Toll Road Acquisitions Drove Recurring NP Growth
发布时间:2026-04-02 来源:华泰证券
Anhui Expressway (AHE) has reported its 2025 results. On a restated basis, revenue was RMB6.7bn, down by 12.68% YoY, while the attributable NP was RMB1.89bn, down by 1.57% YoY, and the recurring NP was RMB1.8bn, up by 6.69% YoY. Excluding construction revenue, operating revenue rose by 13.41% YoY. The reported net profit of RMB1.89bn was broadly in line with our estimate of RMB1.90bn. On a non-restated basis, the attributable NP rose by 12.49% YoY in 2025, mainly because, 1) the company acquired Fuzhou and Sixu expressways and gained incremental earnings contribution, 2) Anhui optimized truck toll rates from 2Q25, and 3) favorable weather conditions supported traffic flow. The company plans to distribute a 2025 gross dividend of RMB0.66 per share, with the payout ratio maintained at 60%. This implies dividend yields of 4.3% for the A-shares and 5.2% for the H-shares. As equity market risk appetite has recently softened, the company’s dividend yield remains attractive. Maintain BUY.
Toll revenue growth mainly driven by new acquisitions
Toll revenue rose by 31% YoY in 2025 on a non-restated basis, mainly owing to the incremental contribution from the Fuzhou and Sixu expressway acquisitions. On a comparable basis, toll revenue rose by 13.3% YoY in 2025, mainly because,1) the Xuanguang expansion project was completed and opened to traffic, which drove toll revenue from Xuanguang, Guangci, and Guangde North up by 181% YoY, and 2) excluding Xuanguang-related sections, toll revenue from other road sections rose by 4.0% YoY, while growth was 6.6% in 1H25 and 1.5% in 2H25, mainly because weather conditions in 1Q25 were better than in the same period of 2024 and truck toll rates were optimized from April 2025. Among the key road sections, toll revenue on Hening and Gaojie rose by 7.5% and 0.5% YoY. Toll revenue on Lianhuo and Ningxuanhang fell by 3.6% and 10.8% YoY. Toll revenue on Ninghuai, Yuewu, and Anqing Bridge rose by 16.6%, 12.8%, and 8.3% YoY, mainly due to changes in the road network.
Depreciation, amortization, and maintenance costs picked up
The company’s gross profit increased by RMB544mn YoY in 2025 on a non-restated basis, of which the newly acquired Fuzhou and Sixu expressways contributed about 66% of the increment. On a comparable basis, gross profit increased by RMB215mn YoY in 2025. Gross profit growth of 7.8% was lower than toll revenue growth of 13.3%, mainly because depreciation and amortization costs after the opening of the Xuanguang expansion project rose by 28.4% YoY and maintenance costs related to the national inspection campaign rose by 33.7% YoY. In addition, the company recorded RMB11mn in fair-value gains in 2025, compared with a loss of RMB32mn in 2024, mainly because the decline in the CICC Anhui Traffic Control Expressway REIT, in which it holds a stake, narrowed. Toll revenue of the REIT’s underlying asset, the Yanjiang expressway, rose by 6.8% YoY in 2025. It also benefited from the opening of the Xuanguang expansion project and the optimization of truck toll rates.
Earnings forecasts and valuation
Considering the company's acquisition of a 7% stake in Shandong Expressway, which was completed in February 2026, we raise our attributable NP forecasts for 2026 and 2027 by 13% and 16% to RMB2.2bn and RMB2.0bn. We also introduce our 2028 forecast of RMB1.9bn. We continue to use a DCF valuation, with target prices of RMB18.70 for the A-share and HKD17.00 for the H-share, up from RMB17.9 and HKD14.9. We use WACC assumptions of 4.8% and 6.2%, compared with 5.1% and 6.8% previously. Within those, our equity IRR assumptions are 7.5% and 10.3%, compared with 6.6% and 9.4% previously.
Risks: weaker travel demand, larger road network changes than we expect, higher capex than we expect, and toll rate cuts.