1Q24 net profit +40% YoY in line; solid growth outlook

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "BUY" rating for Weichai Power with a target price of HK$22.00, indicating a potential upside of 33.3$16.50 [4]. Core Insights - Weichai Power's net profit for 1Q24 increased by 40% year-on-year to RMB2.6 billion, driven by margin expansion in both its core business and KION Group [2]. - The revenue growth of 6% year-on-year to RMB56.4 billion in 1Q24 was below expectations, but the earnings growth was in line with forecasts [2]. - The company is positioned as a sector top pick due to its significant market share in natural gas engines and the expected structural growth from high-speed large-bore engines [2]. Financial Performance Summary - 1Q24 revenue was RMB56.4 billion, with a gross margin expansion of 3.4 percentage points year-on-year to 22.1% [2][6]. - Pre-tax profit surged by 58% year-on-year to RMB4.2 billion, with the core business and KION reporting growth rates of 45% and 93% respectively [2]. - Operating cash flow improved significantly to RMB1.6 billion in 1Q24, compared to an outflow of RMB471 million in 1Q23 [2]. KION Group Performance - KION, in which Weichai holds a 46.5% stake, reported an adjusted EBIT of EUR227 million in 1Q24, a 46% increase year-on-year, attributed to easing cost pressures [2][7]. - KION has set a full-year adjusted EBIT target of EUR790-940 million, reflecting a potential growth of 0-19% year-on-year [2][7]. Market Position and Sales - Weichai's multi-cylinder engine sales grew by 13% year-on-year to 206,000 units in 1Q24, outperforming the industry average, which saw a decline of approximately 1% [2][8]. - The company holds a market share of around 18% in the multi-cylinder engine segment, an increase of 2.3 percentage points year-on-year [2][8]. Earnings Forecast - Revenue projections for Weichai Power are as follows: FY24E at RMB236.3 billion, FY25E at RMB250.1 billion, and FY26E at RMB260.0 billion, with respective year-on-year growth rates of 10.4%, 5.8%, and 4.0% [3][13]. - Adjusted net profit estimates are RMB12.1 billion for FY24E, RMB13.1 billion for FY25E, and RMB13.8 billion for FY26E, reflecting growth rates of 34.4%, 7.7%, and 5.5% respectively [3][13].