Founder of Antler Capital

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p>In the spirit of the long-awaited UEFA Euro 2020, we present our inaugural "China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook", which summarizes our views on the names that are best positioned to navigate an environment of progressively slower credit growth, tighter liquidity and rising defaults. </p>
<p><strong>Our screen consists of 100+ stocks in the A/H share universe, as well as a select number of international / non-traditional names that have significant exposures to China's financial system. </strong>We have a preference for larger-cap and liquid names, which are then filtered by our opinions on their fundamentals, value, momentum and recent trading volumes. We also try to make our selections versatile and less vulnerable to single-factor movements.</p>
<p><strong>Each player's position on the pitch and the team formation itself convey incremental information about our thoughts on the sector's performance over a three to six-month horizon. </strong>To the extent possible, we intend to update our ideas on a periodic basis. This provides a feedback loop with our other ongoing research on the industry.</p>
<p><strong>However, our team selections are not investment recommendations. </strong>Instead, they are meant to give structure to our analysis. The playbook allows us to articulate our views on the sector in a timely, concise manner. Our objective is to ensure we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as sentiments on the sector remain bleak.</p>
<p><strong>With that out of the way, the following is our starting XI.</strong> We will dive deeper into our rationale for our selections in the remainder of this insight (Exhibit 1).</p>
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 726.047px;"><strong>Exhibit 1: China Financials | Silver Linings Playbook</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 726.047px;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/213/768/original/image_768460236451623962508577.png?1623962508" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="213768"></figure>
<p></p>
<p>Source: Our analysis</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Related Insights</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-macro-consumers-remain-on-the-sidelines-as-their-home-equity-grows" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:53210" rel="noopener">China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows</a> </p>
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In the spirit of the long-awaited UEFA Euro 2020, we present our inaugural "China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook", which summarizes our views on the names that are best positioned to navigate an environment of progressively slower credit growth, tighter liquidity and rising defaults. 
Our screen consists of 100+ stocks in the A/H share universe, as well as a select number of international / non-traditional names that have significant exposures to China's financial system. We have a preference for larger-cap and liquid names, which are then filtered by our opinions on their fundamentals, value, momentum and recent trading volumes. We also try to make our selections versatile and less vulnerable to single-factor movements.
Each player's position on the pitch and the team formation itself convey incremental information about our thoughts on the sector's performance over a three to six-month horizon. To the extent possible, we intend to update our ideas on a periodic basis. This provides a feedback loop with our other ongoing research on the industry.
However, our team selections are not investment recommendations. Instead, they are meant to give structure to our analysis. The playbook allows us to articulate our views on the sector in a timely, concise manner. Our objective is to ensure we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as sentiments on the sector remain bleak.
With that out of the way, the following is our starting XI. We will dive deeper into our rationale for our selections in the remainder of this insight (Exhibit 1).



Exhibit 1: China Financials | Silver Linings Playbook





Source: Our analysis




Related Insights
China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows 
Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer 
China Macro: PPI Peaks, while CPI Eases Tightening Fears 
China Macro: Exports Disappoint, but It's Still Early in the Game 
Glut and Famine: China's Monetary Conditions a Notch Tighter in May 
ICBC: The Bond Identity | A Zero-Growth Dividend Discount Story 
BOC Aviation (2588 HK): The Stars Don't Look Bigger, but They Do Look Brighter

China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook

Bond market data and technology, BondEvalue

BondEvalue

Bond market data and technology

BondEvalue is a Singapore-based Fintech that specializes in bond market data and technology. The company's information services business offers bond market data on hard-currency corporate & sovereign bonds across Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas. The data, which includes bond prices, yields, news and analytics, is offered to end investors via interactive Mobile and Web Apps. Investors can sign up for a free trial of the service either via the company's website (https://bondevalue.com) or by downloading the BondEvalue Mobile App (http://onelink.to/wej7jq). BondEvalue is also developing an electronic bond exchange, BondbloX in Singapore that allows investors to trade bonds electronically in smaller sizes (US$1,000 or equivalent). For more information, visit https://www.bondblox.com/

Bond Market Data and Technology

Credit

US markets inched up ahead of the weekly unemployment report and May payrolls data. Both S&amp;P and Nasdaq were up 0.1%. The energy sector was up 1.7% followed by real estate, which was up 1.4%. US 10Y Treasury yields were tighter by 2bp at 1.59% and continued to trade in a tight range of 1.55-1.64%. European markets also moved up to near record highs with energy and consumer stocks leading. CAC closed higher by 0.5%, FTSE 0.4% and DAX 0.2%. US IG CDS spreads were flat and HY spreads were 1bp tighter. EU main spreads were 0.1bp tighter and crossover spreads tightened 1.4bp. Asian equities are off to a mixed start with Nikkei and Shanghai up 0.4%, and 0.1% and Hang Seng down 0.3% with Asia ex-Japan CDS spreads widening 0.2bp.

6 New $ Deals Incl. Industrial Bank; Macro; Rating Changes; New Issues; ; Talking Heads; Top Gain...

Silver Point

Thomas J. Monaco

Independent Insight Provider

Silver Point is a boutique research firm that focuses on the broader financial services sector, with a particular focus on troubled institutions globally. 

Asia Ex Japan

Equity Bottom-Up

China Merchants Bank H / Equity Bottom-Up

<p><strong><em>*Good 1Q21 Bottom-Line:</em></strong> China Merchants Bank (3968.HK) [CMB] reported 1Q21 results of CNY 32.0 bn, increasing CNY 11.3 bn (54.4%) linked quarter. Results were driven by net interest income improvement; robust fee growth; and an operating expense reduction; and </p><p><strong><em>*Credit Wall Continues To Grow:</em></strong> Net new problem loans continue to accelerate at an Indian bank pace of CNY 18.9 bn or 138.5% on an annualized basis, accelerating form the 04.7% growth rate posted in 4Q20. Provided (and its not a stretch) that the net new NPL ratio trajectory holds, reserve cover of NPLs will drop to 184% - suggesting that even the mighty are falling. </p>

*Good 1Q21 Bottom-Line: China Merchants Bank (3968.HK) [CMB] reported 1Q21 results of CNY 32.0 bn, increasing CNY 11.3 bn (54.4%) linked quarter. Results were driven by net interest income improvement; robust fee growth; and an operating expense reduction; and *Credit Wall Continues To Grow: Net new problem loans continue to accelerate at an Indian bank pace of CNY 18.9 bn or 138.5% on an annualized basis, accelerating form the 04.7% growth rate posted in 4Q20. Provided (and its not a stretch) that the net new NPL ratio trajectory holds, reserve cover of NPLs will drop to 184% - suggesting that even the mighty are falling. 

China Merchants Bank – Pig Still In Python

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<div>
<p>This week in StubWorld ...</p>
</div>
<div>
<div class="content-highlight">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/intouch-holdings-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17638:1" rel="noopener">Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)</a>'s long-term discount to NAV and the simple ratio (Intouch over <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>) are at all-time extremes.  <br><br><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/8122" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8122:1" rel="noopener"></a>And <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/people-s-insurance-co-grou-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:362:1" rel="noopener">People's Insurance Co (PICC) (1339 HK)</a> is coming up "cheap" after fully correcting last years' narrowing.</div>
<div>Preceding my comments on Intouch and PICC, are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.</div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div>
<p>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.</p>
</div>


This week in StubWorld ...



Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)'s long-term discount to NAV and the simple ratio (Intouch over Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)) are at all-time extremes.    And People's Insurance Co (PICC) (1339 HK) is coming up "cheap" after fully correcting last years' narrowing.
Preceding my comments on Intouch and PICC, are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.



These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.


StubWorld: Reverse Intouch's Stub; (Potentially) Set Up PICC (1339 HK)'s

<p><em><strong>*D-SIB Standards Released:</strong></em> The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and China Bank and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) on April 2, 2021 released finalized new capital standards for the country’s domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), and indicated that the need for banking  crisis liquidation plans; and</p><p><em><strong>* Aggressive Capital Raises Expected: </strong></em>In our view, the forthcoming regulations are likely to focus on: additional paid-in capital; leverage ratios; risk concentrations; corporate governance; disclosure levels; and mechanism to prevent systemic risk; and internal controls. The idea is to finally strengthen mainland Chinese bank balance sheets and improve their loss absorption capacity. Problem for equity raises is that P/BV must be over 1.0x for the raise and many of the potential D-SIBs are trading below book value. </p>

*D-SIB Standards Released: The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and China Bank and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) on April 2, 2021 released finalized new capital standards for the country’s domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), and indicated that the need for banking  crisis liquidation plans; and* Aggressive Capital Raises Expected: In our view, the forthcoming regulations are likely to focus on: additional paid-in capital; leverage ratios; risk concentrations; corporate governance; disclosure levels; and mechanism to prevent systemic risk; and internal controls. The idea is to finally strengthen mainland Chinese bank balance sheets and improve their loss absorption capacity. Problem for equity raises is that P/BV must be over 1.0x for the raise and many of the potential D-SIBs are trading below book value. 

China Banks – Big Capital Raises Coming

China

Industrial Bank Co.,Ltd. provides banking services. The Company offers deposits, loans, fund management, foreign currency management, and other services. Industrial Bank provides its services to individuals, enterprises, and other clients.

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Industrial Bank Co Ltd A (601166 CH)

China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook

Our Silver Linings Playbook outlines our views on the China financials names that are most likely to remain resilient in the face of macro...

Stanley Tsai, CFA

6 New $ Deals Incl. Industrial Bank; Macro; Rating Changes; New Issues; ; Talking Heads; Top Gain...

US markets inched up ahead of the weekly unemployment report and May payrolls data. Both S&P and Nasdaq were up 0.1%. The energy sector was up...

BondEvalue

China Merchants Bank – Pig Still In Python

CHINA MERCHANTS BANK: CMB reported a 1Q21 QOQ results increase of 54.4% driven by net interest income; fee growth; and lower expenses. Net new...

Thomas J. Monaco

StubWorld: Reverse Intouch's Stub; (Potentially) Set Up PICC (1339 HK)'s

Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB)'s long-term discount to NAV and the simple ratio (Intouch over Advanced Info Service (ADVANC TB)) are at all-time...

David Blennerhassett

China Banks – Big Capital Raises Coming

CHINA BANKS: The PBOC and CBIRC released finalized new capital standards for the country’s D-SIBs. Equity raises require P/BV over 1.0x and many of...

Thomas J. Monaco

Price Gauge

52-week Range

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