Core Viewpoint - The company reported a decline in revenue and net profit for the first half of 2025, but showed improvements in profit margins and maintained a strong dividend policy to reward shareholders [1][2][3]. Financial Performance - For 1H2025, the company achieved revenue of 344 million yuan, a year-over-year decrease of 11.68%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 131 million yuan, down 3.51% year-over-year [1]. - In 2Q2025, revenue was 213 million yuan, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 14.22%, while net profit was 103 million yuan, down 8.06% year-over-year [1]. - The gross profit margin for 2Q2025 improved to 79.77%, an increase of 1.16 percentage points year-over-year, attributed to a decrease in the proportion of low-margin consulting services [1]. Cost Management - The company maintained effective cost control, with sales expense ratio at 19.83%, management expense ratio at 8.4%, R&D expense ratio at 2.68%, and financial expense ratio at -3.28%, showing mixed year-over-year changes [1]. - The net profit margin attributable to shareholders for 2Q2025 was 48.36%, an increase of 3.38 percentage points year-over-year [1]. Contract Liabilities and Dividends - As of 1H2025, contract liabilities reached 1.059 billion yuan, a year-over-year increase of 5.83% [2]. - The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 10.00 yuan per 10 shares, totaling 119 million yuan (including tax), which represents 90.74% of the company's net profit for the first half of 2025 [2]. Strategic Initiatives - The company is leveraging AI to accelerate its "Hundred Schools Plan," having established a core team of 42 members and achieved cumulative performance of 5.279 million yuan from March to July 2025 [2]. - The goal of the "Hundred Schools Plan" is to open 100 branches in key cities across the country within the next 3-5 years, utilizing an "Effective Education + AI 4.0" model [2]. Investment Outlook - The company is positioned as a leader in the corporate management training industry, focusing on strategic development, product enhancement, and talent cultivation [3]. - The net profit forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 have been raised to 308 million yuan, 364 million yuan, and 447 million yuan, respectively, indicating year-over-year growth rates of 14.6%, 18.4%, and 22.8% [3]. - The current market capitalization corresponds to a price-to-earnings ratio of 14X for 2025, 12X for 2026, and 10X for 2027, with an upgraded rating to "Buy" [3].

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is upgraded to "Buy" [2] Core Views - The company is a leader in the corporate management training industry, actively refining its strategy and products while nurturing new talent to enhance overall operations [7] - The company has maintained a high dividend payout ratio, proposing a cash dividend of 10.00 yuan per 10 shares, totaling 1.19 billion yuan, which accounts for 90.74% of its net profit for the first half of 2025 [7] - The company aims to open 100 branches in key cities across the country within the next 3-5 years, leveraging AI to enhance its operational efficiency and educational effectiveness [7] Financial Performance - For the first half of 2025, the company reported a revenue of 344 million yuan, a year-over-year decrease of 11.68%, and a net profit of 131 million yuan, down 3.51% year-over-year [7] - The company’s gross margin improved to 79.77% in Q2 2025, an increase of 1.16 percentage points year-over-year, attributed to a decrease in the proportion of low-margin consulting services [7] - The company’s revenue is projected to grow from 672 million yuan in 2023 to 1.27 billion yuan in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5% [6][8] Profit Forecast - The forecasted net profit for 2025 is 308 million yuan, with expected growth rates of 14.6%, 18.4%, and 22.8% for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027 respectively [6][7] - The earnings per share (EPS) is projected to increase from 1.86 yuan in 2023 to 3.75 yuan in 2027 [6][8] Market Performance - The company’s stock closed at 37.20 yuan as of August 12, 2025, with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 14.4 for 2025 [2][6] - The company has shown a market performance of -6%, 3%, 12%, 21%, 30%, and 39% over the last 12 months compared to the CSI 300 index [4]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article highlights that Xinda Securities' research indicates that Action Education's "100 School Plan" expansion is progressing smoothly, with a potential turnaround in fundamentals [1] - The company plans to open 100 branches in key cities across the country over the next 3 to 5 years, leveraging AI to enhance the selection, training, and support processes for branch managers [1] - From March to July 2025, the company successfully replicated 9 branch managers and formed a core team of 42 members, achieving a cumulative performance of 5.28 million yuan, with the fastest individual achieving sales of 1.62 million yuan within 70 days [1] Group 2 - Despite facing pressure on revenue and cash collections in the first half of 2025 due to a high base in the first half of 2024 and trade frictions, the company expects a positive outlook for the second half of 2025 [1] - The "100 School Plan" is expected to enhance efficiency and effectiveness through AI empowerment [1] - The profit forecast for the parent company is maintained at 301 million yuan, 350 million yuan, and 399 million yuan for the years 2025 to 2027, with the current stock price corresponding to a PE valuation of 15x, 13x, and 11x respectively, maintaining a "buy" rating [1]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Outperform the Market" [6][27]. Core Views - The company experienced a revenue decline of 11.7% year-on-year in H1 2025, with a total revenue of 344 million yuan. The net profit attributable to shareholders was 131 million yuan, down 3.5% year-on-year [9][27]. - In Q2 2025, the company reported a revenue of 213 million yuan, a decrease of 14.22% year-on-year, and a net profit of 103 million yuan, down 8.06% year-on-year. The management training business showed relative resilience with a revenue of 285 million yuan, down 8.9% [9][12]. - The company is leveraging AI technology to enhance operational efficiency, resulting in a gross margin increase to 77.5%, up 1.3 percentage points year-on-year [2][22]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In H1 2025, the company achieved a gross margin of 77.5%, benefiting from a higher proportion of high-margin management training services and improved efficiency through AI [2][22]. - The net profit margin for H1 2025 was 38.2%, an increase of 3.2 percentage points year-on-year [2][22]. - The company’s cash receipts from sales in Q2 2025 were 233 million yuan, a decline of 20.17% year-on-year, but the decline was less severe compared to Q1 2025 [15][27]. Business Strategy - The company has initiated an "AI Strategy" and a "Hundred Schools Plan," which have begun to show results, including a 46% year-on-year increase in new employee performance and a significant improvement in customer outreach efficiency [3][25]. - The "Hundred Schools Plan" has successfully replicated nine branch managers from March to July 2025, indicating a strong potential for organizational growth driven by AI [25][26]. Shareholder Returns - The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 119 million yuan for H1 2025, representing a payout ratio of 90.74% of net profit [3][26]. - The current dividend yield (TTM) stands at 6.09%, highlighting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders [3][27].

Summary of Action Education Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Action Education - **Fiscal Year**: 2024 - **Revenue**: 241 million CNY, up 12.15% year-over-year [2][4] - **Net Profit**: 278 million CNY, up 22.39% year-over-year [4] - **Basic Earnings Per Share**: 2.25 CNY, up 20.97% year-over-year [4] Financial Highlights - **Total Assets**: 2.232 billion CNY, with nearly 90% in cash, financial assets, and receivables [2][5] - **Contract Liabilities**: Increased to 1.08 billion CNY, indicating a higher order volume than revenue recognition [2][5] - **Cash Flow from Operations**: 399 million CNY, down 12% year-over-year [2][4] Revenue Composition and Profitability - **Concentrated EMBA and Principal EMBA**: Combined revenue share of 67.8%, with gross margins exceeding 86% [2][6] - **Principal Program Class**: Revenue share of 12%, gross margin of 66.11% [2][6] - **Consulting Business**: Revenue share of 18.62%, gross margin of 44.19% [2][6] - **Digital Business School**: Revenue of 9.67 million CNY, gross margin of 96.04% [6] - **Book Business**: Revenue of 3.05 million CNY, gross margin of 26.57% [6] Course and Attendance Metrics - **Concentrated EMBA**: Average attendance of 10,577 per session, ticket price of 232-239 CNY, attendance rate of approximately 95% [2][7] - **Principal Class**: Average attendance of 11,388 per session, ticket price of 24,300 CNY, attendance rate of 101% [2][7] - **Future Course Plans**: Anticipated 10% increase in course offerings for 2025 [2][8] Client Acquisition and Strategy - **Golden Brick Plan**: New client acquisition of 295, with total orders of 604.45 million CNY, representing 65% of total orders [2][11] - **Top Clients**: Top 20 clients contributed approximately 170 million CNY [2][11] - **Dual Nine Goals**: Focus on referral and repurchase rates, with ongoing efforts to enhance course value and customer satisfaction [2][12][13] Expansion Plans - **Hundred Schools Plan**: Aiming for large-scale expansion with internal and external recruitment of city managers [2][14] - **Current Progress**: Targeting 10 city manager appointments, with 4 already in place [2][14] Systematic Improvements - **Internal Management System**: Enhanced customer management and client acquisition processes to avoid internal competition [2][15] - **AR Sales Master**: AI-driven training tool for new employees, with nearly 1,000 sales personnel using it [2][15] Market and Economic Context - **Impact of Global Trade Policies**: Adjustments to training programs to help clients adapt to changes in trade policies [2][16][18] - **Competitive Strategies**: Initiatives to enhance brand visibility and customer engagement through various marketing strategies [2][17] Future Outlook - **Q1 2025 Expectations**: Anticipated lower performance due to seasonal factors, with detailed reports pending [2][19] - **AI Technology Applications**: Ongoing development of AI tools for employee training and customer assessment, with expected releases in late May or early June [2][20] Conclusion - **Overall Performance**: Action Education shows strong growth in revenue and profitability, with strategic plans for expansion and technological advancements to enhance training and client engagement.