Blue Lotus Research Institute

Andy Fu

China growth and global non-US Internet equities

Blue Lotus Research is a Hong Kong Type 4 Licensed investment advisory firm focusing on Chinese growth equities and global non-US Internet equities

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>2025's Chinese New Year (CNY)  closed with a bang. Home appliances, mobile phones and general merchandises were robust.  Catering saw steady growth and box office hit a record high;</li>
<li>Domestic travel was vibrant. So was inbound overseas travel. But outbound overseas travel was in the doldrums on several unfavorable incidents involving kidnapping in Thailand and flu in Japan; </li>
<li>We predict a 65% chance of a housing resurrection post CNY.  We observe an improvement in consumer sentiment as life gradually returning to normal. </li>
</ul>


2025's Chinese New Year (CNY)  closed with a bang. Home appliances, mobile phones and general merchandises were robust.  Catering saw steady growth and box office hit a record high;
Domestic travel was vibrant. So was inbound overseas travel. But outbound overseas travel was in the doldrums on several unfavorable incidents involving kidnapping in Thailand and flu in Japan; 
We predict a 65% chance of a housing resurrection post CNY.  We observe an improvement in consumer sentiment as life gradually returning to normal. 


2025's Chinese New Year Consumption Tiltering Towards the Positive

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Tracking Traffic

Focusing on Asian logistics, transportation, and travel companies

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Q424 volume growth for J&amp;T's two main segments accelerated -- but how'd they do it?</li>
<li>In Chinese domestic segment last year, J&amp;T gained share vs market leader ZTO Express</li>
<li>We believe J&amp;T's volatile growth patterns could indicate painful price-volume tradeoffs</li>
</ul>


Q424 volume growth for J&amp;T's two main segments accelerated -- but how'd they do it?
In Chinese domestic segment last year, J&amp;T gained share vs market leader ZTO Express
We believe J&amp;T's volatile growth patterns could indicate painful price-volume tradeoffs


ZTO FY24 & J&T Global Q424 Volume Growth Rates Suggest Painful Price-Volume Tradeoffs Continue

China New Economy Equity Analyst, Blue Lotus Research Institute

Robert McKay

China New Economy Equity Analyst

<ul>
<li>Despite being breakeven just quarters ago, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-logistics-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31500:1" rel="noopener">JD Logistics (2618 HK)</a> has achieved profitability on par with global peers nearly 3x its size. Margin still has upside with further subsidiary integration;</li>
<li>JDL is still positioned to accelerate revenue by taking share from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-f-holding" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:44093:1" rel="noopener">S.F. Holding (6936 HK)</a> in untapped opportunities, including domestic B2C (Taobao/Tmall), cross-border B2C (Kuayue acquisition), and B2B;</li>
<li>JDL's stock price rose 60%+ while it was our top pick for 2024. We reiterate the company as our TOP buy idea in the China logistics space for 2025;</li>
</ul>


Despite being breakeven just quarters ago, JD Logistics (2618 HK) has achieved profitability on par with global peers nearly 3x its size. Margin still has upside with further subsidiary integration;
JDL is still positioned to accelerate revenue by taking share from S.F. Holding (6936 HK) in untapped opportunities, including domestic B2C (Taobao/Tmall), cross-border B2C (Kuayue acquisition), and B2B;
JDL's stock price rose 60%+ while it was our top pick for 2024. We reiterate the company as our TOP buy idea in the China logistics space for 2025;


China Logistics (Part 2): All JD Logistic Roads Lead Back to S.F. Express

<ul>
<li>ZTO's market share losses may accelerate as peers continue to cut prices. Worse yet, margins of its competitors are improving, which will sustain the war for a longer time;</li>
<li>ZTO has maintained profitability growth despite the price war, but we think this situation is unsustainable. Management will eventually need to sacrifice profitability or suffer accelerated share loss. </li>
<li>We now take a more bearish view on ZTO as we see no quick solution to the profit and market share balancing act. </li>
</ul>


ZTO's market share losses may accelerate as peers continue to cut prices. Worse yet, margins of its competitors are improving, which will sustain the war for a longer time;
ZTO has maintained profitability growth despite the price war, but we think this situation is unsustainable. Management will eventually need to sacrifice profitability or suffer accelerated share loss. 
We now take a more bearish view on ZTO as we see no quick solution to the profit and market share balancing act. 


China Logistics (Part 1): ZTO Has a Unit Economics Problem

<ul>
<li>Volume growth &amp; price declines both moderated in November vs preceding months</li>
<li>We believe most express companies should be experiencing margin expansion in Q424</li>
<li>We finish with a review 2024's winners and losers in China's ecomm fulfillment space</li>
</ul>


Volume growth &amp; price declines both moderated in November vs preceding months
We believe most express companies should be experiencing margin expansion in Q424
We finish with a review 2024's winners and losers in China's ecomm fulfillment space


Monthly Chinese Express Tracker | November Volume, ASPs | Review of YTD Performance (December 2024)

China

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. operates as an express delivery company. The Company provides express delivery service through their nationwide network, as well as other value-added logistics services. ZTO Express serves customers globally.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

ZTO Express Cayman (2057 HK)

2025's Chinese New Year Consumption Tiltering Towards the Positive

China's spring festival goods consumption sees solid growth and domestic tourism service thrives. Consumer sentiment increases slightly but income...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

ZTO FY24 & J&T Global Q424 Volume Growth Rates Suggest Painful Price-Volume Tradeoffs Continue

Early Q424 reports from J&T Global and ZTO Express suggest that the former company is still using price to take volume share. Meanwhile, ZTO's sub...

Tracking Traffic

China Logistics (Part 2): All JD Logistic Roads Lead Back to S.F. Express

JD Logistics has achieved profitability on par with global peers nearly 3x its size, with upside potential in margins and opportunities to...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

China Logistics (Part 1): ZTO Has a Unit Economics Problem

ZTO faces increasing market share losses and margin pressure as competitors cut prices, leading to a more bearish outlook on the company's future...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Monthly Chinese Express Tracker | November Volume, ASPs | Review of YTD Performance (December 2024)

Year-over-year parcel volume growth and price declines both moderated somewhat in November. We believe most Chinese express companies are...

Tracking Traffic

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

2025's Chinese New Year Consumption Tiltering Towards the Positive

​China's spring festival goods consumption sees solid growth and domestic tourism service thrives. Consumer sentiment increases slightly but income...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

ZTO FY24 & J&T Global Q424 Volume Growth Rates Suggest Painful Price-Volume Tradeoffs Continue

Early Q424 reports from J&T Global and ZTO Express suggest that the former company is still using price to take volume share. Meanwhile, ZTO's sub...

Tracking Traffic

China Logistics (Part 2): All JD Logistic Roads Lead Back to S.F. Express

​JD Logistics has achieved profitability on par with global peers nearly 3x its size, with upside potential in margins and opportunities to...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

China Logistics (Part 1): ZTO Has a Unit Economics Problem

​ZTO faces increasing market share losses and margin pressure as competitors cut prices, leading to a more bearish outlook on the company's future...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Monthly Chinese Express Tracker | November Volume, ASPs | Review of YTD Performance (December 2024)

Year-over-year parcel volume growth and price declines both moderated somewhat in November. We believe most Chinese express companies are...

Tracking Traffic

China's spring festival goods consumption sees solid growth and domestic tourism service thrives. Consumer sentiment increases slightly but income...

JD Logistics has achieved profitability on par with global peers nearly 3x its size, with upside potential in margins and opportunities to...

ZTO faces increasing market share losses and margin pressure as competitors cut prices, leading to a more bearish outlook on the company's future...