EASPRING(300073) 中原证券·2024-04-06 16:00Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" investment rating for the company [2][5]. Core Views - The company's performance in 2023 met expectations, with revenue of 15.127 billion yuan, a year-on-year decline of 28.86%, and a net profit of 1.924 billion yuan, down 14.80% year-on-year [2][4]. - The lithium battery materials business faced short-term pressure, but there is an expectation for growth in shipment volumes in 2024 due to increasing demand from the electric vehicle market [3][4]. - The company is positioned as a leader in lithium battery cathode materials, with a focus on high-end markets and partnerships with major global players [3][4]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In 2023, the company achieved a gross margin of 18.06%, an increase of 0.66 percentage points year-on-year [4]. - The fourth quarter saw a revenue of 2.584 billion yuan, a quarter-on-quarter decline of 37.62% [2][4]. - The company’s effective production capacity was 83,000 tons, with a utilization rate of 73.30% [3]. Market Outlook - The report highlights a significant growth in China's new energy vehicle sales, which reached 9.4481 million units in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 37.48% [2][3]. - The company is expected to benefit from the ongoing expansion of the electric vehicle market and the associated demand for cathode materials [3][4]. Strategic Initiatives - The company is actively pursuing the construction of a new materials industrial base in Europe, with a planned capacity of 500,000 tons [4]. - A joint venture has been established with Finnish companies to develop a new materials base, which is expected to enhance the company's presence in the European market [4][5]. Earnings Forecast - The forecast for diluted earnings per share (EPS) is 2.49 yuan for 2024 and 3.02 yuan for 2025, with corresponding price-to-earnings (PE) ratios of 17.32 and 14.30 based on the closing price of 43.15 yuan [5][6].