Chief Economist & Political Strategist, CrossASEAN Research

Prasenjit K. Basu

Chief Economist & Political Strategist

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>Trump is likely to win a substantial victory in the Iowa caucuses, with the real contest being for second place between Haley and DeSantis, with the latter banking on Iowa.</li>
<li>In the New Hampshire primary, Haley has closed the gap with Trump, to near a dead-heat with Christie's withdrawal. A post-Iowa withdrawal by DeSantis would mean "Advantage Haley' in NH. </li>
<li>Haley will likely win at home (South Carolina), with that momentum reducing Trump's huge organizational advantage on Super Tuesday. A 2-horse GOP race is market-positive, promising a less chaotic outcome.  </li>
</ul>


Trump is likely to win a substantial victory in the Iowa caucuses, with the real contest being for second place between Haley and DeSantis, with the latter banking on Iowa.
In the New Hampshire primary, Haley has closed the gap with Trump, to near a dead-heat with Christie's withdrawal. A post-Iowa withdrawal by DeSantis would mean "Advantage Haley' in NH. 
Haley will likely win at home (South Carolina), with that momentum reducing Trump's huge organizational advantage on Super Tuesday. A 2-horse GOP race is market-positive, promising a less chaotic outcome.  


US: Haley Leads Biden by 8pp; Iowa Could Make It a Trump-Haley GOP Contest

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist, True Insights

Jeroen Blokland

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist

Build Well-Diversified Multi-Asset Portfolios

True Insights

Our research helps investors build well-diversified multi-asset portfolios and profit from market developments. In addition, our unique and proven Macro – Sentiment – Valuation (MSV) investment framework ensures a consistent flow of new investment opportunities. Together with our market views, these opportunities will be reflected in our live ETF-based Global Multi-Asset Portfolios.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>After a ten-year struggle, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have been approved, closing one of the most entertaining and remarkable (what regulator gets hacked in the process) ETF races ever.</li>
<li>US inflation came in hotter than expected, but unlike previous months, underlying data was pretty benign, with one measure of headline CPI dropping below 2% for the first time in 3.5 years.</li>
<li>Chinese equities are out. And not just by sentiment-driven short-term investors. Meanwhile, Japanese stocks are on fire, powering ahead by more than 6% since the start of this year.</li>
</ul>


After a ten-year struggle, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have been approved, closing one of the most entertaining and remarkable (what regulator gets hacked in the process) ETF races ever.
US inflation came in hotter than expected, but unlike previous months, underlying data was pretty benign, with one measure of headline CPI dropping below 2% for the first time in 3.5 years.
Chinese equities are out. And not just by sentiment-driven short-term investors. Meanwhile, Japanese stocks are on fire, powering ahead by more than 6% since the start of this year.


The Weekly Market Monitor – Chinese Equities Out, Bitcoin In!

Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>The WTR Sustainable Index was down by 3.2% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (down 1.5%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 3.7%), and the Nasdaq Index (down 3.1%).</li><li>Energy Technology (13.7% of the index) was down by 6.5%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (50.6% of the index) was down 2.1%, ClimateTech Mining was up 10.3%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions was down 6.7%.</li><li>Top 10 Performers: AEVA, WAVE, PEV, PTRA, QS, PGTK, EFLVF, NXH, LIS, TMC</li></ul>

The WTR Sustainable Index was down by 3.2% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (down 1.5%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 3.7%), and the Nasdaq Index (down 3.1%).Energy Technology (13.7% of the index) was down by 6.5%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (50.6% of the index) was down 2.1%, ClimateTech Mining was up 10.3%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions was down 6.7%.Top 10 Performers: AEVA, WAVE, PEV, PTRA, QS, PGTK, EFLVF, NXH, LIS, TMC

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor  - Week Ended January 5, 2024

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

NASDAQ Composite Index / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Following last week's pullback, a consistent theme we are seeing is that many broad market indexes and Sector ETFs are holding above (and bouncing at) major base supports.</li>
<li>As long as these base supports continue to hold, it tells us this is likely just a normal pullback within the overall bullish trend.</li>
<li>Important supports that we need to see hold in order to remain bullish include 4600 on the S&amp;P 500 and 14,400 on the Nasdaq Composite.</li>
</ul>


Following last week's pullback, a consistent theme we are seeing is that many broad market indexes and Sector ETFs are holding above (and bouncing at) major base supports.
As long as these base supports continue to hold, it tells us this is likely just a normal pullback within the overall bullish trend.
Important supports that we need to see hold in order to remain bullish include 4600 on the S&amp;P 500 and 14,400 on the Nasdaq Composite.


Major Base Supports Holding; DXY Testing the 2-Month Downtrend; 4600 on SPX Remains Key Support

Oil and Gas, Mint Finance

Suhas Reddy

Oil and Gas

Deep Fundamental Analysis

Mint Finance

Mint Finance's investment research blends deep fundamental analysis with technical & quant insights. Investment strategies straddle across multiple asset classes with risk management embedded into every trade to deliver an outsized reward-to-risk ratio.

Mint Finance's research is centered around three key themes. First, energy transition and climate change. Second, artificial intelligence. Third, shifting world order with its impact across politics and monetary economics.

<ul>
<li>Growth in commercial real estate to be subdued in 2024 due to weak demand, especially for office spaces.</li>
<li>Concerns over CRE loan defaults grow stronger as the industry faces a liquidity crunch.</li>
<li>Delinquency rates of commercial real estate loans rise for five consecutive quarters till Q32023.</li>
</ul>


Growth in commercial real estate to be subdued in 2024 due to weak demand, especially for office spaces.
Concerns over CRE loan defaults grow stronger as the industry faces a liquidity crunch.
Delinquency rates of commercial real estate loans rise for five consecutive quarters till Q32023.


Rough Road Ahead for US Commercial Real Estate but Industrial CRE Is Rooted to Outperform Others

United States

The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

S&P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)

US: Haley Leads Biden by 8pp; Iowa Could Make It a Trump-Haley GOP Contest

DeSantis bet the bank on Iowa. If Haley beats him to 2nd there, he's likely to withdraw. Haley then will likely beat Trump in NH & SC, reducing...

Prasenjit K. Basu

The Weekly Market Monitor – Chinese Equities Out, Bitcoin In!

With hindsight, this week likely marks Bitcoin's 'official' adoption as a new asset class. Meanwhile, investors seem done with China, once the...

Jeroen Blokland

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor - Week Ended January 5, 2024

The WTR Sustainable Index was down by 3.2% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (down 1.5%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 3.7%), and the Nasdaq Index (down...

Water Tower Research

Major Base Supports Holding; DXY Testing the 2-Month Downtrend; 4600 on SPX Remains Key Support

A consistent theme we are seeing is that many broad market indexes and Sector ETFs are holding above (and bouncing at) major base supports...

Vermilion Research

Rough Road Ahead for US Commercial Real Estate but Industrial CRE Is Rooted to Outperform Others

US CRE shows bleak prospects for 2024 due to structural demand decline for office space. CRE loan delinquency on the rise for five sequential...

Mint Finance