Core Viewpoint - Zhongyuan Media (000719) shows a positive performance with a slight increase in stock price and significant growth in net profit, indicating potential investment opportunities in the company [1]. Financial Performance - As of the first quarter of 2025, Zhongyuan Media reported total revenue of 1.916 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.04% [1]. - The net profit attributable to shareholders reached 110 million yuan, reflecting a substantial year-on-year growth of 234.61% [1]. - The company's non-recurring net profit was 104 million yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 244.22% [1]. - Key financial ratios include a current ratio of 1.413, a quick ratio of 1.239, and a debt-to-asset ratio of 36.27% [1]. Market Activity - On August 5, 2025, Zhongyuan Media's stock closed at 13.17 yuan, with a trading volume of 84,000 hands and a transaction amount of 1.11 billion yuan [1]. - The net inflow of main funds was 12.87 million yuan, accounting for 11.59% of the transaction amount [1]. - Large orders contributed to a net inflow of 8.74 million yuan, representing 7.87% of the transaction amount [1]. Company Background - Zhongyuan Dadi Media Co., Ltd. was established in 1996 and is located in Jiaozuo City, primarily engaged in the manufacturing of chemical raw materials and products [2]. - The company has a registered capital of 10.232 billion yuan and a paid-in capital of 607.1 million yuan [1]. - The legal representative of the company is Wang Qing [1]. Investment Activities - Zhongyuan Dadi Media has made investments in 21 enterprises and participated in 134 bidding projects [2]. - The company holds 15 trademark registrations and has obtained 3 administrative licenses [2].

Market Overview - The publishing sector increased by 0.58% on August 5, with Rongxin Culture leading the gains [1] - The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3617.6, up 0.96%, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed at 11106.96, up 0.59% [1] Individual Stock Performance - Rongxin Culture (301231) closed at 26.50, up 4.29% with a trading volume of 68,100 shares and a turnover of 180 million yuan [1] - Reader Media (6668209) closed at 7.16, up 3.92% with a trading volume of 341,300 shares and a turnover of 243 million yuan [1] - Guomai Culture (301052) closed at 66.55, up 3.42% with a trading volume of 81,600 shares and a turnover of 535 million yuan [1] - Other notable performers include CITIC Publishing (300788) up 1.85%, Tianzhou Culture (300148) up 1.74%, and Zhejiang Publishing (601921) up 1.71% [1] Capital Flow Analysis - The publishing sector experienced a net outflow of 26.37 million yuan from institutional investors, while retail investors saw a net inflow of 44.48 million yuan [2] - The overall net outflow from retail investors was 18.10 million yuan [2] Detailed Capital Flow for Selected Stocks - CITIC Publishing (300788) had a net outflow of 24.00 million yuan from institutional investors, with a net inflow of 9.57 million yuan from retail investors [3] - Times Publishing (600551) saw a net inflow of 18.32 million yuan from institutional investors, while retail investors had a net outflow of 30.30 million yuan [3] - Rongxin Culture (301231) experienced a net inflow of 7.92 million yuan from institutional investors, but a net outflow of 13.76 million yuan from retail investors [3]

Group 1 - The core point of the article is that Zhongyuan Media (000719) reported on August 1 that, according to data from the Shenzhen branch of China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, the number of registered shareholders of the company is 17,562 as of July 31, 2025 [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the trend of decreasing shareholder accounts among several companies, indicating a concentration of shares and potential investment opportunities in those stocks [1][2]. Group 1: Shareholder Account Trends - A total of 94 companies reported their latest shareholder account numbers as of July 20, with 16 companies experiencing a continuous decline for more than three periods, and one company, Guoyuan Securities, seeing a decrease for 12 consecutive periods, with a cumulative decline of 7.13% [1]. - Zhongyuan Media has also seen a significant decline, with its shareholder accounts dropping for 9 consecutive periods, resulting in a cumulative decline of 29.57% [1]. - Other companies with notable declines in shareholder accounts include Jiemai Technology, Xiyu Co., and Shuangxiang Co. [1]. Group 2: Market Performance - Among the companies with decreasing shareholder accounts, 14 have seen their stock prices rise, while only 2 have experienced declines, with Xiyu Co., Haixia Co., and Jiangsu Shentong showing high cumulative gains of 25.89%, 22.93%, and 16.93%, respectively [2]. - 12 of these companies outperformed the Shanghai Composite Index, with excess returns of 19.55%, 16.98%, and 11.76% for Xiyu Co., Haixia Co., and Jiangsu Shentong, respectively [2]. Group 3: Institutional Interest - In the past month, 5 companies with decreasing shareholder accounts have been subject to institutional research, with Jiangsu Shentong and Haixia Co. being the most frequently researched, each receiving 3 inquiries [2]. - The number of institutions involved in research is highest for Jiangsu Shentong (23 institutions), followed by Haixia Co. (8 institutions) and AVIC High-Tech (4 institutions) [2]. Group 4: Performance Forecasts - One company has released its half-year performance report, with Guoyuan Securities showing a net profit increase of 40.44% [3]. - Seven companies have issued performance forecasts, with five expecting profit increases and one predicting a profit [3]. - Hai De Control is projected to have the highest median net profit increase of 251.80%, with an expected net profit of 12.50 million [3].

Summary of Zhongyuan Media Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Zhongyuan Media - **Industry**: Publishing and Education Key Points Financial Performance - **Revenue Growth**: Zhongyuan Media's main business revenue increased in the first half of the year, with a focus on optimizing the material business structure and enhancing sales of educational materials, leading to a slight increase in gross margin [2][4] - **Net Profit Increase**: The company expects net profit growth to exceed 50%, estimated between 50% to 60%, due to the absence of a significant tax expense from the previous year [3] - **Cost Management**: The company achieved double-digit natural growth through increased revenue and reduced costs, including lower personnel expenses and decreased sales promotion costs [3] Market Dynamics - **General Book Market**: The general book market faces significant pressure from e-books, with sales accounting for approximately 8%-10% of total book sales, estimated at 3-4 billion yuan in the first half of the year [2][6] - **Educational Materials**: The educational materials market in Henan province remains stable, unaffected by policy changes, with the "one lesson, one supplement" policy still in effect [2][12] Growth Strategies - **Research and Study Business**: The research and study business is identified as a future growth point, with a target revenue of 200 million yuan for the year. The company is investing in various initiatives, including transforming bookstores and building camps [2][7] - **AI and Smart Education**: The AI business is integrated with the smart education platform, with phase one completed and expected to be fully operational in over 300 schools by the end of the year. This initiative is anticipated to contribute to future revenue growth but will not generate direct income in 2025 [2][10] Profitability and Margins - **Gross Margin Outlook**: The gross margin for 2025 is expected to be low due to significant investments in research and study equipment and camp construction, making profit predictions challenging [2][8] - **Future Profitability**: The company aims to establish its business first, with a clearer understanding of gross margins expected by 2026 [2][8] Workforce Management - **Employee Count**: The workforce has decreased to 12,700, down from 18,000 at the time of listing, leading to an older age structure. The company anticipates a reduction of 300-400 employees by the end of the year [2][9] - **Cost Savings**: Reducing the workforce is expected to save approximately 14 million yuan if 100 employees are let go [2][9] Dividend Policy - **Dividend Strategy**: Zhongyuan Media has a stable growth dividend policy, with a relatively high payout ratio in the publishing sector. The plan is to increase dividends based on a base of 0.6 yuan per share in 2025, subject to shareholder approval [2][14][15] Future Considerations - **Market Performance Monitoring**: The company will continue to monitor market performance closely, especially in the general book sector, where pressures from digital formats persist [2][6] - **Third Quarter Expectations**: The company expects a normal revenue recognition period in the third quarter of 2025, unlike the previous year, which faced delays due to policy changes [2][13]

[Expected Performance for the Current Period](index=1&type=section&id=%E4%B8%80%E3%80%81%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%9F%E4%B8%9A%E7%BB%A9%E9%A2%84%E8%AE%A1%E6%83%85%E5%86%B5) The company expects 2025 first-half net profit to rise significantly, with attributable net profit growing 44% to 62% 2025 Semi-Annual Performance Forecast Summary | Item | Current Period (RMB million) | Prior Period (RMB million) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Net Profit Attributable to Shareholders** | **Profit: 510.49 - 571.42** | Profit: 353.58 | | | **Year-on-year Growth: 44% - 62%** | | | **Net Profit Excluding Non-recurring Items** | **Profit: 500.49 - 566.42** | Profit: 341.13 | | | **Year-on-year Growth: 47% - 66%** | | | **Basic Earnings Per Share (RMB/share)** | **Profit: 0.50 - 0.56** | Profit: 0.35 | [Communication with Accounting Firm](index=1&type=section&id=%E4%BA%8C%E3%80%81%E4%B8%8E%E4%BC%9A%E8%AE%A1%E5%B8%88%E4%BA%8B%E5%8A%A1%E6%89%80%E6%B2%9F%E9%80%9A%E6%83%85%E5%86%B5) The company explicitly states this performance forecast's financial data remains unaudited by an accounting firm - The financial data in this performance forecast has not been audited by an accounting firm[4](index=4&type=chunk) [Explanation of Performance Change](index=1&type=section&id=%E4%B8%89%E3%80%81%E4%B8%9A%E7%BB%A9%E5%8F%98%E5%8A%A8%E5%8E%9F%E5%9B%A0%E8%AF%B4%E6%98%8E) Significant performance growth is primarily due to a tax policy change, enabling continued corporate income tax exemption - The core reason for the substantial performance growth is a change in tax policy, allowing the company's publishing and book distribution units to continue enjoying corporate income tax exemption from 2024 to 2027, as per a December 2024 announcement[5](index=5&type=chunk)[6](index=6&type=chunk) - Benefiting from the tax preferential policy, the company did not accrue relevant income tax expenses in H1 2025, directly leading to a significant increase in net profit attributable to shareholders and other profit indicators[6](index=6&type=chunk) [Risk Warning](index=2&type=section&id=%E5%9B%9B%E3%80%81%E9%A3%8E%E9%99%A9%E6%8F%90%E7%A4%BA) The company confirms no significant uncertainties impact the accuracy of this performance forecast - The company states there are no significant uncertainties affecting the accuracy of this performance forecast[7](index=7&type=chunk) [Other Relevant Information](index=2&type=section&id=%E4%BA%94%E3%80%81%E5%85%B6%E4%BB%96%E7%9B%B8%E5%85%B3%E8%AF%B4%E6%98%8E) This performance forecast is preliminary; final figures will be in the official 2025 semi-annual report, investors should note investment risks - This performance forecast represents preliminary company data, with final figures subject to the officially disclosed 2025 semi-annual report[8](index=8&type=chunk)

Investment Rating - The report gives a "Strong Buy" rating for Zhongyuan Media (000719) [1] Core Views - Zhongyuan Media is a high-quality local education publishing company with strong dividend capabilities and a high safety margin, while its new business prospects are promising [1][6] - The company benefits from its unique position as the only listed cultural enterprise in Henan Province, with a complete industrial chain covering publishing, distribution, printing, and educational services [6][13] - The company has a robust business model supported by its licensing advantages and stable revenue from its core publishing and distribution operations [6][8] Financial Summary - Total revenue is projected to grow from 9,857 million in 2024 to 11,189 million in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.3% [2] - Net profit attributable to shareholders is expected to increase from 1,030 million in 2024 to 1,397 million in 2027, with a notable growth of 22.5% in 2025 [2] - The earnings per share (EPS) is forecasted to rise from 1.01 in 2024 to 1.37 in 2027, reflecting a steady growth trajectory [2] Business Analysis - The company's revenue structure shows that publishing and distribution account for over 75% of total revenue, with distribution contributing 57% and publishing 23% in 2024 [25][31] - The company holds exclusive rights for textbook publishing and distribution in Henan, ensuring a stable demand base due to the large number of K12 students in the province [6][44] - Zhongyuan Media is actively expanding into vocational education, market-oriented supplementary materials, and AI+ education, which are expected to provide additional growth opportunities [6][8] Dividend Capability - The company has a strong willingness and ability to pay dividends, supported by its stable cash flow and low capital expenditure [6][8] - The controlling shareholder, the Henan Provincial Government, has a vested interest in maintaining high dividend payouts, further enhancing the company's safety margin [6][8] Investment Recommendation - The report anticipates steady growth in the company's core business, with potential increases in dividends providing a stronger safety margin [9] - The target price is set at 18.49 yuan, based on a relative valuation method using a 15x PE ratio for 2025 [2][9]

Group 1 - The childcare service concept sector rose by 1.82%, leading the concept sectors in terms of growth, with 13 stocks increasing in value [1][2] - Notable gainers in the sector included Huamei Holdings, which hit the daily limit, and other companies like Dou Shen Education, Hejing Technology, and Chuangyuan Co., which rose by 5.98%, 5.55%, and 4.21% respectively [1][2] - The sector experienced a net outflow of 243 million yuan in main funds, with Dou Shen Education receiving the highest net inflow of 69.37 million yuan [2][3] Group 2 - The top three stocks in terms of net inflow ratio were Chuangyuan Co. at 4.71%, Huamei Holdings at 3.96%, and Zhongyuan Media at 3.49% [3] - Stocks with significant declines included Tuo Wei Information, *ST Jinke, and Yuexin Health, which fell by 1.42%, 1.34%, and 1.15% respectively [1][2] - The overall market showed mixed performance, with various sectors experiencing both gains and losses, highlighting the volatility in the current investment landscape [2][4]

Summary of Zhongyuan Media Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Zhongyuan Media - **Industry**: Education Publishing and Smart Education Solutions Key Points Industry and Market Dynamics - The 2025 textbook procurement budget in Henan Province remains stable, primarily focused on compulsory education, with a slight decline in elementary school enrollment offset by an increase in high school students and record high college entrance exam candidates [2][3] - The total number of students in Henan Province is approximately 14.6 million, with over 1.8 million high school students, indicating growth potential for the company [2][6] - The smart education platform in Henan is being developed in two phases, with the second phase expected to be completed by September 2025, covering 20,000 primary and secondary schools [2][7][8] Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Zhongyuan Media's educational materials and auxiliary business showed stable performance, with revenue and profit experiencing slight growth [3] - The Henan Provincial Finance Department allocated 1.15 billion yuan for textbook procurement, consistent with previous years, primarily for grades 1-9 [3] - The company expects to maintain growth in overall performance for the year [2][3] Strategic Initiatives - The company plans to reduce its workforce by over 300 employees through natural attrition, which is expected to decrease labor costs by 10-20 million yuan, impacting profits by approximately 1 percentage point [4][17] - The company is focusing on expanding its market share in the educational materials sector, which currently accounts for 12-13% of total revenue, indicating significant growth potential in the Henan market [10][11] - The Elephant Publishing House is a key profit contributor, with expected growth rates surpassing other publishers [12] Future Outlook - The company is optimistic about exceeding its growth targets for educational materials, despite challenges [13] - The general book segment is under pressure from e-books, with sales expected to remain flat or slightly decline [14] - The company is investing in research and study services, with a revenue target of 200 million yuan over the next two years, expecting significant profit contributions in three years [18][20] Investment and Dividend Policy - The company plans to maintain a stable dividend policy, with a minimum of 0.6 yuan per share in 2025, gradually increasing thereafter [22] - Future investments will focus on technology and cultural enterprises that enhance earnings per share (EPS) [23] Digital Infrastructure - The digital industrial park project has a total budget of 3.5 billion yuan, with approximately 1.8 billion yuan already invested [25] - The company is exploring partnerships in emerging sectors like virtual reality and the metaverse to enhance user experience and operational efficiency [27][29] Regulatory Environment - There have been no significant changes in the regulatory environment for educational materials in Henan, with ongoing efforts to standardize procurement practices [9] Conclusion - Zhongyuan Media is positioned for growth in the educational publishing sector, with strategic initiatives aimed at expanding market share and enhancing profitability through technology integration and operational efficiency [30]

Group 1 - The company has approved a cash dividend distribution plan for the year 2024, which will distribute 6.0 yuan per 10 shares to all shareholders, totaling approximately 613.92 million yuan [1][2] - The dividend distribution will be based on the total share capital as of December 31, 2024, with specific tax treatments for different types of shareholders [1][2] - The record date for the dividend distribution is set for June 27, 2025, and the ex-dividend date will follow [1][2] Group 2 - The cash dividends will be directly credited to shareholders' accounts through their custodial securities companies on June 30, 2025 [2] - The company assumes all legal responsibilities for any issues arising from insufficient cash dividends due to a decrease in shareholders' securities accounts during the application period [2][3]