We struggle to summon enthusiasm for the upcoming IPO of China Tower which appears financially engineered to exploit minority investors. The core problem is the conflicted position of the three Chinese telcos which will remain its controlling shareholders and only customers. Indeed, rental rates were cut just prior to the IPO, partially offset by a reduction in depreciation. Long-term pricing will be what the telcos decide to pay, while future capex may be higher than expected. Another major concern is China Tower’s exceptionally low profitability with returns on capital of about 2% well below its cost of capital, and we…
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Research
Insights
IN-BRIEF: GDS (GDS US)
SELL: Too bad to fake
Mark Webb · 15 August 2018
GDS was targeted by short-seller Blue Orca in a report published on 31st July, prompting a 47% share price decline. We find the claims regarding revenue and profit manipulation weak. After all, who would fake something that looks this bad? As for the allegations concerning overpriced acquisitions and undisclosed related parties, they have not been adequately addressed by management. Meanwhile, the practice of holding surplus cash offshore is not uncommon although it is undermining profitability. Our A&G Screen suggests that the company has likely manufactured operating cash flows and under-stated capex in order to present the most favourable cash flow…
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IN-BRIEF: PINDUODUO
Distorted metrics undermine premium valuation
Nigel Stevenson · 3 August 2018
Online market place Pinduoduo (PDD US) appears to have employed questionable accounting in order to engineer a successful IPO. Sales and gross profits may have been inflated by failing to properly account for coupon costs, while profits and cash flows have been flattered through the accounting treatment of a co-operation agreement with Tencent. Important metrics such as GMV might also be misleading given inconsistencies in reported numbers. We are unable to get a proper understanding of the business and financials owing to poor disclosure within its prospectus. The company is a US foreign listing which could lead to limited corporate…
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CHINA EVERBRIGH INT
SELL: Paper Profits
Mark Webb · 5 July 2018
China Everbright Intl Ltd (CEIL) has one of the worst track records in Asia for cashflow generation relative to profit. CEIL gains this dubious distinction because it applies accounting rules for its service concessions in a manner that accelerates profit recognition relative to cashflow. Limited disclosure means investors may be unaware of CEIL’s lacklustre cash profit performance. If we strip out our estimate of front-loaded earnings, 2017 profit falls 61%, its PE rises to 36x and its ROIC is only 6%. Our target price of HK$5.40 is based on 2x adjusted book value and gives 50% downside. SELL. GET PDF…
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