EM ASIA CREDIT: Meituan: New USD fair value update

Oct-28 01:38

(MEITUA, Baa1/A-/BBB+)

"*IPT: MEITUAN US$ 5.5/7/10Y 144A/REGS AT T+130/140/150BPS AREA" - BBG

New Issue: 5.5Y
IPT: T+130bp area (z+164bp)
FV: T+91bp area (z+125bp)

New Issue: 7Y
IPT: T+140bp area (z+178bp)
FV: T+97bp area (z+135bp)

New Issue: 10Y
IPT: T+150bp area (z+194bp)
FV: T+104bp area (z+148bp)

Meituan, the Chinese food delivery company, has announced a new multi-tranche USD bond deal this morning with 5.5-year, 7-year, and 10-year maturities.

Meituan reported very weak Q2 2025 financials, with adjusted EBITDA down around 82% year-on-year. Management noted that competition had become irrational and that it was unable to provide earnings guidance, contributing to underperformance in both equity and credit markets. For example, the USD Meituan 2029 bond currently trades around 38bp wider in z-spread terms relative to JD.com’s 2030 bond, compared to about 25bp before the results.

Since the results, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has initiated new standards aimed at curbing the price war and enhancing food safety standards in the food delivery sector. These developments, promoting more rational competition and stronger consumer protections, are viewed positively for the industry.

In terms of credit ratings, the main agencies have noted ongoing price pressure that will likely impact margins and credit quality in H2 (Q3 results 29th November), while also noting excellent market share and significant liquidity (RMB 171bn of cash & equivalents end June '25). Moody's for instance expects a rise in leverage from 1.5x at end June '25 to around 2.0x-2.5x over the next 12-18 months.

In terms of the fair value of a possible deal, we use the existing Meituan curve as the main anchor for the analyse as well as USD bonds from JD.com (JD, A3/A-pos/NR), Tencent (TENCNT, A1neg/A+/A) and Alibaba (BABA, A1neg/A+/A).

We decided to exclude the Meituan 30s and focus on the more recent USD 28s and 29s, which gives a slightly steeper curve that is a better guide on levels we think, compared to the original fair value analysis post mandate. We therefore see 5.5Y fair value around z+125bp area. We extrapolate the Meituan curve by using the Alibaba curve as a guide, and see the 7Y and 10Y around z+135bp area and z+148bp area respectively.

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Historical bullets

MACRO ANALYSIS: MNI US Macro Weekly: FedSpeak Reaffirms Range Of Cut Views (2/2)

Sep-26 20:16

While we heard the monetary policy views of 6 of 12 current FOMC voters this week, there were no real surprises. We go through all of the relevant FOMC communications in full in our Macro Weekly PDF.

  • Chair Powell reiterated that policy is not on a preset course; Gov Bowman and Gov Miran reiterated their more-dovish-than-median views; Musalem and Schmid suggested only limited scope for easing; and Goolsbee eyed neutral rates 100-125bp lower but was “uneasy” with too much front-loading.
  • Virtually of the week’s FOMC speakers noted labor market risks had begun to surface, but had varying concerns about inflation. To sum up:

2025 FOMC Voters:

  • Powell Reiterates "There Is No Risk-Free Path", Policy Not On Preset Course (Sep 23)
  • Gov Bowman: Concerned Will Need Faster And Bigger Cuts (Sep 23)
  • St Louis's Musalem: Limited Room For Easing, Policy May Be Close To Neutral (Sep 22)
  • Chicago's Goolsbee Eyes Neutral Rates 100-125bp Lower (Sep 23), Uneasy With Too Much Cut Frontloading (Sep 25)
  • Gov Miran: Appropriate Rates In 2.00-2.50% "Ballpark" (Sep 22)
  • KC Fed's Schmid: Slightly Restrictive Policy The "Right Place To Be" (Sep 24)

Non-2025 Voters:

  • Atlanta's Bostic Pencils In No More Cuts this Year, But Watching Data (Sep 22), Longer-Run Dot Suggests Limited Impetus To Cut Further (Sep 23)
  • SF's Daly: Likely Further Cuts Will Be Needed To Support Labor Market (Sep 24)
  • Cleveland's Hammack: Policy Very Mildly Restrictive, Concerns On More Cuts (Sep 22)
  • Dallas's Logan: Time To Move From Fed Funds Policy Rate To Tri-Party Repo (Sep 25)
  • Barkin: Jobs Shakier, Inflation Less Troubling (Sep 26)

MACRO ANALYSIS: MNI US Macro Weekly: Too Solid For Comfort (1/2)

Sep-26 20:13

We've just published our US Macro Weekly - Download Full Report Here

  • The US economy now appears to be on more solid footing than it seemed a week ago. Versus 45bp in Fed rate reductions through the remainder of 2025 as of last Friday, futures markets now price 40bp. Half of that retracement came Thursday at 0830ET, when Q2 GDP data, initial jobless claims, durable goods orders, and goods trade data all pointed to stronger ongoing GDP growth than previously anticipated.
  • Q2 GDP growth was revised up significantly in the 3rd and final reading, to 3.84% Q/Q SAAR from 3.29% in the 2nd reading (consensus had expected this to be unchanged in the 3rd).
  • And while that’s in the past, the latest monthly data saw the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow estimate for Q3 jump to 3.9% from 3.3% last week.
  • Friday’s PCE data suggested solid consumption dynamics through August (and no nasty surprises in the core inflation data).
  • As such, the week’s data almost unambiguously portrayed a better domestic demand story through – and beyond – a volatile first half of the year related to tariff policy shifts.
  • That poses something of a quandary for a Fed that has shifted its sights to labor market risks. GDP is not employment, but a case for rate cuts at a time when inflation is still pushing 3% is tougher to make when the economy is growing at close to a 4% real pace and equities remain at or near all-time highs.
  • October's cut is no longer such a sure thing as it seemed after the September meeting, with a 25bp ease now priced at 21bp (~84% implied prob), versus closer to 23bp (90+%) at the end of the prior week.
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US TSY OPTIONS: BLOCK: Large Nov'25 5Y Risk Reversal, Covered

Sep-26 19:44
  • +30,000 FVX5 108.5/109.5 call over risk reversals, 0.5 net vs.
  • -18,000 FVZ5 108-31.75 at 1536:10ET