CHINA OVERSEAS(00688) 光大证券·2024-12-03 01:50Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for China Overseas Development (0688.HK) [3] Core Views - The company has shown a significant improvement in sales, with a total sales amount of 270.4 billion yuan for the period from January to November 2024, representing a year-on-year decline of 5.8%, which is an improvement compared to the previous months [1] - The company is focusing on acquiring core land reserves in first-tier cities, with a total land acquisition cost of 23.5 billion yuan from January to October 2024, a decrease of 78.5% year-on-year [1] - The average selling price of the company's properties increased by 14.1% year-on-year to 26,471 yuan per square meter, driven by the sales growth of high-end properties in core cities [1] Summary by Sections Sales Performance - The company achieved a total sales amount of 270.4 billion yuan from January to November 2024, with a notable recovery in sales in October and November, where sales increased by 66.0% and 30.7% year-on-year respectively [1] - The company ranked second in the "Top 100 Real Estate Companies" sales list by CRIC, outperforming the industry average decline of 32.9% [1] Land Acquisition Strategy - The company has increased its focus on acquiring land in first-tier cities, with 57.8% of the total land acquisition cost of 13.6 billion yuan allocated to first-tier cities [1] - Recent land acquisitions include a residential plot in Shanghai for 3.65 billion yuan and a group plot in Beijing for 15.33 billion yuan [1] Financial Performance - For the first three quarters of 2024, the company reported a revenue of 109.58 billion yuan, a decrease of 6.7% year-on-year, with a significant drop in the third quarter revenue by 19.8% [1] - The operating profit for the first three quarters was 18.18 billion yuan, down 19.6% year-on-year, with an operating profit margin of 16.6%, reflecting continued pressure on profit margins [1] Earnings Forecast and Valuation - The earnings per share (EPS) forecast for 2024-2026 has been adjusted to 2.24 yuan, 2.34 yuan, and 2.50 yuan respectively, with corresponding price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios of 5.6, 5.3, and 5.0 times [2][3] - The report expresses optimism about the company's ability to increase market share and enhance competitiveness in high-end residential development, maintaining the "Buy" rating [1][3]