HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Recent pullback of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (9961 HK)</a> has made this China's tourism recovery play even more attractive.  Since end-Feb, consensus earnings forecasts have been upgraded by 19-20%.</li>
<li>It is best positioned to capture the revival in China's domestic and outbound travels. Forward booking data has pointed to very solid momentum over the next few months.</li>
<li>We anticipate good margin expansion going forward, and its resilient financial position provides opportunities for value-enhancing M&amp;As. These all justify a premium valuation over peers. </li>
</ul>


Recent pullback of Trip.com (9961 HK) has made this China's tourism recovery play even more attractive.  Since end-Feb, consensus earnings forecasts have been upgraded by 19-20%.
It is best positioned to capture the revival in China's domestic and outbound travels. Forward booking data has pointed to very solid momentum over the next few months.
We anticipate good margin expansion going forward, and its resilient financial position provides opportunities for value-enhancing M&amp;As. These all justify a premium valuation over peers. 


Trip.com (9961 HK): The Best Is yet to Come

Overseas Chinese Equities, Aequitas Research

Ming Lu

Overseas Chinese Equities

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.

<ul>
<li>Grizzly Research LLC publishes a short selling report on ZTO.</li>
<li>Meituan plans to shift car hailing from direct operation to a platform for third-party operators.</li>
<li>Dada, which was acquired by JD.com last year, posts good 4Q22 results.</li>
</ul>


Grizzly Research LLC publishes a short selling report on ZTO.
Meituan plans to shift car hailing from direct operation to a platform for third-party operators.
Dada, which was acquired by JD.com last year, posts good 4Q22 results.


China Internet Weekly (13Mar2023): ZTO, Meituan, Alibaba, Trip.com, Dada, JD.com

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>With re-opening of borders, China's tourism and hospitality industry should see encouraging earnings outlook over the next two years; and we are now only in the early stage of recovery.  </li>
<li>Online travel agencies and hotel and resorts operators including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tongcheng-elong-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27363:1" rel="noopener">Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/huazhu-group-ltd-79e0c5b5-ad55-42ed-b8d2-a2173defd0ea" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33487:1" rel="noopener">H World Group (1179 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (9961 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fosun-tourism-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27439:1" rel="noopener">Fosun Tourism (1992 HK)</a> are well positioned.</li>
<li>These companies all have sound business model, industry leadership position, solid competitive strengths, comprehensive customer coverage and, for some, meaningful global presence in their respective sub-sectors. </li>
</ul>


With re-opening of borders, China's tourism and hospitality industry should see encouraging earnings outlook over the next two years; and we are now only in the early stage of recovery.  
Online travel agencies and hotel and resorts operators including Tongcheng Travel Holdings (780 HK), H World Group (1179 HK), Trip.com (9961 HK) and Fosun Tourism (1992 HK) are well positioned.
These companies all have sound business model, industry leadership position, solid competitive strengths, comprehensive customer coverage and, for some, meaningful global presence in their respective sub-sectors. 


China Tourism and Hospitality Industry: A Year of Revenge

Global Emerging Market Equities, Propitious Research

Wium Malan, CFA

Global Emerging Market Equities

Independent, Fundamental Quantitative Research

Propitious Research

Fully independent, fundamental and quantitative equity research, focused on companies in the Telecommunication, Media, Technology, Internet and Healthcare sectors in the Global Emerging Markets. Idea generation focused on Quality stocks, trading below their intrinsic Value, with sound Corporate Governance.

<ul>
<li>Following several years of sustained revenue share loss, Search’s digital advertising revenue market share has stabilised, having seemingly retained its core advertising customers.</li>
<li>With China’s economic growth recovery, Baidu is perfectly positioned to accelerate its core marketing revenue growth, which is also a high-margin operation.</li>
<li>Baidu is set up for significant group margin expansion as the higher-margin core marketing business returns to positive annualised growth and it continues to expand AI Cloud margins.</li>
</ul>


Following several years of sustained revenue share loss, Search’s digital advertising revenue market share has stabilised, having seemingly retained its core advertising customers.
With China’s economic growth recovery, Baidu is perfectly positioned to accelerate its core marketing revenue growth, which is also a high-margin operation.
Baidu is set up for significant group margin expansion as the higher-margin core marketing business returns to positive annualised growth and it continues to expand AI Cloud margins.


Baidu: Undervalued Cyclical Revenue Growth Acceleration and Margin Expansion Story

<ul>
<li>The just finished "Year of the Rabbit" Chinese New Year has witnessed strong revival in travel appetite. Total domestic travelers increased 23.1% YoY, returning to 88.6% of 2019 level.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tongcheng-elong-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27363:1" rel="noopener">Tongcheng-Elong (780 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (9961 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/huazhu-group-ltd-79e0c5b5-ad55-42ed-b8d2-a2173defd0ea" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33487:1" rel="noopener">Huazhu Group (1179 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fosun-tourism-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27439:1" rel="noopener">Fosun Tourism (1992 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-southern-airlines-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1078:1" rel="noopener">China Southern Airlines (1055 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-film-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29943:1" rel="noopener">China Film Co (600977 CH)</a> are some of the beneficiaries.</li>
<li>As we passed peak of infections and overseas PCR and visa constraints are further removed, the trend of improvement in travel demand will sustain into the National Day holidays.  </li>
</ul>


The just finished "Year of the Rabbit" Chinese New Year has witnessed strong revival in travel appetite. Total domestic travelers increased 23.1% YoY, returning to 88.6% of 2019 level.

Tongcheng-Elong (780 HK), Trip.com (9961 HK), Huazhu Group (1179 HK), Fosun Tourism (1992 HK), China Southern Airlines (1055 HK) and China Film Co (600977 CH) are some of the beneficiaries.
As we passed peak of infections and overseas PCR and visa constraints are further removed, the trend of improvement in travel demand will sustain into the National Day holidays.  


Chinese New Year Travel Market: Roundup And Implications

China

Trip.com Group Limited provides online travel agency services. The Company offers mobile applications, hotel reservations, flight ticketing, package tours, corporate travel management, and train ticketing services. Trip.com Group provides services worldwide.

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Trip.com Group (9961 HK)

Trip.com (9961 HK): The Best Is yet to Come

Trip.com is best positioned to capture revival in China's domestic and outbound travels. Booking data pointed to good forward momentum, and recent...

Osbert Tang, CFA

China Internet Weekly (13Mar2023): ZTO, Meituan, Alibaba, Trip.com, Dada, JD.com

Grizzly Research LLC publishes a short selling report on ZTO. Meituan plans to give up on direct sales of car hailing. Dada, which was acquired...

Ming Lu

China Tourism and Hospitality Industry: A Year of Revenge

We are only in early stage of China's tourism and hospitality recovery, after its re-opening of borders in Jan. We identify Tongcheng, H World,...

Osbert Tang, CFA

Baidu: Undervalued Cyclical Revenue Growth Acceleration and Margin Expansion Story

In this insight, we analyse Baidu’s search query and digital advertising revenue market share trends, revenue growth outlook, margin expansion...

Wium Malan, CFA

Chinese New Year Travel Market: Roundup And Implications

Total domestic travelers in China was up 23.1% in CNY. Tongcheng-Elong, Trip.com, Huazhu Group, Fosun Tourism, China Southern Airlines and China...

Osbert Tang, CFA

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