HK/China Equity Long-Short

Osbert Tang, CFA

Osbert Tang is an equity analyst with over 20 years of experience with focuses on China transport, infrastructure, industrials and utilities sectors. He has been based in Shanghai since 2003, accumulated nearly 20 years of on-ground knowledge on the Chinese economy and financial markets, and has a wealth of contacts with China corporates and government entities. 

Osbert has received votes from top-tier institutional investors and has been a highly-ranked transport and infrastructure analyst in the Asiamoney, Institutional Investors and Greenwich surveys. In addition to his extensive experience with international investment banks including RBS, ABN AMRO (both served as Shanghai Chief Representative), Paribas Asia Equity, Maybank Kim Eng and DBS Securities, he has been a senior analyst with Moody’s Investors Service with focus on ratings of China infrastructure and related LGFV issuers. He has also worked in the area of strategic development at Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited. 

Osbert holds a BBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a MSSc in Applied Psychology from the City University of Hong Kong. He was accredited with the CFA charter in 1997, and is a member of both British Psychological Society and Hong Kong Psychological Society.

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Multiple Positive Developments

Cathay Pacific (293 HK, BUY, TP:9.90HKD): Decent Results, Stay the Course

2024 High Conviction: Air China (753 HK) - What Comes Down Must Go Up

China Pair Trade Idea: Long Air China (753 HK), Short CSA (1055 HK)

Cathay Pacific (293 HK): Taking off with Momentum

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Losses at <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/air-china-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8239:1" rel="noopener">Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK)</a> narrowed by 42.8% YoY to Rmb1.67bn in 1Q24. If not for the exchange losses, it will be reduced to below Rmb1bn.</li>
<li>Higher jet fuel prices have dragged result despite record 1Q revenue. However, an 8.3pp YoY margin expansion and a 4% decline in unit costs indicated profitability is climbing. </li>
<li>Valuations are too depressed as the share price is still lacklustre but quarterly losses and gross margin have already trimmed from the troughs of Rmb10.5bn and -98%, respectively.</li>
</ul>


Losses at Air China Ltd (H) (753 HK) narrowed by 42.8% YoY to Rmb1.67bn in 1Q24. If not for the exchange losses, it will be reduced to below Rmb1bn.
Higher jet fuel prices have dragged result despite record 1Q revenue. However, an 8.3pp YoY margin expansion and a 4% decline in unit costs indicated profitability is climbing. 
Valuations are too depressed as the share price is still lacklustre but quarterly losses and gross margin have already trimmed from the troughs of Rmb10.5bn and -98%, respectively.


Air China (753 HK): Steering Back to the Right Lane