Tianfeng Securities·2025-05-06 10:44Investment Rating - The industry rating is maintained at "Outperform" [6] Core Viewpoints - The construction decoration sector experienced revenue and profit declines in 2024, but a recovery in fundamentals is expected in 2025 due to increased issuance of special bonds and domestic demand stimulus policies [1][17] - The overall gross margin for the construction sector improved slightly to 10.96%, while the net profit margin decreased to 2.44% due to increased impairment losses and rising expense ratios [2][30] - The international engineering segment showed significant growth, with a year-on-year increase in net profit of 137.2%, contrasting with declines in other sub-segments [3][25] Summary by Sections 1. Industry Overview - In 2024, the CS construction sector achieved revenue of 86,997 billion, down 4.1% year-on-year, and a net profit of 1,689 billion, down 14.4% year-on-year [1][17] - The decline in revenue growth rate was 11.8 percentage points compared to the previous year, indicating a significant drop in profitability [17] - The overall return on equity (ROE) for 2024 was 6.5%, a decrease of 1.49 percentage points year-on-year [30] 2. Sub-Sector Performance - The international engineering segment outperformed others, with a net profit growth of 137.2%, while other segments like chemical engineering and large infrastructure saw declines [3][25] - The construction sector's performance varied significantly across sub-segments, with design consulting and large infrastructure showing relatively better results [3][25] 3. Q1 2025 Performance - In Q1 2025, the construction sector's revenue and net profit declined by 6% and 8.4% year-on-year, respectively, attributed to slower project progress compared to the previous year [1][27] - New orders in traditional infrastructure showed signs of recovery, with significant year-on-year growth in new contracts for major state-owned enterprises [4][27] 4. Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on high-growth segments within professional engineering, particularly in semiconductor and chemical engineering sectors, which are expected to benefit from increased domestic investment [4][13] - Specific companies such as Sichuan Road and Bridge, and Donghua Technology are highlighted as potential investment opportunities due to their strong performance in Q1 2025 [4][13]