China (PRC) | Autos & Auto Parts Equity Research Chinese OEMs' 60d Payment Cycle Pledge: Implications for Auto Parts Companies Beginning this Tuesday, Chinese OEMs, including BYD, Geely, GWM, GAC, Chery announced their commitment to shorten supplier payment terms to within 60 days. This industry-led effort follows repeated government directives discouraging harmful price competition in the market. We see this as a positive for auto parts companies, with improved CF and reduced finance/provision cost. Suppli ...

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for BYD with a target price of HKD 491.00 [6][21][19] Core Insights - BYD reported a revenue of CNY 170 billion in 1Q25, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 36% but a quarter-on-quarter decline of 38% due to a shipment of 1 million NEVs, which is a 60% increase year-on-year [1][8] - The gross profit margin (GPM) for BYD in 1Q25 was 20.1%, down 0.6 percentage points year-on-year, indicating ongoing fierce competition in the market [1][8] - Operating profit for BYD was CNY 5.6 billion, a 39% increase year-on-year, while net profit reached CNY 9.2 billion, doubling year-on-year [1][8] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - Revenue for 1Q25 was CNY 170.36 billion, a 36% increase year-on-year but a 38% decrease quarter-on-quarter [8] - Operating profit was CNY 5.6 billion, up 39% year-on-year, while net profit was CNY 9.2 billion, reflecting a 100% increase year-on-year [1][8] - The GPM was 20.1%, down from 20.7% in 1Q24, indicating a decline in profitability due to competitive pressures [1][8] Market Dynamics - The report highlights that BYD continues to benefit from its business scale despite a competitive environment, with sales and marketing expenses growing at a slower pace than revenue [1][4] - Recent government policies tightening smart driving function promotions have affected order volumes across the industry, prompting a shift in focus towards pricing strategies [2][3] Strategic Initiatives - BYD has initiated time-limited promotions with price cuts of 8-17% on select models to stimulate demand [4] - The company aims to improve liquidity through a proposed distribution of bonus shares, increasing the total number of shares from 3,039 million to 9,117 million [5][21]