Summary of Eastroc Beverage Earnings Review Company Overview - **Company**: Eastroc Beverage (605499.SS) - **Industry**: Beverage Industry Key Financial Performance - **1H25 Results**: Sales and Net Profit (NP) grew by **34%** and **31%** year-over-year (yoy) in Q2, aligning with preliminary results [1] - **Point of Sale (PoS) Coverage**: Guozhicha reached approximately **1.8 million** PoS, covering over **40%** of total PoS (around **4.2 million** as of end-Q2) [1] - **Refrigerator Installations**: Completed the full-year target of adding **80,000 to 100,000** refrigerators in the first half of 2025, increasing the installation base to around **400,000** from **300,000** at the end of 2024 [1] Growth Strategy - **Product Diversification**: Focus on energy drinks' regional expansion, particularly in northern China, and targeting new customer groups such as white-collar workers and students [1][6] - **Branding Investment**: Plans to maintain advertising and sponsorship for Bushuila and increase marketing for Guozhicha, supported by favorable sugar cost trends [1] - **International Expansion**: Targeting Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, with local plant site selection in progress [1] Market Dynamics - **Competition**: Management views heightened competition in the beverage market as normal and is confident in steady expansion of energy drinks [6] - **Regional Growth**: Northern China is identified as a growth engine with sales increasing by over **70%** yoy from a low base [6] New Product Development - **Guozhicha**: Significant growth potential noted since its launch in February, attributed to strong channel profitability and effective customer promotions [7] - **Capacity Expansion**: Plans to expand capacity at four existing factories to meet rising demand and improve distribution efficiency [7] Financial Projections - **Earnings Revisions**: Minor adjustments to topline estimates for 2025-2027, with a slight decrease in SG&A expense ratio estimates by approximately **1 percentage point** [7] - **Price Target**: Maintained at **Rmb 351**, with the stock trading at **33x/26x** 2025E/2026E P/E, reflecting a **28%** NP growth from 2024 to 2027 [12] Risks and Challenges - **Key Risks**: Include lower industry growth in energy drinks, competitive landscape deterioration, slower product ramp-up, potential capacity shortages, and rising raw material costs [13] Conclusion - **Investment Recommendation**: The company is rated as a "Buy" with a target price indicating a potential upside of **22.4%** from the current price [14]

Investment Rating - The report indicates a preference for Beverage, followed by Pet Foods, Beer, and Dairy, with specific stock ideas highlighted for Eastroc, Tingyi/CR beverage, and Tsingtao-H [9][10]. Core Insights - The industry is experiencing a bumpy recovery in demand, particularly in the spirits, beer, and dairy sectors, with recent policy changes impacting consumption sentiment [1][3]. - Emerging channel shifts, such as instant shopping and discounter channels, are gaining traction, although their overall contribution to the staples universe remains small [1][8]. - Profitability resilience is supported by cost deflation and agile investment strategies, with companies focusing on margin visibility amid muted demand trends [1][9]. Demand Recovery - The demand recovery in Q2 has been lackluster, with notable declines in spirits and dairy products, while beer performance varies across brands [2][11]. - Retail performance has been conservative, with spirits and dairy showing year-over-year declines, particularly in the upper mid-end segments [2][11]. - The beverage sector shows solid volume momentum, although mixed performance is noted across brands [2][11]. Policy Impact - Recent policy tightening on alcohol consumption has created headwinds for spirits and beer companies, particularly affecting high-end catering and on-trade consumption [3][6][34]. - The government has implemented regulations prohibiting the serving of alcoholic drinks during working meals, impacting consumption sentiment during peak seasons [3][6][34]. Emerging Trends - There is a notable shift towards discounter channels and instant shopping platforms, with companies customizing products to meet rising demand [8][10]. - The pet food and beverage categories are experiencing positive product cycles, contributing to growth despite overall market challenges [7][41]. Pricing and Cost Trends - Pricing pressures persist across various sectors, with dairy and beverages introducing more value-for-money products in response to declining raw milk prices [12][36]. - Cost benefits from declining commodity prices are expected to support margin resilience across multiple sectors, including beer and dairy [7][12]. Company Performance - Companies like Yili and Mengniu are facing weak demand trends in UHT liquid milk, while fresh milk and chilled yogurt categories are performing better [38]. - CR Beer and Chongqing Brewery are focusing on in-home consumption and premiumization strategies to counteract weak on-trade demand [35][40]. - The pet food sector remains strong, with companies like China Pet expecting significant year-over-year growth driven by new product launches [41].