Inventory Write-Down Provision Weighed on Earnings Growth
发布时间:2026-05-22 来源:华泰证券
Humon Smelting's 1Q26 revenue/attributable net profit(NP)/recurring attributable NP were RMB32,869/182/83mn(+73.37/+14.56/-70.89%YoY).The sharp decline in recurring earnings was mainly due to aRMB482mn inventory write-down provision caused by metal price fluctuations at period-end.Excluding this impact,core business profitability improved YoY.Looking ahead,we expect earnings to recover as the complex gold concentrate multi-element recovery project advances and the Liaoshang gold mine expands capacity.Maintain OVERWEIGHT.
Inventory write-down dragged on core profitability
The company's 1Q26 gross margin declined by 0.16pp YoY to 3.04%,which we attribute mainly to metal price volatility and pressure from raw material costs.The overall expense ratio fell by 0.74pp YoY to 0.78%,indicating effective cost control.Among them,sales expenses decreased by 19.37%YoY to RMB10mn,administrative expenses fell by 8.97%YoY to RMB127mn,and R&D expenses declined by 48.38%YoY to RMB29mn due to reduced R&D project investment.Financial expenses rose by 10.96%YoY to RMB90mn,mainly reflecting the impact of sharp metal price fluctuations on borrowing scale.Non-recurring gains and losses had asignificant impact,totaling RMB99mn,mainly including RMB83mn fair value gains from temporary raw material pricing arrangements and RMB24mn gains from equity disposal.Excluding the impact of inventory write-down provisions,the recurring NP improved YoY,reflecting stable and improving underlying profitability in the core business.
Higher prices and sales volume offset margin pressure
According to company disclosures and industry data,the gold production from domestic/imported raw materials reached 381.34/170.68 tonnes in 2025(+1.09/+8.81%YoY).The company's strong 1Q26 revenue growth was in our view mainly driven by higher product prices and sales volume,although the decline in metal prices at period-end resulted in alarge inventory write-down provision.Construction in progress increased by 33.35%QoQ,chiefly due to greater investment in the complex gold concentrate multi-element recovery project.After commissioning,the project could further enhance complex ore processing capability and rare and precious metal recovery efficiency.
Dual drivers from resource recycling and high-purity materials
Heading into 2026,the company continues advancing its strategy of'horizontal expansion and vertical extension,'aiming to fully commercialize valuable element recovery and achieve green zero-waste development.Operationally,the company is to consolidate its gold smelting core business,leverage its advantages in multi-metal recovery and comprehensive utilization,and enhance complex ore processing capabilities.Key projects include the complex gold concentrate multi-element recovery project and the Muping Liaoshang gold mine mining and processing expansion project,both targeted for commissioning on schedule.On the R&D side,backed by its existing foundation in rare and minor metals,the company is expanding into high-end materials manufacturing,focusing on high-purity arsenic,antimony,bismuth,tellurium,and related high-purity compounds.With the commissioning of the complex gold concentrate project and stabilization in metal prices,we expect earnings to recover sequentially.
Maintain OVERWEIGHT
We maintain our earnings forecasts and estimate 2026/2027/2028 EPS at RMB1.02/1.37/2.38.Considering the company's relatively strong earnings stability and scarcity value as alarge-scale smelting capacity player with potential resource injection expectations,we value the stock the at 19.18x 2026E PE,a 20%premium above its peers'average of 15.98x on Wind consensus,for our target price of RMB19.56(previous:RMB17.54,based on 17.2x 2026E PE).OVERWEIGHT.
Risks:Significant metal price volatility;further inventory write-down provisions;slower project construction progress than we expect;and risks related to overseas raw material procurement channels.