How Ch<strong>in</strong>a manœuvres itself through the year willaffect how Asian credit markets perform <strong>in</strong> <strong>2012</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>s and some stabilizati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> the marketshould argue for sector rotati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong>toAsian dollar b<strong>on</strong>ds, which means highernet <strong>in</strong>flows. However, we will need togo through the <strong>in</strong>itial period of volatility,though so far the market turns out tobe firmer than expected – which we willtake advantage of by f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g better entrypo<strong>in</strong>ts for b<strong>on</strong>ds we like.Harsh AgarwalC<strong>on</strong>structive <strong>on</strong> markets<strong>in</strong> the near termAsian HY corporateb<strong>on</strong>ds have made astr<strong>on</strong>g start to theyear. Technicals rema<strong>in</strong>str<strong>on</strong>g as of now,but the lack <strong>in</strong> HYsupply – unlike high-grade (HG) – hasmade most real m<strong>on</strong>ey <strong>in</strong>vestors underweight<strong>in</strong> HY and hedge fund <strong>in</strong>vestorssitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>on</strong> a lot of cash. This could changeif we see a major negative headl<strong>in</strong>e fromEurope, potentially from Greece. However,the c<strong>on</strong>sequent dip is likely to beshort and shallow and <strong>in</strong>vestors coulduse it as a buy<strong>in</strong>g opportunity. Our largernear-term c<strong>on</strong>cern is fresh supply <strong>in</strong> theHY space, as we th<strong>in</strong>k there is a lot ofpent-up demand from issuers with USdollar b<strong>on</strong>d markets closed for aroundseven m<strong>on</strong>ths. Apart from this, headl<strong>in</strong>escould come from a Ch<strong>in</strong>a and Indiasoft land<strong>in</strong>g, disappo<strong>in</strong>tment with USgrowth, etc. So, while we are c<strong>on</strong>structive<strong>on</strong> markets <strong>in</strong> the immediate future,we suggest <strong>in</strong>vestors should gradually useit as a way to cut l<strong>on</strong>gs and wait for theirchances to get l<strong>on</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>.Imtiaz Shefudd<strong>in</strong>Most of the attenti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>Euroz<strong>on</strong>e eventsLike 2011, <strong>2012</strong> willbe another challeng<strong>in</strong>gyear, more so asexternal events willhave a major <strong>in</strong>fluenceover the performanceof Asian credit markets. We expectmost of the attenti<strong>on</strong> to be <strong>on</strong> howevents <strong>in</strong> the Euroz<strong>on</strong>e pan out. HowAnalystsRank Name and Bank1 Edw<strong>in</strong> Chan, UBS b2 Harsh Agarwal, Credit Suisse3 Imtiaz Shefudd<strong>in</strong>, Royal Bank of Scotland b4 Pradeep Moh<strong>in</strong>ani, Nomura5 Vivien Gui, Morgan Stanley6 Dilip Shahani, HSBC7 Ray Heung, BNP Paribas b8 Annisa Lee, Nomura9 William Mak, Nomura10 Keith Chan, HSBCCh<strong>in</strong>a manœuvres itself through the yearand whether or not this comes with areas<strong>on</strong>ably robust growth rate (hard orsoft land<strong>in</strong>g) will be another major factor<strong>in</strong> how Asian credit markets perform <strong>in</strong><strong>2012</strong>. Our current forecast is for Ch<strong>in</strong>ato record an 8.5% GDP growth rate <strong>in</strong><strong>2012</strong>, although we rema<strong>in</strong> c<strong>on</strong>scious ofthe broader implicati<strong>on</strong>s of several ‘whatifs’ and/or a larger than expected slowdown.Current credit spreads providefor significant spread c<strong>on</strong>tracti<strong>on</strong> opportunities<strong>in</strong> the event of some favourableoutcomes. However, just as 2011has shown <strong>on</strong> a couple of occasi<strong>on</strong>s, theimportance of a discipl<strong>in</strong>ed approach towardsstock pick<strong>in</strong>g with a focus <strong>on</strong> b<strong>on</strong>dstructures and covenants rema<strong>in</strong>s – if ithasn’t grown.Pradeep Moh<strong>in</strong>ani,Annisa Lee,William MakPoorest liquidityc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s s<strong>in</strong>ce 2008S<strong>in</strong>ce mid-2011, Asiancredit spreads havewidened by 80bp to100bp for HG andHY sovereigns and by 350bp for HY corporateb<strong>on</strong>ds to current levels of 300bp,285bp and 940bp, respectively, and historicaldata suggests that a recessi<strong>on</strong> isclose to be<strong>in</strong>g priced <strong>in</strong>. On the otherhand, we need to c<strong>on</strong>sider that liquidityc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s are the poorest s<strong>in</strong>ce 2008,with dealer <strong>in</strong>ventory runn<strong>in</strong>g at nearten-year lows.Also, we are certa<strong>in</strong>lya l<strong>on</strong>g way frompric<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> systemicrisks. Of course, wecould further complicatematters byfactor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the riskof a Ch<strong>in</strong>a hard land<strong>in</strong>g.But for starters,if Lehman’s collapseis any guide, HG corporatespreads wereas wide as 670bp,HY sovereigns 950bpand HY corporates2,700bp <strong>in</strong> the fourthquarter of 2008.Our recommendedtrad<strong>in</strong>g strategy head<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to <strong>2012</strong> isaimed at protect<strong>in</strong>g capital <strong>in</strong> HG, whilefocuss<strong>in</strong>g <strong>on</strong> generat<strong>in</strong>g sufficient returnsfrom the wider HY trad<strong>in</strong>g creditsthat are unlikely to be default candidates.Vivien GuiBetter return thanlast year<strong>2012</strong> will be a bumpyride. However, itshould end up withbetter returns than2011 with the EUhav<strong>in</strong>g a clearer wayout and Ch<strong>in</strong>a turn<strong>in</strong>g to looser policies.Dilip ShahaniShift to a defensive ornegative positi<strong>on</strong>We have shifted backto a defensive ornegative positi<strong>on</strong> towardsthe Asian credituniverse, from ourneutral positi<strong>on</strong> lastAugust. Putt<strong>in</strong>g this viewpo<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong>to thec<strong>on</strong>text of credit performance, we see theHSBC Asian Dollar B<strong>on</strong>d Index (ADBI)and Asian HY B<strong>on</strong>d Corporate Index(AHBI-Corp) spreads revisit<strong>in</strong>g the widepr<strong>in</strong>ts of around 440bp and 1,150bp,respectively, before the end of the firstquarter of <strong>2012</strong>. We are calm about theUS Treasury yield directi<strong>on</strong> and volatil-No unauthorized reproducti<strong>on</strong> by any means.All rights reserved. <strong>Asset</strong> Publish<strong>in</strong>g and Research LimitedFebruary <strong>2012</strong> 39
Regulatory c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s and the race to meet Basel IIIrequirements will c<strong>on</strong>stra<strong>in</strong> banks’ balance sheetsity, with the Fed committed to hold<strong>in</strong>gits policy rate steady until mid-2013.Equally important, the Fed c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ues tosignal a bias to further m<strong>on</strong>etary eas<strong>in</strong>g,especially as the US still faces headw<strong>in</strong>ds.In the corporate and sovereign space, weadopt a defensive stance <strong>in</strong> view of theweak outlook for the first quarter of <strong>2012</strong>and recommend high-quality names.Besides the fundamental risks com<strong>in</strong>gfrom Europe, we believe <strong>in</strong>vestorsneed to grasp the significance of thefr<strong>on</strong>t-load<strong>in</strong>g of HG corporate and HYsovereign Asian new issuance <strong>in</strong> early<strong>2012</strong>. We are look<strong>in</strong>g for gross total issuance<strong>in</strong> the range of US$65 to US$72billi<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>2012</strong>, which is 96% to 106% ofthe 2011 level.Ray HeungTough year for <strong>in</strong>vestorsWe expect this year to be tough for <strong>in</strong>vestorsas a comb<strong>in</strong>ati<strong>on</strong> of macro andtechnical factors c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ue to l<strong>in</strong>ger. Onthe macro side, the European crisis isstill go<strong>in</strong>g to be thema<strong>in</strong> focus. Aga<strong>in</strong>,Asian ec<strong>on</strong>omies arelikely to performbetter but the Asiancredit universe willc<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ue to ebb andflow with the globalf<strong>in</strong>ancial market.Market makers <strong>in</strong> Asia are dom<strong>in</strong>atedby n<strong>on</strong>-Asian banks and with fund<strong>in</strong>gcosts <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g, dealers’ <strong>in</strong>ventory levelsand capacity to bid will be put to thetest. We expect a more volatile market<strong>in</strong> <strong>2012</strong> overall.TRADERSDean WangSlower growth and lower rates<strong>The</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> theme of slower growth andlower rates rema<strong>in</strong>s. Risks from banks’deleverag<strong>in</strong>g will persist. Similar to2011, this means c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ued volatilityand will require a c<strong>on</strong>stant reviewof trad<strong>in</strong>g strategies.Europe aside,regulatory c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>sand the raceto meet Basel III requirementswill c<strong>on</strong>stra<strong>in</strong>banks’ balancesheets. This dragslevels of <strong>in</strong>termediaryactivities lower, thereby hurt<strong>in</strong>gmarket liquidity. I see these factorsdampen<strong>in</strong>g risk appetite over time.However, cash needs a home eventually,and I th<strong>in</strong>k credit will rema<strong>in</strong> thepreferred asset class.Archie SyResults h<strong>in</strong>ge <strong>on</strong>market tim<strong>in</strong>gWith benchmark ratesnow be<strong>in</strong>g kept lowerfor l<strong>on</strong>ger and l<strong>on</strong>ger(aga<strong>in</strong>), it is easyto get sucked <strong>in</strong>tothe carry game andSpread forecasts for Asian G3 b<strong>on</strong>ds from the end of 2011 to the end of <strong>2012</strong> and expected total return for the yearHigh yield (bp)> +200+200+100 Viktor Hjort (+110)Evelyn W<strong>on</strong>g0 Sandeep AggarwalJohanna Chua (from -100 to 0)Ray Heung-100 Nicolas LeeJay ParshottamKaushik RudraArchie SyBarry TanTi<strong>on</strong>g Su M<strong>in</strong>g-200 Edw<strong>in</strong> ChanKrishna HegdePracheesh MishraImtiaz Shefudd<strong>in</strong>< -200 Angela ChanVivien GuiDean WangInvestment grade (bp)> +50+50 Ray Heung+25 Vivien Gui0-25 Sandeep AggarwalJohanna ChuaViktor Hjort (-35)Pracheesh MishraKaushik RudraArchie SyBarry TanTi<strong>on</strong>g Su M<strong>in</strong>gEvelyn W<strong>on</strong>g-50 Angela ChanKrishna HegdeNicolas LeeDean Wang< -50 Edw<strong>in</strong> ChanJay ParshottamImtiaz Shefudd<strong>in</strong>Total return (%)> 12.510-12.57.5-10 Angela ChanEdw<strong>in</strong> ChanPracheesh MishraImtiaz Shefudd<strong>in</strong>Dean Wang5-7.5 Sandeep AggarwalVivien GuiKrishna HegdeNicolas Lee (< 6)Kaushik RudraBarry TanEvelyn W<strong>on</strong>g2.5-5 Johanna ChuaRay HeungArchie SyTi<strong>on</strong>g Su M<strong>in</strong>g0-2.5 Jay Parshottam< 040 February <strong>2012</strong>No unauthorized reproducti<strong>on</strong> by any means.All rights reserved. <strong>Asset</strong> Publish<strong>in</strong>g and Research Limited