Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Nearly 25 years of experience in analyzing hundreds of companies, especially in Asia. Deep expertise in the following sectors:
- Technology (E-commerce, SaaS, Internet)
- Consumer 
- Special Situations/Deep Value Plays
- Holdcos/Stubs
- Asian Unicorns/Private Companies

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

US Inflation Reduction Act: Bifurcated Impact on Korean Chaebols (Hyundai, LG, Hanwha, SK & Samsung)

Hanwha Solutions ₩1.2T Rights Offer: Terms & Trade Approach

A Surge in Value of Nikola Corp - 'Tesla' of Hydrogen Trucks: A Merger of Hanwha Corp & H-Solutions?

Nikola's Founder Resigns - The Next Enron?

Hanwha General Chemical Secures Rights for 1,200 Hydrogen Charging Stations in North America

Equity Capital Markets

Hanwha Solutions / Equity Capital Markets

After the market close on 21 December, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hanwha-solutions" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8656:1" rel="noopener">Hanwha Solutions (009830 KS)</a> announced that it will conduct a rights offering worth 1.2 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) (3.14 million shares). In terms of shares outstanding, this 3.14 million shares related to rights offering represents 19.6% of total shares outstanding. The initial expected rights offering price is 38,200 won, which is 17% lower than the current price of 46,150 won. Hanwha Solutions plans to use the proceeds to further invest in solar and hydrogen related businesses. There have been several large scale rights offerings in Korea in the past six months related to companies such as POSCO Chemical, Doosan Fuelcell, &amp; CS Wind that are trying to expand their businesses in the rechargeable batteries,  fuel cell, and wind power. On average, these three companies' share prices are up 31% from the announcement date of the rights offerings to current date.<div class="content-highlight">
Nonetheless, we have a negative view of this rights offering. There are three main reasons why we believe the market is not likely to view this big rights offering of Hanwha Solutions as favorably as compared to the three companies mentioned above:
1) Bad publicity/investment in Nikola Corp - Investors view the Hanwha Group's investment in Nikola Corp negatively and this reflects a poor track record in investing in a hydrogen based company. 
2) Lower ROE - In general, POSCO Chemical and CS Wind generate higher ROE than Hanwha Solutions and investors prefer to allocate more capital to companies that generate higher ROE and want to reinvest in their own businesses. 
3) Late in the cycle/momentum - This big rights offering announcement by Hanwha Solutions comes a bit later in the overall boom momentum cycle that the stock market has been enjoying since March 2020. The market has been heavily driven by momentum driven investors, especially in the past several months and there are credible concerns that the market momentum could be waning. 
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After the market close on 21 December, Hanwha Solutions (009830 KS) announced that it will conduct a rights offering worth 1.2 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) (3.14 million shares). In terms of shares outstanding, this 3.14 million shares related to rights offering represents 19.6% of total shares outstanding. The initial expected rights offering price is 38,200 won, which is 17% lower than the current price of 46,150 won. Hanwha Solutions plans to use the proceeds to further invest in solar and hydrogen related businesses. There have been several large scale rights offerings in Korea in the past six months related to companies such as POSCO Chemical, Doosan Fuelcell, &amp; CS Wind that are trying to expand their businesses in the rechargeable batteries,  fuel cell, and wind power. On average, these three companies' share prices are up 31% from the announcement date of the rights offerings to current date.
Nonetheless, we have a negative view of this rights offering. There are three main reasons why we believe the market is not likely to view this big rights offering of Hanwha Solutions as favorably as compared to the three companies mentioned above:
1) Bad publicity/investment in Nikola Corp - Investors view the Hanwha Group's investment in Nikola Corp negatively and this reflects a poor track record in investing in a hydrogen based company. 
2) Lower ROE - In general, POSCO Chemical and CS Wind generate higher ROE than Hanwha Solutions and investors prefer to allocate more capital to companies that generate higher ROE and want to reinvest in their own businesses. 
3) Late in the cycle/momentum - This big rights offering announcement by Hanwha Solutions comes a bit later in the overall boom momentum cycle that the stock market has been enjoying since March 2020. The market has been heavily driven by momentum driven investors, especially in the past several months and there are credible concerns that the market momentum could be waning. 


Hanwha Solutions - Trading Strategy Post Its Announcement of a Rights Offering of 1.2 Trillion Won