Xi Niu Cai Jing·2025-12-01 01:29Core Insights - Chow Tai Fook's (01929.HK) performance for the first half of the fiscal year 2026 (April 1 to September 30, 2025) fell short of market expectations, leading to a significant drop in its stock price on November 26, with a decline of over 7% during trading [2] Financial Performance - The company's revenue for the first half of the fiscal year was HKD 38.99 billion, a slight decrease of 1.07% year-on-year, which was below the market estimate of HKD 40.19 billion [2] - Shareholder profit attributable to the company was HKD 2.534 billion, showing only a 0.1% increase compared to the same period last year, also missing the analyst forecast of HKD 2.63 billion [2] - Chow Tai Fook's gross profit margin narrowed by 0.9 percentage points to 30.5% year-on-year, attributed to limited increases in gold prices affecting retail product margins [2] Consumer Behavior and Market Trends - High gold prices have led to a noticeable change in consumer purchasing behavior, with customers showing hesitation in buying heavier gold products and preferring lower-priced jewelry or affordable alternatives [2] - The revenue structure reflects this trend, with a 9.3% year-on-year increase in revenue from priced jewelry, while revenue from gold jewelry based on weight declined by 3.8% [2] Policy Environment - Concerns regarding Chow Tai Fook are also linked to changes in the policy environment, particularly the cancellation of gold tax incentives on November 1, which may increase consumer costs for gold and pressure retail margins [3] Management Outlook - Despite facing short-term challenges, Chow Tai Fook's management remains optimistic about a recovery in the second half of the fiscal year, raising the gross profit margin guidance to 31% to 32% for the fiscal year ending March 2026 [3] - Analysts from institutions like Bank of America believe that the worst period for same-store sales growth may have passed, and business transformation efforts are expected to support profit recovery [3]