Thailand

In this briefing:

1. Global Banks: Why Buy High Into Popular and Fashionable Banks and Markets? Be Contrarian and Buy Low
2. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight
3. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019

1. Global Banks: Why Buy High Into Popular and Fashionable Banks and Markets? Be Contrarian and Buy Low

Trawling through  >1500 global banks, based on the last quarter of reported Balance Sheets, we apply the discipline of the PH Score™ , a value-quality fundamental momentum screen, plus a low RSI screen, and a low Franchise Valuation (FV) screen to deliver our latest rankings for global banks.

While not all of top decile 1 scores are a buy – some are value traps while others maybe somewhat small and obscure and traded sparsely- the bottom decile names should awaken caution. We would be hard pressed to recommend some of the more popular and fashionable names from the bottom decile. Names such as ICICI Bank Ltd (ICICIBC IN) , Credicorp of Peru, Bank Central Asia (BBCA IJ) and Itau Unibanco Holding Sa (ITUB US) are EM favourites. Their share prices have performed well for an extended period and thus carry valuation risk. They represent pricey quality in some cases. They are not priced for disappointment but rather for hope. Are the constituents of the bottom decile not fertile grounds for short sellers?

Why pay top dollar for a bank franchise given risks related to domestic (let alone global) politics and the economy? Some investors and analysts have expressed “inspiration” for developments in Brazil and Argentina. But Brazilian bonds are now trading as if the country is Investment Grade again. (This is relevant for banks especially). Guedes and co. may deliver on pension/social security reform. If so, prices will become even more inflated. But what happens if they don’t deliver on reform? Why pay top dollar for hope given the ramp up in prices already? Argentina is an even more fragile “hope narrative”. More of a “Hope take 2”. Similar to Brazil, bank Franchise Valuations are elevated. While the current account adjustment and easing inflation are to be expected, the political and social scene will be a challenge. LATAM seems to be “hot” again with investment bankers talking of resilience. But resilience is different from valuation. Banks from Chile, Peru, and Colombia feature in the bottom decile too. If an investor wants to be in these markets and desires bank exposure, surely it makes sense to look for the best value on offer. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores (AVAL CB) may represent one such opportunity.

Our bottom decile rankings feature a great deal of banks from Indonesia. In a promising market such as Indonesia, given bank valuations, one needs to tread extremely carefully to not end up paying over the odds, to not pay for extrapolation. In addition, India is a susceptible jurisdiction for any bank operating there – no bank is “superhuman” and especially not at the prices on offer for the popular private sector “winners”. Saudi Arabia is another market that suddenly became popular last year. We are mindful of valuations and FX.

Does it not make more sense to look at opportunity in the top decile? While some of the names here will be too small or illiquid (mea culpa), there are genuine portfolio candidates. South Korea stands out in the rankings. Woori Bank (WF US) is top of the rankings after a share price plunge related to a stock overhang but this will pass. Hana Financial (086790 KS) , Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK LX) and DGB Financial Group (139130 KS) are portfolio candidates. Elsewhere, Russia and Vietnam rightly feature while Sri Lanka and Pakistan contribute some names despite very real political and macro risks. We would caution on some of the relatively small Chinese names but recommend the big 4 versus EM peers – they are not expensive. In fact some of the big 4 feature in decile 2 of our rankings. There are many Japanese banks here too. And many, like some Chinese lenders, are cheap for a reason. While the technical picture for Japanese banks is bearish, at some stage selective weeding out of opportunity within Japan’s banking sector may be rewarding. The megabanks are certainly not dear. Europe is another matter. Despite valuations, we are cautious on French lenders and on German consolidation narratives – did a merger of 2 weak banks ever deliver shareholder value? The inclusion of two Romanian banks in the top decile is somewhat of a headscratcher. These are perfectly investable opportunities but share prices have been poor of late.

2. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight

Uzbekistan’s economy is a frontier market stand out and has a large number of attractive characteristics:

• Uzbekistan’s stock market trades at a substantial discount to other frontier markets, though the extremely illiquid nature of the market makes it hard to trade.  However, there still is foreign interest in the market.
• The IMF projects that the economy will grow by 5% during 2018 and 2019, and eventually reach 6% by 2022, though this is still below its historical high. 
• Market reforms were spearheaded in December 2016 when the newly elected president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev decided to transition towards a market- oriented economy led by private sector growth, as the public sector was unable to create enough jobs.  This represents a significant shift given that Uzbekistan had been a closed, centrally planned economy until 2016.
• Tourist arrivals grew by 91.6% during H1 2018, and this is poised to improve greater in the future due to the impact of the visa liberalization measures.
• Twin deficits have remained under control and Uzbekistan is one of few current account surplus frontier markets.
• Uzbekistan is also very attractive compared to other markets in the frontier space given that its minimum wage is only US$24/month, compared to around $70-75/month in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The market reforms that the country recently implemented will be a major catalyst for future economic growth and makes investment in this market appealing.  Apart from strong growth, the market is also appealing due to its high foreign exchange reserves ( nearly 2 years of import cover), consistent CA surplus, and stable currency.  My latest frontier and emerging market recap highlights the appeals of markets such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Egypt, while expressing concerns for markets such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan.  Uzbekistan is a suitable addition given its stable macro/political picture, and the main negative factor of this market is the highly inaccessible nature of the equity market.  The ADTV is less than $100,000, which is a far cry from other frontier markets like Romania, Sri Lanka and Kenya.

3. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019

Highlights of significant recent happenings include:

In this briefing:

1. Inventory Clearance and the Semiconductor Cycle
2. RRG Global Macro Weekly – Dramatic Brexit Defeat A Positive for Markets? We Are Not So Sanguine
3. Wanted: A 21st Century Monetary Theory
4. The Week that Was in ASEAN@Smartkarma – Asia’s Time, Indo Mini-Marts, and Singapore Property Woes
5. Catalyst Calendar for Thailand 2019

1. Inventory Clearance and the Semiconductor Cycle

A very normal part of the semiconductor cycle is inventory clearance.  DRAM makers are starting to discuss this in their earnings calls.  What they are NOT telling their investors is how significant this is to the onset of a price collapse, perhaps because they don’t understand it themselves.  This Insight will help readers to learn how and why an inventory clearance helps ratchet a budding oversupply into a full-blown glut.

2. RRG Global Macro Weekly – Dramatic Brexit Defeat A Positive for Markets? We Are Not So Sanguine

The dramatic defeat of PM May’s Brexit arrangement with the EU was seen by the markets as a positive development. Apparently the markets believe that this could result in Britain remaining in the EU.

While we agree this would be good news we consider it unlikely without many more months or years of uncertainty as another referendum is organized and implemented.

Romania: GDP in Q3 grew 4.4% y/y, up from 4.1% in Q2. The country’s economy is doing better than most EU countries.
Brazil: The CPI in Dec rose 3.7%, down from 4.05% in Nov. Lowest rate since May, as prices slowed for food and fuel.
India: The trade deficit in Dec narrowed to $13.1 bn. Exports rose a meager 0.3% and imports fell 2.44%. GDP growth of 7% is expected for this year and next..

3. Wanted: A 21st Century Monetary Theory

The globe is facing more than an ordinary business cycle.

Joseph C. Sternberg, editorial-page editor and European political-economy columnist for the Wall Street Journal’s European edition, recently interviewed Claudio Borio, head of the Monetaryand Economic Department of the BIS. Mr. Borio said that politicians have relied far too much on central banks, which are constrained by economic theories that offer little meaningful guidance on how to sustain growth and financial stability. The only tool they have is an interest rate that can affect output in the short run but ends up affecting only inflation in the end.

4. The Week that Was in ASEAN@Smartkarma – Asia’s Time, Indo Mini-Marts, and Singapore Property Woes

Macro Insights

In Ten Years On – Asia’s Time Is Coming, Don’t Miss The Boat, Sharmila Whelan suggests that the time has come for Asia to outperform developed markets.

In The Black Elephant Has Trumpeted, Dr. Jim Walker argues that we are on the cusp of a period of pronounced outperformance for Asian economies. 

In Catalyst Calendar for Thailand 2019, our Thai Guru attempts upcoming catalysts for selective stocks in Thailand including TMB Bank PCL (TMB TB), Airports Of Thailand (AOT TB), Indorama Ventures (IVL TB), Sino Thai Engr & Constr (STEC TB), and Major Cineplex Group (MAJOR TB).

Equity Bottom-Up Insights

In his on the ground insight, Sumber Alfaria Trijaya (AMRT IJ) – Flying off the Shelves, former Jakartan Angus Mackintosh revisits this leading Indonesian mini-market operator. After a meeting with management, he finds the company on an altogether more favourable tack.

In Ayala Corp Placement – Selldown by Mitsubishi Likely to Reignite Overhang Worries, Zhen Zhou, Toh takes a look at this significant transaction in the Philippines. 

in Capitaland (CAPL SP): Transformational Acquisition at a Premium, Arun George comments on Capitaland Ltd (CAPL SP)‘s latest acquisition and though he sees it as significant would take a wait and see stance on the stock. 

Sector and Thematic Insights

In Singapore Real Deals (Jan 2019 Issue 1, Anni Kum launches a new regular product commenting on significant developments in the Singapore property sector. Singapore Real Deals is a fortnightly property digest that takes you through the peculiarities of Singapore’s real estate market. In the first issue of Singapore Real Deals, she will dive into the first property launch in Prime District 9 in 2019, RV Altitude, to get a sense of the product mix and pricing strategies that developers are adopting in a price-sensitive market. 

In Singapore Property – A Perfect Storm for the High-End Residential Market in 2019?, Royston Foo investigates some worrying developments on the supply side in Singapore property, which he suggests could negatively affect the market, especially the high-end.

5. Catalyst Calendar for Thailand 2019

While it may not be possible to get 100% visibility on upcoming analysts, the team at MCorp Review figured that it would be useful to start a calendar for those we see in the pipeline for this year and cite no more than three stocks that could come into focus during those months because of these catalysts. Some examples include:

• The TMB-Thanachart deal (late January) possibly the biggest bank deal since Mitsubishi-UFJ bought BAY for US$4.4bn in 2013, we see the government’s fingerprints in this and the likelihood that the share swap ratio will favor TMB.
• Chinese New Year (Feb 5), an important test for Thai tourism and AOT following the death of mainland tourists in Phuket last year. An underwhelming show would also hit Indorama.
• General elections (late May?) If this goes through, Sino Thai Engr & Constr (STEC TB) , whose tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul leads the swing vote party Bhumjaithai, could benefit hugely.
• Blockbuster season (August) So far, X-Men sequel The New Mutants, which timeline is confirmed, looks like the big boost for cinema titan Major Cineplex Group (MAJOR TB) , though we suspect Avengers Endgame, the sequel to Infinity Wars, would be an even bigger deal.

In this briefing:

1. Emerging Asean Telcos 2019: Indonesia Looks Best Placed. Malaysia Improving.

1. Emerging Asean Telcos 2019: Indonesia Looks Best Placed. Malaysia Improving.

Looking at the telco space for Emerging Asean markets in 2019, we see a number of key themes. 

• Revenue trends are likely to worsen in Thailand and the Philippines, but improve in Indonesia and possibly Malaysia. 
• Margin trends usually follow revenue but Indonesia will have the added benefit of reduced subscriber churn following the SIM registration completion in 2018.
• Political risk is elevated with elections in Thailand (although renewed talk of delays) and Indonesia.

Overall, Indonesia looks to be the most interesting market with rising revenue growth as the market stabilizes. Telekom Indonesia (TLKM IJ) is our top pick, followed by Xl Axiata (EXCL IJ). Elsewhere, Malaysia looks to be improving but valuations remain high.  The outlook has worsened in Thailand with DTAC (DTAC TB) getting hold of spectrum and now litigation risk coming to the fore with old cases with TOT/CAT. The Philippine duopoly faces the rude shock from the China Telecom Consortium’s entry in late 2019. 

In this briefing:

1. Global Banks: Why Buy High Into Popular and Fashionable Banks and Markets? Be Contrarian and Buy Low
2. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight
3. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019
4. The Burden of Too Big Government
5. JKN: Prime Content Distributor Eyes Big Opportunities in ASEAN Market

1. Global Banks: Why Buy High Into Popular and Fashionable Banks and Markets? Be Contrarian and Buy Low

Trawling through  >1500 global banks, based on the last quarter of reported Balance Sheets, we apply the discipline of the PH Score™ , a value-quality fundamental momentum screen, plus a low RSI screen, and a low Franchise Valuation (FV) screen to deliver our latest rankings for global banks.

While not all of top decile 1 scores are a buy – some are value traps while others maybe somewhat small and obscure and traded sparsely- the bottom decile names should awaken caution. We would be hard pressed to recommend some of the more popular and fashionable names from the bottom decile. Names such as ICICI Bank Ltd (ICICIBC IN) , Credicorp of Peru, Bank Central Asia (BBCA IJ) and Itau Unibanco Holding Sa (ITUB US) are EM favourites. Their share prices have performed well for an extended period and thus carry valuation risk. They represent pricey quality in some cases. They are not priced for disappointment but rather for hope. Are the constituents of the bottom decile not fertile grounds for short sellers?

Why pay top dollar for a bank franchise given risks related to domestic (let alone global) politics and the economy? Some investors and analysts have expressed “inspiration” for developments in Brazil and Argentina. But Brazilian bonds are now trading as if the country is Investment Grade again. (This is relevant for banks especially). Guedes and co. may deliver on pension/social security reform. If so, prices will become even more inflated. But what happens if they don’t deliver on reform? Why pay top dollar for hope given the ramp up in prices already? Argentina is an even more fragile “hope narrative”. More of a “Hope take 2”. Similar to Brazil, bank Franchise Valuations are elevated. While the current account adjustment and easing inflation are to be expected, the political and social scene will be a challenge. LATAM seems to be “hot” again with investment bankers talking of resilience. But resilience is different from valuation. Banks from Chile, Peru, and Colombia feature in the bottom decile too. If an investor wants to be in these markets and desires bank exposure, surely it makes sense to look for the best value on offer. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores (AVAL CB) may represent one such opportunity.

Our bottom decile rankings feature a great deal of banks from Indonesia. In a promising market such as Indonesia, given bank valuations, one needs to tread extremely carefully to not end up paying over the odds, to not pay for extrapolation. In addition, India is a susceptible jurisdiction for any bank operating there – no bank is “superhuman” and especially not at the prices on offer for the popular private sector “winners”. Saudi Arabia is another market that suddenly became popular last year. We are mindful of valuations and FX.

Does it not make more sense to look at opportunity in the top decile? While some of the names here will be too small or illiquid (mea culpa), there are genuine portfolio candidates. South Korea stands out in the rankings. Woori Bank (WF US) is top of the rankings after a share price plunge related to a stock overhang but this will pass. Hana Financial (086790 KS) , Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK LX) and DGB Financial Group (139130 KS) are portfolio candidates. Elsewhere, Russia and Vietnam rightly feature while Sri Lanka and Pakistan contribute some names despite very real political and macro risks. We would caution on some of the relatively small Chinese names but recommend the big 4 versus EM peers – they are not expensive. In fact some of the big 4 feature in decile 2 of our rankings. There are many Japanese banks here too. And many, like some Chinese lenders, are cheap for a reason. While the technical picture for Japanese banks is bearish, at some stage selective weeding out of opportunity within Japan’s banking sector may be rewarding. The megabanks are certainly not dear. Europe is another matter. Despite valuations, we are cautious on French lenders and on German consolidation narratives – did a merger of 2 weak banks ever deliver shareholder value? The inclusion of two Romanian banks in the top decile is somewhat of a headscratcher. These are perfectly investable opportunities but share prices have been poor of late.

2. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight

Uzbekistan’s economy is a frontier market stand out and has a large number of attractive characteristics:

• Uzbekistan’s stock market trades at a substantial discount to other frontier markets, though the extremely illiquid nature of the market makes it hard to trade.  However, there still is foreign interest in the market.
• The IMF projects that the economy will grow by 5% during 2018 and 2019, and eventually reach 6% by 2022, though this is still below its historical high. 
• Market reforms were spearheaded in December 2016 when the newly elected president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev decided to transition towards a market- oriented economy led by private sector growth, as the public sector was unable to create enough jobs.  This represents a significant shift given that Uzbekistan had been a closed, centrally planned economy until 2016.
• Tourist arrivals grew by 91.6% during H1 2018, and this is poised to improve greater in the future due to the impact of the visa liberalization measures.
• Twin deficits have remained under control and Uzbekistan is one of few current account surplus frontier markets.
• Uzbekistan is also very attractive compared to other markets in the frontier space given that its minimum wage is only US$24/month, compared to around $70-75/month in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The market reforms that the country recently implemented will be a major catalyst for future economic growth and makes investment in this market appealing.  Apart from strong growth, the market is also appealing due to its high foreign exchange reserves ( nearly 2 years of import cover), consistent CA surplus, and stable currency.  My latest frontier and emerging market recap highlights the appeals of markets such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Egypt, while expressing concerns for markets such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan.  Uzbekistan is a suitable addition given its stable macro/political picture, and the main negative factor of this market is the highly inaccessible nature of the equity market.  The ADTV is less than $100,000, which is a far cry from other frontier markets like Romania, Sri Lanka and Kenya.

3. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019

Highlights of significant recent happenings include:

4. The Burden of Too Big Government

From our very own “Austrian” Leigh Skene:

Wars in old times were made to get slaves. The modern implement of imposing slavery is debt. Ezra Pound

Governments used public sector balance sheets to bail out private financial institutions and assist private companies to emerge from bankruptcy in the GFC. These actions transferred credit risk from the private to the public sector, yet falling nominal interest rates minimised, and in some cases froze, the cost of servicing the mounting government debt until late 2016. Since then, many borrowers have paid rising  interest rates on increasing amounts of debt. Debt service charges are rising faster than nominal GDP in a growing number of nations as a result. It is estimated that the US federal funding requirement will rise from minus US$ 700bn to US$ 2tr in 2022.

5. JKN: Prime Content Distributor Eyes Big Opportunities in ASEAN Market

We initiate coverage of JKN with a BUY rating, based on a target price of Bt8.80, pegged to the the 14.8xPE’19E mean of the Asia ex-Japan Consumer Discretionary Sector.

The story:

• Plenty of opportunities in the ASEAN market
• Harvest season is imminent
• New contracts with three new channels confirm 2019 domestic growth
• Mild recovery for domestic digital TV industry in 2019E

Risks: Heavy reliance on a few major customers, probability it will have to set provisions for doubtful debts and potential inability to renew contracts with customers.

In this briefing:

1. Thailand – KTC Defies the Sceptics
2. StubWorld: Intouch Gains On Possible Sale of Thaicom
3. Thai Telcos: Outstanding Liabilities to CAT/TOT Loom Post DTAC’s Partial Settlement
4. EM Active Fund Performance:  Difficult 2018, but Long-Term Outperformance Remains
5. ATP30: 100% Secured Client Base Prompt 2019 Growth

1. Thailand – KTC Defies the Sceptics

Krungthai Card (KTC TB) shows all too clearly how to keep profit growth high, rising from 20%, to 33% and to 56%, from 2016 through 2018. There are few financial companies that can compare to the persistent and high and improving rate of profit growth. We must remember that late in 2017, regulations changed lowering the maximum rate on credit card loans and limiting facilities based on a more stringent policy relating to income. Ironically, we believe this supports performance. Customers may have become more careful on defaulting, running the risk of getting cut off and having to re-apply for a personal loan or a credit card. And under new regulations, customers can not receive as high a credit limit as in the past, if their income is less than Bt30,000 or Bt50,000 per month.

2. StubWorld: Intouch Gains On Possible Sale of Thaicom

This week in StubWorld …

• Both Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) and Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB) gain ~10% in response to rumours of a government takeout of Thaicom.

Preceding my comments on Intouch and Yoosung T&S (024800 KS) are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.

These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold – the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed as a % – of at least 20%.

3. Thai Telcos: Outstanding Liabilities to CAT/TOT Loom Post DTAC’s Partial Settlement

Total Access Communication (DTAC TB) recently settled a number of outstanding cases with CAT, one of the two Thai Telecom authorities (the other being TOT). DTAC agreed to pay THB9.5bn ($300m) to CAT to settle a number of outstanding disputes. They did NOT clear all their disputes and there are substantial remaining potential liabilities. In the past, The Thai telcos have tended to ignore these cases given the glacial moves through the system (some are 20+ years), but DTAC’s moves suggest it is time to take a closer look. The total numbers for the industry are substantial at around $20bn and, following DTAC’s settlement, Chris Hoare thinks the risk of crystallizing losses has increased. We have cut our target prices as a result. The industry was already facing headwinds from the business revival at DTAC now that it has secured access to spectrum.

4. EM Active Fund Performance:  Difficult 2018, but Long-Term Outperformance Remains

2018 was a year to forget for many active GEM managers. Absolute returns were the worst since 2011 and, relative to the I-Shares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, active funds registered their first average underperformance since 2008.  Here we share some of the key data points on active fund performance for 2018 and over the longer term.

5. ATP30: 100% Secured Client Base Prompt 2019 Growth

We maintain a BUY rating for ATP30, based on a target price of Bt2.46 (previous TP: 2.48) and derived from a 30xPE’18E, which is its average trading range in the past one year and 10% discount to Thailand’s transportation sector

The story:

• Active fleet expansion still go on in 2019-20E
• Lower interest expense burden support margin expansion

Risks: Higher than expected in volatility in fuel price and probability that clients will terminate service contracts

In this briefing:

1. 2019 Energy Market Themes & Stocks with Exposure: Focus on Oil, Refining, LNG, M&A & Renewables
2. Snippets #18: Naughty CEOs, Southern Crusades
3. Monthly Geopolitical Comment: Too Early to Expect Lasting Improvements in US-China Relationship
4. Semiconductor WFE Billings Decline Reverses Course in December, First Bullish Signal in Six Months
5. LNG Producers Outperform as More LNG from the US Is Coming into the Market

1. 2019 Energy Market Themes & Stocks with Exposure: Focus on Oil, Refining, LNG, M&A & Renewables

We examine some of the key drivers of the oil price and on the whole we are relatively bullish as although we see some risk to demand growth forecasts in 2019, in the absence of a recession we think that supply has more room to surprise to the downside. Geopolitics and financial markets will play a huge role in prices. We think that US oil supply growth will be lower y/y in 2019, OPEC+ compliance with cuts will be high and maybe helped by unplanned disruptions and base production will decline more rapidly than forecast. Companies will accelerate the sanctioning of new projects in 2019 and also will increase exploration spending, despite a number of years of poor success rates – overall the trend should be positive for the offshore oil service companies. We expect strong LNG supply growth in 2019 to hit spot pricing but still expect a large number of projects to be sanctioned helping the LNG engineering and construction companies. It will be a very interesting year for the refining industry as new regulations limiting shipping sulphur emissions should lead to a spike in diesel and to some extent gasoline margins towards the end of the year, helping complex refiners. Major oil companies will continue to embrace renewables as investors continue to push for companies to plan for the energy transition.

The main stocks that we come out positive on are Hess Corp (HES US), Valero Energy (VLO US), TechnipFMC PLC (FTI FP), Kosmos Energy (KOS US), Transocean Ltd (RIG US), Golar Lng Ltd (GLNG US) and Galp Energia Sgps Sa (GALP PL).

We are more negative on Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE CN) , Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA LN) , Cheniere Energy (LNG US); Eog Resources (EOG US) and Ecopetrol SA (ECOPETL CB) . 

2. Snippets #18: Naughty CEOs, Southern Crusades

In this review, we highlight five new unrelated developments that might impact the Thai stock market if you happen to hold the affected stocks.

• Skeletons in the closet. CIMB’s Thai CEO went on voluntary leave to clear his name regarding a legacy case back in his KTB days, while one of Thailand’s highest profile tycoon Dr. Prasert has been implicated in a stock manipulation case of Bangkok Airways from way back in 2015.
• Religious wars? As the southern insurgency spreads to economically vibrant province of Songkhla, insurgents attack a Buddhist temple and kill two monks, possibly in an effort to turn the crisis into a religious war. Doesn’t sound great for overall stability.
• A rare bump in the Baht. Despite QE unwinding, the Baht has risen almost 3% against the greenback. Bad news for exporters (eg. TUF, DELTA) good news for serial acquirers (think Thai Beverage, Banpu).
• Government-inspired deals. Is the government driving M&A in Thailand these days? They certainly had a hand in the TMB-Thanachart deal and now are rumored to be buying Thaicom, the country’s only satellite operator.
• Air quality takes a dive thanks to diesel and aggressive skytrain construction programs. Stores selling face mask and companies that substitute ethanol to diesel are set to benefit, while BTS might hit headwinds as government forces them to slow down construction.

3. Monthly Geopolitical Comment: Too Early to Expect Lasting Improvements in US-China Relationship

4. Semiconductor WFE Billings Decline Reverses Course in December, First Bullish Signal in Six Months

On January 24’th 2019, SEMI announced that Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) billings for North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment amounted to $2.11 billion worldwide in December 2018. This represents an 8.5% MoM increase, although still lower YoY by 12.1%. December’s data marks the reversal of a six month long downtrend in monthly billings, a bullish signal that the WFE segment has bottomed and better times lie ahead. 

This latest billings data coincides with WFE bellwether Lam Research (LRCX US)‘s latest earnings report which slightly exceeded guidance with revenues of $2.5 billion, up 8.7% sequentially. On the call, company executives stated that first quarter CY 2019 would mark the trough from a gross margin perspective, strongly implying that it would be the same for revenues. 

LRCX shares surged 15.7% in overnight trading triggering a rising tide that lifted large swathes of semiconductor stocks, particularly those within the WFE sector. Two swallows don’t necessarily mean it’s Spring, but for now, the markets are betting that it does. 

5. LNG Producers Outperform as More LNG from the US Is Coming into the Market

On the back of a growing LNG global trade volume, LNG producers have outperformed the US market and their E&P peers including the oil majors over the last two years. As global LNG production reaches a record 316m tonnes in 2018, a 9.6% increase year on year, new capacity additions set to come online in the next three years will be dominated by the US. This insight will examine how the recent entry of US LNG in the market is transforming the LNG industry and which emerging players are driving the change.

Exhibit 1: LNG Producers Outperform the US Market

In this briefing:

1. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight
2. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019
3. The Burden of Too Big Government
4. JKN: Prime Content Distributor Eyes Big Opportunities in ASEAN Market
5. Emerging Asean Telcos 2019: Indonesia Looks Best Placed. Malaysia Improving.

1. Uzbekistan Initiation: Value Hidden in Plain Sight

Uzbekistan’s economy is a frontier market stand out and has a large number of attractive characteristics:

• Uzbekistan’s stock market trades at a substantial discount to other frontier markets, though the extremely illiquid nature of the market makes it hard to trade.  However, there still is foreign interest in the market.
• The IMF projects that the economy will grow by 5% during 2018 and 2019, and eventually reach 6% by 2022, though this is still below its historical high. 
• Market reforms were spearheaded in December 2016 when the newly elected president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev decided to transition towards a market- oriented economy led by private sector growth, as the public sector was unable to create enough jobs.  This represents a significant shift given that Uzbekistan had been a closed, centrally planned economy until 2016.
• Tourist arrivals grew by 91.6% during H1 2018, and this is poised to improve greater in the future due to the impact of the visa liberalization measures.
• Twin deficits have remained under control and Uzbekistan is one of few current account surplus frontier markets.
• Uzbekistan is also very attractive compared to other markets in the frontier space given that its minimum wage is only US$24/month, compared to around $70-75/month in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The market reforms that the country recently implemented will be a major catalyst for future economic growth and makes investment in this market appealing.  Apart from strong growth, the market is also appealing due to its high foreign exchange reserves ( nearly 2 years of import cover), consistent CA surplus, and stable currency.  My latest frontier and emerging market recap highlights the appeals of markets such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Egypt, while expressing concerns for markets such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan.  Uzbekistan is a suitable addition given its stable macro/political picture, and the main negative factor of this market is the highly inaccessible nature of the equity market.  The ADTV is less than $100,000, which is a far cry from other frontier markets like Romania, Sri Lanka and Kenya.

2. Business Happenings in the Americas that May Be “Below the Radar” – Week Ending January 17, 2019

Highlights of significant recent happenings include:

3. The Burden of Too Big Government

From our very own “Austrian” Leigh Skene:

Wars in old times were made to get slaves. The modern implement of imposing slavery is debt. Ezra Pound

Governments used public sector balance sheets to bail out private financial institutions and assist private companies to emerge from bankruptcy in the GFC. These actions transferred credit risk from the private to the public sector, yet falling nominal interest rates minimised, and in some cases froze, the cost of servicing the mounting government debt until late 2016. Since then, many borrowers have paid rising  interest rates on increasing amounts of debt. Debt service charges are rising faster than nominal GDP in a growing number of nations as a result. It is estimated that the US federal funding requirement will rise from minus US$ 700bn to US$ 2tr in 2022.

4. JKN: Prime Content Distributor Eyes Big Opportunities in ASEAN Market

We initiate coverage of JKN with a BUY rating, based on a target price of Bt8.80, pegged to the the 14.8xPE’19E mean of the Asia ex-Japan Consumer Discretionary Sector.

The story:

• Plenty of opportunities in the ASEAN market
• Harvest season is imminent
• New contracts with three new channels confirm 2019 domestic growth
• Mild recovery for domestic digital TV industry in 2019E

Risks: Heavy reliance on a few major customers, probability it will have to set provisions for doubtful debts and potential inability to renew contracts with customers.

5. Emerging Asean Telcos 2019: Indonesia Looks Best Placed. Malaysia Improving.

Looking at the telco space for Emerging Asean markets in 2019, we see a number of key themes. 

• Revenue trends are likely to worsen in Thailand and the Philippines, but improve in Indonesia and possibly Malaysia. 
• Margin trends usually follow revenue but Indonesia will have the added benefit of reduced subscriber churn following the SIM registration completion in 2018.
• Political risk is elevated with elections in Thailand (although renewed talk of delays) and Indonesia.

Overall, Indonesia looks to be the most interesting market with rising revenue growth as the market stabilizes. Telekom Indonesia (TLKM IJ) is our top pick, followed by Xl Axiata (EXCL IJ). Elsewhere, Malaysia looks to be improving but valuations remain high.  The outlook has worsened in Thailand with DTAC (DTAC TB) getting hold of spectrum and now litigation risk coming to the fore with old cases with TOT/CAT. The Philippine duopoly faces the rude shock from the China Telecom Consortium’s entry in late 2019. 

In this briefing:

1. Oil Prices Are Up. Which Stock Benefits?
2. Debt Ratios Do Matter

1. Oil Prices Are Up. Which Stock Benefits?

Oil prices shot back up to US$60/bbl levels in 2019. ‘Experts’ claim it has to do with lower US inventories, but we believe the truth is murkier than that. Instead of dwelling on the dynamics, let’s focus on which stocks benefits when the pendulum swings the other way.

• Near-term: PTTEP is the most direct beneficiary of higher oil prices. The crude they dig, rig, or suck out of the Earth immediately appreciates in value, and so does sentiments for their stock. It may also impact monetary policies, raising interest rates and benefiting banks.
• Medium-term, we expect people to focus on substitutes. Alternative energy providers like Bangchak could see improvement in volumes as their product becomes more competitive.
• Longer term, people would be more willing to switch to electric cars, benefiting both chargers (think EA) and coal (Banpu….someone still needs to generate electricity).
• There could also be lifestyle changes, which means condos closer to offices become more popular as a means to save on transport cost. Think AP, Sansiri, and BTS.

2. Debt Ratios Do Matter

Monetary diarrhoea has inflated the debt structure.

The death of the Bretton Woods monetary system in 1971 paved the way for unbridled money printing. The resulting Great Inflation inflicted huge negative real returns on bondholders and stockholders until 1982. Thereafter, many countries, especially EMs, linked their exchange rates to the dollar, resulting in the fastest ever-growth in global foreign exchange reserves. In addition, central bank puts and then extraordinary fiscal and monetary policies turned it into the most virulent asset bubble in history, despite monetary mayhem, exemplified by numerous banking crises and three big stock market drawdowns. 

In this briefing:

1. Snippets #18: Naughty CEOs, Southern Crusades
2. Monthly Geopolitical Comment: Too Early to Expect Lasting Improvements in US-China Relationship
3. Semiconductor WFE Billings Decline Reverses Course in December, First Bullish Signal in Six Months
4. LNG Producers Outperform as More LNG from the US Is Coming into the Market
5. Thailand – KTC Defies the Sceptics

1. Snippets #18: Naughty CEOs, Southern Crusades

In this review, we highlight five new unrelated developments that might impact the Thai stock market if you happen to hold the affected stocks.

• Skeletons in the closet. CIMB’s Thai CEO went on voluntary leave to clear his name regarding a legacy case back in his KTB days, while one of Thailand’s highest profile tycoon Dr. Prasert has been implicated in a stock manipulation case of Bangkok Airways from way back in 2015.
• Religious wars? As the southern insurgency spreads to economically vibrant province of Songkhla, insurgents attack a Buddhist temple and kill two monks, possibly in an effort to turn the crisis into a religious war. Doesn’t sound great for overall stability.
• A rare bump in the Baht. Despite QE unwinding, the Baht has risen almost 3% against the greenback. Bad news for exporters (eg. TUF, DELTA) good news for serial acquirers (think Thai Beverage, Banpu).
• Government-inspired deals. Is the government driving M&A in Thailand these days? They certainly had a hand in the TMB-Thanachart deal and now are rumored to be buying Thaicom, the country’s only satellite operator.
• Air quality takes a dive thanks to diesel and aggressive skytrain construction programs. Stores selling face mask and companies that substitute ethanol to diesel are set to benefit, while BTS might hit headwinds as government forces them to slow down construction.

2. Monthly Geopolitical Comment: Too Early to Expect Lasting Improvements in US-China Relationship

3. Semiconductor WFE Billings Decline Reverses Course in December, First Bullish Signal in Six Months

On January 24’th 2019, SEMI announced that Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) billings for North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment amounted to $2.11 billion worldwide in December 2018. This represents an 8.5% MoM increase, although still lower YoY by 12.1%. December’s data marks the reversal of a six month long downtrend in monthly billings, a bullish signal that the WFE segment has bottomed and better times lie ahead. 

This latest billings data coincides with WFE bellwether Lam Research (LRCX US)‘s latest earnings report which slightly exceeded guidance with revenues of $2.5 billion, up 8.7% sequentially. On the call, company executives stated that first quarter CY 2019 would mark the trough from a gross margin perspective, strongly implying that it would be the same for revenues. 

LRCX shares surged 15.7% in overnight trading triggering a rising tide that lifted large swathes of semiconductor stocks, particularly those within the WFE sector. Two swallows don’t necessarily mean it’s Spring, but for now, the markets are betting that it does. 

4. LNG Producers Outperform as More LNG from the US Is Coming into the Market

On the back of a growing LNG global trade volume, LNG producers have outperformed the US market and their E&P peers including the oil majors over the last two years. As global LNG production reaches a record 316m tonnes in 2018, a 9.6% increase year on year, new capacity additions set to come online in the next three years will be dominated by the US. This insight will examine how the recent entry of US LNG in the market is transforming the LNG industry and which emerging players are driving the change.

Exhibit 1: LNG Producers Outperform the US Market

5. Thailand – KTC Defies the Sceptics

Krungthai Card (KTC TB) shows all too clearly how to keep profit growth high, rising from 20%, to 33% and to 56%, from 2016 through 2018. There are few financial companies that can compare to the persistent and high and improving rate of profit growth. We must remember that late in 2017, regulations changed lowering the maximum rate on credit card loans and limiting facilities based on a more stringent policy relating to income. Ironically, we believe this supports performance. Customers may have become more careful on defaulting, running the risk of getting cut off and having to re-apply for a personal loan or a credit card. And under new regulations, customers can not receive as high a credit limit as in the past, if their income is less than Bt30,000 or Bt50,000 per month.

In this briefing:

1. StubWorld: Intouch Gains On Possible Sale of Thaicom
2. Thai Telcos: Outstanding Liabilities to CAT/TOT Loom Post DTAC’s Partial Settlement
3. EM Active Fund Performance:  Difficult 2018, but Long-Term Outperformance Remains
4. ATP30: 100% Secured Client Base Prompt 2019 Growth
5. Inventory Clearance and the Semiconductor Cycle

1. StubWorld: Intouch Gains On Possible Sale of Thaicom

This week in StubWorld …

• Both Intouch Holdings (INTUCH TB) and Thaicom Pcl (THCOM TB) gain ~10% in response to rumours of a government takeout of Thaicom.

Preceding my comments on Intouch and Yoosung T&S (024800 KS) are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.

These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold – the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed as a % – of at least 20%.

2. Thai Telcos: Outstanding Liabilities to CAT/TOT Loom Post DTAC’s Partial Settlement

Total Access Communication (DTAC TB) recently settled a number of outstanding cases with CAT, one of the two Thai Telecom authorities (the other being TOT). DTAC agreed to pay THB9.5bn ($300m) to CAT to settle a number of outstanding disputes. They did NOT clear all their disputes and there are substantial remaining potential liabilities. In the past, The Thai telcos have tended to ignore these cases given the glacial moves through the system (some are 20+ years), but DTAC’s moves suggest it is time to take a closer look. The total numbers for the industry are substantial at around $20bn and, following DTAC’s settlement, Chris Hoare thinks the risk of crystallizing losses has increased. We have cut our target prices as a result. The industry was already facing headwinds from the business revival at DTAC now that it has secured access to spectrum.

3. EM Active Fund Performance:  Difficult 2018, but Long-Term Outperformance Remains

2018 was a year to forget for many active GEM managers. Absolute returns were the worst since 2011 and, relative to the I-Shares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, active funds registered their first average underperformance since 2008.  Here we share some of the key data points on active fund performance for 2018 and over the longer term.

4. ATP30: 100% Secured Client Base Prompt 2019 Growth

We maintain a BUY rating for ATP30, based on a target price of Bt2.46 (previous TP: 2.48) and derived from a 30xPE’18E, which is its average trading range in the past one year and 10% discount to Thailand’s transportation sector

The story:

• Active fleet expansion still go on in 2019-20E
• Lower interest expense burden support margin expansion

Risks: Higher than expected in volatility in fuel price and probability that clients will terminate service contracts

5. Inventory Clearance and the Semiconductor Cycle

A very normal part of the semiconductor cycle is inventory clearance.  DRAM makers are starting to discuss this in their earnings calls.  What they are NOT telling their investors is how significant this is to the onset of a price collapse, perhaps because they don’t understand it themselves.  This Insight will help readers to learn how and why an inventory clearance helps ratchet a budding oversupply into a full-blown glut.