LYFEN(SH:603777) Xin Lang Zheng Quan·2025-06-17 08:16Core Viewpoint - The controlling shareholder of Laiyifen, Shanghai Aiwu Enterprise Management Co., plans to reduce its stake by up to 3% within the next three months, reflecting the company's ongoing performance decline and recent share buyback efforts [1][2][4]. Group 1: Shareholder Actions - The controlling shareholder intends to sell up to 10,032,724 shares, representing 3% of the total share capital, through various trading methods [2]. - Since 2019, the controlling shareholder has consistently reduced its holdings, with the last reduction occurring in May 2023, where 1.96% of shares were sold for approximately 91.94 million yuan [2]. - The company has faced regulatory scrutiny due to exceeding the allowable reduction limit, leading to corrective measures from the China Securities Regulatory Commission [2]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Laiyifen reported a significant decline in revenue, with a 9.25% drop in 2023 and a further 15.24% decline in 2024, resulting in a net loss of 75.27 million yuan [4][5]. - The company's first-quarter performance in 2024 showed a continued revenue decline of 1.23% and a drastic net profit drop of 79.72% [4]. - The company's revenue has been adversely affected by the closure of numerous stores, with the number of direct-operated stores decreasing from 1,910 to 1,485 [5]. Group 3: Market Challenges - The decline in Laiyifen's revenue is attributed to losing market channels, particularly in direct sales and e-commerce, with a notable 38.54% drop in special channel revenue and a 34.58% decline in e-commerce revenue [5][6]. - The company has struggled to adapt to increased competition in the snack food industry, particularly in the offline market, where expansion has become challenging [6]. - Laiyifen's high operating costs have negatively impacted its profitability, with net profit margins remaining below 2% for several years [6]. Group 4: Operational Efficiency - Laiyifen's operational efficiency is low, with the company ranking last among ten listed snack food companies in terms of revenue per employee, generating only 734,300 yuan per employee [6]. - The company's gross margin has decreased to 34.64%, a nearly 7 percentage point drop year-on-year, indicating further pressure on profitability [6]. - Despite an increase in the number of franchise stores, the overall cost structure has not improved, with sales expense ratios remaining around 28% [6].