

Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley reports that China Resources Beer (00291) achieved positive sales growth in April and May, consistent with the sales trend from January to May 2025, benefiting from favorable raw material factors that helped increase gross margin by over 1 percentage point. The company is focused on cost reduction through its "Three Precision" initiatives and maintains a "Buy" rating with a target price of HKD 34. Management anticipates pressure on liquor business revenue this year due to weak demand and high base effects, aiming to avoid losses and impairments [1][2]. Summary by Category Sales Performance - Heineken continues to show strong performance with sales growth exceeding 20% year-on-year - Super X's year-to-date sales have increased by approximately 10% - Sales of Old Snow and Amstel have surged by over 50% - Snowflake Pure Life sales have experienced a slight decline in single digits [2] Regional Insights - The company highlights strong sales momentum in Guangdong, particularly around Shenzhen - It is expected that East China and South China will be key drivers of sales growth in 2025 [2] Channel Performance - Management notes that demand in the ready-to-drink channel remains weak, although there was a slight improvement in some dining markets in East and South China in May - The company has gained some market share in the nightlife channel - The proportion of ready-to-drink channel sales remains stable, consistent with the end of 2024 levels, at approximately 38-39% [2] Capital Expenditure - Due to strong Heineken sales, the company plans to expand Heineken production capacity in Fujian - Continued investments are planned for maintenance, production line transformation, and liquor business in 2025 - Future capital expenditures are expected to gradually decrease, with a baseline scenario using discounted cash flow method assuming a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of 11.3% and a terminal growth rate of 3% [2]