Daily Brief Financials: Bajaj Finance Ltd, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, China Vanke , Abacus Life , Bitcoin, Cls Holdings, Information Services and more

• Our popular, text-only weekly is back, hopefully in an improved version, and aims to be more consistent throughout this financial year.
• The market structure and momentum seem to be positive. Upcoming earnings season and elections are likely to be key drivers going forward.
• Stocks discussed include Bajaj Finance Ltd (BAF IN), SBI Cards & Payment Services (SBICARD IN), Honasa Consumer (HONASA IN) and Delta Corp Ltd (DELTA IN) 

• It is not only NPLs that we must worry about for banks, but also loans that can turn NPL amidst a worsening economic backdrop
• CBA’s past due loans but not impaired are up 43% in past two years and this bucket of loans is now 2.6x NPLs compared with 1.9x NPLs recently
• Australia shows surging insolvencies across many sectors through 17 March 2024 and this can mean past due loans are more prone to migrating to turn NPL

China Vanke’s FY 2023 numbers were somewhat soft in our view. While its top line and profitability declined in tandem with industry trends, the company’s property development gross margin remained robust (relative to peers) at c. 15%. Negatively, OCF (after interest and tax) was weak and net debt continued to rise. Leverage and coverage metrics deteriorated, but remained at reasonable levels (vs. peers).

Vanke’s liquidity at the holdco level is likely tight. In particular, the migration of bank borrowings to the project level has pressured the company’s holdco-level financing. The development may also indicate lenders’ reduced risk appetite towards Vanke. In addition, we view negatively that management did not disclose the amount of cash held under escrow restrictions. Moreover, it is unclear whether the Shenzhen government would provide extraordinary support (above and beyond market-oriented measures) to the company.

• ABL’s SPAC merger did not generate significant proceeds, leading to limited research coverage and low visibility in the market
• Investors have identified ABL as a promising long-term investment with the potential for a 20% return on equity over the next five years
• ABL’s unique trading setup, with only 1.5 million shares available for trading due to insider ownership and a staggered lock-up period, presents challenges and opportunities for investors. Additionally, a $15 million share repurchase program has been announced, further adding to the intrigue surrounding the company.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.

• As we predicted in the last few weeks’ Crypto Crisp, the crypto market has been relatively stable in recent weeks.
• However, things are beginning to shift.
• During a speech in San Francisco on Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell mentioned that robust economic growth in the US allows Federal Reserve officials to take their time with interest rate cuts.

• CLS Holdings is a vertically integrated cannabis company with core operations in Nevada.
• The company owns and operates Oasis cannabis dispensary, one of the leading stores in Las Vegas.
• CLS also has a state-of-the art extraction and manufacturing facility in Nevada and a suite of top-performing brands.

In FY23, Information Services Corporation (ISC) enjoyed year-on-year top-line and adjusted operating profit growth, augmented by consistent organic expansion of its Services division and incremental earnings from fee uplifts linked to the Master Service Agreement (MSA) extension. Management’s encouraging FY24 guidance reflects organic growth potential from the Services division, alongside a full-year impact of earnings accretion from fee adjustments. We have raised our valuation modestly from C$37/share to C$40/share, which implies 48% upside.