Category

China

Daily Brief China: China Telecom (H), Great Wall Motor, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, Shaanxi Coal Industry, Chongho Bridge, Meituan, Chongqing Taiji Industry (Group) A, CIMC Vehicles Group , China Jinmao Holdings and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Flows (To 1 Mar 2024); Continued Big Buys of SOEs (Getting Boring to Say This)
  • A/H Premium Tracker (To 1 Mar 2024):  Liquid AH Premia Still Wide
  • Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 1 Mar 2024): Foreigners Buy a New Set of Names
  • China Healthcare Weekly (Mar.1) – Prioritize Big Pharma, Real Ownership of Pricing Power, Hengrui
  • China A50 ETF Rebalance: Four Changes in March
  • Chongho Bridge Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • ECM Weekly (4th Mar 2024) – Tokyo Metro, Mixue, Xtalpi, Bharat InvIT, Renesas, ITC/BAT, Precinct
  • Will China TCM (570.HK) Be Incorporated into Taiji Group (600129.CH)? –If Yes, Valuation Will Double
  • CIMC Vehicles (301039 CH): Cheap And Steady Long Term Growth Potential
  • Morning Views Asia: Adaro Energy, China Jinmao Holdings


HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Flows (To 1 Mar 2024); Continued Big Buys of SOEs (Getting Boring to Say This)

By Travis Lundy

  • A share indices were up on the week. HK stock indices were down except for HS Tech. H-shares with A-share pairs were up. 
  • Net SOUTHBOUND buying was HK$9.1bn in the second post-holiday week after being +HK$20bn in the first week. LOTS of SOEs on the net buying side. Still.
  • SOUTHBOUND continues to buy high-div SOEs. ex-div is still three months away, and given the new KPIs discussed late January by SASAC official, these still seem to be appropriate targets.

A/H Premium Tracker (To 1 Mar 2024):  Liquid AH Premia Still Wide

By Travis Lundy

  • The New/Better A-H Premium Tracker has tables, charts, measures galore to track A/H premium positioning, southbound and northbound positioning/volatility in pairs over time, etc.
  • SOUTHBOUND and NORTHBOUND flows net positive. NB 5 weeks in a row. AH premia rebounded slightly. AH Premia are still wide on average. Premia curves should still shift flatter.
  • Two Sessions seems like a good place to make positive public statements but recent speeches from the very top seem more oriented towards “The People Must Endure.”

Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 1 Mar 2024): Foreigners Buy a New Set of Names

By Travis Lundy

  • The Quiddity Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Monitor. Like the A/H Premium Monitor and HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Monitor. Lots of Flows/Position Tables and Charts with which to play.
  • Last week saw NORTHBOUND net BUY RMB 23.5bn of A-shares on strong average activity after RMB +49bn the previous four trading weeks. More efforts by authorities to eliminate selling.
  • No finance names of any kind in the top ten this week after 5/10 the week before. Slight tendencies to trade on reversion.

China Healthcare Weekly (Mar.1) – Prioritize Big Pharma, Real Ownership of Pricing Power, Hengrui

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • In the current challenging environment, investors should prioritize pharmaceutical companies with abundant cash flow and Biotech with diversified funding sources, as their safety margin is much higher.
  • After the “clamor of consumer upgrading” fades away, we will eventually realize that the so-called pricing power has never belonged to anyone or any enterprise, but always to consumers.
  • Hengrui is overvalued. There’re still around RMB5 billion generic drugs yet to enter VBP scope. So, the assumption that all negative effects of VBP have cleared up is not correct.


Chongho Bridge Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Ethan Aw

  • Chongho Bridge (2314866D CH) is looking to raise up to US$500m in its upcoming HK IPO. The deal will be run by CICC.
  • Chongho Bridge (CB) is an integrated services provider to China’s rural population. It offers rural inclusive credit services, agricultural production services, rural consumer goods and rural clean energy services.  
  • According to F&S, CB is the largest non-traditional financial institution targeting China’s rural market in terms of total loan balance as of FY22 (31st Dec 22).

ECM Weekly (4th Mar 2024) – Tokyo Metro, Mixue, Xtalpi, Bharat InvIT, Renesas, ITC/BAT, Precinct

By Sumeet Singh


Will China TCM (570.HK) Be Incorporated into Taiji Group (600129.CH)? –If Yes, Valuation Will Double

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • In the past few years, a big problem of Taiji is weak performance/low valuation. The main purpose of mixed-ownership reform with CNPGC is to improve operational efficiency and enhance profitability.
  • CNPGC made a clear commitment to solve the horizontal competition issue. So, after the privatization of China TCM is completed, it’s worth noting whether it will be merged into Taiji.
  • 2024 is expected to see Taiji launch new M&A deals, which would bring a qualitative leap for Taiji. Market value of Taiji is expected to at least double. 

CIMC Vehicles (301039 CH): Cheap And Steady Long Term Growth Potential

By Mohshin Aziz

  • CIMC Vehicles Group (301039 CH) (CIMCV) is a leading global manufacturer of semi-trailers and various truck bodies that is the mainstay of heavy ground goods transport  
  • 9M23 earnings surged by 216% and beat consensus, scope for further earnings upgrade as the business and management outlook statement is very positive   
  • Our target price of CNY12.50 (+31% UPSIDE) is based on 2024 PE 15x – a 10% discount against the industry leader Caterpillar 

Morning Views Asia: Adaro Energy, China Jinmao Holdings

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


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Daily Brief China: Yankuang Energy Group, MediConCen and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR50/100, FXI, NIFTY/NEXT50, S&P500, KOSPI, Goodman, Ecopro BM
  • MediConCen bags US$6.85M to take its AI, blockchain-powered insurtech platform to SEA | e27


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR50/100, FXI, NIFTY/NEXT50, S&P500, KOSPI, Goodman, Ecopro BM

By Brian Freitas

  • The last week was a very busy one. The coming week has some announcements and implementations but is a relatively quieter one.
  • The SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX) and STAR100 Index changes for March will be implemented at the close on Friday, the 8th.
  • Another week of inflows for the iShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US) ETF as creations cross US$2bn for 2024. ETF AUM has gone from US$420m in 2021 to US$11bn now!

MediConCen bags US$6.85M to take its AI, blockchain-powered insurtech platform to SEA | e27

By e27

  • Hong Kong-based MediConCen, a startup automating insurance claims using AI and blockchain, has raised US$6.85 million in its latest Series A round.
  • HSBC Asset Management led this round, with support from existing investors G&M Capital and ParticleX and new investor Wings Capital Ventures.
  • Also Read: Wealthtech, insurtech, SaaS fintech are the new hot verticals in Indonesia: AC Ventures report This brings MediConCen’s total raise to US$12.7 million.

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Daily Brief China: Xinyi Glass Holdings, Baidu, PDD Holdings and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Xinyi Glass (868 HK):  Resilient FY23 Results; A Nice Dividend Play
  • [Baidu,Inc.(BIDU US,BUY,TP US$116) TP Change]: AI Transforming Search Is a Long and Treacherous Road
  • [PDD Holdings Inc. (PDD US, BUY, TP US$178) TP Change]: Fine-Tuned Extraction of Merchant Profits


Xinyi Glass (868 HK):  Resilient FY23 Results; A Nice Dividend Play

By Steve Zhou, CFA

  • Xinyi Glass Holdings (868 HK) reported FY23 results, with net profit up 5% yoy and sales up 4% yoy. 
  • The company announced a final dividend of HKD0.37 per share, resulting in a full year dividend of HKD0.63 per share, which is a yield of 8%. 
  • Overall the results look resilient, with auto glass segment a bit weaker than expected and float glass segment stronger than expected. 

[Baidu,Inc.(BIDU US,BUY,TP US$116) TP Change]: AI Transforming Search Is a Long and Treacherous Road

By Ying Pan

  • Baidu (BIDU) reported C4Q23 top line, non-GAAP operating profit and GAAP net income inline, 9.4% and (43%) vs. our estimates, and inline, 8.2% and (46%) vs. consensus. 
  • We believe LLM is fundamentally an upgrade of search; further, BIDU is a 2B/general AI play in China, a country filled with 2C/specialized AI players;
  • We cut our TP for BIDU from US$157 to US$116 and maintain BUY.

[PDD Holdings Inc. (PDD US, BUY, TP US$178) TP Change]: Fine-Tuned Extraction of Merchant Profits

By Ying Pan

  • We expect PDD to report CY4Q23 top-line and non-GAAP net income 14.3% and 21.2% vs. consensus. Main model changes are increased Temu revenue per order and PDD take-rate;
  • Temu continued increasing prices despite the holiday shopping season, and merchants reported that Temu began charging service fees. PDD upgraded its ads tools, which we expect boosted China take rate.
  • We maintain our BUY rating and raise our TP to US$ 178.

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Daily Brief China: CGN Power, Stella International, Plover Bay Technologies, Pacific Basin Shipping, Agile Property Holdings, S.F. Holding, TYK Medicines and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • FXI Rebalance: Three Buys. Three Sells
  • Stella International: A Beneficiary of Reshoring
  • Plover Bay 1523 HK: Solid FY23 Performance and Dividends, Rerating on the Cards
  • Pacific Basin (2343 HK): An Upturn in the Making
  • Agile Group – ESG Report – Lucror Analytics
  • Monthly Chinese Express Tracker | Industry ASP Fell to Record Low Last Month | (February 2024)
  • Pre-IPO TYK Medicines – Survival Risk Is Imminent, with Limited Highlights in the Pipeline


FXI Rebalance: Three Buys. Three Sells

By Brian Freitas


Stella International: A Beneficiary of Reshoring

By David Mudd

  • Vietnam now accounts for more than 50% of production replacing China
  • China production is less than 25% of overall capacity in 2023
  • Reshoring and production of higher end “Athleisure” shoes is increasing margins for Stella International (1836 HK)

Plover Bay 1523 HK: Solid FY23 Performance and Dividends, Rerating on the Cards

By Sameer Taneja

  • Plover Bay Technologies (1523 HK) reported an 8.5%/ 24YoY increase in revenue/profits (%). Profits increased due to a net margin expansion of 370 bps to 29.8%. 
  • The company had positive news in January when Peplink announced that it had agreed with SpaceX’s Starlink to become an authorized technology provider using Peplink SD-WAN routers.
  • Trading at 11x/10x PE FY23/FY24e, with an 8.2% trailing dividend yield and ~60% ROE, this is another growth/dividend gem worth exploring.

Pacific Basin (2343 HK): An Upturn in the Making

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Pacific Basin Shipping (2343 HK) has a weaker-than-expected 2H23, but we are glad that its unit cost has come down. Also, FY24F and FY25F should be years of recovery.
  • Current spot rates as indicated by BDI are significantly higher than 1H23 and YTD average, suggesting an upside for realised rates in the rest of this year. 
  • Supply pressure will be alleviated by the issues at Panama and Suez Canals, while China may be a factor in YoY demand improvement. Net gearing of 2% is light. 

Agile Group – ESG Report – Lucror Analytics

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics’ ESG Scores are based on a 3-tiered scale and are adjusted for Controversies (if applicable).
We view Agile Group’s ESG as “Adequate”. The company’s Environmental and Social scores are “Adequate”, while Governance is “Weak”. Controversies are “Immaterial” and Disclosure is “Adequate”.


Monthly Chinese Express Tracker | Industry ASP Fell to Record Low Last Month | (February 2024)

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Industry ASP declined -15.5% Y/Y in January to just 8.36 CNY, a record low
  • Despite strong volume (+85% Y/Y) some firms have likely turned unprofitable
  • International parcel growth strong; SF still avoiding worst of domestic price wars

Pre-IPO TYK Medicines – Survival Risk Is Imminent, with Limited Highlights in the Pipeline

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Among core/key products, TY-302 and TY-2136b have to face fierce competition, with R&D progress lagging behind competing products.TY-9591 for brain metastases from NSCLC could be a breakthrough point for TYK.
  • There would be a long time for the first product to generate revenue, but TYK is cash shortage.So, the survival risk is high. Such companies are less attractive to investors.
  • Valuation of TYK after six rounds of financing was RMB3.08 billion. However, considering the weak sentiment and concerns on pipeline, valuation of TYK after IPO could fall below this level.

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Daily Brief China: CK Asset Holdings, New World Development, Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), NetEase , Li Auto , Alibaba Group Holding , Sinotrans, Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene Engineering and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Hong Kong To Scrap All “Spicy Measures” (Property Cooling Measures)
  • Hong Kong: Stamp Duties Axed; Mortgage Rules Relaxed
  • China Airports: Beijing Capital Airport Offers Best Risk/Return Payoff
  • Tencent/Netease: Approval Rotation to Netease in Feb
  • [Li Auto Inc. (LI US, BUY, TP US$52) TP Change]: What Can Go Wrong & Go Right in LI Becoming BYD #2
  • Alibaba Group Holdings: EM Fund Positioning Update
  • Sinotrans (598.HK), a Shining Example of SOE Reform
  • Pre-IPO Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene Engineering – Old Pipelines Are Difficult to Bring New Breakthroughs


Hong Kong To Scrap All “Spicy Measures” (Property Cooling Measures)

By Travis Lundy

  • RTHK just reporting that HK Finance Secretary Paul Chan has said in his budget speech that HK will remove all property cooling measures in place, with immediate effect. 
  • That would be That is Special Stamp Duty, Buyer’s Stamp Duty, New Residential Stamp Duty. “Measures no longer necessary given the current economic and market conditions.”
  • This should cause people to get excited short-term about property developers.

Hong Kong: Stamp Duties Axed; Mortgage Rules Relaxed

By David Blennerhassett

  • Hong Kong residential property prices declined 7% in 2023 and are down >20% from the 2021 peak in 2021. The average price of offices also declined ~7% in 2023.
  • Scrapping property cooling measures, such as the special stamp duty applied to homes resold within 24 months, have been rumoured, to push up housing prices. 
  • In today’s annual budget, we got those. And then some. 

China Airports: Beijing Capital Airport Offers Best Risk/Return Payoff

By Eric Chen

  • Recent newsflow and company results suggest China outbound travel is on track to recover to pre-pandemic level by the end of this year.
  • China airports have different exposures to outbound travel, which largely determines the scale of their duty-free shopping business and earnings upside amidst this recovery cycle.
  • Beijing Capital Airport offers best risk/return profile among listed China airports in our view as current valuation does not fully capture even a conservative scenario of recovery in outbound travel.

Tencent/Netease: Approval Rotation to Netease in Feb

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • China announced game approval for the Feb batch. The number of games approved remained at a higher level than 2023.
  • The pace of China game approval appears to be accelerating, to the same level as pre-tightening.
  • Netease gets one game approved but we don’t see that the acceleration of game approval benefits big names proportionally.

[Li Auto Inc. (LI US, BUY, TP US$52) TP Change]: What Can Go Wrong & Go Right in LI Becoming BYD #2

By Eric Wen

  • LI Auto reported C4Q23 top line, non-GAAP operating profit and GAAP net income (6.2%), 13% and 81% vs. our estimates and 4.9%, 52% and 102% vs. consensus.
  • We believe LI can beat our delivery estimate on exports, but can also miss the consensus on gross margins if its 2024 volume target is met by sedans;
  • We raise our TP by US$5 to US$52 and reiterate BUY.

Alibaba Group Holdings: EM Fund Positioning Update

By Steven Holden

  • Despite average weights falling from over 6% in 2020 to under 2% today, 73% of EM funds remain invested in Alibaba.
  • The make up of the investor base has changed, with a rotation between high growth investors (out) and Value investors (in).
  • Of the 73% of current holders, the core portfolio weight range sits between 1.5% and 3%, with the most bullish topping out at 5%+

Sinotrans (598.HK), a Shining Example of SOE Reform

By Rikki Malik

  • A Profit-Oriented State Owned Enterprise that is walking the walk.
  • Management incentives are aligned with shareholders, a rarity in China.
  • Plenty of upside remains despite the market outperformance to date

Pre-IPO Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene Engineering – Old Pipelines Are Difficult to Bring New Breakthroughs

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Jiuyuan is not a typical innovative pharmaceutical enterprise with cutting-edge technology. The current seemingly good revenue/profit performance is actually based on some old products from over a decade ago.
  • The risk of VBP could lead to a significant decrease in profit margins at any time. The cyclical changes in heparin industry would put more pressure on Jiuyuan’s performance.
  • As Jiuyuan has not yet demonstrated superior clinical data in Jikeqin for overweight/obesity indication, together with fierce competition, we are cautious about the performance in GLP-1s pipeline at this stage.

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Daily Brief China: Tongcheng Travel Holdings , Li Auto , Baidu, Cathay Pacific Airways, Luckin Coffee, Air China Ltd (H), China Vanke , Xunfei Healthcare Technology and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Final Flows for Hang Seng, HSCEI, HS Tech on 1 March Rebal
  • HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII: Rebalance Flows Post Capping (Mar 2024)
  • [Baidu, Inc. (BIDU US, BUY, TP US$146)TP Change]: The Commercialization Path of AI Is Becoming Clear
  • Cathay Pacific – Reported Air China Interest Prompts Assessment of Structural Disadvantages
  • [Luckin Coffee (LKNCY US, BUY, TP US$41) TP Change]: Weak Earnings Could Be Temporary…Reiterate BUY
  • Air China (753 HK): Up Stakes in CX?
  • Morning Views Asia: China Vanke
  • Pre-IPO Xunfei Healthcare Technology – Continuous Losses Will Be the Norm


Final Flows for Hang Seng, HSCEI, HS Tech on 1 March Rebal

By Travis Lundy

  • The Hang Seng Index, HSCEI, and HS Tech rebals were announced on 16 Feb. Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA had expected GDS out, Tongcheng Travel in on HSTECH, along with the…
  • …deletion of Zhongsheng Group (881 HK) in HSCEI, with a low conviction replacement of Zijin Mining, which turned out to be an add of China Unicom Hong Kong (762 HK)
  • No changes to the main HSI Index, which means evolution is further delayed. Today was the day to recap the caps. Mar1 Flow estimates are included below for all three.

HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSIII: Rebalance Flows Post Capping (Mar 2024)

By Brian Freitas


[Baidu, Inc. (BIDU US, BUY, TP US$146)TP Change]: The Commercialization Path of AI Is Becoming Clear

By Ying Pan

  • We expect Baidu to report C4Q23 revenue, GAAP op. profit and GAAP net income inline, (2.3%) and (4.5%) vs. consensus.
  • The slight bottom-line miss was mainly attribute to the increased marketing costs related to user acquisition. Baidu cloud revenue is robust due to AI product stimulating demand. 
  • We cut our target price to US$146 for the spendings related to the construction of future e-commerce business but maintain BUY for its cheap valuation.

Cathay Pacific – Reported Air China Interest Prompts Assessment of Structural Disadvantages

By Neil Glynn

  • We publish a deep dive on historical margin management at Cathay Pacific following Bloomberg reports that Air China is considering raising its 29.99% stake.
  • We see Cathay’s consistent underperformance of the global industry as due to structural disadvantages competing against lower cost competitors without the benefit of attractive joint ventures or M&A.
  • Our deep dive comparing margin generation to ten major global peers highlights weak pricing power without sufficient offset from staff cost/other cost efficiencies as the key problem.

[Luckin Coffee (LKNCY US, BUY, TP US$41) TP Change]: Weak Earnings Could Be Temporary…Reiterate BUY

By Eric Wen

  • Luckin Coffee reported 4Q23 revenue/non-GAAP NI in-line/(39.8%) vs. our estimate due to (1) extra winter subsidies; (2) rental cost from new stores; (3) more operating expenditures.
  • We view the non-GAAP NPM decline to 5.1% in 4Q23 as temporary and outlook for sequential improvements in 1H24 from (1)ASP rebound from easing competition, (2)efficiency improvement in rental cost
  • We think Luckin’s profitability outlook is intact and maintain BUY rating, but lower TP by US$2 to US$41 to factor in the rising cost.

Air China (753 HK): Up Stakes in CX?

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Speculations on Air China Ltd (753 HK) seeking control of Cathay Pacific (293 HK) reappeared recently. We think a change in CX’s ownership is just a matter of time.
  • CX has been a more important profit contributor to Air China after the pandemic, and depends on pricing, Air China is expected to benefit from such acquisition.
  • Both are trading on 0.5SD below their 5-year P/B average and we prefer CX in the short term, but Air China looks to be a better long-term choice. 

Morning Views Asia: China Vanke

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


Pre-IPO Xunfei Healthcare Technology – Continuous Losses Will Be the Norm

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • In healthcare AI industry, the commercialization process is complex and burdened with challenges. Related products mainly plays an auxiliary role in medical scenarios, rather than a core support or rigid-demand. 
  • The idea of creating corresponding solutions for C-end and B-end customers by FUNFEI is not inappropriate. However, both B-end and C-end businesses of FUNFEI have encountered varying degrees of problems.
  • We’re not optimistic about XUNFEI’s profitability. The sluggish stock price performance after Airdoc’s listing indicates that the market/investors have not fully recognized healthcare AI enterprises, leading to low valuation.

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Daily Brief China: Alibaba (ADR), Li Auto , Hope Education Group Co Ltd, Sitoy Group Holdings, 160 Health International, Mixue Group, QuantumPharm and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Alibaba (9988 HK):  Value Proposition Looks Clean
  • Li Auto (LI US): 4Q23, High Growth and Profit, A Winner of Market Concentration, Upgraded to Hold
  • China Consumption Weekly (26 Feb 2024): Alibaba, Xpeng, HiPhi, Tuhu Car, Luckin
  • Chinese Education Giant Urged to Repay Bondholders Early as Default Fears Mount
  • Sitoy (1023 HK) Disappointing H1 FY24, 6x PE, 67% of Mkt Cap in Cash,~9% Div Yield: Good Trade
  • Pre-IPO 160 Health – The Lack of Moat Has Led to Development Falling Far Short of Expectations
  • MIXUE/ChaPanda/Good Me Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison
  • QuantumPharm (Xtalpi) Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Requires Deep Pockets to Fund Its Cash Burn


Alibaba (9988 HK):  Value Proposition Looks Clean

By Steve Zhou, CFA

  • It is well-known that Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US) is cheap (9x FY24 PE, fiscal year ending March; 8x FY23 free cash flow; net cash 25% of market cap).
  • Taking into account all of the major moving parts, I believe Alibaba can now be categorized as a good value stock. 
  • Shareholder returns through buyback and dividend, minus stock-based compensation in 2023 calendar year equal to around 5% yield.

Li Auto (LI US): 4Q23, High Growth and Profit, A Winner of Market Concentration, Upgraded to Hold

By Ming Lu

  • In 4Q23, revenue grew by 136% and operating profit was significantly higher than the market consensus.
  • Li Auto grew the most rapidly among the top-ten Chinese NEV sellers.
  • We believe Li Auto will be one of the winners after the market gets more concentrated. Upgrade to Hold.

China Consumption Weekly (26 Feb 2024): Alibaba, Xpeng, HiPhi, Tuhu Car, Luckin

By Ming Lu

  • Alibaba plans to provide operational services to third-party sales broadcasters.
  • Xpeng will hire 4,000 employees and raise research budget by 40%.
  • Tuhu Car expected that its net profit will turn positive in 2023.

Chinese Education Giant Urged to Repay Bondholders Early as Default Fears Mount

By Caixin Global

  • Some global investors are urging Chinese private education giant XJ International Holdings Co. Ltd. to redeem half of its $350 million in bonds before maturity, as the creditors fear the Hong Kong-listed firm may intentionally default on repayments.
  • The bonds are due in 2026, but the creditors asked for the early redemption to be completed by March 2 in a letter sent to the Chinese company last month by their legal adviser, Chicago-headquartered global law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
  • The creditors are a group of large international investors who collectively hold no less than $154 million, or about 50%, of the bonds’ outstanding principal amount, according to the letter seen by Caixin.

Sitoy (1023 HK) Disappointing H1 FY24, 6x PE, 67% of Mkt Cap in Cash,~9% Div Yield: Good Trade

By Sameer Taneja

  • In the search for good value stocks to invest in for the long run, a good long-term ROIC is essential. It ascertains the moat or execution quality of the company. 
  • Unfortunately, with a 5 Yr/10 Yr average ROIC of 4%/8%, the company did not satisfy all our criteria, yet the value seems appealing (66% of market cap cash, 8.8% yield).
  • The persistent structural challenges in H1 FY24 in the industry (resulting in the subpar ROIC) convince us that the stock is only a good trade, but long-term a value trap.

Pre-IPO 160 Health – The Lack of Moat Has Led to Development Falling Far Short of Expectations

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • 160 Health collaborates with medical institutions and then get access to high-caliber medical professionals, which helps to attract patients/other business parties. So, its business model is B2B2C, similar to ClouDr.
  • However, ClouDr has much better performance than 160 Health, because ClouDr has established moat/barriers to more effectively monetize medical resources, while 160 Health is clearly lagging behind in this regard.
  • 160 Health’s revenue mainly comes from sales of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, whose gross margin is very low. As the competition intensifies, the C-end customer acquisition cost would also increase.  

MIXUE/ChaPanda/Good Me Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison

By Sumeet Singh

  • Mixue Group  is looking to raise about US$1bn in its Hong Kong IPO, while Sichuan Baicha (ChaPanda) and Guming Holdings (Good me) are said to be looking to raise US$300m each.
  • All three are primarily focussed on providing freshly-made drinks, including freshly-made fruit drinks, and tea, with some selling ice cream, coffee, baked goods and ready to drink beverages as well.
  • In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison, including the Hong Kong listed peer, Nayuki Holdings (2150 HK).

QuantumPharm (Xtalpi) Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Requires Deep Pockets to Fund Its Cash Burn

By Clarence Chu

  • QuantumPharm (QUP HK) (Xtalpi) is looking to raise US$200m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
  • QuantumPharm is a R&D platform, utilizing quantum physics-based first-principles calculation, advanced AI, high-performance cloud computing, and scalable and standardized robotic automation to provide drug and material science R&D solutions.
  • In this note, we will talk about the not so positive aspects of the deal.

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Daily Brief China: ESR Group , Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd, Trip.com, China Traditional Chinese Medicine, Alibaba (ADR), Luckin Coffee, Ping An Healthcare and Technol, Powerlong Real Estate Holdings, QuantumPharm and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • ESR Group (1821 HK): Evaluating a Potential Privatisation
  • STAR100 Index Rebalance: Ten Changes a Side; Adds Outperforming as Expected
  • Trip.com Q4 Quick Take: Strong Top-Line Growth | Impressive Expense Control | And Not Expensive
  • Merger Arb Mondays (26 Feb) – China TCM, Azure, A2B, Boral, CSR, Outsourcing, Snow Peak, Genetron
  • ECM Weekly (26th Feb 2024) – Trial Holdings, Juniper, Xiaocaiyuan, Union Bank, Orica, Azure
  • Luckin Coffee (LKNCY US): Feeling Lucky in a Challenging Market
  • Ping An Healthcare and Technology (1833.HK) – Valuation Logic May Completely Change Due to New Path
  • Morning Views Asia: Powerlong Commercial Management Holdings
  • QuantumPharm (Xtalpi) Pre-IPO – The Positives – Grand Ambitions to Open New Monetisation Channels


ESR Group (1821 HK): Evaluating a Potential Privatisation

By Arun George

  • On 21 February, Bloomberg reported that due to the steep share price declines, major ESR Group (1821 HK) shareholders are considering options for their stakes, including ESR’s privatisation.
  • The reports also noted buyer interest in ESR’s significant assets. Past share dealings suggest that Warburg Pincus and the co-founders are the likely consortium to lead a potential privatisation. 
  • The offer probability is low as a scheme would likely require a HK$16.00 offer, posing a funding challenge. Nevertheless, the upside remains as ESR trades at an undemanding valuation. 

STAR100 Index Rebalance: Ten Changes a Side; Adds Outperforming as Expected

By Brian Freitas

  • There are 10 changes for the STAR100 Index in March. We correctly forecast all 10 deletes and got 8 of the 10 adds right.
  • Estimated one-way turnover is 6.8% and that results in a one-way trade of CNY 1.79bn. Nearly all constituent changes have more than 1 day of ADV to trade.
  • The adds have started to outperform the deletes and the index over the last couple of weeks and there could be more outperformance in the next two weeks.

Trip.com Q4 Quick Take: Strong Top-Line Growth | Impressive Expense Control | And Not Expensive

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Trip.com reported a strong set of Q4 and FY23 earnings results last week
  • Company has held the line on SG&A expenses; look for strong H124 growth
  • We believe shares are cheap and recommend investors buy below US$43/ADS

Merger Arb Mondays (26 Feb) – China TCM, Azure, A2B, Boral, CSR, Outsourcing, Snow Peak, Genetron

By Arun George


ECM Weekly (26th Feb 2024) – Trial Holdings, Juniper, Xiaocaiyuan, Union Bank, Orica, Azure

By Sumeet Singh

  • Aequitas Research puts out a weekly update on the deals that were covered by the team recently along with updates for upcoming IPOs.
  • On the IPO front, we looked at Trial Holdings (5882 JP) refiling and Xiaocaiyuan International Holding .
  • For placements, it was an action packed week in India, again, with Australia joining in as well.

Luckin Coffee (LKNCY US): Feeling Lucky in a Challenging Market

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Luckin Coffee (LKNCY US) concluded FY23 with a 203.3% surge in non-GAAP net profit to Rmb3.2bn, benefiting from higher store count and monthly transacting customers.
  • Luckin plans to lift store count by at least 23%, with total to reach over 20,000 in FY24. Product innovation, promotional discount reduction, and better store efficiency are profit drivers. 
  • Net cash reached Rmb3.8bn, or 7% of market cap. With a consensus EPS forecast of 28% CAGR in the next two years, its 15.1x and 11.7x PERs are not stretched.

Ping An Healthcare and Technology (1833.HK) – Valuation Logic May Completely Change Due to New Path

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Fang Weihao’s departure means PAGD’s strategic transformation failed. The business model of being a “vassal” of Ping An Group seems hard to bring high valuation due to “discounted” growth potential.
  • PAGD is at a crossroads. The question is which development path will the new CEO choose – Follow Fang Weihao’s strategy or return to the traditional Internet healthcare business model?
  • Both directions have painful costs that investors will not be happy with. Therefore, we recommend that investors remain sober and rational in the face of the bullish view on PAGD.

Morning Views Asia: Powerlong Commercial Management Holdings

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


QuantumPharm (Xtalpi) Pre-IPO – The Positives – Grand Ambitions to Open New Monetisation Channels

By Clarence Chu

  • QuantumPharm (QUP HK) (Xtalpi) is looking to raise US$200m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
  • QuantumPharm is a R&D platform, utilizing quantum physics-based first-principles calculation, advanced AI, high-performance cloud computing, and scalable and standardized robotic automation to provide drug and material science R&D solutions.
  • In this note, we will talk about the positive aspects of the deal.

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Daily Brief China: Hygon Information Technology C, China International Capital Corporation, Li Auto , China Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kweichow Moutai, Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharm, Baimtec Material and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: HSCEI, HSCI, HSTECH, HSIII, STTF, Top50, Div+, FXI, FnGuide
  • A/H Premium Tracker (To 23 Feb 2024):  Liquid AH Premia See Sharpest Fall in a LOONG (He-He) Time
  • HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Flows (To 23 Feb 2024); Selling of Consumer Stocks, But Big Buys of SOEs
  • (Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Boral, CSR, Ansarada, TCM, Snow Peak, Azure Min, Genetron
  • Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 23 Feb 2024): Foreigners Buy, Natl Team Buys; Retail Sells
  • China Healthcare Weekly (Feb.23)- TCM Ushers in a Harvest Period, Biotech Bottom-Line, Kelun-Biotech
  • STAR50 Index Rebalance: Three Changes a Side; One Surprise Change


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: HSCEI, HSCI, HSTECH, HSIII, STTF, Top50, Div+, FXI, FnGuide

By Brian Freitas

  • The changes for the SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX) and STAR100 Index were announced post market close on Friday.
  • The coming week is a full one with capping cutoffs, review cutoffs, announcements and implementations apart from futures expiries.
  • With China open after Lunar New Year, the National Team is back pouring money into ETFs with the largest inflows to the CSI 300, CSI 500, ChiNext and STAR50 indices.

A/H Premium Tracker (To 23 Feb 2024):  Liquid AH Premia See Sharpest Fall in a LOONG (He-He) Time

By Travis Lundy

  • The New/Better A-H Premium Tracker has tables, charts, measures galore to track A/H premium positioning, southbound and northbound positioning/volatility in pairs over time, etc.
  • SOUTHBOUND and NORTHBOUND flows net positive. AH premia on average fell so Hs OUTperformed As by 2.1%. Liquid Hs saw their H outperform the A by 3.1% on average.
  • Last week was the sharpest one-week fall in AH premium in a very long time.  SOUTHBOUND Flows Monitor here. NORTHBOUND Flows Monitor here.

HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Flows (To 23 Feb 2024); Selling of Consumer Stocks, But Big Buys of SOEs

By Travis Lundy

  • A great week for HK and Chinese shares, especially the larger caps. Mainland indices were up 8 days in a row to Friday, helping HK shares stay bid.
  • Net SOUTHBOUND buying was HK$20.0bn in the first post-holiday week. LOTS of SOEs on the net buying side.
  • Remarkable this past week, was a new tendency to net sell names which were up a lot and net buy names which haven’t performed as well. 

(Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Boral, CSR, Ansarada, TCM, Snow Peak, Azure Min, Genetron

By David Blennerhassett


Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Flows (To 23 Feb 2024): Foreigners Buy, Natl Team Buys; Retail Sells

By Travis Lundy

  • The Quiddity Mainland Connect NORTHBOUND Monitor. Like the A/H Premium Monitor and HK Connect SOUTHBOUND Monitor. Lots of Flows/Position Tables and Charts with which to play.
  • Last week saw NORTHBOUND net BUY RMB 10.7bn of A-shares on strong average activity after RMB +16.1bn, +9.9bn and +12.1bn the three weeks before. More National Team buying this week.
  • Five of the top ten buys among liquid NORTHBOUND stocks were finance. Again. Info Tech saw net selling. Again. People trading long gamma now instead of short gamma.

China Healthcare Weekly (Feb.23)- TCM Ushers in a Harvest Period, Biotech Bottom-Line, Kelun-Biotech

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Thanks to the continuous support of policies, the TCM industry has ushered in a harvest period. So, TCM remains to be a relatively certain field for investment in China healthcare. 
  • Biotech companies must meet several conditions in order to have good long-term development, such as sufficient financial support, at least one blockbuster product and high moral standard of the management.
  • Reasonable valuation of Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharm (6990 HK) is about RMB15 billion. So, we think it is now overvalued. Meanwhile, restricted shares will be lifted 12 months after the IPO.

STAR50 Index Rebalance: Three Changes a Side; One Surprise Change

By Brian Freitas

  • There are three constituent changes for the SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX) at the March rebalance. One inclusion and one non-inclusion are surprises.
  • One way turnover is estimated at 2.9% and will result in a one-way trade of CNY 4,075m with over 2.5x ADV to trade on all constituent changes.
  • The adds have outperformed the deletes over the last few months with a jump in the last few trading sessions. There could be more outperformance over the next two weeks.

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Daily Brief China: Trip.com Group , Lenovo and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Hong Kong/China Finally Bottoming?; Bullish Outlook Intact; DXY Rolling Over; Buys in Discretionary
  • Morning Views Asia: Lenovo


Hong Kong/China Finally Bottoming?; Bullish Outlook Intact; DXY Rolling Over; Buys in Discretionary

By Joe Jasper

  • Since early November 2023 we have been expecting global equities (MSCI ACWI) to stage a year-end rally that would continue into the early part of 2024.
  • As we progress through the “early part” of 2024, more global indexes and Sectors are breaking out and starting to participate in the upside. This is classic bull market behavior.
  • Our outlook remains bullish; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities. Actionable Themes: Hong Kong/China, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, Energy/Coal, and Polish Banks

Morning Views Asia: Lenovo

By Leonard Law, CFA

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

  • ✓ Unlimited Research Summaries
  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars