Core Viewpoint - Skechers has agreed to be acquired by private equity giant 3G Capital for $9.4 billion, with the deal expected to close in Q3 2025, resulting in Skechers' common stock being delisted from the NYSE [2][5] Group 1: Acquisition Details - 3G Capital will purchase all outstanding shares of Skechers at $63 per share, representing a 28% premium over the stock's closing price last Friday and a 30% premium over the 15-day volume-weighted average price [5] - Existing shareholders have the option to receive $57 per share in cash along with a non-transferable equity unit in a newly formed private holding company, indicating 3G Capital's confidence in Skechers' long-term growth prospects [5] - Skechers will continue to be led by its current executive team, including Chairman and CEO Robert Greenberg, President Michael Greenberg, and COO David Weinberg, maintaining its existing strategic initiatives [5] Group 2: Company Background - Founded in 1992, Skechers has positioned itself with "Comfort Technology" and has rapidly grown due to its high cost-performance ratio, stylish designs, and innovative technology [9] - Skechers achieved a record global sales of $8.97 billion in 2024, with over 5,300 stores worldwide [9] Group 3: Financial Performance - For Q1 2025, Skechers reported a 7.1% year-over-year increase in sales to $2.41 billion, although slightly below market expectations; gross margin was 52%, and net profit rose 37% to $202.4 million [11] - Sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa grew by 14.4% to $718 million, while the Americas saw an 8.3% increase to $1.104 billion; however, the Asia-Pacific market experienced a 2.6% decline, primarily due to a 16% drop in sales in China [11] Group 4: Market Challenges - Skechers withdrew its annual performance forecast due to the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which have weakened consumer confidence and created significant operational risks [12] - The footwear industry, including major brands like Nike and Adidas, has expressed concerns over the tariffs, stating they pose a "survival threat" to the industry and could lead to increased prices and reduced consumer demand [12]

Core Viewpoint - New Hope Co., Ltd. reported a slight decline in revenue and net profit for Q1 2025, but core profit showed a marginal increase, indicating resilience in its operations amidst market fluctuations [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - Q1 2025 revenue reached 33.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4% [1] - Net profit attributable to shareholders was 976 million yuan, down 9.6% year-on-year, aligning with Huatai's forecast of 925 to 1,023 million yuan [1] - Core profit for Q1 2025 was 1.083 billion yuan, reflecting a slight increase of 0.1% year-on-year [1] Group 2: Platform Trading Gas - New contracts linked to oil prices were signed, with Q1 2025 platform trading gas volume at 1.196 billion cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4% [2] - Domestic gas volume was 694 million cubic meters, down 17% year-on-year, while international gas volume increased by 32% to 501 million cubic meters [2] - The company added 46 new platform trading gas customers in Q1 2025, bringing the total to 617, which supports the expansion of trading gas scale [2] Group 3: Zhoushan Receiving Station - The Zhoushan receiving station's unloading volume increased by 28.6% year-on-year to 551,700 tons in Q1 2025, with a quarterly capacity utilization rate of 29%, up 6 percentage points year-on-year [3] - The station is expected to enhance its annual turnover capacity from 7.5 million tons to 10 million tons and storage capacity from 500 million cubic meters to over 1 billion cubic meters by the second half of 2025 [3] - Core profit from Zhoushan is projected to grow by 25% and 17% year-on-year in 2025 and 2026, respectively [3] Group 4: Privatization and Valuation - The privatization plan is progressing normally, with the current stock price implying a potential discount of 41% for the company's H shares [3] - The company’s shareholder meeting is scheduled for May 28, 2025, where a two-thirds majority vote from independent shareholders is required to meet one of the transaction's preconditions [3] - The target price for the company is adjusted to 23.52 yuan, based on a 14x PE ratio for 2025, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous target of 23.66 yuan [4]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company [7] Core Views - The company demonstrates strong operational resilience, with a high dividend yield leading to a potential revaluation of its value [1] - The privatization transaction is progressing normally, with the current stock price implying a potential discount of 41% for the company's H shares [4] - The expected dividend yield for 2025 is 5.4% [1] Summary by Relevant Sections Retail Gas Volume - In Q1 2025, the company achieved retail gas volume of 7.258 billion cubic meters, a year-on-year increase of 0.3%, outperforming the national natural gas consumption growth rate of -2.2% [2] - The company expects a 6% year-on-year growth in gross profit from retail gas in 2025 [2] Comprehensive Energy Sales - The company reported a comprehensive energy sales volume of 10.039 billion kWh in Q1 2025, a year-on-year increase of 9.9% [3] - The expected gross profit growth for comprehensive energy in 2025 is projected to be 12% [3] Smart Home Services - The penetration rate for smart home services reached 3.7% in Q1 2025, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points year-on-year [3] - The expected gross profit growth for smart home services in 2025 is projected to be 10% [3] Financial Forecasts - The company slightly adjusted its profit forecasts, with core profits for 2025-2027 expected to be 7.220 billion, 7.655 billion, and 8.039 billion RMB respectively, reflecting a CAGR of 5% over three years [5] - The target price has been slightly revised down to 68.6 HKD, based on a 10x PE for 2025E [5] Key Financial Metrics - The company’s revenue for 2025 is projected at 113.873 billion RMB, with a year-on-year growth of 3.66% [6] - The expected EPS for 2025 is 6.38 RMB [6]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company [7] Core Views - The company demonstrates strong operational resilience, with a high dividend yield leading to a potential revaluation of its value [1] - The privatization transaction is progressing normally, with the current stock price implying a potential discount of 41% for the company's H shares [4] Summary by Sections Sales and Revenue - In Q1 2025, the company achieved a total gas sales volume of 7.258 billion cubic meters, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.3%, outperforming the national natural gas consumption growth rate of -2.2% [2] - The company expects a 6% year-on-year growth in gross profit for retail gas in 2025 [2] Energy Sales and Smart Home Services - The company reported a 9.9% year-on-year increase in comprehensive energy sales volume, reaching 100.39 billion kWh in Q1 2025 [3] - The penetration rate for smart home services decreased to 3.7%, with a year-on-year decline of 0.3 percentage points [3] - The company anticipates a gross profit growth of at least 10% for smart home services in 2025 [3] Financial Projections - The company slightly adjusted its profit forecasts, with core profits for 2025-2027 expected to be 7.220 billion, 7.655 billion, and 8.039 billion RMB, respectively [5] - The target price is set at 68.6 HKD, based on a 10x 2025E PE ratio [5] Key Financial Metrics - The company is projected to have a revenue of 113.873 billion RMB in 2025, with a year-on-year growth of 3.66% [6] - The expected EPS for 2025 is 6.38 RMB, with a projected ROE of 15.32% [6]