NAYUKI-Franchising and costs cutting are the keys

Investment Rating - The report maintains a BUY rating on Nayuki (2150 HK) but cuts the target price to HK $3.43 [2][4] Core View - The report highlights that franchising and cost-cutting are key to Nayuki's strategy, despite a cautious outlook on the catering sector due to weakening macro demand and increased competition [2] - Nayuki's high cash level (over 75% of its market cap) and potential income from franchising are key reasons for the BUY rating [2] - The report expects a mixed FY24E outlook with pressure on topline growth but some room for margin improvement [2] Store Expansion and Performance - Nayuki's SSSG for Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 were -29%/-34%/-30%, worse than the 7% drop in 2H23, driven by a drop in both ASP and volume [2] - The store expansion plan for FY24E is conservative, with ~200 new self-operated stores and ~150 closures, resulting in a net increase of only a handful of stores [2] - For franchising, around 80 stores were opened in FY23, and the target for FY24E is 200-400 franchised stores, with a long-term goal of 2,000-3,000 new stores [2] Financial Projections - Revenue growth for FY24E is forecasted at 14%, driven by a 3% increase in store counts (excluding franchise), a 6% increase in sales per store, and ramp-up of RTD and franchising business [2] - Net profit margin for FY24E is expected to improve to around 1.1%, supported by stable GP margin, cost control, and cautious investment in the RTD business [2] - The report cuts FY24E/25E net profit by 87%/72% due to slower self-operated store expansion and falling sales per store [2] Valuation and Market Performance - Nayuki is currently trading at 0.7x FY24E P/S and 20x FY25E P/E, with a target price of HK$ 3.43, representing a 31.3% upside from the current price of HK $2.61 [2][4] - The valuation method has been changed from 20x FY24E P/E to 1.0x FY24E P/S, applying a ~20% discount to peers' average of 1.2x [2] Historical Performance - FY23 revenue increased by 20% YoY to RMB 5.2bn, with net profit turning positive to RMB 13mn, but NP margin remained low at 0.3% [6] - In 2H23, sales growth slowed to 14%, and NP margin turned negative to -2.1%, driven by a sharp drop in ASP and volume [6] Earnings Revision - The report significantly revises down FY24E revenue and net profit estimates, with revenue now forecasted at RMB 5,877mn (-28.2% from previous estimates) and net profit at RMB 63.7mn (-86.9% from previous estimates) [7] Peer Comparison - Nayuki's valuation is compared to peers in the Greater China catering sector, with a 12-month target price of HK$ 3.43, representing a 31% upside [12]