Changjiang Securities·2025-06-29 11:15Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" and is maintained [9] Core Views - The company reported a revenue of HKD 79.258 billion for the fiscal year 2024/25, a decrease of 2.6% year-on-year, while the net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 3.252 billion, an increase of 2.1% year-on-year. The free cash flow for the year reached HKD 4.66 billion, up 8.7% year-on-year. The annual dividend per share remained unchanged at HKD 0.50, resulting in a current dividend yield of approximately 6.8% [2][6] Summary by Sections Revenue and Profitability - The company's revenue for the fiscal year 2024/25 was HKD 79.258 billion, down 2.6% year-on-year, while the net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 3.252 billion, up 2.1% year-on-year. The free cash flow increased to HKD 4.66 billion, reflecting an 8.7% year-on-year growth [2][6] Dividend Policy - The company maintained its annual dividend at HKD 0.50 per share, consistent with the previous year, resulting in a payout ratio of 83.3% and a current dividend yield of approximately 6.8% [2][6] Business Segments Performance - Natural gas sales revenue was HKD 49.05 billion, down 6.5% year-on-year. Gas connection revenue was HKD 3.63 billion, down 9.6%. Engineering design and construction revenue increased by 14.7% to HKD 1.76 billion. Liquefied petroleum gas sales revenue rose by 8.9% to HKD 19.58 billion, while value-added services revenue increased by 2.1% to HKD 3.73 billion [9] Sales Volume and Pricing - The sales volume of town gas showed a slight increase of 0.02% year-on-year, with residential gas usage down 2.1% and industrial gas usage up 1.0%. The average residential gas price increased from HKD 2.71 per cubic meter in 2022 to HKD 3.00 per cubic meter in 2024, with a potential for further increases in the 2025/26 fiscal year [9] Margin Recovery - The company's gross margin improved from HKD 0.50 per cubic meter in the 2023/24 fiscal year to HKD 0.537 per cubic meter in the 2024/25 fiscal year, with expectations for further improvement to HKD 0.55 per cubic meter in the 2025/26 fiscal year [9] Connection Projects - The company added approximately 1.4 million new residential connections in the 2024/25 fiscal year, with guidance for 1.0 to 1.2 million new connections in the 2025/26 fiscal year [9] Value-Added Services - The value-added services segment achieved a pre-tax profit of HKD 1.75 billion, accounting for 26.2% of total profits, with a year-on-year growth of 10.6% [9] Financing Costs - The company optimized its debt structure, reducing the proportion of foreign currency loans to 0.5%, with the average financing cost decreasing from 4.83% to 3.84% year-on-year [9] Cash Flow - The free cash flow for the fiscal year reached HKD 4.66 billion, with expectations for further improvement due to a slowdown in capital expenditures related to connection projects [9]