Bank of China International released a report stating that since Nike (NKE.US) lowered its profit guidance in June, it believes that Nike's problems are more severe than expected. On the one hand, it is believed that the brand's demand in the West and China will face challenges, which will require one to two years of readjustment. On the other hand, this will bring uncertainty to the company's suppliers' orders.
The bank expects downstream problems to be more severe, especially in China. At the same time, considering the resilience of upstream leaders in adjusting orders, a positive view is maintained on these companies. Therefore, confidence in the profitability of Shenzhou International (02313.HK) is maintained.
In terms of the downstream, the bank expects Anta (02020.HK) to be an indirect beneficiary of Nike's predicament, but considering the challenging retail environment in China, caution is advised in the short term on this stock.
The bank added that it is expected to be a challenging year for Topsports (06110.HK) until the end of February 2025, and its offline sales are expected to be far below the original expectations. According to the bank's latest estimate, its net profit for the fiscal year 2025 is expected to decline by 37% annually, and the second half of the fiscal year ending in February will be even more challenging. Its future profit recovery will depend on Nike's resilience and the speed of adjusting its business focus, such as accelerating the opening of stores for other brands. Considering the low visibility of Topsports' profitability, the rating has been downgraded from "buy" to "hold", and the target price has been reduced from 7.5 yuan to 2.5 yuan.
The bank's ratings and target prices for mainland sportswear stocks are as follows:
Stocks | Rating | Target price (HKD)
Anta (02020.HK) | Buy | 94.8 yuan
Li Ning (02331.HK) | Hold | 13.1 yuan
Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited Unsponsored ADR (02313.HK) | Buy | $93
Topsports (06110.HK) | Buy -> Hold | $7.5 -> $2.5
Li Ning (01368.HK) | Buy | $6.2