Founder of Antler Capital

Stanley Tsai, CFA

Macroeconomics

The NDRC launched its latest round of price stabilization campaign on July 7 by purchasing 20K metric tonnes (mt) of frozen pork for the country's strategic reserves. This may have been a symbolic gesture, but independently of regulatory intervention, pork prices appear to have hit a cyclical bottom. This may have longer-term implications for investors.
Pork prices still matter. We estimate that food accounts for around 30% of China's CPI. Pork's contribution fell from 4.6% in 2020 to 2.1% through May this year. However, wild price swings mean that pork remains a critical determinant of the PBOC's ability to pivot towards an easing stance in 2H21.
The capacity ramp-up post-swine flu has led to a precipitous price decline. The fall ytd has been much sharper than expected. Demand still seems to be on the weak side, but the increase in production has been the driving factor. The replenishment of live sow stock suggests that supply will likely remain abundant in the near future.
The ratio of live hog to feed prices fell below 5x for the first time since 2015. This triggered a tier-1 alert under the NDRC's three-tier warning system and prompted the recent reserve acquisition. The amount purchased was immaterial relative to the market's inventory level. The signaling effect is perhaps more significant.
We expect that live hog prices will recover to the CNY18-20 / kg level in 2H21 as demand catches up. This should gradually take monthly CPI towards the 2% y/y level as we approach December. The tail risk lies in China's heavy reliance on feed imports. Any significant disruptions to the global supply chain may drive pork prices up faster than expected.
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">Exhibit 1: Ratio of Live Hog to Feed Prices (x)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/217/518/original/image_33697793581625765176358.png?1625765177" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="217518"></figure>
Source: China Animal and Agriculture Association, Our analysis
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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The NDRC launched its latest round of price stabilization campaign on July 7 by purchasing 20K metric tonnes (mt) of frozen pork for the country's strategic reserves. This may have been a symbolic gesture, but independently of regulatory intervention, pork prices appear to have hit a cyclical bottom. This may have longer-term implications for investors.
Pork prices still matter. We estimate that food accounts for around 30% of China's CPI. Pork's contribution fell from 4.6% in 2020 to 2.1% through May this year. However, wild price swings mean that pork remains a critical determinant of the PBOC's ability to pivot towards an easing stance in 2H21.
The capacity ramp-up post-swine flu has led to a precipitous price decline. The fall ytd has been much sharper than expected. Demand still seems to be on the weak side, but the increase in production has been the driving factor. The replenishment of live sow stock suggests that supply will likely remain abundant in the near future.
The ratio of live hog to feed prices fell below 5x for the first time since 2015. This triggered a tier-1 alert under the NDRC's three-tier warning system and prompted the recent reserve acquisition. The amount purchased was immaterial relative to the market's inventory level. The signaling effect is perhaps more significant.
We expect that live hog prices will recover to the CNY18-20 / kg level in 2H21 as demand catches up. This should gradually take monthly CPI towards the 2% y/y level as we approach December. The tail risk lies in China's heavy reliance on feed imports. Any significant disruptions to the global supply chain may drive pork prices up faster than expected.



Exhibit 1: Ratio of Live Hog to Feed Prices (x)




Source: China Animal and Agriculture Association, Our analysis




Related Insights

China Macro: PPI Peaks, while CPI Eases Tightening Fears

China Macro: Profits Flowing Gently Down the Stream 

China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook 


Pork Price Rebound: What It Means for China's Inflation

Industrial profits round out the macro data releases for the month. Overall, the numbers are in line with expectations, but if we look past the impact of commodity price dislocations, earnings outlook is decidedly less sanguine (Exhibit 1).
Headline industrial earnings reinforce the trends in PPI we saw earlier in the month. The 20% two-year CAGR in May was driven mainly by higher factory gate prices. Unit sales growth remained anemic and reflects weaker-than-expected infrastructure capex, exports and consumer spending. 
The upstream resource extraction industry continued to benefit from the commodities boom. Profitability gains from price hikes have more than offset low transaction volumes. This significant distortion has prompted Beijing's recent interventions. We believe margins may have topped out for the upstream producers and we will be looking at progressively tougher comps ahead.
The midstream refiners and equipment manufacturers vary in their ability to pass on price hikes to their customers. Earnings growth slowed for ferrous metals and accelerated for non-ferrous metals for this reason. In any case, margins have risen to a recent high for the sector as a whole and are set to narrow. Equipment producers have led the retreat thus far.
The logical pecking order going forward would seem to be downstream &gt; midstream &gt; upstream. We believe there is a strong case for cyclicals and discretionaries as input prices ease. And more earnings upgrades may be in the works following in Li Ning <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/li-ning-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6047:1" rel="noopener">(2331 HK)</a>'s footsteps. CPI still looks benign for the time being, but we would keep an eye out for a rebound in food prices. The recent recovery in pork prices - coupled with an unusually dry season globally - could make for a nasty surprise.
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">Exhibit 1: Monthly Industrial Profits by Sector | % ∆ y/y </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/215/821/original/image_984775689201624923389813.png?1624923389" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="215821"></figure>
Note: Growth rates = 2Y CAGR
Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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</ul>

Industrial profits round out the macro data releases for the month. Overall, the numbers are in line with expectations, but if we look past the impact of commodity price dislocations, earnings outlook is decidedly less sanguine (Exhibit 1).
Headline industrial earnings reinforce the trends in PPI we saw earlier in the month. The 20% two-year CAGR in May was driven mainly by higher factory gate prices. Unit sales growth remained anemic and reflects weaker-than-expected infrastructure capex, exports and consumer spending. 
The upstream resource extraction industry continued to benefit from the commodities boom. Profitability gains from price hikes have more than offset low transaction volumes. This significant distortion has prompted Beijing's recent interventions. We believe margins may have topped out for the upstream producers and we will be looking at progressively tougher comps ahead.
The midstream refiners and equipment manufacturers vary in their ability to pass on price hikes to their customers. Earnings growth slowed for ferrous metals and accelerated for non-ferrous metals for this reason. In any case, margins have risen to a recent high for the sector as a whole and are set to narrow. Equipment producers have led the retreat thus far.
The logical pecking order going forward would seem to be downstream &gt; midstream &gt; upstream. We believe there is a strong case for cyclicals and discretionaries as input prices ease. And more earnings upgrades may be in the works following in Li Ning (2331 HK)'s footsteps. CPI still looks benign for the time being, but we would keep an eye out for a rebound in food prices. The recent recovery in pork prices - coupled with an unusually dry season globally - could make for a nasty surprise.



Exhibit 1: Monthly Industrial Profits by Sector | % ∆ y/y 




Note: Growth rates = 2Y CAGR
Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis




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China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook

China Properties: Like Clockwork, Real Estate Investments Haven't Skipped a Beat 

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China Macro: Exports Disappoint, but It's Still Early in the Game 


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Thematic (Sector/Industry)

For all the roller coaster rides the sector has taken investors on over the years, the Chinese property developers have been unsettlingly consistent in one regard. The CNY1tn fixed asset investment (FAI) homebuilders coughed up in May continued a two-decades long secular trend that may make or break China's still fragile recovery (Exhibit 1).
The Debt-Fueled Supercycle. The sector has seen its share of excesses and corrections, exemplified by the post-GFC FAI expansion and subsequent retrenchment. Covid might have driven up construction costs, but the enthusiasm of would-be homeowners has shown no signs of abating. Just as the developers are working overtime to deleverage their balance sheets, household debt is piling up and may approach alarming levels over the next five years if mortgage growth doesn't decelerate quickly enough.
The Inventory Drawdown. Behind the headline FAI number is a more nuanced picture of inventory reductions and landbank replenishment. Housing starts slowed in May and dipped below project completions on a 12-month rolling basis. This affords cash-strapped property firms an opportunity to rebuild their cashflows, while deploying cash to projects in hand.
The Insatiable Demand. The 0.5% m/m or 5% y/y rise in home prices last month may appear benign in other settings. In the context of China's already exorbitant base, recent data points are a cause for concern. Among the largest cities across the country, those in the Greater Bay Area stand out as outliers, with valuations skyrocketing in spite of the latest round of lockdowns.
The Aggressive Developers. The increasingly bullish undertones of sell-side notes that have landed on our desks are centered around the inventory drawdown / cashflow rebuild story of the perceived higher-quality names in the space. We are not buyers of that story just yet and our work suggests that many developers have been acquiring land at a more aggressive rate than they had planned at the beginning of the year. Regulators are already keeping a close eye on recent transactions and we think we should too.
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 746px;">Exhibit 1: Monthly Housing FAI | 3M Moving Avg (CNY bn)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 746px;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/215/144/original/image_45072834061624549646155.png?1624549646" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="215144"></figure>
Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/china-financials-silver-linings-playbook" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:53013" rel="noopener">China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook</a> </li>
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For all the roller coaster rides the sector has taken investors on over the years, the Chinese property developers have been unsettlingly consistent in one regard. The CNY1tn fixed asset investment (FAI) homebuilders coughed up in May continued a two-decades long secular trend that may make or break China's still fragile recovery (Exhibit 1).
The Debt-Fueled Supercycle. The sector has seen its share of excesses and corrections, exemplified by the post-GFC FAI expansion and subsequent retrenchment. Covid might have driven up construction costs, but the enthusiasm of would-be homeowners has shown no signs of abating. Just as the developers are working overtime to deleverage their balance sheets, household debt is piling up and may approach alarming levels over the next five years if mortgage growth doesn't decelerate quickly enough.
The Inventory Drawdown. Behind the headline FAI number is a more nuanced picture of inventory reductions and landbank replenishment. Housing starts slowed in May and dipped below project completions on a 12-month rolling basis. This affords cash-strapped property firms an opportunity to rebuild their cashflows, while deploying cash to projects in hand.
The Insatiable Demand. The 0.5% m/m or 5% y/y rise in home prices last month may appear benign in other settings. In the context of China's already exorbitant base, recent data points are a cause for concern. Among the largest cities across the country, those in the Greater Bay Area stand out as outliers, with valuations skyrocketing in spite of the latest round of lockdowns.
The Aggressive Developers. The increasingly bullish undertones of sell-side notes that have landed on our desks are centered around the inventory drawdown / cashflow rebuild story of the perceived higher-quality names in the space. We are not buyers of that story just yet and our work suggests that many developers have been acquiring land at a more aggressive rate than they had planned at the beginning of the year. Regulators are already keeping a close eye on recent transactions and we think we should too.



Exhibit 1: Monthly Housing FAI | 3M Moving Avg (CNY bn)




Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Our analysis




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Following consultations with the industry earlier this month, the PBOC has rolled out a new deposit pricing framework, which has the net impact of raising short-term rates while lowering long-term rates for depositors. In our view, this is marginally positive from a macro standpoint, but is far from a major market catalyst.
While policy rates were left untouched, the central bank has tweaked the way deposit rate ceilings are calibrated. The maximum add-ons to base current account, term deposit and negotiable CD rates are 10bp / 50bp / 60bp for SOE banks and 20bp / 75bp / 80bp for the rest of the banking system. This results in a flattening of the deposit rate curve, similar in form to the intended outcome of Operation Twist in the treasury market (Exhibits 1 and 2).
However, the latest move should not be construed as a signal of monetary easing by the PBOC. At the margin, the rate structure reform may encourage some additional consumer spending and corporate investments. But we expect the bulk of the impact to be seen in institutional money flows, with investors such as insurance companies moving away from term deposits to wealth management products and the rates market.
Average deposit rates were already very close to the ceiling prior to the change. And we believe the smaller banks may take the opportunity to raise short-term rates to attract retail money from the G-SIBs and each other. This may lead to further divergence in funding costs between the national and regional players, although we take some comfort from the fact that long-term rates are set to fall, minimizing the potential for irrational pricing that is locked in for two to three years.
Loan prime rates (LPRs) have held steady at 3.85% and 4.65% for one-year and five-year tenors. We continue to see little room for China's LPRs to change in the rest of 2021. Having said that, the runaway housing market seems increasingly more than a tail risk and may trigger a surprise lending rate hike on the long end if price appreciations show no signs of abating in 2H21.
<table class="table table-striped">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 352.333px;">Exhibit 1: SOE Banks | Deposit Rate Ceiling (%)</td>
<td style="width: 352.333px;">Exhibit 2: Non-SOE Banks | Deposit Rate Ceiling (%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 352.333px;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/214/570/original/image_44634500891624334029988.png?1624334029" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="214570"></figure>
Source: PBOC, Our analysis
</td>
<td style="width: 352.333px;">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/214/572/original/image_517531219111624334079589.png?1624334079" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="214572"></figure>
Source: PBOC, Our analysis
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Following consultations with the industry earlier this month, the PBOC has rolled out a new deposit pricing framework, which has the net impact of raising short-term rates while lowering long-term rates for depositors. In our view, this is marginally positive from a macro standpoint, but is far from a major market catalyst.
While policy rates were left untouched, the central bank has tweaked the way deposit rate ceilings are calibrated. The maximum add-ons to base current account, term deposit and negotiable CD rates are 10bp / 50bp / 60bp for SOE banks and 20bp / 75bp / 80bp for the rest of the banking system. This results in a flattening of the deposit rate curve, similar in form to the intended outcome of Operation Twist in the treasury market (Exhibits 1 and 2).
However, the latest move should not be construed as a signal of monetary easing by the PBOC. At the margin, the rate structure reform may encourage some additional consumer spending and corporate investments. But we expect the bulk of the impact to be seen in institutional money flows, with investors such as insurance companies moving away from term deposits to wealth management products and the rates market.
Average deposit rates were already very close to the ceiling prior to the change. And we believe the smaller banks may take the opportunity to raise short-term rates to attract retail money from the G-SIBs and each other. This may lead to further divergence in funding costs between the national and regional players, although we take some comfort from the fact that long-term rates are set to fall, minimizing the potential for irrational pricing that is locked in for two to three years.
Loan prime rates (LPRs) have held steady at 3.85% and 4.65% for one-year and five-year tenors. We continue to see little room for China's LPRs to change in the rest of 2021. Having said that, the runaway housing market seems increasingly more than a tail risk and may trigger a surprise lending rate hike on the long end if price appreciations show no signs of abating in 2H21.



Exhibit 1: SOE Banks | Deposit Rate Ceiling (%)
Exhibit 2: Non-SOE Banks | Deposit Rate Ceiling (%)




Source: PBOC, Our analysis



Source: PBOC, Our analysis




Related Insights

China Financials: Silver Linings Playbook

Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer 

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China Macro: Exports Disappoint, but It's Still Early in the Game 


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In our view, the latest macro numbers are a bit light. Consensus is building around a gradual adjustment in home prices, but we still seem to be quite a ways away from the peak. What has us worried though is the cautious consumer, who remains timid in a benign inflationary environment.
Industrial production (IP) has pulled its share of the weight, but momentum may be waning. Headline IP growth was 8.8% y/y for the month of May, down from 9.8% a month earlier. Key items are tracking reasonably well. We believe monthly IP growth will settle in at the 6% y/y level in 3Q21, adjusted for the blip in 2020. The wildcard seems to be export strength going forward. We are marginally more optimistic than most on that front.
Infrastructure investments were weaker than expected last month. However, there is no reason to be alarmed. The public project pipeline is heavily weighted towards 2H21. And local governments have a CNY4.27tn war chest to spend, to be funded by a recently approved bond issuance quota. On the other hand, we were somewhat taken aback by how well property investments held up, despite tighter financing conditions.
Buoyant housing prices have not made homeowners loosen their pockets. Consumer confidence appears to be fragile. Retail sales growth ticked up only modestly last month. And the weak trend was evident in both rural and urban areas. The hospitality industry is not out of the woods yet. The situation in southern China certainly isn't helping.
We believe credit growth will largely determine how the economy will fare in the second half of the year. As we pointed out in our insight <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>, China's Credit Impulse is now sinking into negative territory. And the PBOC's hands are tied. If this sounds familiar, it may be because we are right back where we were before the pandemic, with concerns over China's debt problems back in the spotlight.
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In our view, the latest macro numbers are a bit light. Consensus is building around a gradual adjustment in home prices, but we still seem to be quite a ways away from the peak. What has us worried though is the cautious consumer, who remains timid in a benign inflationary environment.
Industrial production (IP) has pulled its share of the weight, but momentum may be waning. Headline IP growth was 8.8% y/y for the month of May, down from 9.8% a month earlier. Key items are tracking reasonably well. We believe monthly IP growth will settle in at the 6% y/y level in 3Q21, adjusted for the blip in 2020. The wildcard seems to be export strength going forward. We are marginally more optimistic than most on that front.
Infrastructure investments were weaker than expected last month. However, there is no reason to be alarmed. The public project pipeline is heavily weighted towards 2H21. And local governments have a CNY4.27tn war chest to spend, to be funded by a recently approved bond issuance quota. On the other hand, we were somewhat taken aback by how well property investments held up, despite tighter financing conditions.
Buoyant housing prices have not made homeowners loosen their pockets. Consumer confidence appears to be fragile. Retail sales growth ticked up only modestly last month. And the weak trend was evident in both rural and urban areas. The hospitality industry is not out of the woods yet. The situation in southern China certainly isn't helping.
We believe credit growth will largely determine how the economy will fare in the second half of the year. As we pointed out in our insight Glut and Famine: We Might See Snow in China This Summer, China's Credit Impulse is now sinking into negative territory. And the PBOC's hands are tied. If this sounds familiar, it may be because we are right back where we were before the pandemic, with concerns over China's debt problems back in the spotlight.
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China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows

China

Shenzhen Composite Index is an actual market-cap weighted index (no free float factor) that tracks the stock performance of all the A-share and B-share lists on Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The index was developed on April 3, 1991 with a base price of 100. 

Shenzhen Stock Exchange Composite Index (SZCOMP INDEX)

Shenzhen Stock Exchange Composite Index (SZCOMP INDEX)

Pork Price Rebound: What It Means for China's Inflation

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Stanley Tsai, CFA

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Stanley Tsai, CFA

China Macro: Consumers Remain on the Sidelines, as Their Home Equity Grows

China's latest macro data are uninspiring. We are particularly concerned about weak consumer spending. The other domestic GDP components also point...

Stanley Tsai, CFA