China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (0144.HK) stock analysis

In our weekly check, China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited is graded C (A to F). Of 25 checks on debt, profit, cash flow and trend: 15 pass, warnings: 5, red flags: 5.

About China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited

China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited is an Industrials company (Marine Shipping) based in Hong Kong, listed on HKSE as 0144.HK.

What our checks show for 0144.HK

Red flags

• Operating profit does not cover the interest bill (0.4x): interest is paid from cash or new debt.
• The net margin fell by 21.9 points over 5 years, to 48.7%: the company keeps less of each sale as profit.
• The dividend takes 449% of profit: little cushion if profit falls.
• The stock has fallen as much as 86% from a peak. Would you have held through that?
• Return on capital (ROCE) is only 3.5%.

Warning signs

• Net debt is 3.4x a year of EBITDA (debt/equity 0.3). That limits room in a downturn and raises refinancing risk.
• Revenue grew only 2.1% a year over the last 3 years.
• Earnings per share fell 8.6% a year over the last 3 years.
• Net profit fell 6.7% a year over the last 3 years.
• The stock is still below its previous peak.

Strengths

• The gross margin is 48.7% and has risen by 3.9 points: pricing power is holding.
• Operating cash flow is 1.46x net profit: the profit arrives as real cash.
• Analysts expect the net margin to improve by 3.3 points from today's 48.7%.
• The company keeps 48.7% of its revenue as net profit.
• Free cash flow is 64.4% of revenue: cash for dividends, buybacks or growth.
• The price is 10.6 times earnings (P/E), reasonable for its growth.

Similar companies

0316.HK · 1138.HK · 1308.HK · 3816.KL · 601872.SS · 2609.TW

Questions

What grade does China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (0144.HK) have?

In our weekly check, China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited is graded C (A to F). Of 25 checks on debt, profit, cash flow and trend: 15 pass, warnings: 5, red flags: 5. The grade is a risk check, not a buy or sell recommendation.

What are the main risks of 0144.HK stock?

This week's biggest flags for China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited: Weak interest cover, Margins falling, Dividend stretched. In total 10 of 25 checks show a warning or a red flag.

What does China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited do?

China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited is an Industrials company (Marine Shipping) based in Hong Kong, listed on HKSE as 0144.HK.

The grade is a risk check, not a price forecast, and not investment advice. In our 10-year test (S&P 500, 2016-2026), stocks we graded A or B fell more than 30% 2-3 times less often than D or F, without a lower average return.

Updated 2026-10-31

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