Hedge funds may lose billions from Temu owner PDD’s stock crash

By Summer Zhen

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Concentrated bets on popular Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings may have led to losses in billions of dollars for hedge funds from a crash in its shares following downbeat comments from its executives.

U.S.-listed shares in PDD, the owner of low-priced retailer Temu, plummeted 33% this week, and 30% in the third quarter.

BY THE NUMBERS

Global hedge funds held 102.8 million shares of PDD at the end of June, up from 91.7 million shares the previous quarter, according to an estimate by WhaleWisdom, a website that tracks and analyses quarterly U.S. 13F filings.

It is unclear if hedge funds increased or reduced their investments since then, but Reuters’ calculations show the 30% fall in PDD shares between the end of June and Aug. 29 would have wiped out a combined value of roughly $4 billion from those positions.

Some of Asia’s largest hedge funds, including billionaire Zhang Lei’s HHLR Advisors, Tairen Capital, Greenwoods Asset Management, were among the major investors in PDD by market value as of June 30, according to WhaleWisdom.

Among global hedge fund giants, David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management owned 1.94 million shares of PDD at the end of the second quarter, worth more than $250 million.

THE CONTEXT

PDD missed market estimates for quarterly revenue on Monday. During the earnings call, the firm said revenue growth would face pressure due to intensified competition and external challenges, and there were no plans for dividends or share buybacks.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

PDD has been a top pick for many funds investing in China, as the budget product platform is one of the few firms in the country still delivering growth and expanding globally amid the economic downturn.

The unexpected bearish guidance, coupled with the stock slump, has further dampened sentiment toward already struggling Chinese equities, dragging down tech and consumer shares.

KEY QUOTE

“PDD was a crowdy long position for many calibre of clients,” said Andy Maynard, global head of equities at China Renaissance Securities, “I’m sure the 30+% selloff has been difficult for all types of funds.”

“In terms of the guidance, it was really poor… Overall, it will make some investors as pessimistic as ever, and likely mean a continuing narrowing of their portfolios into names that they trust, have transparency and can see future growth,” he said.