OTIC(SZ:000962) Xin Lang Cai Jing·2025-11-17 16:03Core Viewpoint - Dongfang Tantalum Industry has responded to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's inquiries regarding fluctuations in operating cash flow, rising gross margins, customer and supplier dependencies, and declining export revenues, indicating a steady growth in revenue and net profit from 2022 to 2024, despite a negative cash flow in 2024 [1] Group 1: Cash Flow and Financial Performance - The company's operating cash flow net amounts were 60.75 million, 91.51 million, -61.10 million, and -239.12 million (for January to September 2025), showing a trend of initial growth followed by decline [2] - The negative cash flow in 2024 was primarily due to a 40.29% increase in raw material procurement cash expenditures, amounting to 270.15 million, and a 29% rise in employee compensation to 184.32 million [2] - The company has implemented measures to enhance accounts receivable management and optimize customer structure, with cash collection ratios of 81.64% in 2023 and a decline to 69.55% in 2025 [2] Group 2: Gross Margin and Product Structure - The gross margin for the main business increased from 16.41% to 18.51% from 2022 to 2024, attributed to product structure optimization and cost control [3] - The average procurement price of tantalum ore decreased by 10.88% in 2024, benefiting the company's profit margins due to a lag in price transmission [3] - The company's gross margin is in line with industry averages, slightly below the average by 0.17 percentage points in 2024 [3] Group 3: Export Revenue and Market Expansion - The proportion of foreign sales revenue decreased from 60.21% in 2022 to 35.29% in January to September 2025, influenced by U.S. trade policy changes and successful domestic market expansion [4] - Sales to the U.S. dropped from 26.12% in 2022 to 15.57% in January to September 2025 due to a 25% tariff imposed on tantalum and niobium products [4] - Domestic sales revenue increased from 39.79% to 65.93%, driven by significant demand for high-end products like high-temperature alloys and semiconductor targets [4] Group 4: Customer Concentration and Accounts Receivable - The sales revenue from the top five customers accounted for 48.66%, 35.38%, and 38.12% from 2022 to 2024, indicating a customer concentration level above the industry average [5] - As of September 2025, accounts receivable amounted to 457.93 million, representing 57.47% of revenue, with a high collection rate of over 88% from 2022 to 2024 [5] Group 5: Inventory Management - The company's inventory value increased from 421.76 million to 589.82 million from 2022 to 2025, with a significant portion being raw materials and work-in-progress [7] - The inventory write-down provision was higher than the industry average, reflecting the company's longer production lines and substantial work-in-progress amounts [7] Group 6: Investment and Capacity Expansion - The company plans to raise 1.2 billion for projects related to hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and high-end products, expecting an annual revenue increase of 3.53 billion post-project completion [9] - The company has established a diversified customer base and has orders totaling 319 million as of September 2025, ensuring capacity absorption [9]