大跌27%!遇见小面,上市首日破发

Core Viewpoint - The stock of Yujian Xiaomian, known as the "first Chinese noodle restaurant stock," experienced a significant drop on its debut, opening at HKD 5.00, down 28.98% from its IPO price of HKD 7.04, indicating a lack of investor confidence despite high pre-IPO demand [1][9]. Company Overview - Yujian Xiaomian was founded in 2014 and operates a network of 440 restaurants in 22 cities across mainland China and 11 in Hong Kong. It is recognized as the largest operator of Sichuan-Chongqing style noodle restaurants in China and the fourth largest among all Chinese noodle restaurants based on total merchandise transaction value for 2024 [4][12]. - The company's revenue grew from RMB 418 million in 2022 to RMB 1.154 billion in 2024, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 66.2% and turning profitable in 2023 [4][12]. Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Yujian Xiaomian reported revenue of RMB 703 million, a year-on-year increase of 33.8%, and a net profit of RMB 42 million, up 95.8% [5][13]. - The company's strategy of lowering menu prices to increase customer volume has led to a decline in average order value from RMB 36 in 2022 to RMB 31.8 in 2024, without a significant increase in table turnover rates [5][13]. Market Challenges - The company faces challenges related to its pricing strategy, which has not effectively increased customer turnover, with turnover rates fluctuating between 3.0 and 4.0, and a decline noted in the first half of 2025 [5][13]. - Yujian Xiaomian's restaurant network is heavily concentrated in Guangdong Province, with over half of its locations there, exposing the company to regional economic fluctuations and competitive pressures [5][13]. - The franchise model, while accelerating store expansion, poses risks to food safety and operational standardization, with reports of franchisees facing regulatory penalties due to quality control issues [5][13]. Investor Sentiment - Despite the challenges, Yujian Xiaomian attracted significant interest from cornerstone investors, raising USD 22 million prior to its IPO, indicating some institutional confidence in its long-term prospects [6][14]. - The IPO saw an oversubscription of approximately 426 times in the public offering, with a final offer price of HKD 7.04 per share, raising a net amount of HKD 617 million [6][14]. Strategic Outlook - Analysts highlight that Yujian Xiaomian is facing a "single-dimensional" dilemma, with concentrated regional presence, limited product variety, and a lack of diversified operational models, which could hinder its expansion and adaptability [7][15]. - The company needs to address these challenges to enhance its market valuation and investor confidence moving forward [7][15].