Bitten by a Chinese Duck

Sometimes you see a duck for what it is. Sometimes you take it for what it tells you it is.

The story of the week and perhaps the year is Sino-Forest. This is a Canadian-listed stock, but the company has forestry operations in the Peoples Republic of China.

Last Thursday, a research group called “Muddy Waters” put out a 39-page report on the company, stating in no uncertain terms that the company was a fraud. The company also has no qualms in saying that they are short the stock, and stand to gain financially if their allegations prove true.

Here is their website. You can download the report. Muddy Waters

This case got my attention for an obvious reason: I have stakes in the game. For disclosure purposes, a few of my clients owned some Sino-Forest bonds (10.25% 2014s). Bonds are rated BB by S&P, which makes them junk, but really good quality junk (two steps away from investment grade).

I went back over my notes to see why we bought these bonds back in 2009. Actually we didn’t buy these in particular, but received them in exchange for a shorter maturity paper. Anyway, at the time it looked like a good deal. The company had a very strong balance sheet including a great amount of cash, plus solid and consistent earnings. Those earnings are what struck me as the most positive, because I used to work for a paper company and I know a little about the industry. It’s a tough industry to make money in consistently. But Sino-Forest did and with very strong margins, so more power to them. Financials were audited by Ernst and Young, a big North American firm, so despite being a Canadian Firm born from a "reverse takeover, I thought it was ok. So I laid some coins down for my clients. Not a large bet, by any means. We always diversify a lot. Because stuff happens.

So now this report comes out. The stock plunged (although today it’s on the rebound). Bonds plunged. I downloaded the report and went over it on the weekend. I won’t lie and say I understand every detail. But there is a lot there. Mainly, an explanation of why those profit margins were so generous (they’re false!). Plus there are details about why certain representations that the company makes about its operations, such as size of the plantations, volume of sales, etc. are not realistic. It’s a very complete report.

The company is out today in full denial, offering details about their assets, including the original titles to their plantations. Questions have been raised about the authors of the report and their motivations.

After reading the report and looking over my notes, I fully expected to not being able to unload my clients’ bonds this morning. But lo and behold and bless the market makers souls, there was a market for them this morning, and I managed to unload them at 72%. Facing a possible total wipeout of the investment, this was a windfall for me and my clients. I am very satisfied. Of course, I could have held on and waited for explanations from the company or some sort of recovery in the case of bankruptcy. I preferred to accept that potential "duck bite".

There’s good reasons to give credence to the Muddy Waters report and I’ll give a few. I’ve been sort of in these guys shoes, so I can relate.

1. These guys are not hiding.

This is not a random anonymous blog or post on a message board. Serious time and money was put into this report and the research to make it happen. Please, let's focus on the “what” and not the “who”. When I was being questioned about that bank report back in 2009, the reporters seemed to be more interested in me than what my report was implying.

The analysts at Muddy Waters have a lot to lose if they are wrong. They face fines, jail time, etc. They are totally in the open on this. They also can't just go and cover their shorts now that they are on the record. They have more than money on the line. They are sure, very sure.

2. It’s a murky business.

“If it’s so profitable, why isn’t everyone doing it”. There are few competitors in the business, but Sino-Forest is the largest by far. Another company China-Forestry, turned out to be (surprise) a fraud. That said, if the business were so good, there'd be more competition and margins would drop at some point. Hasn't happened (according to the company).

3. Too good to be true.

Ah. Those profit margins. Yes, there is great demand for materials in China, and I’d assume that’s true for wood chips. But if your margins are this big, it has to be that you worked your forest for several years (grew/planted). But most of Sino’s forests were recently acquired. You can’t have you cake and eat it too. Either you worked the forest and are entitled to those large margins (the time factor, if you will) or you didn’t and the margins should be lower. You shouldn't be able to make this kind of money by just "flipping" a forest.

4. The Cash, the Cash!

One of the things that drew me to Sino-Forest bonds can also be a great litmus test. The cash. There is supposedly over a billion dollars in cash on the balance sheet. If Sino’s profits are false, that money is going to be missing somewhere. It’s either going to be in the value of the forests or in the cash balances (or both). Of the two, the cash is the easiest to check. If the cash isn’t there, we will know its all a lie. (Have these guys provide certified bank statements? I'd need to see those, ipso facto).

5. There is more than what is said.

Although the Muddy Waters report is extensive, it probably doesn't contain ALL of the analysts’ suspicions and red flags. That’s usually the case. You only put down on paper enough to drive your point and what has the best documental support. The research is much more extensive and probably includes a ton of anecdotal information which is not in the reports because you can’t really put down things that don’t “seem” or “feel” right or for which the evidence isn’t totally conclusive. Again, I can relate. That whole picture, however, is what allows them to be comfortable with their conclusions.

Of course, I don’t know anything for sure, since I didn’t do the work. You never know for sure. Analyzing from the outside is difficult, because you don’t have access to all the information that goes into putting out the company’s financials. You can’t really go asking the company for access either, as in “would you mind if I checked your books for fraud?”

Nobody likes to accuse anyone else of wrongdoing, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, for many reasons. It’s mean and most good people don’t like to appear being nasty or not giving the “benefit of the doubt” to the offender.

So here’s the question that I ask when a straight one way or another answer is required: “If your loved one’s life depended on your correct (not politically correct) answer, what would you say?”

With that on the line (which fortunately it is not), I’d lean towards calling Sino-Forest a Canadian/Hong Kong duck. If so, it will set a new standard for Asian Fusion fraud cuisine. We shall know soon enough.

This one bit me. Ouch.