UBS Links AIA (01299.HK) Share Price Decline Last Week to Profit-Taking; Company Remains Beneficiary of Chinese Deposit Migration
Stock Performance: AIA's stock price dropped by 8% over two trading days, attributed to profit-taking after outperforming the HSI by 13 points in the previous two months, despite no specific negative news about the company.
Investor Sentiment: Some investors see this decline as a buy-the-dip opportunity, anticipating solid results for AIA in 2025 and a positive medium to long-term outlook.
Growth Concerns: UBS highlighted potential growth pressures on new business value due to a high base from last year's regulatory changes in Thailand and Hong Kong, but still sees growth opportunities from deposit migration from mainland China.
Broker Rating: UBS rated AIA as a Buy with a target price of $106, noting the company's strong distribution capabilities and focus on protection products, which position it well to benefit from market opportunities.
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Earnings Announcement Period: The earnings announcement period for Hong Kong/China insurers for FY2025 will start on March 19, led by AIA, PRU, and ZA ONLINE.
Growth Expectations: Citi Research anticipates strong growth in new business value for Chinese life insurers, with China Life, Ping An, and CPIC expected to lead with growth rates of 38%, 32%, and 28%, respectively.
Earnings Forecast: The broker predicts solid earnings growth for FY2025, with significant increases expected for China Taiping, China Life, and NCI, among others.
Short Selling Data: The report includes short selling data for various insurers, indicating varying levels of short selling activity and ratios across different companies.

Stock Performance: PRU (02378.HK) and AIA (01299.HK) experienced declines of 8% and 4% respectively, influenced by weak sales from MANULIFE-S and concerns over AI disruptions.
Short Selling Data: PRU had short selling of $980.80K with a ratio of 1.625%, while AIA saw significantly higher short selling at $515.96M and a ratio of 11.135%.
Goldman Sachs Outlook: Despite recent declines, Goldman Sachs maintains a positive outlook, reiterating a Buy rating for both PRU and AIA, citing an attractive risk-reward profile at current valuations.
Target Prices: Goldman Sachs has set target prices of HKD96 for AIA and HKD150 for PRU, indicating confidence in their growth potential despite market fluctuations.
Market Overview: The DJIA fell 1.3% as tech stocks were sold off, leading to a similar decline in the Hong Kong stock market, where the HSI ended down 1.7% at 26,567.
Financial Sector Performance: Major financial stocks like HSBC and HKEX dropped by 2.7% and 2.1%, respectively, while Bank of East Asia plunged 11% after reporting a significant profit drop and dividend cut.
Commodity and Gold Prices: Gold prices fell below USD 5,000/oz, impacting gold mining stocks, which saw declines of 5.9-7.6%. Oil prices also dropped nearly 3%, affecting major oil companies.
Tech Sector Decline: The tech sector experienced minor declines, with Tencent and Alibaba seeing drops of around 0.7% to 2.0%, while other tech stocks like Meituan and Baidu fell over 3%.

Market Performance: The Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell by 465 points (1.7%) to close at 26,567, while the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTI) and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) also experienced declines, with market turnover reaching $257.58 billion.
Active Heavyweights: Major stocks like Meituan, Ping An, and HKEX saw significant drops, with Meituan down 3.2% and Ping An down 2.2%. Xiaomi was the only heavyweight to gain, closing up 0.9%.
Notable Declines: Several constituents of the HSI and HSCEI, including Zijin Mining and Sinopec Corp, experienced substantial losses, with Zijin Mining dropping 7.6% and Sinopec Corp down 5.1%.
Gainers and New Highs: Despite the overall market decline, some stocks like Haidilao and WH Group saw gains, with Haidilao up 3.1% and WH Group hitting a new high, closing up 0.9%.

Market Performance: The HSI dropped 484 points (1.8%) to 26,547, with significant declines in financial stocks like HSBC and HKEX, while total half-day turnover reached $128.406 billion.
Chinese Inflation: China's inflation rate for January was reported at 0.2%, lower than the previous 0.8% and below the forecast of 0.4%.
Gold Prices Decline: Gold prices fell below $5,000 per ounce, negatively impacting several gold-related stocks, which saw declines ranging from 3.6% to 5.2%.
AI Stocks Surge: AI-related stocks experienced significant gains, with MINIMAX-WP rising 9.4% and KNOWLEDGE ATLAS surging 11.9% following the launch of new programming models.

Market Performance: The Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell by 484 points (1.8%) to 26,547, while the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTI) and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) also experienced declines of 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively.
Active Heavyweights: Major stocks like Meituan, Ping An, Alibaba, and Tencent saw significant drops, with Meituan down 4.5% and Tencent down 1.7%, amidst high short selling activity.
Notable Declines: Companies such as Zijin Mining and China Life faced substantial losses, with Zijin Mining dropping 5.2% and China Life down 4.9%, reflecting a broader trend of declining stock prices.
Gainers and Losers: Healthyway Inc. experienced a notable increase of 18.8%, while Mongol Mining and Fit Hon Teng saw significant declines of 13.7% and 11.3%, respectively, indicating volatility in the market.





