HWORLD-S (01179) surged nearly 6% in early trading, reaching a 5.35% gain at press time to HK$31.92, with a turnover of HK$12.11 million.

The rally follows the company's launch of its new brand, "Ji Grand View," at the 2025 HWORLD Partners Conference on October 31. The event, themed "20 Years, A New Journey," featured speeches by Shen Yijun, CEO of HWORLD's Brand Business Unit and Group COO, and Zhou Guangming, Chief Designer of HWORLD.

Founder and Chairman Ji Qi highlighted favorable industry trends, including China's large population, infrastructure development, vast market potential, and booming cultural tourism sector. He emphasized that supply-side reforms present the greatest opportunity for the hotel industry's future.

Analysts at CICC reiterated their positive outlook, noting HWORLD's ongoing brand upgrades and expansion plans, targeting 20,000 hotels by 2030 and 50,000-60,000 in the long term. The firm's deepening presence in mid-to-high-end segments and lower-tier cities, coupled with its franchise model, is expected to enhance profitability. CICC maintained its 2025/26 earnings forecasts and raised the target price to $48, citing sector-wide valuation improvements.