Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Tracking Traffic

Focusing on Asian logistics, transportation, and travel companies

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Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Equity Bottom-Up

Chinese super app <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a> reported Q320 results earlier this week. Total revenue increased by 29% YoY in the period, but core Operating Profit declined by around 23% YoY, mainly due to growing losses in Meituan's New Initiatives segment. Meanwhile, Meituan's largest operating segment, Food Delivery, reported a 33% YoY jump in revenue, driven in part by a 61% increase in advertising and other revenue. However, margins on actual food delivery activity fell sharply compared to both Q319 and Q220. The reasons for the sharp dip in food delivery margins in Q320 are still unclear to us, but this crucial source of profits deserves close attention from investors, in our view. We also worry investors may be growing impatient with outsized losses in the New Initiatives segment.

Chinese super app Meituan (3690 HK) reported Q320 results earlier this week. Total revenue increased by 29% YoY in the period, but core Operating Profit declined by around 23% YoY, mainly due to growing losses in Meituan's New Initiatives segment. Meanwhile, Meituan's largest operating segment, Food Delivery, reported a 33% YoY jump in revenue, driven in part by a 61% increase in advertising and other revenue. However, margins on actual food delivery activity fell sharply compared to both Q319 and Q220. The reasons for the sharp dip in food delivery margins in Q320 are still unclear to us, but this crucial source of profits deserves close attention from investors, in our view. We also worry investors may be growing impatient with outsized losses in the New Initiatives segment.

Meituan: 'Delivery Margin' Dipped in Q3 | How Patient Will Investors Be with 'New Initiatives'?