1Q26 results: small molecule D&M fuelling overall growth
药明康德(603259)
WuXi AppTec released better-than-expected 1Q26 financial results. Revenuegrew by 28.8% YoY to RMB12.4bn with continuing operations revenue increasingby 39.4% YoY, while adj. non-IFRS attributable net profit surged 71.7% YoY toRMB4.6bn. 1Q26 revenue/ adj. net profit represent 24.1%/ 25.6% of our full-yearforecasts, respectively, significantly higher than the historical average of 18-20%.As of 1Q26, backlog for continuing operations grew by 23.6% YoY (+29% YoY ifexcl. FX fluctuations) to RMB59.8bn, with new orders signed in 1Q26 growing byover 25%. Mgmt. maintained full-year guidance, projecting 2026 revenue to reachRMB51.3-53.0bn, with revenue from continuing operations to grow by 18-22%YoY. Adj. net profit margin is expected to remain stable. Mgmt. indicated plans toraise the guidance in due course based on future business developments.
CRDMO model to capture global blockbuster opportunities. Within thismodel, drug discovery and development services continuously funnel projectsto downstream. The Company delivered +420,000 new compounds over thepast 12 months, converted 83 projects from R to D, and added nine new PhIIIand commercial projects in 1Q26. This funnel model, which covers a widerange of therapeutic areas and a large customer base globally, allows theCompany to identify industry trends and build capacity in advance. As aresult, this approach has enabled WuXi AppTec to capitalize on commercialopportunities for multiple global blockbuster products, including oral COVID-19 drugs and peptides/ small-molecule GLP-1 drugs. Benefiting from oralGLP-1 drugs, revenue from small molecule D&M surged by 80.1% YoY in1Q26, creating a new growth engine for the Company. As a natural extensionof CRDMO model, TIDES saw 1Q26 revenue growth impacted by the pacingof product deliveries, resulting in a modest 6.1% YoY increase. However,based on a robust backlog, mgmt. expects full-year revenue for this segmentto grow by ~40%, reflecting mgmt's confidence in the TIDES business.
Continued capacity expansion. Driven by growing global demand, WuXiAppTec plans to bring the construction of new Changzhou site ahead ofschedule, which will house both small molecule and TIDES capacity. Mgmt.targets the total solid-phase synthesis reactor volume to reach 130k liters bythe end of 2026, up from 100k liters at the end of 2025. Despite theuncertainties from the Middle East, the strategic cooperation agreementsigned with the Saudi government last Oct is proceeding as planned, a keycomponent of the Company's long-term strategy to build global capabilitiesand capacity. Mgmt. forecasts 2026 capex to be RMB6.5-7.5bn, representinga YoY increase of 17.3-35.4%. We believe that WuXi AppTec's mature globalCRDMO network and ongoing expansions will further reinforce its leadingposition in the global pharmaceutical outsourcing industry.
Maintain BUY. To factor into the strong momentum of small molecule D&Mbusiness, we lift our earnings forecasts, expecting revenue to grow by 15.2%/16.3%/ 14.8% YoY (for continuing operations: 20.6%/ 16.3%/ 14.8% YoY)and adj. net profit to grow by 26.2%/ 18.0%/ 15.8% YoY in 2026E/ 27E/ 28E,respectively. Hence, we raise our DCF-based TP from RMB133.00 toRMB143.00 (WACC: 9.39%, terminal growth: 2.00%; both unchanged).
