Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-11-04 13:19Core Viewpoint - The highway listed companies are facing a critical question regarding their future growth paths, whether to deepen their core business or to diversify into new areas, leading to a significant transformation involving capital movements in the range of hundreds of billions [1] Group 1: Revenue and Profitability - Revenue growth in the traditional toll road business is showing signs of fatigue, with construction revenue emerging as a key variable affecting overall revenue [2] - Construction revenue, primarily from PPP projects, can scale quickly but typically has lower profit margins, impacting overall profitability [2][3] - Companies like Chutian Expressway have seen significant revenue growth driven by construction income, with a 37.27% increase in 2024 and 37.73% in the first three quarters of 2025 [2] - Cost reduction, particularly in financial expenses, is a primary strategy for maintaining profitability among highway listed companies [3] Group 2: Capital Expansion and Core Business - The future profitability of highway listed companies is a major market concern, with limited new highway projects under construction, focusing instead on renovations and expansions of existing routes [4] - Companies like Zhongyuan Expressway are investing heavily in projects like the Zhengluo Expressway, with an investment of approximately 24.68 billion [4] - Shandong Expressway is actively acquiring operational highway projects outside its province to strengthen its core business [4][5] Group 3: Diversification into New Industries - Many highway listed companies are exploring new growth avenues, with the renewable energy sector being a popular choice [7] - Zhongyuan Expressway has signed contracts related to renewable energy projects, while Ganyue Expressway is collaborating with CATL to develop energy exchange markets [7] - Some companies have established mature diversified business segments, with Ganyue Expressway's clean energy and waste resource management accounting for 19.14% of total revenue in the first half of 2025 [7] Group 4: Investment Funds and Light Asset Models - Highway listed companies are increasingly utilizing capital strategies for diversified expansion, particularly in the field of investment funds [9] - Ganyue Expressway's investment management subsidiary has been actively engaging in private equity and asset management, achieving a net profit of 50.1 million in 2024 [9][10] - Zhongyuan Expressway has successfully invested in multiple technology companies, with its investment subsidiary participating in the listing of several firms [10]