Forensic Analyst

Jason Yap, CFA

Forensic Accounting

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/futu-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27858:1" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)</a>  is China’s largest online brokerage, both by revenue and market cap, and backed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/up-fintech-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27957:1" rel="noopener">UP Fintech (TIGR US)</a>, also known as Tiger Brokers, is backed by veteran American investor Jim Rogers, smartphone giant <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xiaomi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24409:1" rel="noopener">Xiaomi Corp (1810 HK)</a>, and U.S. brokerage giant Interactive Brokers Group Inc. Both had looked to cash in on the growing amount of Chinese retail investor money pouring into U.S. stocks following a banner year in 2020.
On 14 October 2021, the People's Daily <a href="http://sh.people.com.cn/n2/2021/1014/c139965-34956684.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that online brokerages, naming Futu and Up Fintech specifically, that operate across borders run the risk of violating data privacy rules and personal information protection laws, the latter taking effect from 1 November 2021. 
On the same day, Futu’s shares plummeted more than 13% to USD73.11, down 62% from the peak in February. UP Fintech fell more than 20% to USD8.19, down 78% from its February high. 
The additional regulatory scrutiny compounds the woes of China's online brokerages following a torrid 2 quarters, where investor appetite and trading volumes slumped, particularly for US ADRs and HK tech stocks, amidst a weak market environment.
In statements issued last Friday (15 Oct), both firms affirmed that they have pro-actively complied with relevant regulations and addressed issues raised by the Special Task Force on the Regulation of Apps since July 2019, seeking to quell investor concerns following the People's Daily Report. 
In this Insight, we discuss the following: 
<ol>
<li>What are the Relevant Data Laws?</li>
<li>What was new in the People's Daily report? </li>
<li>How have the Online Brokerages sought to mitigate Data Regulations?</li>
<li>Can Online Brokerages Allow Mainland Investors to Trade Offshore Assets in the First Place? </li>
</ol>
More details below the fold.

Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)  is China’s largest online brokerage, both by revenue and market cap, and backed by Tencent (700 HK). UP Fintech (TIGR US), also known as Tiger Brokers, is backed by veteran American investor Jim Rogers, smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp (1810 HK), and U.S. brokerage giant Interactive Brokers Group Inc. Both had looked to cash in on the growing amount of Chinese retail investor money pouring into U.S. stocks following a banner year in 2020.
On 14 October 2021, the People's Daily stated that online brokerages, naming Futu and Up Fintech specifically, that operate across borders run the risk of violating data privacy rules and personal information protection laws, the latter taking effect from 1 November 2021. 
On the same day, Futu’s shares plummeted more than 13% to USD73.11, down 62% from the peak in February. UP Fintech fell more than 20% to USD8.19, down 78% from its February high. 
The additional regulatory scrutiny compounds the woes of China's online brokerages following a torrid 2 quarters, where investor appetite and trading volumes slumped, particularly for US ADRs and HK tech stocks, amidst a weak market environment.
In statements issued last Friday (15 Oct), both firms affirmed that they have pro-actively complied with relevant regulations and addressed issues raised by the Special Task Force on the Regulation of Apps since July 2019, seeking to quell investor concerns following the People's Daily Report. 
In this Insight, we discuss the following: 

What are the Relevant Data Laws?
What was new in the People's Daily report? 
How have the Online Brokerages sought to mitigate Data Regulations?
Can Online Brokerages Allow Mainland Investors to Trade Offshore Assets in the First Place? 

More details below the fold.

China Online Brokerages - "No Critical and Sensitive Personal Data to See Here!"

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/futu-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27858:1" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)</a> recorded 2Q21 revenue and net income of HKD1.6 billion and HKD0.5 billion, a yoy growth of 129% and 126% respectively. Paying client growth continued its solid momentum, tripling from Q2 2020's levels (303k) to to cross the million mark.
The sequential qoq metrics paint a less rosy picture given the moderation of the US ADR and HK market in Q2 2021, compared to the market exuberance seen during the mid February 2021 peak. This has had a direct impact on Futu's brokerage business and related activities such as margin financing, IPO subscriptions, and securities borrowing and lending.
Investors have taken the poor sequential metrics in their stride, with Futu's share price posting mid teen gains since results release (on 31 August 2021). The prevailing narrative is that negatives are fully priced in, regulatory overhang has cleared somewhat, and there is optimism surrounding Futu's international expansion plans which continue apace. 
China tech stocks have also performed well in recent weeks, with pockets of investors identifying a bottom fishing opportunities.  This in turn benefits Futu in the coming quarters as trading velocity and client additions probably increased sequentially in July and August 2021. 
In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/futu-holdings-an-inflection-point-imminent" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:55330" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings - An Inflection Point Imminent?</a>, we discussed the possibility of a negative re-rating of the share price and laid out an analytical framework to better evaluate this. How has this changed in light of the Q2 2021 results and how investors have actually reacted since? 
We re-examine these factors in this article.

Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US) recorded 2Q21 revenue and net income of HKD1.6 billion and HKD0.5 billion, a yoy growth of 129% and 126% respectively. Paying client growth continued its solid momentum, tripling from Q2 2020's levels (303k) to to cross the million mark.
The sequential qoq metrics paint a less rosy picture given the moderation of the US ADR and HK market in Q2 2021, compared to the market exuberance seen during the mid February 2021 peak. This has had a direct impact on Futu's brokerage business and related activities such as margin financing, IPO subscriptions, and securities borrowing and lending.
Investors have taken the poor sequential metrics in their stride, with Futu's share price posting mid teen gains since results release (on 31 August 2021). The prevailing narrative is that negatives are fully priced in, regulatory overhang has cleared somewhat, and there is optimism surrounding Futu's international expansion plans which continue apace. 
China tech stocks have also performed well in recent weeks, with pockets of investors identifying a bottom fishing opportunities.  This in turn benefits Futu in the coming quarters as trading velocity and client additions probably increased sequentially in July and August 2021. 
In Futu Holdings - An Inflection Point Imminent?, we discussed the possibility of a negative re-rating of the share price and laid out an analytical framework to better evaluate this. How has this changed in light of the Q2 2021 results and how investors have actually reacted since? 
We re-examine these factors in this article. 

Futu - Predictable Sequential Weakness in Q2 2021 but Some Bright Spots

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

Equity Capital Markets

Robinhood Markets  / Equity Capital Markets

Sheerly looking at Robinhood’s recent financial performance, one might conclude it has embarked on an impressive growth journey and could be a recent success story of Silicon Valley.The payment for order flow generates the majority of its revenue as it sells the clients’ orders to the market makers to fill. As such, Robinhood’s revenue still depends heavily on the users’ trading frequency and volume even though it doesn’t take any commission out of the trades.The company’s rumored IPO valuation of $40 billion represents a significant premium to its peers. It is hard to justify such a premium since it is difficult to gauge Robinhood’s future growth which is largely dependent on its users’ trading frequency and volume in the future.In addition to the company’s over-reliance on the payment for order flow and its potentially rich valuation, there are also significant regulatory concerns. The downside risk is simply too high and outweighs any growth potential the company could still have in the long run.

Sheerly looking at Robinhood’s recent financial performance, one might conclude it has embarked on an impressive growth journey and could be a recent success story of Silicon Valley.The payment for order flow generates the majority of its revenue as it sells the clients’ orders to the market makers to fill. As such, Robinhood’s revenue still depends heavily on the users’ trading frequency and volume even though it doesn’t take any commission out of the trades.The company’s rumored IPO valuation of $40 billion represents a significant premium to its peers. It is hard to justify such a premium since it is difficult to gauge Robinhood’s future growth which is largely dependent on its users’ trading frequency and volume in the future.In addition to the company’s over-reliance on the payment for order flow and its potentially rich valuation, there are also significant regulatory concerns. The downside risk is simply too high and outweighs any growth potential the company could still have in the long run.

Robinhood IPO: Downside Risk Could Outweigh Any Potential Future Upside

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.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/up-fintech-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27957:1" rel="noopener">UP Fintech (TIGR US)</a> is a leading online brokerage firm. Its mobile and online trading platform enable investors to trade in equities and other financial instruments on multiple exchanges around the world. Up Fintech has launched an ADS follow-on to sell 6.5 million ADSs. At the last close price of $26.79 per ADS, the placing would raise gross proceeds of $174 million. The placing follows the convertible bond issuances in February and April 2021 which raised $155 million. <div class="content-highlight">Up Fintech’s shares are up 3.4x YTD but down 27% from its February highs due to the recent sell-off on high growth tech stocks. The strong YTD performance is supported by the large addressable market opportunity, strong growth and rising margins. However, Up Fintech trades at a frothy and undeserved premium multiple in comparison to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/futu-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27858:1" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)</a>, the key listed peer, in our view. Consequently, we would be inclined to pass on this follow-on ADS offering. </div>

UP Fintech (TIGR US) is a leading online brokerage firm. Its mobile and online trading platform enable investors to trade in equities and other financial instruments on multiple exchanges around the world. Up Fintech has launched an ADS follow-on to sell 6.5 million ADSs. At the last close price of $26.79 per ADS, the placing would raise gross proceeds of $174 million. The placing follows the convertible bond issuances in February and April 2021 which raised $155 million. Up Fintech’s shares are up 3.4x YTD but down 27% from its February highs due to the recent sell-off on high growth tech stocks. The strong YTD performance is supported by the large addressable market opportunity, strong growth and rising margins. However, Up Fintech trades at a frothy and undeserved premium multiple in comparison to Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US), the key listed peer, in our view. Consequently, we would be inclined to pass on this follow-on ADS offering. 

Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) ADS Placement: Trade Creates Losers

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/up-fintech-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27957:1" rel="noopener">Up Fintech (TIGR US)</a> aims to raise around US$165m via a follow-on offering. This will be the first raising by the company since it was listed in 2019. It comes close on the heels of the US$1.7bn raising by its competitor <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/futu-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27858:1" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)</a> in Apr 2021.We covered the IPO across a series of note, links to which are below:<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/futu-holdings-ipo-quick-note-comparison-with-tiger-brokers-same-market-different-economics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Futu Holdings IPO Quick Note - Comparison with Tiger Brokers - Same Market, Different Economics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/up-fintech-tiger-brokers-pre-ipo-quick-note-much-too-reliant-on-ibkr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) Pre-IPO Quick Note - Much Too Reliant on IBKR</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/up-fintech-tiger-brokers-ipo-quick-take-it-s-not-like-futu-won-t-perform-like-it-either" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) IPO Quick Take - It’s Not like Futu, Won’t Perform like It Either</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/up-fintech-tiger-brokers-ipo-trading-update-first-day-volume-was-higher-than-futu-close-to-qtt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) IPO Trading Update - First Day Volume Was Higher than Futu, Close to QTT</a></li>
</ul>In this note, we will run the deal through our ECM framework and talk about the deal dynamics.

Up Fintech (TIGR US) aims to raise around US$165m via a follow-on offering. This will be the first raising by the company since it was listed in 2019. It comes close on the heels of the US$1.7bn raising by its competitor Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US) in Apr 2021.We covered the IPO across a series of note, links to which are below:
Futu Holdings IPO Quick Note - Comparison with Tiger Brokers - Same Market, Different Economics
Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) Pre-IPO Quick Note - Much Too Reliant on IBKR
Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) IPO Quick Take - It’s Not like Futu, Won’t Perform like It Either
Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) IPO Trading Update - First Day Volume Was Higher than Futu, Close to QTT
In this note, we will run the deal through our ECM framework and talk about the deal dynamics.

Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) Placement - Needs a Large Correction, Just like Futu

United States

Futu Holdings Limited operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, offers an online brokerage platform that enables individual investors to trade in listed stocks. Futu Holdings serves customers in the United States, China, and Hong Kong.

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Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU US)

China Online Brokerages - "No Critical and Sensitive Personal Data to See Here!"

China's online brokerages risk running afoul of new data privacy rules and personal information protection laws. This is compounded by poor trading...

Jason Yap, CFA

Futu - Predictable Sequential Weakness in Q2 2021 but Some Bright Spots

Futu predictably reported sequentially weak Q2 2021 results due to market volatility. S&M efficiency and international expansion dilution are...

Jason Yap, CFA

Robinhood IPO: Downside Risk Could Outweigh Any Potential Future Upside

Although Robinhood had an impressive growth in recent years, the downside risk, in relation to its over-reliance on PFOF and the regulatory...

Alec Tseung

Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) ADS Placement: Trade Creates Losers

Up Fintech has launched an ADS follow-on to sell 6.5 million ADSs to raise potentially $174 m. Overall, we would be inclined to pass on this follow...

Arun George

Up Fintech (Tiger Brokers) Placement - Needs a Large Correction, Just like Futu

Up Fintech (TIGR US) aims to raise around US$165m via a follow-on offering. This will be the first raising by the company since it was listed in 2019.

Sumeet Singh

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