Keda Group(600499) 光大证券·2025-04-29 14:41Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for the company [1] Core Views - The company has achieved significant revenue growth in 2024, with operating income reaching 12.6 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30% [5][6] - The net profit attributable to the parent company for 2024 was 1.01 billion yuan, reflecting a decline of 51.9% year-on-year, primarily due to the drop in lithium carbonate prices impacting profitability [5][6] - In Q1 2025, the company reported operating income of 3.77 billion yuan, up 47% year-on-year, with net profit attributable to the parent company increasing by 11.4% to 350 million yuan [5][7] Revenue Performance - In 2024, the company’s revenue from major business segments showed strong growth: machinery equipment, overseas building materials, and lithium battery materials generated revenues of 6.72 billion, 4.72 billion, and 880 million yuan, respectively, with year-on-year increases of 35.1%, 29.0%, and 19.2% [6] - The company’s domestic and overseas revenues were 4.57 billion and 8.02 billion yuan, respectively, with year-on-year growth of 18% and 38%, indicating that overseas business accounted for over 63% of total revenue [6] Profitability Analysis - The company’s gross margin and net margin for 2024 were 26.0% and 10.2%, down 3.29 and 16.68 percentage points year-on-year, respectively, due to the significant decline in profits from its associate, Blue Lithium Industry [8] - In Q1 2025, the gross margin improved slightly to 29.7%, while the net margin was 13.8%, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 2.83 percentage points [9] Cash Flow and Expenses - The company’s operating cash flow for 2024 was 557 million yuan, a decrease of 174 million yuan compared to the previous year [8] - The financial expense ratio increased significantly to 5.1% in Q1 2025 due to substantial exchange losses, while other expense ratios were well-controlled [9] Future Outlook - The company is expected to see gradual profit recovery in 2025, with revised net profit forecasts of 1.52 billion and 1.68 billion yuan for 2025 and 2026, respectively [11] - The company is actively expanding its overseas building materials business, with production bases established in multiple African countries and plans for further capacity increases [11]