Core Viewpoint - The report from GF Securities projects that China Oriental Education (00667) will achieve adjusted net profits of 800 million, 1.02 billion, and 1.26 billion yuan for the years 2025 to 2027, respectively, indicating a recovery in growth and profitability for the company as a leading player in the industry [1] Group 1: Company Overview - The company has been deeply engaged in the vocational education sector for over 30 years, starting with culinary training in 1988 and now offering training in four major vocational skill areas with seven brands [2] - The company is expected to see a turning point in profitability in 2024, with projected revenues of 4.12 billion and 2.19 billion yuan for 2024 and the first half of 2025, respectively, reflecting year-on-year growth of 3.5% and 10.2% [2] - Adjusted net profits for 2024 and the first half of 2025 are projected to be 530 million and 400 million yuan, respectively, with significant year-on-year increases of 86.6% and 48.4% [2] Group 2: Industry Insights - The vocational skills training industry is characterized by strong employment orientation, with a large potential student base, and the company focuses on training blue-collar talent in the service sector, which maintains a high employment outlook [3] - The competitive landscape of the industry is fragmented, with clear competitive advantages for leading companies in various sub-sectors [3] Group 3: Competitive Advantages - The company creates a positive cycle through continuous research and development, practical-oriented teaching, and diverse professional training systems, resulting in high-quality products [4] - The company has established a solid reputation through deep integration of industry and education, with employment rates for its programs consistently above 90% [4] Group 4: Future Outlook - Following operational optimizations in 2024, brands such as New Oriental and Xinhua are expected to improve, while Ouman Di Meiyu is in a phase of expansion and rapid growth [5] - The high school graduate demographic is anticipated to become a significant source of new students, with a projected increase of 85.4% in new training participants for the first half of 2025 [5] - The establishment of regional centers since 2022 is expected to enhance the company's overall educational capacity and profitability [5]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the report is that China Oriental Education (00667) is expected to see adjusted net profits of 800 million, 1.02 billion, and 1.26 billion yuan for the years 2025 to 2027, indicating a recovery in growth and profitability, with a target price of 10.16 HKD per share based on a 20x PE ratio for 2026 [1] - The company has been a leader in vocational education for over 30 years, starting with culinary training and expanding into four major training sectors, with a projected revenue of 4.12 billion and 2.19 billion yuan for 2024 and the first half of 2025, respectively, showing year-on-year growth of 3.5% and 10.2% [1] - The adjusted net profit for 2024 and the first half of 2025 is expected to be 530 million and 400 million yuan, reflecting significant year-on-year increases of 86.6% and 48.4% [1] Group 2 - The vocational skills training industry is characterized by strong employment orientation and sustainable demand growth, with a large potential student base, primarily focusing on blue-collar talent development in the service sector [2] - The competitive landscape of the industry is fragmented, with clear differentiation among leading companies in various segments [2] - The company maintains a positive cycle of teaching research, employment services, and operational recruitment, achieving over 90% employment rates for its graduates through continuous research and practical-oriented teaching [3] Group 3 - Future prospects include positive development across various brands and the anticipated impact of regional centers, with New Oriental and Xinhua entering a phase of improvement and structural optimization [4] - The high school graduate demographic is expected to become a significant source of new students, with a projected increase of 8,540 training participants in 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 85.4% [4] - The establishment of regional centers since 2022 is expected to enhance the company's overall educational capacity and profitability [4]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Outperform the Market" [6][4][29] Core Views - The company has experienced a significant acceleration in revenue growth, achieving 2.186 billion yuan in revenue for the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 10.2%, marking a new high since its listing. The net profit reached 403 million yuan, up 48.4% year-on-year, closely approaching the upper limit of previous forecasts [1][9] - The company is benefiting from a favorable employment environment, leading to a recovery in long-term student enrollment and a steady increase in average tuition fees. The average tuition fee for the first half of 2025 was 28,000 yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 4.3% [2][4][18] Summary by Sections Revenue and Profitability - In the first half of 2025, the company achieved a revenue of 2.186 billion yuan, with a net profit of 403 million yuan, indicating a strong performance with a net profit margin of 19.0%, up 5.0 percentage points year-on-year [1][3][20] - The company’s gross profit margin was 57.3%, an increase of 4.3 percentage points, suggesting significant room for further improvement in profitability [3][20] Enrollment and Tuition - The company enrolled 84,000 students in the first half of 2025, a 7% increase year-on-year, with the fashion beauty industry showing the highest growth rate among various programs [2][13] - The average training fee per student increased to 28,000 yuan, with a notable rise in tuition fees for specific programs such as culinary arts and fashion beauty [18][25] Cost Control and Efficiency - The company has effectively controlled costs, with a reduction in research, sales, and management expense ratios, leading to improved operational efficiency [3][20] - The company has also completed adjustments to its campus structure, with a total of 234 schools, including three vocational colleges, enhancing its educational offerings [23][25] Future Outlook - The company is expected to see revenue growth rates of 10.2%, 12.6%, and 13.3% for 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively, driven by an increase in student enrollment and tuition fee adjustments [25][26] - The forecasted net profit for 2025 is 860 million yuan, reflecting a significant increase of 67.8% year-on-year, with further growth anticipated in subsequent years [4][26]