Core Viewpoint - Guoen Co., Ltd. is facing significant financial challenges, including rising debt levels and stagnant profits, despite recent revenue growth. The company's management continues to increase their salaries while employee compensation has decreased. Financial Performance - In 2022, Guoen's revenue increased from less than 10 billion to over 13 billion RMB, with further growth expected to exceed 19 billion RMB in 2024 [3] - For the first half of 2025, the company reported revenue of 9.75 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%, and a net profit of 350 million RMB, up 25.9% [3] - Despite the revenue growth, net profit has not reached previous highs, with a peak of over 700 million RMB in 2020, and a decline in net profit in 2023 to less than 500 million RMB [3][4] Debt Situation - Guoen's debt levels have been increasing, with a debt-to-asset ratio reaching 62.4% in the first half of 2025, up from below 50% three years prior [4] - Short-term debt rose to 2.91 billion RMB in the first half of 2025, a nearly 50% increase from the previous year [4] - Total bank and other borrowings increased from 3.12 billion RMB at the end of 2022 to 6.24 billion RMB by April 2025, a nearly 90% rise [4] Profitability Issues - The company's gross profit margin has been declining, dropping from a high of 19.5% in 2020 to 10.1% in the first half of 2025 [3][4] - The low gross margin is attributed to an increase in lower-margin green petrochemical materials and declining market prices for key products [4] Management Compensation - Despite stagnant profits, Guoen's executives have seen significant salary increases, with the chairman's salary rising nearly 60% to over 1 million RMB in 2023 and further increases in 2024 [8] - The total annual compensation for executives rose from 8.88 million RMB in 2022 to over 12.37 million RMB in 2024, a growth of approximately 39.3% [8] - In contrast, the average employee salary decreased to 96,000 RMB in 2024, marking a three-year low [8]