协鑫科技：成本优势突出，长期业绩弹性可期-20250226

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - The company has a strong cost advantage and a high proportion of N-type products, with inventory levels at a low point in the industry. As an intermediate product in granular silicon production, the company benefits from leading cost advantages in silane gas and is expected to see profit growth due to downstream demand recovery. The company is also advancing in perovskite technology and is building GW-level production lines to expand long-term capacity. The silicon material industry is currently at a cyclical low, and if policies promote capacity clearance, the company could see significant profit and valuation elasticity. The projected net profits for 2024-2026 are -4.62 billion, -0.33 billion, and 2.78 billion respectively [4][5]. Financial Summary - Total revenue for 2023 is projected at 33.7 billion, with a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%. For 2024, revenue is expected to drop significantly to 15.625 billion, a decrease of 53.6%, followed by a recovery to 18.54 billion in 2025 (up 18.7%) and 24.81 billion in 2026 (up 33.8%) [3][6]. - The net profit attributable to shareholders is forecasted to be 2.51 billion in 2023, but is expected to turn negative at -4.62 billion in 2024 and -0.33 billion in 2025, before rebounding to 2.78 billion in 2026 [3][6]. - The gross margin is expected to decline to -20.1% in 2024, with a recovery to 8.0% in 2025 and 26.1% in 2026 [3][6]. - The company’s price-to-earnings ratio (PE) is calculated at 12.1 for 2023 and is projected to be 11.7 for 2026 [3][6]. Production and Cost Advantages - By the end of 2024, the company’s nominal production capacity for granular silicon is expected to reach 420,000 tons, with production and shipment volumes projected at 269,200 tons and 281,900 tons respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 32% and 45% [4]. - The cash cost of granular silicon production is expected to decrease to 33.52 yuan/kg in 2024, with quarterly reductions anticipated throughout the year due to lower raw material costs and ongoing technological improvements [4]. - The company is positioned to benefit from potential capacity clearance in the silicon material industry, supported by government policies aimed at orderly development of the new energy sector [4].