Huachuang Securities·2025-08-20 08:06Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Strong Buy" rating for China Resources Beer (00291.HK) [2][8] Core Views - The company reported strong performance in its high-end segment, with earnings exceeding expectations and significant growth in profitability [2][8] - For the first half of 2025, the company achieved revenue of 23.94 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 5.79 billion yuan, up 23.0% [2][4] - The interim dividend was set at 0.464 yuan per share, reflecting a 24.4% increase, with a payout ratio of 26% [2] Financial Performance Summary - Revenue and profit growth: The company’s revenue for 2025H1 was 23.94 billion yuan, with EBIT at 7.69 billion yuan, marking a 20.8% increase, and net profit at 5.79 billion yuan, up 23.0% [2][4] - Beer sales volume reached 6.487 million kiloliters, a 2.2% increase, with an average price of 3,570.4 yuan per kiloliter, up 0.44% [8][10] - The beer business's EBIT margin improved, with a gross margin of 48.3%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points year-on-year [8][10] Business Segment Analysis - High-end product performance: Sales of premium and above products grew over 10%, while mid-to-low-end products saw slight increases due to a high base [8][10] - Cost management: The beer business achieved a cost reduction of 4.2% year-on-year, contributing to improved profitability [8][10] - White wine segment under pressure: Revenue from the white wine business fell by 34.0% to 0.781 billion yuan, primarily due to policy disruptions affecting consumption [8][10] Future Outlook - The company is focused on high-end product development and operational efficiency improvements through digitalization and cost management strategies [8][10] - Profit forecasts for 2025-2027 have been adjusted to 5.87 billion yuan, 6.40 billion yuan, and 6.79 billion yuan respectively, reflecting a positive outlook for profitability [8][10] - The target price is set at 40.00 HKD, with a corresponding PE ratio of approximately 20X for 2025E [4][8]