半导体行业：把握不确定性中的确定性，继续看好自主可控与人工智能浪潮

Core Insights - The semiconductor industry is expected to benefit from the ongoing AI-driven demand recovery and the deepening of domestic substitution, entering a recovery cycle since the second half of 2023, with positive revenue and net profit growth projected for 2024 and Q1 2025 [5][20][21] - The report maintains an overweight recommendation, emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency and the AI wave as key investment themes for 2025 [1][5] Section Summaries 1. Semiconductor Sector Performance in 2024 & Q1 2025 - The semiconductor sector is projected to achieve a total revenue of CNY 602.23 billion in 2024, representing a year-on-year growth of 21.10%, and a net profit of CNY 35.34 billion, up 12.82% [13] - For Q1 2025, the sector is expected to generate revenue of CNY 148.35 billion, a 15.95% increase year-on-year, with a net profit of CNY 9.28 billion, reflecting a significant growth of 35.13% [13][20] - Profitability metrics indicate a slight decline in gross and net profit margins for 2024, with a recovery anticipated in Q1 2025, where gross margin is expected to rise to 26.29% and net margin to 6.24% [16][20] 2. Subsector Performance - The semiconductor equipment sector is projected to achieve revenue of CNY 17.88 billion in Q1 2025, a year-on-year increase of 33.38%, with a net profit of CNY 2.57 billion, up 24.12% [22] - The semiconductor materials sector is expected to see revenue of CNY 10.41 billion in Q1 2025, reflecting a 10.93% increase, and a net profit of CNY 0.67 billion, up 40.35% [26] - The digital chip design sector is projected to generate revenue of CNY 37.97 billion in Q1 2025, a 20.27% increase, with a net profit of CNY 3.26 billion, up 20.59% [29] 3. External Factors Driving Domestic Substitution - Increasing restrictions from overseas, particularly from the U.S., are accelerating the domestic substitution process in the semiconductor industry [47][48] - The report highlights that U.S. sanctions have intensified, impacting various segments of the semiconductor supply chain, including advanced AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment [47][48]