京沪高铁（601816）：2Q盈利略低于预期，需求仍偏弱

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is maintained as "Buy" [1][14]. Core Views - The company reported a slight decline in profitability in Q2 2025, with a year-on-year revenue increase of 0.72% to RMB 21.01 billion and a net profit decrease of 0.64% to RMB 6.32 billion [1]. - The demand for business travel remains weak, impacting the company's performance [1]. - The company has proposed a mid-term dividend plan, distributing RMB 0.0385 per share, which accounts for approximately 29.8% of the net profit for the first half of 2025 [1]. - The company has also initiated a stock buyback program, with the total amount for buybacks and dividends representing about 45% of the net profit for the first half of 2025 [1]. Industry Overview - The railway travel radius continues to shorten, influenced by promotional activities in the aviation sector, leading to a decrease in long-distance railway passenger numbers [2]. - In the first half of 2025, the growth rate of railway passenger turnover was 2.8%, which is lower than the 4.3% growth rate for domestic airline passenger turnover [2]. Company Performance - For the first half of 2025, the Beijing-Shanghai line generated revenue of RMB 18 billion, a year-on-year increase of 0.6%, while net profit decreased by 2.2% to RMB 6.31 billion [3]. - The company experienced a 1.2% increase in passenger volume on the Beijing-Shanghai line, but the overall performance was subdued due to weak business travel demand and rising management fees [3]. - The company reported a turnaround for the Beijing-Fujian-Anhui line, achieving a net profit of RMB 8.08 million in the first half of 2025, compared to a loss of RMB 148 million in the same period of 2024 [3]. Outlook for Second Half of 2025 - The railway summer transportation flow is expected to grow steadily, with a projected 5.8% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers during July and August [4]. - However, the sustainability of this growth remains uncertain, particularly with the upcoming combined holiday period in October, which may lead to a marginal decline in railway passenger demand in September [4]. Profit Forecast and Valuation - The profit forecasts for 2025-2027 have been adjusted downwards by 0.3%, 1.6%, and 2.2% to RMB 13.09 billion, RMB 13.70 billion, and RMB 14.67 billion respectively, due to weak passenger demand and the impact of airline promotions [5]. - The target price has been revised down to RMB 6.32 from RMB 6.45, based on a WACC of 7.66% and a growth rate of 2.5% [5][14].