Managing Partner, Ampersand Investment Advisors

Rahul Singh

Managing Partner

Ampersand Investment Advisors

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

We have been incessantly cautioning for a corrective phase in our stock markets mainly due to excessive valuations based of unrealistic growth expectations. While we expected a correction, it came from completely unexpected quarters. The beneficiaries from the favorable macro tidings (monsoons, pay commission) in what was supposed to be a very strong 2HFY17 have suffered a setback post-demonetization. This prompts us to re-evaluate our sector and market cap preferences in this edition of the Ampersand newsletter.

We have been incessantly cautioning for a corrective phase in our stock markets mainly due to excessive valuations based of unrealistic growth expectations. While we expected a correction, it came from completely unexpected quarters. The beneficiaries from the favorable macro tidings (monsoons, pay commission) in what was supposed to be a very strong 2HFY17 have suffered a setback post-demonetization. This prompts us to re-evaluate our sector and market cap preferences in this edition of the Ampersand newsletter.

Making sense of the Global Market, Euromonitor International Ltd.

Yu Mitsuhashi

Making sense of the Global Market

Euromonitor International Ltd.

We are a global market research company focused on industries, countries, economies and consumers worldwide. Our cross-country comparable research helps your organisation identify opportunities and develop growth strategies in countries and regions across the globe. With offices around the world, 1,200 analysts in 100 countries and market research on every key trend and driver, we give you powerful access to the real story behind consumer change.

Alibaba continues to expand Double 11, its shopping event around Singles’ Day, a consumerist holiday meant for treating oneself. The 2016 version of the event was the retailer’s most extravagant and successful one yet. This year, Alibaba rebranded the shopping event from “Double 11” to “The 11/11 Global Shopping Festival”. Based on this rebranding and its surrounding marketing and promotional events as well as the integration of the most up-and-coming technology, it is clear that the retailer does not simply plan on expanding the shopping event but instead plans on leveraging the event to expand its business globally.

Alibaba continues to expand Double 11, its shopping event around Singles’ Day, a consumerist holiday meant for treating oneself. The 2016 version of the event was the retailer’s most extravagant and successful one yet. This year, Alibaba rebranded the shopping event from “Double 11” to “The 11/11 Global Shopping Festival”. Based on this rebranding and its surrounding marketing and promotional events as well as the integration of the most up-and-coming technology, it is clear that the retailer does not simply plan on expanding the shopping event but instead plans on leveraging the event to expand its business globally.

How Alibaba's 11/11 Global Shopping Festival Represents the Future of Ecommerce

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

The first 10 months of 2016 brought its fair share of macroeconomic challenges to the region. During the 10 months, the Straits Times Index (STI) generated a 1% total return, which was not far behind that of the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index. However, the 1% gain is hardly the full story for the 30 STI stocks in the year thus far.  All five Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS®) Sectors without STI representation also generated gains over the first 10 months. These Sectors are also at junctures of opportunity and challenge, with Sector-wide themes such as technology disruptors, population longevity &amp; growth and asymmetric trends in commodity prices. The five Sectors have also become increasingly important for investors who seek portfolio diversification in times of increased economic uncertainty.

The first 10 months of 2016 brought its fair share of macroeconomic challenges to the region. During the 10 months, the Straits Times Index (STI) generated a 1% total return, which was not far behind that of the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index. However, the 1% gain is hardly the full story for the 30 STI stocks in the year thus far.  All five Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS®) Sectors without STI representation also generated gains over the first 10 months. These Sectors are also at junctures of opportunity and challenge, with Sector-wide themes such as technology disruptors, population longevity &amp; growth and asymmetric trends in commodity prices. The five Sectors have also become increasingly important for investors who seek portfolio diversification in times of increased economic uncertainty. 

Buoyant Returns Beyond the Benchmark in 2016 YTD

Founder and CEO, Europacifica Consulting

Naomi Fink

Founder and CEO

Europacifica Consulting

The stock of foreign direct investment into the "One Belt One Road" bloc is a small share of global investment; nonetheless, the bloc's share of global greenfield investment remain disproportionately large.Examination of large OBOR-resident firms and the composition of their assets and revenues show that many firms in the region remain much more dependent on Chinese sales than do Chinese firms on foreign-earned sales.  Nonetheless, the diversion of Chinese investment from domestic to overseas (as China rebalances its domestic growth away from domestic investment) could potentially shift this dynamic.  Large Chinese firms leading the charge abroad tend to belong to the Transport and Storage and Computer Equipment sectors.Meanwhile, large firms resident in OBOR tend already to be much more dependent on foreign-earned revenue; some of those more dependent on Chinese domestic demand  rather than regional demand may experience fallout from China's rebalancing.  Others exposed to growth elsewhere in the region may benefit, or themselves become targets for Chinese cross-border acquisitions within the region.

The stock of foreign direct investment into the "One Belt One Road" bloc is a small share of global investment; nonetheless, the bloc's share of global greenfield investment remain disproportionately large.Examination of large OBOR-resident firms and the composition of their assets and revenues show that many firms in the region remain much more dependent on Chinese sales than do Chinese firms on foreign-earned sales.  Nonetheless, the diversion of Chinese investment from domestic to overseas (as China rebalances its domestic growth away from domestic investment) could potentially shift this dynamic.  Large Chinese firms leading the charge abroad tend to belong to the Transport and Storage and Computer Equipment sectors.Meanwhile, large firms resident in OBOR tend already to be much more dependent on foreign-earned revenue; some of those more dependent on Chinese domestic demand  rather than regional demand may experience fallout from China's rebalancing.  Others exposed to growth elsewhere in the region may benefit, or themselves become targets for Chinese cross-border acquisitions within the region.

Silk Roads Part 3: China and OBOR Investment

Thematic Investing in Tech and Media, CM Research

Cyrus Mewawalla

Thematic Investing in Tech and Media

Thematic TMT investing

CM Research

CM Research is an independent research house based in London, England. We provide global thematic research in the Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) sectors. 

Our focus is on disruptive technologies: how will they unfold; which industries will be impacted; and who will be the ultimate winners and losers. 

Our aim is to help investors predict share prices and corporate executives stay one step ahead of the technology trends that are shaping their industry. 

We research technology investment themes in detail and then feed the results into a scorecard system to quantify the impact of several conflicting themes on individual stocks. 

Recent themes covered include internet TV, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Mobile payments, crowdfunding, artificial intelligence, the cloud, software defined networking and Generation Hashtag.

We cover the top 500 global TMT stocks by market capitalisation and several technology start-ups and pre-IPO companies too. 

In 2015, CM Research analysts outperformed the Bloomberg Benchmark Analyst Index - which measures how good analysts are at predicting stock prices - by 7.1%.

By 2020, the global cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $170bn, up from $77bn in 2015. But the core issue is that companies need “better” rather than “more” security.Most cybersecurity companies sell an imperfect product. The common joke in the industry is that no cybersecurity company can really protect you against the latest threats out there. In a sense, they all overpromise and underdeliver.If this is true, should investors steer clear of the sector altogether?To help investors answer that question we look at three areas:- industry growth drivers- corporate governance trends- wider cybersecurity industry trends

By 2020, the global cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $170bn, up from $77bn in 2015. But the core issue is that companies need “better” rather than “more” security.Most cybersecurity companies sell an imperfect product. The common joke in the industry is that no cybersecurity company can really protect you against the latest threats out there. In a sense, they all overpromise and underdeliver.If this is true, should investors steer clear of the sector altogether?To help investors answer that question we look at three areas:- industry growth drivers- corporate governance trends- wider cybersecurity industry trends

Cybersecurity as an Investment Theme (Part 2)

India

Wipro Limited specializes in IT and computer related technologies. The Group's services encompass a number of areas, including software architecture, business intelligence systems, e-commerce, data warehousing, Internet access devices, network management, system administration, messaging systems, IT consulting and design. Wipro also has a presence in niche markets of consumer products.

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Wipro Ltd Adr (WIT US)

How Alibaba's 11/11 Global Shopping Festival Represents the Future of Ecommerce

Alibaba continues to expand Double 11, its shopping event around Singles’ Day, a consumerist holiday meant for treating oneself. The 2016 version...

Euromonitor International Ltd.

Buoyant Returns Beyond the Benchmark in 2016 YTD

The first 10 months of 2016 brought its fair share of macroeconomic challenges to the region. During the 10 months, the Straits Times Index (STI)...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Silk Roads Part 3: China and OBOR Investment

The stock of foreign direct investment into the "One Belt One Road" bloc is a small share of global investment; nonetheless, the bloc's share of...

Naomi Fink

Cybersecurity as an Investment Theme (Part 2)

By 2020, the global cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $170bn, up from $77bn in 2015. But the core issue is that companies need “better”...

CM Research

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

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Taking Fresh Guard - Nov 16 Newsletter

We have been incessantly cautioning for a corrective phase in our stock markets mainly due to excessive valuations based of unrealistic growth...

Ampersand Investment Advisors

How Alibaba's 11/11 Global Shopping Festival Represents the Future of Ecommerce

Alibaba continues to expand Double 11, its shopping event around Singles’ Day, a consumerist holiday meant for treating oneself. The 2016 version...

Euromonitor International Ltd.

Buoyant Returns Beyond the Benchmark in 2016 YTD

The first 10 months of 2016 brought its fair share of macroeconomic challenges to the region. During the 10 months, the Straits Times Index (STI)...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Silk Roads Part 3: China and OBOR Investment

The stock of foreign direct investment into the "One Belt One Road" bloc is a small share of global investment; nonetheless, the bloc's share of...

Naomi Fink

Cybersecurity as an Investment Theme (Part 2)

By 2020, the global cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $170bn, up from $77bn in 2015. But the core issue is that companies need “better”...

CM Research