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>We expect a 12.5bp hike in the policy rate in Sep'24, as CPI inflation (2.52%YoY in Jul'24) remains well above the 2% target amid CBC concerns about overheated property markets. </li>
<li>Real GDP grew 5.1%YoY in Q2CY24, following 6.6%YoY growth in Q1 (both faster than mainland China). Exports grew 10%YoY in Jan-Jul'24, and export orders growth is at a 2-year high.</li>
<li>The market's trailing P/E ratio (23.56x) is well above its 20-year mean (19.84x). But we recommend a mild Overweight in Taiwan equities, with a focus on the largest tech stocks. </li>
</ul>


We expect a 12.5bp hike in the policy rate in Sep'24, as CPI inflation (2.52%YoY in Jul'24) remains well above the 2% target amid CBC concerns about overheated property markets. 
Real GDP grew 5.1%YoY in Q2CY24, following 6.6%YoY growth in Q1 (both faster than mainland China). Exports grew 10%YoY in Jan-Jul'24, and export orders growth is at a 2-year high.
The market's trailing P/E ratio (23.56x) is well above its 20-year mean (19.84x). But we recommend a mild Overweight in Taiwan equities, with a focus on the largest tech stocks. 


Taiwan: Rates to Buck Global Loosening as Growth Stays Robust and Inflation Too High

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

Topsports International Holdings / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The China equity markets have continued to trade lower with the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-shenzhen-csi-300-inde" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22906:1" rel="noopener">CSI 300 Index</a> outperforming other mainland indices as the National Team continues to pump money into ETFs tracking the index.</li>
<li>We currently estimate selling of around US$1.39bn across 74 stocks listed on the mainland and in Hong Kong. There could be fewer deletions depending on the review date chosen.</li>
<li>The potential deletes have dropped a lot since the start of the calendar year with big underperformance versus the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-china-enterprises-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22900:1" rel="noopener">HSCEI Index</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-shenzhen-csi-300-inde" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22906:1" rel="noopener">CSI 300 Index</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/csi-smallcap-500-index-shang" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35347:1" rel="noopener">CSI Smallcap 500 Index</a>.</li>
</ul>


The China equity markets have continued to trade lower with the CSI 300 Index outperforming other mainland indices as the National Team continues to pump money into ETFs tracking the index.
We currently estimate selling of around US$1.39bn across 74 stocks listed on the mainland and in Hong Kong. There could be fewer deletions depending on the review date chosen.
The potential deletes have dropped a lot since the start of the calendar year with big underperformance versus the HSCEI Index, CSI 300 Index and CSI Smallcap 500 Index.


China: Passive Selling Expected Later This Month

Market & Forensics Analyst, Beat the Street

Nimish Maheshwari

Market & Forensics Analyst

Beat the Street

Beat The Street was founded by Nimish Maheshwari and Sudarshan Bhandari, both of whom are Chartered Accountants by Profession, known for their expert analysis in the fields of Business, Sectoral analysis, and Corporate governance.

With a strong social media presence of 45,000+ Subscribers across various platforms, they are considered trusted voices in the industry. Their insights and analysis have been featured in some of India’s most prominent publications, including the Economic Times, Dalal Street Investment Journal, The Morning Context, and The Ken.

Their analysis on Bankrupt & Insolvent companies has been instrumental in saving investors from significant losses. They have a keen eye for identifying red flags and has identified exclusive redflags earlier in Vedanta, Nykaa, Dhani Services, Adani and many more.

Read Business Not Stock Prices

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>JPMorgan's new fund focuses on obesity treatments, especially popular yet scarce GLP-1 drugs</li>
<li>Chinese automakers sold more cars than US brands, marking a significant market shift</li>
<li>Tesla shares rise as Musk anticipates shareholder approval of his controversial $56 billion pay package</li>
</ul>


JPMorgan's new fund focuses on obesity treatments, especially popular yet scarce GLP-1 drugs
Chinese automakers sold more cars than US brands, marking a significant market shift
Tesla shares rise as Musk anticipates shareholder approval of his controversial $56 billion pay package


#18Business Buzz: JPMorgan's $500M Biotech Fund, China's Car Sales, Tesla's Pay Package Approval

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

AngloGold Ashanti Spon Adr / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.</li>
<li>In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.</li>
<li>Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.</li>
</ul>


We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.
In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.
Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.


MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

<ul>
<li>The China equity markets have continued to slide and the lower market caps and free float market caps will see a lot of stocks deleted from passive portfolios in February.</li>
<li>We currently estimate selling of around US$1.66bn across 74 stocks listed on the mainland, in HK and the U.S., and that number could increase as markets continue to underperform.</li>
<li>The potential deletes have dropped a lot over the last 4 months and there has been a marked underperformance versus the headline indices over the last month.</li>
</ul>


The China equity markets have continued to slide and the lower market caps and free float market caps will see a lot of stocks deleted from passive portfolios in February.
We currently estimate selling of around US$1.66bn across 74 stocks listed on the mainland, in HK and the U.S., and that number could increase as markets continue to underperform.
The potential deletes have dropped a lot over the last 4 months and there has been a marked underperformance versus the headline indices over the last month.


China: Sliding Market Leads to Passive Selling

Taiwan

The TWSE, or TAIEX, Index is capitalization-weighted index of all listed common shares traded on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The index has a base value of 100 based on its 1966 level. The index is also known as the TSEC Index.

Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index (TWSE INDEX)

Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index (TWSE INDEX)

Taiwan: Rates to Buck Global Loosening as Growth Stays Robust and Inflation Too High

Taiwan's RGDP growth outpaced the PRC's for the past 3 quarters, and inflation (2.52%YoY in Jul'24) will require a 12.5bp rate hike. Despite rich...

Prasenjit K. Basu

China: Passive Selling Expected Later This Month

We currently estimate passive selling of around US$1.39bn across 74 stocks listed in China and HK. The potential deletes have underperformed...

Brian Freitas

#18Business Buzz: JPMorgan's $500M Biotech Fund, China's Car Sales, Tesla's Pay Package Approval

JPMorgan launches fund for obesity treatments, Chinese automakers outsell US brands, Tesla shares climb on Musk's pay package anticipation.

Nimish Maheshwari

MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

MSCI EM Finally Joins the Rally; China/Hong Kong Continue to Improve; Downgrading Brazil to Market Weight; Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight;...

Vermilion Research

China: Sliding Market Leads to Passive Selling

A rapidly falling market could be upwards of 74 China stocks being deleted from passive portfolios. These stocks have underperformed the headline...

Brian Freitas

Taiwan: Rates to Buck Global Loosening as Growth Stays Robust and Inflation Too High

Taiwan's RGDP growth outpaced the PRC's for the past 3 quarters, and inflation (2.52%YoY in Jul'24) will require a 12.5bp rate hike. Despite rich...

Prasenjit K. Basu

China: Passive Selling Expected Later This Month

We currently estimate passive selling of around US$1.39bn across 74 stocks listed in China and HK. The potential deletes have underperformed...

Brian Freitas

#18Business Buzz: JPMorgan's $500M Biotech Fund, China's Car Sales, Tesla's Pay Package Approval

​JPMorgan launches fund for obesity treatments, Chinese automakers outsell US brands, Tesla shares climb on Musk's pay package anticipation.

Nimish Maheshwari

MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

MSCI EM Finally Joins the Rally; China/Hong Kong Continue to Improve; Downgrading Brazil to Market Weight; Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight;...

Vermilion Research

China: Sliding Market Leads to Passive Selling

A rapidly falling market could be upwards of 74 China stocks being deleted from passive portfolios. These stocks have underperformed the headline...

Brian Freitas

JPMorgan launches fund for obesity treatments, Chinese automakers outsell US brands, Tesla shares climb on Musk's pay package anticipation.