SKSHU(SH:603737) Changjiang Securities·2025-08-20 09:56Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" and maintained [8] Core Insights - The report highlights a divergence in operations between the two leading companies, Nippon Paint China and Three Trees, as the market landscape is being reshaped [6][10] - Nippon Paint China's sales revenue for Q2 2025 was 117.7 billion JPY, equivalent to 5.8 billion RMB, representing a year-on-year decline of 14%. However, operating profit was 18.5 billion JPY, approximately 910 million RMB, showing a year-on-year increase of 3% [2][6] - The report indicates that Nippon Paint's architectural coatings revenue faced significant pressure, while automotive coatings experienced growth [10] Summary by Sections Sales Performance - Nippon Paint's Q2 sales revenue was approximately 5.8 billion RMB, down 14% year-on-year, with architectural coatings revenue around 4.8 billion RMB, down 18%. In contrast, automotive coatings revenue grew by 19% year-on-year [10][6] - Over the past five quarters, Nippon Paint's architectural decorative coatings revenue growth rates were 6%, 2%, 5%, 3%, and -18%, while Three Trees' wall coatings revenue growth rates were 2%, -6%, -8%, 7%, and 4% [10] Profitability - Nippon Paint's Q2 operating profit margin was 14.0%, up 2.4 percentage points year-on-year, primarily due to price increases and a decrease in raw material costs. However, the margin decreased by 0.8 percentage points quarter-on-quarter [10] - Three Trees showed a more significant improvement in profitability, with a Q2 operating profit margin of approximately 11.5%, up 7.6 percentage points year-on-year and 5.8 percentage points quarter-on-quarter [10] Growth Targets - Nippon Paint has revised its growth targets for 2025, lowering the actual revenue growth target from 5-10% to 0-5%. The retail segment target was adjusted from 10% to 0-5%, while the engineering segment target was revised from 5% to a decline of 10-15% [10] - Conversely, the revenue target for automotive coatings was raised from 10% to 20% growth [10] Strategic Recommendations - The report continues to recommend Three Trees as a leading player, noting its revenue and profitability growth against the trend, attributed to its strategic adaptability and new business models [10]