China's CATL tops quarterly profit forecasts on robust energy storage business

BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) - Chinese battery ‌giant CATL ​reported stronger-than-expected ​second-quarter profit, driven by robust growth in its energy storage business that helped offset softer demand in the electric vehicle market.

Net profit ‌rose 36.5% year-on-year to 22.5 billion yuan ($3.32 billion) in the April-June ⁠quarter, according to a stock exchange filing on Friday, topping analysts' expectations for a 29.7% ‌increase, based on LSEG SmartEstimate ‌data.

Still, it was the weakest quarterly profit growth in over a year. Revenue rose 56.9% to 147.8 billion yuan in the second quarter, compared with ​a 52.5% increase in the January-March period.

CATL has identified energy storage as a main growth driver as the EV industry matures and battery makers grapple ⁠with intensifying competition and margin pressure.

The supplier to automakers including Tesla, BMW and Volkswagen held a 40.2% share ​of the global EV battery market in the January-May period, according to SNE Research.

Growth in the EV market has slowed, ​particularly in China, where a prolonged price war ‌has pressured automakers and suppliers alike.

CATL has accelerated its expansion in energy storage to capture rising demand from power grids ⁠and renewable energy projects. Its lithium-ion energy storage battery shipments nearly doubled in the first quarter, lifting its global market share to 29.9% from 26.9% a year earlier, SNE ⁠Research said.

The company has also stepped up its overseas expansion. In addition to battery plants in ​Germany and Hungary, CATL raised $5 billion in a Hong Kong listing in May, with proceeds earmarked largely for international expansion.

CATL's gross margin for energy storage batteries fell to 24.0% in ‌the first half from 25.5% a year earlier, while gross margin for EV batteries, still the company's largest business segment, ‌decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 20.6%.

The company also said on Friday that it ⁠plans to buy back its ‌A-shares worth 20 billion to ​40 billion yuan.

($1 = 6.7719 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Xiuhao Chen and Ju-min Park; Editing by Joe Bavier, ‌Kirsten Donovan)

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