HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

China Communications Construction / Equity Bottom-Up

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> has a fruitful 1H21 as reflected by impressive new contract growth and profit recovery. Driven by the strength at the domestic market, overall new contract addition reached Rmb685.1bn, a good 28.5% YoY growth. Such pace is the fastest when compared with the annual growth rate since FY15, and this solid project pipeline will translate into positive profit momentum over the next three years.</p><p>CCCC has also issued positive profit alert for 1H21, guiding for between 109.70% and 139.01% YoY growth in net profit. For 2Q21 standalone, the YoY growth should reach an even higher 1.4-2.1x. We see limited regulatory risks for CCCC given the infrastructure construction industry landscape and its centrally-owned SOE status. In our view, its ROE of 6.9% for FY21F and 7.5% for FY22F highly justify a re-rating in its P/B multiple which currently stands at 0.19x on a 12-month forward basis. </p>

China Communications Construction (1800 HK) has a fruitful 1H21 as reflected by impressive new contract growth and profit recovery. Driven by the strength at the domestic market, overall new contract addition reached Rmb685.1bn, a good 28.5% YoY growth. Such pace is the fastest when compared with the annual growth rate since FY15, and this solid project pipeline will translate into positive profit momentum over the next three years.CCCC has also issued positive profit alert for 1H21, guiding for between 109.70% and 139.01% YoY growth in net profit. For 2Q21 standalone, the YoY growth should reach an even higher 1.4-2.1x. We see limited regulatory risks for CCCC given the infrastructure construction industry landscape and its centrally-owned SOE status. In our view, its ROE of 6.9% for FY21F and 7.5% for FY22F highly justify a re-rating in its P/B multiple which currently stands at 0.19x on a 12-month forward basis. 

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Well Placed for an Upturn

Bond market data and technology, BondEvalue

BondEvalue

Bond market data and technology

BondEvalue is a Singapore-based Fintech that specializes in bond market data and technology. The company's information services business offers bond market data on hard-currency corporate & sovereign bonds across Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas. The data, which includes bond prices, yields, news and analytics, is offered to end investors via interactive Mobile and Web Apps. Investors can sign up for a free trial of the service either via the company's website (https://bondevalue.com) or by downloading the BondEvalue Mobile App (http://onelink.to/wej7jq). BondEvalue is also developing an electronic bond exchange, BondbloX in Singapore that allows investors to trade bonds electronically in smaller sizes (US$1,000 or equivalent). For more information, visit https://www.bondblox.com/

Bond Market Data and Technology

Credit

S&amp;P slid 0.9% yesterday while Nasdaq ended 0.1% down after it managed to erase an early decline of 2.6% with dip buying. Energy, financials and industrials led the index lower. Tesla continued its slide and closed 1.9% lower as its April sales in China dipped; its plans to expand its Shanghai plant also took a backseat due to uncertainty on US-China tensions. US IG CDS spreads were 0.4bp wider and HY widened 2.1bp. EU main and crossover CDS spreads widened by 1.2bp and 5.1bp respectively. Most Asian equity markets opened flat while KOSPI is down over 1.5% and Taiwan down 4.5%. Asia ex-Japan CDS spreads were 1bp wider. Asian primary bond markets have cooled off after two busy days ahead of the Hari Raya holiday tomorrow.

China Railway Launches $ Bond; Macro; Rating Changes; New Issues; Talking Heads; Top Gainers & Lo...

<p>The 1Q21 result of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> (CCCC) should provide comfort to the market given it showed the sustained pace of earnings recovery. Recurring profit grew 87.5% YoY, or 13.3% versus 1Q19, driven by sharp surge in revenue and good YoY margin expansion on remarkable cost control performance.  </p><p>We believe CCCC has kick-started an encouraging FY21 - its 1Q21 profit already almost equals to the 1H20 profit. Adding to that is the enchanting new contract addition momentum in the quarter - up 80.3% YoY and 24.5% QoQ, providing good security and visibility for its earnings outlook. All these evidences are supportive to our relentless call that its 12-month forward PER of 2.7x and P/B of 0.2x are just too depressed.</p>

The 1Q21 result of China Communications Construction (1800 HK) (CCCC) should provide comfort to the market given it showed the sustained pace of earnings recovery. Recurring profit grew 87.5% YoY, or 13.3% versus 1Q19, driven by sharp surge in revenue and good YoY margin expansion on remarkable cost control performance.  We believe CCCC has kick-started an encouraging FY21 - its 1Q21 profit already almost equals to the 1H20 profit. Adding to that is the enchanting new contract addition momentum in the quarter - up 80.3% YoY and 24.5% QoQ, providing good security and visibility for its earnings outlook. All these evidences are supportive to our relentless call that its 12-month forward PER of 2.7x and P/B of 0.2x are just too depressed.

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Kick-Start a Rewarding Year

<p>Management is generally optimistic towards FY21 outlook, with a target of 10% growth in new contract and revenue. In the post-result call, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-communications-construction-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:265:1" rel="noopener">China Communications Construction (1800 HK)</a> (CCCC) highlights its focus on strategy refinement, cost control and overseas expansion as some of its major initiatives. We take the management's guidance positively; and trading at outrageously cheap multiples of 3.1x PER and 0.2x P/B, we think the market is too negative towards CCCC. </p><p>As for FY20 result, we do not agree that CCCC's profit is unexciting. While profit was down 17.6% YoY, there is a 98.6% HoH improvement in 2H20. Excluding factors like foreign exchange loss on Rmb appreciation and higher credit impairment (mainly on Australia project), CCCC has a flat YoY. This is even before taking into account the loss of toll revenue amounting to Rmb1.4bn in 1H20 due to the pandemic. That said, we see good room for a double-digit recovery in FY21 as some of these factors are removed.</p>

Management is generally optimistic towards FY21 outlook, with a target of 10% growth in new contract and revenue. In the post-result call, China Communications Construction (1800 HK) (CCCC) highlights its focus on strategy refinement, cost control and overseas expansion as some of its major initiatives. We take the management's guidance positively; and trading at outrageously cheap multiples of 3.1x PER and 0.2x P/B, we think the market is too negative towards CCCC. As for FY20 result, we do not agree that CCCC's profit is unexciting. While profit was down 17.6% YoY, there is a 98.6% HoH improvement in 2H20. Excluding factors like foreign exchange loss on Rmb appreciation and higher credit impairment (mainly on Australia project), CCCC has a flat YoY. This is even before taking into account the loss of toll revenue amounting to Rmb1.4bn in 1H20 due to the pandemic. That said, we see good room for a double-digit recovery in FY21 as some of these factors are removed.

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Key Takeaways from Post-FY20 Result Call

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Quantitative Analysis

<div>
<p>Spreads narrowed sharply this week with 68 of 100 liquid spreads narrowing, 32 widening. The big winner on the week was Consumer narrowing 2.46% as every spread in the space narrowed despite five of six stocks falling in Hs (i.e. As fell even more). </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shandong-chenming-paper-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13775:1" rel="noopener">Shandong Chenming Paper H (1812 HK)</a> situation intruded on the H/S spreads this week as the decision to convert the B shares to Hs (described by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/david-blennerhassett" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:840" rel="noopener">David Blennerhassett</a> in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/shandong-chenming-paper-1812-hk-the-h-b-convergence-trade" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:49247" rel="noopener">Shandong Chenming Paper (1812 HK): The H/B Convergence Trade</a> mid-week) caused ructions in the H/A spread.</p>
<p>But overall, it was a decent week. Only two sectors saw spreads widen (Energy and Utilities), both accompanied by net southbound selling in the week to Wednesday (the last day to which we have granular name-by-name data).</p>
<table class="table table-striped"><tbody>
<tr>
<td><p>Sector</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>Last Week</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>Previous Week</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>3wks Ago</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>4wks Ago</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Consumer</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 2.46%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.74%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.14%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  1.65%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Energy</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.39%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.56%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.36%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.67%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Financials &amp; Real Estate</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.92%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.53%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 1.19%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  1.12%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Health Care &amp; Info Tech</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 1.50%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 2.29%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.54%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  2.86%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Industrials</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 1.19%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.15%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.42%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  1.20%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Materials</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 1.42%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>+ 0.61%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.33%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.84%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Utilities</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.91%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.87%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  1.25%</p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p>-  0.14%</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><strong>Sector Average</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>+ 0.88%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>+ 0.41%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>-  0.26%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>-  1.02%</strong></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><strong>All Market Average</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>+ 0.96%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>+ 0.59%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>+ 0.05%</strong></p></td>
<td style="text-align: right;"><p><strong>-  1.22%</strong></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div><div><div></div></div><p><span>10-day cross-market spread volatility continues to fall. This past week ended at 20% down from 23% in the ten days to 12 March. This is down off highs in the low 30s a couple weeks ago, but the long-term average is still under 20%.</span></p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/770/original/Screenshot+2021-03-20+at+8.25.25+PM.png?1616243179" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195770"></figure></section><div><div>
<hr>
<h3>The H/A Spread Market</h3>
</div></div><div><p>The past week has seen H-shares come off, but spreads narrow as Hs outperformed their As pretty dramatically. Interestingly, the narrower the spread, to start with, the better the performance on the week. Ideally, spread players want to see that red line sloping downward from upper left to lower right because even a big spread movement for a 70% discount stock means very large performance is needed to catch up. </p></div><div><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/724/original/Screenshot+2021-03-20+at+5.41.02+PM.png?1616233277" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195724"></figure></section></div><div>
<p>The average discount has started tightening again and we are at 38% which is where the spread rebounded to un Q2 of 2020 after widening in the Covid-crash. </p>
<p>In 2019, spreads spent a fairly long time in the 34-36% average. </p>
</div><section><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/728/original/Screenshot+2021-03-20+at+5.44.03+PM.png?1616233457" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195728"></figure></section></section><hr><div><div><h2>Last Week's Recommendations</h2></div></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There were 81 recommendations last week.</li>
<li>Positive alpha returned. There were 49 long spreads and 32 short spreads which gained on average 27bp against the delta-neutral gain of 0.20%, indicating spread alpha of 7bp on the week. This is back to a good trend after a horrible week the week before.</li>
<li>There are <em>nearly</em> 80 recommendations this week (turnover remains low).  </li>
</ul></div><hr><div><div><h2>Consumer Sector</h2></div></div><div>
<p>The first sector discussed is Consumer. It was a complex week there. </p>
<ul>
<li>Five out of six H-shares were down on the week. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tsingtao-brewery-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1296:1" rel="noopener">Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd H (168 HK)</a> was up 10.6%.</li>
<li>All six spreads narrowed with the average H-share outperformance of A at 2.46%. It was a strong week for every spread in the group. </li>
<li>Normally when this happens, there is significant net selling by Southbound. This week saw net buying of HK$270mm to Wednesday, halting four straight weeks prior of net selling. </li>
</ul>
</div><div></div><div><div><div class="content-highlight">
<p>Last week, I recommended keeping the shorts (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuyao-glass-industry-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:330:1" rel="noopener">Fuyao Glass Industry Group (3606 HK)</a>) and the long in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/guangzhou-automobile-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11082:1" rel="noopener">Guangzhou Automobile Group (2238 HK)</a> and adding a long on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hisense-home-appliances-group-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20107:1" rel="noopener">Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd. H (921 HK)</a> H vs A.</p>
<p>Those trades lost an average of 0.51% last week in spread terms after losing 29bp the week before, and 16bp the week before that. Despite three losing weeks in a row, positioning in the sector is still up 262bp in four weeks. </p>
<p>This week's trade recommendations are below the fold.</p>
</div></div></div><div><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/729/original/Screenshot+2021-03-20+at+5.44.45+PM.png?1616233498" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195729"></figure></section></div><div><section>For this week's recommendations on Consumer, and discussion of the Energy, Financials &amp; Real Estate, Health Care, Tech, Industrials, Materials, and Utilities sectors, and all trade recommendations, please read on.</section></div>


Spreads narrowed sharply this week with 68 of 100 liquid spreads narrowing, 32 widening. The big winner on the week was Consumer narrowing 2.46% as every spread in the space narrowed despite five of six stocks falling in Hs (i.e. As fell even more). 
The Shandong Chenming Paper H (1812 HK) situation intruded on the H/S spreads this week as the decision to convert the B shares to Hs (described by David Blennerhassett in Shandong Chenming Paper (1812 HK): The H/B Convergence Trade mid-week) caused ructions in the H/A spread.
But overall, it was a decent week. Only two sectors saw spreads widen (Energy and Utilities), both accompanied by net southbound selling in the week to Wednesday (the last day to which we have granular name-by-name data).


Sector
Last Week
Previous Week
3wks Ago
4wks Ago


Consumer
+ 2.46%
+ 0.74%
-  0.14%
-  1.65%


Energy
-  0.39%
-  0.56%
-  0.36%
+ 0.67%


Financials &amp; Real Estate
+ 0.92%
+ 0.53%
+ 1.19%
-  1.12%


Health Care &amp; Info Tech
+ 1.50%
+ 2.29%
-  0.54%
-  2.86%


Industrials
+ 1.19%
+ 0.15%
-  0.42%
-  1.20%


Materials
+ 1.42%
+ 0.61%
-  0.33%
-  0.84%


Utilities
-  0.91%
-  0.87%
-  1.25%
-  0.14%


Sector Average
+ 0.88%
+ 0.41%
-  0.26%
-  1.02%


All Market Average
+ 0.96%
+ 0.59%
+ 0.05%
-  1.22%


10-day cross-market spread volatility continues to fall. This past week ended at 20% down from 23% in the ten days to 12 March. This is down off highs in the low 30s a couple weeks ago, but the long-term average is still under 20%.

The H/A Spread Market
The past week has seen H-shares come off, but spreads narrow as Hs outperformed their As pretty dramatically. Interestingly, the narrower the spread, to start with, the better the performance on the week. Ideally, spread players want to see that red line sloping downward from upper left to lower right because even a big spread movement for a 70% discount stock means very large performance is needed to catch up. 
The average discount has started tightening again and we are at 38% which is where the spread rebounded to un Q2 of 2020 after widening in the Covid-crash. 
In 2019, spreads spent a fairly long time in the 34-36% average. 
Last Week's Recommendations
There were 81 recommendations last week.
Positive alpha returned. There were 49 long spreads and 32 short spreads which gained on average 27bp against the delta-neutral gain of 0.20%, indicating spread alpha of 7bp on the week. This is back to a good trend after a horrible week the week before.
There are nearly 80 recommendations this week (turnover remains low).  
Consumer Sector
The first sector discussed is Consumer. It was a complex week there. 

Five out of six H-shares were down on the week. Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd H (168 HK) was up 10.6%.
All six spreads narrowed with the average H-share outperformance of A at 2.46%. It was a strong week for every spread in the group. 
Normally when this happens, there is significant net selling by Southbound. This week saw net buying of HK$270mm to Wednesday, halting four straight weeks prior of net selling. 


Last week, I recommended keeping the shorts (BYD (1211 HK) and Fuyao Glass Industry Group (3606 HK)) and the long in Guangzhou Automobile Group (2238 HK) and adding a long on Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd. H (921 HK) H vs A.
Those trades lost an average of 0.51% last week in spread terms after losing 29bp the week before, and 16bp the week before that. Despite three losing weeks in a row, positioning in the sector is still up 262bp in four weeks. 
This week's trade recommendations are below the fold.
For this week's recommendations on Consumer, and discussion of the Energy, Financials &amp; Real Estate, Health Care, Tech, Industrials, Materials, and Utilities sectors, and all trade recommendations, please read on.

Quiddity Weekly H/A: Consumer Strong, Spreads Narrowing Masks A-Share Weakness

China

China Railway Group Ltd. offers transportation systems construction services. The Company builds railroads, roads, tunnels, and bridges.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
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China Railway Group Ltd H (390 HK)

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Well Placed for an Upturn

Good new contract value momentum and positive profit alert are both encouraging to CCCC. We believe its valuations are undemandiing at just 0.19x P...

Osbert Tang, CFA

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BondEvalue

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Kick-Start a Rewarding Year

CCCC logged a sharp earnings revival in 1Q21 on the back of a surge in revenue and solid margin expanson; and new contracts added also surged. It...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Key Takeaways from Post-FY20 Result Call

We stay positive on CCCC after post-result call. It targets to achieve 10% growth in revenue and new contracts in FY21 and we are optimistic. At...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Well Placed for an Upturn

Good new contract value momentum and positive profit alert are both encouraging to CCCC. We believe its valuations are undemandiing at just 0.19x P...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Railway Launches $ Bond; Macro; Rating Changes; New Issues; Talking Heads; Top Gainers & Lo...

S&P slid 0.9% yesterday while Nasdaq ended 0.1% down after it managed to erase an early decline of 2.6% with dip buying. Energy, financials and...

BondEvalue

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Kick-Start a Rewarding Year

CCCC logged a sharp earnings revival in 1Q21 on the back of a surge in revenue and solid margin expanson; and new contracts added also surged. It...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Comm Const (1800 HK): Key Takeaways from Post-FY20 Result Call

We stay positive on CCCC after post-result call. It targets to achieve 10% growth in revenue and new contracts in FY21 and we are optimistic. At...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Quiddity Weekly H/A: Consumer Strong, Spreads Narrowing Masks A-Share Weakness

The move in H/A spreads was 96bp this week. The strength in spreads masks some A-share weakness in the big and liquid names. Quiddity long/short...

Travis Lundy