东兴证券晨报-20250514

Group 1: Airline Industry Overview - The airline industry has faced significant operational pressure since the second half of 2024, with major airlines reporting substantial losses, totaling approximately 10.8 billion yuan in Q4 2024, although this was an improvement from the 14.3 billion yuan loss in Q4 2023 [2] - In Q1 2025, the three major airlines reported a combined loss of 4.4 billion yuan, an increase from 2.1 billion yuan in Q1 2024, indicating ongoing challenges despite rising passenger load factors [2][3] - Domestic flight load factors have improved significantly, with Q1 2025 load factors surpassing those of 2019, suggesting a recovery trend in passenger demand [3] Group 2: Domestic Route Outlook - The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is promoting a rebalancing of supply and demand in the domestic airline market, with measures to control capacity and enhance market regulation [3] - The overall capacity for domestic routes has decreased in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year, which has positively impacted load factors for major airlines [3][7] - If the industry can maintain high load factors while reducing supply, it is expected to significantly benefit the profitability of the airline sector [3] Group 3: International Route Outlook - The recovery of international routes is lagging, with some long-haul routes still not returning to normal demand levels, leading to structural oversupply in the short term [4] - The capacity fluctuations in international routes have become more pronounced, with airlines increasing capacity during peak travel seasons and retracting it quickly afterward [4] Group 4: Investment Recommendations - The current price-to-cash-flow (PCF) valuation of airline stocks is at a relatively low level, suggesting potential for upward price elasticity during the peak travel season [8] - The management of supply and pricing in domestic routes is expected to yield positive results, with higher load factors likely translating into increased ticket prices during peak demand periods [8] - The overall market sentiment is currently low, indicating that airline stocks may be undervalued and could see significant gains as demand increases [8]