Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the cosmetics and medical beauty sector, highlighting strong growth potential and investment opportunities in the industry [14][19]. Core Insights - The cosmetics and medical beauty sector has shown resilience, outperforming the market during the week of August 29 to September 5, 2025, with the Shenwan Beauty Care Index declining only 0.8% [3][4]. - The transition to autumn skincare marks the beginning of a consumption peak for the sector, with significant sales events such as the Autumn Beauty Consumption Festival and Double 11 approaching, creating new investment opportunities [9][10]. - Major companies in the sector are optimistic about their performance in the second half of 2025, as indicated by a recent conference involving over ten beauty care companies [9]. Summary by Sections Industry Performance - The Shenwan Cosmetics Index remained stable, outperforming the Shenwan A Index by 1.4 percentage points, while the Shenwan Personal Care Index fell by 1.8%, underperforming the Shenwan A Index by 0.3 percentage points [3][4]. Key Company Reviews - **Mao Geping (1318HK)**: Reported a revenue of 2.59 billion yuan for H1 2025, a year-on-year increase of 31%, with a net profit of 670 million yuan, up 36%. The color cosmetics segment saw a revenue of 1.42 billion yuan, while skincare generated 1.09 billion yuan, reflecting strong brand momentum [10][11]. - **Shangmei Co. (02145HK)**: Achieved a revenue of 4.108 billion yuan in H1 2025, a 17.3% increase, with a net profit of 556 million yuan, up 34.7%. The main brand, Han Shu, contributed significantly to growth, with a revenue of 3.344 billion yuan [16][17]. Investment Recommendations - Recommended companies include Shangmei Co., Porlaia, and Shanghai Jahwa, which have strong brand matrices and relatively low PE multiples. Other notable mentions are Marubi Biological and Mao Geping, which are positioned well to benefit from the rise of domestic beauty brands [10][19]. - The report suggests focusing on companies with strong R&D capabilities and product pipelines, particularly in the upstream medical beauty segment, with a recommendation for Aimeike [10][19]. Market Trends - The report notes a significant increase in online sales, with H1 2025 online revenue for Mao Geping reaching 1.297 billion yuan, a 39% year-on-year increase, marking a shift in consumer purchasing behavior towards online platforms [12][18]. - The overall cosmetics retail market showed a 4.5% growth in July 2025, indicating a robust recovery in consumer spending [23][26]. Strategic Developments - Porlaia's investment in Huazhi Xiao reflects a strategic move to enhance its multi-brand strategy and capitalize on the influence of Gen Z consumers [28]. - The report highlights the competitive landscape, noting that domestic brands are increasingly capturing market share, with a notable shift in consumer perception from "value for money" to "quality choice" [32].

Core Viewpoint - Despite strong performance in revenue and profit, the stock price of the domestic beauty brand Mao Geping has declined significantly, indicating a disconnect between financial results and market valuation [1][4]. Financial Performance - In the first half of the year, Mao Geping reported revenue of 2.588 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31.3% [1] - Gross profit reached approximately 2.179 billion yuan, up 30.25% year-on-year [1] - Net profit was 670 million yuan, reflecting a growth of 36.1% compared to the previous year [1] - The increase in revenue was attributed to a rise in product sales across online, offline, and overseas channels, supported by a gross margin exceeding 80% [1] Product Sales Breakdown - Makeup and skincare products remain the main sales drivers, with makeup revenue at 1.422 billion yuan, a 31.1% increase, accounting for over 54.95% of total revenue [2] - Skincare sales grew by 33.4% year-on-year, reaching 1.087 billion yuan, with the luxury caviar mask being the top-selling item at over 600 million yuan [2] - The average selling price of makeup products decreased by 4.1% to 157 yuan per item due to bulk purchasing discounts [2] New Product Launches - Mao Geping entered the fragrance market with the launch of 13 "Wen Dao Dong Fang" series perfumes in late June, generating approximately 11.41 million yuan in revenue from 35,400 units sold [3] - The revenue from makeup artistry training and related sales reached 67.31 million yuan, but this segment saw a year-on-year decline of 5.82% [3] Margin Analysis - The gross margin for makeup products decreased by 0.9 percentage points to 82.7%, while skincare margins fell by 0.2 percentage points to 87.5% [5] - The gross margin for makeup artistry training dropped significantly by 9.5 percentage points to 62.9%, attributed to increased personnel costs from expanding the teaching staff [6] Stock Price Trends - Mao Geping's stock price peaked at 130.6 HKD per share in June but has since fallen to 94.35 HKD, a decline of nearly 30% [1][7] - The current price reflects a dynamic price-to-earnings (PE) ratio close to 50, which is considered high compared to peers like Proya [7] - The limited market size for makeup products and the lack of a clear "second growth curve" contribute to concerns about future growth potential [7]

Core Viewpoint - The company reported strong performance in the first half of 2025, with significant revenue and profit growth, indicating a positive outlook for the business. Group 1: Overall Performance - In H1 2025, the company achieved revenue of 2.59 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 31% [1] - Net profit for H1 2025 reached 670 million yuan, up 36% year-on-year [1] - Gross margin stood at 84.2%, slightly down by 0.7 percentage points year-on-year, while net margin improved to 25.9%, up 0.9 percentage points [1] Group 2: Segment Performance - Makeup segment revenue in H1 2025 was 1.42 billion yuan, growing by 31.1% year-on-year, driven by strong sales of key products [2] - Skincare segment revenue reached 1.09 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 33.4%, supported by high-performing products [2] - Fragrance segment generated revenue of 11.41 million yuan, showing strong performance from the "Wen Dao Dong Fang" series [2] - Makeup training revenue declined by 5.9% year-on-year to 67.31 million yuan [2] Group 3: Channel Performance - Offline revenue in H1 2025 was 1.224 billion yuan, up 26.6% year-on-year, with a total of 437 stores [3] - Online revenue reached 1.297 billion yuan, growing by 39% year-on-year, accounting for 51.4% of total revenue [3] - The company has 19 million members, a 53% increase year-on-year, with a repurchase rate of 26.8% [3] Group 4: Growth Drivers - The company is focusing on product innovation and international expansion, with new skincare and makeup lines launched in mid-2025 [3] - Plans for a research and development center in Hangzhou by the end of 2026 aim to support product diversification and market penetration [3] - The company is prioritizing entry into European and Asia-Pacific markets with localized teams and high-end channels [3] Group 5: Brand Positioning - The company is positioned as a leading domestic beauty brand, focusing on the mid-to-high-end makeup segment [4] - Strong brand premium and unique positioning in Oriental aesthetics contribute to long-term growth potential [4] - Profit forecasts for 2025-2027 are 1.184 billion, 1.542 billion, and 1.953 billion yuan, with corresponding PE ratios of 37, 29, and 23 [4]