Daily Brief China: WM Motor Technology Co Ltd, Link REIT, Sinotrans, Road King Infrastructure, Guangzhou R&F Properties and more

• WM Motor Technology Co Ltd (WMT CH) (WMM) is looking to raise about US$1bn in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
• WM Motor is a smart EV player in China. As of the latest practicable date, it had a total of four main EV models. 
• In this note, we talk about the not-so-positive aspects of the deal.

• At the beginning of the week, I was determined to have this post with a more bullish tone. Maybe it is a contrarian indicator.
• But as of yesterday’s market, I see that my efforts were rather over-optimistic.
• The note is what is in front of me rather than speculating we are at the change in trend.

• Recurring profit for Sinotrans (598 HK) increased 16.4% in 1H22 and improved to 16.6% in 2Q22. The declaration of an interim dividend also highlights management’s confidence.
• We expect a pick-up in 2H22 as negative impact of the lockdowns faded. Also, contribution from DHL-Sinotrans should return to growth as international express regain momentum.
• Strong financial position should allow for higher dividend payout, and currently it is already yielding 10.4%. Its 3.6x PER and 0.4x P/B are cheap, especially relative to ROE of 11.3%.

Road King’s H1/22 results were acceptable in our view. The company reported robust EBITDA growth and strong margin expansion, likely supported by deliveries of the higher-margin Hong Kong projects sold in FY 2021. Net debt improved marginally, in line with the stronger earnings.

That said, Cash/ST Debt was inadequate at 0.8x. Road King may face a funding gap for repayment of its USD 358 mn bonds in February 2023, though it should be able to bridge the gap through better cash collections in H2/22 or potential external financing (asset sales or equity issuances). Positively, the company has a well-spread debt maturity profile, with only one offshore bond coming due in 2023 and the next (USD 480 mn) due in September 2024.

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