HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-education-group-holdin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18218:1" rel="noopener">China Education Group (839 HK)</a> (CEG) reported an impressive 50.2% YoY growth in its adjusted net profit for 1H21, driven by the combination of good organic momentum and contribution from new schools added. By segment, higher education and global education are the key underpinning factors, as vocational education enrollment has disrupted more by COVID-19.In the post-1H21 result call, management revealed that 6 M&amp;A projects are now in advance discussion and expects many of them can be concluded in this year. This will add to the organic growth backed by higher enrollment, increase in tuition and efficiency enhancement. We take the guidance of a 32-41% of adjusted net profit growth for FY21 positively, and so is the market as the share price was up 7% so far today. Its valuation multiples are highly justified by the earnings growth prospects, execution capability and quality management, in our view.

China Education Group (839 HK) (CEG) reported an impressive 50.2% YoY growth in its adjusted net profit for 1H21, driven by the combination of good organic momentum and contribution from new schools added. By segment, higher education and global education are the key underpinning factors, as vocational education enrollment has disrupted more by COVID-19.In the post-1H21 result call, management revealed that 6 M&amp;A projects are now in advance discussion and expects many of them can be concluded in this year. This will add to the organic growth backed by higher enrollment, increase in tuition and efficiency enhancement. We take the guidance of a 32-41% of adjusted net profit growth for FY21 positively, and so is the market as the share price was up 7% so far today. Its valuation multiples are highly justified by the earnings growth prospects, execution capability and quality management, in our view.

China Education Group (839 HK): Encouraging Takeaways from 1H21 Result Call

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst, Obex Capital Research

Aaron Gabin

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research

Obex Capital Research

“Obex” is Latin for Barriers to Entry. Obex Capital Management’s investment philosophy is driven by an intense focus on which business model’s Barriers to Entry are able to withstand the ever increasing competitive disruption in the TMT and Consumer Sectors.

Summary: Coursera, an online education platform will see its business model decelerate faster than expected. While the TAM trajectory of online education has clearly inflected higher due to the pandemic, we think  the Coursera’s growth trajectory is being mismodeled based on 2020’s surge in signups. Coursera’s profitability is dependent on scaling its enterprise and degree customer bases. While the demand for upskilling employees is real, intense competition from LinkedIn, Pluralsight, and others may crimp growth and gross margins segment, while a lack of leverage with its content suppliers (university partners), plus edX’s open source alternative  weaken revenue sharing over time. A lack of tangible evidence of Coursera’s skills-based credentialing translating to jobs will result in underwhelming consumer growth and lack of pricing power. Downside risks around regulation and competitive incursion by tech platforms paired with an obscene valuation make a compelling short case. Base Case Valuation: $33                                  Bull Case: $57                                 Bear Case: $20<div class="content-highlight">Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</div>

Summary: Coursera, an online education platform will see its business model decelerate faster than expected. While the TAM trajectory of online education has clearly inflected higher due to the pandemic, we think  the Coursera’s growth trajectory is being mismodeled based on 2020’s surge in signups. Coursera’s profitability is dependent on scaling its enterprise and degree customer bases. While the demand for upskilling employees is real, intense competition from LinkedIn, Pluralsight, and others may crimp growth and gross margins segment, while a lack of leverage with its content suppliers (university partners), plus edX’s open source alternative  weaken revenue sharing over time. A lack of tangible evidence of Coursera’s skills-based credentialing translating to jobs will result in underwhelming consumer growth and lack of pricing power. Downside risks around regulation and competitive incursion by tech platforms paired with an obscene valuation make a compelling short case. Base Case Valuation: $33                                  Bull Case: $57                                 Bear Case: $20Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-yuhua-education" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23627:1" rel="noopener">China Yuhua Education (6169 HK)</a> posted a 39.7% YoY growth in adjusted net profit as its higher education segment turned into a key earnings engine. Decent 4pp margin expansion was achieved from higher enrollment, hike in tuition and excellent cost control. We also saw an impressive 127.8% YoY increase in operating cash flow.Management points to further margin expansion for most of its universities, and this will drive contribution to net profit (91% of 1H21 profit from higher education). While M&amp;A activities have slowed, organic growth is expected to stay at least at 25% for the near term. Given its sufficient capacity, there is no need for fund raising from the market. In our view, its 16.3x PER and 4.8x P/B (FY21F ROE: 32%) are highly justified, and Yuhua Education remains one of our top picks as stated in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-private-education-this-is-where-the-future-lies" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:48727" rel="noopener">China Private Education: This Is Where the Future Lies</a>.

China Yuhua Education (6169 HK) posted a 39.7% YoY growth in adjusted net profit as its higher education segment turned into a key earnings engine. Decent 4pp margin expansion was achieved from higher enrollment, hike in tuition and excellent cost control. We also saw an impressive 127.8% YoY increase in operating cash flow.Management points to further margin expansion for most of its universities, and this will drive contribution to net profit (91% of 1H21 profit from higher education). While M&amp;A activities have slowed, organic growth is expected to stay at least at 25% for the near term. Given its sufficient capacity, there is no need for fund raising from the market. In our view, its 16.3x PER and 4.8x P/B (FY21F ROE: 32%) are highly justified, and Yuhua Education remains one of our top picks as stated in China Private Education: This Is Where the Future Lies. 

China Yuhua Education (6169 HK): Decent 1H21, Key Takeaways from Post-Result Call

Research on Tech Companies

Evelyn Zhang

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

The recent fall in price of many so called “China concept shares” of US listed Chinese companies, has largely been triggered by the passing of the "Holding Foreign Company Accountability Act" (HFCAA).A flock of US listed Chinese companies have since decided to relist in HKSE due to a few reasons:<ol>
<li>The HFCAA causing conflicting compliance requirements with Chinese regulations.</li>
<li>Fear among investors of forced delisting in the US.</li>
<li>HKEX deregulation allowing more Chinese companies to be listed.</li>
<li>The valuation in HK is in sync with the U.S. stock market.</li>
<li>HK attracting more Chinese funds to operate in HKEX.</li>
</ol>

The recent fall in price of many so called “China concept shares” of US listed Chinese companies, has largely been triggered by the passing of the "Holding Foreign Company Accountability Act" (HFCAA).A flock of US listed Chinese companies have since decided to relist in HKSE due to a few reasons:
The HFCAA causing conflicting compliance requirements with Chinese regulations.
Fear among investors of forced delisting in the US.
HKEX deregulation allowing more Chinese companies to be listed.
The valuation in HK is in sync with the U.S. stock market.
HK attracting more Chinese funds to operate in HKEX.


Exit the Dragon – the Mass Exodus of US Listed Chinese Companies

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.

Event-Driven

<div>
On 29th Mar 2021, we spoke about the Archegos driven correction in some of the China ADRs,  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-adrs-blocks-liquidation-buyback-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China ADRs- Blocks, Liquidation, Buyback - Implications.</a> That in turn had followed close on the heels of the SEC driven correction for the sector, which we looked at in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-adrs-sec-notice-instead-of-three-probably-have-four-years-till-2025-correction-overdone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China ADRs - SEC Notice - Instead of Three, Probably Have Four Years till 2025 - Correction Overdone</a>.
In this note, we'll talk about the updates since our previous note.
</div>


On 29th Mar 2021, we spoke about the Archegos driven correction in some of the China ADRs,  China ADRs- Blocks, Liquidation, Buyback - Implications. That in turn had followed close on the heels of the SEC driven correction for the sector, which we looked at in China ADRs - SEC Notice - Instead of Three, Probably Have Four Years till 2025 - Correction Overdone.
In this note, we'll talk about the updates since our previous note.


China ADRs Quick Update - SEC, Archegos, Blocks - Showing Signs of Life

China

China Chunlai Education Group Co., Ltd. provides educational services. The Company offers private higher education services and other services. China Chunlai Education Group provides services in China.

China East Education Holdings Limited provides vocational training educational services. The Company offers culinary education, internet technology education, automotive education, and other services. China East Education Holdings provides services in China.

Xiamen Unigroup Xue Co., Ltd. offers various educational services. The Company provides after-school tutoring and education consulting. Unigroup Xue also participates in real estate development and investment activities.

Zhejiang Yasha Decoration Company Ltd. provides decorating services for large-scale infrastructure, high-end luxury hotel and luxury residential property.

Shanghai Xin Nanyang Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, manufactures communication products and industrial equipment, develops cable TV network, security trading, and communication systems, provides network integration, education, and precision processing services.

China Kepei Education Group Limited provides educational services. The Company offers high-quality profession-oriented education services and other services. China Kepei Education Group provides services in China.

China YuHua Education operates private education from kindergarten to university in China.

Eastern Pioneer Driving School Co. Ltd. operates as a driving school.  The Company offers training for a variety of vehicles including passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, and more.

JH Educational Technology Inc. provides education services. The Company offers higher education, secondary education, and other services. JH Educational Technology provides services in China.

Dong Yi Ri Sheng Home Decoration Group Company Limited designs and constructs set decorations, integrates home decoration materials, manufactures wood products and provides organic home decoration solutions, and its franchise business.

Dong Yi Ri Sheng Home Decoratn Gp (002713 CH)

G8 Education Limited provides community-focused child care for families to foster their child's development.  The Company also conducts a range of child care services that includes child care centers acquisition, child care centers management, and industry-related project management, services and consultancy.

Lung Yen Life Service Corp operates a cemetery and offers funeral and disposition services.

AcadeMedia AB provides educational services. The Company offers pre-school, elementary, secondary, vocational, adult education, comprehensive lesson plans, skills training, and professional rehabilitation services. AcadeMedia operates throughout Sweden.

Propel Funeral Partners Limited provides funeral services. The Company owns and operates funeral homes, cemeteries, crematoria, and related assets, as well as offers funeral, cremation, burial, and mortuary services. Propel Funeral Partners serves individuals and families in Australia and New Zealand.

SISB operates a premium K-12 international school in Thailand, adopted Singapore, UK and IBDP curriculum as a blended student pathway in schools. SISB was established in 2001 with the school license under the Private School Act. Currently, there are 6 international schools with over 4,000 students.

Perfect Medical Health Management (previously Perfect Shape Medical Limited) offers slimming and beauty treatments. The Company provides fat softens and dissolves services, laser freckle services, and other services. Perfect Shape Medical offers services in China.

Universal Technical Institute Inc., through its Universal Technical Institute (UTI) campuses, provides technical education training. The Schools, through its UTI campuses, offers automotive, collision repair and refinishing, and diesel training. UTI also offers training in motorcycle, marine, and personal watercraft through its Motorcycle and Marine Mechanics Institutes(MMI).

Universal Technical Institute, Inc (UTI US)

Carriage Services, Inc. operates funeral homes and cemeteries in the United States.  The Company provides a complete range of services relating to funerals, burials, and cremations.  Carriage also sells related products and merchandise such as caskets, burial vaults, garments, and memorials.

Chegg, Inc. provides online educational platform. The Company offers homework help, course selection, note taking, manuals, and textbook rentals services. Chegg serves customers throughout the United States.

The Cross-Harbour (Holdings) Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates a driver training center, tunnel, and electronic tolls. The Company also provides treasury services.

Gaotu Techedu inc develops educational software. The Company offers online K-12 large class after school tutoring as well as foreign language, professional and other courses. Gaotu Techedu serves students in China

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Gaotu Techedu (GOTU US)

China Education Group (839 HK): Encouraging Takeaways from 1H21 Result Call

After the good 1H21 result, CEG continues to suggest a robust outlook for the rest of the year, and guided for good full-year growth. More M&As are...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Coursera: Back to School

Coursera, an online education platform will see its business model decelerate faster than expected. Downside risks around regulation and...

Aaron Gabin

China Yuhua Education (6169 HK): Decent 1H21, Key Takeaways from Post-Result Call

Yuhua Education should see good organic earnings prospects as it benefits from higher student enrollment, hike in tuition and cost control. There...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Exit the Dragon – the Mass Exodus of US Listed Chinese Companies

Is US-China financial decoupling affecting the US stock market? What's the future of US listed Chinese companies l? How can investors in China...

Evelyn Zhang

China ADRs Quick Update - SEC, Archegos, Blocks - Showing Signs of Life

On 29 Mar, we spoke about the Archegos driven correction, that had followed close on the heals of the SEC driven correction for the sector. In this...

Sumeet Singh

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