengers.</li>
<li>The scenario of CX becoming majority-owned by <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> is getting increasingly possible. This may not be totally positive to CX given CA's weaker service ranking.</li>
<li>Consensus forecasts now look somewhat bullish following the incident, and the stock's 0.7x P/B does not stand out as attractive relative to history or ROE (7% in FY25F).</li>
</ul>


The recent discrimination incident will likely affect traffic recovery pace of Cathay Pacific Airways (293 HK) negatively if it turns into a full-scale boycott by mainland passengers.
The scenario of CX becoming majority-owned by Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) is getting increasingly possible. This may not be totally positive to CX given CA's weaker service ranking.
Consensus forecasts now look somewhat bullish following the incident, and the stock's 0.7x P/B does not stand out as attractive relative to history or ROE (7% in FY25F).


Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Our positive calls on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fu-shou-yuan-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18168:1" rel="noopener">Fu Shou Yuan (1448 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 (753 HK)</a> and negative call on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-conch-environment-protection-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4827:1" rel="noopener">Conch Environment (587 HK)</a> have generated the best wins in 2022.</li>
<li>These calls achieved returns of 56.8%, 34.2% and 43.5%, respectively, which we think are remarkable given the losses of 16.3% for HSI and 19.3% for HSCEI YTD.</li>
<li>In 2023, we expect Fu Shou Yuan <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fu-shou-yuan-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18168:1" rel="noopener"></a>continue to do well and Conch Environment to remain under pressure. It may be prudent to take some profit on Air China. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener"></a> </li>
</ul>


Our positive calls on Fu Shou Yuan (1448 HK) and Air China Ltd (753 HK) and negative call on Conch Environment (587 HK) have generated the best wins in 2022.
These calls achieved returns of 56.8%, 34.2% and 43.5%, respectively, which we think are remarkable given the losses of 16.3% for HSI and 19.3% for HSCEI YTD.
In 2023, we expect Fu Shou Yuan continue to do well and Conch Environment to remain under pressure. It may be prudent to take some profit on Air China.  


Our Three Best Calls in 2022: Review and Outlook for 2023

Hong Kong

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

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Cathay Pacific Airways (293 HK)

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Taking off with Momentum

CX is poised to exceed market expectations with solid traffic and improved yield, leading to further growth in FY24. Air China is also expected to...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Cathay Pacific – Strong Pax Momentum Suggests 2024 Can Outperform Expectations

Detailed analysis of Cathay Pacific's 2024 earnings prospects including pax unit revenue momentum and cost control that mirrors its North Asian peers

Neil Glynn

APAC Airline Sector – Cost Inflation Management Differentials Crucial as Cargo Yields Normalise

Deep dive on earnings prospects of the top tier ex-China APAC full service carriers illustrates marked differences in inflation management, and...

Neil Glynn

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Hard Landing

The recent iscrimination incident is likely to weigh on near-term traffic recovery while the increasingly possible scenario of CX becoming majority...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Our Three Best Calls in 2022: Review and Outlook for 2023

In 2023, we expect share prices of Fu Shou Yuan to continue to do well and Conch Environment to remain under pressure. For Air China, given rich...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Taking off with Momentum

​CX is poised to exceed market expectations with solid traffic and improved yield, leading to further growth in FY24. Air China is also expected to...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Cathay Pacific – Strong Pax Momentum Suggests 2024 Can Outperform Expectations

Detailed analysis of Cathay Pacific's 2024 earnings prospects including pax unit revenue momentum and cost control that mirrors its North Asian peers

Neil Glynn

APAC Airline Sector – Cost Inflation Management Differentials Crucial as Cargo Yields Normalise

Deep dive on earnings prospects of the top tier ex-China APAC full service carriers illustrates marked differences in inflation management, and...

Neil Glynn

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Hard Landing

The recent iscrimination incident is likely to weigh on near-term traffic recovery while the increasingly possible scenario of CX becoming majority...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Our Three Best Calls in 2022: Review and Outlook for 2023

In 2023, we expect share prices of Fu Shou Yuan to continue to do well and Conch Environment to remain under pressure. For Air China, given rich...

Osbert Tang, CFA

CX is poised to exceed market expectations with solid traffic and improved yield, leading to further growth in FY24. Air China is also expected to...