Hangzhou EZVIZ Network (SH:688475) Xin Lang Zheng Quan·2025-04-18 09:55Core Insights - The core viewpoint of the articles highlights the financial performance and challenges faced by Yingzi Network, a company spun off from Hikvision, as it navigates a competitive smart home market while experiencing fluctuations in revenue and profit margins [1][3]. Financial Performance - In 2024, Yingzi Network achieved operating revenue of 5.442 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.41%, but the net profit attributable to shareholders fell by 10.52% to 504 million yuan, marking the second decline in net profit since its IPO [1][3]. - For Q1 2025, the company reported operating revenue of 1.38 billion yuan, up 11.59% year-on-year, and a net profit of 138 million yuan, reflecting a growth of 10.42% [1]. - The overall revenue growth has been consistent since the company's listing, but the growth rate has been slowing down, with annual increases of 1.62%, 12.39%, 12.41%, and 11.59% from 2020 to Q1 2025 [3]. Product and Market Dynamics - Yingzi Network has expanded its product offerings in the smart home market, including innovative smart cameras, smart locks, cleaning robots, and wearables, but faces intense competition from major players like Xiaomi, Huawei, and traditional appliance manufacturers [1][2]. - The company's reliance on smart home cameras has been a concern, as revenue, sales volume, and gross margin for this product category declined in 2024, with revenue dropping to 2.948 billion yuan, a decrease of 1.38% year-on-year [7]. - Despite rapid growth in other product lines, such as smart entry and service robots, which saw revenue increases of 47.87% and 265.12% respectively, their overall scale remains small compared to the dominant camera segment [7]. Cost and Profitability Challenges - The company's gross margin has shown relative stability, with figures of 36.42%, 42.85%, 42.08%, and 42.55% from 2022 to Q1 2025, but profitability has been inconsistent due to rising expenses [5]. - Research and development expenses increased significantly, reaching 814 million yuan in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 11.35%, while sales expenses also rose to 858 million yuan, up 26.66% [5]. - The company's operating cash flow saw a drastic decline, with net inflow of only 548 million yuan in 2024, nearly halving from the previous year, and a net outflow of 65 million yuan in Q1 2025 [6]. Investment and Future Outlook - Yingzi Network's investment project for a smart manufacturing base in Chongqing has faced delays, with only 51.53% of the planned funding utilized by the end of November 2024, pushing the project's completion date to December 2025 [6]. - The company continues to face pressure from high operational costs and market competition, which may further impact its profit margins in the future [5][6].