IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

Arun has over 15 years’ experience covering the Technology sector. During this time, he has worked with technology start-ups and as an equity analyst in investment banks and independent research firms. He was formerly a Technology Analyst for Canaccord Genuity, Altium Securities, Espirito Santo Investment Bank, Noble Group and Clear Capital. He has a dual Master’s degree in Financial Engineering and Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He is also a CFA charterholder.

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag

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Equity Capital Markets

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<div><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hello-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33031:1" rel="noopener">Hello Inc (1883864D US)</a>, which is backed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK)</a>, is China's third-largest local services platform by transaction volume, according to iResearch. Hello offers bike-sharing and e-bike sharing services known as <em>Hello Bike</em> and <em>Hello e-Bike</em>. It also has a carpooling marketplace known as <em>Hello Carpooling</em>. Hello is seeking to raise $1 billion through a Nasdaq listing, according to press reports.   </p></div>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hello-ipo-initiation-goodbye" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50795" rel="noopener">Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye</a> we stated that Hello’s investor pitch is that its various businesses create a flywheel that drives user spending growth with limited user acquisition costs. However, Hello remains saddled with a core business (shared two-wheeler services) that has challenging prospects due to declining growth, low profitability and high cash burn.</p>
<div class="content-highlight"><p>In <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/hello-ipo-1q21-update-does-not-change-the-avoid-tag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:51119" rel="noopener">Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag</a>, we noted that at first glance, the 1Q21 update looks stunning due to accelerating growth and margin progression. However, a closer look, suggests that business continues to face daunting challenges. In this note, we present our forecasts and take the first look at Hello's potential valuation range. </p></div>
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Hello Inc (1883864D US), which is backed by Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK), is China's third-largest local services platform by transaction volume, according to iResearch. Hello offers bike-sharing and e-bike sharing services known as Hello Bike and Hello e-Bike. It also has a carpooling marketplace known as Hello Carpooling. Hello is seeking to raise $1 billion through a Nasdaq listing, according to press reports.   

In Hello IPO Initiation: Goodbye we stated that Hello’s investor pitch is that its various businesses create a flywheel that drives user spending growth with limited user acquisition costs. However, Hello remains saddled with a core business (shared two-wheeler services) that has challenging prospects due to declining growth, low profitability and high cash burn.
In Hello IPO: 1Q21 Update Does Not Change the Avoid Tag, we noted that at first glance, the 1Q21 update looks stunning due to accelerating growth and margin progression. However, a closer look, suggests that business continues to face daunting challenges. In this note, we present our forecasts and take the first look at Hello's potential valuation range. 



Hello Inc

Hello IPO: Valuation First Look