Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

Discover Financial Services / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>This is our first report on Discover Financial Services, a prominent consumer finance company.</li><li>Net interest income grew significantly, supported by an expanding net interest margin driven by higher prime rates.</li><li>Additionally, the company introduced Discover Financial Health Improvement Fund to improve the financial well-being of low- and middle-income individuals, communities, and small enterprises.</li></ul>

This is our first report on Discover Financial Services, a prominent consumer finance company.Net interest income grew significantly, supported by an expanding net interest margin driven by higher prime rates.Additionally, the company introduced Discover Financial Health Improvement Fund to improve the financial well-being of low- and middle-income individuals, communities, and small enterprises.

Discover Financial Services: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers

Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Weekly balance sheets give a view of underlying credit conditions in the US and they are not positive. Lending growth continues to decelerate and could reach negative growth soon. </li>
<li>Cash balances are rising and this suggests that US large banks are not comfortable with risk and also seeing less opportunities. Cash/loans ratio rising fastest in most recent week. </li>
<li>Large time deposits cost the most, and their growth rate is now 109% YoY in the most recent week, rising more than loans in each of the past 3 weeks.</li>
</ul>


Weekly balance sheets give a view of underlying credit conditions in the US and they are not positive. Lending growth continues to decelerate and could reach negative growth soon. 
Cash balances are rising and this suggests that US large banks are not comfortable with risk and also seeing less opportunities. Cash/loans ratio rising fastest in most recent week. 
Large time deposits cost the most, and their growth rate is now 109% YoY in the most recent week, rising more than loans in each of the past 3 weeks.


US Large Banks - Weekly Balance Sheets: Decelerating Loans, Rising Cash, Big Time Deposits +109% YoY

<ul>
<li>Terms of credit on US credit card loans have surged to levels well higher than any period on record, since 1972 suggesting far worse delinquencies, risk aversion by lenders. </li>
<li>There are important implications for the 2nd and 3rd order effects on consumption in the US economy, as well as obvious 1st order implications for banks, card issuers. </li>
<li>In September 2022 delinquent card loans rates bottomed at 7.6% and this delinquency rate is now at 9.7% in December 2023. </li>
</ul>


Terms of credit on US credit card loans have surged to levels well higher than any period on record, since 1972 suggesting far worse delinquencies, risk aversion by lenders. 
There are important implications for the 2nd and 3rd order effects on consumption in the US economy, as well as obvious 1st order implications for banks, card issuers. 
In September 2022 delinquent card loans rates bottomed at 7.6% and this delinquency rate is now at 9.7% in December 2023. 


US Banks - No Period on Record Since 1972 Shows Terms on Credit Card Loans so Poor

<ul>
<li>Weekly high frequency data on US banks shows a major slow down continuing in residential mortgage loan growth</li>
<li>Mortgage loan applications index shows some of the worst figures in years in the latest weekly data</li>
<li>Core net interest income and credit costs can surprise even from an area that is traditionally not risky compared with CRE and C&amp;I loans</li>
</ul>


Weekly high frequency data on US banks shows a major slow down continuing in residential mortgage loan growth
Mortgage loan applications index shows some of the worst figures in years in the latest weekly data
Core net interest income and credit costs can surprise even from an area that is traditionally not risky compared with CRE and C&amp;I loans


US Banks - Residential Mortgage Loans Weekly Data Is Dismal

<ul>
<li>The data coming out of US bank results should not surprise and it is also not something that should suddenly improve</li>
<li>BAC reported net charge offs at USD1,498m in 1Q24 up from USD807m in 1Q23, a substantial YoY delta. The QoQ delta is accelerating too, up USD306m in the 90 days</li>
<li>Net interest income is now in decline at BAC at -3% YoY in 1Q24, given the disproportionate rise in funding costs vs interest income</li>
</ul>


The data coming out of US bank results should not surprise and it is also not something that should suddenly improve
BAC reported net charge offs at USD1,498m in 1Q24 up from USD807m in 1Q23, a substantial YoY delta. The QoQ delta is accelerating too, up USD306m in the 90 days
Net interest income is now in decline at BAC at -3% YoY in 1Q24, given the disproportionate rise in funding costs vs interest income


BAC - Net Charge Offs Up 86% YoY And -3% YoY Net Interest Income Growth

United States

Discover Financial Services is a credit card issuer and electronic payment services company.  The Company issues credit cards and offers student and personal loans, as well as savings products such as certificates of deposit and money market accounts  and operates an automated teller machine(ATM)/debit network, which includes ATMs, as well as POS terminals nationwide.

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Discover Financial Services (DFS US)

Discover Financial Services: Initiation of Coverage – Business Strategy & Key Drivers

This is our first report on Discover Financial Services, a prominent consumer finance company. Net interest income grew significantly, supported...

Baptista Research

US Large Banks - Weekly Balance Sheets: Decelerating Loans, Rising Cash, Big Time Deposits +109% YoY

US large banks are seeing loan growth decelerating, cash rising, large time deposits up 109% YoY in most recent week. Weekly B/S data suggests net...

Daniel Tabbush

US Banks - No Period on Record Since 1972 Shows Terms on Credit Card Loans so Poor

Terms of credit on card loans in the US are worse than any time since the series begins in 1972. This is not simply a following of Fed Funds rates,...

Daniel Tabbush

US Banks - Residential Mortgage Loans Weekly Data Is Dismal

Residential mortgage loan data is dismal and worsening for US banks, which we see in weekly data of loan growth and in the Mortgage Bankers Loan...

Daniel Tabbush

BAC - Net Charge Offs Up 86% YoY And -3% YoY Net Interest Income Growth

BAC now shows two consecutive quarters of negative net interest income growth, and in 1Q24 it also shows substantially higher total net charge...

Daniel Tabbush

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