洪城环境（600461）：成本控制取得成效，盈利能力同比提升

Investment Rating - The investment rating for Hongcheng Environment (600461.SH) is "Buy" [1] Core Views - The report highlights significant cost control measures leading to improved profitability year-on-year. Despite a 3.85% decline in revenue for the first three quarters of 2025, the company managed to reduce operating costs by 5.28%, with management and financial expenses decreasing by 13.5% and 15.5% respectively. Consequently, the gross profit margin reached 34.9%, up approximately 1 percentage point year-on-year, while the net profit margin improved to 18.5%, an increase of about 0.2 percentage points [4] - Accounts receivable increased on a quarter-on-quarter basis, putting slight pressure on cash flow. As of Q3 2025, accounts receivable stood at 3.122 billion, a year-on-year increase of 29.87% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 4.4%. The net cash flow from operating activities decreased by 28.70% to 981 million, with cash received from sales declining by 7.34% [4] - The integration of direct drinking water services and factory-network operations is expected to inject new growth momentum into the company. In 2024, the company aims to promote direct drinking water services and expand its user base, with a total investment of 4 billion planned for new projects [4] - The company is projected to maintain stable profitability and high dividend attributes, with a commitment to distribute no less than 50% of net profit as dividends from 2024 to 2026. Revenue forecasts for 2025-2027 are 8.552 billion, 8.858 billion, and 9.274 billion respectively, with net profits of 1.253 billion, 1.335 billion, and 1.369 billion [4] Financial Summary - For the first three quarters of 2025, the company achieved revenue of 5.426 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 3.85%, and a net profit of 933 million, an increase of 1.18%. The net profit after deducting non-recurring items was 929 million, up 2.60% year-on-year [2][3] - The third quarter of 2025 saw revenue of 1.738 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.41%, and a net profit of 324 million, up 2.13% year-on-year [3] - Key financial indicators for 2025E include total revenue of 8.552 billion, net profit of 1.253 billion, and a gross margin of 31.8% [5]