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

China Power International / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>China Power International is looking to raise up to US$436m via a top-up placement.</li>
<li>The stock is up more than 274% over the past year, with most of the gains having come over the past few months.</li>
<li>In this note, will we talk about deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework. </li>
</ul>


China Power International is looking to raise up to US$436m via a top-up placement.
The stock is up more than 274% over the past year, with most of the gains having come over the past few months.
In this note, will we talk about deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework. 


China Power International Placement - Won't Do Much for Funding Capacity Expansion

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

China Power International / Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-power-international" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15548:1" rel="noopener">China Power International (2380 HK)</a> (CPI) thinks that power storage in China will stay on in the near term, as supply-side structural issues are further exacerbated by cyclical demand issues. That said, the reform in power tariff will be a major policy direction in the future and will lead to a more market driven power sector in China. In our view, new/renewable energy sub-segment is likely to better place in the industry and we still prefer <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-longyuan-power-group-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14215:1" rel="noopener">China Longyuan Power Group Corp (916 HK)</a>.However, we think CPI is more interesting than many power conglomerates. It has the highest proportion of clean/renewable installed capacity (47.1%) when compared with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-power-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5385:1" rel="noopener">China Resources Power (836 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/datang-international-power-generation-company-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3664:1" rel="noopener">Datang International (991 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/huaneng-power-intl-inc-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28:1" rel="noopener">Huaneng Power Intl (902 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/huadian-power-intl-corp-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2506:1" rel="noopener">Huadian Power Intl (1071 HK)</a>, and this has also protected its 1H21 profit. Its plan to speed up disposal of coal-fired power plants also adds justification to its valuations. Relative to new energy plays' average of 18x PER and 2.1x P/B FY21F, CPI's 11.9x and 0.9x are clearly not expensive.

China Power International (2380 HK) (CPI) thinks that power storage in China will stay on in the near term, as supply-side structural issues are further exacerbated by cyclical demand issues. That said, the reform in power tariff will be a major policy direction in the future and will lead to a more market driven power sector in China. In our view, new/renewable energy sub-segment is likely to better place in the industry and we still prefer China Longyuan Power Group Corp (916 HK).However, we think CPI is more interesting than many power conglomerates. It has the highest proportion of clean/renewable installed capacity (47.1%) when compared with China Resources Power (836 HK), Datang International (991 HK), Huaneng Power Intl (902 HK) and Huadian Power Intl (1071 HK), and this has also protected its 1H21 profit. Its plan to speed up disposal of coal-fired power plants also adds justification to its valuations. Relative to new energy plays' average of 18x PER and 2.1x P/B FY21F, CPI's 11.9x and 0.9x are clearly not expensive. 

China Power International (2380 HK): Industry and Company Updates, Looks Relatively Inexpensive

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

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

Quantitative Analysis

In our weekly HK Connect Flow series, we aim to highlight key stocks and sectors which the mainland investors traded via the southbound Hong Kong Connect, as analyzed by our proprietary data engine.Since the opening of Hong Kong Connect scheme in 2014, southbound Chinese money started to play an increasingly important role in the Hong Kong stock market. In 2020, Southbound trading accounted for 22% of the equity market ADT. We split the stocks eligible for the Hong Kong Connect trade into three groups: HSCEI component stocks, stocks with a market capitalization between USD 1 billion and USD 5 billion, and stocks with a market capitalization between USD 500 million and USD 1 billion.In this insight, we will highlight inflows into Tencent Holdings Limited (700 HK), Meituan (3690 HK), Cnooc Limited (883 HK), China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited (836 HK), Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co., Limited (6078 HK).

In our weekly HK Connect Flow series, we aim to highlight key stocks and sectors which the mainland investors traded via the southbound Hong Kong Connect, as analyzed by our proprietary data engine.Since the opening of Hong Kong Connect scheme in 2014, southbound Chinese money started to play an increasingly important role in the Hong Kong stock market. In 2020, Southbound trading accounted for 22% of the equity market ADT. We split the stocks eligible for the Hong Kong Connect trade into three groups: HSCEI component stocks, stocks with a market capitalization between USD 1 billion and USD 5 billion, and stocks with a market capitalization between USD 500 million and USD 1 billion.In this insight, we will highlight inflows into Tencent Holdings Limited (700 HK), Meituan (3690 HK), Cnooc Limited (883 HK), China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited (836 HK), Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co., Limited (6078 HK).

Hong Kong Connect Flows: What Did Chinese Buy Before National Day

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy / Event-Driven

<div>
Subsequent to a low-turnout at the H-share class meeting last Friday (the 19th February), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/beijing-jingneng-clean-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16316:1" rel="noopener">Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy (579 HK)</a>'s shares declined 6.7% on Monday, followed by 6.3% yesterday, and 3.1% today. All on above-average volume. 
Jingneng is now trading at a 25% gross spread to the voluntary conditional offer price of HK$2.70/share. Quite remarkable given deal completion is binary, and there is little in the way of clarity to indicate deal failure is more certain.
Jingneng's undisturbed price back in early July 2020 when a possible Offer was first <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0706/2020070602025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a>, was HK$1.58. However, the power mix that Jingneng supplies has sector-by-sector average gains - some considerable - since the deal.
Jingneng has overshot to the downside, and is a buy outright or against a basket of peers.
</div>
<div>
<div id="ember18865" data-message-id="334920">
<div>
<div id="ember18866">
<div>
<div>More below the fold.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


Subsequent to a low-turnout at the H-share class meeting last Friday (the 19th February), Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy (579 HK)'s shares declined 6.7% on Monday, followed by 6.3% yesterday, and 3.1% today. All on above-average volume. 
Jingneng is now trading at a 25% gross spread to the voluntary conditional offer price of HK$2.70/share. Quite remarkable given deal completion is binary, and there is little in the way of clarity to indicate deal failure is more certain.
Jingneng's undisturbed price back in early July 2020 when a possible Offer was first floated, was HK$1.58. However, the power mix that Jingneng supplies has sector-by-sector average gains - some considerable - since the deal.
Jingneng has overshot to the downside, and is a buy outright or against a basket of peers.






More below the fold.






SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

<figure>
 <img src='https://api2.sgx.com/sites/default/files/2020-10/KIT-CEO.JPG' alt='KIT - CEO' />
 </figure>
 <div class='content-caption'>KIT - CEO</div>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<html><body>
Over his three decade-long career in the energy, power and infrastructure sectors, Matthew Pollard has become well-acquainted with the lessons that failure and near-failure can teach.

After co-founding an entrepreneurial start-up in Hong Kong focused on mid-sized China power projects in the 1990s, the Bachelor of Arts graduate from New York’s Columbia University found himself, at one point, with only HK$10 in his bank account. That venture went on to arrange the investment of US$200 million into seven co-generation projects in China.

The subsequent stages in Pollard’s career journey were equally instructive – he held the position of Vice President and Head of Greater China M&amp;A at Enron International between 1998 and 2000. A year after his departure from the Texas-based energy and commodities company, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Fast-forward to 2008, Pollard joined Arcapita Bank to lead its Asian infrastructure investments team. Some years later, the Bahrain-based bank also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Drawing on his experiences, Pollard, who holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, went on to set up Capital Partners Group in 2014, an independent financial services firm focused on the power, utility and infrastructure sectors.

He was also the Chairman of Honiton Energy Group, a leading developer and operator of wind power generation facilities in China, which was sold to SunEdison in 2015.

“I’ve experienced a multitude of changes throughout my career, and a couple of those could be characterised as failures or near-failures,” recalled Pollard, now the CEO of the trustee-manager of SGX-listed Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT).

“But there were many precious lessons along the way – one probably learns more from failures than successes. And I would almost always prefer to hire someone who has gone out, tried, failed, and eventually succeeded, rather than someone who has had a relatively easy career path.”

Pollard first joined Keppel in November 2017, when he was appointed Managing Director of Infrastructure at Keppel Capital. In July 2018, he took the helm of the trustee-manager of KIT.

Almost immediately, he was presented with a challenging task – to source for deals to grow KIT’s portfolio. “I asked myself: What did we need to do or change in order to secure a deal, and an accretive one, that would grow KIT into its next phase?”

It all boils down to mindset, he noted, referring to New York Times business bestseller “Who Moved My Cheese?”, a motivational self-help book written by American physician Dr Spencer Johnson.

“If the cheese is in front of you, all is good. The problem occurs when someone moves your cheese,” he said. “By that point, in mid-2018, KIT had looked at some opportunities, but they weren’t panning out.”

“To change that, the team had to re-orientate their perspective, as well as their objectives and goals, beyond looking at core or traditional infrastructure projects in developed economies.”

Creative Approach

Secondly, the team should be open to different possibilities, particularly the less-than-obvious ones. “It’s about being entrepreneurial and creative in the way you approach the opportunity set,” Pollard noted.

One such case in point was KIT’s purchase of Australian chemicals group Ixom for A$777 million in November 2018. “When the Ixom opportunity opened up, at first glance, it didn’t seem a good fit because it was a pure chemicals company, and KIT had no business owning a chemicals supplier,” he said.

“But if you think about the water business, several processing and treatment stages are involved before you can deliver clean water,” he added.

“Ixom was the sole manufacturer and supplier of chlorine in Australia, and you can’t have a water business without chlorine supply. We knew this because we operate several water businesses at KIT and across the Keppel group. So by buying its operations, KIT had effectively bought into the water business across Australia.”

In comparison, investing directly into the water sector would have been more competitive and less viable. “We would have had a hard time because our competitors for those types of assets have a lower cost of capital.”

Since making its trading debut on SGX in 2010 as K-Green Trust, KIT has evolved to become the largest diversified business trust listed in Singapore, growing from an initial portfolio of three assets to eight strategic businesses and assets valued at approximately S$5 billion. Its portfolio is segmented into the three core sectors of Distribution &amp; Network, Energy and Waste &amp; Water.

Businesses and assets in the Distribution &amp; Network segment provide essential products and services in the areas of gas production, distribution of critical and essential chemicals, as well as telecoms and electricity transmission. These assets are well-positioned to deliver resilient cash flows with potential for growth that is supported by favourable market dynamics and demand over the long term.

The Energy and Waste &amp; Water segments comprise assets that are integral to the provision of power, waste treatment and water purification. The contract terms for these assets are backed by recurring fixed capacity or availability payments, providing KIT with stable cash flows.

The trustee-manager for KIT is Keppel Infrastructure Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Capital, a premier asset manager in Asia. Keppel Capital is wholly owned by SGX-listed Keppel Corporation, which provides solutions for sustainable urbanisation. The trust’s Sponsor is Keppel Infrastructure, which invests in, owns and operates competitive energy and infrastructure solutions and services.

KIT’s strategic goal is to deliver sustainable returns to its unitholders, through a combination of recurring distributions and capital growth over the long term, Pollard said.

It aims to add businesses and assets that have defensive cash flows, possess high barriers to entry, and provide essential products and services. “That’s what we think about when we talk about infrastructure – it’s not necessarily the traditional definition of brick-and-mortar structures, such as toll roads and airports,” he noted.

“In particular, Ixom has performed better than traditional infrastructure assets during COVID-19, which proves our thesis.”

Looking ahead, Pollard is focused on identifying key businesses and acquiring them at reasonable prices. Relevant investment criteria include assets that generate defensive cash flows and revenues that are inflation- and/or gross domestic product-linked, with potential for growth.

“We’re trying to grow aggressively, and that means larger transactions,” he said.

“This is the difficult part – not wasting time executing opportunities with low probability of success, trying to pick the right ones. The key is channelling our limited time and resources to the areas where they can make the most impact.”

On the Radar

Other strategies for KIT include undertaking co-investment and incubation opportunities with Keppel Capital and/or the Sponsor, as well as partnering experienced operators on greenfield investments with limited construction exposure.

For now, KIT is focused on Australia as well as the European Union, and is adopting an opportunistic approach with regard to Southeast Asia. “Frontier countries are also on our radar – we have an open view on Bangladesh and Myanmar, and are keeping an eye on Thailand, the Philippines, and to a certain extent, Indonesia.”

As at 30 September 2020, KIT’s gearing level stood at 33.7%, providing the trust with comfortable debt headroom to pursue growth. At the same time, to mitigate fluctuations in interest rates, close to 81% of KIT’s total loans have been hedged.

In line with KIT’s strengthened focus on sustainability, KIT and Keppel Energy Pte Ltd secured a seven-year S$700 million sustainability-linked loan for its jointly owned Keppel Merlimau Cogen plant earlier in June. This is one of the largest sustainability-linked loans in Singapore.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to create headwinds and uncertainty for the global economy. “KIT’s well-diversified and highly defensive portfolio of businesses and assets, providing essential products and services, is well-positioned to weather this unprecedented period of turbulence, and continue delivering long-term sustainable distributions and returns to unitholders,” he noted.

At the same time, Pollard is prioritising efforts to groom and empower employees. “KIT is not just about buying more assets or businesses – it’s also about building the right culture and teams.”

One important aspect of this is having open and free debates within the organisation. “I want to make sure my staff are empowered to speak up and carry out their responsibilities. There’s no such thing as a dumb question, and having opposing viewpoints is important to arrive at the right decisions,” he added.

The 52-year-old is also a big believer in hard work, and draws daily inspiration from building, growing and transforming KIT’s business. “Working hard does pay off, and what you call luck really is the byproduct of hard work,” he said.

In fact, his biggest source of inspiration – “at the risk of sounding super-cliched” – is his Irish wife, who is in her 50s. “She pulled herself up by her bootstraps – starting with nothing at 18, working her way up from au pair to News Editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal, and making a success of it through her own efforts.”

Pollard makes it a point to teach these very same values to his sons, aged 20 and 22, and daughter, 14. “I also tell them to surround themselves with good people, as the friends you make and keep will be important influences in your life.”

“And make sure you hire people smarter than you, because you can’t do it alone!”

 

Keppel Infrastructure Trust

 
Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT) is a diversified business trust listed on SGX with over S$5 billion in assets under management. KIT's portfolio of strategic infrastructure businesses and assets provides essential products and services to a wide array of customers including government agencies, multinational corporations, commercial and industrial enterprises as well as retail consumers. Its assets are segmented into the three core sectors of Distribution &amp; Network, Energy and Waste &amp; Water. Businesses and assets in the Distribution &amp; Network segment provide essential products and services in the areas of gas production, telecoms and electricity transmission, as well as manufacturing and distribution of critical and essential chemicals. The Energy and Waste &amp; Water segments comprise assets that are integral to the provision of power, waste treatment and water purification.

The Trustee-Manager for KIT is Keppel Infrastructure Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Capital Holdings Pte Ltd. KIT is sponsored by Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd, which invests in, owns and operates competitive energy and infrastructure solutions and services.

The company website is:<a href="http://www.kepinfratrust.com/"> www.kepinfratrust.com/</a>. 
Click <a href="https://www.sgx.com/securities/equities/A7RU">here </a>for the company's StockFacts page. 
For the three months ended 30 September 2020 business update, click <a href="https://links.sgx.com/1.0.0/corporate-announcements/SGQNCXF5PCM3A13C/635903_KIT%20-%203Q20%20Business%20Update_final.pdf">here</a>.

 About kopi-C: the Company brew

Text: Jennifer Tan-Stanisic Photo: Company file kopi-C is a regular column on the SGX Research website that features C-level executives of leading companies listed on Singapore Exchange. These interviews are profiles of senior management aimed at helping investors better understand the individuals who run these corporations. 
For previous editions of kopi-C: the Company brew, please click <a href="http://edm.sgx.com/a/hBd-CspB86%24MfB90noBAABR54ZH/link10">here</a>.   
For more information, or if you would like your senior executives to be featured on SGX Market Dialogues, please send suggestions to <a href="///C:/Users/tanje/Desktop/Working%20Files/kopi-C/jennifer.t@sgx.com">jennifer.t@sgx.com</a>
</body></html>


      
    
    KIT - CEO


Over his three decade-long career in the energy, power and infrastructure sectors, Matthew Pollard has become well-acquainted with the lessons that failure and near-failure can teach.

After co-founding an entrepreneurial start-up in Hong Kong focused on mid-sized China power projects in the 1990s, the Bachelor of Arts graduate from New York’s Columbia University found himself, at one point, with only HK$10 in his bank account. That venture went on to arrange the investment of US$200 million into seven co-generation projects in China.

The subsequent stages in Pollard’s career journey were equally instructive – he held the position of Vice President and Head of Greater China M&amp;A at Enron International between 1998 and 2000. A year after his departure from the Texas-based energy and commodities company, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Fast-forward to 2008, Pollard joined Arcapita Bank to lead its Asian infrastructure investments team. Some years later, the Bahrain-based bank also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Drawing on his experiences, Pollard, who holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, went on to set up Capital Partners Group in 2014, an independent financial services firm focused on the power, utility and infrastructure sectors.

He was also the Chairman of Honiton Energy Group, a leading developer and operator of wind power generation facilities in China, which was sold to SunEdison in 2015.

“I’ve experienced a multitude of changes throughout my career, and a couple of those could be characterised as failures or near-failures,” recalled Pollard, now the CEO of the trustee-manager of SGX-listed Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT).

“But there were many precious lessons along the way – one probably learns more from failures than successes. And I would almost always prefer to hire someone who has gone out, tried, failed, and eventually succeeded, rather than someone who has had a relatively easy career path.”

Pollard first joined Keppel in November 2017, when he was appointed Managing Director of Infrastructure at Keppel Capital. In July 2018, he took the helm of the trustee-manager of KIT.

Almost immediately, he was presented with a challenging task – to source for deals to grow KIT’s portfolio. “I asked myself: What did we need to do or change in order to secure a deal, and an accretive one, that would grow KIT into its next phase?”

It all boils down to mindset, he noted, referring to New York Times business bestseller “Who Moved My Cheese?”, a motivational self-help book written by American physician Dr Spencer Johnson.

“If the cheese is in front of you, all is good. The problem occurs when someone moves your cheese,” he said. “By that point, in mid-2018, KIT had looked at some opportunities, but they weren’t panning out.”

“To change that, the team had to re-orientate their perspective, as well as their objectives and goals, beyond looking at core or traditional infrastructure projects in developed economies.”

Creative Approach

Secondly, the team should be open to different possibilities, particularly the less-than-obvious ones. “It’s about being entrepreneurial and creative in the way you approach the opportunity set,” Pollard noted.

One such case in point was KIT’s purchase of Australian chemicals group Ixom for A$777 million in November 2018. “When the Ixom opportunity opened up, at first glance, it didn’t seem a good fit because it was a pure chemicals company, and KIT had no business owning a chemicals supplier,” he said.

“But if you think about the water business, several processing and treatment stages are involved before you can deliver clean water,” he added.

“Ixom was the sole manufacturer and supplier of chlorine in Australia, and you can’t have a water business without chlorine supply. We knew this because we operate several water businesses at KIT and across the Keppel group. So by buying its operations, KIT had effectively bought into the water business across Australia.”

In comparison, investing directly into the water sector would have been more competitive and less viable. “We would have had a hard time because our competitors for those types of assets have a lower cost of capital.”

Since making its trading debut on SGX in 2010 as K-Green Trust, KIT has evolved to become the largest diversified business trust listed in Singapore, growing from an initial portfolio of three assets to eight strategic businesses and assets valued at approximately S$5 billion. Its portfolio is segmented into the three core sectors of Distribution &amp; Network, Energy and Waste &amp; Water.

Businesses and assets in the Distribution &amp; Network segment provide essential products and services in the areas of gas production, distribution of critical and essential chemicals, as well as telecoms and electricity transmission. These assets are well-positioned to deliver resilient cash flows with potential for growth that is supported by favourable market dynamics and demand over the long term.

The Energy and Waste &amp; Water segments comprise assets that are integral to the provision of power, waste treatment and water purification. The contract terms for these assets are backed by recurring fixed capacity or availability payments, providing KIT with stable cash flows.

The trustee-manager for KIT is Keppel Infrastructure Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Capital, a premier asset manager in Asia. Keppel Capital is wholly owned by SGX-listed Keppel Corporation, which provides solutions for sustainable urbanisation. The trust’s Sponsor is Keppel Infrastructure, which invests in, owns and operates competitive energy and infrastructure solutions and services.

KIT’s strategic goal is to deliver sustainable returns to its unitholders, through a combination of recurring distributions and capital growth over the long term, Pollard said.

It aims to add businesses and assets that have defensive cash flows, possess high barriers to entry, and provide essential products and services. “That’s what we think about when we talk about infrastructure – it’s not necessarily the traditional definition of brick-and-mortar structures, such as toll roads and airports,” he noted.

“In particular, Ixom has performed better than traditional infrastructure assets during COVID-19, which proves our thesis.”

Looking ahead, Pollard is focused on identifying key businesses and acquiring them at reasonable prices. Relevant investment criteria include assets that generate defensive cash flows and revenues that are inflation- and/or gross domestic product-linked, with potential for growth.

“We’re trying to grow aggressively, and that means larger transactions,” he said.

“This is the difficult part – not wasting time executing opportunities with low probability of success, trying to pick the right ones. The key is channelling our limited time and resources to the areas where they can make the most impact.”

On the Radar

Other strategies for KIT include undertaking co-investment and incubation opportunities with Keppel Capital and/or the Sponsor, as well as partnering experienced operators on greenfield investments with limited construction exposure.

For now, KIT is focused on Australia as well as the European Union, and is adopting an opportunistic approach with regard to Southeast Asia. “Frontier countries are also on our radar – we have an open view on Bangladesh and Myanmar, and are keeping an eye on Thailand, the Philippines, and to a certain extent, Indonesia.”

As at 30 September 2020, KIT’s gearing level stood at 33.7%, providing the trust with comfortable debt headroom to pursue growth. At the same time, to mitigate fluctuations in interest rates, close to 81% of KIT’s total loans have been hedged.

In line with KIT’s strengthened focus on sustainability, KIT and Keppel Energy Pte Ltd secured a seven-year S$700 million sustainability-linked loan for its jointly owned Keppel Merlimau Cogen plant earlier in June. This is one of the largest sustainability-linked loans in Singapore.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to create headwinds and uncertainty for the global economy. “KIT’s well-diversified and highly defensive portfolio of businesses and assets, providing essential products and services, is well-positioned to weather this unprecedented period of turbulence, and continue delivering long-term sustainable distributions and returns to unitholders,” he noted.

At the same time, Pollard is prioritising efforts to groom and empower employees. “KIT is not just about buying more assets or businesses – it’s also about building the right culture and teams.”

One important aspect of this is having open and free debates within the organisation. “I want to make sure my staff are empowered to speak up and carry out their responsibilities. There’s no such thing as a dumb question, and having opposing viewpoints is important to arrive at the right decisions,” he added.

The 52-year-old is also a big believer in hard work, and draws daily inspiration from building, growing and transforming KIT’s business. “Working hard does pay off, and what you call luck really is the byproduct of hard work,” he said.

In fact, his biggest source of inspiration – “at the risk of sounding super-cliched” – is his Irish wife, who is in her 50s. “She pulled herself up by her bootstraps – starting with nothing at 18, working her way up from au pair to News Editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal, and making a success of it through her own efforts.”

Pollard makes it a point to teach these very same values to his sons, aged 20 and 22, and daughter, 14. “I also tell them to surround themselves with good people, as the friends you make and keep will be important influences in your life.”

“And make sure you hire people smarter than you, because you can’t do it alone!”

 

Keppel Infrastructure Trust

 
Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT) is a diversified business trust listed on SGX with over S$5 billion in assets under management. KIT's portfolio of strategic infrastructure businesses and assets provides essential products and services to a wide array of customers including government agencies, multinational corporations, commercial and industrial enterprises as well as retail consumers. Its assets are segmented into the three core sectors of Distribution &amp; Network, Energy and Waste &amp; Water. Businesses and assets in the Distribution &amp; Network segment provide essential products and services in the areas of gas production, telecoms and electricity transmission, as well as manufacturing and distribution of critical and essential chemicals. The Energy and Waste &amp; Water segments comprise assets that are integral to the provision of power, waste treatment and water purification.

The Trustee-Manager for KIT is Keppel Infrastructure Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Capital Holdings Pte Ltd. KIT is sponsored by Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd, which invests in, owns and operates competitive energy and infrastructure solutions and services.

The company website is: www.kepinfratrust.com/.  
Click here for the company's StockFacts page.  
For the three months ended 30 September 2020 business update, click here.

 About kopi-C: the Company brew

Text: Jennifer Tan-Stanisic Photo: Company file  kopi-C is a regular column on the SGX Research website that features C-level executives of leading companies listed on Singapore Exchange. These interviews are profiles of senior management aimed at helping investors better understand the individuals who run these corporations.  
For previous editions of kopi-C: the Company brew, please click here.    
For more information, or if you would like your senior executives to be featured on SGX Market Dialogues, please send suggestions to jennifer.t@sgx.com



Keppel Infrastructure Trust: Delivering Resilient Growth 

Hong Kong

CGN New Energy Holdings Co Ltd is a diversified independent power producer in Asia. The Company has a portfolio of gas-fired, coal-fired, oil-fired, hydro, cogen and fuel cell power generation projects in the People's Republic of China and Korea.

China Gas Holdings Ltd. invests in, operates and manages natural gas distribution pipelines.  The Company distributes and sells natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial users, and bottles and sells compressed natural gas.  China Gas also constructs and operates gas stations.

HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments Limited is a fixed single investment trust in Hong Kong with a focus on the power industry. The Trust is a vertically integrated power utility and its operations comprise the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity to Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island.

China Resources Gas Group Ltd distributes natural gas and petroleum gas in the cities of Chengdu, Fuyang, Huaibei, Linhai, Suzhou and Wuxi in the PRC. The Company also operates compressed natural gas filling stations in Chengdu, Nanjing and Wuxi. The group also is involved in bottled liquefied petroleum gas distribution in cities of Fuyang, Suzhou and Wuxi.

Guangdong Investment Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates water supply, power and electricity, and infrastructure businesses.  The Company also invests in and develops real estate properties, operates department stores, and provides financial services.

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, develops water treatment systems.  The Group specializes in water services and environmental protection businesses, with waste water treatment as its core business segment.

Zhongyu Gas Holdings Limited operates in exploration, exploitation, development and production of coal bed methane and the sale of coalbed methane in the PRC. It also develops, constructs and operates natural gas projects in PRC, which include design and construction of natural gas pipeline network and ancillary facilities, and sale and maintenance of natural gas and its appliances.

Towngas China Company Ltd. distributes and markets gas.  The Company sells LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) in  bulk and in cylinder, provides piped LPG and natural gas, constructs gas pipelines, operates city gas-pipeline networks and gas stations, and sells LPG  and natural gas household appliances.

China Renewable Energy Investment Ltd, through its subsidiaries, principally engaged in the business of alternative energy. The Company is an alternative energy project developer focused on China.

China Renewable Energy Investment (987 HK)

China Water Affairs Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, supplies city water and sewage treatment.  The Company supplies raw water and tap water, treats sewage, constructs water supply pipe networks, and installs water meters.

Huadian Power International Corporation Limited generates and sells electricity which is all fed into the Shandong Provincial Grid operated by Shandong Electric Power (Group) Corporation (SEPCO), the immediate holding company of the Company.  The Company also sells heat.

Hubei Energy Group Co Ltd is principally engaged in power generation, natural gas distribution, and coal trading businesses. The Company's products include hydropower, thermal power, wind power, coal, and natural gas.

Talen Energy Corporation provides utility services. The Company generates, distributes, transmits, and markets electricity, as well as produces and supplies natural gas and other renewable energy products for residential and commercial users. Talen Energy serves customers in the United States.

Shenergy Company Limited develops, constructs, and invests in electric power and other energy related projects.  The Company distributes electric power, heat, and gas.

Shenzhen Energy Group Company, Ltd. generates and distributes electricity and gas. The Company supplies power to cities in the Peoples Republic of China, including Shenzhen, Huizhou and Dongguan, Guangdong Province.

Shenzhen Energy Group Co, Ltd. (000027 CH)

Aboitiz Power Corporation provides hydroelectric power generation.

Ormat Technologies, Inc. develops and operates renewable energy projects. The Company offers geothermal, recovered energy, and energy management and storage solutions. Ormat Technologies serves customers worldwide.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited generates and distributes power, mines and processes lignite, manufactures fertilizers & chemicals and processes and sells clay of all kinds. The Company's other activities include the briquetting and carbonization of lignite and its main products include electric power, lignite, nekolin, pulverized nekolin, urea, coke fines and leco.

Greencoat U.K. Wind PLC is a closed-end investment trust incorporated in the UK. The Fund invests in wind farm projects predominantly with a capacity of over 10MW. The substantial majority of the portfolio will be operating UK wind farm projects. The Company will invest in equity and associated debt instruments when making acquisitions in wind farms.

Northland Power Inc. owns or has an economic interest in power generation facilities in Canada, the United States and Germany. The Company's facilities produce electricity from clean natural gas and renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and biomass. Northland Power maintains an active development and construction program for additional new power generation opportunities.

China Power International Development Limited, through its subsidiaries, develops, constructs, owns, manages, and operates large power plants in China.

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

China Power International (2380 HK)

China Power International Placement - Won't Do Much for Funding Capacity Expansion

China Power International is looking to raise up to US$436m via a top-up placement. In this note, we will run the deal through our ECM framework.

Sumeet Singh