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.

Equity Capital Markets

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/policybazaar-insurance-web-aggregator" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33470:1" rel="noopener">Policybazaar Insurance Web Aggregator (1569999D IN)</a>/PB Fintech operates the <em>Policybazaar</em> and <em>Paisabazaar</em> platforms in India. <em>Policybazaar</em> is India’s largest digital insurance marketplace with a 93.4% market share based on the number of policies sold in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. <em>Paisabazaar</em> is India’s largest digital consumer credit marketplace with a 51.4% market share, based on disbursals in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. PB Fintech’s shareholders include SoftBank Vision Fund, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>, Tiger Global and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/info-edge-india-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14461:1" rel="noopener">Info Edge India (INFOE IN)</a>.   </p><p>PB Fintech is looking to raise Rs60.2 billion ($809 million) at an $5 billion valuation, according to press reports. The IPO comprises a primary raise of Rs37.5 billion and a secondary raise of Rs22.7 million. PB Fintech is also considering a pre-IPO placement of Rs7.5 billion in new shares. The pre-IPO placement amount will be deducted from the primary portion of the raise. </p><p>India has a highly underpenetrated insurance market due to financial illiteracy, lack of awareness of insurance, low household disposable income, complex products and inefficiencies in distribution system. Insurance penetration (premium as % of GDP) is at 3.8% in India as compared to the global average of 7.2%. However, online distribution channels are changing the insurance distribution landscape in India. A key enabler of online distribution are digital insurance marketplaces which account for 54% of the total online insurance market in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. </p><p><em>Policybazaar</em>, which is India’s largest digital consumer credit marketplace, is a direct play on the rising insurance penetration rates in India. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/paytm-mobile-solutions-pvt-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26149:1" rel="noopener">Paytm (PAYTM IN)</a>, which also has an insurance marketplace amongst its various offerings, offers an alternative but less direct exposure to the Indian insurance market. We discussed the Paytm IPO in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/paytm-ipo-initiation-a-payments-led-super-app" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:54983" rel="noopener">Paytm IPO Initiation: A Payments-Led Super-App</a>. </p><div class="content-highlight"><p>PB Fintech operates an asset-light capital model and does not underwrite any insurance or retain any credit risk on loans. Due to its market-leading platforms, the business is well positioned to benefit from the post-COVID-19 recovery in insurance policies sales and loan disbursals by its partners. In July 2021, PB Fintech obtained an insurance brokerage license will allow <em>Policybazaar</em> to broaden its consumer reach through the offline channel. Helped by strong brand recognition and retention rates, the favourable unit economics also suggest that profitability is within reach. Overall, we think that PB Fintech has attractive fundamentals.</p></div>

Policybazaar Insurance Web Aggregator (1569999D IN)/PB Fintech operates the Policybazaar and Paisabazaar platforms in India. Policybazaar is India’s largest digital insurance marketplace with a 93.4% market share based on the number of policies sold in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. Paisabazaar is India’s largest digital consumer credit marketplace with a 51.4% market share, based on disbursals in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. PB Fintech’s shareholders include SoftBank Vision Fund, Tencent (700 HK), Tiger Global and Info Edge India (INFOE IN).   PB Fintech is looking to raise Rs60.2 billion ($809 million) at an $5 billion valuation, according to press reports. The IPO comprises a primary raise of Rs37.5 billion and a secondary raise of Rs22.7 million. PB Fintech is also considering a pre-IPO placement of Rs7.5 billion in new shares. The pre-IPO placement amount will be deducted from the primary portion of the raise. India has a highly underpenetrated insurance market due to financial illiteracy, lack of awareness of insurance, low household disposable income, complex products and inefficiencies in distribution system. Insurance penetration (premium as % of GDP) is at 3.8% in India as compared to the global average of 7.2%. However, online distribution channels are changing the insurance distribution landscape in India. A key enabler of online distribution are digital insurance marketplaces which account for 54% of the total online insurance market in FY20, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan. Policybazaar, which is India’s largest digital consumer credit marketplace, is a direct play on the rising insurance penetration rates in India. Paytm (PAYTM IN), which also has an insurance marketplace amongst its various offerings, offers an alternative but less direct exposure to the Indian insurance market. We discussed the Paytm IPO in Paytm IPO Initiation: A Payments-Led Super-App. PB Fintech operates an asset-light capital model and does not underwrite any insurance or retain any credit risk on loans. Due to its market-leading platforms, the business is well positioned to benefit from the post-COVID-19 recovery in insurance policies sales and loan disbursals by its partners. In July 2021, PB Fintech obtained an insurance brokerage license will allow Policybazaar to broaden its consumer reach through the offline channel. Helped by strong brand recognition and retention rates, the favourable unit economics also suggest that profitability is within reach. Overall, we think that PB Fintech has attractive fundamentals.

PB Fintech (Policybazaar) IPO Initiation: Insurance Policy

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

<div class="content-highlight">
<div style="text-align: start;">Our base case valuation of Kakao Pay is an implied market cap of 12.1 trillion won or 89,335 won per share.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;"></div>
<ul>
<li>Our base case valuation is based on 10.7x EV/Sales multiple and applying this to our estimated sales of 954 billion won in 2022.</li>
<li>The EV/S multiple of 10.7x is based on the median valuation multiple of the comps in 2022.</li>
</ul>
<p>The IPO price range is from 63,000 won to 96,000 won. If the IPO is priced near the high end of the IPO price range, we would avoid this deal. <span>On the other hand, if the IPO is priced close to the low end of the IPO price range, we would be more comfortable with taking the deal.</span></p>
</div>


Our base case valuation of Kakao Pay is an implied market cap of 12.1 trillion won or 89,335 won per share.


Our base case valuation is based on 10.7x EV/Sales multiple and applying this to our estimated sales of 954 billion won in 2022.
The EV/S multiple of 10.7x is based on the median valuation multiple of the comps in 2022.

The IPO price range is from 63,000 won to 96,000 won. If the IPO is priced near the high end of the IPO price range, we would avoid this deal. On the other hand, if the IPO is priced close to the low end of the IPO price range, we would be more comfortable with taking the deal.


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>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/glut-and-famine-we-might-see-snow-in-china-this-summer" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:52840" rel="noopener">Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-macro-ppi-peaks-while-cpi-eases-tightening-fears" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:52778" rel="noopener">China Macro: PPI Peaks, while CPI Eases Tightening Fears</a> </p>
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<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/glut-and-famine-china-s-monetary-conditions-a-notch-tighter-in-may" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51799" rel="noopener">Glut and Famine: China's Monetary Conditions a Notch Tighter in May</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/icbc-the-bond-identity-a-zero-growth-dividend-discount-story" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51463" rel="noopener">ICBC: The Bond Identity | A Zero-Growth Dividend Discount Story</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/boc-aviation-2588-hk-the-stars-don-t-look-bigger-but-they-do-look-brighter" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:52283" rel="noopener">BOC Aviation (2588 HK): The Stars Don't Look Bigger, but They Do Look Brighter</a></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. 
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

<div>Our base case value of Waterdrop is $4.6 billion or $11 per share. This is essentially at the mid-point of the IPO valuation range. Given the limited upside, we would pass on this IPO deal.</div><div></div><div>Our valuation of $4.6 billion is based on EV/S multiple of 5.8x using our estimated sales of $670 million (4.3 billion RMB) in 2021. Our EV/S multiple of 5.8x is based on the median valuation multiple of our comparable companies in 2021. This valuation multiple is also close to the average EV/S multiple of 6.1x for the two China online insurance/healthcare related stocks including ZhongAn Online P&amp;C insurance and Ping An Good Doctor. According to our valuation sensitivity analysis, the IPO valuation ranges from $8.4 per share to $13.9 per share. </div><div></div><div>Given that the mutual aid platform has been one of the key generators of user traffic, discontinuing this operation would result in a major change in the company's business operations and its ability to generate sufficient sales and customers growth. As such, we believe this is a major risk factor for the company. </div>

Our base case value of Waterdrop is $4.6 billion or $11 per share. This is essentially at the mid-point of the IPO valuation range. Given the limited upside, we would pass on this IPO deal.Our valuation of $4.6 billion is based on EV/S multiple of 5.8x using our estimated sales of $670 million (4.3 billion RMB) in 2021. Our EV/S multiple of 5.8x is based on the median valuation multiple of our comparable companies in 2021. This valuation multiple is also close to the average EV/S multiple of 6.1x for the two China online insurance/healthcare related stocks including ZhongAn Online P&amp;C insurance and Ping An Good Doctor. According to our valuation sensitivity analysis, the IPO valuation ranges from $8.4 per share to $13.9 per share. Given that the mutual aid platform has been one of the key generators of user traffic, discontinuing this operation would result in a major change in the company's business operations and its ability to generate sufficient sales and customers growth. As such, we believe this is a major risk factor for the company. 

<div><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/waterdrop-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33018:1" rel="noopener">Waterdrop Inc (WDH US)</a> is the largest independent third-party insurance platform in China as measured by life and health insurance first-year premiums (FYP) distributed in 2020, according to iResearch. Waterdrop is backed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/swiss-re-ag-1f83dcbc-730e-46fa-82f2-bfe7e8e361a1" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27914:1" rel="noopener">Swiss Re AG (SREN SW)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a>.</p></div><div><p>At the mid-point of the proposed IPO price range of $10.00-12.00 per ADS, Waterdrop will have a market cap of $4.3 billion. At the mid-point of the IPO price range, the net proceeds are $301.6 million. New and existing shareholders have indicated on $210 million of the IPO, including Boyu Capital ($100 million), HOPU Investments (at least $80 million), and Kevin Sunny Holding ($30 million). The indications of interest represent 63.6% of the ADSs on offer at the mid-point of the IPO price range.</p></div><div><div><div class="content-highlight"><p>In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/waterdrop-ipo-initiation-going-for-brokers" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50610" rel="noopener">Waterdrop IPO Initiation: Going for Brokers</a>, we opined that as a leading online third-party insurance broker, Waterdrop is well-positioned to benefit from favourable industry trends. The key unknown is whether the changing regulations will throw a spanner in the works. Notwithstanding the regulatory overhang, we concluded that Waterdrop is worth a look. Our analysis suggests that the IPO price range is full at the high-end but has some upside at the low-end. </p></div></div></div>

Waterdrop Inc (WDH US) is the largest independent third-party insurance platform in China as measured by life and health insurance first-year premiums (FYP) distributed in 2020, according to iResearch. Waterdrop is backed by Tencent Holdings (700 HK), Swiss Re AG (SREN SW) and Meituan (3690 HK).At the mid-point of the proposed IPO price range of $10.00-12.00 per ADS, Waterdrop will have a market cap of $4.3 billion. At the mid-point of the IPO price range, the net proceeds are $301.6 million. New and existing shareholders have indicated on $210 million of the IPO, including Boyu Capital ($100 million), HOPU Investments (at least $80 million), and Kevin Sunny Holding ($30 million). The indications of interest represent 63.6% of the ADSs on offer at the mid-point of the IPO price range.In Waterdrop IPO Initiation: Going for Brokers, we opined that as a leading online third-party insurance broker, Waterdrop is well-positioned to benefit from favourable industry trends. The key unknown is whether the changing regulations will throw a spanner in the works. Notwithstanding the regulatory overhang, we concluded that Waterdrop is worth a look. Our analysis suggests that the IPO price range is full at the high-end but has some upside at the low-end. 

United States

Horace Mann Educators Corporation is an insurance holding company.  The Company markets and underwrites personal lines of property and casualty insurance, retirement annuities, and life insurance.  Horace Mann markets its products primarily to educators and other employees of public schools and their families.

National Western Life Group, Inc. operates as a life insurance company. The Company offers life and term life insurance products. National Western Life Group serves customers throughout the United States.

Goosehead Insurance, Inc. operates as an insurance agency. The Company offers home, auto, motorcycle, umbrella, flood, landlord, life, business, commercial auto, product liability, and recreational insurance services. Goosehead Insurance serves customers in the United States.

Stewart Information Services Corporation provides title insurance and related services through locations in the United States and several international markets. The Company meets the needs of real estate and mortgage industries through the electronic delivery of services required for settlement. Stewart's services include title reports, flood determinations, and credit reports.

Employers Holdings, Inc. provides workers' compensation insurance.  The Company focuses on small businesses involved in low to medium hazard industries.

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. provides personal lines property and casualty insurance focused exclusively on the Massachusetts market.  The Company's principal product line is private passenger automobile insurance.  In addition, Safety Insurance offers commercial automobile, homeowners, dwelling fire, umbrella and business owner policies.

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. offers property casualty insurance and reinsurance. The Company offers excess and surplus lines, select markets, and international specialty insurance.

HCI Group, Inc. offers property/casualty insurance.  The Company offers homeowners', condominium owners', and tenants' insurance.

SiriusPoint Ltd. operates as a global insurance and reinsurance company. The Company offers services in insurance lines which includes environmental, property, energy, workers compensation, and aviation and space, and reinsurance lines includes life, accident and health, property, marine and energy, casualty, and credit and bond. SiriusPoint serves customers worldwide.

AMERISAFE, Inc. provides workers' compensation insurance focused on small to mid-sized employers involved in hazardous industries, principally construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, oil and gas, maritime, and sawmills.

Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd. offers life insurance services and reinsurance services.  The Company also does insurance against loss business, beverages business, real estate rental, and securities investment business through its subsidiaries.

Wuestenrot & Wuerttembergische AG is a financial services company.  The Company offers housing finance and building society savings accounts, as well as life insurance, real estate, and investment products. W&W is the result of the merger between Wuestenrot Beteiligungs-AG and Wuerttembergische AG VersicherungsBeteiligungsgesellschaft.

Just Group PLC provides financial services. The Company specializes in de-risking solutions, retirement income products, mortgages, financial advice, and guidance services to individual customers, financial intermediaries, corporate clients, and pension scheme trustees. Just Group serves customers worldwide.

Protector Forsikring ASA underwrites casualty insurance throughout Norway.  The Company focuses on delivering standard insurance products to the SME market, the public sector and the affinity market (grouped arrangements).

Vaudoise Assurances Holding SA, also known as Vaudoise Versicherungen Holding, is an insurance holding company, offering, through its affiliates, life, health, accident, property, commercial, motor vehicle, liability and legal protection insurance services, among others. The Company operates through a network of Swiss offices and affiliates in Spain and Italy.

Bao Viet Holdings, through its subsidiaries, engages in insurance, reinsurance, financial investment, fund management, securities, banking, and real estate services businesses in Vietnam. The Life Insurance segment offers a range of whole life, pure endowment, term life, endowment, bancassurance, annuity, universal life, healthcare and personal accident riders, and other life insurance products, as well as reinsurance assumed and ceded in life, healthcare insurance, and personal accident. The Non-life Insurance segment provides health and personal accident, property, cargo, hull-P&I, general indemnity, aviation, automobile, fire and special risk, agriculture, and other insurance products; and assumes and cedes reinsurance for various non-life insurance products. The Financial Services segment offers fund management, investment portfolio management, security brokerage and trading, investment consulting services, etc.; investment management services to policyholders; and security brokerage, securities underwriting and issuance agency, securities trading, custody, investment, and financial consulting services. The Banking Services segment provides various banking services, such as handling individual customer deposits, and deposit and current accounts for corporate and institutional customers; and provision of consumer loans, overdrafts, credit card facilities, and fund transfer services. The Real Estate Operations and Other Activities segment is involved in the rental and development of various real estate projects. The company also engages in the real estate investment and consulting activities; provision of machinery and equipment; and vocational driving training operations. It offers its services through approximately 150 branches in 63 cities and provinces. Bao Viet Holdings was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam.

PSC Insurance Group Limited provides insurance brokerage services. The Company offers services such as risk management, workers compensation, business protection, worth insurance, claims settlements. PSC Insurance Group conducts its business globally.

Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik AS is a life insurance company offering its services in Turkey. The Company is active in both private pension and life insurance markets and operates through regional sales offices in Turkey.

Momentum Metropolitan Holdings operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services such as individual life assurance, group life assurance, employee benefits, health insurance, and credit life products. Momentum Metropolitan Holdings serves customers in South Africa.

Mercuries Life Insurance Co., Ltd. offers diversify life insurance products and services.

Lemonade, Inc. operates as an insurance company. The Company offers artificial intelligence (AI) based technology for fire, property, liability, and other related insurance policy issuing and claim settlements. Lemonade serves customers in the United States.

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Lemonade Inc (LMND US)

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Kakao Pay IPO Valuation Analysis

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Waterdrop has launched its IPO to raise net proceeds of $301.6 million at the mid-point of the price range of $10-12. The price range is full at...

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