In this briefing:
- Agricultural Bank of China: It Takes More than One Cold Day for a River to Freeze a Meter Deep.
- Shenwan Hongyuan (申万宏源) A+H: No Reason for a Valuation Premium
- So-Young (新氧) Pre-IPO Review – Au Naturel
- Keytruda Approved for Lung Cancer Treatment in China – A Review of PD-1 Battle Field
- Global Ex-U.S. Equity Strategy: Positive Outlook Intact; Remain Overweight China
1. Agricultural Bank of China: It Takes More than One Cold Day for a River to Freeze a Meter Deep.
Agricultural Bank Of China (1288 HK) reported stolid numbers for 2018. A PH Score of 7.6 encapsulates positive change in variables such as Capitalisation, Asset Quality, Margin, Efficiency, and Provisioning though Profitability and Liquidity gauges slipped somewhat. The attractive valuation variable contributes to the score.
Underlying top-line growth of 8%, supported by low double-digit credit growth from moderate deposit expansion, was matched by OPEX increment.
The increase in Interest Income on earning Assets was relatively synchronised to the rise in Interest Expenses on interest-bearing Liabilities.
We mention this as too often in China of late we have seen OPEX growth far outstripping underlying Income gains and Funding cost expansion rise well in excess of Interest Income growth.
Asset Quality was quite stable. Despite lingering SMLs and a double-digit rise in substandard Loans, NPLs actually decreased YoY. The bank though boosted Loan Loss Provisions by 40% YoY and Loan Loss reserve ratios were tightened. A monumental increase in Loan recoveries generated net negative charge-offs. This shows that the bank is pulling no punches with debtors.
Capitalisation ratios were fortified.
A concern would be the increased exposure to CRE which accounts for 31% of the Loan portfolio. This is the greatest risk in the grand scheme of things and has generated much comment given real estate values and the pace of appreciation. (Is a 5-6x increase since the creation of a private market so elevated? Prices are still well below levels of India).
Shares trade at an Earnings and Dividend Yield of 19% and 5.5%, at a P/Book of 0.7x, at a Franchise Valuation of 8%, and with a Total Return Ratio of 1.5x. Thus the bank can be deemed an Income opportunity.
2. Shenwan Hongyuan (申万宏源) A+H: No Reason for a Valuation Premium
Shenwan Hongyuan started institutional book building today. We have covered the fundamentals of the company in our previous insight (Shenwan Hongyuan (申万宏源) A+H: A Commoditized Broker Business). In this insight, we will discuss:
- Valuation comparison with peers
- A-H premium history of Chinese brokers
- Key metrics of past Chinese brokers listing in the H-share market
- Concerns of liquidity
3. So-Young (新氧) Pre-IPO Review – Au Naturel
So-Young (SY US) is looking to raise US$150m in its upcoming IPO. The company filed its prospectus with the SEC on Monday.
The company operates online platforms (mobile, website, and WeChat mini program) for discovering, evaluating, and reserving medical aesthetic services in China. It helps medical aesthetic service providers acquire customers through user generated content and other creative content format.
In this insight, we will look at the company’s business model, analyze its financial and operating performance, review the competitive landscape and point out some questions for management.
4. Keytruda Approved for Lung Cancer Treatment in China – A Review of PD-1 Battle Field
Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) is a hotly contested immunotherapy area in China, with seven companies working on clinical trials covering various lines of treatment for more than a dozen indications. Out of these indications, we have highlighted in our previous coverage on Chinese biotech companies that the most critical indication is the first line treatment of lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Valuation of PD-1 related drugs anchors many of the Hong Kong-listed biotech companies, such as Innovent Biologics Inc (1801 HK), Shanghai Junshi Bioscience Co. Ltd. (1877 HK), BeiGene Ltd (6160 HK), CStone Pharma (2616 HK) and China A-share listed Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., (600276 CH).
In March, Merck’s Keytruda (generic name pembrolizumab) was approved by NMPA for the first line treatment of EGFR and ALK-negative non-squamous NSCLC. This marks Keytruda the first approved PD-1 drugs for the first line treatment of NSCLC in China.
In this insight, we will review the status and targeted indications of clinical trials of PD-1 candidates by domestic players.
5. Global Ex-U.S. Equity Strategy: Positive Outlook Intact; Remain Overweight China
Incremental technical developments continue to be of the bullish variety as more and more countries/regions begin to participate in the rally. These ongoing improvements further cement our positive overall outlook, and we continue to believe that global equities (MSCI ACWI) are poised for additional strength moving forward. In our April International Strategy, we highlight various themes which lead to our overall positive outlook, along with areas within the world’s markets where we see immediate opportunity.
Get Straight to the Source on Smartkarma
Smartkarma supports the world’s leading investors with high-quality, timely, and actionable Insights. Subscribe now for unlimited access, or request a demo below.
