AHB(SH:688639) Zhong Guo Jing Ying Bao·2025-06-27 16:12Core Insights - Company reported a contradictory financial performance for 2024, with revenue of 2.178 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.37%, but a net profit of 190 million yuan, down 57.8% [2] - The company addressed key regulatory concerns regarding overseas revenue authenticity, sharp decline in gross margin, and abnormal inventory growth in a detailed response to the Shanghai Stock Exchange [2][3] Revenue and Market Performance - The company achieved overseas revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan for the first time, reaching 1.032 billion yuan, accounting for 47.39% of total revenue, with a year-on-year growth of 30.34% [3] - The European market was the primary source of overseas revenue, contributing 429 million yuan, while the Americas and Asia accounted for 294 million yuan and 309 million yuan, respectively [3] - The growth in revenue was primarily supported by the top five overseas customers, whose sales reached 418 million yuan, an increase of 111 million yuan from the previous year [3] Pricing Pressure and Gross Margin Decline - The company acknowledged significant price declines due to intensified market competition, particularly for L-valine, leading to a sharp drop in average selling prices for amino acids and vitamins [4][5] - The average selling price of amino acid products fell from 19,000 yuan per ton in 2023 to 15,600 yuan per ton in 2024, a decrease of 17.89%, while vitamin products saw a 54.09% drop from 84,300 yuan per ton to 38,700 yuan per ton [4] - The gross margin plummeted from 40.52% to 24.92%, a decline of 15.6 percentage points, raising concerns from the Shanghai Stock Exchange [4] Inventory and Financial Indicators - The company's inventory value surged to 407 million yuan, an increase of 80.09% year-on-year, attributed to increased stock of goods and raw materials [5][6] - Inventory turnover rate decreased from 6.37 times to 5.16 times, indicating a potential risk of impairment due to high inventory levels amid declining prices [5][6] Expansion and Future Projects - Despite the challenges, the company is aggressively expanding its production capacity, with construction projects valued at 1.592 billion yuan, including a 50,000-ton bio-based succinic acid project and a 50,000-ton bio-based propylene glycol project [7] - The company anticipates that these projects will begin operations in the second half of 2025, although there are concerns about the timely realization of benefits from these investments [8] Strategic Initiatives - The company is pursuing collaborations to enhance its supply chain, including forming a "Bio-based Polyester Textile Industry Alliance" and signing strategic agreements with BASF for product development [9] - Additionally, the company secured a 20-year exclusive license for the bio-based production of tryptophan technology from Eurobio [10]