Core Viewpoint - Haitong International maintains an "outperform" rating for New Oriental-S (09901) and raises the target price from HKD 49 to HKD 52 based on upgraded performance expectations [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - In Q2 FY26, the company's total revenue increased by 15% year-on-year to USD 1.191 billion, exceeding consensus expectations by 3% and surpassing the previous guidance of 9%-12% [1] - Non-GAAP operating profit surged by 223% year-on-year to USD 89 million, exceeding consensus expectations by 62%, with a Non-GAAP operating profit margin of 7.5%, up 2.8 percentage points from the consensus estimate of 4.7% [1] - Deferred revenue reached USD 2.1615 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10.2%, consistent with the 10% growth in Q1 FY26 [1] Group 2: K12 Business Outlook - K12 business revenue is expected to accelerate growth in Q3 FY26, driven by improved retention rates and increased course offerings during the winter break [2] - The K12 business revenue is projected to grow by 19% year-on-year to USD 815 million, with high school business expected to grow by 18% and K9 new business anticipated to increase by 23% [2] Group 3: Study Abroad Business Challenges - The study abroad sector remains under pressure, impacting the overall revenue of the core education segment [3] - Despite a 1% year-on-year growth in Q2 FY26, the company is expected to adopt a conservative outlook for Q4 FY26 due to the seasonal characteristics of the study abroad consulting business [3] - The company anticipates a decline in study abroad revenue next year due to the ongoing instability in the industry and the merger of exam preparation and study abroad consulting businesses [3] Group 4: Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement - The core education segment's operating profit margin improved by 3 percentage points in Q2 FY26, attributed to effective cost reduction and efficiency measures [4] - The company expects these measures to continue yielding results, with projected Non-GAAP operating profit margins increasing by 1.4 and 1.6 percentage points year-on-year to 13.4% and 12.9% for Q3 FY26 and FY26, respectively [4]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for New Oriental-S (09901.HK) [1] Core Insights - The company reported better-than-expected revenue growth in FY26Q1, with a year-on-year increase of 6.1%, surpassing previous guidance of 2%-5% [7] - The overseas business showed significant improvement, with a 25% revenue growth in the low-age study abroad segment, indicating a shift in demand rather than a decline [7] - K12 business is expected to accelerate, with anticipated growth rates of approximately 20% for K9 and double-digit growth for high school, validating the strategy of prioritizing product quality [7] - The company announced a shareholder return plan totaling approximately $490 million, which is over 130% of FY25 net profit, indicating strong profit visibility and cash flow [7] - Non-GAAP operating profit margin improved to 22.0%, with expectations for further expansion in Q2, driven by better resource utilization and cost control [7] Financial Projections - Total revenue is projected to grow from $4.9 billion in FY2025 to $6.3 billion in FY2028, with year-on-year growth rates of 13.6%, 9.96%, 10.00%, and 7.02% respectively [1][9] - Net profit attributable to shareholders is expected to increase from $371.72 million in FY2025 to $591.14 million in FY2028, with growth rates of 20.07%, 32.32%, 10.40%, and 8.87% respectively [1][9] - The current stock price corresponds to a PE ratio of 17, 15, and 14 times for FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028 respectively based on Non-GAAP metrics [1][9]