Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the performance and strategic decisions of Nikkoh Chemical, highlighting its leading position in the plastic and rubber additives industry, while also addressing the challenges and implications of its recent investments and stock incentive plans [4][26]. Financial Performance - In 2024, the company's total revenue reached approximately 3.52 billion, a year-on-year increase of 38.64% compared to 2.54 billion in 2023 [5]. - The chemical industry contributed 95.36% of the total revenue, with ACR series products accounting for 49.17% and ACM series products for 34.87% of the revenue [5]. - The company experienced a significant increase in revenue in Q1 2025, with a 54% rise to 900 million [6]. Profitability Challenges - Despite revenue growth, the company's profit margins declined, with ACM series products' gross margin dropping by 8.7 percentage points into negative territory, and ACR series products' gross margin decreasing by 3.6 percentage points [8]. - The decline in margins is attributed to intense competition in the ACM product line and the ramp-up of new production capacities, which led to increased costs and lower utilization rates [10][12]. Production and Capacity Expansion - The company reported a 20%+ increase in both sales and production volumes for its main products, aligning with revenue growth [15]. - Fixed asset depreciation rose significantly from 3.43 million in 2023 to 20.75 million in 2024, indicating increased capital expenditures for capacity expansion [16]. - The company’s fixed assets increased dramatically, with a total of 26.5 billion by the end of 2024, marking a substantial investment in new production capabilities [19]. Stock Incentive Plan - The company announced a stock incentive plan involving 4.15% of its shares to incentivize key personnel in its newly acquired computing power leasing business, which has raised concerns about the appropriateness of such incentives given the company's current financial performance [26][30]. - The performance targets set for the stock incentives are perceived as lenient, focusing solely on revenue growth without considering profitability [29][32]. Strategic Concerns - The acquisition of a controlling stake in Carbon Technology for 110 million is viewed as a superficial move to appease investors, with the stock incentive plan further complicating the company's strategic direction [31]. - There are internal dissenting opinions regarding the company's foray into the computing power sector, with concerns about the lack of experience and the potential risks associated with this new business line [33].