Haidilao's stock price surged 5.04% during intraday trading on Thursday, marking a significant upward movement for the Hong Kong-listed hotpot chain.

The rally was driven by news that veteran executive Yang Lijuan has officially returned to Haidilao to spearhead the company's "Red Pomegranate Plan," a multi-brand incubation strategy. Yang, who joined Haidilao in 1995 starting as a frontline server, is widely regarded as the company's most decorated operational leader and previously led successful turnaround initiatives.

Her return comes at a critical time when Haidilao's core hotpot brand faces pressure, while the Red Pomegranate Plan has already shown promising results with 20 restaurant sub-brands generating a 214.6% year-over-year revenue surge. Separately, Citi maintains a "Buy" rating on the stock with a target price of 19.3 HKD, citing growth potential from the company's strategic initiatives.