Influenza triggers performance in the pharmaceutical sector, with YSB (09885) continuing to repurchase shares to demonstrate development confidence.

YSB (09885) continues to issue announcements on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, declaring the continuous repurchase of a total of 320,000 shares on January 6, 7, and 8, 2025, at a total price of 1.8156 million Hong Kong dollars. The board of directors believes that the current stock price is lower than the company's intrinsic value, failing to fully reflect the business prospects. Actively repurchasing shares not only indicates the company's confidence in its own business development, but also demonstrates the company's focus on shareholder interests. With the onset of the seasonal influenza period, recent monitoring data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows a continuous increase in the positivity rate of influenza viruses, with over 99% being Type A flu. It is expected that this winter and early spring will continue to see a variety of respiratory infectious diseases alternating or overlapping in prevalence. As the flu season approaches, the demand for anti-influenza antiviral drugs continues to rise, leading to growth opportunities for related pharmaceutical companies, and the pharmaceutical sector related to influenza themes is also experiencing an uptrend. An Industrial research report states that the stability and certainty of growth in the pharmaceutical industry remain unchanged, with the sector currently at historically low levels. The cyclical sector is expected to see a revival in 2025, and if economic fundamentals improve, the consumer healthcare sector (traditional Chinese medicine OTC, medical services, and pharmacy chains, etc.) is expected to rebound, indicating favorable pharmaceutical investment opportunities in 2025. Galaxy Securities' research report indicates that the pharmaceutical sector has undergone a prolonged period of adjustment, with overall valuations at relatively low levels and low public fund allocations. The pharmaceutical market is poised for recovery, with structural opportunities still existing. Data from the YSB platform shows a significant increase in sales of flu and respiratory infectious drugs in the recent period. With the onset of the winter flu season, the demand for related drugs has surged, driving strength in the Hong Kong pharmaceutical sector. As a leading provider of digital pharmaceutical distribution services outside of hospitals, YSB achieved its first profit in the first half of the year, and is expected to benefit from the flu season catalyzing company performance, with future performance worth anticipating.