极兔速递-W：More visible path to achieve profitability; U/G to BUY

Investment Rating - The report upgrades the investment rating for J&T Express to BUY from Hold [2]. Core Insights - J&T Express achieved a net profit of US$31 million in 1H24, a significant improvement from a loss of US$264 million in 1H23 and US$168 million in 2H23, indicating a clearer path to sustainable profitability [2]. - The revenue in 1H24 grew by 22$1.52 billion, driven by a 42% increase in parcel volume, although this was offset by a 14% decline in average selling price (ASP) [2]. - The company is expected to see full-year volume growth of 30% year-on-year, despite a projected double-digit decrease in ASP [2]. - In China, revenue grew by 36% year-on-year to US$3 billion, supported by a 37$4.86 billion in 1H24, a 20.6% increase from US$4.03 billion in 1H23 [7]. - The gross profit surged to US$536 million, reflecting a 176.8% increase year-on-year [7]. - The adjusted net profit is forecasted to be US$186.5 million for FY24, a significant recovery from a loss of US$432.3 million in FY23 [4]. Market Analysis - In Southeast Asia, the market share expanded by 2 percentage points year-on-year to 27.4%, with a unit gross margin of US$0.14 [2]. - In China, the market share increased by 1.1 percentage points year-on-year to 11$0.02 [2]. - The report highlights a strong competitive edge for J&T in Southeast Asia, with a target multiple of 15x for valuation, reflecting a premium over global integrated logistics operators [10]. Valuation - The target price is revised down to HK$10 from HK$12.8, reflecting a more conservative approach following sector pullbacks [2][10]. - The valuation methodology for the China segment has shifted to EV/EBITDA, applying a target multiple of 10x, which is approximately a 50% premium to local peers [10]. - The total equity value is estimated at US$11.1 billion, with a target price of HK$10.00 [11].