Changjiang Securities·2025-05-11 10:41Investment Rating - The investment rating for the public utility sector is "Positive" and is maintained [8]. Core Insights - The new public offering regulations are expected to drive capital inflows into the long-underweighted public utility sector, which has a current allocation of only 0.94% in actively managed public funds, significantly lower than the weights in the CSI 300 and CSI A500 indices [2][10]. - The sector's earnings have shown signs of recovery, with expectations for continued performance improvement in the second quarter and throughout the year [2][10]. Summary by Sections Public Offering Regulations - The implementation of new public offering regulations is likely to provide marginal support for the public utility sector, which has been significantly underweighted in fund allocations. The sector's weight in the CSI 300 index is 3.53%, while the allocation in actively managed funds is only 0.94%, indicating a shortfall of 2.59 percentage points compared to the index [2][10]. Earnings Recovery - The public utility sector's earnings recovery has been validated by first-quarter performance, with expectations for continued improvement. Specific insights include: - Coal prices have decreased, alleviating pressure on thermal power generation, which is expected to enhance earnings in the second quarter [10]. - Hydropower assets are becoming increasingly attractive due to declining interest rates, with companies like Yangtze Power showing a high dividend yield compared to government bond yields [10]. - Nuclear power is anticipated to recover as new units come online, mitigating previous earnings pressures [10]. - Green energy companies are expected to benefit from policy support and asset value reassessment [10]. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on quality thermal power operators such as Huadian International, China Resources Power, and Huaneng International, as well as hydropower leaders like Yangtze Power and Guotou Power. In the renewable energy sector, companies like Longyuan Power and China Nuclear Power are highlighted as potential investment opportunities [10][13][15].