Stocks on the Hang Seng Index face their worst slumps in operating income since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis
- Operating income among the 50 stocks on the benchmark Hang Seng Index would drop 19 per cent on average this quarter, according to a Bloomberg compilation of analysts’ forecasts
- That would make it the biggest contraction since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis
Hong Kong stocks are poised for their worst quarter since 2015 and corporate earnings are unlikely to save them.
After a sell-off erased more than US$600 billion from the city’s equities, attractive valuations stood as a potential bright spot. But those multiples don’t look so good when analysts keep slashing their profit forecasts for 2019. Their call for an average 19 per cent slump in operating income would be the biggest contraction for Hang Seng Index companies since the global financial crisis, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
While a protracted US-China trade war and a weak yuan are to blame for a big chunk of the profit reductions, the latest cuts reveal a deeper issue. With Hong Kong’s slowing economy buckling under the pressure of 11 straight weeks of protests, demand for everything from bank loans to utility gas may be jeopardised.
“The third quarter could be even worse given the local political situation and the trade war escalation,” said Jackson Wong, asset management director at Amber Hill Capital. “Potential downside surprises have not been fully reflected in share prices.”
Shares of utilities provider Hong Kong and China Gas fell 5.3 per cent on Wednesday after it posted disappointing results and said the local business environment is “full of challenges.” Political unrest in Hong Kong may dampen its sales to the hospitality industry as people opt to cook at home rather than dine out, analysts at Daiwa Securities Group say.
The gloomy profit outlook comes at a critical time for Hong Kong’s equity market. While cheap valuations spurred some dip-buying this week, strategists at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group are among those turning more bearish. The Hang Seng Index is still down 13 per cent since its April high, one of the worst returns in the world.
“I don’t know when earnings will turn around,” said Amber Hill’s Wong. “For that to happen, we at least need a stable political environment in Hong Kong and an agreement to end the trade war.”
