Core Insights - The beauty industry in China is experiencing a significant performance divergence among leading companies, with a notable emphasis on quality improvement amidst a deep industry adjustment [1][2]. Group 1: Industry Performance - In the first half of 2025, retail sales of cosmetics in China increased by 2.9% year-on-year, with domestic brands capturing over 55% market share [2]. - Exports of cosmetics surged by 12% to 25.8 billion yuan, indicating strong overseas growth potential [2]. Group 2: Leading Companies - Leading companies like Proya, Mao Geping, and Shangmei continue to excel, while others like Huaxi Biological and Fulejia are lagging behind [2]. - Proya reported revenue of 5.362 billion yuan, a 7.21% increase, and a net profit of 799 million yuan, up 13.8% [4]. - Mao Geping achieved a revenue of 2.588 billion yuan, with a remarkable growth rate of 31.3%, and a net profit of 670 million yuan, reflecting a 36.1% increase [5]. - Shangmei's revenue reached 4.108 billion yuan, growing by 17.3%, with a net profit of 556 million yuan, up 34.7% [5]. - Juzhi Biological reported revenue of 3.113 billion yuan, a 22.5% increase, and a net profit of 1.182 billion yuan, up 20.2% [5]. Group 3: Underperforming Companies - Huaxi Biological reported a significant decline, with revenue dropping nearly 19.57% to 2.261 billion yuan and net profit falling 35.38% to 221 million yuan [6]. - Fulejia's revenue decreased by 8.15% to 863 million yuan, with a net profit decline of 32.54% to 230 million yuan, largely due to increased marketing expenses [9][11]. Group 4: Second-Tier Companies - Second-tier companies like Shanghai Jahwa, Marubi, and Shuiyang are showing improved performance [13]. - Shanghai Jahwa's revenue was 3.478 billion yuan, up 4.8%, with a net profit of 270 million yuan, increasing by 11.7% [14]. - Marubi achieved revenue of 1.769 billion yuan, a 30.83% increase, but net profit growth was only 5.21% [14]. - Shuiyang reported revenue of 2.5 billion yuan, a 9.02% increase, and a net profit of 123 million yuan, up 16.54% [14].

Core Viewpoint - The beauty industry in China is experiencing a significant performance divergence among leading companies, with a notable increase in quality, as evidenced by the half-year reports of domestic beauty brands [2]. Group 1: Leading Companies Performance - Leading beauty companies such as Proya, Mao Geping, and Shangmei continue to outperform, while Huaxi Biological and Fulejia are lagging behind [2][4]. - Proya reported a revenue of 5.362 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.21%, and a net profit of 799 million yuan, up 13.8%. However, its main brand experienced a slight revenue decline of 0.08% [5][6]. - Mao Geping, known as the "first stock of high-end domestic beauty," achieved a revenue of 2.588 billion yuan, with a net profit of 670 million yuan, both showing over 30% growth. The gross margin reached 84.2% [6]. - Shangmei's revenue was 4.108 billion yuan, growing 17.3%, with a net profit of 556 million yuan, up 34.7%. The "newpage" brand saw a revenue increase of 146.5% [6][7]. - Juzhi Biological reported a revenue of 3.113 billion yuan, a 22.5% increase, and a net profit of 1.182 billion yuan, up 20.2%, although growth rates have slowed compared to the previous year [7]. Group 2: Underperforming Companies - Huaxi Biological, referred to as the "first stock of hyaluronic acid," reported a revenue decline of 19.57% to 2.261 billion yuan and a net profit drop of 35.38% to 221 million yuan, marking its worst interim report since listing [9]. - The decline in Huaxi's revenue is attributed to a significant drop in its functional skincare business, which saw a 31.62% year-on-year decrease in 2024 [9]. - Fulejia's revenue was 863 million yuan, down 8.15%, with a net profit of 230 million yuan, a decrease of 32.54%. The company faced a substantial increase in sales expenses, which rose by 39.56% [11][12]. Group 3: Second-Tier Companies - Second-tier beauty companies such as Shanghai Jahwa, Marubi, and Shuiyang are showing improved performance [13][14]. - Shanghai Jahwa achieved a revenue of 3.478 billion yuan, a 4.75% increase, and a net profit of 266 million yuan, up 11.66%, attributed to online channel growth [15]. - Marubi reported a revenue of 1.769 billion yuan, a 30.83% increase, but its net profit only grew by 5.21%, indicating a potential profitability challenge [15][16]. - Shuiyang's revenue reached 2.5 billion yuan, a 9.02% increase, with a net profit of 123 million yuan, up 16.54%. The company is transitioning to a global high-end beauty brand management model [16].

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Add" [4] Core Views - The company reported a strong revenue growth of 30.83% year-on-year, reaching 1.769 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, but the net profit growth was lower than expected, increasing by only 5.21% to 186 million yuan [1][12] - The online channel showed impressive growth with a revenue increase of 37.85%, accounting for 88.87% of total revenue, while the offline channel faced challenges with a revenue decline of 7.07% [1][2] - The company is transitioning from a traditional cosmetics enterprise to a biotechnology cosmetics company, focusing on technological research and development, which enhances its competitive edge in the beauty market [11][12] Revenue and Profitability - In Q2 2025, the company achieved a revenue of 923 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 33.53%, but the net profit decreased by 23.08% to 51 million yuan [1] - The gross margin slightly decreased to 73.28% in Q2 2025, while the net margin fell significantly to 5.51% due to increased marketing expenses [3][10] - The company plans to maintain its previous profit forecasts, expecting net profits of 411 million yuan, 476 million yuan, and 537 million yuan for 2025, 2026, and 2027 respectively, with corresponding EPS of 1.03, 1.19, and 1.34 yuan per share [12][15] Channel and Product Strategy - The main brand, Marubi, generated 1.250 billion yuan in revenue, a 34.36% increase year-on-year, while the second brand, PL, achieved 516 million yuan, up 23.87% [2] - The company is focusing on a big product strategy, concentrating on core products to build a synergistic product matrix [2][11] Financial Forecast - The company is projected to have a revenue of 3.612 billion yuan in 2025, with a growth rate of 21.62%, and a net profit of 411 million yuan, reflecting a growth rate of 20.40% [12][15] - The price-to-earnings ratio is expected to decrease from 49.57 in 2024 to 41.17 in 2025, indicating a more attractive valuation over time [15]

Core Insights - The domestic beauty industry in China is entering a phase of deeper development, with market competition shifting from channel expansion to R&D innovation and precise positioning [1][2] - The performance of domestic beauty companies shows significant divergence, reflecting the competitive landscape and the impact of consumer awareness and purchasing power on functional skincare products [1][3] Company Performance - Shanghai Jahwa reported revenue of 3.48 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%, and a net profit of 270 million yuan, up 11.7% [2] - Marubi achieved revenue of 1.769 billion yuan, a 30.83% increase, with a net profit of 186 million yuan, growing by 5.21% [2] - Up Beauty Holdings expects revenue between 4.09 billion and 4.11 billion yuan, a growth of 16.8% to 17.3%, with net profit projected between 540 million and 560 million yuan, an increase of 30.9% to 35.8% [2] Market Trends - The functional skincare market in China is projected to reach approximately 48.743 billion yuan in 2024, with Betaini holding an 11.71% market share at 5.707 billion yuan [3] - The sensitive skin market is becoming a hot sector, with an expected consumer base nearing 100 million and a market size of around 45 billion yuan, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 21.7% over the past three years [4] Innovation and Consumer Demand - There is a growing emphasis on "skin-specific care" rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, with brands focusing on personalized solutions for different skin types [5] - The sensitive skin market faces challenges in achieving effective and gentle whitening solutions, as traditional ingredients often irritate sensitive skin [5] - Brands that can address advanced needs such as whitening and anti-aging while ensuring scientific validation will be better positioned to capture market share in this expanding sector [5]

Group 1 - The stock price of Marubi Biotechnology closed at 40.04 yuan on July 30, 2025, down 0.15% from the previous trading day, with a trading volume of 0.87 billion yuan and a turnover rate of 0.54% [1] - Marubi Biotechnology operates in the beauty care industry, focusing on anti-aging eye products, with main brands "Marubi" and makeup brand "PL Love Fire" [1] - The company is transitioning towards the biotechnology sector by restructuring its collagen research and plans to expand into the medical beauty and healthcare industries [1] Group 2 - Marubi Biotechnology has commenced construction of a Class III medical device pilot base in Zhuhai International Health Port, focusing on the research and industrialization of recombinant collagen [1] - The company has set a ten-year research plan aiming to obtain a registration certificate for injectable recombinant collagen Class III medical devices by 2026 [1] - In 2024, the company plans to invest 73.54 million yuan in research and development, employing 94 research personnel [1] Group 3 - On July 30, 2025, the net outflow of main funds for Marubi Biotechnology was 12.24 million yuan, accounting for 0.08% of the circulating market value [2]

Core Viewpoint - Guangdong Marubi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. reported a strong performance for 2024, with revenue reaching 2.97 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 33.44%, and net profit attributable to shareholders rising by 31.69% to 341.63 million RMB [1][3]. Financial Performance - Revenue for 2024 was 2,969,770,566.54 RMB, up from 2,225,594,089.54 RMB in 2023, marking a 33.44% increase [3]. - Net profit attributable to shareholders was 341,628,707.73 RMB, compared to 259,417,875.91 RMB in 2023, reflecting a 31.69% growth [3]. - The main brand, Marubi, achieved over 2 billion RMB in revenue, while the PL Lover brand approached 1 billion RMB [6][8]. Business Segments - Skincare remains the top revenue category, generating 2.4 billion RMB, while the eye care segment has dropped to the third position [18]. - The PL Lover brand saw a revenue increase of 40.72%, reaching 905 million RMB, marking a staggering growth of approximately 1271 times since 2019 [11][12]. Market Position and Strategy - Marubi has successfully transitioned from a three-year growth stagnation post-IPO to a robust growth phase, driven by the restructuring of collagen technology and dual-brand development [6][7]. - The company has focused on a big product strategy, with significant sales from key products like the peptide eye cream and collagen essence [17][20]. Sales Channels and Regional Performance - Online sales accounted for 2.54 billion RMB, a 35.77% increase, while offline sales rose by 20.79% to 427 million RMB [20]. - The South China region generated 2.16 billion RMB in revenue, a 41.06% increase, while the Northeast region experienced the fastest growth at 63.30% [21][22]. Competitive Landscape - Despite the positive financial results, Marubi lags behind competitors like Proya and Up Beauty in terms of revenue and brand scale, with a significant gap to close [24][25]. - The company's R&D investment was 74 million RMB, ranking second to last among the top 10 beauty companies, raising concerns about its long-term competitiveness [25][27].