Core Viewpoint - The company maintains its profit forecast for 2025/2026 and has raised its target price by 40% to HKD 4.9, reflecting a potential upside of 20% based on market valuation adjustments [1] Financial Performance - For 1H25, the company reported revenue of CNY 12.278 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of CNY 578 million, up 2.2% year-on-year, with revenue meeting expectations but profit slightly below due to higher-than-expected expenses [2] Product Performance - The company experienced growth across various beverage categories in 1H25, with total revenue up 8.3% driven by both volume and price increases. Notable performances include: - Soft drinks revenue increased by 9.4% to CNY 9.38 billion, with double-digit growth in sugar-free carbonated products [3] - Juice revenue rose by 0.8% to CNY 1.67 billion, aided by the relaunch of the "Cooler" brand [3] - Packaged water revenue grew by 8.2%, recovering from a contraction in the previous year, with "Ice Dew" leading the recovery [3] - Coffee and other beverages saw a 13.8% increase in revenue to CNY 640 million, with energy drinks growing by 36% [3] Margin Analysis - The gross margin improved by 3.5 percentage points to 38.1% in 1H25, primarily due to price increases. However, the sales expense ratio rose by 3.8 percentage points to 26.3% due to increased investments in freezers and point-of-sale resources, which offset the gross margin improvement. The net profit margin decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 4.7% [4] Strategic Plans - The company plans to maintain high investment levels in the second half of the year to drive growth and is strategically expanding into the food distribution sector, with non-beverage revenue from vending machines nearing CNY 200 million in 1H25. The company aims to enter the health food market while consolidating its strengths in core beverage categories, with specific initiatives expected to be implemented next year [5]
中金：维持中国食品(00506)跑赢行业评级 上调目标价至4.9港元