Rick Johannessen

Between a rock and a hard place: HKEX's balancing act Hong Kong's capital markets remain an attractive place for PRC companies to raise funds from international investors, including through IPOs. Recent indicators and client requests suggest that after a somewhat slower period, interest in and demand for HK IPOs are picking up. Underwriters and potential issuers will likely remain cautious until after the US elections. However, as the US-China geo-political and geo-economic relationships are expected to remain tenuous, PRC companies and investors are exploring options beyond western capital. The HK IPO process can thus serve as an important indicator of how the financial sector and other market participants address the existing and future US-China conflict of laws, particularly around international sanctions and PRC countermeasures. Despite being stuck between a rock and a hard place, the HKEX has been able to strike a creative – albeit some might say, timid – balance between international banks' commitment to sanctions compliance and domestic rules. 1. Sanctions opinion This balancing act relies on the requirement for potential issuers to provide a sanctions memo from a qualified counsel. We have supported a number of recent successful IPOs and pending processes. We can therefore attest that HKEX takes this sanctions clearance very carefully – often through a number of detailed follow up queries and clarifications – before the disclosure terms are finalized. A legal opinion must address whether business activities within the track record period (3 years): (i) are subject to or may have violated any sanctions and export controls laws in applicable jurisdictions; and (ii) will result in any material sanctions risks to itself or other stock exchanges. Dealings in high-risk countries like Iran and Russia should therefore be carefully reviewed and sanctions risks should be efficiently mitigated. 2. Sanctions compliance The legal opinion is a "live" document and delays in listing will require the analysis to capture an updated track record period. This requires an applicant to continuously comply with ever-changing sanctions regimes. Indeed, the HKEX recommends all applicants monitor their business for exposure to sanctions risks during and after their listings. While international sanctions compliance might not always be a top priority, any company with HK IPO aspirations would be well-advised to enhance its sanctions compliance early to save legal fees and IPO delays. 3. Collaboration with regulators Listing applicants should also be ready to answer questions from the regulator and be flexible when circumstances change – eg SenseTime, a facial recognition developer, removed US investors from its IPO after being added to the CMIC List. Our sanctions and our IPO teams are happy to address any questions – Frank Bi, Li Jiang, Tom Cummins, Dr. Dr. Claus Zimmermann, Vicki Tang, Kenneth Lee

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MPF Ratings released Q1 2024 MPF Asset Class Fund Flow Summary by highlighting that US equities received over $9bn of MPF’s net inflows in Q1 2024, by far the largest quarterly MPF net inflows into US equities ever recorded, and a concerning trend which Mr Chung attributes to a confluence of new fund launches, disappointing local equity results and MPF members trying to capitalize on the strong momentum of the US market. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eRJmq4ne #mpfratings #MPFRIntelligence #MPFRConsistentPerformers #MPFFastMover #MarketInsights #MPFMarketShare #MPFFundFlows #MPFNetReturns #MPFIndustry #pensionschemes #assetmanagement #investmentmanagement #mpf #investment #empf

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Veiverne Yuen (Partner) was part of a panel on DealStreetAsia PE-VC Summit with the topic "Asian family offices recalibrating investment strategies amid global headwinds", alongside Zann Kwan, 关旨斌, CFA (Revo Digital Family Office), Rebekah Woo, CFA, CAIA(Farro Capital), Wen Tan (Nelson Capital) and Sean Low (刘轩昂）(Golden Vision Capital (Singapore) Pte Ltd). While everyone is affected by the macro-environment, there are some nuances for Asian family offices. Asian families are likely in their first or second generation, with a substantial portion of their wealth locked up in the operating business. There is a need to diversify against these holdings, whilst not having sufficient investable AUM to justify a family office set-up with a competent team. At Blauwpark Partners, we are a “single-family office for multiple families”, with deep investment knowledge and experiences in private markets. Families can leverage our platform and resources for their family office set-up. #familyoffice, #UHNW, #strategicassetallocation

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Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX)’s strategy to help global clients navigate challenges and opportunities in Hong Kong and Mainland markets Read the full artcle: https://bit.ly/3UqlQiq At Sibos 2024 in Beijing, Tae Seok Clement Yoo, managing director of global client development at HKEX, shared insights into how HKEX Group is addressing the evolving dynamics of China's mainland markets. In a landscape shaped by recent government stimulus measures and technological advancements, Yoo outlined HKEX’s strategies to tackle settlement challenges, attract global investors, and enhance cross-border trading infrastructure. The T+0 settlement cycle in China's mainland markets, primarily the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly for international investors who are accustomed to the longer cycles of T+2 or T+1. This shortened settlement timeline requires efficient clearing and settlement processes, a critical factor for maintaining investor confidence and mitigating counterparty risks in a fast-paced trading environment. Yoo highlighted that one of the key concerns among investors is the ability to meet settlement requirements within a constrained time frame. HKEX has introduced technological solutions to address these concerns, including its Synapse platform, which improves operational efficiency and enhances the clearing process. This platform was launched to support market participants in coping with the operational challenges of T+0, such as pre-trade checks, settlement accuracy, and exception handling within a shorter window of time. John Hsu, Jacky Mak, Elzio Barreto Foo Boon Ping 胡文彬, Cindy Yu, Eunice Foong, Chris Kapfer, Ruoxin Qi, TAB Global #Sibos2024 #TaeYoo #HKEX #ShanghaiStockExchange #ShenzhenStockExchange #StockConnect #SwapConnect #SynapsePlatform #GlobalClientDevelopment #CrossBorderTrading #FinancialTechnology #T0Settlement #MainlandMarkets #OrionDerivativesPlatform #ChinaCapitalMarkets #TheAsianBanker #TABGlobal

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As for the May 21 Nikkei article, “GPIF verifies 6% increase in market capitalization through dialogue between investment managers and companies": (1) The reason why investor engagement is effective is in the exercise of voting rights. Engagement is considered to have been effective around 2014, when foreign ownership exceeded 30%. (2) Engagement is generally effective in the funds entrusted to GPIF, according to the results of the study. GPIF should raise fees to allow investment managers to engage in fruitful engagement. (3) This tends to be a generic question for passive funds. If we expect engagement to be more effective in the future, we need to increase the number of active funds.

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The 2024 Hong Kong Policy Address highlights #tokenisation of Real-World Assets (#RWA) as a key initiative to bridge digital assets with traditional finance. Programs like HKMA's "Ensemble" sandbox, mBridge, and e-HKD are driving this effort forward. 🚀 Eugene Cheung, Chief Institutional Business Officer at OSL, emphasized that Hong Kong’s robust financial ecosystem, mature risk controls, and vast user base provide a solid foundation for RWA’s rapid on-chain deployment and secure trading. OSL is proud to be at the forefront, integrating compliant digital asset services with traditional finance partners to bring these groundbreaking initiatives to life. 💡 #OSL #DigitalAssets #RWA #Tokenization #HongKong #FinancialIntegration #Innovation #Blockchain #TradFi #FutureOfFinance

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【𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗶 & 𝗖𝗼. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝘀𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 】 Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited (“SHK & Co.”) and its licensed funds management arm, Sun Hung Kai Capital Partners Limited (“SHK Capital Partners”), are pleased to announce their commitment to the 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝘀𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱, which went live on 26 September 2024. This is in addition to SHK & Co.’s ongoing investments in ActusRayPartners’ Asian and European strategies. Other existing clients of ActusRayPartners have also expressed early interest in the Japan strategy. The equity long/short near market-neutral strategy seeks to generate alpha by identifying and capturing inefficiencies in the Japan equity market. ActusRayPartners employs its 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 process, which combines a quantitative base with discretionary adjustments to address quantitative deficiencies. This marks the third alpha strategy launched by ActusRayPartners, following the successful European strategy initiated in 2020 and Asian strategy launched in 2022. The European strategy received the HFM European Performance Award in 2023 and 2024 respectively, and the Asian strategy received the HFM APAC Performance Award in 2024. ActusRayPartners is a Hong Kong-headquartered asset management company equally co-founded by Andrew Alexander, Raymond Chan, and Patrick Cheung in 2019. Several members of the team previously worked together in the Quantitative Hedge Funds division of Macquarie Group. As of today, ActusRayPartners comprises of 27 colleagues based in Hong Kong and Sydney, managing over US$700 million across Asia, Europe, and Japan. Tony Edwards, Deputy CEO of SHK & Co., stated, "Congratulations to ActusRayPartners on the launch of their new fund. Since 2020, SHK & Co. has seeded and supported ActusRayPartners, and this further commitment reinforces our confidence in their capabilities and aligns with our investment objectives." “The launch of the Japan Alpha strategy represents an exciting milestone for us. We would like to express our gratitude to SHK & Co. for their continued support over the years,” said the co-founders of ActusRayPartners Limited. “We are eager to employ our proprietary 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 process in the pursuit of alpha for our investors in the Japan equity market.” Press release: https://lnkd.in/gDZH_crG #ActusRayPartners #JapanAlphaFund #NewLaunch #CommitCapital #FundPartnership

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"To adapt to a changing world, we draw lessons from our past and look ahead to the future with courage and conviction" Proud to be part of Temasek as the institution turns 50. Building and investing with purpose! Read the full #TemasekReview here: https://lnkd.in/gffBZDEq Read the full Sustainability Report here: https://tmsk.sg/SR24 

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The strength of Antique-Rare-Coins is that their prices continue to rise strongly, unaffected even by the Lehman Shock and the Coronavirus Pandemic. Moreover, since it is backed by the value of bullion, its value will never drop to zero. It has many other advantages that make it superior to any financial or other real assets. In fact, some of the coins I own have an annual yield of 20-25%, with a maximum of 34%. Now is the time to incorporate Antique-Rare-Coins into your asset portfolio which can greatly hedge the risks of stock and real estate investments that are vulnerable extremely to external factors, or cryptocurrencies that have much higher volatility. While you are spending your time doing something more meaningful than investment activities, the Antique-Rare-Coins will be working tirelessly for your personal finance. #antiquecoin #rarecoin #investment #numismatic #stock #realestate #cryptocurrency #アンティークコイン #投資

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We hosted our Q2 media briefing last week and below is an excerpt from the event. While we remain cautious on the HK/China markets, we are relatively more optimistic on the US and Japan markets. We also shared our views on AI and how it can be used to counter inflation and its potential positive impact to S&P500 corporate earnings. #HangSengInvestment #hsvm #etf

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Today, Mr. Ian Zhu, Managing Partner of NIO Capital, spoke at the 37th Annual AVCJ Private Equity Forum 2024 in Hong Kong. During the thematic VC panel "Portfolio Management: Venture Style," Mr. Zhu shared his insights on how GPs can enhance value creation amidst evolving market trends. He emphasized that the current landscape is markedly different from past experiences, characterized by increased dynamism and challenges. While the recent downturn has led to widespread pessimism, he encouraged attendees to remember that cycles do change, and the key lesson is to focus on the fundamentals.

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Our Chief Investment Officer Ms. 张弘Harriet Zhang brings you the market outlook for Q3 2024. Harriet:” We remain optimistic on short-term interest rates but expect continued volatility in long-term rates. We recommend allocating to bonds when yields are high, to capture attractive yields. Additionally, we suggest taking advantage of trading opportunities for potential capital gains." #HASLASIA #Q3MarketOutlook #GlobalMarket # #ChinaMarket #ILAS #Investment #FinancialPlanning #GetMoreFromLife #MoreAcademy 

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▶ Japan Exchange Group CEO Emphasizes Dialogue with Shareholders In a recent symposium, Hiromi Yamaji, CEO of Japan Exchange Group (JPX), continued to stress the importance of increased dialogue between public companies and their shareholders in #Japan. As #corporategovernance reforms accelerate in the country, Yamaji highlighted the need for companies to regularly update their #shareholders on their progress towards improving corporate value and share price, two key drivers of these reforms. The Tokyo Stock Exchange, which is owned by the JPX, has taken several steps to enhance corporate governance, including streamlining the Prime section by eliminating around 20% of companies listed as such, raising the required standards for inclusion in the #TOPIX index, as well as requiring more independent directors on company boards. These initiatives, some analysts observe, have been an important factor in a significant increase in the benchmark Nikkei Stock Average. Yamaji acknowledged that while progress has been made, there is still room for considerable improvement. He urged companies to focus on concrete goals and communicate their plans ever-more effectively with shareholders. Notably, the TSE is also implementing measures to further enhance corporate governance, such as requiring Prime-listed firms to make disclosures in both Japanese and English.

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🌏 Temasek's Global Investment Strategy Revealed! Curious about how one of the world's largest investment companies operates? Alpin Mehta, Head, Real Estate, and Deputy Head, Private Equity Fund Investments shares: • The 4 key structural trends shaping Temasek's investments • Why the US remains an attractive market • Temasek's bullish stance and cautious approach • How they balance long-term vision with adaptability • Insights into their portfolio reshaping strategy Dive into the mind of a global investor and gain valuable insights for your own investment approach! Catch the full episode: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/grVSRfK8 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g4gPPPkW Apple: https://lnkd.in/gsB78PjC #InvestmentStrategy #GlobalMarkets #Temasek #TheFinancialCoconut #Investing

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MPF Ratings continues to assess the performance of the MPF Funds, highlighting the best performers and providing valuable insights for MPF members! According to the latest data, the 2024 Gold Rated scheme - AIA MPF has multiple funds that have excelled across various investment horizons, securing top positions in their respective categories: ．NO. 1 in 3 Year, 5 Year & 10 Year Return: Equity Fund (Asia) category - AIA Asian Equity Fund ．NO. 1 in Year-to-Date, 1 Year, 3 Year & 5 Year Return: Equity Fund (Global) Index Tracking sub-category - AIA World Fund ．NO. 1 in 5 Year Return: Equity Fund (HK & China) category - AIA Greater China Equity Fund ．NO. 1 in 3 Year Return: Equity Fund (US) category - AIA North American Equity Fund ．NO. 1 in 10 Year Return: Mixed Asset Fund (81-100% Equity) category - AIA Growth Portfolio ．NO. 1 in Year-to-Date & 1 Year Return: ESG Fund category - AIA Green Fund Stay tuned for more insights on MPF fund performance! Note: The data presented is based on MPF Ratings statistics as of August 31, 2024 #mpfratings #MPFScorecard #MPFHealthCheck #MPFFastMover #MPFRConsistentPerformers #MarketInsights #MPFMarketShare #MPFFundFlows #MPFNetReturns #MPFIndustry #pensionschemes #assetmanagement #investmentmanagement #mpf #investment #empf

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