Summary of the Earnings Call for Yao Ming Kang De Company Overview - The earnings call is for Yao Ming Kang De, a company in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, specifically focusing on Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organizations (CRDMO) services. Key Financial Highlights - The company reported a record high in backlogged orders of 52.33 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 47.1% [4] - Total revenue for Q1 2025 showed significant growth, with contributions from various global regions: - Revenue from the US increased by 28.4% - Revenue from Europe increased by 26.2% - Revenue from Japan and other regions increased by 3.0% - Revenue from China experienced a slight decline [4] - The adjusted non-IFRS net profit for Q1 reached 2.68 billion yuan, with a net profit margin of 27.7%, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 89.1% [9] - The company maintained its full-year revenue guidance, expecting a growth rate of 10% to 15% for continuing operations, with total revenue projected between 41.5 billion and 43 billion yuan [11] Business Segment Performance - **Small Molecule CDMO**: - Revenue reached 3.85 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.8% [5] - The number of service molecules increased by 25% [6] - **Testing Services**: - Revenue decreased by 4% to 1.29 billion yuan, primarily due to market price impacts [7] - The drug safety evaluation business saw a revenue decline of 7.8% [7] - **Biology Services**: - Revenue increased by 8.2% to 610 million yuan, despite a slight decline in adjusted gross margin [8] Strategic Insights - The management emphasized the importance of maintaining operational efficiency and adapting to global macroeconomic uncertainties [10] - The company is focusing on enhancing its CRDMO business model, aiming for high-quality service and operational precision [11] - Capital expenditures are expected to rise significantly, projected at 7.3 billion yuan for Q1, with an annual target of 7 to 8 billion yuan [10] Market Trends and Challenges - The management acknowledged the challenges posed by fluctuating global trade policies and tariffs, which have impacted raw material costs and client orders [19] - Despite these challenges, the demand for early-stage research and development remains strong, particularly in new modalities and innovative drug development [20] Shareholder Returns - The company announced plans for special dividends and share buybacks, with a total exceeding 6 billion yuan, representing over 60% of the projected net profit for 2024 [12] Conclusion - The management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate market challenges and continue delivering strong financial performance, supported by a robust order backlog and strategic focus on core business areas [11][12]

Financial Performance - Q1 2025 revenue increased by 210% year-over-year, reaching RMB 965 billion[13] - Adjusted non-IFRS net profit increased by 400% year-over-year, reaching RMB 268 billion[13] - Backlog for continuing operations increased by 471% year-over-year, reaching RMB 5233 billion[13] - Q1 2025 operating cash flow increased by 418% year-over-year, reaching RMB 303 billion[42] Segment Performance - WuXi Chemistry Q1 revenue increased by 329% year-over-year, reaching RMB 739 billion[19, 22] - TIDES revenue within WuXi Chemistry increased by 1876% year-over-year, reaching RMB 224 billion[19, 22] - WuXi Testing lab testing services revenue decreased by 49% year-over-year, reaching RMB 088 billion[26, 29] - WuXi Biology Q1 revenue increased by 82% year-over-year, reaching RMB 061 billion[30, 32] Regional Revenue - US revenue contribution is 66%, with RMB 638 billion, a 284% increase[16] - Europe revenue contribution is 13%, with RMB 130 billion, a 262% increase[16] - China revenue contribution is 16%, with RMB 153 billion, a 13% decrease[16] - Japan, Korea & Others revenue contribution is 5%, with RMB 045 billion, a 30% increase[16]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from continuing operations grew 23.1% year over year to RMB9.39 billion, while total revenue achieved RMB9.65 billion, representing a 21% year over year growth [9] - Adjusted non-IFRS net profit grew 40% year over year to RMB2.68 billion, with a record backlog for continuing operations of RMB52.33 billion, growing 47.1% year over year [9][10] - Adjusted IFRS gross profit margin reached 41.9%, with net profit attributable to the owners of the company increasing by 89.1% year over year [26][27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wuxi Chemistry's CRDMO business revenue grew 32.9% year over year to RMB7.39 billion, with adjusted non-IFRS gross profit margin improving 4.2 percentage points year over year to 47.5% [11][12] - Small molecule DNM business revenue grew 13.8% year over year to RMB3.85 billion, with both Changzhou and Taishin API manufacturing sites passing FDA inspections [13] - Tides business achieved RMB2.24 billion revenue in the first quarter, representing a strong growth of 187.6% year over year [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the U.S. market grew 28.4% year over year, while revenue from Europe grew 26.2% year over year; however, China showed a slight decline [10] - Revenue generated from clinical CRO and SMO business was down 2.2% year over year to RMB0.61 billion, attributed to market price impact [21][22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company will continue to focus on the CRDMO business model with an emphasis on operational efficiency and exceptional services [29] - Full year guidance is maintained, expecting revenue from continuing operations to resume double-digit growth of 10% to 15% year over year, targeting total revenue of RMB41.5 billion to RMB43 billion [30] - The company plans to accelerate global D and M capacity expansion, with CapEx expected to reach RMB7 billion to RMB8 billion [30] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in maintaining full year guidance despite external uncertainties, emphasizing the importance of operational resilience [30][31] - The company is committed to rewarding shareholders with a proposed 30% annual cash dividend payout ratio and additional one-time special cash dividend [31][32] Other Important Information - The company has successfully supported about 40% of successful out-licensing deals from Chinese biotech since 2022 [20] - The total amount of cash dividends and share repurchases is expected to exceed RMB6 billion, accounting for more than 60% of the company's net profit attributable to owners in 2024 [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key drivers behind the robust growth in Tides? - The growth is attributed to both strong demand and capacity ramping up from a low base last year [37] Question: How does the company view the impact of tariffs on business segments? - Tariffs are seen as a systemic challenge, with less than 10% of total revenue coming from exports to the U.S. [45][46] Question: What is the projected CapEx for 2025 and its allocation? - Projected CapEx is RMB7 billion to RMB8 billion, primarily for expanding D and M manufacturing capacity in various locations [50][54] Question: How does the company plan to address pricing pressures in testing and biology segments? - The company aims to focus on contracts with higher margins and differentiate its services to improve margins gradually [68] Question: What is the expected contribution from late-stage D and M projects in the next few years? - Specific numbers are difficult to provide, but the CRDMO business model is expected to sustain growth through a strong pipeline [71]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, revenue from continuing operations grew 23.1% year over year to RMB 9.39 billion, while total revenue reached RMB 9.65 billion, representing a 21% year over year growth [9] - Adjusted non-IFRS net profit increased 40% year over year to RMB 2.68 billion, with a record backlog for continuing operations of RMB 52.33 billion, growing 47.1% year over year [9][10] - Adjusted IFRS gross profit margin reached 41.9%, with net profit attributable to owners increasing by 89.1% year over year [25][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wuxi Chemistry's CRDMO business revenue grew 32.9% year over year to RMB 7.39 billion, with adjusted non-IFRS gross profit margin improving by 4.2 percentage points to 47.5% [11][12] - Small molecule DNM business revenue grew 13.8% year over year to RMB 3.85 billion, with both Changzhou and Taishin API manufacturing sites passing FDA inspections [13] - Tides business achieved revenue of RMB 2.24 billion in Q1, representing a strong growth of 187.6% year over year [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the U.S. market grew 28.4% year over year, while revenue from Europe grew 26.2% year over year; however, China showed a slight decline [10] - Revenue from Wuxi Testing decreased by 4% year over year to RMB 1.29 billion, with lab testing revenue down 4.9% due to market pricing impacts [18][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company will continue to focus on the CRDMO business model with an emphasis on operational efficiency and exceptional services [29] - Full year guidance remains at 10% to 15% revenue growth, targeting total revenue of RMB 41.5 billion to RMB 43 billion [30] - The company plans to accelerate global D and M capacity expansion, with CapEx expected to reach RMB 7 billion to RMB 8 billion [30] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in maintaining full year guidance despite external uncertainties, emphasizing the resilience of the management team [29][30] - The company is closely monitoring changes in the global macro environment and will communicate any changes in guidance promptly [30][31] Other Important Information - The Board of Directors proposed maintaining a 30% annual cash dividend payout ratio, totaling approximately RMB 2.8 billion, along with a one-time special cash dividend of RMB 1 billion [31] - The company announced plans to repurchase and cancel RMB 1 billion worth of A shares in 2025 [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key drivers behind the robust growth in Tides? - Management indicated that the strong growth in Tides was due to both capacity ramp-up and a relatively low base from the previous year [37] Question: How does the company view the impact of tariffs on business segments? - Management acknowledged that tariffs are a systemic challenge affecting global operations, but emphasized efforts to optimize and diversify the supply chain to mitigate impacts [44][46] Question: What is the projected CapEx for 2025 and its allocation? - The projected CapEx is RMB 7 billion to RMB 8 billion, primarily focused on expanding D and M manufacturing capacity in various geographies [50][54] Question: How does the company plan to improve profit margins? - Management stated that continuous focus on operational efficiency and process development excellence will help improve margins, despite potential pressures from new capacity ramp-up [78][81]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Outperform the Market" [5][3][29] Core Views - The company's revenue has shown a quarter-on-quarter increase, with rapid growth in new molecular business. The overall revenue for 2024 is 39.241 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.7%, but a 5.2% increase when excluding COVID-19 commercialization projects. The net profit attributable to the parent company is 9.450 billion yuan, down 1.6%, while the adjusted Non-IFRS net profit is 10.58 billion yuan, down 2.5% [6][3][5] - The CRDMO business model is driving growth, with revenue from chemical, testing, and biological services at 29.052 billion yuan (-0.4%, with an 11.2% increase excluding COVID-19 projects), 5.671 billion yuan (-13.3%), and 2.544 billion yuan (-0.3%) respectively [16][5] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In Q4 2024, the company achieved a single-quarter revenue of 11.539 billion yuan (+6.9%) and a net profit of 2.917 billion yuan (+90.6%). The adjusted Non-IFRS net profit for the same quarter was 3.240 billion yuan (+20.4%) [6][3][5] - The gross profit margin for 2024 is 41.48% (+0.3pp), and the net profit margin is 24.38% (+0.3pp) [11][5] Business Segments - The small molecule CRO/CDMO business has shown strong growth, with over 460,000 new compounds synthesized and delivered in 2024 (+10%). The small molecule D&M business generated revenue of 17.87 billion yuan, with a 6.4% increase when excluding specific commercialization projects [23][5] - The TIDES business has also experienced rapid growth, achieving revenue of 5.80 billion yuan (+70.1%) and a 103.9% increase in orders on hand by the end of 2024 [23][5] Future Outlook - The company maintains a solid industry position, with steady quarterly performance improvements expected. The profit forecasts for 2025-2027 are adjusted upwards, with net profits projected at 11.162 billion yuan, 12.732 billion yuan, and 14.506 billion yuan respectively, reflecting year-on-year growth rates of 18.11%, 14.07%, and 13.93% [3][5][4]

Core Viewpoint - WuXi Biologics (02269) reported strong financial performance for 2024, achieving revenue of RMB 18.68 billion, with non-COVID revenue growing by 13.1% year-on-year, indicating robust growth potential and a need for valuation recovery [1][3][10] Financial Performance - The company achieved a gross profit of RMB 7.65 billion, a 12.1% increase year-on-year, and an EBITDA of RMB 6.55 billion, up 16.7% year-on-year [1] - The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for non-COVID revenue from 2014 to 2024 is approximately 50% [1] - The stock price increased by 47.49% year-to-date as of March 25, 2024, but remains undervalued compared to estimates from major investment banks [1][10] Market Outlook - Major investment banks, including Morgan Stanley and CICC, have upgraded their forecasts for WuXi Biologics' revenue and net profit for 2025 and 2026, with target prices set at HKD 45 and HKD 50 respectively [1] - The global CXO industry is facing challenges, with many leading companies lowering their performance guidance for 2024, yet WuXi Biologics has successfully met its performance targets [2][3] Project Growth - WuXi Biologics achieved a record total of 817 integrated projects in 2024, with 151 new projects signed, exceeding the previous expectation of 110 [4][5] - The company has a strong pipeline with 402 preclinical projects, 328 early-stage clinical projects, and 87 late-stage clinical and commercial production projects, showing significant year-on-year growth [5] Strategic Advantages - The company’s dual-factory strategy and advanced technology platforms, such as WuXiBodyTM and WuXiUITM, are expected to enhance production efficiency and reduce costs significantly [6][8] - WuXi Biologics has maintained a 100% success rate in BLA submissions, reflecting its reliable quality management system [7][8] Valuation Potential - Despite strong fundamentals, WuXi Biologics' current PE ratio of 39.56 is significantly below its five-year average of 98.85, indicating substantial upside potential [10][12] - The company’s stock buyback program, with USD 4 billion completed out of a planned USD 6 billion, has increased its net asset value per share to HKD 10.75, enhancing investment attractiveness [9]