Summary of Pharmaron (3759.HK) Earnings Review Company Overview - **Company**: Pharmaron (3759.HK) - **Market Cap**: HK$38.5 billion / $4.9 billion - **Industry**: Healthcare Services in China & Korea - **Rating**: Buy - **12-month Price Target**: HK$23.30 (current price: HK$21.68, upside: 7.5%) [1][6] Key Financial Highlights - **2Q25 Revenue**: Rmb3.34 billion, +13.9% year-over-year (y/y) [1] - **Adjusted Net Profit**: Rmb406 million, +15.6% y/y and +16.3% quarter-over-quarter (q/q) [1] - **Adjusted Net Margin**: Improved to 12.2% from 11.3% in 1Q25 [1] - **New Orders Growth**: +10% y/y in 1H25, with CMC services seeing +20% y/y growth [2][19] - **Capex**: Rmb1.15 billion in 1H25, on track to meet FY24 capex levels [2] Segment Performance - **Lab Services Revenue**: Rmb2.04 billion, +15.2% y/y and +9.6% q/q [3] - **CMC Services Revenue**: Rmb697 million, +17.4% y/y, with gross margin (GM) improving to 29.9% [21] - **Clinical Development Services Revenue**: Rmb492 million, +8.9% y/y, GM declined to 12.8% [21] - **Biologics and CGT Revenue**: Rmb113 million, -5.8% y/y, GM diluted to -42.4% [21] Geographic and Customer Analysis - **Revenue by Region**: North America (62% of revenue, +6% y/y), Europe (20%, +34% y/y), China (15%, +18% y/y) [19] - **Top 20 Pharma Clients**: Accounted for 21% of total revenue, +63% y/y [19] Guidance and Expectations - **FY25 Revenue Guidance**: Maintained at +10-15% y/y, with expectations for q/q growth in 2H25 [2] - **Free Cash Flow**: Management expects positive free cash flow for FY25 [2] Valuation and Risks - **Valuation Methodology**: Target prices based on a 3-year exit P/E of 20x and a discount rate of 10.5% [20][22] - **Key Upside Risks**: Accelerated revenue conversion, better-than-expected facilities ramp-up, improved order signing [20][22] - **Downside Risks**: US-China trade tensions, rising labor costs, slowdown in global pharma R&D spending [20][22] Investment Thesis - **Positioning**: Pharmaron is the second-largest pharma CRO/CMO platform in China, with resilient demand and potential margin expansion [23] - **Growth Drivers**: Higher GM for CDMO business, recovery of clinical CRO revenue, and narrowed losses in CGT business [23] Conclusion Pharmaron demonstrates strong financial performance with significant growth in revenue and profit margins, supported by robust demand in its service segments. The company maintains a positive outlook for FY25, with strategic investments and geographic expansion contributing to its growth trajectory. The investment thesis remains favorable, with a Buy rating reflecting confidence in the company's ability to navigate market challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Financial Performance - In Q1 2025, the Company reported revenue of RMB 2,671 million, a decrease of 16.0% compared to RMB 3,099 million in Q1 2024 [10] - Net profit for Q1 2025 was RMB 231 million, down 32.5% from RMB 306 million in Q1 2024 [10] - Non-IFRS net profit slightly decreased by 3.1% to RMB 339 million from RMB 349 million in Q1 2024 [10] - Net operating cash flow was RMB 746 million, a decline of 14.4% from RMB 853 million in Q1 2024 [10] Revenue Composition - Revenue from China entities accounted for 88%, while overseas subsidiaries contributed 12% [12] - Laboratory services generated 60% of total revenue, followed by small molecule CDMO services at 22%, and clinical development services at 14% [12] - Revenue from the top 20 pharmaceutical customers grew by 29.1%, while revenue from other customers increased by 14.0% [12] Growth Rates - New purchase orders (POs) achieved over 10% year-on-year growth in Q1 2025 [10] - Revenue from China entities grew by 15.7%, while overseas subsidiaries saw an 18.3% increase [12] - North America revenue increased by 16.8%, and EU revenue grew by 26.6% [12] Cost and Margin Analysis - Gross margin for laboratory services improved to 45.5% in Q1 2025 from 44.1% in Q1 2024, reflecting a 1.4 percentage point increase [14] - Gross margin for small molecule CDMO services rose to 30.4%, up 2.5 percentage points from 27.9% in Q1 2024 [15] - Clinical development services in China achieved a gross margin of 11.8%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from 9.3% in Q1 2024 [16] Future Outlook - The Company maintains a revenue growth guidance of 10-15% for 2025 [27] - Despite macroeconomic uncertainties, the Company believes in sustained industry development driven by healthcare demands and technological innovations [27]