Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

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<p>A little over a week ago, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.just-food.com/news/chinese-dairy-firm-yili-said-to-be-weighing-approach-for-infant-formula-maker-ausnutria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/inner-mongolia-yili-indus-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3220:1" rel="noopener">Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)</a>, China’s biggest dairy producer, had been running a ruler over infant-formula firm <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnutria-dairy-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13799:1" rel="noopener">Ausnutria Dairy Corp (1717 HK)</a>.</p>
<p>Before the commencement of trading yesterday, Ausnutria was <a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2021/1012/2021101200109.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended</a> pursuant to the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers. Shares had gained 7.8% on Monday (the 11th) on the largest volume since November of last year. </p>
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<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/charoen-pokphand-foods-public-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16131:1" rel="noopener"></a>SOE CITIC Group is the largest shareholder with <a href="https://di.hkex.com.hk/di/NSForm2.aspx?fn=CS20200831E00300&amp;sa2=as&amp;sid=37215&amp;corpn=Ausnutria+Dairy+Corporation+Ltd.&amp;sd=13%2f10%2f2020&amp;ed=13%2f10%2f2021&amp;cid=0&amp;sa1=cl&amp;scsd=13%2f10%2f2020&amp;sced=13%2f10%2f2021&amp;sc=1717&amp;src=MAIN&amp;lang=EN&amp;g_lang=en&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22.05%</a>, having being introduced as a strategic investor back in October 2018.</p>
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<p>This insight provides some brief background on Ausnutria, plus speculates on a fair price should a firm Offer unfold. </p>
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A little over a week ago, Bloomberg reported Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH), China’s biggest dairy producer, had been running a ruler over infant-formula firm Ausnutria Dairy Corp (1717 HK).
Before the commencement of trading yesterday, Ausnutria was suspended pursuant to the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers. Shares had gained 7.8% on Monday (the 11th) on the largest volume since November of last year. 


SOE CITIC Group is the largest shareholder with 22.05%, having being introduced as a strategic investor back in October 2018.


This insight provides some brief background on Ausnutria, plus speculates on a fair price should a firm Offer unfold. 


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.

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnutria-dairy-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13799:1" rel="noopener">Ausnutria Dairy Corp (1717 HK)</a> is an international high-end dairy and nutrition products company with an entire business chain of raw milk collection, R&amp;D, production, and end-market sales. Ausnutria is the fifth largest infant formula player in China with a 6.3% market share in 2020.   </p><p>Ausnutria entered a trading halt today pursuant to the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers. On 1 October, Bloomberg reported that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/inner-mongolia-yili-indus-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3220:1" rel="noopener">Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)</a> is exploring a potential takeover of Ausnutria. Yili was said to be in talks with banks to finance a potential deal. The article also speculated that Ausnutria could attract takeover interest from other industry players. There was no takeover price or valuation mentioned in the article.  </p><p>We think that Yili is the likely suitor as there is a strong strategic rationale in acquiring Ausnutria. Yili has a strategy to increase its scale in the milk powder business through mergers and acquisitions. Yili was recently unsuccessful in its bid to acquire <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/reckitt-benckiser-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22105:1" rel="noopener">Reckitt Benckiser (RB/ LN)</a>’s infant-formula and child nutrition business in China. </p><div class="content-highlight"><p>In this note, we look at the strategic rationale for Yili’s potential bid and take a stab at estimating the potential offer price.  </p></div>

Ausnutria Dairy Corp (1717 HK) is an international high-end dairy and nutrition products company with an entire business chain of raw milk collection, R&amp;D, production, and end-market sales. Ausnutria is the fifth largest infant formula player in China with a 6.3% market share in 2020.   Ausnutria entered a trading halt today pursuant to the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers. On 1 October, Bloomberg reported that Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH) is exploring a potential takeover of Ausnutria. Yili was said to be in talks with banks to finance a potential deal. The article also speculated that Ausnutria could attract takeover interest from other industry players. There was no takeover price or valuation mentioned in the article.  We think that Yili is the likely suitor as there is a strong strategic rationale in acquiring Ausnutria. Yili has a strategy to increase its scale in the milk powder business through mergers and acquisitions. Yili was recently unsuccessful in its bid to acquire Reckitt Benckiser (RB/ LN)’s infant-formula and child nutrition business in China. In this note, we look at the strategic rationale for Yili’s potential bid and take a stab at estimating the potential offer price.  

Ausnutria in Trading Halt - Will Yili Lob an Offer?

Equity Capital Markets

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ane-logistics" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:34119:1" rel="noopener">ANE Logistics (1292621D CH)</a> operates a leading express freight network in China’s less-than-truckload (LTL) market. ANE operated the largest express freight network in China as measured by annual total freight volume in each of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, according to iResearch.</p><p>ANE passed its HKEx listing committee hearing and will start pre-marketing to raise up to $500 million, according to press reports. ANE’s shareholders include Centurium, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/carlyle-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33402:1" rel="noopener">Carlyle Group Inc (CG US)</a>, CDH, CPE, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nws-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3350:1" rel="noopener">Nws Holdings (659 HK)</a>, Ping An, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/goldman-sachs-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:785:1" rel="noopener">Goldman Sachs Group (GS US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/inner-mongolia-yili-indus-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3220:1" rel="noopener">Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)</a>.</p><div class="content-highlight"><p>ANE is a play on China’s LTL market which offers substantial opportunities for market consolidation as the top 10 LTL operators in China had a market share of 5.7% by shipper spend in 2020, according to iResearch. As the largest (by freight volume), fastest-growing and most profitable player, ANE is well-positioned to be a market consolidator. On balance, we think that ANE’s fundamentals are solid and the IPO is worth a look for investors willing to brave the current weak sentiment on HKEx IPOs. </p></div>

ANE Logistics (1292621D CH) operates a leading express freight network in China’s less-than-truckload (LTL) market. ANE operated the largest express freight network in China as measured by annual total freight volume in each of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, according to iResearch.ANE passed its HKEx listing committee hearing and will start pre-marketing to raise up to $500 million, according to press reports. ANE’s shareholders include Centurium, Carlyle Group Inc (CG US), CDH, CPE, Nws Holdings (659 HK), Ping An, Goldman Sachs Group (GS US) and Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH).ANE is a play on China’s LTL market which offers substantial opportunities for market consolidation as the top 10 LTL operators in China had a market share of 5.7% by shipper spend in 2020, according to iResearch. As the largest (by freight volume), fastest-growing and most profitable player, ANE is well-positioned to be a market consolidator. On balance, we think that ANE’s fundamentals are solid and the IPO is worth a look for investors willing to brave the current weak sentiment on HKEx IPOs. 

ANE Logistics IPO Initiation: Home Delivery

Equity Bottom-Up

China Conch Venture Holdings / Equity Bottom-Up

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-conch-venture-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19943:1" rel="noopener">China Conch Venture Holdings (586 HK)</a>'s stub ops are coming into their own.</p>
<p>Those ops accounted for an estimated 10% of earnings in FY18, increasing to ~18% last year. Based on forecast estimates, those operations may contribute over 30% of the bottom-line in FY22E.</p>
<p>A recent acquisition of solid waste treatment business resulting in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/west-china-cement-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9423:1" rel="noopener">West China Cement (2233 HK)</a> becoming a minority shareholder lends a further degree of support for CCV. </p>
<p>In contrast, 17.8%-held <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/anhui-conch-cement-co-ltd-094855ab-abec-4b71-956b-5bfc85e22fdd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:389:1" rel="noopener">Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd A (600585 CH)</a>, China’s second-largest cement producer, is expected to grow the slowest amongst its cement peers over the next couple of years. An expected index deletion and China clamping down on excess debt is not helping.</p>
<p>CCV's discount to NAV is around its narrowest in the last 12-months, yet this looks too early to call a reversal.</p>
<p>More below the fold.</p>

China Conch Venture Holdings (586 HK)'s stub ops are coming into their own.
Those ops accounted for an estimated 10% of earnings in FY18, increasing to ~18% last year. Based on forecast estimates, those operations may contribute over 30% of the bottom-line in FY22E.
A recent acquisition of solid waste treatment business resulting in West China Cement (2233 HK) becoming a minority shareholder lends a further degree of support for CCV. 
In contrast, 17.8%-held Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd A (600585 CH), China’s second-largest cement producer, is expected to grow the slowest amongst its cement peers over the next couple of years. An expected index deletion and China clamping down on excess debt is not helping.
CCV's discount to NAV is around its narrowest in the last 12-months, yet this looks too early to call a reversal.
More below the fold.

China Conch Venture (586 HK): Stub Ops Momentum

China Youran Dairy Group Ltd / Equity Capital Markets

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<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-youran-dairy-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31075:1" rel="noopener">China Youran Dairy Group Ltd (9858 HK)</a> is the world’s largest raw milk provider as measured by herd size of dairy cows as of 30 June 2020 and raw milk production volume in 1H20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. Youran was once a wholly-owned subsidiary of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/inner-mongolia-yili-indus-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3220:1" rel="noopener">Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)</a> until PAG Capital’s investment in 2015.</p>
<p>At the proposed IPO price range of HK$6.98-8.66 per share, Youran will have a market cap of HK$26,492-32,868 million ($3.4-4.2 billion). At the mid-point of the IPO price range, the gross proceeds are HK$5,595 million ($722 million). The primary/secondary split is 69%/31%. The selling shareholder is PAG Capital.</p>
<p>The cornerstone support is unusually low. Two cornerstone investors will purchase $50 million worth of the offer shares (6.94% of the offer shares at the mid-point of the IPO price range). The cornerstone investors are CITIC-Prudential Life Insurance and Harvest Fund Management.</p>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-youran-dairy-group-ipo-initiation-ecownomics" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51709" rel="noopener">China Youran Dairy Group IPO Initiation: Ecownomics</a>, we stated that notwithstanding its high revenue dependence on Yili, Youran is capitalising on the favourable demand-supply imbalance for raw milk in China by delivering strong organic growth (on a pro-forma basis), rising margins and accretive acquisitions. We concluded that Youran is worth a look.</p>
<div class="content-highlight"><p>Based on our forecasts, Youran is attractively valued to its H-share peer group, which are largely downstream players, at the low-end of the IPO price range. Compared to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-modern-dairy-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6785:1" rel="noopener">China Modern Dairy (1117 HK)</a>, an upstream dairy peer (arguably the key listed comp), Youran trades at a substantial premium on a CY2021 P/E basis but trades at a substantial discount on a CY2021 PEG basis. Overall, we are inclined to participate at most at the low end of the IPO price range due to the decent upside potential. </p></div>
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China Youran Dairy Group Ltd (9858 HK) is the world’s largest raw milk provider as measured by herd size of dairy cows as of 30 June 2020 and raw milk production volume in 1H20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. Youran was once a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH) until PAG Capital’s investment in 2015.
At the proposed IPO price range of HK$6.98-8.66 per share, Youran will have a market cap of HK$26,492-32,868 million ($3.4-4.2 billion). At the mid-point of the IPO price range, the gross proceeds are HK$5,595 million ($722 million). The primary/secondary split is 69%/31%. The selling shareholder is PAG Capital.
The cornerstone support is unusually low. Two cornerstone investors will purchase $50 million worth of the offer shares (6.94% of the offer shares at the mid-point of the IPO price range). The cornerstone investors are CITIC-Prudential Life Insurance and Harvest Fund Management.

In China Youran Dairy Group IPO Initiation: Ecownomics, we stated that notwithstanding its high revenue dependence on Yili, Youran is capitalising on the favourable demand-supply imbalance for raw milk in China by delivering strong organic growth (on a pro-forma basis), rising margins and accretive acquisitions. We concluded that Youran is worth a look.
Based on our forecasts, Youran is attractively valued to its H-share peer group, which are largely downstream players, at the low-end of the IPO price range. Compared to China Modern Dairy (1117 HK), an upstream dairy peer (arguably the key listed comp), Youran trades at a substantial premium on a CY2021 P/E basis but trades at a substantial discount on a CY2021 PEG basis. Overall, we are inclined to participate at most at the low end of the IPO price range due to the decent upside potential. 


China Youran Dairy Group IPO: Valuation Insights

China

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. produces milk, powdered milk, ice cream, and other dairy products.  The Company also produces frozen food and noodles.

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)

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Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH)

Will Yili Gulp Down Ausnutria (1717 HK)?

Ausnutria is currently trading around multi-year high lows on all metrics despite edging towards an all-time profit high. Optically, this could...

David Blennerhassett

Ausnutria in Trading Halt - Will Yili Lob an Offer?

Bloomberg reported on 1 Oct that Yili is weighing a bid for Ausnutria. We look at the strategic rationale for Yili/Ausnutria combination and take a...

Arun George

ANE Logistics IPO Initiation: Home Delivery

ANE will start pre-marketing an HKEx IPO to raise up to $500 m. We think that ANE’s fundamentals are solid and the IPO is worth a look for...

Arun George

China Conch Venture (586 HK): Stub Ops Momentum

If you had set up a long CCV, short Anhui, I'd continue to track that trade. I think it's too early to reverse the stub here, in light of the index...

David Blennerhassett

China Youran Dairy Group IPO: Valuation Insights

At the mid-point of the IPO price range, the gross proceeds are $722 million. Overall, we are inclined to participate at most at the low end of the...

Arun George

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