Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Unicredit, with its solid capital adequacy and improved credit quality metrics, is well positioned to deliver on capital distribution, despite the Russian challenges</li>
<li>We estimate that, even on a relatively conservative basis, capital distribution yield could reach 12% in 2022 and also be at the top end of the peer group post-2022</li>
<li>Unicredit has often been in the shadow of Intesa in capital distribution, but we believe that consensus estimates are currently under-estimating the potential for dividends and share buy-backs at Unicredit</li>
</ul>


Unicredit, with its solid capital adequacy and improved credit quality metrics, is well positioned to deliver on capital distribution, despite the Russian challenges
We estimate that, even on a relatively conservative basis, capital distribution yield could reach 12% in 2022 and also be at the top end of the peer group post-2022
Unicredit has often been in the shadow of Intesa in capital distribution, but we believe that consensus estimates are currently under-estimating the potential for dividends and share buy-backs at Unicredit


Unicredit (UCG IM) – Attractive on Capital Distribution Potential Despite Russia

<ul>
<li>Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations</li>
<li>Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX</li>
<li>In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers</li>
</ul>


Among EM banks, our top picks are Sberbank in Russia, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank in India; we are negative on recent IPO Nubank due to inflated market expectations
Our top picks for 2022 are BBVA and Banco BPM for Southern Europe banks. In Exchanges, we are positive on B3 of Brazil and SGX
In payments, we like Mastercard and Pagseguro, but we are negative on Paytm; we see BTG Pactual as an attractive pick and winner in the digital wealth managers and brokers


2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>We screen thirty European banks, for their dividend yield relative to their dividend pay-out ratios on 2022 consensus estimates, to assess how well is their prospective dividend is covered by forecast profitability</li>
<li>We also screen for attractive valuations, for healthy credit quality metrics and the potential for banks to deliver better returns going forward</li>
<li>In the case of those banks that have built up their provisioning buffers, cost of risk should recede over the coming quarters</li>
<li>We highlight <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hsbc-holdings-plc-57298707-4faa-42d6-a353-ab1f6ee92fd4" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28330:1" rel="noopener">HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBC US)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/banco-bilbao-vizcaya-argentari" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21251:1" rel="noopener">Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentari (BBVA SM)</a>  and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unicredit-spa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21234:1" rel="noopener">UniCredit SpA (UCG IM)</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/abn-amro-group-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24858:1" rel="noopener">ABN AMRO Group NV (ABN NA)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/credit-agricole-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21373:1" rel="noopener">Credit Agricole Sa (ACA FP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/danske-bank-a-s" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22336:1" rel="noopener">Danske Bank A/S (DANSKE DC)</a> and, as a recovery and contrarian play, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/credit-suisse-group-ag-f4b24f0c-c294-40b3-b491-759f0cb277e9" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27915:1" rel="noopener">Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN SW)</a>
</li>
<li>Risks to our positive view on our highlighted banks include worse than expected credit quality, as well as weaker than expected revenue generation and higher than expected opex</li>
</ul>


We screen thirty European banks, for their dividend yield relative to their dividend pay-out ratios on 2022 consensus estimates, to assess how well is their prospective dividend is covered by forecast profitability
We also screen for attractive valuations, for healthy credit quality metrics and the potential for banks to deliver better returns going forward
In the case of those banks that have built up their provisioning buffers, cost of risk should recede over the coming quarters
We highlight HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBC US) , Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentari (BBVA SM)  and UniCredit SpA (UCG IM), as well as ABN AMRO Group NV (ABN NA), Credit Agricole Sa (ACA FP), Danske Bank A/S (DANSKE DC) and, as a recovery and contrarian play, Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN SW)

Risks to our positive view on our highlighted banks include worse than expected credit quality, as well as weaker than expected revenue generation and higher than expected opex


European Banks Value Screens – Focus on Dividend Yields and Healthy Dividend Coverage Metrics

Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Executive Summary: A liquidity driven melt-up combined with month-end rebalancing to drive bank credit spread performance over the last week. Remove the month-end rebalancing and short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm payroll numbers. The short end of the rates market continued to push investors up the curve to generate returns. Awash with still rising liquidity, this melt-up was the key driver of credit spread outperformance.Risk asset volatility and talking about, talking about, talking about tapering had little lasting impact on US interest rates over the last few weeks. In fact, rate curve flattening, and falling forward breakeven rates, suggest that the interest rate market may buy the Fed’s assessment of inflation as being transitory.While the transitory mantra is believed, whispers of supply driven growth constraints are being mentioned. This would be interest rate and credit spread positive as it would extend the duration of the recovery and thereby delay late-stage economic cycle repositioning. Although not consensus, this thought is disconcerting, as it suggests the rising rates consensus is very wrong.Therefore, the risk is clearly that the rates market is underpricing the potential for an extended period of higher than anticipated inflation. However, holding cash is expensive. Moving too early to position for higher or longer than anticipated inflation may be career ending. Extending duration to take advantage of declining rates is considered insane. Carry trades remain unloved. Ergo, the silent self-doubtful suffering of the rate and credit markets. Security selection based on fundamental analysis, in so much as one avoids unexpected spread widening, may be the differentiator for outsized total returns over the next few weeks.  We elaborate on these themes within.Market Outlook: The question is whether the over-heating narrative will make a comeback and bring rate and tapering expectations closer. Financial stability risks appear binary from here. Either the Fed is over-accommodative, and it sits on its hands too long while asset bubbles over-inflate so that it gets nasty when it moves, or the Fed gets impatient, and it lowers accommodation unexpectedly which creates a risk off reaction. In both cases, curves flatten in a risk-off environment. We suspect the former is more likely, and for now, the Fed remains the bartender rather than the bouncer.

Executive Summary: A liquidity driven melt-up combined with month-end rebalancing to drive bank credit spread performance over the last week. Remove the month-end rebalancing and short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm payroll numbers. The short end of the rates market continued to push investors up the curve to generate returns. Awash with still rising liquidity, this melt-up was the key driver of credit spread outperformance.Risk asset volatility and talking about, talking about, talking about tapering had little lasting impact on US interest rates over the last few weeks. In fact, rate curve flattening, and falling forward breakeven rates, suggest that the interest rate market may buy the Fed’s assessment of inflation as being transitory.While the transitory mantra is believed, whispers of supply driven growth constraints are being mentioned. This would be interest rate and credit spread positive as it would extend the duration of the recovery and thereby delay late-stage economic cycle repositioning. Although not consensus, this thought is disconcerting, as it suggests the rising rates consensus is very wrong.Therefore, the risk is clearly that the rates market is underpricing the potential for an extended period of higher than anticipated inflation. However, holding cash is expensive. Moving too early to position for higher or longer than anticipated inflation may be career ending. Extending duration to take advantage of declining rates is considered insane. Carry trades remain unloved. Ergo, the silent self-doubtful suffering of the rate and credit markets. Security selection based on fundamental analysis, in so much as one avoids unexpected spread widening, may be the differentiator for outsized total returns over the next few weeks.  We elaborate on these themes within.Market Outlook: The question is whether the over-heating narrative will make a comeback and bring rate and tapering expectations closer. Financial stability risks appear binary from here. Either the Fed is over-accommodative, and it sits on its hands too long while asset bubbles over-inflate so that it gets nasty when it moves, or the Fed gets impatient, and it lowers accommodation unexpectedly which creates a risk off reaction. In both cases, curves flatten in a risk-off environment. We suspect the former is more likely, and for now, the Fed remains the bartender rather than the bouncer.

Bank Credit Weekly: Month-End Rebalancing Takes Risk-Off Before Take-Off

Executive Summary: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unicredit-spa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21234:1" rel="noopener">UniCredit (UCGIM)</a> shocked bond markets recently by announcing that it would not be paying the coupon on its CASHES legacy Tier 1 notes. Subsequently, adding confusion to this saga, Bloomberg reports that some investors received notification of a coupon payment. Operational risk anyone?Nonetheless, we believe value can be had in the firm’s Senior Non-Preferred (NPS) securities. Rated Baa2, BBB- and BB+ by Moody’s, S&amp;P and Fitch respectively, these securities are Bank of America Merrill Lynch index eligible, which aids in their liquidity.The real risk for UCGIM bondholders going forward is two-fold. One, the firm may engage in consolidation beyond absorbing a cleaner <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/banca-monte-dei-paschi-di-siena" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21162:1" rel="noopener">Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS IM)</a>. The risk here is over-extending into another asset quality quagmire. Two, investor risk perceptions regarding Italy could deteriorate. We think the former, that is excessive M&amp;A activity, is more likely than the latter over the near term.Cancelling the CASHES coupon payment shortly after Mr. Orcel’s arrival is not a good omen. Possibly paying a coupon that was set to be cancelled is even worse. Nonetheless, we see UCGIM’s Senior Non-Preferred debt as offering an attractive risk/ reward opportunity.

Executive Summary: UniCredit (UCGIM) shocked bond markets recently by announcing that it would not be paying the coupon on its CASHES legacy Tier 1 notes. Subsequently, adding confusion to this saga, Bloomberg reports that some investors received notification of a coupon payment. Operational risk anyone?Nonetheless, we believe value can be had in the firm’s Senior Non-Preferred (NPS) securities. Rated Baa2, BBB- and BB+ by Moody’s, S&amp;P and Fitch respectively, these securities are Bank of America Merrill Lynch index eligible, which aids in their liquidity.The real risk for UCGIM bondholders going forward is two-fold. One, the firm may engage in consolidation beyond absorbing a cleaner Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS IM). The risk here is over-extending into another asset quality quagmire. Two, investor risk perceptions regarding Italy could deteriorate. We think the former, that is excessive M&amp;A activity, is more likely than the latter over the near term.Cancelling the CASHES coupon payment shortly after Mr. Orcel’s arrival is not a good omen. Possibly paying a coupon that was set to be cancelled is even worse. Nonetheless, we see UCGIM’s Senior Non-Preferred debt as offering an attractive risk/ reward opportunity.

UniCredit: CASHES Paid or Not, Senior Non-Preferred Offers Value

Italy

UniCredit S.p.A. attracts deposits and offers commercial banking services. The Bank offers consumer credit, mortgages, life insurance, business loan, investment banking, asset management, and other services. UniCredit operates worldwide.

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UniCredit SpA (UCG IM)

Unicredit (UCG IM) – Attractive on Capital Distribution Potential Despite Russia

Unicredit is the worst performing of our Southern Europe banks in YTD terms. But we now see a more compelling story in risk-reward terms, despite...

Victor Galliano

2022 High Conviction Ideas in FinTech & Financials

Our 2022 high conviction ideas include buys on Sberbank, Banco do Brasil and HDFC Bank, as well as BBVA, Banco BPM, B3, SGX, Mastercard and...

Victor Galliano

European Banks Value Screens – Focus on Dividend Yields and Healthy Dividend Coverage Metrics

We screen European banks for dividend yield and its sustainability, with other valuation metrics; we highlight HSBC, BBVA, Unicredit, ABN Amro,...

Victor Galliano

Bank Credit Weekly: Month-End Rebalancing Takes Risk-Off Before Take-Off

Short duration positioning may remain the best strategy over the next few weeks, absent a material inflection point in the upcoming non-farm...

Hank Calenti, CFA

UniCredit: CASHES Paid or Not, Senior Non-Preferred Offers Value

Cancelling the CASHES coupon payment was not a good omen. Possibly paying the coupon is even worse. Nonetheless, UCGIM’s Non-Preferred Senior...

Hank Calenti, CFA

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