Core Viewpoint - Caocao Travel (02643.HK) has announced its first major acquisition post-IPO, acquiring Geely's Yao Travel and Zhejiang Geely Business Services for a total of 290 million RMB in cash [1][2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition includes 100% of Yao Travel for 225 million RMB and all shares of Geely Business Services for 65 million RMB [6]. - Yao Travel focuses on high-end business travel and is a luxury travel brand launched by Mercedes-Benz and Geely, while Geely Business Services provides corporate travel management solutions [2][6]. - Following the acquisition, Mercedes-Benz will completely exit its equity structure in Yao Travel [2]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Caocao Travel reported a revenue of 9.456 billion RMB for the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 53.5%, but incurred a loss of 495 million RMB, although the loss is narrowing [4]. - Yao Travel is projected to incur a cumulative after-tax loss of over 115 million RMB for 2023 and 2024 [6]. - Geely Business Services is expected to see a significant profit decline of 47.87% in 2024 compared to 2023, with an estimated after-tax profit of 23.3 million RMB [8]. Group 3: Strategic Direction - The acquisition signals Caocao Travel's commitment to expanding its B2B business travel segment, aiming to create a comprehensive "one-stop technology travel platform" [4]. - The company aims to achieve threefold synergy through the integration of the two acquired entities, enhancing product offerings and client conversion [8]. - The business travel market in China is projected to exceed 3.5 trillion RMB in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of over 11% [9]. Group 4: Market Position and Challenges - Despite being among the top three ride-hailing platforms in China, Caocao Travel holds only 5-6% of the market share, with over 50% controlled by Didi [11]. - The company faces significant reliance on external aggregation platforms for traffic, with commission payments to these platforms rising from 3.2 billion RMB in 2022 to 10.4 billion RMB in 2024 [12]. - The increasing commission fees paid to aggregation platforms have raised concerns about the company's bargaining power and profitability [13]. Group 5: Future Prospects in Autonomous Driving - Caocao Travel is positioning autonomous driving as a long-term strategic focus, with plans to establish five operational centers globally and achieve a transaction volume of 100 billion RMB over the next decade [15][16]. - The global autonomous vehicle market is expected to grow significantly, with a projected market size of 15.23 billion USD by 2026 [15]. - The company is leveraging Geely's comprehensive support across various dimensions, including vehicle costs and technology, to build a competitive edge in the autonomous driving sector [17].
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