Regional Morning Notes Summary
Core Content Overview
This document provides a comprehensive market analysis for the week of 12 October 2017, focusing on key stories, investment highlights, financial metrics, and corporate events across different regions, particularly Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It also includes sector updates and recommendations from UOB Kay Hian analysts.
Key Stories
Hong Kong
- Property Sector: The policy address lacks implementation details but hints at developers' involvement in providing starter homes. This is expected to benefit developers with large agricultural landbanks.
- BBI Life Sciences Corporation (1035 HK): Initiated coverage with a BUY rating. BBI is a leading company in DNA synthesis and gene sequencing in China, with a strong position in the DNA value chain and a high growth potential. The company is expected to benefit from the trend of personalized cancer treatment and prenatal diagnosis. The current valuation is seen as undervalued compared to peers.
China
- BBI Life Sciences Corporation (1035 HK): Initiates coverage with a BUY rating. The company is a top player in DNA synthesis and gene sequencing, with a 2016-18 sales CAGR of 27%. It is currently trading at 11.7x 2018F PE, significantly lower than its peers.
Indonesia
- Mitra Pinasthika Mustika (MPMX IJ): Highlighted for efficiency and profitability improvements in 2018. The company's net profit grew 79.5% yoy in 1H17 due to one-off gains, and it plans to adjust its business segments to enhance performance.
Malaysia
- Tune Protect Group (TIH MK): Highlighted as a BUY. The company's travel insurance business is gaining traction with increasing take-up rates. A dynamic pricing strategy is expected to drive further growth.
Singapore
- StarHub (STH SP): Highlighted as a HOLD. The company is expanding its capabilities.
- Singapore Press Holdings (SPH SP): Downgraded to SELL due to weak 4QFY17 results and lower dividends.
Thailand
- BTS Group Holdings (BTS TB): Initiated coverage with a BUY rating. It is a leading conglomerate in rail mass transit with high core profit growth potential of over 40% in the next two years.
Key Indices Performance
| Index |
Prev Close |
1D % |
1W % |
1M % |
YTD % |
| DJIA |
22872.9 |
0.2 |
0.9 |
3.4 |
15.7 |
| S&P 500 |
2555.2 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
2.4 |
14.1 |
| FTSE 100 |
7533.8 |
-0.1 |
0.9 |
1.8 |
5.5 |
| AS30 |
5840.8 |
0.6 |
2.1 |
0.6 |
2.1 |
| CSI 300 |
3902.7 |
0.3 |
2.1 |
1.7 |
17.9 |
| FSSTI |
3280.3 |
-0.3 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
13.9 |
| HSCEI |
11411.4 |
-0.1 |
0.9 |
1.5 |
21.5 |
| HSI |
28389.6 |
-0.4 |
0.8 |
1.5 |
29.0 |
| JCI |
5882.8 |
-0.4 |
-1.2 |
0.2 |
11.1 |
| KLCI |
1757.2 |
-0.2 |
-0.3 |
-1.8 |
7.0 |
| KOSPI |
2458.2 |
1.0 |
3.5 |
3.9 |
21.3 |
| Nikkei 225 |
20881.3 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
5.6 |
9.2 |
| SET |
1714.1 |
0.4 |
1.6 |
4.3 |
11.1 |
| TWSE |
10641.2 |
1.0 |
2.5 |
0.3 |
15.0 |
| BDI |
1418 |
0.5 |
7.4 |
4.6 |
47.6 |
| CPO (RM/mt) |
2719 |
-0.8 |
0.7 |
-1.5 |
-15.0 |
| Brent Crude |
57 |
0.6 |
2.0 |
5.8 |
0.2 |
Top Picks
BUY Recommendations
- BBI Life Sciences Corporation (1035 HK): Target price HK$3.69, with an upside of +69.3%.
- Waskita Karya (WSKT J): Target price RM3,000.00, with an upside of +65.3%.
- Ekovest (EKO MK): Target price RM1.45, with an upside of +34.3%.
- Gabungan AQRS (AQRS MK): Target price RM2.22, with an upside of +23.3%.
- OCBC (OCBC SP): Target price RM13.38, with an upside of +18.0%.
- Siam Cement (SCC TB): Target price RM600.00, with an upside of +19.5%.
SELL Recommendations
- Great Wall Motor (2333 HK): Target price HK$5.50, with a downside of -51.3%.
- UMW Holdings (UMWH MK): Target price HK$4.80, with a downside of -13.5%.
Key Assumptions
| Region |
GDP (yoy) |
2016 |
2017F |
2018F |
| US |
2.5 |
1.6 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
| Euro Zone |
1.6 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
1.6 |
| Japan |
1.2 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
| Singapore |
2.5 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
| Malaysia |
4.9 |
4.2 |
5.0 |
4.9 |
| Thailand |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
| Indonesia |
5.5 |
5.0 |
5.2 |
5.5 |
| Hong Kong |
2.0 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
| China |
6.3 |
6.7 |
6.6 |
6.3 |
| Brent (Avg) |
55 |
45 |
52 |
55 |
| CPO (RM/mt) |
2,400 |
2,653 |
2,600 |
2,400 |
Corporate Events
| Event |
Venue |
Date |
| Post Conference Marketing on Indonesia Strategy |
Singapore |
12 Oct |
| Analyst Presentation on Indonesia |
Brunei |
16 Oct |
| Consumer Piece and Strategy |
Hong Kong |
17-18 Oct |
| Luncheon with O-Net Technologies |
Hong Kong |
17 Oct |
| Fintech Seminar 2017 |
Kuala Lumpur |
19 Oct |
| UOB Kay Hian Annual Regional Strategy Conference |
Kuala Lumpur |
13 Nov |
BBI Life Sciences Corporation (1035 HK) Highlights
Investment Highlights
- Market Position: No. 1 in DNA synthesis and No. 6 in gene sequencing in China.
- Growth Drivers: Personalized cancer treatment, non-invasive prenatal testing, and biological drug development.
- New Markets: Expansion into Korea, Singapore, and Europe.
- Future Plans: Building a GMP-certificated production line for DNA synthesis in 2H18.
Financial Performance
- Sales Growth: 2017-18 DNA synthesis revenue expected to grow at 20.5% CAGR.
- Profitability: EBITDA margin of 24.0% in 2016, expected to remain stable.
- Valuation: Current 2018F PE is 11.7x, significantly lower than peers.
Recommendation
- Rating: BUY
- Target Price: HK$3.69
- Upside: +69.3%
Property Sector Update (Hong Kong)
- Sector Upgrade: Upgraded to MARKET WEIGHT.
- Policy Implications: Subtle mention of developers providing starter homes benefits those with large agricultural landbanks.
- Key Recommendations:
- BUY: New World Devt (17 HK), Sun Hung Kai (16 HK)
- SELL: Wharf Hldgs (4 HK)
Peer Comparison (Hong Kong Property Developers)
| Company |
Ticker |
Rec |
Price (HK$) |
Target Price (HK$) |
Upside (%) |
Market Cap (US$m) |
Curr PE |
Fwd PE |
Fwd ROE (%) |
Discount to RNAV (%) |
| Cheung Kong Property |
1113 HK |
BUY |
64.3 |
80.32 |
24.9 |
30,458 |
12.9 |
12.3 |
6.8 |
-36 |
| Kerry Properties |
683 HK |
HOLD |
33.15 |
35.02 |
5.7 |
6,134 |
9.8 |
11.5 |
4.6 |
-39 |
| New World Devt |
17 HK |
BUY |
11.92 |
15.33 |
28.6 |
15,016 |
16.4 |
14.5 |
4.1 |
-46 |
| Sun Hung Kai |
16 HK |
BUY |
129.5 |
167.25 |
29.1 |
48,057 |
14.7 |
13.7 |
7.4 |
-30 |
| Wharf Hldgs Ltd |
4 HK |
SELL |
70.75 |
65.80 |
-7.0 |
27,520 |
15.3 |
14.5 |
4.5 |
-25 |
Conclusion
The document highlights key investment opportunities in the life sciences and property sectors, with a focus on BBI Life Sciences Corporation and select property developers. It outlines the growth potential of BBI in DNA synthesis and gene sequencing, and notes the potential benefits for developers in Hong Kong from the government's starter home policy. The analysis also covers financial metrics, valuation ratios, and upcoming corporate events.