Core Viewpoint - New Hope Group, a leading domestic natural gas company, reported a significant decline in both revenue and net profit for 2024, continuing a downward trend from 2023, prompting a proposal to privatize its Hong Kong-listed affiliate, New Hope Energy [1][2]. Financial Performance - New Hope Group's revenue decreased from 1,540.44 billion yuan in 2022 to 1,358.36 billion yuan in 2024, marking a continuous decline [2]. - The company's net profit attributable to shareholders fell by over 36% to 44.93 billion yuan in 2024 [2][5]. - The main contributors to the revenue decline were the retail and wholesale segments of natural gas, which accounted for over 65% of total revenue [2]. Market Conditions - Despite a steady increase in natural gas consumption nationally, New Hope Group's revenue has been adversely affected by falling natural gas prices, which dropped significantly from the highs seen in 2022 due to geopolitical tensions [4]. - The wholesale business's gross margin plummeted from 7.94% in 2022 to 0.37% in 2024, reflecting the impact of lower natural gas prices [4][6]. Strategic Moves - New Hope Group is actively engaging in hedging strategies to mitigate the effects of falling natural gas prices, reporting a derivative financial instrument gain of 27.39 billion yuan in 2023 [5]. - The company plans to privatize New Hope Energy, with the transaction potentially requiring the issuance of up to 2.2 billion new shares and a cash payment of approximately 183.5 billion Hong Kong dollars [9][8]. Financial Health - As of December 31, 2024, New Hope Group's cash reserves were insufficient to cover the privatization costs, leading to potential increases in debt levels and financial pressure [9][10]. - The company reported a high interest expense of 11.21 billion yuan against a net profit of 37.11 billion yuan, indicating a challenging financial situation [10][16]. Shareholder Impact - Despite high debt levels, New Hope Group distributed significant dividends totaling 31.64 billion yuan in 2024, which accounted for 70.1% of its net profit [16]. - The privatization of New Hope Energy could enhance the overall valuation of the company and benefit its controlling shareholder, Wang Yusuo, by consolidating assets under A-share listings [14][18].