Category

China

Daily Brief China: AVIC (Chengdu) UAS Co Ltd, Anhui Conch Cement, CRRC Corp Ltd A, China Merchants Energy A, Ovctek China Inc, JD Industrials and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • STAR50 Index Rebalance: Two Changes in June (As Expected)
  • SSE50 Index Rebalance: 5 Changes as Adds Give Up Recent Gains
  • SSE180 Index Rebalance: Small Impact but Not Widely Tracked
  • CSI300 Index Rebalance: 9 Changes as Discretion Used
  • China Healthcare Weekly (May.26)- 9th National VBP, China’s Strength in ADC Field, Ovctek, Eyebright
  • JD Industrials IPO: The Bull Case

STAR50 Index Rebalance: Two Changes in June (As Expected)

By Brian Freitas

  • The index committee has used a 6-month minimum listing history and that results in two changes. This is the first rebalance with less than 5 changes at a review.
  • One way turnover is estimated at 1.03% and will result in a one-way trade of CNY 1,025m. Given the adds are new listings, there will be some reverse funding flow.
  • There appears to be little pre-positioning on the adds while there is a bigger buildup on the deletes.

SSE50 Index Rebalance: 5 Changes as Adds Give Up Recent Gains

By Brian Freitas

  • There are 5 changes for the SSE50 Index that will be implemented at the close on 9 June. There is over 1x ADV to sell on a few deletions.
  • We estimate a one-way turnover of 5.3% at the June rebalance leading to a one-way trade of CNY 3.84bn. Index arb activity could add to the impact on the stocks.
  • The adds outperformed the deletes from February to April but have given up a lot of the outperformance over the last month.

SSE180 Index Rebalance: Small Impact but Not Widely Tracked

By Brian Freitas

  • There are 18 changes for the SSE180 Index that will be implemented at the close of trading on 9 June.
  • The impact on the stocks is small but this is not a widely tracked index, so there could still be opportunities for some high risk/reward basket trades.
  • With Northbound Stock Connect eligibility no longer drawing on the SSE180 Index constituents, the index could lose relevance over time.

CSI300 Index Rebalance: 9 Changes as Discretion Used

By Brian Freitas

  • There are 9 changes for the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 Index (SHSZ300 INDEX) at the upcoming rebalance that will be implemented at the close of trading on 9 June.
  • While nearly all the changes are in line with forecasts, there are some stocks that have not been added or deleted as the index committee has used discretion.
  • The Energy sector is the biggest gainer in terms of index spots, while the Consumer Discretionary and Health Care sectors lose two index spots each.

China Healthcare Weekly (May.26)- 9th National VBP, China’s Strength in ADC Field, Ovctek, Eyebright

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • The 9th national VBP is drawing near. As all drugs under national/provincial VBP are scheduled to be executed before 2025/12/31, there should be new policies in 2026 and beyond.
  • The capabilities of Chinese pharmaceutical companies in ADC field have at least stepped onto a platform to compete with international giants, which is clearly more progressive than during PD-1 era.
  • We analyzed key points of Ovctek. Its investment logic has changed and centralized procurement will break investors’ expectations for Ovctek’s future performance growth. Valuation may continue to be under pressure.

JD Industrials IPO: The Bull Case

By Arun George

  • JD Industrials (2231713D CH)/JDI, a leading industrial supply chain technology and service provider in China, has filed for a US$1bn IPO. JD.com Inc (ADR) (JD US) owns a 77.95% stake.
  • JDI is the largest industrial supply chain technology and service provider in China in terms of GMV, customer coverage and SKU offerings in 2022, according to CIC.
  • The key elements of the bull case rest on large addressable markets, market share gains, robust product revenue growth underpinned by key accounts, improving underlying margin and strong cash generation.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Meituan, Jiangxi Rimag Group, NetEase Inc, Golden Eagle Retail, Weibo Corp and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Meituan: Strong 1Q with Operating Profits; No Disclosure on User Numbers and Delivery Costs
  • Jiangxi Rimag IPO Preview: Empowering The Future of Medical Imaging Services in China
  • NetEase (NTES US, BUY, TP US$106) Earnings Review: Justice Mobile Is the Next Catalyst
  • Weekly Wrap – 26 May 2023
  • Meituan (3690 HK, BUY, TP US$170) Target Price Change: Consolidating Market Share… Maintain BUY
  • Weibo (WB US, BUY, TP US$26.9) Earnings Review: Maintain BUY for Margin Improvement

Meituan: Strong 1Q with Operating Profits; No Disclosure on User Numbers and Delivery Costs

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Meituan (3690 HK) ’s 1Q2023 earnings beat consensus estimates and the key highlight was the company turning into adjusted operating profits after two years.
  • Revenue from Core local commerce continued to see strong growth in earnings though we expected growth rates to decline with pandemic conditions easing off.
  • Meituan has launched its food delivery app “KeeTa” in Hong Kong which is dominated by Foodpanda and Deliveroo.

Jiangxi Rimag IPO Preview: Empowering The Future of Medical Imaging Services in China

By Andrei Zakharov

  • Jiangxi Rimag Group (JIR HK), a China-based medical imaging center operator and provider of Rimag cloud services, filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
  • Jiangxi Rimag Group (JIR HK) was backed by Goldman Sachs, leading VC firms in Asia, Baidu Inc., JD Health, and American healthcare investment firm OrbiMed. 
  • China’s medical imaging industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation, driven by rapid technological advancements, evolving healthcare needs, and supportive government policies.

NetEase (NTES US, BUY, TP US$106) Earnings Review: Justice Mobile Is the Next Catalyst

By Shawn Yang

  • NetEase reported in-line revenue for 1Q23, while non-GAAP net income exceeded our estimate by 22%. 
  • <Justice Mobile> is set to launch by the end of June. We anticipate that investors may need to wait for some time after June for NetEase’s next potential hit title. 
  • Maintain a BUY with TP unchanged, implying 18X PE in 2023.

Weekly Wrap – 26 May 2023

By Charles Macgregor

Lucror Analytics Weekly Wraps provide an overview of all Morning Views comments and reports published by our analyst team in the past week, and also showcase a list of the most-read reports.

In this Insight:

  1. Lenovo
  2. Vedanta Resources
  3. China Jinmao Holdings
  4. Lifestyle International Holdings
  5. Geely Auto

and more…


Meituan (3690 HK, BUY, TP US$170) Target Price Change: Consolidating Market Share… Maintain BUY

By Shawn Yang

  • Meituan reported 1Q23’s rev./non-IFRS net income 2.5%/126% vs. our est., the strong margin beat is due to efficiency improvements in all business lines;
  • To compete with Douyin’s in-store business, Meituan will spend more in 2Q23, however FD and insta-shopping continue to have margin upside. 
  • Our BUY thesis remains unchanged, as we believe investors overestimate Douyin’s impact, while underestimating Meituan’s ability to improve margins. 

Weibo (WB US, BUY, TP US$26.9) Earnings Review: Maintain BUY for Margin Improvement

By Shawn Yang

  • Weibo’s 1Q23 top line was in line with our est., and non-GAAP net income beat our est./cons. by 6.5%/ 7.6%, due to cost-saving measures. 
  • While we dial down its 2Q23 revenue forecast, we remain optimistic about its growth in 2H23, as more brand advertisers gradually recover. 
  • Maintain BUY and TP unchanged, which implies 12X PE in 2023.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Swire Pacific (A), Growatt Technology, ABM Investama, Hong Kong Hang Seng Index, Meituan, Xpeng, Vipshop Holdings, Xiaomi Corp, China Water Affairs, Kanzhun and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • StubWorld: Swire Drifts Lower As Cathay Faces Discrimination Claim
  • Growatt Technology IPO: Valuation Updated Look
  • Asia HY Trade Book – May 2023 – Lucror Analytics
  • EQD | Asian Derivative YTD Range Trade Ideas
  • Meituan (3690 HK): 1Q23, Real Operating Profit Turned Positive After Nine Quarters
  • [XPeng Inc. (XPEV US, BUY, TP US$10) TP Change]: BUY on Recovery Starting from 2Q23
  • [Vipshop (VIPS US) Earnings Review]: Demand for Apparel Rising on Increased Social Activity
  • [Xiaomi (1810 HK, SELL, TP HK$8.2) Earnings Review]: Good Cost Control Could Be Transitory
  • China Water Affairs – ESG Report – Lucror Analytics
  • [Kanzhun Ltd. (BZ US, SELL) Earnings Review]: Weak Labour Market Adds Uncertainty to Recovery

StubWorld: Swire Drifts Lower As Cathay Faces Discrimination Claim

By David Blennerhassett

  • A double dose of StubWorld this week. Swire Pacific (A) (19 HK)‘s P/B is back down to 0.31x as Cathay Pacific (293 HK) tackles alleged language bias by flight attendants.
  • Preceding my comments on Japan Post are the current setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.
  • These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity of US$1mn, and a % market capitalisation >20%.

Growatt Technology IPO: Valuation Updated Look

By Arun George


Asia HY Trade Book – May 2023 – Lucror Analytics

By Charles Macgregor

The Asia HY Trade Book for May 2023 includes a summary of our recommendations, as well as our high-conviction ideas. The report also features relative-value charts and lists of the bonds across Asia (ex-Japan) HY and crossover credits.


EQD | Asian Derivative YTD Range Trade Ideas

By Leon Gross


Meituan (3690 HK): 1Q23, Real Operating Profit Turned Positive After Nine Quarters

By Ming Lu

  • In 1Q23, total revenues grew by 27% YoY with all business lines up by more than 10% YoY.
  • The real operating profits turned positive after nine quarters’ losses.
  • We believe the stock has an upside of 35% for yearend 2023. Buy.

[XPeng Inc. (XPEV US, BUY, TP US$10) TP Change]: BUY on Recovery Starting from 2Q23

By Shawn Yang

  • XPeng reported soft 1Q23 results, with topline of RMB 4.03bn, missing cons by (4.4%); GPM of 1.7% missing cons. and our est. by (4.5ppt)/(4.8ppt. 
  • The 2Q23 guidance implies a QoQ recovery of 15.2%-20.7%, thanks to increasing order intake of the all-new P7i and recent channel transformation. 
  • We maintain BUY. We cut TP to US$ 10 due to pressure amid intensified competition.

[Vipshop (VIPS US) Earnings Review]: Demand for Apparel Rising on Increased Social Activity

By Shawn Yang

  • VIPS reported C1Q23 top-line, GAAP operating profit, and non-GAAP net income 6.6%, 27%, and 31% vs. our est., and 5.6%, 20%, and 36% vs. cons.; 
  • We expect VIPS profitability to remain steady given its relative immunity to competitor price competition, mainly due to its high apparel exposure, high member loyalty, and differentiated product sourcing strategy; 
  • Given improving apparel demand and EPADS on share buy-backs, we maintain BUY and US$ 16.3 TP, implying 8.1x 2023 non-GAAP P/E.  

[Xiaomi (1810 HK, SELL, TP HK$8.2) Earnings Review]: Good Cost Control Could Be Transitory

By Shawn Yang

  • Xiaomi reported C1Q23 top-line and non-IFRS net income (6.9%) and 20.7% vs. our est., and in-line and 39.9% vs. consensus; 
  • We suggest that higher margins are transitory, as (1) key IC component prices may have bottomed, (2) EV spend is likely to ramp up further. 
  • We maintain SELL and HK$ 8.2 TP, implying 26x FY23 PE.

China Water Affairs – 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 assess China Water Affairs’ ESG as “Adequate”, in line with its Environmental, Social and Governance scores. Controversies are “Immaterial” and Disclosure is “Adequate”.


[Kanzhun Ltd. (BZ US, SELL) Earnings Review]: Weak Labour Market Adds Uncertainty to Recovery

By Shawn Yang

  • BZ reported 1Q23 cash billing 2.9% higher than our est.; revenue in-line with our estimate and consensus;  and non-GAAP NI 36.3%/35.3% higher than our est. and cons.
  • As BZ approaching the proxy of China’s labour market, its primary hurdle is the slow recovery of labour demand and mismatch of supply and demand.
  • We maintain SELL rating and TP at US$13.5., as we are still waiting for signal for the overturn of job seeking market in China.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: JD Industrials, Dickson Concepts Intl, Meituan, Alibaba Health Information Technology, ZTO Express, PDD Holdings Inc, Xinhua Winshare, MicroPort Cardiac Rhythm Management, Horizon Construction Development and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • JD Industrials Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison
  • Dickson Concepts 113 HK: Straight From The Ben Graham Stable, >40% Discount to NCAV
  • Meituan’s Recent Expansion in Hong Kong: A Review
  • Alibaba Health: Healthy 2H but Margins Have Very Little Room for Improvement (Quantamental)
  • Monthly Express Tracker | Prices Continue to Slide | Volume Pops | (May 2023)
  • Pinduoduo(PDD US): The Worst Is yet to Come
  • Xinhua Winshare (811 HK): We Love the Boredom
  • JD Industrials Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison – Some Interesting Nuggets from Peer Filings
  • Microport Cardiac Rhythm Management Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Horizon Construction Dev IPO Trading – Subscription Rates Still Weak, Despite Cornerstone Support

JD Industrials Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison

By Sumeet Singh

  • JD Industrials (JDI)  is looking to raise about US$1bn in its upcoming HK IPO. 
  • JDI is a leading industrial supply chain technology and service provider in China in terms of GMV in each year during the Track Record Period, according to CIC.
  • In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison versus domestic and international peers.

Dickson Concepts 113 HK: Straight From The Ben Graham Stable, >40% Discount to NCAV

By Sameer Taneja

  • Dickson Concepts Intl (113 HK), an HK distributor of luxury goods, is a classic example of a Graham net-net with a >40% discount to NCAV (Net Current Asset Value). 
  • The company has 4.7 bn HKD of cash against total liabilities of 2.3 bn HKD (on a market cap of 1.6 bn HKD), thus representing deep value. 
  • With an economic environment in HK for retail sales improving + an existing 8% dividend yield, we could make a case for higher dividend payments.

Meituan’s Recent Expansion in Hong Kong: A Review

By Shawn Yang

  • On May 22nd, Meituan launched its food delivery platform called KeeTa in Hong Kong SAR.
  • KeeTa’s expansion stratgies include Collaboration with branded chain merchants,lower ASP, subsidy campaign, and launching “On-time Guarantee”.
  • Sofar the initial results after launch seems to be in-line with expecation, while  there will still be a lot of challenges, like small market size and stabilized competition landscape.  

Alibaba Health: Healthy 2H but Margins Have Very Little Room for Improvement (Quantamental)

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Alibaba Health Information Technology (241 HK) ’s 2HFY03/2023 revenues beat consensus by 1.4% while adjusted operating losses of RMB1.74m (0.01% of revenue) is significantly lower compared to 2HFY03/2022 and consensus.
  • Improvement in profitability was driven by improved GPM coupled with decrease in SG&A costs which helped offset increase in fulfilment costs as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
  • Our quantamental analysis suggests that Ali Health’s margins have very little room for improvement unless the company cuts down SG&A significantly while improving revenue % from non-direct pharmaceutical businesses.

Monthly Express Tracker | Prices Continue to Slide | Volume Pops | (May 2023)

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Industry and company reports show ASP declines gained momentum in April
  • April volume jumped 36% Y/Y on a weak comp from 2022 (Covid-19 lockdowns)
  • Our thesis: pricing is getting weaker, and this trend will soon impact margins

Pinduoduo(PDD US): The Worst Is yet to Come

By Eric Chen

  • The odds are high for PDD to miss consensus for 1Q results this Friday due to high base and deflating domestic growth drivers, despite TEMU’s momentum.
  • Among major China tech companies, PDD is likely to be the only one to register stagnant or even negative earnings growth for FY23, which has not been in the price.
  • A down cycle for PDD’s earnings growth leads us to assign 12x P/E to an estimated non-GAAP net profit of RMB39 billion for FY23, implying 15% downside. 

Xinhua Winshare (811 HK): We Love the Boredom

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Despite solid outperformance, share price of Xinhua Winshare (811 HK) is more than 100% covered by net cash of Rmb7.6bn. DPS has also risen uninterruptedly in the last 3 years. 
  • 1Q23 result demonstrated operating resilience as recurring profit soared 48.5%. Its franchise in textbook publication and distribution stayed well protected, securing profitability outlook.
  • We like XW’s boring businesses in the current depressed market. It trades on 4.5x PER with secured 6.6% dividend yield. The HA discount has widened to 10pp deeper than average. 

JD Industrials Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison – Some Interesting Nuggets from Peer Filings

By Sumeet Singh

  • JD Industrials is looking to raise about US$1bn in its upcoming HK IPO. 
  • JDI is a leading industrial supply chain technology and service provider in China in terms of GMV in each year during the Track Record Period, according to CIC.
  • We undertook a peer comparison in our previous note, in this note we talk about some additional useful information that we found interesting from peer filings.

Microport Cardiac Rhythm Management Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Ethan Aw

  • MicroPort Cardiac Rhythm Management (1813053D CH) is looking to raise about US$200m in its upcoming HK IPO. The deal will be run by Goldman Sachs and CICC.
  • Microport Cardiac Rhythm Management (MCRM) is a R&D-driven, commercial-stage medical technology company specializing in active implantable medical devices for cardiac rhythm management (CRM). 
  • Its operations are dedicated to the design, development and commercialization of products and solutions to treat and manage arrhythmias and heart failure. 

Horizon Construction Dev IPO Trading – Subscription Rates Still Weak, Despite Cornerstone Support

By Ethan Aw

  • Horizon Construction Development (1887128D HK) raised around US$210m in its Hong Kong IPO.
  • HCD is an equipment operation service provider in China. It provides services covering the full cycle of projects.
  • In this note, we will talk about the trading dynamics and valuation.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Alibaba (ADR), Growatt Technology, Tencent, Angelalign Technology, Kuaishou Technology and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Alibaba Kicks Off Overhaul With Spinoff and Share Sale Targets
  • Growatt Technology IPO: The Investment Case
  • Tencent/Netease: Game Approval Rotation in May
  • Angelalign Technology (6699.HK) – 2023 May Not See a Turnaround in Performance
  • [Kuaishou (1024 HK) Target Price Change]: Solid Monetization Amid Decelerated User Growth

Alibaba Kicks Off Overhaul With Spinoff and Share Sale Targets

By Caixin Global

  • Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. outlined timetables for several key business units to complete spinoffs or pursue independent share sales, kicking off major moves in a sweeping reorganization to break up the gigantic conglomerate and unleash new growth momentum.
  • Alibaba’s board of directors approved a full spinoff of its cloud services division while exploring initial public offerings for the logistics and grocery arms, the company said Thursday.
  • The e-commerce giant plans to carve out the Cloud Intelligence Group within 12 months through a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, meaning it could relinquish control of China’s biggest cloud services platform.

Growatt Technology IPO: The Investment Case

By Arun George


Tencent/Netease: Game Approval Rotation in May

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • China just announced game approval for May batch. The number of games approved is in-line with the pace of approval in recent month.
  • Pace of China game approval stays flattish, at a much slower pace than pre-tightening.
  • Both Tencent and Netease received approval for one game. We saw a pattern of approval rotation for the duo.

Angelalign Technology (6699.HK) – 2023 May Not See a Turnaround in Performance

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Angelalign’s business model is easily challenged by lower priced similar competing products. Once Angelalign’s products lose price advantage, it would lead to a rapid decline in overall sales performance. 
  • Performance growth could still be under pressure this year due to unsatisfactory demand.The potential price war, further price reduction and increasing selling/marketing expenses would put more pressure on profit margin.
  • Angelalign hasn’t accumulated enough data size due to few overseas customers, which could lead to product quality issues and slow internationalization progress. There is downside risk due to overvaluation.

[Kuaishou (1024 HK) Target Price Change]: Solid Monetization Amid Decelerated User Growth

By Shawn Yang

  • Kuaishou reported 1Q23 top-line 4% vs. our est., and non-IFRS net profit of RMB 42mn vs. our est. of RMB (688mn); 
  • We raise 2023 live-streaming/ads/ecommerce revenue growth from 12%/ 17%/26% YoY to 18%/20%/43% YoY, and non-IFRS net income from RMB 860mn to RMB 3.89bn due to a series of monetization methods; 
  • We maintain SELL due to the competitive pressure of Douyin and WeChat Video Account, reflected by decelerated user growth and time spent.  

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Alibaba (ADR), Kuaishou Technology, EVE Energy, NetEase Inc, Consun Pharmaceutical, Greenland Technologies Holdi, Golden Eagle Retail and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Alibaba (BABA US): What It Takes for Re-Rating
  • ECM Asia Takeaways from Hong Kong Investor Meetings – Rakuten, Growatt, JD Industrial and Others
  • Kuaishou (1024 HK): 1Q23, All Business Lines Accelerated
  • Eve Energy (300014 CH): Hooked On Lithium
  • Kuaishou 1Q2023: Upbeat Quarter with a Small Share Buyback
  • NTES.US: NetEase Holds Annual Game Conference, Announced New Game Pipelines, and Our Estimations(+)
  • Consun Pharmaceutical (1681.HK) – Undervalued. Good Performance Growth Will Continue
  • Greenland Technologies – Solid 1Q Results Show Further Recovery in Transmission Business
  • Morning Views Asia: Golden Eagle Retail, Vedanta Resources

Alibaba (BABA US): What It Takes for Re-Rating

By Eric Chen

  • Weaknesses of BABA stock and China tech sector in general post their strong earnings recovery for March quarter suggest market’s concerns centering around growth outlook.
  • BABA fundamental has tracked well to our projection since last November. P/E multiple contraction – which priced in too much pessimism – prevented our bullish call from materializing, for now.
  • We stick to our thesis that March quarter results set stage for BABA re-rating on sustained recovery, well-executed overhaul effectively unlocking value and investors’ renewed appetite for China assets.

ECM Asia Takeaways from Hong Kong Investor Meetings – Rakuten, Growatt, JD Industrial and Others

By Sumeet Singh

  • We spent the second half of last week meeting ECM focused clients in Hong Kong.
  • Overall, the mood remains somewhat grim for Hong Kong/China and it will be up to a few upcoming deals to open up the market again.
  • In this note, we talk about some of the feedback for the upcoming IPOs and placements.

Kuaishou (1024 HK): 1Q23, All Business Lines Accelerated

By Ming Lu

  • The revenue growth rates of all business lines accelerated in 1Q23.
  • Operating losses shrank to RMB1.3 bn in 1Q23, less than RMB3 bn in two previous quarters.
  • We believe the stock has an upside of 66% for the yearend 2023.

Eve Energy (300014 CH): Hooked On Lithium

By David Blennerhassett

  • Lithium battery maker, EVE Energy (300014 CH), is expected to invest US$2.3bn in expanding its battery manufacturing capabilities in two new plants. 
  • Both plants are expected to come online within 18-24 months, depending on market conditions and various approvals. 
  • Eve is down 57% from its December 2021 high, and trading around its lowest level since November 2020, excluding a brief dip in April 2022. 

Kuaishou 1Q2023: Upbeat Quarter with a Small Share Buyback

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Kuaishou Technology (1024 HK) ’s 1Q2023 earnings were above consensus estimates with the company reporting positive adj. EBITDA and adj. net profit during the quarter.
  • Operating profit margin of the domestic business further improved while the company managed to significantly reduce operating losses of the overseas business during the quarter.
  • Kuaishou also announced a small share buyback worth of HK$4bn which further affirms the company’s improving fundamentals and should help attract investors.

NTES.US: NetEase Holds Annual Game Conference, Announced New Game Pipelines, and Our Estimations(+)

By Shawn Yang

  • In the evening of May 20th, NetEase held an online conference where it announced release dates for games…
  • …that It has Previously Announced, and Unveiled New Titles that Will Be Launched in the Future.
  • Overall, June Will Be the Peak Month for Newly Launched Titles from NetEase, with One Big Game (Justice Mobile) And Two Smaller Games (Badlanders and Racing Mobile)

Consun Pharmaceutical (1681.HK) – Undervalued. Good Performance Growth Will Continue

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Despite unfriendly external environment in 2022, Consun Pharmaceutical (1681 HK) still achieved stable performance growth. The Company has maintained a consistently high level of dividend payout, which is commendable.
  • The rapid sales expansion of commercialized products has laid the foundation for the high-quality growth of Consun, and the continuously improving profitability further confirms its growth certainty.
  • Based on the current market value, we think Consun is undervalued considering its RMB3 billion cash balance by 2022. It is expected to usher in valuation repair in the future.

Greenland Technologies – Solid 1Q Results Show Further Recovery in Transmission Business

By Water Tower Research

  • Reported 1Q EPS of $0.11 on revenue of $22.1 million, up from the prior quarter’s loss of $0.08 per share on $19.34 million in revenue.
  • The performance topped the results of the past three quarters, showing the continued recovery of the transmission business in China, which had been affected by the severe COVID restrictions and shutdowns.
  • This is particularly encouraging as 1Q is typically the seasonally weakest quarter due to the Chinese New Year holiday and manufacturing restocking.

Morning Views Asia: Golden Eagle Retail, Vedanta Resources

By Charles Macgregor

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

Daily Brief China: HKBN Ltd, Yuexiu Property, Haier Smart Home Co Ltd, Microport Cardioflow Medtech and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Merger Arb Mondays (22 May) – HKBN, Newcrest, InvoCare, United Malt, Golden Energy, Penguin, Shinsei
  • Weekly Deals Digest (21 May) – Yuexiu, Horizon Construction, Newcrest, InvoCare, Golden Energy
  • Haier Smart Home (6690 HK): Value Emerging
  • CardioFlow (2160.HK) Vs Venus MedTech (2500.HK) Vs Peijia Medical (9996.HK) – Dark Horse Is Emerging

Merger Arb Mondays (22 May) – HKBN, Newcrest, InvoCare, United Malt, Golden Energy, Penguin, Shinsei

By Arun George


Weekly Deals Digest (21 May) – Yuexiu, Horizon Construction, Newcrest, InvoCare, Golden Energy

By Arun George


Haier Smart Home (6690 HK): Value Emerging

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • The weak share price performance of Haier Smart Home Co Ltd (6690 HK) is unwarranted given the healthy earnings trend, solid net cash position and undemanding valuations.
  • The 15.9% 1Q23 recurring earnings growth showed its low correlation with the property market while demonstrated the achievement in cost control and rising premium product contribution.
  • It is set to benefit from government’s push for higher penetration of household appliances in rural areas. Meanwhile, recent Rmb depreciation may bring exchange gain for 1H23.

CardioFlow (2160.HK) Vs Venus MedTech (2500.HK) Vs Peijia Medical (9996.HK) – Dark Horse Is Emerging

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • TAVR was once envisioned with infinite optimism as a “hundred billion yuan market”, attracting massive amounts of capital/companies to enter. However, the commercialization status of TAVR companies is much bleak.
  • High cost of TAVR surgery without medical insurance reimbursement and limited number of qualified hospitals to carry out such complicated surgery are the major reasons for the unsatisfactory sales growth. 
  • Venus Medtech’s market share would continue to be challenged. MicroPort CardioFlow’s low gross margin and slow product iteration are the problems. Peijia could be “dark horse” if positive momentum continues. 

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Hong Kong Hang Seng Index, Zylox-Tonbridge Medical Technology and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • EQD | Volatility Update: Weekly Review of Vol Changes and Best Trades- Bad Data Is Good?
  • China Healthcare Weekly (May.19) – “Hedge Logic” Of CXO, Beijing’s DRG+VBP Policy, Zylox-Tonbridge

EQD | Volatility Update: Weekly Review of Vol Changes and Best Trades- Bad Data Is Good?

By Simon Harris

  • Weekly summary of vol changes and moves across Global Markets
  • Analysing ATM volatility and skew changes over the last 5 days
  • We suggest a few trades to take advantage of the implied vol surfaces

China Healthcare Weekly (May.19) – “Hedge Logic” Of CXO, Beijing’s DRG+VBP Policy, Zylox-Tonbridge

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • The Beijing Medical Insurance Bureau issued a notice soliciting opinions on the linkage program of DRG payment and VBP policy in the city, involving sports medicine, neuro-intervention, and electrophysiology.
  • The basic logic of CXO is that there should be no significant fluctuations with the success or failure of a specific drug, unless this drug significantly increases total medical expenditure.
  • Zylox-Tonbridge Medical Technology (2190 HK) achieved high performance growth in 2022, and is a beneficiary of centralized procurement policy at the current stage.However, it still has to face some challenges.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: KE Holdings Inc, Alibaba (ADR), Vedanta Resources, Atour Lifestyle Holdings, Tencent Music, Akeso Biopharma Inc and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • [KE Holdings (BEKE US) Target Price Change]: Operating Leverage Starts to Kick In, Maintain BUY
  • [Alibaba (BABA US, BUY, TP US$109) Earnings Review]: Taobao Growth to Return on Douyin Slow-Down
  • Weekly Wrap – 19 May 2023
  • [Atour Lifestyle (ATAT US) Target Price Change]: Strong Sales Growth Support Expansion, Maintain BUY
  • [Tencent Music (TME US) Target Price Change]: Cut TP as Offline Music Activities Begin to Thrive
  • [Akeso Inc. (9926 HK) Target Price Change]: Sell off in High-Beta Names Creates Buying Opportunity

[KE Holdings (BEKE US) Target Price Change]: Operating Leverage Starts to Kick In, Maintain BUY

By Shawn Yang

  • BEKE (Beike) reported 1Q23 revenue 10.4%/12.2% vs our est./cons. non-GAAP net income 65.6%/60.9% higher than our est./cons.
  • Although Beike has stated no intention to lower existing home (EH) commission rate, we still expect EH commission rate to slightly trend down in 2023. 
  • We maintain BUY rating and raise the TP by US$1 to US$22 to reflect 1) steady recovery of property sales in China; 2) better outlook on profitability.

[Alibaba (BABA US, BUY, TP US$109) Earnings Review]: Taobao Growth to Return on Douyin Slow-Down

By Shawn Yang

  • BABA reported 1Q23 revenue/non-GAAP net income in-line/17.7% vs. cons. International commerce and local services revenues beat our est., while Cloud missed.
  • We expect there is still room for margin improvement in FY24. Although Taobao/Tmall will increase spending, the cost savings of other business groups will lead to an overall improvement; 
  • We maintain BUY and US$ 109 TP as (1) Douyin’s impact is becoming less significant; (2) International business is growing quickly; and (3) Positive on the effect of separate listing.  

Weekly Wrap – 19 May 2023

By Charles Macgregor

Lucror Analytics Weekly Wraps provide an overview of all Morning Views comments and reports published by our analyst team in the past week, and also showcase a list of the most-read reports.

In this Insight:

  1. Melco Resorts & Entertainment
  2. Hopson Development
  3. China Jinmao Holdings
  4. Lifestyle International Holdings
  5. Geely Auto

and more…


[Atour Lifestyle (ATAT US) Target Price Change]: Strong Sales Growth Support Expansion, Maintain BUY

By Shawn Yang

  • Atour reported its 1Q23 revenue 2.8%/4.3% higher than our est./cons., and non-GAAP NI 22.7%/38.8% higher than our est./cons. The bottom-line beat is driven by strong sales growth from Occ. 
  • We expect 2Q23/2023 rev. to grow 75%/65% YoY, implying 115%/112% of RevPAR recovery rate vs. 2019 and 85/291 net new hotels. 
  • We maintain the BUY rating, and raise TP by US$1 to US$35 to factor in the higher gross margin expectation at 40% in 2023.

[Tencent Music (TME US) Target Price Change]: Cut TP as Offline Music Activities Begin to Thrive

By Shawn Yang

  • TME reported 1Q23 results with topline beat our est. by 5.0% and bottom line beat our est. by 25.2%, due to cost-saving measures. 
  • As more offline entertainment activities resume after reopening, it would adversely impact both its online music and social entertainment segments. 
  • Maintain SELL and cut TP to US$ 6.0 to reflect concert impact and limited catalysts, which implies 12.5X PE in 2023.

[Akeso Inc. (9926 HK) Target Price Change]: Sell off in High-Beta Names Creates Buying Opportunity

By Shawn Yang

  • Amid general disappointment over China’s post-COVID recovery, high beta names like Akeso have sold off in recent days; 
  • Management called for an update which specified on (1) why Ivonescimab (AK112) was absent in ASCO 2023, (2) sales update of Cadonilimab (AK104), (3) NDA and data readout timelines. 
  • We came away positive;  We view management’s confirmation on progress a positive development that enhances certainty. We raise TP by HK$1 to HK$60.

💡 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

Daily Brief China: Alibaba Group, Sing Tao News Corp, Tencent, ZTO Express, iQIYI Inc, Cainiao Smart Logistics, Dmall Inc and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Alibaba Potential IPOs – Part 3 – An Early Look at Cloud, Easy US$10bn+
  • Alibaba (9988 HK): 4Q23, Physical Store Revenue Decreased for First Time, Downgrade to Hold
  • Sing Tao (1105 HK) Makes Its Own News
  • Alibaba 4QFY23: Concerns Surrounding Taobao and Tmall, Disappointing IPO-Bound Cloud & Cainiao
  • [Tencent (700 HK, BUY, TP HK$433) Earnings Review]: Ads Growth Will Accelerate, Maintain BUY
  • Tencent: Domestic Gaming Returns to Growth
  • [ZTO Express (ZTO US, BUY, TP US$38) TP Change]: Margin Improves While Capex Intensity Nears Peak
  • [iQIYI, Lnc. (IQ US, SELL, TP US$5) Target Price Change]: Content Pipeline Weakens After
  • Full-Year Results for Alibaba’s CaiNiao: Reduced Losses, Slower Growth, and A (Likely) 2024 IPO
  • Dmall Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Path to Profitability Remains Murky and Related Party Sales an Issue

Alibaba Potential IPOs – Part 3 – An Early Look at Cloud, Easy US$10bn+

By Sumeet Singh

  • On 28th Mar 2023, Alibaba Group (9988 HK)  announced that it would adopt a new organizational and governance structure, splitting into six major business groups and other investments.
  • Alibaba also stated that each of the business groups would be set up as an independent entity with its own board and the groups will eventually seek to list.
  • In our previous note, we highlighted which division could list. In this note, we will look at the Cloud segement.

Alibaba (9988 HK): 4Q23, Physical Store Revenue Decreased for First Time, Downgrade to Hold

By Ming Lu

  • Alibaba’s revenue from physical stores decreased year over year for the first time.
  • The operating margin declined despite that Alibaba cut losses in minor businesses.
  • We conclude an upside of 15% and a price target at HK$101. Downgrade to Hold.

Sing Tao (1105 HK) Makes Its Own News

By David Blennerhassett

  • Sing Tao News Corp (1105 HK), which owns Hong Kong’s oldest and third-largest Chinese language newspaper, is suspended pursuant to the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers.
  • A takeover of Sing Tao was mooted in 2019-2021 when Charles Ho, the former chairman, sought to exit his 48.98% stake; but that transaction fizzled out.
  • At a market cap of just US$50mn, this (likely) Offer hardly rates a mention. Yet a takeover of a Hong Kong newspaper is still newsworthy.

Alibaba 4QFY23: Concerns Surrounding Taobao and Tmall, Disappointing IPO-Bound Cloud & Cainiao

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US)‘s 4QFY23 OP beat consensus by around RMB 2.5bn (20% beat) through cost cutting, but YoY revenue growth remained sluggish at 2.0%.
  • Consensus expectations of Alibaba achieving an OP of RMB 150bn by FY25 may be overly optimistic due to declining dominance of Taobao and Tmall, and lack of profitable alternative businesses.
  • Alibaba Group (9988 HK) would need to excel to reach RMB100bn OP, resulting in a high FY+2 EV/OP of 14.0x. This seems steep for a company with minimal earnings growth.

[Tencent (700 HK, BUY, TP HK$433) Earnings Review]: Ads Growth Will Accelerate, Maintain BUY

By Shawn Yang

  • Tencent’s latest financial results are in line with expectations, with revenue and non-IFRS profit of 2.5%/(2.1%) vs cons. While we anticipate weak growth in the gaming sector,
  • We suggest that advertising presents several catalysts for Tencent, including the recovery of Ecommerce and gaming, WeChat Video Account’s growth, and inter-connections with Baba and Mihoyo. 
  • We maintain a BUY rating with an unchanged target price of HK$433, implying 34X PE in 2023.

Tencent: Domestic Gaming Returns to Growth

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Tencent (700 HK) reported 1Q2023 results. Revenue grew 10.7% YoY and beat consensus estimate by 2.3% while reported operating profit was 2.25 below consensus estimates.
  • Key highlight was the YoY growth in domestic game revenue (+6%) which was mainly driven by strong performance of newly launched titles.
  • There has been strong recovery across all business segments during the quarter and current valuations are still at a discount to historical trading multiples and offer a good entry point.

[ZTO Express (ZTO US, BUY, TP US$38) TP Change]: Margin Improves While Capex Intensity Nears Peak

By Shawn Yang

  • ZTO reported C1Q23 top-line, IFRS EBIT, and non-IFRS net income (3.1%), 30%, and 30% vs. our est. ZTO raised volume est. to 20-24% YoY; 
  • Margin beat as parcel cost was (8%) vs. our est., but we suggest also due to (1) parcel mix improvements, (2) output-based pay, and (3) lower % of KA customers; 
  • Maintain BUY and raise TP to US$ 38 due improving gross profit per parcel and an end in-sight for CAPEX spending. Our TP implies 24x P/2023E.

[iQIYI, Lnc. (IQ US, SELL, TP US$5) Target Price Change]: Content Pipeline Weakens After

By Shawn Yang

  • IQIYI’s 1Q23 top line beat our est. by 8.5%, while its non-GAAP net income beat our est./cons by 95%/82%, largely due to its blockbuster <Knockout>. 
  • However, we expect its content pipeline is weaker compared with other key competitors in Q2. 
  • Our top and bottom lines in 2Q23 are (3.4%)/(7.4%) vs cons, due to the fierce competition. Maintain SELL and cut TP to US$ 5.0, implying 16.7X PE in 2023.

Full-Year Results for Alibaba’s CaiNiao: Reduced Losses, Slower Growth, and A (Likely) 2024 IPO

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Cainiao Smart Logistics (1437124D HK) ‘s March 2023 quarterly and full-year results can be found within Alibaba’s full-year earnings report, which was released on Thursday May 18
  • In both the March quarter and its fiscal year, CaiNiao showed improved Adjusted EBITDA results, though in both periods the tech-centric logistics network still reported losses
  • Revenue growth slowed to 18% Y/Y in the March quarter, and parent Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US) indicated CaiNiao will target an IPO in 2024, a bit later than some expected

Dmall Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Path to Profitability Remains Murky and Related Party Sales an Issue

By Clarence Chu

  • Dmall Inc (1751691D CH) is looking to raise around US$200m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
  • Dmall provides cloud-based, end-to-end SaaS platform purpose-built for the Chinese retail industry.
  • In this note, we will talk about the not so positive aspects of the deal.

💡 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