华润燃气：坐拥优质城市资源的央企城燃龙头

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company, with a target PE of 12x for 2025 and a dividend yield of 4.5% [106] Core Views - The company's profitability has gradually recovered in recent years, with the main gas sales business accounting for 71% of profits in the first half of 2024 [7] - The global natural gas market is rebalancing after the supply shocks of 2022-2023, but geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather continue to cause price volatility [9] - China's natural gas import dependency has increased to 42% in 2023, with LNG accounting for 61% of imports, making international gas prices more influential on domestic pricing [12] - The company is gradually building its own natural gas resource pool, which is expected to optimize its gas source structure and reduce procurement costs [36] - The company's dividend payout ratio has steadily increased from 18% in 2011 to 50% in 2023, with further room for growth as capital expenditures shrink and operating cash flow improves [45] Financial Performance - The company's operating income is expected to grow from HKD 101.3 billion in 2023 to HKD 112.8 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 3.6% [1] - Net profit attributable to shareholders is projected to increase from HKD 5.2 billion in 2023 to HKD 6.4 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 6.8% [1] - Gross margin is forecast to rise from 18.2% in 2023 to 19.2% in 2026, while ROE remains stable around 11% [1] - EPS is expected to grow from HKD 2.30 in 2023 to HKD 2.81 in 2026, with a forward PE ratio declining from 13.4x to 11.0x [1] Industry Analysis - Natural gas accounted for 8.5% of China's primary energy consumption in 2023, significantly lower than the global average of 23%, indicating substantial growth potential [22] - China's natural gas consumption is expected to reach 600 billion cubic meters by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 [52] - The global LNG trade volume is projected to increase from 400 billion cubic meters in 2023 to 500 billion cubic meters by 2025 [8] - China's natural gas consumption structure is shifting, with industrial and residential consumption accounting for 40% and 30% respectively in 2023 [23] Company Strategy - The company is focusing on distributed photovoltaic, distributed energy, and transportation charging businesses, with comprehensive energy service revenue reaching HKD 1.64 billion in 2023, up 73% YoY [78] - The company is actively participating in urban village renovation projects and "pingji liangyong" infrastructure construction, which could boost its penetration rate in existing projects [28] - The company is optimizing its gas source structure through its own LNG receiving station, which is expected to reduce procurement costs and improve flexibility [36] - The company is expanding its integrated services business, with revenue from this segment growing 125% YoY to HKD 2.7 billion in 2023 [69]