Credit

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.

• ABM Investama
• Nickel Industries
• Road King Infrastructure

Longfor Group’s H1/24 results were acceptable. Earnings declined in line with expectations, driven by lower revenue and margins in the Property Development segment. That said, earnings growth from rentals and services remained robust, with LTM profit from recurring income covering interest expense by 1.6x (FY 2023: 1.4x).

Negatively, net debt increased marginally in H1/24, even though total debt declined. Going forward, we expect the company to continue reducing debt using OCF and refinance its maturing debt using additional operating loans backed by its investment properties. Overall, we believe near-term default risk for Longfor remains low, as the company’s pipeline of new malls should continue to support its access to secured bank loans for refinancing.

• We are initiating coverage on Minerva with an Underperform recommendation.
• We are cautious about the credit impact of the Marfrig acquisition.
• We believe a better entry point into the name may emerge in the future based on our expectation of a weakening credit profile. 

Greentown’s H1/24 results were acceptable, given the above-industry sales and top-line growth. While gross profit declined, the property development gross margin was stable from FY 2023, and remained robust relative to peers. In addition, net debt was stable from FYE 2023. More importantly, the company’s access to onshore financing appears healthy, and liquidity is adequate.

The company remains active in land acquisitions and has a good quality land bank, mostly in high-tier cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Although Greentown is considered a pure-play developer (as its recurring income businesses are small), the company appears to have navigated the industry downturn well, thanks to its cautious approach towards land investments and operating efficiency to support a fast-churn model.

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.

• China Oil And Gas
• First Pacific Co

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.

• AAC Technologies Holdings
• GMR Hyderabad International Airport

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.

• Sunny Optical Technology Group
• Xiaomi Corp

West China Cement (WCC) has released softer than expected H1/24 numbers. The company’s revenue and profitability in Mainland China continued to decline amid the real estate slump, while its performance in Africa was mixed. ​FCF remained negative and leverage continued to deteriorate. That said, liquidity appears manageable, as we expect WCC to refinance its short-term loans. The main debt maturity wall is in July 2026, when the USD 600 mn notes will come due.

In our view, the key risk is uncertainty over the extent of WCC’s overseas expansion. The company stated that it has no plans for capacity expansion in FY 2024, other than the ongoing developments in Ethiopia and Uzbekistan. However, this contradicts media reports on WCC’s investments in Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Hence, we are unsure about the level of the company’s planned overseas capex. Going forward, cement demand in Mainland China is likely to remain weak, due to the slowdown in infrastructure investment (with lower growth) and continued decline in real estate investment.

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.

• Tata Motors ADR
• Yankuang Energy Group

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.

• Continuum Green Energy
• Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines)
• West China Cement

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.

• China Hongqiao
• China Jinmao Holdings
• Citicore Renewable Energy

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.

• Lenovo
• Citicore Renewable Energy
• Vedanta Resources

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.

• Lenovo
• Citicore Renewable Energy
• Vedanta Resources

Vista Land & Lifescapes’ (VLL) H1/24 results were acceptable, with improved earnings and margin expansion. That said, cash flows stayed negative and debt continued to rise. Hence, leverage remained moderately weak.

VLL maintains a sizeable portfolio of securities investment and investment properties, which generate recurring income and support the balance sheet. The investments could also be monetised if needed, albeit their market value is unclear. We expect the company’s liquidity needs to be manageable, given VLL’s reasonable access to funding.

Yanlord Land’s H1/24 results were acceptable in our view. The company reported robust top-line growth, albeit margins weakened amid the difficult operating environment. Positively, Yanlord continued to reduce debt and maintain stable leverage. In addition, the company has successfully refinanced its borrowings using cheaper onshore secured debt, which has helped to improve interest costs.

That said, Yanlord’s headroom to raise future secured debt has been reduced, as the bulk of its investment properties has already been pledged. Still, the company might be able to upsize its existing secured loans with higher LTV, or issue loans backed against new assets. Meanwhile, Yanlord continues to face sales pressure and a shrinking land bank in the absence of new land acquisitions.

Melco Resorts’ (MLCO) Q2/24 results were soft, but in line with expectations. The company’s earnings improved sequentially in Q2, though the pace of its earnings recovery (relative to pre-pandemic levels) and debt reduction have continued to lag peers.

During H1/24, MLCO’s net gross debt was down by just 1% from FYE 2023. Hence, the company’s leverage remained weaker than peers, with Net Debt/LTM Adjusted Property EBITDA of 5.1x (vs. 3.9x for Wynn Macau, 2.5x for Sands China and an estimated 2.1x for MGM China).

Going forward, we expect MLCO to continue generating small positive FCF and deleverage gradually, with the extent of its FCF generation likely tempered by ongoing share repurchases.

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.

• Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd
• SK Hynix
• Vedanta Resources

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.

• Guangzhou R&F Properties
• JSW Steel Ltd
• Yuexiu Property

• The EA 248A bond meeting on 9-August produced a consent from bondholders to extend the maturity as per the company’s request.
• EA’s CFO announced that the company has secured 3-year credit facilities from 9 financial institutions and Asset Plus Securities Fund Management.
• Barring any further negative news , we believe the maturity extension and the long-term bank credit facilities could lead TRIS to at least reverse EA’s credit rating outlook.

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.

• Bharti Airtel
• China Vanke
• China International Marine Containers A
• Vedanta Resources