CHINA COAL ENERGY(601898) 国海证券·2024-10-27 15:06Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - The report highlights continuous cost optimization and excellent performance in the third quarter, with a focus on the company's coal production and sales metrics [1][3] - The company has shown resilience in its coal business despite a decrease in sales prices, with a notable improvement in gross margins due to cost management strategies [4][6] Summary by Relevant Sections Financial Performance - For the first three quarters of 2024, the company achieved operating revenue of 140.41 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 10.1%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 14.61 billion yuan, down 12.4% year-on-year [3] - In Q3 2024, the company reported operating revenue of 47.43 billion yuan, a slight decrease of 0.3% quarter-on-quarter but an increase of 1.2% year-on-year [3] Coal Business - The company produced 35.81 million tons of commodity coal in Q3 2024, representing a 6.0% increase quarter-on-quarter and a 5.2% increase year-on-year [1][4] - The average selling price of self-produced coal decreased by 4.7% quarter-on-quarter, while the unit cost fell by 6.9%, leading to a gross profit of 270.1 yuan per ton and a gross margin of 49.6% [1][4] Coal Chemical Business - The report indicates that the coal chemical segment has seen improvements in gross margins due to cost optimization, with polyethylene and polypropylene sales volumes increasing by 2.8% and 2.6% respectively [4][5] - The overall unit gross profit for coal chemical products has improved compared to the previous year, despite some price declines [5] Future Outlook - The company is expected to see revenue of 179.82 billion yuan in 2024, with a projected net profit of 18.40 billion yuan, reflecting a stable outlook supported by high long-term contract ratios and upcoming production from new mines [6][7] - The company plans to enhance shareholder returns through increased dividends, maintaining a positive growth trajectory in the coming years [6]