Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the overseas education sector, particularly highlighting New Oriental's revenue growth acceleration driven by its strong reputation [4]. Core Insights - The overseas education business has reached a bottom in growth, with New Oriental's revenue for Q1 FY26 at $1.523 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%. The education segment (including cultural tourism) generated $1.366 billion, up 8.5% year-on-year [9][10]. - New Oriental's Non-GAAP operating profit was $336 million, reflecting an 11.3% increase, with an operating margin of 22%, expanding by 1.1 percentage points year-on-year [9][11]. - The report anticipates a recovery in the overseas examination training and consulting business, projecting growth to resume in the remaining quarters of FY26 [10]. Summary by Sections Overseas Education - The overseas education sector is showing signs of recovery, with New Oriental's Q1 FY26 revenue growth driven by adjustments in service offerings and a focus on high-quality education [9][10]. - The company has adapted its one-on-one tutoring model to a group format to lower costs and has expanded its youth examination training services, which has contributed to resilience in growth [10]. - New business segments, including K9 non-academic training and learning devices, have maintained high growth, with Q1 revenue increasing by 15% to $403 million [10]. Financial Performance - Despite a slowdown in high-margin study abroad services, improvements in the profitability of other segments have offset this decline. Sales and administrative expenses grew at a slower rate than revenue, indicating effective cost control [11]. - The report highlights a shareholder return plan, including a cash dividend of $190 million and a stock buyback of up to $300 million [9]. Market Trends - The education index has underperformed compared to the Hang Seng Index, with a year-to-date increase of 19.3%, lagging behind the index by 8.9 percentage points [8]. - The report suggests a positive outlook for the sector, particularly for companies with strong brand recognition and quality offerings, such as New Oriental and others in the Chinese education sector [14].