BUD APAC(01876) 光大证券·2025-03-01 13:51Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for Budweiser APAC (1876.HK) with a current price of HKD 8.33 [1] Core Views - The report highlights a continued trend of strong performance in the eastern regions while the western regions face challenges, with a dividend payout ratio exceeding expectations [1][8] - Budweiser APAC's 2024 revenue is reported at USD 6.246 billion, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 8.9%, while normalized EBITDA is USD 1.813 billion, down 14.8% year-on-year [5][11] - The company is focusing on high-end and super high-end product strategies, expanding its distribution cities from 220 in 2023 to 235 in 2024 [7][8] Summary by Sections Revenue Performance - For the full year 2024, Budweiser APAC achieved revenue of USD 6.246 billion, with a year-on-year decline of 8.9% and normalized EBITDA of USD 1.813 billion, down 14.8% [5][11] - In Q4 2024, the company reported revenue of USD 1.142 billion, with a year-on-year decline of 11% [5] Regional Performance - Eastern region showed strong growth in Q4 2024 with revenue up 7.8% and volume up 8.5%, while the western region faced a 17% decline in volume [6][7] - The Chinese market continued to struggle in Q4 2024, with a volume decline of 18.9% due to inventory reduction and unfavorable channel mix [7] Management Changes and Dividend Policy - A new CEO, Cheng Yanjun, will take office on April 1, 2025, indicating a commitment to improving the Chinese business [8] - The board proposed a dividend of USD 750 million for the 2024 fiscal year, a 7% increase year-on-year, with a payout ratio of 103% [8] Profit Forecast and Valuation - The profit forecasts for 2025 and 2026 have been revised down to USD 795 million and USD 861 million, respectively, reflecting a 12% and 14% reduction [8][11] - The current stock price corresponds to a PE ratio of 18x for 2025, 16x for 2026, and 15x for 2027, indicating a favorable outlook in the high-end market segment [8][11]