LI NING(02331) 长江证券·2025-04-07 10:47Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" and is maintained [8] Core Insights - The company reported a strong performance in its 2024 financial results, with total revenue of 28.68 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 3.01 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5.5%. The overall performance met the upper expectations, and after accounting for a new impairment of investment properties of 0.33 billion, the performance was considered to be above expectations [2][6] Summary by Relevant Sections Financial Performance - The gross profit margin improved steadily, with an operating profit margin (OPM) performance exceeding expectations. In 2024, the gross margin increased by 1 percentage point to 49.4%, driven by improvements in e-commerce and direct sales discounts [9] - The OPM for the second half of the year increased by 0.9 percentage points to 8.9%, and when excluding the impairment of investment properties, the OPM increased by 3.3 percentage points to 11.2% [9] Revenue and Growth - The company maintained a healthy growth in channels, with revenue growth aligning closely with sales growth across all channels. The offline new retail accounted for 85% of total sales, and the inventory turnover ratio was stable at four months [9] - The revenue growth trend appears positive, although increased expenses are anticipated. The company expects to see growth in bulk sales, but the divestment of overseas business, which accounts for 2% of total sales, has caused some drag [9] Future Outlook - Short-term revenue growth may be challenging due to significant expense increases related to Olympic sponsorship and associated marketing costs. The company is expected to balance expenses with growth, but short-term revenue growth may not be evident [9] - In the medium to long term, the company is focusing on optimizing operational quality and seeking growth opportunities amid intensified competition. The management has been working on improving operational efficiency, which may lead to a healthier growth trajectory in the future [9]