Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Neutral" with a target price reduced to HKD 16.50, indicating a potential downside of 13.4% from the current price of HKD 19.05 [1][6][16]. Core Views - The company faced higher-than-expected operational pressures in the first half of the year, leading to a significant decline in net profit by 30.5% year-on-year, which was below market expectations [2][6]. - Despite the disappointing performance, the company increased its interim dividend by 20% to HKD 0.3 per share, indicating a commitment to shareholder returns [6]. - The company anticipates a rebound in retail gas sales and comprehensive service revenue in the second half of the year, with a projected 1.1% year-on-year increase in retail gas sales for 2025 [6][10]. Financial Overview - Revenue projections for the company are as follows: HKD 101,272 million in 2023, HKD 102,676 million in 2024, and HKD 102,403 million in 2025, reflecting a growth rate of 7.3% in 2023 but a decline of 0.3% in 2025 [3][18]. - Net profit is expected to decrease from HKD 5,224 million in 2023 to HKD 3,846 million in 2025, representing a year-on-year decline of 7.3% [3][18]. - The earnings per share (EPS) is projected to be HKD 1.79 in 2023, remaining flat in 2024, and decreasing to HKD 1.66 in 2025 [3][18]. Operational Data - The company reported a total revenue of HKD 49,785 million in the first half of 2025, down 4.4% year-on-year, with gas sales contributing HKD 44,298 million [7][8]. - The retail gas volume is projected to grow to 10,442 million cubic meters in 2025, with a slight increase in gross margin to RMB 0.55 per cubic meter [9][10]. - The number of new residential connections is expected to be adjusted down to 2.1 million for 2025, from an earlier estimate of 2.3 million [6][10].

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is Neutral [4][19]. Core Views - The report indicates that the company's earnings for the fiscal year 2025 will be impacted by one-time items, while cash flow certainty for fiscal year 2026 remains to be improved [2][8]. - The company is expected to maintain a high dividend yield of 6.8%, which is the highest among gas distributors covered [8][19]. - The report suggests that the valuation is reasonable at approximately 10 times the fiscal year 2026 earnings, with a target price adjustment to HKD 6.80, reflecting a potential downside of 7.5% from the current price [8][19]. Financial Overview - Revenue projections for the company are as follows: - FY2024: HKD 81,410 million - FY2025: HKD 79,258 million (down 2.6% YoY) - FY2026E: HKD 80,449 million (up 1.5% YoY) [3][22]. - Net profit estimates are: - FY2024: HKD 3,185 million - FY2025: HKD 3,252 million (up 2.1% YoY) - FY2026E: HKD 3,707 million (up 14% YoY) [3][22]. - The company’s earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be: - FY2024: HKD 0.73 - FY2025: HKD 0.63 (down 14.1% YoY) - FY2026E: HKD 0.68 (up 8.5% YoY) [3][22]. - The company’s free cash flow reached a record high of HKD 46.6 billion [8]. Operational Insights - Retail gas sales volume is expected to grow by 2% in FY2026, with a slight increase in gas margin to RMB 0.55 per cubic meter [10][11]. - The company anticipates adding 120,000 to 140,000 new residential connections in FY2025 [11]. - The management's guidance for FY2025 includes a gas margin of RMB 0.53 per cubic meter and a growth rate of over 2% for gas sales volume [11]. Market Performance - The stock has shown a year-to-date change of 8.57% [6]. - The 52-week high and low for the stock are HKD 8.26 and HKD 5.87, respectively [6].