Guolian Minsheng Securities·2026-01-18 13:43Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommendation" rating for the education industry, indicating a positive outlook for investment opportunities [3]. Core Insights - The education industry is experiencing a "three-dimensional resonance" with policy improvements, supply clearing, and demand release, shifting the investment logic from policy-driven to performance-driven. The industry is expected to benefit from a "Davis Double Play" in terms of performance and valuation under policy support [7][26]. - The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education is highlighted as a key investment theme, with leading education companies likely to benefit from the "AI + Education" trend [7][26]. Summary by Sections 1. Industry Policy Dynamics - On January 12, the Ministry of Education announced the approval of 14 new higher education institutions, including 7 public and 1 private vocational colleges [10][12]. - Guangdong plans to increase 200,000 ordinary high school seats by 2026 as part of its educational enhancement initiatives [10][12]. - Jiangsu's "AI + Education" action plan aims for over 70% penetration of new intelligent terminals by 2027 and a trillion-yuan industry scale by 2030 [10][12]. - The "China-UK Study Tour Pilot Program" was launched, facilitating deeper educational cooperation between the two countries [10][12]. 2. Company Dynamics - Zhonggong Education launched the "Zhonggong AI Interview" training product, enhancing its offerings in AI-driven education [13]. - Huatu Education held an "AI Transformation Upgrade Conference," marking its transition to an AI-driven growth model [13]. 3. Industry Performance - The education sector outperformed the CSI 300 index, with the CITIC Education Index increasing by 1.69% compared to a decline of 0.57% in the CSI 300 [7][15]. - The best-performing stocks in the education sector included Action Education (+9.65%), *ST Guohua (+7.99%), and Huatu Shanding (+4.73%) [19][20]. 4. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on three main investment lines: 1. "AI + Education" with companies like Kevin Education and Kede Education as potential leaders 2. Performance and valuation resonance with Action Education, Xueda Education, and Angli Education showing significant valuation advantages 3. Companies like Botong Co. and Huatu Shanding are actively seeking new growth avenues [26].