Core Insights - The report from Guotai Junan indicates that the trend of "anti-involution" in the express delivery industry has spread nationwide, significantly increasing the per-package revenue for companies and is expected to improve the profitability of e-commerce express delivery firms in the second half of this year and next year, with profitability elasticity depending on the sustainability of price increases [1] Group 1: Industry Trends - The trend of small-package delivery continues, with the industry expected to maintain resilient growth in business volume. By August 2025, the cumulative express delivery volume reached 128.2 billion packages, a year-on-year increase of 17.8% (on a comparable basis), indicating counter-cyclical growth [1] - The consumption potential in lower-tier markets, such as the central and western regions and rural areas, is being released, which is expected to contribute to resilient growth in industry business volume in the second half of 2025 and 2026 [1] Group 2: Financial Performance - In the first eight months of 2025, the express delivery industry's per-package revenue was 7.48 yuan, a year-on-year decline of 7.3%, but the decline has narrowed compared to a 12.3% drop at the end of 2024, reflecting a slowdown in price competition under the "anti-involution" regulation [1] - The upcoming peak season for e-commerce is anticipated to stabilize and repair express delivery prices in the second half of 2025 and 2026 [1] Group 3: Cost Dynamics - The weakening of economies of scale is noted, with the core cost per package declining at a slower pace. As transportation and transfer costs have limited room for reduction, the introduction of unmanned vehicle technology is expected to lower the delivery costs at the final stage [2] - New social security regulations are expected to lead to a short-term increase in per-package costs, but in the long term, they may drive the industry towards a value competition transformation [2]