GAC GROUP(601238) 东方证券·2025-04-26 13:07Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of 8.82 CNY, based on a projected EPS of 0.49 CNY for 2025 and a comparable company PE average of 18 times [3][6]. Core Insights - The company's gross margin is under short-term pressure, primarily due to a decline in sales and increased promotional expenses amid intensified market competition [2][9]. - The first quarter performance met expectations, with a revenue of 19.65 billion CNY, a year-on-year decrease of 7.9%, and a net profit attributable to the parent company of -0.732 billion CNY, compared to 1.22 billion CNY in the same period last year [9]. - The company is accelerating the transformation of its joint venture brands towards electrification and intelligence, with significant new product launches expected to enhance market competitiveness [9]. - The company is deepening its collaboration with Huawei, aiming to reduce costs by approximately 10% by 2025 through internal reforms and integration of its brands [9]. Financial Summary - The company's projected financials indicate a revenue of 128,757 million CNY for 2023, with a forecasted decline to 106,798 million CNY in 2024, followed by a recovery to 116,686 million CNY in 2025 [5][10]. - The gross margin is expected to improve from 6.0% in 2023 to 7.0% in 2025, while the net profit margin is projected to rise from 3.4% to 4.3% over the same period [5][10]. - The earnings per share (EPS) is forecasted to be 0.43 CNY in 2023, dropping to 0.08 CNY in 2024, and then recovering to 0.49 CNY in 2025 [5][10].