Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is positive [1] Core Viewpoints - The report indicates that a turning point has been reached in the CXO sector, suggesting a positive outlook for investment [6][66] - The report highlights that the performance of domestic CXO companies has shown significant improvement, with major players like WuXi AppTec and Kintor Pharmaceutical demonstrating strong order growth [6][66] - The report emphasizes the recovery of revenue growth, with a year-over-year increase of 8.2% in Q1 2025 for CXO companies, indicating a positive trend in the sector [6][26] Financial Analysis - Domestic performance: The medical R&D outsourcing index increased by 0.82% from December 31, 2024, to April 30, 2025, outperforming the pharmaceutical and biotech index by 0.64 percentage points [5][13] - International performance: The report notes a divergence in performance among international CXO companies, with Lonza showing optimistic growth projections for its CDMO business, expecting nearly 20% growth in 2025 [5][18] - Profitability: The average gross margin for Q1 2025 was 30.9%, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.1 percentage points, with some companies like Medpace and Boteng showing significant improvements [6][31] - Operational efficiency: Inventory turnover rates have stabilized, with an average of 3.36 in 2024, indicating a positive trend in operational efficiency [6][36] Investment Strategy - The report suggests that the CXO sector is at a turning point, with strong growth potential in small and large molecule CDMO orders, as well as in clinical CRO opportunities driven by domestic innovation policies [6][66] - Recommended companies include WuXi AppTec and Kintor Pharmaceutical for clinical CRO, and WuXi Biologics and Kelun Pharmaceutical for CDMO [6][66] - The report highlights an increase in institutional holdings in CXO companies, indicating growing confidence in the sector [6][60]