Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-mobile-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27:1" rel="noopener">China Mobile (941 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-telecom-corp-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1015:1" rel="noopener">China Telecom Corp Ltd (H) (728 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-unicom-hong-kong-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1016:1" rel="noopener">China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK)</a> along with their ADRs (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-mobile-ltd-spon-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16398:1" rel="noopener">China Mobile Ltd Spon Adr (CHL US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-telecom-corp-ltd-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1017:1" rel="noopener">China Telecom Corp Ltd (Adr) (CHA US)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-unicom-hong-kong-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1000:1" rel="noopener">China Unicom Hong Kong (Adr) (CHU US)</a>) present a very strange problem. The Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-securities-investments-finance-communist-chinese-military-companies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Order</a> (Executive Order on Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) is something of nuisance. It doesn’t sanction most of the names on the Defense Department Qualifying Entity list but it makes it so that US Persons and those that invest US Person money cannot invest in the securities of these companies and in certain subsidiaries. But the list of Communist Chinese Military Companies includes the parent companies of the three Chinese mobile telephony companies, and those three companies, along with many Chinese companies, have underperformed peers in other markets since the Executive Order was announced.The new FAQs published by the Treasury Department OFAC (discussed in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/ofac-makes-a-longer-list-of-trump-names-of-china-military-cos" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:46704" rel="noopener">OFAC Makes a Longer List of Trump Names of China Military Cos</a>) suggest all 50% subsidiaries or ‘entities determined to be controlled by one or more Communist Chinese military company(ies) identified in or pursuant to EO 13959’ will be covered under the Executive Order but also says that the deadline for not transacting in such names would be 60 days after the OFAC adds the specific name to the list. <blockquote>The initial prohibitions pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of E.O. 13959 would go into effect beginning 9:30 a.m. eastern time on the date that is 60 days after such subsidiary is added to OFAC’s new list to further implement E.O. 13959. <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAQ 857</a></blockquote>The three HK-listed telecom stocks are subsidiaries of QEs but they have yet to be listed, and the US-listed ADRs have also yet to be listed on the OFAC list. That means the NYSE <a href="https://ir.theice.com/press/news-details/2020/NYSE-to-Commence-Delisting-Proceedings-in-Securities-of-Three-Issuers-to-Comply-with-Executive-Order-13959/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision</a> to delist the stocks was somewhat precipitous, and I expect there may have been political pressure to delist prior to the 11th when the deadline for the first set of stocks arrives at their initial 60-day deadline.Saturday, China's Commerce Ministry warned of "necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies" in response to the NYSE announcement but there were no details, and in announcing the criticism, saying that the NYSE's actions would "greatly weaken all parties' confidence in the US capital markets", the Chinese Commerce Ministry was effectively saying that retaliation would greatly weaken all parties' confidence in Chinese capital markets. One can't have it both ways, and it must be noted that given the SEC's <a href="https://www.sec.gov/corpfin/disclosure-considerations-china-based-issuers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a> at end-November on Chinese ADRs in the US is really a matter of time given China's Securities Law. Yesterday, the CSRC <a href="http://www.csrc.gov.cn/pub/newsite/zjhxwfb/xwdd/202101/t20210103_390002.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> with a measured comment, and today, in what has to be seen as an embarrassing walk-back, the NYSE has <a href="https://ir.theice.com/press/news-details/2021/NYSE-Updates-Guidance-on-Delisting-Determination-for-Securities-of-Three-Issuers-in-Relation-to-Executive-Order-13959--/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">walked back their decision to delist the three ADRs</a>. This was accompanied by further clarification from OFAC in the form of FAQ 862, which notes that nothing requires that US Persons actually sell their holdings, just that they might be restricted from doing so if they do not do so in the period between the 60 day deadline and the subsequent exemption period end.The three names have popped sharply in Hong Kong, more than making up for yesterday's smaller fall in price.That leaves investors with another issue.Discussion ensues below.

China Mobile (941 HK), China Telecom Corp Ltd (H) (728 HK), and China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK) along with their ADRs (China Mobile Ltd Spon Adr (CHL US), China Telecom Corp Ltd (Adr) (CHA US), and China Unicom Hong Kong (Adr) (CHU US)) present a very strange problem. The Trump Executive Order (Executive Order on Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) is something of nuisance. It doesn’t sanction most of the names on the Defense Department Qualifying Entity list but it makes it so that US Persons and those that invest US Person money cannot invest in the securities of these companies and in certain subsidiaries. But the list of Communist Chinese Military Companies includes the parent companies of the three Chinese mobile telephony companies, and those three companies, along with many Chinese companies, have underperformed peers in other markets since the Executive Order was announced.The new FAQs published by the Treasury Department OFAC (discussed in OFAC Makes a Longer List of Trump Names of China Military Cos) suggest all 50% subsidiaries or ‘entities determined to be controlled by one or more Communist Chinese military company(ies) identified in or pursuant to EO 13959’ will be covered under the Executive Order but also says that the deadline for not transacting in such names would be 60 days after the OFAC adds the specific name to the list. The initial prohibitions pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of E.O. 13959 would go into effect beginning 9:30 a.m. eastern time on the date that is 60 days after such subsidiary is added to OFAC’s new list to further implement E.O. 13959. FAQ 857The three HK-listed telecom stocks are subsidiaries of QEs but they have yet to be listed, and the US-listed ADRs have also yet to be listed on the OFAC list. That means the NYSE decision to delist the stocks was somewhat precipitous, and I expect there may have been political pressure to delist prior to the 11th when the deadline for the first set of stocks arrives at their initial 60-day deadline.Saturday, China's Commerce Ministry warned of "necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies" in response to the NYSE announcement but there were no details, and in announcing the criticism, saying that the NYSE's actions would "greatly weaken all parties' confidence in the US capital markets", the Chinese Commerce Ministry was effectively saying that retaliation would greatly weaken all parties' confidence in Chinese capital markets. One can't have it both ways, and it must be noted that given the SEC's guidance at end-November on Chinese ADRs in the US is really a matter of time given China's Securities Law. Yesterday, the CSRC responded with a measured comment, and today, in what has to be seen as an embarrassing walk-back, the NYSE has walked back their decision to delist the three ADRs. This was accompanied by further clarification from OFAC in the form of FAQ 862, which notes that nothing requires that US Persons actually sell their holdings, just that they might be restricted from doing so if they do not do so in the period between the 60 day deadline and the subsequent exemption period end.The three names have popped sharply in Hong Kong, more than making up for yesterday's smaller fall in price.That leaves investors with another issue.Discussion ensues below.

China Mobile (941 HK): Probably Too Cheap

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

In this edition of the Smartkarma North Asia Weekly, it summarizes some of the top insights on Smartkarma in the past week covering Japan, HK/China, and the Korean stock markets. The top topics are below:1) Alibaba: Antitrust Concerns2) Tencent Under Pressure From Antitrust Push3) POTUS Executive Order: New OFAC Clarification 4) China Logistics: Major Shareholders Seek to Exit 5) Kuaishou Technology IPO6) Yidu Tech IPO7) TOPIX Inclusion: ODK Solutions 8) New Horizon IPO9) Goldwin Bullish for Future Growth10) Yaoko: A Difficult 2021 Coming11) IQIYI Valuation12) Digital Currency: Still Remember Facebook Libra/​Diem?13) China Dental Care Industry14) ZTO Express &amp; BEST Inc15) Infrastructure Asset-Backed Securities: New Asset Class for Asia16) Japan Airport Terminal17) Will Biden Get Officially Inaugurated on 20 January?

In this edition of the Smartkarma North Asia Weekly, it summarizes some of the top insights on Smartkarma in the past week covering Japan, HK/China, and the Korean stock markets. The top topics are below:1) Alibaba: Antitrust Concerns2) Tencent Under Pressure From Antitrust Push3) POTUS Executive Order: New OFAC Clarification 4) China Logistics: Major Shareholders Seek to Exit 5) Kuaishou Technology IPO6) Yidu Tech IPO7) TOPIX Inclusion: ODK Solutions 8) New Horizon IPO9) Goldwin Bullish for Future Growth10) Yaoko: A Difficult 2021 Coming11) IQIYI Valuation12) Digital Currency: Still Remember Facebook Libra/​Diem?13) China Dental Care Industry14) ZTO Express &amp; BEST Inc15) Infrastructure Asset-Backed Securities: New Asset Class for Asia16) Japan Airport Terminal17) Will Biden Get Officially Inaugurated on 20 January? 

Smartkarma North Asia Weekly: Alibaba Antitrust, OFAC Clarification, China Logistics, & Kuaishou IPO

On the 12th of November, newly lame duck US president Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-securities-investments-finance-communist-chinese-military-companies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Order</a>(Executive Order on Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) banning investment and capital provision by "US persons" to companies in lists established by the US Department of Defense pursuant to Public Law 105-261, Section 1237 (Fiscal Year 1999 National Defense Authorization Act).The various global index providers immediately commenced consultations with their myriad investors and with OFAC (the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the US Treasury Department) and decided in early December for the most part to delete certain securities from their indices. New guidance from OFAC in the form of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions related to Executive Order (E.O.) 13959, "Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies":  <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">857</a>, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">858</a>, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">859</a>, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">860</a>, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/faqs/861" target="_blank" rel="noopener">861</a>). This insight looks at the indirect holdings and subsidiaries.It is a BIG list (I have a list of 133 names, most of which appear to be 50+% controlled, which could be affected in portfolios).Investors would do well to understand how much of the float is for sale.

On the 12th of November, newly lame duck US president Donald Trump signed an Executive Order(Executive Order on Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) banning investment and capital provision by "US persons" to companies in lists established by the US Department of Defense pursuant to Public Law 105-261, Section 1237 (Fiscal Year 1999 National Defense Authorization Act).The various global index providers immediately commenced consultations with their myriad investors and with OFAC (the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the US Treasury Department) and decided in early December for the most part to delete certain securities from their indices. New guidance from OFAC in the form of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions related to Executive Order (E.O.) 13959, "Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies":  857, 858, 859, 860, 861). This insight looks at the indirect holdings and subsidiaries.It is a BIG list (I have a list of 133 names, most of which appear to be 50+% controlled, which could be affected in portfolios).Investors would do well to understand how much of the float is for sale.

OFAC Makes a Longer List of Trump Names of China Military Cos

David Blennerhassett

Equity Bottom-Up

China Unicom Hong Kong / Equity Bottom-Up

Last Wednesday (12 August), after the close of trading, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-unicom-hong-kong-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1016:1" rel="noopener">China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK)</a> announced its <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0812/2020081200403.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1H20</a> results, in which revenues increased 3.8% yoy to RMB150.4bn, and net profit increased by 10.1% yoy to RMB7.6bn. A decent set of numbers all round. Yet shares closed the next day up 25.6%, on 10x the normal volume. 
Operational stats released on the <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0720/2020072000520.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 July</a>, returned positive net adds for mobile ops in June, yet net adds are still down YTD. 
For a quick comparative check. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-mobile-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27:1" rel="noopener">China Mobile (941 HK)</a> announced its 1H20 results on the <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0813/2020081300209.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 August</a> (at lunchtime), with top-line growing 0.1% yoy to RMB38.9bn, and profit down 0.5% to RMB55.8bn. Share closed up 3.6% on the fourth-highest volume this year.
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-united-network-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12620:1" rel="noopener">China United Network A (600050 CH)</a>, Unicom's largest shareholder, is not Unicom's domestic A-share twin. Yet for all intent and purpose, it is a pseudo-A to Unicom's H as there are no parent/stub assets of consequence. 
Despite the significant share price gain, Unicom looks inexpensive with respect to its parent and to peers.

Last Wednesday (12 August), after the close of trading, China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK) announced its 1H20 results, in which revenues increased 3.8% yoy to RMB150.4bn, and net profit increased by 10.1% yoy to RMB7.6bn. A decent set of numbers all round. Yet shares closed the next day up 25.6%, on 10x the normal volume. 
Operational stats released on the 20 July, returned positive net adds for mobile ops in June, yet net adds are still down YTD. 
For a quick comparative check. China Mobile (941 HK) announced its 1H20 results on the 13 August (at lunchtime), with top-line growing 0.1% yoy to RMB38.9bn, and profit down 0.5% to RMB55.8bn. Share closed up 3.6% on the fourth-highest volume this year.
China United Network A (600050 CH), Unicom's largest shareholder, is not Unicom's domestic A-share twin. Yet for all intent and purpose, it is a pseudo-A to Unicom's H as there are no parent/stub assets of consequence. 
Despite the significant share price gain, Unicom looks inexpensive with respect to its parent and to peers.

Global TMT analyst with Asia ex-Japan focus.

Mitchell Kim

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul type="disc">
<li>
In this report, we highlight the best money making ideas by identifying the winners and the losers of the sectors in the 5G value chain. For investors looking for 5G thematic ideas, we provide a snapshot of the sectors in the 5G value chain.  To distill our ideas, we focus on three positive factors: 1) does 5G generate new customers or revenue sources? 2) does it lead to market share changes? And 3) are the sectors in the upward cycle still in play? </li>
<li>
The sectors we like in the 5G context are Internet technology platforms, smartphones/devices, 5G infrastructure vendors, PCB and small cell technology providers, and selective telecom operators. We are bullish on Southeast Asian telcos but bearish on North Asian telcos.  </li>
</ul><ul type="disc"><li>
Our contrarian buys in the telecom sector are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/advanced-info-service-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:947:1" rel="noopener">Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/globe-telecom-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1926:1" rel="noopener">Globe Telecom (GLO PM)</a>. They operate in markets with low fixed broadband penetration and weak incumbent fixed broadband operators.  5G FWA (fixed wireless access) will allow these operators to expand fixed broadband penetration and also gain market share.  </li></ul><ul type="disc">
<li>
Avoid North Asia telecom operators. North Asian telecom stocks languished because they did not generate sufficient returns on 3G and 4G. 5G is no different.    </li>
<li>
5G provides low priced smartphone maker <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xiaomi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24409:1" rel="noopener">Xiaomi Corp (1810 HK)</a> another opportunity to gain market share as did 4G, but it will not lead to total handset shipment growth for top brands, in our view. </li>
<li>
The best time to take a position in telecom equipment vendors is pre-launch and in the first two years of the new generation technology launch. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zte-corp-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6922:1" rel="noopener">Zte Corp H (763 HK)</a> is trading below its 10-year mean P/E.  </li>
</ul><hr><div class="content-highlight">
<h2>What’s Original?</h2>
We set out in this report to be different from others by avoiding a menu of stocks and the size of the markets in the 5G ecosystem and, instead, recommend several key thematic ideas distilled by analyzing more in-depth the drivers of three key sectors to determine where the market is overly bullish or overlooking the opportunities or where the 5G factor has not yet been priced-in. 
<ul>
<li>We analyzed the stock price performances of these sectors to review how they behaved during the 4G deployment to ascertain how they may react to 5G.</li>
<li>We conducted a proprietary analysis of the size of the potential revenue from billions of IoT connections that the industry is touting in the long term.</li>
<li>We provide a RoIC analysis of the Chinese telecom operators' 3G/4G investments to better understand why the Chinese telecom operators invest less in 5G than the figures promoted by the governments or the industry research firms.   </li>
<li>We compare our Capex forecasts with the industry projection to assess the opportunities and risks. </li>
</ul>
</div>



In this report, we highlight the best money making ideas by identifying the winners and the losers of the sectors in the 5G value chain. For investors looking for 5G thematic ideas, we provide a snapshot of the sectors in the 5G value chain.  To distill our ideas, we focus on three positive factors: 1) does 5G generate new customers or revenue sources? 2) does it lead to market share changes? And 3) are the sectors in the upward cycle still in play? 

The sectors we like in the 5G context are Internet technology platforms, smartphones/devices, 5G infrastructure vendors, PCB and small cell technology providers, and selective telecom operators. We are bullish on Southeast Asian telcos but bearish on North Asian telcos.  

Our contrarian buys in the telecom sector are Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB) and Globe Telecom (GLO PM). They operate in markets with low fixed broadband penetration and weak incumbent fixed broadband operators.  5G FWA (fixed wireless access) will allow these operators to expand fixed broadband penetration and also gain market share.  

Avoid North Asia telecom operators. North Asian telecom stocks languished because they did not generate sufficient returns on 3G and 4G. 5G is no different.    

5G provides low priced smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp (1810 HK) another opportunity to gain market share as did 4G, but it will not lead to total handset shipment growth for top brands, in our view. 

The best time to take a position in telecom equipment vendors is pre-launch and in the first two years of the new generation technology launch. Zte Corp H (763 HK) is trading below its 10-year mean P/E.  

What’s Original?
We set out in this report to be different from others by avoiding a menu of stocks and the size of the markets in the 5G ecosystem and, instead, recommend several key thematic ideas distilled by analyzing more in-depth the drivers of three key sectors to determine where the market is overly bullish or overlooking the opportunities or where the 5G factor has not yet been priced-in. 

We analyzed the stock price performances of these sectors to review how they behaved during the 4G deployment to ascertain how they may react to 5G.
We conducted a proprietary analysis of the size of the potential revenue from billions of IoT connections that the industry is touting in the long term.
We provide a RoIC analysis of the Chinese telecom operators' 3G/4G investments to better understand why the Chinese telecom operators invest less in 5G than the figures promoted by the governments or the industry research firms.   
We compare our Capex forecasts with the industry projection to assess the opportunities and risks. 



China

China Tower Corporation Limited operates as a telecommunication company. The Company provides telecommunication towers construction, towers maintenance, ancillary facilities management, and other services. China Tower provides its services throughout China.

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China Tower (788 HK)

China Mobile (941 HK): Probably Too Cheap

China Mobile Telcos are between a rock and a hard place. The NYSE acted too quickly. The Treasury Dept has been slow to clarify. Investors are...

Travis Lundy

Smartkarma North Asia Weekly: Alibaba Antitrust, OFAC Clarification, China Logistics, & Kuaishou IPO

In this edition of the Smartkarma North Asia Weekly, it summarizes some of the top insights on Smartkarma in the past week covering Japan, HK...

Douglas Kim

OFAC Makes a Longer List of Trump Names of China Military Cos

There are a LOT of names which could be affected by the Trump Executive Order on China Military Companies. It behooves investors to have a list....

Travis Lundy

China Unicom (762 HK): The "Hs" Have It

Last Wednesday (12 August), after the close of trading, China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK) announced its 1H20 results, in which revenues increased...

David Blennerhassett

Road to 5G: How to Make Money in 5G

In this report, we highlight the best money making ideas by identifying the winners and the losers of the sectors in the 5G value chain. For...

Mitchell Kim

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