世纪华通公告称，公司于2025年12月31日召开董事会，审议通过以集中竞价交易方式回购股份预案。回 购资金不低于3亿元、不超6亿元，回购价不超25.97元/股，用于股权激励或员工持股计划。按上限测 算，预计回购约2310.36万股，占总股本0.3135%；按下限测算，预计回购约1155.18万股，占0.1567%。 回购期限为12个月。公司提示了资金筹措、股价超上限等风险。 ...

世纪华通公告称，2025年12月24日，公司董事长王佶提议回购股份。截至提议日，王佶直接和间接合计 持有公司14.72%股份。他基于对公司发展前景的信心，提议用自有或自筹资金，以集中竞价交易方式 回购公司A股股份，用于实施股权激励或员工持股计划。回购资金不低于3亿元且不超过6亿元，价格不 高于董事会通过决议前30个交易日股票交易均价的150%，实施期限为董事会审议通过方案之日起12个 月内。公司于2025年召开董事会，已审议通过回购预案。 ...

Core Insights - The global mobile gaming market is projected to grow steadily, with total revenue increasing by 0.5% year-on-year and total downloads rising by 4.6% in 2025, indicating a continuous expansion of market size [2][4]. Group 1: Company Performance - Century Huatong's game "Whiteout Survival" has shown remarkable performance, ranking 4th in global mobile game revenue for 2025, with a strong annual growth rate of approximately 50%, making it the top growth champion in the $1 billion revenue tier [1][4]. - "Kingshot," another title from Century Huatong, debuted in 2025 and achieved a revenue ranking of 14th, becoming the only new game to make it to the top 30 revenue list for the year [1][6]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The top 30 global mobile games list includes 8 titles that surpassed $1 billion in revenue, showcasing the competitive landscape of the mobile gaming industry [2]. - "Whiteout Survival" has established a solid foundation in key markets such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with revenue in Japan experiencing a doubling growth [4][6]. Group 3: Strategic Insights - Century Huatong's success is attributed to its data-driven "research, operation, and development" integrated system, which has created a competitive and differentiated product matrix, enhancing overseas business quality and efficiency [7]. - The company aims to transition towards a platform-oriented model, expanding its product matrix and deepening its global layout to provide more high-quality gaming experiences for players worldwide [7].

Investment Rating - The report assigns an "Overweight" rating for the media industry, particularly highlighting opportunities in the gaming sector [5]. Core Insights - The media index saw a maximum increase of over 40% in 2025, with the gaming index nearly doubling, indicating strong growth potential in the gaming sector [2][9]. - The film market is experiencing a trend of increasing concentration among top films, with imported films leading the box office during the New Year period [18][21]. Summary by Sections 1. Media Index Performance - The media index achieved a maximum increase of 42.24% in 2025, with a notable rise of 30% from January 2 to December 31 [8][9]. - The gaming sector outperformed all other sub-sectors, with a maximum increase of 98.45% in 2025, while other sectors like film exhibition benefited from the Spring Festival, nearing a 50% increase [9][17]. 2. Film Market Trends - The total box office for 2025 reached 51.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22%, with over 1.2 billion admissions [18][20]. - The number of imported films exceeded 100 for the first time in five years, reaching 106, contributing significantly to box office revenues [21][22]. - The concentration of box office revenue among top films is increasing, with a few high-grossing films supporting the market [21][23]. 3. Recommendations for Companies - The report recommends focusing on companies in the gaming sector such as Giant Network, Century Huatong, and Perfect World, which are expected to perform well due to the release of new games and the performance of existing titles [17][27]. - For the film sector, companies involved in upcoming films for the Spring Festival, such as Maoyan Entertainment and Wanda Film, are highlighted as potential beneficiaries [27][28].

Core Viewpoint - The company is initiating coverage on Century Huatong with a "Buy" rating and a target price of 24.52 yuan, based on a 21X PE for 2026 [1] Group 1: Business Strengths - The core business advantage lies in its subsidiary, Diandian Interactive, which is a leader in the SLG game sector, particularly excelling in overseas markets with popular titles like "Whiteout Survival" and "Kingshot" [1][2] - The company has established a mature methodology for producing hit games, which includes strategies for user acquisition, modular gameplay reuse, and phased payment designs, enhancing the success rate of new projects [2] - The SLG genre is characterized by long life cycles and low post-launch operational costs, making it a highly profitable and sticky category, which is expected to drive sustained revenue growth [2] Group 2: IP Development and Collaboration - In 2023, the company secured a five-year cooperation agreement with a Korean copyright holder for the "Legend" IP, allowing for exclusive rights in mainland China, which is expected to contribute to revenue growth [3] - The collaboration with Tencent provides not only traffic and distribution support but also facilitates the continuous launch of hit products, further solidifying the company's position in the MMO sector [3] Group 3: Market Perspective - The company believes that the successful validation of the SLG genre serves as a core moat for navigating industry cycles, with head products consistently generating stable cash flow [4] - The competitive landscape for user acquisition is becoming more rational, and as SLG products enter the profit realization phase, the company's revenue and overall profitability are expected to improve [4] - Diandian Interactive's ability to innovate within the SLG genre and expand into casual gaming is anticipated to create a "dual-driven" growth pattern [4] Group 4: Financial Projections and Valuation - The company forecasts net profits attributable to shareholders of 57.55 billion, 86.06 billion, and 106.35 billion yuan for the years 2025 to 2027, respectively [5] - Comparable companies in the gaming sector have an average PE of 20.7X for 2026, and given the company's strong positioning in the X+SLG sector, a target valuation of 180.726 billion yuan is set, with a target price of 24.52 yuan [5]

Core Insights - The SLG (Strategy Game) sector in 2025 is characterized by a stable market with no standout new products, while the overall revenue continues to grow, particularly in overseas markets [1][3] - In the overseas market, SLG games account for 49.96% of the revenue among the top 100 Chinese self-developed mobile games, marking an 8.6% increase year-on-year [1] - The domestic market shows a slight increase in the number of SLG games, but revenue share remains lower at 9.77%, ranking fourth among game categories [1] Group 1: Market Dynamics - The competition in the domestic SLG market has shifted from revenue generation to cost-effectiveness and return on investment, with AI being widely adopted for marketing and user acquisition [3][16] - The SLG market is now in a "stock war" phase, where established games must continuously innovate to maintain their user base against familiar competitors [3][36] Group 2: Key Players and Performance - Century Huatong's subsidiary, Diandian Interactive, has emerged as a leading player with its game "Whiteout Survival," which has generated over $2.8 billion in global revenue since its launch [4][10] - Another successful title from Diandian Interactive, "Kingshot," has also shown strong performance, reaching over $100 million in revenue by September 2025 [6][8] - Century Huatong's stock price surged by 400% in 2025, with net profit reaching 4.357 billion yuan, a 141.65% increase year-on-year [10][12] Group 3: Innovations and Trends - The introduction of AI in game development and marketing has significantly improved efficiency, with companies like Century Huatong and Sanqi Interactive reporting substantial gains in productivity [26][30] - The trend of leveraging IP for game development has diminished, with many previously anticipated IP projects being canceled or shelved, indicating a shift in strategy [16][20] - New entrants like Florere Game have successfully launched popular titles in the saturated market, demonstrating that opportunities still exist for innovative products [15][12] Group 4: Future Outlook - The SLG market is expected to continue evolving, with a focus on creating proprietary IP and innovative gameplay to stand out in a competitive landscape [37][39] - As AI becomes more integrated into game development, the potential for market homogenization raises concerns, but also presents opportunities for unique artistic expression [35][39]

Investment Rating - The industry rating is "Outperform the Market," indicating that the overall return of the industry is expected to exceed the market benchmark index by more than 5% in the next 6 months [17]. Core Insights - The report highlights significant advancements in AI gaming, particularly with the introduction of playable AI NPCs by Ubisoft, which allows players to interact with AI teammates in a dynamic gaming environment [3]. - The emergence of commercial products based on AI world models, such as Marble by World Labs and Tencent's mixed reality model, showcases the potential for creating immersive 3D worlds using generative AI [4]. - The development of AI game creation tools, like YouTube's Playables Builder, is democratizing game development by enabling users to create games without programming knowledge [4][5]. Summary by Sections AI NPC Development - Ubisoft launched a playable demo of AI NPCs named "Teammates," where players can command AI teammates using natural language, powered by Google's Gemini and Ubisoft's middleware [3]. AI World Models - Companies like Google DeepMind and Tencent are advancing in AI world models, with Tencent's mixed reality model allowing users to create interactive worlds from text or images [4]. AI Game Creation Tools - YouTube is testing an AI game creation tool, Playables Builder, which allows users to create games using simple text and media inputs, currently in testing phases in select markets [4]. - The AI game creation platform SOON by Kaiying Network integrates generative AI to streamline complex game development processes, significantly lowering technical barriers and costs [5]. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on companies related to gaming, including Tencent, NetEase, Bilibili, Giant Network, and others, as potential investment opportunities [6].

Core Insights - Century Huatong, a leading player in the A-share gaming industry, has released its annual "Top Ten News" for 2025, showcasing its business layout, AI strategy, and ESG achievements, presenting a clear blueprint for high-quality development [1] Group 1: Sustainable Development and ESG - The company emphasizes sustainable development, placing internal construction and ESG at the forefront of its annual news, reflecting its commitment to integrating social responsibility with internal governance [2][6] - Notable public welfare projects such as "Little Child Governance," "From the Mountains," "How Games are Made," and "Green Computer Classrooms" have been implemented, enhancing the company's long-term trust value [2][6] Group 2: Domestic Business and IP Development - Domestic operations serve as a cornerstone for stable growth, with the "Street Basketball" event by Tianyou Software having reached nearly 200 million viewers over 20 years [3][8] - The company has built a competitive product structure around evergreen IPs, with classic games like "MapleStory," "Eternal Tower," and "Legend World" contributing steadily to performance [3][8] - New projects such as "Classic Rainbow Island" and "Eternal Tower" mobile games are accelerating development to support robust growth in 2026 [3][8] Group 3: Global Expansion - The company's overseas business has seen significant breakthroughs, with Century Games ranking first in the "2025 Global TOP 50 Mobile Game Companies," achieving record growth speed [4][9] - Key products like "Whiteout Survival" have topped global mobile game revenue charts, while "Kingshot" has secured the top two positions in China's mobile game export revenue [4][9] Group 4: AI Strategy - The company has initiated a comprehensive AI strategy, launched by Chairman Wang Ji in July, focusing on process reengineering, business upgrades, talent acquisition, and strategic advancement [5][10] - The "Dragon Cup" global AI game and application innovation competition aims to enhance the company's brand influence in the AI sector and accelerate the acquisition of key technologies and quality teams [5][10] - Looking ahead to 2026, the company plans to establish its presence in the Shanghai Technology Innovation Building, continuing to deepen its AI strategy and expand its global market boundaries [5][10]

Market Overview - The gaming sector experienced a slight decline of 0.13% on December 31, with Century Huatong leading the drop [1] - The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3968.84, up 0.09%, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed at 13525.02, down 0.58% [1] Individual Stock Performance - Kunlun Wanwei (300418) saw a closing price of 41.70, with an increase of 3.78% and a trading volume of 811,500 shares, amounting to a transaction value of 3.371 billion [1] - Xunyou Technology (300467) closed at 28.70, up 2.76%, with a trading volume of 73,300 shares [1] - Tom Cat (300459) closed at 4.59, up 2.68%, with a trading volume of 1,528,300 shares [1] - Other notable performers include Shenzhou Taiyue (300002) with a 1.77% increase and a closing price of 11.52, and Sheng Tian Network (300494) with a 1.50% increase and a closing price of 12.18 [1] Fund Flow Analysis - The gaming sector saw a net inflow of 375 million from institutional investors, while retail investors experienced a net outflow of 145 million [2] - Major stocks like Kunlun Wanwei had a net inflow of 413 million from institutional investors, while retail investors had a net outflow of 254 million [3] - Shenzhou Taiyue also reported a net inflow of 87.39 million from institutional investors, with retail investors seeing a net outflow of 52.79 million [3] ETF Performance - The Gaming ETF (product code: 159869) tracked the China Animation and Gaming Index, with a slight decline of 0.06% over the past five days and a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.03 [5] - The latest share count for the Gaming ETF is 8.77 billion, with an increase of 65 million shares and a net subscription of 930.77 million [5]

Summary of the China Online Gaming Industry Report Industry Overview - The report discusses the **China Online Gaming Industry** and highlights trends and market performance for 2025, as presented by CNG during the 2025 China Online Gaming Industry Conference in Shanghai on December 19, 2025 [1][2]. Key Trends Identified 1. **High-Quality Development**: Supported by favorable policies, contributing to market growth [1]. 2. **Healthy Domestic Market Growth**: Driven by innovation and evergreen operations [1]. 3. **Robust Overseas Market Growth**: Particularly for self-developed games [1]. 4. **Generative AI Adoption**: Increasing usage in gaming interactions [1]. 5. **Strengthening Social Values**: Empowering the digital economy through gaming [1]. 6. **Minor Protection Measures**: Effective strategies in place to protect younger gamers [1]. 7. **Gaming Education**: Inclusion of gaming professions in senior education to foster talent development [1]. Market Performance - **Market Size**: In 2025, China's online gaming market reached **Rmb350.8 billion**, a **7.68% year-over-year increase**, marking a historical high [2]. - **Gamer Base**: Total gamers in China reached **683 million**, up **1.35% year-over-year**, with a monthly ARPU of **Rmb42.8**, reflecting a **6.2% increase** [2]. - **Domestic Game Market**: In-house developed games generated **Rmb291.1 billion**, growing **11.6% year-over-year** [2]. Mobile Gaming Insights - **Mobile Games Growth**: Increased by **7.9% year-over-year** to **Rmb257.1 billion**, accounting for **73.3%** of the market share [3]. - **Top Genres**: RPGs made up **20%**, strategy games **11%**, and card games **8%** of the top 100 mobile games [3]. - **Mini Games**: The mini game market grew **34.4% year-over-year** to **Rmb53.5 billion**, with in-app purchases contributing **68%** of the revenue mix [5]. PC and Console Gaming - **PC Games**: Grew **15.0% year-over-year** to **Rmb78.2 billion**, driven by evergreen titles and cross-platform launches [6]. - **Console Games**: Experienced significant growth of **86.3% year-over-year** to **Rmb8.4 billion** [6]. - **Web Games**: Continued decline, shrinking **6.7% year-over-year** to **Rmb4.3 billion**, marking the tenth consecutive year of decline [6]. Overseas Market Performance - **Overseas Revenues**: Grew **10.2% year-over-year** to **US$20.5 billion**, with the US, Japan, and South Korea being the top markets [7]. Company Valuations and Recommendations - **Century Huatong**: Target price set at **Rmb22.0**, based on a **20x PE** for 2026, reflecting its position as the third-largest online game company in China [9]. - **NetEase**: Target price of **US$161**, using a sum-of-the-parts valuation [11]. - **Tencent Holdings**: Target price of **HK$751**, based on a SOTP approach with various segments contributing to the valuation [13]. Risks Identified - **Century Huatong**: Risks include delayed game launches and a slowdown in the auto parts business [10]. - **NetEase**: Risks involve potential slowdowns in core titles and advertising demand [12]. - **Tencent**: Risks include revenue slowdowns in PC games, unsuccessful mobile game launches, and economic downturns affecting advertising demand [14]. Conclusion - The China online gaming industry is poised for sustainable growth, driven by innovation, policy support, and expanding overseas markets. Key players like Tencent, NetEase, and Century Huatong are recommended for investment, with specific target prices and associated risks outlined for each company.