Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Outperform the Market" [5][30][36] Core Views - The company experienced a decline in gross margin and an increase in impairment provisions, leading to a significant drop in net profit attributable to shareholders [1][9] - The company is expected to benefit from its leading position in rice seed business and rapid expansion in corn seed business, with a forecasted net profit of 2.0/2.4/2.7 billion yuan for 2025-2027 [3][30][36] - The stock is considered to have a reasonable valuation range of 10.4-11.4 yuan, representing a premium of approximately 10-20% over the current stock price [30][36] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In 2024, the company achieved operating revenue of 4.709 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.77%, primarily driven by growth in grain and seed business [1][9] - The net profit attributable to shareholders was 114 million yuan, a significant decline of 58.23% year-on-year, mainly due to lower gross margins and increased impairment provisions [1][9] - For Q1 2025, the company reported operating revenue of 835 million yuan, up 24.13% year-on-year, but net profit dropped to 2 million yuan, down 87.62% year-on-year [1][9] Business Segments - The rice seed segment generated revenue of 1.858 billion yuan in 2024, a 5.67% increase, but gross margin decreased to 39.81%, down 3.00 percentage points [2][26] - The corn seed segment saw revenue of 589 million yuan, a 20.43% increase, with gross margin improving to 33.15%, up 7.87 percentage points [2][26] - The order grain business revenue increased by 44.54% to 1.022 billion yuan, but gross margin fell to 1.56%, down 3.33 percentage points [2][26] Profitability and Cash Flow - The company’s sales gross margin for Q1 2025 was 13.48%, down 6.26 percentage points year-on-year, with a net profit margin of -2.02%, down 4.51 percentage points [2][18] - Operating cash flow for Q1 2025 was -777 million yuan, representing -93.00% of operating revenue [3][20] - Inventory days stood at 360 days, while accounts receivable turnover days were 69 days [3][20] Future Outlook - The company is expected to maintain growth in its rice seed business, with projected revenues of 1.951 billion yuan for 2025, reflecting a 5.0% growth [27][24] - The corn seed business is anticipated to generate revenues of 648 million yuan in 2025, with a growth rate of 10.0% [24][27] - The order grain business is forecasted to achieve revenues of 1.175 billion yuan in 2025, maintaining a stable growth trajectory [24][27]