Core Viewpoint - Hongban Technology has received approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission for its initial public offering (IPO) and plans to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, focusing on its PCB business while facing challenges due to high dependence on the consumer electronics sector and low profitability in recent years [1][11]. Group 1: Business Overview - Hongban Technology specializes in the research, production, and sales of printed circuit boards (PCBs), with major products including HDI boards, rigid boards, flexible boards, rigid-flex boards, IC substrates, and similar substrates [1][11]. - The revenue contribution from various product categories in the first half of 2025 is projected to be 61% from HDI boards, 17% from rigid boards, 8% from flexible boards, 6% from rigid-flex boards, and 2% from IC substrates [1][11]. Group 2: Market Position and Client Dependency - Hongban Technology is a key supplier of HDI boards to eight of the top ten global smartphone brands, including OPPO, vivo, and Huawei, which indicates a strong market position but also a high dependency on major clients [2][12]. - The revenue from the consumer electronics sector has consistently accounted for 53%-57% of total revenue, with increasing reliance on major clients like OPPO and Dongguan Xinnengde, whose sales accounted for 10.42% and 8.72% of revenue in 2024, respectively [2][13]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Profitability - The company's gross margin has been volatile, with a decline of 1.26 percentage points to 15.86% in 2023, but is expected to improve to 19% in 2024 due to a higher proportion of HDI business, and further increase to 25.93% in the first half of 2025 as product prices recover [5][17]. - Hongban Technology's gross margin has consistently been 1-4 percentage points lower than the industry average from 2022 to 2024, indicating challenges in achieving competitive profitability [6][18]. Group 4: Capacity Utilization and Industry Comparison - The company's capacity utilization rates have remained below full capacity, recorded at 71.96%, 85.01%, 88.51%, and 88.63% over the past years, suggesting either limited demand for its products or inefficiencies in production [9][21]. - Hongban Technology's revenue scale is significantly smaller than comparable companies, with the average revenue of peer companies being 4 times higher, which limits its ability to leverage economies of scale [8][19]. Group 5: Accounts Receivable Management - The company has a higher proportion of accounts receivable provisions compared to peers, with a consistent 5% provision rate, indicating a potentially lenient accounts receivable management policy [10][22]. - The growth rate of accounts receivable has outpaced revenue growth, raising concerns about the company's credit management and the quality of its customer base [10][22].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of RMB 15.00 [7][15]. Core Insights - The company reported a revenue of RMB 5.8 billion for 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 9%. However, it faced a net loss of RMB 200 million due to high costs associated with the ABF substrate project and underperformance of the BT substrate factory [1][4]. - In Q1 2025, the company achieved a revenue of RMB 1.58 billion, a 14% year-over-year increase, with a gross margin of 17.2%, slightly improving from the previous quarter [1][2]. - The report highlights that the demand for domestic IC substrates has increased due to tariff conflicts, leading to an upward revision of the target price [1][4]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - For 2024, the company reported a revenue of RMB 5.8 billion and a gross margin of 15.9%, down 7.4 percentage points year-over-year. The net loss attributable to shareholders was RMB 200 million [1][4]. - In Q1 2025, the company recorded a revenue of RMB 1.58 billion and a net profit of RMB 9 million, although this was a 62% decline year-over-year [2][3]. 2025 Outlook - The company plans to focus on new products and customer integration for ABF substrates, expecting a revenue contribution of RMB 58 million in 2025. The BT substrate segment is anticipated to improve profitability, with projected revenue of RMB 1.3 billion [3][4]. - The report indicates that the company is experiencing a ramp-up in production capacity, particularly in its Guangzhou and Zhuhai factories, which is expected to enhance profitability in the BT substrate segment [3][4]. Valuation Adjustments - The target price was raised to RMB 15.00, reflecting a more favorable outlook for the company's IC substrate business amid increased domestic demand. The valuation multiples for PCB and semiconductor businesses were adjusted to 25.0x PE and 8.0x PS, respectively [4][15]. - The report also notes a downward revision of net profit expectations for 2025 and 2026 due to ongoing adjustments in the PCB business and high initial costs for new ABF substrate lines [4][12].