Core Viewpoint - CICC has raised the profit forecast for China Tobacco Hong Kong (06055) for the fiscal year 2025/26 by 5% and 8% to HKD 9.8 billion and HKD 10.9 billion respectively, reflecting the growth momentum in the tobacco leaf import and export business [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, the company's revenue increased by 18.5% to HKD 10.32 billion, and net profit attributable to shareholders rose by 9.8% to HKD 710 million, both exceeding CICC's expectations due to favorable tobacco leaf import shipping schedules and optimized export product structure [2] - The revenue from tobacco leaf imports grew by 23.5%, with import volume and average price increasing by 2.5% and 20.5% respectively, leading to a higher proportion of high-priced tobacco leaves [3] - Tobacco leaf exports saw a revenue increase of 25.9%, with export volume and average price rising by 12.7% and 11.7% respectively, driven by the expansion of new customers and product structure optimization [3] Group 2: Margin Analysis - The company's gross margin for the first half of 2025 was 9.2%, a decrease of 1.9 percentage points, with improved gross margins in tobacco leaf exports and self-operated cigarette exports due to pricing strategy optimization [3] - The gross margin for tobacco leaf exports increased by 2.4 percentage points, while the gross margin for self-operated cigarette exports rose by 3.5 percentage points [3] - However, the gross margin for tobacco leaf imports decreased by 2.8 percentage points due to rising costs from unfavorable climate conditions [3] Group 3: Growth Drivers - The company is expected to strengthen its international allocation capabilities in tobacco leaf imports, leading to stable operational growth [4] - The expansion of duty-free channel development and the introduction of self-operated product lines in cigarette exports, along with a global exclusive distribution agreement for Long Wall cigars with Sichuan Tobacco, are anticipated to open up growth opportunities [4] - The company aims to actively seek potential high-quality targets that align with the group's strategic goals to enhance global competitiveness through external mergers and acquisitions [4]
中金：上调中烟香港评级至跑赢行业 升目标价至43港元