CHINA RES GAS(01193) 交银国际·2025-03-31 08:41Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is Neutral with a target price of HKD 20.80, indicating a potential downside of 26.2% from the current price of HKD 28.20 [1][4][17]. Core Insights - The company's operational and profit growth for 2024 is under pressure, necessitating a rebalancing of its future profit structure [2]. - The core profit for 2024 is expected to be significantly below market expectations, with a forecast of HKD 4.15 billion, which is 30% lower than previous estimates [7]. - The company has seen a 20% year-on-year decrease in residential connections, which is a major factor contributing to the disappointing earnings [7]. - Despite a 67% increase in interim dividends, the final dividend is expected to drop by 30% due to weaker performance in the second half of the year [7]. - The company is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of only 6% in profits from 2024 to 2027 [7]. Financial Overview - Revenue is projected to grow from HKD 101.27 billion in 2023 to HKD 111.29 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 3.2% [3][18]. - Net profit is expected to decline from HKD 5.22 billion in 2023 to HKD 4.99 billion in 2027, reflecting a downward trend in profitability [3][18]. - The earnings per share (EPS) is forecasted to increase gradually from HKD 1.79 in 2023 to HKD 2.16 in 2027, with a notable adjustment of -32.5% for 2025 [3][18]. - The company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is projected to decrease from 15.7 in 2023 to 13.1 by 2027, indicating a declining valuation trend [3][18]. Operational Data - The residential gas sales volume is expected to grow from 9.44 million cubic meters in 2023 to 12.01 million cubic meters by 2027, with a growth rate of 3.3% [10]. - The company anticipates a decrease in new residential connections, projecting 2.30 million in 2025, down 14% from the previous year [10]. - The retail gas margin is expected to stabilize at RMB 0.54 per cubic meter by 2025 [10].