HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Healthy 17.2% growth in 1Q22 net profit of Kunlun Gas, the most important subsidiary of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a>, provides a welcoming evidence to ease market concerns on costs.  </li>
<li>While gross margin was down 0.2pp YoY, it expanded by 0.4pp QoQ. Key cost items including selling, administrative and R&amp;D are all under control, boosting EBIT margin by 0.5pp YoY.</li>
<li>1Q22 is a record quarter for Kunlun Gas, and gearing stays comfortable with strong operating cash flow. We believe such set of result signals good 1Q22 for Kunlun Energy. </li>
</ul>


Healthy 17.2% growth in 1Q22 net profit of Kunlun Gas, the most important subsidiary of Kunlun Energy (135 HK), provides a welcoming evidence to ease market concerns on costs.  
While gross margin was down 0.2pp YoY, it expanded by 0.4pp QoQ. Key cost items including selling, administrative and R&amp;D are all under control, boosting EBIT margin by 0.5pp YoY.
1Q22 is a record quarter for Kunlun Gas, and gearing stays comfortable with strong operating cash flow. We believe such set of result signals good 1Q22 for Kunlun Energy. 


Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Record Quarter for Kunlun Gas

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-gas-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20525:1" rel="noopener">CR Gas (1193 HK)</a>’s privatisation bid for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/suchuang-gas-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:304:1" rel="noopener">Suchuang Gas Corp (1430 HK)</a> was derailed by the trading suspension due to the disclosure of previously unaccounted for pledges/guarantees by subsidiaries.</li>
<li>The controlling shareholders have attempted to keep the offer alive by agreeing to fully indemnify CR Gas for losses related to the pledges/guarantees.</li>
<li>The long stop date of the offer was extended to 31 August 2022. The key risk is that the timeframe to fulfil the resumption guidance exceeds the long stop date. </li>
</ul>



CR Gas (1193 HK)’s privatisation bid for Suchuang Gas Corp (1430 HK) was derailed by the trading suspension due to the disclosure of previously unaccounted for pledges/guarantees by subsidiaries.
The controlling shareholders have attempted to keep the offer alive by agreeing to fully indemnify CR Gas for losses related to the pledges/guarantees.
The long stop date of the offer was extended to 31 August 2022. The key risk is that the timeframe to fulfil the resumption guidance exceeds the long stop date. 


Suchuang Gas’ Privatisation Offer in Limbo as Additional Resumption Guidance Disclosed

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>Shortly after piped natural gas operator <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/suchuang-gas-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:304:1" rel="noopener">Suchuang Gas Corp (1430 HK)</a></strong> announced a privatisation Offer from <strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-gas-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20525:1" rel="noopener">CR Gas (1193 HK)</a></strong> last August, shares were suspended. And remain suspended today.</li>
<li>That suspension pivoted off previously unreleased information that certain bank deposits of Suchuang Gas' subsidiaries had been pledged. </li>
<li>An investigation remains ongoing. A material portion of those pledges have defaulted. Financial results have been delayed. However, the Offer appears to still be moving forward. </li>
</ul>


Shortly after piped natural gas operator Suchuang Gas Corp (1430 HK) announced a privatisation Offer from CR Gas (1193 HK) last August, shares were suspended. And remain suspended today.
That suspension pivoted off previously unreleased information that certain bank deposits of Suchuang Gas' subsidiaries had been pledged. 
An investigation remains ongoing. A material portion of those pledges have defaulted. Financial results have been delayed. However, the Offer appears to still be moving forward. 


Suchuang Gas (1430 HK): Pledges, Results Delays, And Ongoing Suspension

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kunlun-energy-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10054:1" rel="noopener">Kunlun Energy (135 HK)</a> posted a 43.6% YoY growth in net profit for FY21, which is ahead of peers like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/enn-energy-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:316:1" rel="noopener">ENN Energy (2688 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-resources-gas-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20525:1" rel="noopener">CR Gas (1193 HK)</a>. </li>
<li>While 2H21 gas sales segment is weaker, the contraction of dollar margin for Kunlun is light at 3.8% YoY. The other gas utilities companies are seeing 12-15% decline.</li>
<li>Its net cash reached Rmb3.3bn at end-FY21, and number of new city gas projects reached 17 in 2H21, vs. 13 only in 1H21, indicating good pick-up in momentum. </li>
</ul>



Kunlun Energy (135 HK) posted a 43.6% YoY growth in net profit for FY21, which is ahead of peers like ENN Energy (2688 HK) and CR Gas (1193 HK). 
While 2H21 gas sales segment is weaker, the contraction of dollar margin for Kunlun is light at 3.8% YoY. The other gas utilities companies are seeing 12-15% decline.
Its net cash reached Rmb3.3bn at end-FY21, and number of new city gas projects reached 17 in 2H21, vs. 13 only in 1H21, indicating good pick-up in momentum. 


Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Better FY21 than Peers

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>China Utilities stocks are lightly held, underweight and underowned in active China portfolios.  However, recent fund activity shows an turnaround in sentiment is playing out.</li>
<li>For MSCI China, China A-Share and Greater China funds it was among the top beneficiaries of recent manager rebalancing across domestic sectors.</li>
<li>As investors look for sectors that are insulated from further regulation or red-tape, China &amp; HK Utilities stocks are back on the radar.</li>
</ul>


China Utilities stocks are lightly held, underweight and underowned in active China portfolios.  However, recent fund activity shows an turnaround in sentiment is playing out.
For MSCI China, China A-Share and Greater China funds it was among the top beneficiaries of recent manager rebalancing across domestic sectors.
As investors look for sectors that are insulated from further regulation or red-tape, China &amp; HK Utilities stocks are back on the radar.


China & HK Utilities: Safehaven Comes in to Play

Hong Kong

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.

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CR Gas (1193 HK)

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): A Record Quarter for Kunlun Gas

We view Kunlun Gas' healthy 1Q22 result a positive pointer to Kunlun Energy's profit trend in the quarter. It is welcoming to note only mild YoY...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Suchuang Gas’ Privatisation Offer in Limbo as Additional Resumption Guidance Disclosed

The controlling shareholders have kept the offer alive by agreeing to indemnify CR Gas for losses. The key risk is that the timeframe to fulfil the...

Arun George

Suchuang Gas (1430 HK): Pledges, Results Delays, And Ongoing Suspension

An investigation remains ongoing into the pledged bank deposits. A material portion of those pledges have defaulted. However, the Offer appears to...

David Blennerhassett

Kunlun Energy (135 HK): Better FY21 than Peers

Kunlun has a milder pressue on dollar margin than its peers and the LNG Processing and Terminal segment has provided us some nice surprises. Net...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China & HK Utilities: Safehaven Comes in to Play

China Utilities stocks are lightly held, underweight and underowned in active China portfolios. However, recent fund activity shows an turnaround...

Steven Holden

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