Zitong Financial App News, New higher Education Group (02001) announcedFor the whole of 2017, the group achieved income and other income and gains of 543 million yuan (RMB, the same below), an increase of 35.1 percent over the same period last year; profit from continuing business of 233 million yuan, an increase of 111.1 percent over the same period last year; core net profit of 259 million yuan, an increase of 99.5 percent over the same period last year; and basic earnings per share of 0.17 yuan, with a proposed final dividend of 0.025 yuan per share.

In the 2017 and 2018 academic year, the total number of enrolled students reached 5.80, an increase of 24.9 per cent from about 46500 in the 2016 / 2017 academic year.

In terms of future prospects, the company's development strategy includes: first, through mergers and acquisitions of schools, specifically, the group has set up an investment team, which is directly managed by the senior vice president of the group, and the investment team is responsible for identifying and evaluating potential M & A targets across the country. The Group plans to focus on mergers and acquisitions in the central, western and northeast of China, because the enrollment rate of higher education in these areas is lower than the national average, especially in the economically developed areas of China.

Second, expand the capacity of existing schools, the group will continue to expand the capacity of existing schools. Both Yunnan and Guizhou schools have a large area of reserved land that can be used for further expansion. The Northeast School and the Central China School also have a large reserve of land, which can be developed after the acquisition of the two schools.

Third, self-built schools, the group aims to restore the successful model of two self-built schools to new self-built schools, and take the areas where the enrollment rate of higher education is lower than the national average enrollment rate as the key areas of self-built schools.

To further optimize income and other sources of income, first, to increase tuition and accommodation fees, and second, to increase the cost of examination and training.