Hesai(US:HSAI) Goldman Sachs·2025-05-28 05:45Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Hesai Group, with a 12-month price target of US$23.3, implying an upside of 8.6% from the current price of US$21.45 [34]. Core Insights - The report highlights that LiDAR adoption in the Chinese automotive market has exceeded expectations, leading to an increase in the forecasted automotive LiDAR volume for 2025 and 2026 by 23% and 37%, respectively, reaching 3.5 million and 6.0 million units [2][8]. - Hesai's gross margin improved to 41.7%, up 3.0 percentage points year-over-year, primarily due to higher engineering services revenue [1][33]. - The company is expected to achieve a GAAP net profit of Rmb200 million to Rmb350 million for the full year of 2025, driven by stable gross margins and operational leverage from new product cycles [32][33]. Financial Performance - In 1Q25, Hesai reported revenue of Rmb525 million, a 46% increase year-over-year, with a non-GAAP net profit of Rmb9 billion, contrasting with previous estimates of a net loss [1][7]. - The company ended 1Q25 with Rmb2.3 billion in net cash, indicating a slight decrease from previous quarters, while total debt to equity ratio improved to 14% [4][6]. - Revenue guidance for 2Q25 is set at Rmb680 million to Rmb720 million, reflecting a 53% year-over-year increase [32]. Market Dynamics - The report notes that premium automotive models are increasingly equipping LiDAR as a standard feature, which is expected to drive further adoption in mass-market vehicles [2][8]. - Hesai has secured design wins with 23 OEMs globally, indicating strong demand for its ADAS solutions [32]. - The company anticipates total shipments of 1.2 to 1.5 million units for 2025, representing a 169% year-over-year increase [32]. Product and Pricing Strategy - Hesai's ATX LiDARs, priced around US$200, are expected to contribute significantly to volume, with potential shipments reaching up to 1 million units [33]. - The company is also expanding its robotics segment, with total sales volume of 50,000 units for robotics LiDARs in 1Q25, and expects to ship 300,000 units over the next 12 months [32].