Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>South African allocations have fallen to record lows among active GEM investors.  Over the last 6-months, weights have fallen by 0.77% to just 2.82% after fund outflows of $2.78bn.</li>
<li>Naspers was the driver following the Prosus exchange offer.  28 of the 126 pre-existing holders of Naspers sold down their positions , totalling $2.45bn in combined outflows</li>
<li>Strip out Naspers and South Africa looks to be bottoming out.  Selected stocks are starting to attract interest from active EM managers, led by FirstRand, MTN and Capitec.</li>
</ul>


South African allocations have fallen to record lows among active GEM investors.  Over the last 6-months, weights have fallen by 0.77% to just 2.82% after fund outflows of $2.78bn.
Naspers was the driver following the Prosus exchange offer.  28 of the 126 pre-existing holders of Naspers sold down their positions , totalling $2.45bn in combined outflows
Strip out Naspers and South Africa looks to be bottoming out.  Selected stocks are starting to attract interest from active EM managers, led by FirstRand, MTN and Capitec.


Naspers Drives South Africa Positioning to All-Time Lows, but Bright Spots Emerge

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

This summer saw the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus (PRX NA)</a> Offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naspers-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21085:1" rel="noopener">Naspers (NPN SJ)</a> complete in early August, with Prosus now owning just under 50% of Naspers and Naspers owning ~38% of Prosus in what <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/david-blennerhassett" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:840" rel="noopener">David Blennerhassett</a> called the new <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/naspers-prosus-south-african-keswicks" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51401" rel="noopener">South African "Keswicks"</a> (a reference to the circular relationship of the Jardines complex, recently unwound, where for years/decades it just went on as the Keswick family thought was in their own interests.
Pre-Offer results, I reco'd going long the Naspers-Prosus spread where it was trading ex-Offer at 670bp or so in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/naspers-deal-done-flex-participation-and-pro-ration-misunderstandings-and-index-changes-galore" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:56011" rel="noopener">Naspers Deal Done - Flex Participation and Pro-Ration, Misunderstandings, and INDEX CHANGES GALORE!</a> 
Just after the offer results were out and the initial index changes were made, the spread between Naspers and Prosus widened significantly to near (and briefly above) 20% against Offer Terms. I recommended unwinding the spread-widening trade and putting on a spread-narrowing trade in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/naspers-prosus-initial-index-changes-done-now-to-reverse-the-trade" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:56256" rel="noopener">Naspers/Prosus Initial Index Changes Done, Now To Reverse the Trade</a>.
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So what next?

This summer saw the Prosus (PRX NA) Offer for Naspers (NPN SJ) complete in early August, with Prosus now owning just under 50% of Naspers and Naspers owning ~38% of Prosus in what David Blennerhassett called the new South African "Keswicks" (a reference to the circular relationship of the Jardines complex, recently unwound, where for years/decades it just went on as the Keswick family thought was in their own interests.
Pre-Offer results, I reco'd going long the Naspers-Prosus spread where it was trading ex-Offer at 670bp or so in Naspers Deal Done - Flex Participation and Pro-Ration, Misunderstandings, and INDEX CHANGES GALORE! 
Just after the offer results were out and the initial index changes were made, the spread between Naspers and Prosus widened significantly to near (and briefly above) 20% against Offer Terms. I recommended unwinding the spread-widening trade and putting on a spread-narrowing trade in Naspers/Prosus Initial Index Changes Done, Now To Reverse the Trade.






So what next? 

The last decade has seen EMEA allocations in active GEM portfolios drift ever lower, with Asia becoming the dominant weight.  However, the recent rhetoric from China has seen Asian allocations fall from their peak and EMEA allocations rally from their lows.  Average weights in EMEA stocks stand at 13.72%, marginally overweight the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 0.24%, with just under half of the active managers in our analysis overweight. <ul>
<li>Over the course of the last decade, exposure to each EMEA sector has either fallen dramatically or at best stayed largely unchanged.  Those that have seen a big decline in investment are led by EMEA Industrials and Health Care, with over 40% of investors closing exposure.  </li>
<li>The largest sector exposure, EMEA Financials allocations sit towards the lower-end of their historical range.  Top holdings are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sberbank-of-russia-pjsc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24142:1" rel="noopener">Sberbank Of Russia Pjsc (SBER LI)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/otp-bank-nyrt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28806:1" rel="noopener">OTP Bank Nyrt (OTP HB)</a> with 59% and 31% of funds invested respectively.  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tcs-group-holding-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28148:1" rel="noopener">TCS Group Holding PLC (TCS LI)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/capitec-bank-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27628:1" rel="noopener">Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd (CPI SJ)</a> saw ownership levels increase the most over the last 6-months.</li>
<li>Consumer Discretionary weights hit another all-time high this month of 1.46%, representing a 1.04% overweight versus the iShares MSCI EM ETF.  Underpinning the overweight are out-of-benchmark holdings in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus (PRX NA)</a> and Fix Price Group, though in general stocks in the sector are not widely held.  Funds with big overweights are led by Comgest's GEM Promising Companies Fund (8.98%) and Van Eck's Emerging Markets Fund (7.21%).  </li>
<li>With active ownership declining throughout 2020, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gazprom-pjsc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23749:1" rel="noopener">Gazprom PJSC (GAZP RX)</a> has finally been the recipient of some inflows.  Over the last 6-months, 2% of funds added Gazprom to their portfolios with a combined $217m in inflows.  Leading those were Fidelity (2.7%), Virtus Allianz (2.67%) and JP Morgan ($64m).</li>
</ul>The analysis looks in detail at all sectors in the EMEA region, together with some of the key stocks that underpin investment in the region.Analysis taken from our GEM fund research, covering 250 active GEM strategies with combined AUM of $500bn

The last decade has seen EMEA allocations in active GEM portfolios drift ever lower, with Asia becoming the dominant weight.  However, the recent rhetoric from China has seen Asian allocations fall from their peak and EMEA allocations rally from their lows.  Average weights in EMEA stocks stand at 13.72%, marginally overweight the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 0.24%, with just under half of the active managers in our analysis overweight. 
Over the course of the last decade, exposure to each EMEA sector has either fallen dramatically or at best stayed largely unchanged.  Those that have seen a big decline in investment are led by EMEA Industrials and Health Care, with over 40% of investors closing exposure.  
The largest sector exposure, EMEA Financials allocations sit towards the lower-end of their historical range.  Top holdings are Sberbank Of Russia Pjsc (SBER LI) and OTP Bank Nyrt (OTP HB) with 59% and 31% of funds invested respectively.  TCS Group Holding PLC (TCS LI) and Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd (CPI SJ) saw ownership levels increase the most over the last 6-months.
Consumer Discretionary weights hit another all-time high this month of 1.46%, representing a 1.04% overweight versus the iShares MSCI EM ETF.  Underpinning the overweight are out-of-benchmark holdings in Prosus (PRX NA) and Fix Price Group, though in general stocks in the sector are not widely held.  Funds with big overweights are led by Comgest's GEM Promising Companies Fund (8.98%) and Van Eck's Emerging Markets Fund (7.21%).  
With active ownership declining throughout 2020, Gazprom PJSC (GAZP RX) has finally been the recipient of some inflows.  Over the last 6-months, 2% of funds added Gazprom to their portfolios with a combined $217m in inflows.  Leading those were Fidelity (2.7%), Virtus Allianz (2.67%) and JP Morgan ($64m).
The analysis looks in detail at all sectors in the EMEA region, together with some of the key stocks that underpin investment in the region.Analysis taken from our GEM fund research, covering 250 active GEM strategies with combined AUM of $500bn

EMEA Sectors Deep-Dive.  Active Positioning in the EMEA Region

Global Emerging Market Equities, Propitious Research

Wium Malan, CFA

Global Emerging Market Equities

Independent, Fundamental Quantitative Research

Propitious Research

Fully independent, fundamental and quantitative equity research, focused on companies in the Telecommunication, Media, Technology, Internet and Healthcare sectors in the Global Emerging Markets. Idea generation focused on Quality stocks, trading below their intrinsic Value, with sound Corporate Governance.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

This insight provides a summary of the key news developments impacting the largest countries and constituents of the Global Emerging Markets equity indices. Companies mentioned this week:<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/netease" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29030:1" rel="noopener">NetEase (9999 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yandex-nv-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:414:1" rel="noopener">Yandex (YNDX US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus (PRX NA)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naspers-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21085:1" rel="noopener">Naspers (NPN SJ)</a>, Ant Financial, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nio-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27399:1" rel="noopener">NIO Inc (NIO US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/didi-chuxing-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27467:1" rel="noopener">DiDi Global (DIDI US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29043:1" rel="noopener">JD.com Inc. (9618 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (9988 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/semiconductor-manufacturing-international-corp-smic" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14231:1" rel="noopener">Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) (981 HK)</a>

This insight provides a summary of the key news developments impacting the largest countries and constituents of the Global Emerging Markets equity indices. Companies mentioned this week:Tencent (700 HK), NetEase (9999 HK), Yandex (YNDX US), Prosus (PRX NA), Naspers (NPN SJ), Ant Financial, NIO Inc (NIO US), DiDi Global (DIDI US), JD.com Inc. (9618 HK), Alibaba Group (9988 HK), Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) (981 HK) 

Global Emerging Markets Weekly: 3 September 2021

Equity Bottom-Up

Following the completion of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus (PRX NA)</a>’ voluntary exchange offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naspers-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21085:1" rel="noopener">Naspers (NPN SJ)</a> shares, we are left with management having achieved their goal of meaningfully reducing Naspers’ overweight position on the notable South African equity indices (a key driver of the discount to NAV), and increasing the Prosus free float materially, with a commensurate increase in index weightings. It has also left us with a cross-holding structure which has significantly increased the complexity of trading dynamics, increased currency risk exposures, and a reduced corporate governance perception of the group. 
In a detailed insight last year (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/naspers-double-discount-warranted-the-search-for-a-catalyst-continues" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44014" rel="noopener">Naspers: “Double” Discount Warranted? The Search for a Catalyst Continues</a>), I analysed what I believed to be the 6 key drivers of Prosus’ and Naspers’ holding company discounts to find a catalyst for value unlock, and perhaps an interesting, discounted entry point to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a>. Following the exchange offer, which has just been concluded, I revisit these drivers and update the fundamental sum-of-the-parts valuations for both Prosus and Naspers.

Following the completion of Prosus (PRX NA)’ voluntary exchange offer for Naspers (NPN SJ) shares, we are left with management having achieved their goal of meaningfully reducing Naspers’ overweight position on the notable South African equity indices (a key driver of the discount to NAV), and increasing the Prosus free float materially, with a commensurate increase in index weightings. It has also left us with a cross-holding structure which has significantly increased the complexity of trading dynamics, increased currency risk exposures, and a reduced corporate governance perception of the group. 
In a detailed insight last year (Naspers: “Double” Discount Warranted? The Search for a Catalyst Continues), I analysed what I believed to be the 6 key drivers of Prosus’ and Naspers’ holding company discounts to find a catalyst for value unlock, and perhaps an interesting, discounted entry point to Tencent (700 HK). Following the exchange offer, which has just been concluded, I revisit these drivers and update the fundamental sum-of-the-parts valuations for both Prosus and Naspers.

Prosus/Naspers: Fundamental Drivers of the Discount Revisited Post the Exchange Offer

South Africa

Naspers Limited operates in the technology industry. The Company invests in global internet companies across the world.

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Naspers (NPN SJ)

Naspers Drives South Africa Positioning to All-Time Lows, but Bright Spots Emerge

Heavy selling in Naspers has driven South Africa exposure to record lows following the Prosus exchange offer. EM active managers turn instead to...

Steven Holden

Naspers/Prosus Spread - What Next?

The Naspers/Prosus reorg/Offer/Crossholding Structure was completed in early August. Index changes in mid-August, buyback program on Prosus started...

Travis Lundy

EMEA Sectors Deep-Dive. Active Positioning in the EMEA Region

The last decade has seen EMEA weights drift ever lower. We look in detail at all sectors in the EMEA region, together with some of the key stocks...

Steven Holden

Global Emerging Markets Weekly: 3 September 2021

This insight provides a summary of the key news developments impacting the largest countries and constituents of the Global Emerging Markets equity...

Wium Malan, CFA

Prosus/Naspers: Fundamental Drivers of the Discount Revisited Post the Exchange Offer

In this insight, and following the completion of their exchange offer, I revisit what I believe to be the 6 key fundamental drivers of the Naspers...

Wium Malan, CFA

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