citic securities·2026-02-10 13:50Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for MGM China [5]. Core Insights - The report aligns with the views of Citic Lyon Research, indicating that MGM International's recent management comments justify the higher licensing and brand fees charged to MGM China, although prior communications could have been handled better [5]. - The market is now focused on whether MGM China will increase its dividend payout ratio to offset the impact of rising costs on profitability, which Citic Lyon believes is a manageable threshold [5][8]. - The significant increase in licensing and brand fee revenue is attributed to MGM China's improved market share and Ebitdar, with total gaming revenue expected to grow 1.7 times to 16.2% and Ebitdar by 1.6 times to $1.203 billion by 2025 [6]. Summary by Sections Licensing Fee Debate - The report discusses the rationale behind MGM International's decision to charge higher fees to MGM China, supported by reverse engineering analysis [5][7]. Dividend Payout Focus - Investors are expected to closely monitor the potential increase in the dividend payout ratio from 50% to above 53% to mitigate the effects of higher fees [8]. Catalysts for Growth - Continuous growth in the mid-market gaming segment, expansion of dividend payout ratios, and supportive Chinese policies are seen as factors driving profit recovery [9]. Company Overview - MGM China operates two casinos in Macau, focusing on high-quality mid-market strategies, with approximately 750 gaming tables, 1,920 slot machines, and 2,003 hotel rooms/suites [11]. Financial Metrics - As of February 9, 2026, MGM China's stock price is HKD 13.14, with a market capitalization of $6.39 billion and a consensus target price of HKD 18.17 [14].