Core Viewpoint - Recently, a new company named Harbin Weichang Seed Industry Co., Ltd. has been established, focusing on agricultural seed operations and related businesses [1] Group 1: Company Formation - Harbin Weichang Seed Industry Co., Ltd. has been registered with a capital of 5 million yuan [1] - The legal representative of the new company is Tan Shouyu [1] Group 2: Business Scope - The business scope of Harbin Weichang includes agricultural seed operations, breeding of livestock and poultry, poultry farming, fertilizer production, feed production, and fertilizer sales [1] Group 3: Ownership Structure - Harbin Weichang is wholly owned by Harbin Pengda Seed Industry Co., Ltd., which is jointly held by Harbin Pengda Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd. and Shuanghui Development [1]

Investment Rating - The report initiates coverage with a rating of "Buy" for the company [2][7]. Core Views - The company is expected to see a stabilization and potential recovery in milk prices in 2025, which could lead to improved performance [6][9]. - The company has a strong backing from major shareholders, including Mengniu Dairy, which holds a 56.36% stake, ensuring a stable demand for its raw milk business [6][18]. - The report highlights the cyclical nature of the company's profitability, heavily influenced by raw milk prices and feed costs [6][7]. Financial Data and Profit Forecast - Revenue projections for 2025-2027 are estimated at 13.33 billion, 13.69 billion, and 14.11 billion CNY, with year-on-year growth rates of 0.6%, 2.65%, and 3.06% respectively [5][7]. - The net profit for the same period is forecasted to be 252 million, 432 million, and 727 million CNY, indicating a turnaround from losses in 2024 [5][7]. - The earnings per share (EPS) is expected to improve from -0.179 CNY in 2024 to 0.032 CNY in 2025, and further to 0.092 CNY by 2027 [5][7]. Business Overview - The company primarily focuses on raw milk sales, with a significant portion of its revenue derived from long-term contracts with major clients like Mengniu and New Hope Dairy [6][26]. - The company has expanded its operations to 47 farms across 13 provinces, with a total of 491,200 dairy cows, of which 51.08% are mature cows [6][21]. - New business segments, including feed and breeding solutions, are being developed, contributing to revenue diversification [6][22]. Valuation and Market Comparison - The report employs a comparable company price-to-book (PB) valuation method, suggesting a target price of 1.26 HKD per share for the next year, representing a 12.4% upside from the current price [7][9]. - The average PB ratios for comparable companies are projected to be 0.95, 0.80, and 0.69 for 2025-2027 [7][9]. Key Assumptions - The report assumes a 2% and 0.5% year-on-year growth in raw milk sales volume for 2025 and 2026, respectively, with an average selling price (ASP) increase of -2% in 2025 and 1.5% in 2026 [8][9]. - The cost of raw milk is projected to be 2.51 CNY/kg in 2025, with feed costs contributing significantly to overall expenses [8][9].

Group 1 - The company maintains its profit forecast for 2025/2026, with current trading at 26.9/11.0 times P/E and 0.9/0.8 times P/B for 2025/2026, raising the target price by 10.0% to HKD 1.43, while maintaining an "outperform" rating [1] - In 2024, the company reported revenue of CNY 13.3 billion, with a 2H24 revenue of CNY 6.8 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 0.2%. The cash EBITDA for 2024 is CNY 3 billion, representing a growth of approximately 20% [1] - The company’s milk yield continues to improve, with a slight year-on-year increase of 1.6% to 12.8 tons per cow in 2024, and the herd size is expected to reach 491,000 by the end of 2024 [1] Group 2 - The company benefits from a decrease in feed costs by 16.7% and an improvement in milk yield, leading to a slight expansion of gross margin by 2.8 percentage points in 2024 [2] - Despite the decline in raw milk prices, the company’s cash EBITDA increased by 20% due to improved gross margins [2] - The industry is experiencing a reduction in herd size, with 85-90% of the industry facing losses, and a continued decrease in herd size is expected into 2025 [3] Group 3 - The company is positioned well in the industry downturn, with a projected domestic raw milk supply gap of approximately high single digits to 10% in 2024, and potential stabilization of raw milk prices anticipated in 2025 [3] - The industry is currently at the bottom of the cycle, and it is considered a favorable time for left-side investments [3]