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

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

EM Autos are the 10th largest industry group weight among active EM managers, with average weights of 1.55%.  The more interesting metric however, is the extent to which Autos have become one of the largest industry level underweights across global EM.  The increased underweight has almost exclusively been driven by two stocks, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nio-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27399:1" rel="noopener">NIO Inc (NIO US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK</a>, with both seeing benchmark weights rise on the back of strong price increases.Such outright volatility has created a challenge for active managers who are benchmarked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.   Namely, how do you position yourself in a prominent index component that rises 900% in the space of 12 months?  The temptation might be to add <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nio-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27399:1" rel="noopener">NIO Inc (NIO US)</a> to a portfolio to dampen some of that benchmark risk, and indeed we have seen that happening among managers with low active shares.However, so far, high active managers have remained on the sidelines, sticking instead with more established autos stocks of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kia-motors-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:156:1" rel="noopener">Kia Motors Corp (000270 KS)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/geely-automobile-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:127:1" rel="noopener">Geely Auto (175 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hero-motocorp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2391:1" rel="noopener">Hero Motocorp (HMCL IN)</a>.  Therefore, there is very little peer group risk in avoiding either <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nio-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27399:1" rel="noopener">NIO Inc (NIO US)</a> or <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> .  In fact, if a high active manager decides to invest in either stock, it will represent an out-of-consensus long compared to the majority of your active peers.

EM Autos are the 10th largest industry group weight among active EM managers, with average weights of 1.55%.  The more interesting metric however, is the extent to which Autos have become one of the largest industry level underweights across global EM.  The increased underweight has almost exclusively been driven by two stocks, NIO Inc (NIO US) and BYD (1211 HK, with both seeing benchmark weights rise on the back of strong price increases.Such outright volatility has created a challenge for active managers who are benchmarked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.   Namely, how do you position yourself in a prominent index component that rises 900% in the space of 12 months?  The temptation might be to add NIO Inc (NIO US) to a portfolio to dampen some of that benchmark risk, and indeed we have seen that happening among managers with low active shares.However, so far, high active managers have remained on the sidelines, sticking instead with more established autos stocks of Kia Motors Corp (000270 KS) , Geely Auto (175 HK) and Hero Motocorp (HMCL IN).  Therefore, there is very little peer group risk in avoiding either NIO Inc (NIO US) or BYD (1211 HK) .  In fact, if a high active manager decides to invest in either stock, it will represent an out-of-consensus long compared to the majority of your active peers.

EM Autos Underweight:  Ignore Benchmark Risk and Focus on Peers

Consumer Discretionary / Industrials

Henry Kwon

Equity Bottom-Up

NIO closed at $34.06 on Friday, failing to close above its 10-Day EMA of $34.42, although the stock climbed as high as $34.78 intra-day. DCF analysis using consensus FCF forecast suggests that currently NIO's shares may be implying a 18.1% perpetuity growth outlook which would be bearish if the yield curve continues to steepen. While fundamental valuation implications do not necessarily become reflected in stock prices over a short period, Friday's technical chart alignment could signal further bearish short term price action.<ul>
<li>
Bearish Technical Alignment on Friday: Dark Cloud Cover was formed on the daily candlestick chart on Friday. While the pattern needs to be confirmed on Monday, it may be a new bearish signal to what looks like an impending death cross that I mentioned in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/nio-is-it-re-entry-point-yet" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51824" rel="noopener">NIO: Is It Re-Entry Point Yet?</a> on May 20.</li>
<li>
DCF Analysis Reality Check: At current share price, 3-year consensus FCF forecast and 1Q21 balance sheet details suggest that the market may be implying a 18.1% perpetuity growth rate and 139x terminal EBITDA multiple assumption. Long term fundamental valuations therefore would suggest there is further downside risk, but having said this, I would point out that other catalysts can often impact short term price action more strongly.</li>
<li>
Systemic Risk could be a greater concern than company risk at this point: NIO remains a high beta EV play. While the 10-year Treasury yield looked more stable on Friday, any sudden spike in the Treasury yield can have a sharp negative effect on EV stock valuations.</li>
<li>
A Short term Bullish Scenario: If the stock manages to reject the Dark Cloud Cover formation on Monday and close above its 10 day EMA, the move may accelerate price recovery with the first resistance level coming in at the 21 day EMA currently fixed at $35.68. Clearing these two hurdles may accelerate the upward momentum to the $38.19 - $38.67 zone, which represent the stock's current 200 DMA and the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement, respectively.</li>
<li>
A Short term Bearish Scenario: If Dark Cloud Cover is confirmed first support should come in at the stock's 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement at $30.98 which basically held recently. If the stock breaks below this level, however, the decline may accelerate towards the $20-22 zone last seen in October, 2020, over the next few trading sessions.</li>
</ul>Operating environment for NIO remains constructive. 3 month moving average sales volume comparison with XPEV and TSLA suggests NIO's volume sales have been more stable than its peers. Continuing sales growth in the context of overall improvement in 2021 auto demand and continuing tailwinds from the new car effect (EC 6) looks constructive for earnings implications over the next 1-2 quarters at current pace. At this point, therefore, we see more price risk stemming more from systemic risk than company risk.

NIO closed at $34.06 on Friday, failing to close above its 10-Day EMA of $34.42, although the stock climbed as high as $34.78 intra-day. DCF analysis using consensus FCF forecast suggests that currently NIO's shares may be implying a 18.1% perpetuity growth outlook which would be bearish if the yield curve continues to steepen. While fundamental valuation implications do not necessarily become reflected in stock prices over a short period, Friday's technical chart alignment could signal further bearish short term price action.

Bearish Technical Alignment on Friday: Dark Cloud Cover was formed on the daily candlestick chart on Friday. While the pattern needs to be confirmed on Monday, it may be a new bearish signal to what looks like an impending death cross that I mentioned in NIO: Is It Re-Entry Point Yet? on May 20.

DCF Analysis Reality Check: At current share price, 3-year consensus FCF forecast and 1Q21 balance sheet details suggest that the market may be implying a 18.1% perpetuity growth rate and 139x terminal EBITDA multiple assumption. Long term fundamental valuations therefore would suggest there is further downside risk, but having said this, I would point out that other catalysts can often impact short term price action more strongly.

Systemic Risk could be a greater concern than company risk at this point: NIO remains a high beta EV play. While the 10-year Treasury yield looked more stable on Friday, any sudden spike in the Treasury yield can have a sharp negative effect on EV stock valuations.

A Short term Bullish Scenario: If the stock manages to reject the Dark Cloud Cover formation on Monday and close above its 10 day EMA, the move may accelerate price recovery with the first resistance level coming in at the 21 day EMA currently fixed at $35.68. Clearing these two hurdles may accelerate the upward momentum to the $38.19 - $38.67 zone, which represent the stock's current 200 DMA and the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement, respectively.

A Short term Bearish Scenario: If Dark Cloud Cover is confirmed first support should come in at the stock's 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement at $30.98 which basically held recently. If the stock breaks below this level, however, the decline may accelerate towards the $20-22 zone last seen in October, 2020, over the next few trading sessions.
Operating environment for NIO remains constructive. 3 month moving average sales volume comparison with XPEV and TSLA suggests NIO's volume sales have been more stable than its peers. Continuing sales growth in the context of overall improvement in 2021 auto demand and continuing tailwinds from the new car effect (EC 6) looks constructive for earnings implications over the next 1-2 quarters at current pace. At this point, therefore, we see more price risk stemming more from systemic risk than company risk.

NIO: Dark Cloud Cover with Close Below the 10-Day EMA on Friday May Add A Short Term Bearish Signal

NIO dipped slightly below the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level of $30.98 at $30.71 on an intra-day basis on May 13 before clawing its way back up to close at $34.35 today, slightly below its 10-day EMA of $34.50 on light volumes. The question now becomes whether we have seen short term bottom for the shares, or if it has further downside risk. As of close today, the stock's 50 DMA looks like it may be on a downward path to cross the 200 DMA over the next few trading sessions, and this is a key short term indicator that I think investors should keep in mind. While the big trend continues to point downwards, however, the stock also looks as if it might be currently searching for bottom based on patterns from the past few trading sessions.The following bullet points outline my thoughts on the operating environment fundamentals for the stock. On the question of re-entry point, I am inclined to wait and see whether the shares can consolidate and close above the 10-day EMA as the first hurdle. The next point would be to see if it can avoid what looks like an impending death cross over the next few trading sessions.<ul>
<li>
New Model Intro Benefits to Extend to 3Q: The ES8 refresh in April, 2020 and the EC6 launch in September, 2020, have led to a very nice sales growth for NIO since the beginning of the year. I believe it likely that delivery momentum should continue to show strength through 3Q21.</li>
<li>
Passenger Vehicle Demand Trending at 6.5% YoY in 2021:Average PV SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) through April is suggesting that China PV demand is trending at 6.5% YoY growth in 2021. This will likely provide a fundamental tailwind for auto demand in general especially with government subsidies remaining in place for the rest of the year.</li>
<li>
Much of China's EV demand remains rooted in the A-segment: This has more to do with per capita GDP and discretionary income than anything else. Much of China's BEV demand continues to come largely from A-segment products such as the Wuling Mini and the Baojun Eseries vehicles at lower price points for the mass segment (see <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/tesla-tsla-a-few-thoughts-on-the-china-plant-announcement" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:22077" rel="noopener">Tesla (TSLA): A Few Thoughts on the China Plant Announcement</a> published back in 2018 for details on my thinking on the evolutionary nature of segment shift). This will likely cap the growth rates of premium BEV producers from dominating the entire EV market in China over a medium term horizon.</li>
</ul>The market's concern over inflation and a potential for the yield curve to steepen strongly remains a key valuation concern for growth stocks listed on NASDAQ in my view. NIO is an emerging market stock listed on NASDAQ which can potentially lead to greater volatility than market volatility.

NIO dipped slightly below the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level of $30.98 at $30.71 on an intra-day basis on May 13 before clawing its way back up to close at $34.35 today, slightly below its 10-day EMA of $34.50 on light volumes. The question now becomes whether we have seen short term bottom for the shares, or if it has further downside risk. As of close today, the stock's 50 DMA looks like it may be on a downward path to cross the 200 DMA over the next few trading sessions, and this is a key short term indicator that I think investors should keep in mind. While the big trend continues to point downwards, however, the stock also looks as if it might be currently searching for bottom based on patterns from the past few trading sessions.The following bullet points outline my thoughts on the operating environment fundamentals for the stock. On the question of re-entry point, I am inclined to wait and see whether the shares can consolidate and close above the 10-day EMA as the first hurdle. The next point would be to see if it can avoid what looks like an impending death cross over the next few trading sessions.

New Model Intro Benefits to Extend to 3Q: The ES8 refresh in April, 2020 and the EC6 launch in September, 2020, have led to a very nice sales growth for NIO since the beginning of the year. I believe it likely that delivery momentum should continue to show strength through 3Q21.

Passenger Vehicle Demand Trending at 6.5% YoY in 2021:Average PV SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) through April is suggesting that China PV demand is trending at 6.5% YoY growth in 2021. This will likely provide a fundamental tailwind for auto demand in general especially with government subsidies remaining in place for the rest of the year.

Much of China's EV demand remains rooted in the A-segment: This has more to do with per capita GDP and discretionary income than anything else. Much of China's BEV demand continues to come largely from A-segment products such as the Wuling Mini and the Baojun Eseries vehicles at lower price points for the mass segment (see Tesla (TSLA): A Few Thoughts on the China Plant Announcement published back in 2018 for details on my thinking on the evolutionary nature of segment shift). This will likely cap the growth rates of premium BEV producers from dominating the entire EV market in China over a medium term horizon.
The market's concern over inflation and a potential for the yield curve to steepen strongly remains a key valuation concern for growth stocks listed on NASDAQ in my view. NIO is an emerging market stock listed on NASDAQ which can potentially lead to greater volatility than market volatility.

Chief Economist

Diana Choyleva

Enodo Economics

Enodo Economics is an independent macroeconomic forecasting company that untangles complexity, challenges the consensus, and makes sense of the future. Our focus is on China – one of the most misunderstood economies in the world, but one of the most important to figure out.  Enodo’s chief economist, Diana Choyleva, has been analysing China for almost 20 years, while Enodo’s team boasts a combined 140 years’ experience covering China’s economy, politics and markets. 

Macroeconomics

<h2>China News That Matters</h2><ul>
<li>A mere 1.41178 billion</li>
<li>Hush now. Central bank calms inflation fears</li>
<li>When a poem, slashes share price</li>
<li>Kerry: China is an adversary</li>
<li>Don’t wait to recharge your batteries</li>
</ul><div class="content-remarks">In my weekly digest China News That Matters, I will give you selected summaries, sourced from a variety of local Chinese-language and international news outlets, and highlight why I think the news is significant. These posts are meant to neither be bullish nor bearish, but help you separate the signal from the noise.</div>

China News That Matters
A mere 1.41178 billion
Hush now. Central bank calms inflation fears
When a poem, slashes share price
Kerry: China is an adversary
Don’t wait to recharge your batteries
In my weekly digest China News That Matters, I will give you selected summaries, sourced from a variety of local Chinese-language and international news outlets, and highlight why I think the news is significant. These posts are meant to neither be bullish nor bearish, but help you separate the signal from the noise.

Population/ Commodities/ Meituan/ US-China/ EVs

China Specialist, Auto and Industrial Specialist

Victoria Li

Official sales data about China's April auto sector might be released later than usual, due to long holiday of Labour Day in China. Based on available data, we estimate sales growths of both auto sector shipment and end demand in April 2021(vs. April 2019) to accelerate. OEMs shipment accelerated as well, which might be a good sign that chips shortage started easing.According to individual EV makers' latest sales data, China's NEV sales might be flattish MoM. It continues outperforming the overall auto market. In April, Xpeng(XPEV.US) car sales increased slightly MoM, while NIO's (NIO.US) sales decreased slightly MoM due to chip shortage. Li Auto's (LI.US) April sales  grew 13% MoM.

Official sales data about China's April auto sector might be released later than usual, due to long holiday of Labour Day in China. Based on available data, we estimate sales growths of both auto sector shipment and end demand in April 2021(vs. April 2019) to accelerate. OEMs shipment accelerated as well, which might be a good sign that chips shortage started easing.According to individual EV makers' latest sales data, China's NEV sales might be flattish MoM. It continues outperforming the overall auto market. In April, Xpeng(XPEV.US) car sales increased slightly MoM, while NIO's (NIO.US) sales decreased slightly MoM due to chip shortage. Li Auto's (LI.US) April sales  grew 13% MoM.

China Auto: Early Positive Signs of Chips Shortage Easing

China

NIO Inc. manufactures and sells automobiles. The Company offers electric vehicles and parts, as well as provides battery charging services. NIO serves customers worldwide.

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NIO (NIO US)

EM Autos Underweight: Ignore Benchmark Risk and Focus on Peers

EM Autos have become one of the largest industry level underweights across global EM. The increased underweight has almost exclusively been driven...

Steven Holden

NIO: Dark Cloud Cover with Close Below the 10-Day EMA on Friday May Add A Short Term Bearish Signal

Dark Cloud Cover bearish reversal pattern was formed on Friday's daily candlestick chart, while a DCF analysis based on current 3-year consensus...

Henry Kwon

NIO: Is It Re-Entry Point Yet?

NIO dipped slightly below the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level on May 13 then climbed back to close slightly below its 10-day EMA today. Good...

Henry Kwon

Population/ Commodities/ Meituan/ US-China/ EVs

In my weekly digest, I will give you selected summaries, sourced from a variety of local Chinese-language and international news outlets, and...

Diana Choyleva

China Auto: Early Positive Signs of Chips Shortage Easing

Official sales data about China's April auto sector might be released later than usual, due to long holiday of Labour Day in China.

Victoria Li

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