Exploring New Business Opportunities in the Mainland Chinese Digital Asset Market while Deepening Collaboration with Business Partners
Value Convergence Holdings Limited (VC Holdings, together with its subsidiaries, the Group; HKG: 821), a well-established and one-stop financial services institution in Hong Kong, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 ( the Reporting Period). The Group tirelessly pursued opportunities to diversify its business during the Reporting Period, and expanded its digital asset business with good progress.
During the Reporting Period, the recurrent outbreaks of COVID-19, coupled with persistently high inflation and conflict between Russia and Ukraine, posed unprecedented challenges to the global economy, intensifying uncertainty in the global and Hong Kong financial markets. The Group’s consolidated revenue from continuing operations decreased by 6.0% year on year to approximately HK$35.7 million. Due to the increase in net realised and unrealised loss in financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, and the impairment loss on accounts receivable and other receivables, the consolidated loss for the period attributable to shareholders amounted to approximately HK$61.8 million (1H2021: profit for the period attributable to shareholders of HK$101.1 million). Basic loss per share from continuing and discontinued operations was HK2.97 cents (1H2021: Basic earnings per share from continuing and discontinued operations of HK5.93 cents).
Mr. Peter Fu, Chairman and Executive Director of Value Convergence Holdings Limited, “VC Holdings has always been dedicated to offering premier financial services and products that fulfill various investment and wealth management needs of clients in the Great China region. During the first half of 2022, amid the lingering impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019, the global economy continued to struggle with persistent downside risks including escalating geopolitical tensions, growing financial instability and surging inflation, all of which hindered economic growth. The Group’s revenue declined due primarily to a reduction in brokerage commission income that was broadly in line with the deterioration of the economic environment and the contraction in transaction volumes in the market overall.”
Business Overview
Financial services business
The financial services business remained the Group’s major revenue stream during the Reporting Period and contributed approximately 98% of the Group’s total revenue. The business segment recorded a 7% decrease in revenue amid an overall decline in the volume of economic transactions. During the Reporting Period, the Group continued to provide local and overseas securities dealing, derivatives and other structured products trading, placement and underwriting, margin financing through VC Brokerage Limited and VC Futures Limited, and money lending through VC Finance Limited. Besides, the Group offered corporate finance advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advisory and company secretarial services, through VC Capital Limited (“VC Capital”) and VC Corporate Services Limited. During the Reporting Period, VC Capital was appointed as a financial adviser to a number of Hong Kong-listed companies engaged in corporate exercises.
Proprietary trading business
The pronounced slowdown in the global capital market, mainly led by high inflation and interest rate hikes amid the double-whammy of the renewed threat of COVID-19 variants and the Russo-Ukrainian war, resulted in substantial volatility in the local stock market. Aligned with the overall market situation, the Group held equity securities listed in Hong Kong worth approximately HK$414.9 million as financial assets held for trading, marking a 2.0% decrease in the market value as compared with 31 December 2021. Despite the challenges, the Group continued to focus on the fundamentals of its investment targets and will continue actively to pursue long-term capital gains.
Sales and marketing of digital assets
To further expand the newly developed business, VC Holdings continued to push forward expansion in various respects to actively enter the internet-native Generation Z market. The Group has recruited a seasoned team of sales and marketing talents to broaden its sales channels with a view to expediting business development. In addition, the Group has formed strategic cooperation agreements with several leading corporations, such as E-Home Entertainment, to commence in-depth cooperation in the internet industry and jointly carry out integrated market development in various areas, including the Chinese console games market, the expansion of domestic games into overseas markets, and digital marketing.
During the Reporting Period, the Group deepened its collaboration with Tencent and became one of the few distributors of Tencent’s Q Coins covering a considerable number of provinces in China. Meanwhile, the Group commenced collaboration with the distributor of Microsoft products in Hong Kong in connection with sales of Xbox-related virtual assets. The Group has also begun a collaboration with Xunlei Limited (NASDAQ: XNET) to sell non-fungible tokens. During the Reporting Period, the Group recorded a gross merchandise value of approximately HK$120.0 million, represented by the gross sum of digital assets sold to its customers.
Outlook
The uncertain macroeconomic outlook is expected to continuously affect financial stability, resulting in a more volatile stock market. On a positive note, the gradual easing of social distancing measures and a reduction in cross-border transportation disruptions, alongside the stabilization of the local pandemic situation in Hong Kong, will help boost economic activities. The Group remains cautiously optimistic about the outlook for its placing and underwriting business, given that fundraising activities among Hong Kong-listed companies is expected to resume gradually. It seeks to expand the scale of its financial services business and continue to identify suitable acquisitions and investment targets in the market as opportunities arise.
The Group intends to accelerate the development of digital asset business through digital asset marketing, intellectual property (IP) collaboration and marketing cooperation. To further strengthen its presence and drive synergies between the internet business offered by digital assets and other business segments, more resources have been allocated to further develop the sale and marketing of digital assets to broaden sales channels. The Group will continue to explore and liaise with potential business partners on sales of digital assets and NFTs.
Mr. Fu concluded, “Given the huge potential of the digital asset market, we will keep exploring new business opportunities in the mainland China digital asset market, capitalizing on our strategic partnerships and in-depth business collaborations with our allies, namely E-Home Entertainment and Shenzhen Yiyun Information. More resources will be dedicated to mapping out a blueprint for the digital asset segment accordingly. We believe, that the new business will become a new key driver of the Group in the years to come, improving profitability and generating maximum value for all stakeholders.”
About VC Holdings Limited
Value Convergence Holdings Limited (HKG: 821) was listed on the GEM board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2001, and completed transfer of listing to the Main Board in 2008. Being a well-established financial services group committed to delivering premier financial services and products in the Great China region, the Group’s services include (i) provision of financial services comprising securities and options brokering and dealing, financing services, corporate finance and other advisory services, asset management and insurance brokerage; (ii) proprietary trading; and (iii) sale and marketing of digital assets.
For more details, please visit www.vcgroup.com.hk.