Core Viewpoint - Haitong International initiates coverage on Huazhu Group-S (01179) with an "Outperform" rating and a target price of HKD 41, highlighting its leadership in China's hotel chain market and benefits from increasing chain rate [1] Group 1: Market Position and Growth - Huazhu Group is the leader in the Chinese hotel chain market, benefiting from an increase in the chain rate, with its room nights ranking in the top tier [1] - The company has opened over 2,300 new hotels this year, with a strong focus on mid-to-high-end brands, which have grown by 25% year-on-year, surpassing the overall growth rate of 7% [3] - The management is confident in opening over 2,300 hotels this year and aims for a total of 12,814 hotels by 2025, with a long-term goal of 20,000 hotels by 2030, targeting a 15% market share [3] Group 2: Revenue and Profitability - The company is transitioning to a high-margin, light-asset franchise model, closing low-quality stores, which is expected to enhance profitability [1] - The adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 3.3 percentage points to 36% in Q3, with Legacy-HZ's margin rising to 43%, indicating a positive trend in profitability [5] - The forecast for adjusted EBITDA is RMB 7.94 billion and RMB 9.13 billion for 2025 and 2026, respectively, with expected margin improvements of 5 and 3 percentage points [5] Group 3: Membership and Customer Engagement - Huazhu operates the largest and most resilient membership system in the industry, with over 300 million members and an average of 190 million daily active users on its app [4] - Membership numbers grew by 17.1% year-on-year to 301 million, with member room nights booked increasing by 19.7%, accounting for 74% of total room nights sold [4] - Strengthening membership operations is expected to empower franchisees and enhance future monetization opportunities for the company [4] Group 4: Market Demand and Supply Dynamics - The supply-demand situation in the hotel industry continues to improve, with 396,500 new hotels (15 rooms or more) opened in October, a 7% year-on-year increase [2] - Domestic holiday travel shows a sustained increase in cross-regional movement, with approximately 2.142 billion trips during the first seven days of the National Day holiday in 2025, reflecting a 7% year-on-year growth [2] - The fourth quarter is expected to maintain resilience in leisure tourism, although business travel remains weak, with a projected 0.5% year-on-year increase in single-room revenue for Legacy-HZ [2]

智通财经APP获悉，海通国际发布研报称，首次覆盖，给予华住集团-S(01179)"优于大市"评级，对应目 标价41港元。华住集团是中国连锁酒店市场领导者，受益于酒店行业连锁化率提升，公司间夜量排名稳 居第一梯队。公司采取多品牌矩阵+会员体系的商业模式，以高效的团队执行力，持续有市占率提升。 其次，中端酒店占比大，韧性强，中高端酒店比例提升，进一步助力整体Revpar提升。多品牌多层次有 助于向差异化商圈和用户布局。同时公司向高利润率、轻资产特性的特许经营模式转型，关闭低质量门 店，未来利润率有望持续提高。 海通国际主要观点如下： 第三季度，公司新开业酒店750家，储备酒店达2748家。其中，中高端酒店数量同比增长25%，超过了 整体7%的增长率。管理层对全年开业超过2300家酒店充满信心。管理层将继续升级其现有酒店矩阵， 并对新酒店开业采取更严格的标准。该行预测第四季度将净增234家酒店，到2025年总酒店数将达到 12,814家;从中长期看，公司坚定推进2030年2万家店的发展目标，期望15%的市占率。 会员体系与持续赋能 华住运营着全球贡献度最高的会员体系及业内规模最大、韧性最强的供应链，会员总数超3亿， ...

Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the social services sector, indicating expected performance above the market index by over 10% [3][29]. Core Insights - The social services sector is anticipated to continue showing a differentiated performance in Q2, with various segments such as travel, hospitality, and education demonstrating varying levels of recovery and growth [1][11]. - The report highlights that the consumer services sector increased by 2.49% during the reporting period, outperforming the broader market by 0.12 percentage points [16][18]. - Key companies in the sector, such as Nayuki Tea and Meituan, have shown significant stock price increases, with Nayuki Tea rising by 37.50% [1][19]. Summary by Sections Q2 Earnings Outlook - The travel chain is expected to show a mixed performance, with leading hotel brands experiencing a narrowing decline in RevPAR and strong brand expansions [1][11]. - The restaurant chain sector is projected to stabilize, particularly in tea and fast-food segments, benefiting from increased subsidies from major platforms [1][12]. Industry and Company Dynamics - Huazhu has upgraded its membership system, introducing a price guarantee feature [20]. - Meituan has launched a centralized kitchen initiative to enhance food safety and has seen a significant increase in daily order volumes [22]. - The report notes changes in shareholding for several companies, with increases for Tianli International Holdings and Mixue Group [28]. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests a focus on companies such as Guming, Mixue Group, and Atour, among others, as potential investment opportunities in the current economic environment [3][29]. - Mid-term recommendations include companies like China Duty Free, Meituan, and Huazhu Group, indicating a broad range of investment options across the sector [3][29].