Founder-CEO & Chief Analyst, Real Estate Foresight

Robert Ciemniak

Founder-CEO & Chief Analyst

Real Estate Foresight

Since 2012, REF has been helping investors with market research, project due diligence, and strategy development. This has ranged from detailed assessments and estimates on distressed developers' project portfolios to market due diligence on specific projects to macro-level questions linked to demand for commodities. The unique combination of the housing markets and developer data from data partner China Index Academy in Beijing, primary research, and technology-powered alternative data collection from public sources result in a valuable content set used in REF analytics and reports.

Predictive Analytics for China Property

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>This note is a weekly curated selection of Chinese news articles and company announcements focused on developers in distress</li>
<li>We look for their deals, updates, specific project progress news ('local signals'), as well as relevant local research commentaries about the market</li>
<li>We do not verify the underlying data or provide any opinion, we only select and summarize the information; See direct links to sources</li>
</ul>


This note is a weekly curated selection of Chinese news articles and company announcements focused on developers in distress
We look for their deals, updates, specific project progress news ('local signals'), as well as relevant local research commentaries about the market
We do not verify the underlying data or provide any opinion, we only select and summarize the information; See direct links to sources


China Property Developers In Distress - Weekly News & Announcements Tracker | Dec 29 -Jan 4, 2024

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>We see 30 potential adds (including plenty of new listings) and 28 potential deletes (on market cap and liquidity) for the Hang Seng Composite Index in March.</li>
<li>We expect 26 stocks to be added to Southbound Stock Connect following the rebalance while 25 stocks could be deleted from the trading link and become Sell-only.</li>
<li>There are stocks that have a very high percentage of holdings via Stock Connect and there could be some unwinding prior to the stocks becoming Sell-only.</li>
</ul>


We see 30 potential adds (including plenty of new listings) and 28 potential deletes (on market cap and liquidity) for the Hang Seng Composite Index in March.
We expect 26 stocks to be added to Southbound Stock Connect following the rebalance while 25 stocks could be deleted from the trading link and become Sell-only.
There are stocks that have a very high percentage of holdings via Stock Connect and there could be some unwinding prior to the stocks becoming Sell-only.


HSCI Index Rebalance Preview and Stock Connect: Potential Changes in March

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>China's crude steel production data behaved differently in the 2021-2023 downturn relative to new home sales and new starts, compared to the prior cycles.</li>
<li>The 40% drop (12M vs prior 12M) at the low point for new starts compares with around 10% for the crude steel.</li>
<li>In this note, we outline a few possible explanations, with some twists.</li>
</ul>


China's crude steel production data behaved differently in the 2021-2023 downturn relative to new home sales and new starts, compared to the prior cycles.
The 40% drop (12M vs prior 12M) at the low point for new starts compares with around 10% for the crude steel.
In this note, we outline a few possible explanations, with some twists.


China Property And The Demand For Commodities Puzzle

HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>2023 is the worst year for our "Buy the Worst" strategy as it returned -34.5% YTD, underperforming the HSI by 20.7pp. The two property names are the key drags.</li>
<li>Despite a poor 2023, the strategy has still outperformed the HSI by 17.9pp for 2018-2023. It remains significantly better than buying the winners in the current year.</li>
<li>For 2024, our strategy is to switch to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/li-ning-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6047:1" rel="noopener">Li Ning (2331 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/country-garden-services-holdin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27343:1" rel="noopener">Country Garden Services (6098 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wuxi-apptec" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23679:1" rel="noopener">Wuxi Biologics (2269 HK)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zhongsheng-group-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10573:1" rel="noopener">Zhongsheng Group (881 HK)</a>. </li>
</ul>


2023 is the worst year for our "Buy the Worst" strategy as it returned -34.5% YTD, underperforming the HSI by 20.7pp. The two property names are the key drags.
Despite a poor 2023, the strategy has still outperformed the HSI by 17.9pp for 2018-2023. It remains significantly better than buying the winners in the current year.
For 2024, our strategy is to switch to Li Ning (2331 HK), Country Garden Services (6098 HK), Meituan (3690 HK), Wuxi Biologics (2269 HK), and Zhongsheng Group (881 HK). 


"Buy the Worst" HSI Strategy: A Tragic 2023 and What About 2024?

<ul>
<li>The weekly new home sales data indicates a smaller pace of decline for the select 16 major cities with consistent data towards the year-end.</li>
<li>Xi'an stands out as an outperformer. Recent policy easing in Beijing and Shanghai may not be fully reflected in the data yet.</li>
<li>The small-sample weekly data serves as a good directional indicator as to what to expect in the national figures for the same month (published in the middle of next month).</li>
</ul>


The weekly new home sales data indicates a smaller pace of decline for the select 16 major cities with consistent data towards the year-end.
Xi'an stands out as an outperformer. Recent policy easing in Beijing and Shanghai may not be fully reflected in the data yet.
The small-sample weekly data serves as a good directional indicator as to what to expect in the national figures for the same month (published in the middle of next month).


China Property - New Home Sales Growth Less Negative (16 Cities) To Week Ending Dec 24

China

China Evergrande Group is an integrated residential property developer. The Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in property development, investment, management, finance, internet, health, culture, and tourism markets.

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

Evergrande (3333 HK)

China Property Developers In Distress - Weekly News & Announcements Tracker | Dec 29 -Jan 4, 2024

This note is a weekly (Dec 29, 2023 - Jan 4, 2024) curated selection of Chinese news articles and company announcements focused on developers in...

Robert Ciemniak

HSCI Index Rebalance Preview and Stock Connect: Potential Changes in March

There could be nearly 58 adds/deletes for the HSCI in September. That will trigger changes to the Southbound Stock Connect list and increase flows...

Brian Freitas

China Property And The Demand For Commodities Puzzle

China's crude steel production data behaved differently in the 2021-2023 downturn relative to new home sales and new starts, compared to the prior...

Robert Ciemniak

"Buy the Worst" HSI Strategy: A Tragic 2023 and What About 2024?

2023 was bad for the "Buy the Worst" strategy, but it still outperformed the HSI for 2018-2023. In 2024, we will switch to Li Ning, Country Garden...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Property - New Home Sales Growth Less Negative (16 Cities) To Week Ending Dec 24

China Property: The weekly new home sales data indicates a smaller pace of decline for the select 16 major cities with consistent data towards the...

Robert Ciemniak

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

China Property Developers In Distress - Weekly News & Announcements Tracker | Dec 29 -Jan 4, 2024

This note is a weekly (Dec 29, 2023 - Jan 4, 2024) curated selection of Chinese news articles and company announcements focused on developers in...

Robert Ciemniak

HSCI Index Rebalance Preview and Stock Connect: Potential Changes in March

There could be nearly 58 adds/deletes for the HSCI in September. That will trigger changes to the Southbound Stock Connect list and increase flows...

Brian Freitas

China Property And The Demand For Commodities Puzzle

China's crude steel production data behaved differently in the 2021-2023 downturn relative to new home sales and new starts, compared to the prior...

Robert Ciemniak

"Buy the Worst" HSI Strategy: A Tragic 2023 and What About 2024?

​2023 was bad for the "Buy the Worst" strategy, but it still outperformed the HSI for 2018-2023. In 2024, we will switch to Li Ning, Country Garden...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Property - New Home Sales Growth Less Negative (16 Cities) To Week Ending Dec 24

China Property: The weekly new home sales data indicates a smaller pace of decline for the select 16 major cities with consistent data towards the...

Robert Ciemniak

2023 was bad for the "Buy the Worst" strategy, but it still outperformed the HSI for 2018-2023. In 2024, we will switch to Li Ning, Country Garden...