Independent Asian Credit Research, Bondcritic

Warut Promboon

Independent Asian Credit Research

Asian Fixed Income/Frontier Market Research

Bondcritic

Bondcritic, established in 2009, is designed to be an independent credit research voice that helps investors gain insights and unbiased analyses on Asian fixed income market. Our mission is to discover deep-value Asian high-yield and distressed bonds with a bottom-up approach, together with the help of our proprietary ESG (Environmental, Social Development, and Governance) model. At the same time, we focus on bringing investment cases of unrated and unloved issuers to the general public.

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>Thai equities lack growth and innovation. Big corporations continue to have unfair advantages in terms of access to bank financing and business opportunities.</li>
<li>Thailand is an aging society with rising income disparity and a stalling education system. Hence, we have questioned how Thailand will escape the middle income trap in the near term.</li>
<li>We expect more disruptions and policy blunders which could impair Thai stock performance. We do not believe Thailand can correct its cause in the near term.</li>
</ul>


Thai equities lack growth and innovation. Big corporations continue to have unfair advantages in terms of access to bank financing and business opportunities.
Thailand is an aging society with rising income disparity and a stalling education system. Hence, we have questioned how Thailand will escape the middle income trap in the near term.
We expect more disruptions and policy blunders which could impair Thai stock performance. We do not believe Thailand can correct its cause in the near term.


Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

Equity Analyst

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Equity Bottom-Up

Merdeka Battery Materials / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>EV supply chain is at a nascent stage in ASEAN and EV adoption in the region lags behind developed markets despite boasting a large population with a burgeoning middle class.</li>
<li>However, Governments in the region continue to introduce new initiatives and offer incentives to promote the sector, while companies continue to attract large investment to develop the EV market.</li>
<li>The four companies we looked at have reported earnings and we have discussed their latest results and our investment thesis.</li>
</ul>


EV supply chain is at a nascent stage in ASEAN and EV adoption in the region lags behind developed markets despite boasting a large population with a burgeoning middle class.
However, Governments in the region continue to introduce new initiatives and offer incentives to promote the sector, while companies continue to attract large investment to develop the EV market.
The four companies we looked at have reported earnings and we have discussed their latest results and our investment thesis.


ASEAN EV Ecosystem Update: Further Initiatives to Build a Regional EV Ecosystem

Head of Research, Krungthai XSpring

Waraporn Wiboonkanarak

Head of Research

A full service Thai brokerage

Krungthai XSpring

Krungthai XSpring is a full service broker. The company provides a wide range of investment services such as Securities Brokerage, Derivative Agent Business, Securities Borrowing and Lending, Securities Trading, Underwriting, Financial Advisory, Wealth Advisory, Private Fund Management and International Markets Securities Trading. 

In terms of credibility, Fitch Ratings has assigned Krunghtai XSpring a long-term rating of AA- and a national short-term rating of F1+ with stable outlook.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>The MPC's softer outlook for 2024E GDP growth, now projected within the range of 2.5-3.0%, will provide more leeway for the committee to maintain the policy interest rate above inflation, thereby ensuring a positive real interest rate.</li><li>Considering i) the current real interest rate at 3.6% (Thai policy rate at 2.5%, CPI at -1.1% YoY), the highest in 32 months and higher than the US real interest rate at 2.1% (US policy rate at 5.5% and CPI at +3.4% YoY); ii) the uncertain outlook for the Digital Wallet scheme, which may prevent Thai GDP growth in 2024E from reaching its full potential level; and iii) the divided vote (five to two) in the most recent meeting, there is a possibility that the MPC may reduce the policy interest rate in the future to stimulate the economy and bring economic growth back to its potential level.</li><li>This scenario would be positive for high dividend plays (BCP, PTT, TOP, WHAUP, SABINA and ADVANC) and the finance sector (SAWAD, MTC and TIDLOR) (Figure 9).</li></ul>

The MPC's softer outlook for 2024E GDP growth, now projected within the range of 2.5-3.0%, will provide more leeway for the committee to maintain the policy interest rate above inflation, thereby ensuring a positive real interest rate.Considering i) the current real interest rate at 3.6% (Thai policy rate at 2.5%, CPI at -1.1% YoY), the highest in 32 months and higher than the US real interest rate at 2.1% (US policy rate at 5.5% and CPI at +3.4% YoY); ii) the uncertain outlook for the Digital Wallet scheme, which may prevent Thai GDP growth in 2024E from reaching its full potential level; and iii) the divided vote (five to two) in the most recent meeting, there is a possibility that the MPC may reduce the policy interest rate in the future to stimulate the economy and bring economic growth back to its potential level.This scenario would be positive for high dividend plays (BCP, PTT, TOP, WHAUP, SABINA and ADVANC) and the finance sector (SAWAD, MTC and TIDLOR) (Figure 9).

Economic Update: MPC Holds Policy Interest Rate at 2.5%

Debt Capital Markets

THAI CDS USD SR 5Y D14 / Debt Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Here we are revisiting the Thai bond market, as per requests from our Thai readers, to see the impact of the global rate trajectory on Thailand.</li>
<li>The Thai bond market will remain unattractive to foreign institutional investors, in our view.</li>
<li>The attempt to increase yield should involve a material change in Thailand’s financial structure and regulatory mindset.</li>
</ul>


Here we are revisiting the Thai bond market, as per requests from our Thai readers, to see the impact of the global rate trajectory on Thailand.
The Thai bond market will remain unattractive to foreign institutional investors, in our view.
The attempt to increase yield should involve a material change in Thailand’s financial structure and regulatory mindset.


Bond Market Monitor: Thai Bonds Are for Issuers

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>In this note, we will look at the Asia Pacific IPO pipeline for 2024, following up with ASEAN and ANZ after having looked at other regions earlier.</li>
<li>This list has been compiled on a best effort basis from tracking the company filings and through various other sources</li>
<li>The deals you see in this note are only a part of our full IPO pipeline tracker. Feel free to drop us a message for additional information on these IPOs.</li>
</ul>


In this note, we will look at the Asia Pacific IPO pipeline for 2024, following up with ASEAN and ANZ after having looked at other regions earlier.
This list has been compiled on a best effort basis from tracking the company filings and through various other sources
The deals you see in this note are only a part of our full IPO pipeline tracker. Feel free to drop us a message for additional information on these IPOs.


Aequitas 2024 Asia IPO Pipeline - ASEAN and ANZ

Thailand

PTT Public Company Limited operates as an oil and gas company. The Company produces, transports, and sells natural gas, crude oil, lubricants, aviation and marine, and petrochemical products. PTT offers fleet cards, storage, electronic bill presentment, and other related services. PTT serves customers in Thailand.

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PTT PCL (PTT TB)

Thailand: Aging Poor

The political uncertainty in the past 2 decades has not subsided, in our judgment. We then expect more unpredictable disruptions and policy...

Bondcritic

ASEAN EV Ecosystem Update: Further Initiatives to Build a Regional EV Ecosystem

Development of a robust EV ecosystem remains a primary goal of the governments in the region. Governments continue to introduce new initiatives...

Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

Economic Update: MPC Holds Policy Interest Rate at 2.5%

This scenario would be positive for high dividend plays (BCP, PTT, TOP, WHAUP, SABINA and ADVANC) and the finance sector (SAWAD, MTC and TIDLOR)

Krungthai XSpring

Bond Market Monitor: Thai Bonds Are for Issuers

Close to home, we are looking into how the recent global rate trajectory will impact Thailand. We still believe Thai bonds will remain unattractive...

Bondcritic

Aequitas 2024 Asia IPO Pipeline - ASEAN and ANZ

In this note, we will look at the Asia Pacific IPO pipeline for 2024, following up with ASEAN and ANZ after having looked at other regions earlier.

Sumeet Singh

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