Haitong Securities International·2025-09-02 01:35Investment Rating - The investment rating for Li Auto has been downgraded to NEUTRAL [2][14]. Core Insights - Li Auto's August sales were under pressure, with 28.5k units sold, down 7.2% month-over-month and 40.7% year-over-year. Cumulative sales from January to August reached 263.2k units, a decline of 8.6% year-over-year. The management emphasized that 2025 is the inaugural year for its pure-electric SUV portfolio, targeting a position within the top five in the premium EV segment [3][11]. - The company launched its first pure-electric SUV, the Li Auto i8, on July 29, and the five-seat i6 is expected to launch and begin deliveries by the end of September. Management aims for stabilized monthly sales of approximately 6k units for the i8 and 9-10k units for the i6, with a combined target of 18-20k units per month for the pure EV portfolio [3][12]. - Near-term sales pressure is attributed to model transitions and the ramp-up of pure electric vehicles, but improvements in deliveries are anticipated in late Q3 and Q4 as new models are released and sales policies are optimized [3][12]. Financial Performance Summary - Revenue forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 have been revised to Rmb130 billion, Rmb168.6 billion, and Rmb203.9 billion, respectively, reflecting cuts of 23%, 25%, and 24%. Net profit attributable to shareholders is projected at Rmb6.4 billion, Rmb9.5 billion, and Rmb12.3 billion for the same years [4][14]. - The gross profit margin is expected to remain stable around 20%, with a projected return on equity (ROE) of 8.3% in 2025, increasing to 12.4% by 2027 [2][9]. Market Strategy and Product Development - Li Auto is focusing on reducing SKU complexity and returning to a single-product strategy reminiscent of the Li ONE and L9 era. The i8 has been streamlined to simplify consumer decision-making and supply chain management [4][13]. - The company is adopting a dual-track approach in autonomous driving chip development, relying on NVIDIA and Horizon solutions in the short term while investing significantly in its in-house M100 chip program for long-term competitiveness [5][13]. Valuation Metrics - The target price for Li Auto is set at HK$99.50, based on a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.5x for 2025, which corresponds to a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30.5x for the same year. This represents a 27% downgrade from the previous target price of HK$136.84 [2][14].