HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

While <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> sustained its outperformance against <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 its traffic in Feb, we have already seen some signs of positive factors for Air China emerging, leading us to believe that the unfavourable performance of our advocated <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2021-high-conviction-pair-trade-long-air-china-753-hk-short-china-southern-1055-hk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45584" rel="noopener">2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK)</a> YTD will soon come to an inflection point.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/smartkarma-webinar-pair-trade-long-air-china-short-china-southern-still-an-opportunity" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:47857" rel="noopener"></a>The positive signs that we saw are: 1.) stronger passenger load MoM and cargo traffic YoY in Feb at Air China; 2.) now that the Rmb/USD has weakened; 3.) rise in jet fuel more negative to CSA; and 4.) pick-up in Air China's fare after CNY. In valuation terms, CSA's sharp rally has returned it to 1.16x P/B, more than 1SD above historical average, and back to the level in early-2019 before the outbreak - which is not cheap anymore.

While China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) sustained its outperformance against Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) in its traffic in Feb, we have already seen some signs of positive factors for Air China emerging, leading us to believe that the unfavourable performance of our advocated 2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK) YTD will soon come to an inflection point.The positive signs that we saw are: 1.) stronger passenger load MoM and cargo traffic YoY in Feb at Air China; 2.) now that the Rmb/USD has weakened; 3.) rise in jet fuel more negative to CSA; and 4.) pick-up in Air China's fare after CNY. In valuation terms, CSA's sharp rally has returned it to 1.16x P/B, more than 1SD above historical average, and back to the level in early-2019 before the outbreak - which is not cheap anymore.

2021 High Conviction Update: Chinese Airlines Pair Trade - Almost Getting to the Inflection Point

Equity Bottom-Up

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport / Equity Bottom-Up

The sharp YoY rebound of the Feb domestic traffic (aircraft movement +81.8% and passenger traffic +139.5%) at <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> is largely on the back of COVID-19 impacted low base in last Feb. When compared the 2M21 figures with the 'normal' 2M19 figures, it still indicated a 16.1% and 38.9% decline, suggesting that they are yet to fully resumed but are not too far away. We see positive signs for stronger pace in domestic traffic after the CNY starting Mar, and this should be good for GBIA given its heavy domestic exposure. Meanwhile, the increase in vaccination rates both domestically and internationally will bode well for air travel appetite, underpinning further traffic recovery. We continue to prefer GBIA to 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> 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>.

The sharp YoY rebound of the Feb domestic traffic (aircraft movement +81.8% and passenger traffic +139.5%) at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (600004 CH) is largely on the back of COVID-19 impacted low base in last Feb. When compared the 2M21 figures with the 'normal' 2M19 figures, it still indicated a 16.1% and 38.9% decline, suggesting that they are yet to fully resumed but are not too far away. We see positive signs for stronger pace in domestic traffic after the CNY starting Mar, and this should be good for GBIA given its heavy domestic exposure. Meanwhile, the increase in vaccination rates both domestically and internationally will bode well for air travel appetite, underpinning further traffic recovery. We continue to prefer GBIA to both Shanghai International Airport (600009 CH) and Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) (694 HK). 

Guangzhou Baiyun Intl Airport (600004 CH): Further Narrowing the Gap

While <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> continued to show YoY traffic outperformance in Jan, we see the sequential softening in domestic passenger traffic will weigh on the airline in 1Q21. Its share price outperformance against <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> since 2020 will soon become increasingly difficult to sustain with potentially better traffic turnout at the latter, driven by the gradual recovery in international traffic.CSA's passenger load factor outperformance in the month is also partly attributed to the high base for both Air China and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-eastern-airlines-co-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1079:1" rel="noopener">China Eastern Airlines Co (H) (670 HK)</a>, and such favourable factor will turn dimmer as we move into the next few months. Our <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2021-high-conviction-pair-trade-long-air-china-753-hk-short-china-southern-1055-hk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45584" rel="noopener">2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK)</a> continues to hold; and in fact, CSA's share price strength has created an even better timing for set up this trade, in our view.

While China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) continued to show YoY traffic outperformance in Jan, we see the sequential softening in domestic passenger traffic will weigh on the airline in 1Q21. Its share price outperformance against Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) since 2020 will soon become increasingly difficult to sustain with potentially better traffic turnout at the latter, driven by the gradual recovery in international traffic.CSA's passenger load factor outperformance in the month is also partly attributed to the high base for both Air China and China Eastern Airlines Co (H) (670 HK), and such favourable factor will turn dimmer as we move into the next few months. Our 2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK) continues to hold; and in fact, CSA's share price strength has created an even better timing for set up this trade, in our view.

Chinese Airlines: A Reversal of Relative Performance Between the Airlines Gets Closer

Jan traffic for <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> does not look encouraging due to the local COVID-19 cases in China induced softening in domestic air travel demand. Aircraft movement and passenger throughput was down 23.6% and 43.8% YoY, respectively, reflecting various local governments' no cross-province travel recommendation and the distortion from a later Chinese New Year than 2020. Cargo throughput, however, holds up well.We believe GBIA will fare better than its peers in Jan-Feb traffic, as southern China has not reported any local COVID-19 case. GBIA's share price has been hit by the spillover effect of the unfavourable duty free agreement signed by <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> which we think is unwarranted. On a cheaper 1.5x P/B, we see GBIA outperform SIAC in the near term given its more stable earnings mix and better profitability.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/thai-airways-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18317:1" rel="noopener"></a>

Jan traffic for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (600004 CH) does not look encouraging due to the local COVID-19 cases in China induced softening in domestic air travel demand. Aircraft movement and passenger throughput was down 23.6% and 43.8% YoY, respectively, reflecting various local governments' no cross-province travel recommendation and the distortion from a later Chinese New Year than 2020. Cargo throughput, however, holds up well.We believe GBIA will fare better than its peers in Jan-Feb traffic, as southern China has not reported any local COVID-19 case. GBIA's share price has been hit by the spillover effect of the unfavourable duty free agreement signed by Shanghai International Airport (600009 CH) which we think is unwarranted. On a cheaper 1.5x P/B, we see GBIA outperform SIAC in the near term given its more stable earnings mix and better profitability.

Guangzhou Baiyun Intl Airport (600004 CH): On a Better Playing Field

The big three Chinese airlines have announced the range of their expected FY20 losses over the weekend, and the general indication is that the 4Q20 results have returned to wider losses after an improvement in 3Q20. We rank their 4Q20 performance in the following descending order: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-eastern-airlines-co-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1079:1" rel="noopener">China Eastern Airlines Co (H) (670 HK)</a> &gt; <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> &gt; <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>. Although we think the market should have anticipated the deterioration, the trend is not promising and we believe there will be near-term pressure on the sector's performance.In our view, weaker domestic passenger traffic, resurgence in cost pressure and fading positive impact of Rmb appreciation are some of the headwinds faced by the sector in 1Q21. However, we think this is a good opportunity to set up our high conviction trade - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2021-high-conviction-pair-trade-long-air-china-753-hk-short-china-southern-1055-hk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45584" rel="noopener">2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK)</a>.

The big three Chinese airlines have announced the range of their expected FY20 losses over the weekend, and the general indication is that the 4Q20 results have returned to wider losses after an improvement in 3Q20. We rank their 4Q20 performance in the following descending order: China Eastern Airlines Co (H) (670 HK) &gt; China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) &gt; Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK). Although we think the market should have anticipated the deterioration, the trend is not promising and we believe there will be near-term pressure on the sector's performance.In our view, weaker domestic passenger traffic, resurgence in cost pressure and fading positive impact of Rmb appreciation are some of the headwinds faced by the sector in 1Q21. However, we think this is a good opportunity to set up our high conviction trade - 2021 High Conviction: Pair Trade - Long Air China (753 HK), Short China Southern (1055 HK). 

Chinese Airlines: Initial FY20 Results Suggest Tough Market Has Already Begun

China

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.

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China Eastern Airlines (670 HK)

2021 High Conviction Update: Chinese Airlines Pair Trade - Almost Getting to the Inflection Point

Feb traffic is not too bad at CSA but we see some positive signs emerging at Air China, supporting a potential reversal of its underperformance...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Guangzhou Baiyun Intl Airport (600004 CH): Further Narrowing the Gap

GBIA's 2M21 traffic indicated it has significantly narrowed the gap with "normal" traffic in 2M19, largely on the back of good domestic routes. We...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Chinese Airlines: A Reversal of Relative Performance Between the Airlines Gets Closer

CSA has better traffic and load performance in Jan 2021, but further significant outperformance against Air China appeared to be increasingly...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Guangzhou Baiyun Intl Airport (600004 CH): On a Better Playing Field

Weak Jan traffic reflected poor domestic air travel appetite but GBIA should fare better than SIAC and BCIA. It has less exposure to duty free and...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Chinese Airlines: Initial FY20 Results Suggest Tough Market Has Already Begun

Chinese airlines posted weak 4Q20 result ranges and this is expected to put near-term pressure on share prices. However, we believe Air China is in...

Osbert Tang, CFA

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