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

*Exemption Could Add To IPO Pipeline: Mainland China is planning to exempt companies seeking to list on Hong Kong Exchanges &amp; Clearing (388.HK) [HKEX] from first seeking approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The idea behind the exemption is mainland Chinese Hong Kong IPOs were already subject to higher scrutiny and approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC); and *Risks Are Increasing: In addition to an extended valuation when ADT has begun to turn and having a new CEO with no exchange experience, HKEX needs to contend with the government’s examination of a stamp duty increase and mainland China’s contemplation of a new stock exchange to attract overseas-listed firms (including Hong Kong) which will bolster Shanghai’s status as a global financial center.

*Exemption Could Add To IPO Pipeline: Mainland China is planning to exempt companies seeking to list on Hong Kong Exchanges &amp; Clearing (388.HK) [HKEX] from first seeking approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The idea behind the exemption is mainland Chinese Hong Kong IPOs were already subject to higher scrutiny and approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC); and *Risks Are Increasing: In addition to an extended valuation when ADT has begun to turn and having a new CEO with no exchange experience, HKEX needs to contend with the government’s examination of a stamp duty increase and mainland China’s contemplation of a new stock exchange to attract overseas-listed firms (including Hong Kong) which will bolster Shanghai’s status as a global financial center. 

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing – Take It When You Can Get It

*Major US Merchant Deal: Tencent Holding’s (700.HK) [Tencent] Afterpay Touch's (APT.AU) [Afterpay] recently announced an integrated, multi-year national partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW.AU), the owner of <a href="https://www.westfield.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Westfield</a> shopping centers in the US, to support retailers by offering its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to consumers as they return to shopping malls; and*Tencent’s Midas Touch: Tencent continues to hit it out of the park with its Afterpay stake. In addition to its superb return on investment over the past ten months since the stake announcement - -even after giving back some of its gains, this alliance with Australia’s premier financial technology BNPL company is paying dividends to Tencent in numerous other ways.

*Major US Merchant Deal: Tencent Holding’s (700.HK) [Tencent] Afterpay Touch's (APT.AU) [Afterpay] recently announced an integrated, multi-year national partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW.AU), the owner of Westfield shopping centers in the US, to support retailers by offering its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to consumers as they return to shopping malls; and*Tencent’s Midas Touch: Tencent continues to hit it out of the park with its Afterpay stake. In addition to its superb return on investment over the past ten months since the stake announcement - -even after giving back some of its gains, this alliance with Australia’s premier financial technology BNPL company is paying dividends to Tencent in numerous other ways. 

Tencent Holdings – Celebrating The Return Of Retail

*Capital Hole Develops In USA:The 1Q21 regulatory financial statement for Prudential plc’s (PRU.LN) [Prudential] Jackson National (Jackson) subsidiary shows that statutory equity has declined a surprising USD 1.9 bn (39.6%) to USD 2.9 bn on a linked quarter basis at 1Q21; and *Franchise Of The Future: Nevertheless, we see Prudential's exiting of its US business is a positive (albeit likely more costly now) as it will reduce the group's exposure to US macro and transition the group into a pure Asian play. We believe that PRU’s Asian franchise is impressive with a strong growth outlook.

*Capital Hole Develops In USA:The 1Q21 regulatory financial statement for Prudential plc’s (PRU.LN) [Prudential] Jackson National (Jackson) subsidiary shows that statutory equity has declined a surprising USD 1.9 bn (39.6%) to USD 2.9 bn on a linked quarter basis at 1Q21; and *Franchise Of The Future: Nevertheless, we see Prudential's exiting of its US business is a positive (albeit likely more costly now) as it will reduce the group's exposure to US macro and transition the group into a pure Asian play. We believe that PRU’s Asian franchise is impressive with a strong growth outlook.

*Adding More Complexity In Mainland China: AIA’s hyper-aggressive push into mainland China via acquisition as company fundamentals remain poor. This push unfortunately continues. On June 29, 2020, AIA Group (1299.HK) [AIA] announced that it has agreed to invest USD 1.86 bn (CNY 12 bn) in cash for a 24.99% stake in China Post Life (CPL), a subsidiary of China Post Group via its Hong Kong subsidiary, AIA Company Ltd; *Head Scratching Move: The CPL deal makes little sense financially, gives AIA no managerial or Board control, is limited to an equity investment without other business cooperation;  and directly competes with AIA China – despite management spin on the matter;  and *Suffocating Hong Kong Business: AIA’s core Hong Kong business has been an unmitigated disaster for during COVID-19, as it struggles with mainland Chinese visitors. Further, there is limited clarity on AIA’s legacy agents. It also has to deal with the fledgling Bank of East Asia (23.HK) business that it recently acquired.

*Adding More Complexity In Mainland China: AIA’s hyper-aggressive push into mainland China via acquisition as company fundamentals remain poor. This push unfortunately continues. On June 29, 2020, AIA Group (1299.HK) [AIA] announced that it has agreed to invest USD 1.86 bn (CNY 12 bn) in cash for a 24.99% stake in China Post Life (CPL), a subsidiary of China Post Group via its Hong Kong subsidiary, AIA Company Ltd; *Head Scratching Move: The CPL deal makes little sense financially, gives AIA no managerial or Board control, is limited to an equity investment without other business cooperation;  and directly competes with AIA China – despite management spin on the matter;  and *Suffocating Hong Kong Business: AIA’s core Hong Kong business has been an unmitigated disaster for during COVID-19, as it struggles with mainland Chinese visitors. Further, there is limited clarity on AIA’s legacy agents. It also has to deal with the fledgling Bank of East Asia (23.HK) business that it recently acquired. 

AIA – Now Competing With Itself In China

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

*Mainland China Crackdown: Unsurprisingly, this past week mainland China has continued its steady official crackdown on cryptoccurency, reiterating its ban on providing cryptocurrency services, placing pressure on bitcoin miners, etc; and *Tether Flows: Given the mainland Chinese crackdown, it would appear that investors don't understand Tether’s systemic risks; and/or mainland Chinese-based investors are aggressively moving funds out of the country via this channel prior to it being shut down completely. If  authorities decide the shut the Tether channel over its use for moving large amounts of capital out of mainland China, cryptocurrency market liquidity would essentially dry up as Tether accounts for over 60% of global cryptocurrency daily trading volumes.

*Mainland China Crackdown: Unsurprisingly, this past week mainland China has continued its steady official crackdown on cryptoccurency, reiterating its ban on providing cryptocurrency services, placing pressure on bitcoin miners, etc; and *Tether Flows: Given the mainland Chinese crackdown, it would appear that investors don't understand Tether’s systemic risks; and/or mainland Chinese-based investors are aggressively moving funds out of the country via this channel prior to it being shut down completely. If  authorities decide the shut the Tether channel over its use for moving large amounts of capital out of mainland China, cryptocurrency market liquidity would essentially dry up as Tether accounts for over 60% of global cryptocurrency daily trading volumes. 

Hong Kong

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF is an exchange-traded fund incorporated in the USA. The ETF's objective seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the performance of publicly traded securities in the Hong Kong market, as measured by the MSCI Hong Kong Index. The ETF invests in a representative sample of index stocks using a "portfolio sampling" technique.

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF (EWH US)

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing – Take It When You Can Get It

HONG HONG EXCHANGES & CLEARING: Mainland China is planning to exempt listings on HKEX from seeking CAC approval, as Mainland IPOs are subject to...

Thomas J. Monaco

Tencent Holdings – Celebrating The Return Of Retail

TENCENT HOLDINGS: Tencent's Afterpay recently announced an integrated, multi-year national partnership with Westfield shopping centers in the US,...

Thomas J. Monaco

Prudential Plc - Jackson Cracks

PRUDENTIAL: The 1Q21 regulatory financial statement for the Jackson National subsidiary exhibits that statutory equity declined a surprising USD...

Thomas J. Monaco

AIA – Now Competing With Itself In China

AIA GROUP: AIA’s aggressive push into China continues with its 25% stake in China Post Life. The deal makes little sense financially, gives AIA no...

Thomas J. Monaco

Tether – Holding On By A String

TETHER: Mainland China is cracking down on crypto. If authorities decide to close Tether, the cryptocurrency market liquidity could essentially dry...

Thomas J. Monaco