Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for the company with a target price of HKD 29.90 [1][5][32] Core Views - The company reported a revenue of HKD 27.4 billion for the first half of 2025, a decrease of 6.5% year-on-year, while the net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 7.709 billion, an increase of 27.5% year-on-year. However, the recurring profit was below expectations at HKD 3.391 billion, down 15.7% year-on-year [1][5] - The property development segment is experiencing a harvest period, with profits from property development reaching HKD 5.542 billion, up 218.5% year-on-year, driven by the recovery of the Hong Kong property market [1][4] - The report highlights the challenges faced by the Hong Kong rail operations due to rising operational costs, with EBIT down 76% year-on-year despite a revenue increase of 3.3% [2][3] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - The company’s revenue for 1H25 was HKD 27.4 billion, a decrease of 6.5% year-on-year, while net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 7.709 billion, an increase of 27.5% year-on-year. The recurring profit was HKD 3.391 billion, which was 9% lower than expectations [1][5] - The company plans to distribute an interim dividend of HKD 0.42 per share, unchanged from the previous year [1] Operational Insights - The Hong Kong rail operations generated revenue of HKD 11.5 billion in 1H25, up 3.3% year-on-year, but EBIT fell to HKD 0.98 billion, down 76% year-on-year due to increased employee costs and inflation [2] - The report notes that the new rental rates for shops in the Hong Kong stations continued to decline, with a drop of 7.0% year-on-year [3] Property Development - The property development segment recorded a net profit of HKD 5.542 billion, primarily from projects in the Whampoa area, with a significant increase attributed to a low base from the previous year [4] - The report indicates that the Hong Kong property market is showing signs of recovery, with a 0.6% increase in the private residential price index over three consecutive months [4] Profit Forecast and Valuation - The report adjusts the net profit forecasts for 2025-2027 downwards by 11%, 3%, and 17% to HKD 18.1 billion, HKD 21 billion, and HKD 11 billion respectively [5][31] - The valuation is based on a discounted cash flow (DCF) method with a WACC of 7.0% and a perpetual growth rate of 3%, leading to a target price of HKD 29.90 per share [5][32]

Core Viewpoint - The company reported a decline in total revenue for the first half of 2025, while net profit increased significantly, indicating mixed performance in different segments of its operations [1] Financial Performance - Total revenue for the first half of 2025 was HKD 27.36 billion, a decrease of 6.5% year-on-year [1] - Net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 7.71 billion, an increase of 27.5% year-on-year, with earnings per share at HKD 1.24 [1] - The interim dividend per share remains unchanged at HKD 0.42 [1] Segment Performance - Revenue from Hong Kong passenger services increased by nearly 2.6% to HKD 14.13 billion, but profit contribution fell by nearly 18% to approximately HKD 1.9 billion [1] - Revenue from operations rose over 3% to HKD 11.5 billion, yet profit plummeted over 76% to HKD 98 million [1] - Revenue from station commercial activities decreased by over 5% to nearly HKD 1.8 billion [1] Passenger Volume - Total passenger volume for rail and bus services was approximately 964 million, a year-on-year increase of 0.7% [1] - Local rail service passenger volume was 786 million, a slight decline of 0.2% year-on-year [1] - High-speed rail (Hong Kong section) and intercity passenger volume increased by over 16% to 14.7 million, while airport express passenger volume rose by over 2% to 6.4 million [1] Pricing Strategy - The company announced that ticket prices for the 2025/26 fiscal year will remain unchanged, with a calculated adjustment of 1.45% to be applied in the 2026/27 fiscal year [1] - The previously planned adjustment of 1.91% has also been postponed to the next fiscal year [1]