Low Hog Prices Disrupted Profit, Hog Supply Expanding
发布时间:2024-06-16 来源:华泰金融(HK)
Low hog prices weighed on 2023 profits, capacity expanding
Hunan New Wellful’s attributable net profit (NP) was RMB-1.2bn for 2023, the loss widening yoy, mainly due to low hog prices and impairment provision. As it should still take time for costs to further reduce, our 2024/2025 profit estimates are RMB111/1,280mn and we project 2026 at RMB943mn. Given the company’s relatively abundant funds and orderly capacity expansion, we value the stock at 3.9x 2024E PB, above its peers’ average of 3.46x on Wind consensus. Our target price is RMB9.59. OVERWEIGHT.
4Q23 losses widened qoq, turning from profits in 4Q22
Revenue was RMB5.63bn for 2023, up 12.5% yoy after adjustment, mainly due to increased hog capacity. The merger with Tianxin Breeding has strengthened its advantage in breeding hogs, with hog supply up 75% yoy to 3.2mn for the year. The attributable NP was RMB-1.2bn, a widened loss yoy, primarily due to low hog prices in 2023 and credit impairment & asset impairment provision totaling RMB275mn. 1) Hogs: export/domestic business revenue was RMB134/3,620mn (-1.37/-39.5% yoy), with the GPM down 17.9/24.1pp yoy. The GPM for domestic business was -14.7%. 2) Slaughter: revenue was RMB680mn (-8.9% yoy), with a GPM of -0.85% (-4.4pp yoy). Low hog prices and weak consumption weighed on operations for the slaughter business. The company recorded a net loss of RMB454mn for 4Q23 (with an asset impairment provision of RMB108mn), turning to a loss yoy and worsening qoq.
Breeding inventory was 209.9k at end-2023, with ample funds
At end-2023, the company had 209,900 breeding sows, up by c 53,900 vs 156,000 at end-2022. Sow inventory was 284,000, indicating potential for further capacity expansion. The company has relatively abundant funds on hand, with monetary funds of RMB1.5bn at end-2023. Also, it has been gradually improving breed quality, replacing American breeds with high-yield French hogs. Furthermore, it is steadily improving breeding quality and enhancing operating efficiency, resulting in gradually declining breeding costs. In addition, its four subsidiaries, except Tianxin Breeding, achieved their respective profit targets set in the ‘Performance Commitment Compensation Agreement’ signed when acquiring Tianxin Breeding, and thus the original shareholders of Tianxin Breeding should make compensation of RMB83.97mn, in accordance with the agreement.
Risks: slower hog capacity recovery than we expect; African swine fever outbreaks; disappointing channel development; hog-price fluctuations.