Core Viewpoint - The CXO industry in China is entering an adjustment phase due to a cooling in pharmaceutical market investments and the high base effect from COVID-related orders, with performance under pressure in 2023-2024 [1] Group 1: Industry Trends - The overseas market demand is expected to show signs of recovery starting at the end of 2023, leading to a rebound in overseas orders for leading domestic companies in 2024 [1] - Many innovative drug assets in China have entered late-stage clinical trials, with clinical data increasingly validated, indicating a clear trend towards internationalization [1] Group 2: Financial Opportunities - The confirmation of various upfront payments and potential milestone payments is becoming an important source of funding for domestic innovative pharmaceutical companies [1] - The active Hong Kong stock market in the first half of this year and the reopening of listing channels for unprofitable companies on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board are expected to further boost domestic demand [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Hong Kong innovative drug sector has recently gained global attention, with the Wind Hong Kong Biotechnology III Index rising over 60% in the past two months, while individual stocks have seen significant gains [1] Group 1: CXO Sector Performance - CXO companies are expected to show a performance turnaround starting in Q1 2025, with a projected revenue growth of 12.2% and a net profit increase of 75.6% [1] - In 2024, the revenue for the CXO sector is expected to decline by 4.9%, with a net profit drop of 25.4%, primarily due to the completion of large COVID-19 orders and a decrease in R&D demand due to a global decline in pharmaceutical investment [1][2] - The construction of new projects in the CXO sector is expected to decrease by 7.7% in 2024, marking the first decline in recent years, while Q1 2025 will see a 7.4% increase in total construction projects compared to 2024 [2][3] Group 2: Institutional Holdings and Market Sentiment - Institutional holdings in CXO have decreased from 60.8% in Q3 2021 to 14.4% in Q1 2024, but have gradually increased to 23.2% by Q1 2025, indicating a shift in market perception towards CXO companies [4] - The increase in holdings is attributed to market recognition of large orders and expectations for future growth in new business areas such as peptide and oligonucleotide CDMO [4] Group 3: Order Growth and Financial Guidance - Major CXO companies have shown strong order growth, with new signed orders for 2024 expected to increase by approximately 20% for companies like Kelaiying and over 20% for Kanglong Huacheng, while WuXi AppTec anticipates a 47% increase in orders [5] - Financial guidance for 2025 indicates continued revenue growth for major CXO firms, with WuXi AppTec projecting a 10%-15% increase in operating income [5] Group 4: Economic and Policy Environment - The expectation of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve is increasing, with traders anticipating potential rate cuts before the end of the year, which could positively impact the CXO sector [7] - Recent developments in US-China tariff negotiations have led to a framework agreement, which may alleviate pressures on the CXO sector and facilitate valuation recovery [7] Group 5: Company-Specific Highlights - Tigermed has shown strong new order growth and improved gross margins, with a total of over 2,800 global clients and extensive clinical project experience [8] - Despite a decline in revenue and net profit for 2024, Tigermed's new contract amount increased by 7.3%, indicating a recovery in demand [9][11] - The company is actively enhancing its integrated service capabilities and has implemented targeted measures to improve contract signing success rates, which may lead to significant future order growth [10][11]