Optical Fiber and Offshore Business to Fuel Profit Growth
发布时间:2026-05-18 来源:华泰证券
Zhongtian Technology reported 2025 revenue of RMB52.5bn(+9.24%YoY;2024 results were restated),attributable NP of RMB2.9bn(+2.25%YoY),and ex-nonrecurring net profit of RMB2.7bn(+6.37%YoY).4Q25 revenue reached RMB14.5bn(+5.70%YoY,+1.05%QoQ)and attributable NP reached RMB564mn(+6.90%YoY,-26.84%QoQ).1Q26 revenue was RMB13.1bn(+34.71%YoY,-9.52%QoQ),attributable NP reached RMB919mn(+46.42%YoY,+62.97%QoQ),and ex-nonrecurring net profit was RMB825mn(+38.20%YoY).We are optimistic on rapid business growth based on:1)The optical communications business benefiting from improving sector supply-demand,with strong revenue and profit growth in 1Q26;2)Revenue recognition in the offshore segment accelerating,with overseas orders and 500kV projects supporting growth momentum.Maintain BUY.
Optical fiber at aturning point;offshore growth to sustain
By segment in 2025,business growth diverged across categories:1)Power-related business was the main growth driver,with grid construction revenue of RMB22.3bn(+12.53%YoY)and offshore products revenue of RMB6.3bn(+74.25%YoY).As of 2025,the company's offshore business order backlog reached RMB12.1bn,with 500kV projects continuing to be delivered.2)The communications business declined,with optical communications and networks revenue of RMB7.4bn(-8.94%YoY),mainly because optical fiber and cable prices had not yet recovered in 1-3Q25.By region,the company's overseas revenue share in 2025 rose 2.06pp YoY to 17.31%.Since 2026,the core optical communications business has seen both volume and price gains driven by improving fiber and cable industry conditions.Against the backdrop of continued demand growth across AI compute,drones and telecom,the company is expanding capacity,which we expect to support rapid revenue and profit growth in optical communications.
Expect margins to expand sequentially
The company has delivered YoY increases in profit margins for two consecutive quarters in 4Q25 and 1Q26.4Q25 gross margin reached 11.95%,up by 1.16pp YoY,and 1Q26 gross margin reached 15.58%,up by 0.98pp YoY,mainly due to ahigher share of high-margin products such as optical communications and offshore products.Provided fiber and cable ASPs continue to rise and production costs remain stable,we expect gross margin will continue to expand quarter by quarter.4Q25 attributable net margin reached 3.88%,up by 0.05pp YoY,and 1Q26 attributable net margin reached 6.99%,up by 0.56pp YoY.Expenses are well controlled,with the 2025/1Q26 expense ratio down by 0.44pp/0.43pp YoY.
Earnings forecast and valuation
We are optimistic on investment opportunities in the optical fiber and cable sector.On the demand side,AI data center build-out and drone applications are driving rapid fiber consumption growth.On the supply side,preform capacity is constrained by an 18-24 month expansion cycle and already high utilization,so the supply deficit continues to widen and the industry is moving from recovery to full-blown upcycle.The company has integrated preform-fiber-cable production capability and aleading share in preform capacity,positioning it to benefit from earnings expansion as industry prices rise.Given the marked improvement in fiber and cable industry conditions since 2026,we revise our 2026/2027/2028E forecast with attributable NP of RMB7.4bn/RMB9.2bn/RMB10.8bn(vs.our prior 2026/2027 forecast of:RMB4.9bn/RMB5.8bn,+50.57%/+59.87%).Referencing its peers’average 2026E P/E of 22.75x on Wind consensus,we apply 22.75x 2026E P/E,rendering atarget price of RMB49.05(previous:RMB18.42).Maintain BUY.