Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Tracking Traffic

Focusing on Asian logistics, transportation, and travel companies

Equity Bottom-Up

<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/174/124/original/BANNER-TOURISM.png?1606332998" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="174124"></figure></section>Chinese outbound travel activity remained moribund in October, even after another increase in trips to Macau, which eased some travel restrictions in July. Macau's slow recovery suggests it will take many months for outbound activity to normalize once regional restrictions are lifted. China's 'Golden Week' holiday period was a day longer this year, but by most measures domestic air activity in October remained weak versus 2019. Sequential improvement in RPKs and passenger counts in October was just +5% MoM, roughly in-line with normal seasonality, and travelers are still opting for shorter trips. We believe the pace of recovery in domestic travel is moderating. Can the 2021 Lunar New Year holiday rescue China's travel service providers? Without a relaxation of restrictions in key regional markets, another major holiday travel period could be 'lost', in our opinion. We do not believe improving domestic activity can offset 'lost' outbound travel in Q121.We remain negative on Chinese travel demand. We believe the normalization of domestic and especially outbound activitity will take longer than expected -- no 'snap back' scenario, in other words. Furthermore, we believe underlying demand growth was slowing even before Covid19 hit, and it's become clear that domestic travel activity is unlikely to fully offset 'lost' outbound trips.

Chinese outbound travel activity remained moribund in October, even after another increase in trips to Macau, which eased some travel restrictions in July. Macau's slow recovery suggests it will take many months for outbound activity to normalize once regional restrictions are lifted. China's 'Golden Week' holiday period was a day longer this year, but by most measures domestic air activity in October remained weak versus 2019. Sequential improvement in RPKs and passenger counts in October was just +5% MoM, roughly in-line with normal seasonality, and travelers are still opting for shorter trips. We believe the pace of recovery in domestic travel is moderating. Can the 2021 Lunar New Year holiday rescue China's travel service providers? Without a relaxation of restrictions in key regional markets, another major holiday travel period could be 'lost', in our opinion. We do not believe improving domestic activity can offset 'lost' outbound travel in Q121.We remain negative on Chinese travel demand. We believe the normalization of domestic and especially outbound activitity will take longer than expected -- no 'snap back' scenario, in other words. Furthermore, we believe underlying demand growth was slowing even before Covid19 hit, and it's become clear that domestic travel activity is unlikely to fully offset 'lost' outbound trips. 

TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: Macau's Slog | Golden Week Fails to Shine | LNY 2021 At Risk?

Global Emerging Market Equities, Propitious Research

Wium Malan, CFA

Global Emerging Market Equities

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naspers-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21085:1" rel="noopener">Naspers (NPN SJ)</a> gives you deeply discounted exposure to one of the highest quality companies listed in the Emerging Markets, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a>. Should you back out the estimated fair values of all investments outside of Prosus’ 31% holding in Tencent from the current Naspers market cap, you are effectively buying exposure to Tencent for only 16.2x 2021F earnings.
Often overlooked, Naspers also gives exposure to a diverse range of online businesses, in differing stages of development, which are likely to structurally benefited from lasting changes to consumer behaviour in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, Management has signalled their focus on meaningfully reducing its discount to listed net asset value by implementing a $5bn share buyback program, during November 2020, which should also support the share price through volatility in the near term. 
The key risk to the investment thesis regards the newly proposed Anti-Monopoly Compliance Guidelines for the Platform Economy released by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), a clear signal of tougher antitrust regulations going forward. Tencent should, however, be able to manage through these better than the large eCommerce players.

Naspers (NPN SJ) gives you deeply discounted exposure to one of the highest quality companies listed in the Emerging Markets, Tencent Holdings (700 HK). Should you back out the estimated fair values of all investments outside of Prosus’ 31% holding in Tencent from the current Naspers market cap, you are effectively buying exposure to Tencent for only 16.2x 2021F earnings.
Often overlooked, Naspers also gives exposure to a diverse range of online businesses, in differing stages of development, which are likely to structurally benefited from lasting changes to consumer behaviour in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, Management has signalled their focus on meaningfully reducing its discount to listed net asset value by implementing a $5bn share buyback program, during November 2020, which should also support the share price through volatility in the near term. 
The key risk to the investment thesis regards the newly proposed Anti-Monopoly Compliance Guidelines for the Platform Economy released by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), a clear signal of tougher antitrust regulations going forward. Tencent should, however, be able to manage through these better than the large eCommerce players.

2021 High Conviction: Naspers, Deeply Discounted Exposure to Accelerating Online Sales

Chinese online travel agency (OTA) <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tongcheng-elong-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27363:1" rel="noopener">Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Ltd (780 HK)</a> released Q3 results on Monday evening in HK. Revenue and adjusted EBITDA were still below year-ago levels, but both metrics were significantly improved from Q2 levels. Notably, purchasing users in Q3 were flat YoY.
Market leading OTA <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:180:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (TCOM US)</a> will report its Q3 results on Tuesday, December 1st after the US close. We expect Trip.com to report a sequential improvement, but we believe Q3 results will show its recovery lags Tongcheng-ELong's, mainly due to Trip.com's international exposure.
The expected availability of Covid19 vaccines in 2021 should eventually open up cross-border travel for Chinese tourists next year, but Trip.com and other travel service providers may still be facing a difficult start to 2021, including the long Lunar New Year holiday in February.
As such, we retain a negative view of Chinese tourism demand in the medium-term, anticipating that even a return to the modest demand growth seen pre-Covid19 will require another few quarters, at least.

Chinese online travel agency (OTA) Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Ltd (780 HK) released Q3 results on Monday evening in HK. Revenue and adjusted EBITDA were still below year-ago levels, but both metrics were significantly improved from Q2 levels. Notably, purchasing users in Q3 were flat YoY.
Market leading OTA Trip.com (TCOM US) will report its Q3 results on Tuesday, December 1st after the US close. We expect Trip.com to report a sequential improvement, but we believe Q3 results will show its recovery lags Tongcheng-ELong's, mainly due to Trip.com's international exposure.
The expected availability of Covid19 vaccines in 2021 should eventually open up cross-border travel for Chinese tourists next year, but Trip.com and other travel service providers may still be facing a difficult start to 2021, including the long Lunar New Year holiday in February.
As such, we retain a negative view of Chinese tourism demand in the medium-term, anticipating that even a return to the modest demand growth seen pre-Covid19 will require another few quarters, at least. 

Tough Times (Still) In Chinese Tourism | Trip.com Q3 Preview | TongCheng-ELong Q3 Review

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The effect of the COVID pandemic saw an unprecedented level of sector rotation among EM active portfolios in 2020.</li>
<li>Banking stocks were hit the hardest, with Semiconductor, Internet Retail and Interactive Media industry groups the beneficiaries.</li>
<li>Banking exposure is at its lowest levels in over a decade, EM active investors at highest ever weights in Tech related Consumer Discretionary and Communication Services stocks.</li>
<li>Improving outlook for banking stocks, vaccine hopes, plus potential regulation in the Tech sector point to a potential unwind.  </li>
<li>'Beaten Up' banking stocks include <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/itau-unibanco-holding-sa-9d47d196-e503-471b-a84e-ca4401033062" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24550:1" rel="noopener">Itau Unibanco Holding Sa (ITUB4 BZ)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kasikornbank-pcl" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:293:1" rel="noopener">Kasikornbank PCL (KBANK TB)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/standard-bank-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24988:1" rel="noopener">Standard Bank (SBK SJ)</a> </li>
<li>Fully owned Tech related stocks include <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-com-inc-adr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:446:1" rel="noopener">JD.com Inc (ADR) (JD US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mercadolibre-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27954:1" rel="noopener">MercadoLibre Inc (MELI US)</a> </li>
</ul>


The effect of the COVID pandemic saw an unprecedented level of sector rotation among EM active portfolios in 2020.
Banking stocks were hit the hardest, with Semiconductor, Internet Retail and Interactive Media industry groups the beneficiaries.
Banking exposure is at its lowest levels in over a decade, EM active investors at highest ever weights in Tech related Consumer Discretionary and Communication Services stocks.
Improving outlook for banking stocks, vaccine hopes, plus potential regulation in the Tech sector point to a potential unwind.  
'Beaten Up' banking stocks include Itau Unibanco Holding Sa (ITUB4 BZ) , Kasikornbank PCL (KBANK TB) and Standard Bank (SBK SJ) 
Fully owned Tech related stocks include Meituan (3690 HK) , JD.com Inc (ADR) (JD US) and MercadoLibre Inc (MELI US) 


GEM Fund Positioning Update:  The COVID Unwind.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:180:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (TCOM US)</a> rallied 14% on Monday in the US on news that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pfizer-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1131:1" rel="noopener">Pfizer Inc (PFE US)</a>'s Covid19 vaccine had been found highly effective, and that distribution of the vaccine would begin before the end of 2020. Many travel-related stocks, such as airlines (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/american-airlines-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3663:1" rel="noopener">American Airlines Group (AAL US)</a>, +15%) and cruise operators (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/royal-caribbean-cruises-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1629:1" rel="noopener">Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL US)</a>, +29%) also rallied by 10% or more. We have anticipated a rebound in Chinese travel-related shares when there is positive news about a 'normalization' of travel, especially cross-border travel, which has been hit harder than domestic travel. As investors in Chinese travel-related stocks begin thinking about a return to 'normal' market conditions for the sector, now is probably a good time to revisit what 'normal' means. In the months prior to the emergence of Covid19, Chinese travel demand -- outbound and domestic -- was by several measures quite weak. While there will likely be a brief period in 2021 during which pent-up demand is finally met with easing travel restrictions, we believe that in the medium-term demand growth will sink back to the single digits.

Trip.com (TCOM US) rallied 14% on Monday in the US on news that Pfizer Inc (PFE US)'s Covid19 vaccine had been found highly effective, and that distribution of the vaccine would begin before the end of 2020. Many travel-related stocks, such as airlines (American Airlines Group (AAL US), +15%) and cruise operators (Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL US), +29%) also rallied by 10% or more. We have anticipated a rebound in Chinese travel-related shares when there is positive news about a 'normalization' of travel, especially cross-border travel, which has been hit harder than domestic travel. As investors in Chinese travel-related stocks begin thinking about a return to 'normal' market conditions for the sector, now is probably a good time to revisit what 'normal' means. In the months prior to the emergence of Covid19, Chinese travel demand -- outbound and domestic -- was by several measures quite weak. While there will likely be a brief period in 2021 during which pent-up demand is finally met with easing travel restrictions, we believe that in the medium-term demand growth will sink back to the single digits. 

Trip.com Rallies 14% on Vaccine News. But What's the 'Normal' We'll Return To in 2021?

China

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

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Trip.com (TCOM US)

TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: Macau's Slog | Golden Week Fails to Shine | LNY 2021 At Risk?

Chinese travel demand remained weak in October, which included the long Golden Week holiday. Poor outbound travel demand is not a surprise at this...

Tracking Traffic

2021 High Conviction: Naspers, Deeply Discounted Exposure to Accelerating Online Sales

Naspers: Deeply discounted exposure to Tencent, a diverse range of online businesses set to benefit from accelerated online activity post-COVID-19...

Wium Malan, CFA

Tough Times (Still) In Chinese Tourism | Trip.com Q3 Preview | TongCheng-ELong Q3 Review

In Q3, TongCheng-ELong showed growth versus Q2, though revenue and earnings remain lower than a year ago. We expect Trip.com's Q3 results to be far...

Tracking Traffic

GEM Fund Positioning Update: The COVID Unwind.

How did Emerging Market managers react to the COVID-19 pandemic? Unprecedented rotation out of Bank stocks and in to Tech. How are managers now...

Steven Holden

Trip.com Rallies 14% on Vaccine News. But What's the 'Normal' We'll Return To in 2021?

An effective vaccine is part of what will get China and the world back to 'normal' travel demand. But even before Covid19 erupted, Chinese travel...

Tracking Traffic

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