Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company, with a target price of $4.30, indicating a potential upside of 21.2% from the current price of $3.52 [1][5]. Core Insights - The company is currently undergoing a transformation phase, leveraging AI to enhance its ecosystem and achieve a positive cycle [5]. - Despite a 22% year-over-year decline in total revenue for Q3 2025, operational efficiency and cost control measures have led to a significant narrowing of Non-GAAP operating losses by 16.3% to 73.5 million yuan [7][10]. - The strategic shift towards an AI-driven community aims to reshape the content ecosystem, enhancing user engagement and monetization opportunities [4][9]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, total revenue was 659 million yuan, down 22% year-over-year, with paid membership revenue declining by approximately 16.1% to 386 million yuan [7][10]. - Marketing services revenue fell by 26.6% to 189 million yuan, while other business revenues, including vocational training, decreased by 35.1% to 83.9 million yuan [7][10]. - The company reported a net loss of 46.7 million yuan for Q3, with adjusted net losses narrowing to 21 million yuan, indicating improved profitability metrics [7][10]. Strategic Initiatives - The company has accelerated its core strategy to build an AI-driven community, focusing on high-quality content, expert networks, and AI capabilities [4][8]. - The penetration rate of the AI product "Zhihu Direct Answer" exceeded 15%, marking a fourfold increase from the previous year, which enhances user experience and information retrieval efficiency [8][10]. - Future growth is expected to rely heavily on the successful execution of AI strategies, including enhanced membership services and innovative advertising products [5][10]. Market Position and Outlook - The company is projected to achieve profitability by 2027, despite short-term revenue declines due to its strategic transformation [5][10]. - With cash and cash equivalents totaling 4.58 billion yuan, the company has a strong financial position to support future strategic investments and AI development [5][10]. - The report emphasizes the unique advantages of the company in high-quality content and professional creator ecosystems, positioning it favorably in the AI era [10].

Core Insights - Zhihu's Q3 2025 total revenue was 659 million yuan, a year-on-year decline of 22% [2] - The net loss for Q3 2025 was 46.7 million yuan, compared to a net loss of 9 million yuan in the same period last year, indicating an expanded loss [2] - Adjusted net loss was 21 million yuan, up from an adjusted net loss of 13.1 million yuan year-on-year [2] Revenue Breakdown - Marketing services revenue for Q3 2025 was 189 million yuan, down 26.6% year-on-year, primarily due to ongoing optimization of service product offerings [4] - Paid membership revenue was 386 million yuan, a decrease of 16.1% year-on-year, attributed to a decline in average monthly subscription members [4] - Other revenues, including vocational education and consumer goods, totaled 83.9 million yuan, down 34.96% year-on-year, mainly due to strategic optimization in Zhihu's vocational training business [4] Expense Analysis - Total operating expenses for Q3 2025 were 503.5 million yuan, a decrease of 19.4% year-on-year [4] - Sales and marketing expenses were 330 million yuan, down 14.9% year-on-year, due to more restrained promotional spending and reduced personnel-related expenses [4] - R&D expenses were 114 million yuan, a significant decrease of 36.2% year-on-year, reflecting improved R&D efficiency [4] Membership and Financial Position - The average monthly subscription members reached 14.3 million, an increase of 8.1% quarter-on-quarter [5] - As of September 30, 2025, Zhihu's cash and cash equivalents, along with short-term investments, amounted to 4.5832 billion yuan [5] - Zhihu repurchased 31.1 million Class A ordinary shares for a total price of 66.5 million USD under its existing share repurchase plan [5] Management Commentary - The CFO of Zhihu stated that the non-GAAP operating loss narrowed by 16.3% year-on-year, reflecting strict cost management and improved operational efficiency [5] - The company aims to strengthen commercial resilience and explore new revenue models, leveraging its strengths in content quality, creator professionalism, and AI-driven innovation [5] Operational Challenges - Zhihu experienced three outages in the second half of the year, with one incident causing significant disruption across both web and mobile platforms, leading to widespread user complaints [6][7] - The CTO of Zhihu resigned for personal reasons on September 30, 2025, and as of November 28, 2025, no announcement regarding a successor has been made, indicating a potential vacancy in this critical role [7]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the focus on value investing in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong, targeting stocks with significant discrepancies between market price and intrinsic value [1] - It highlights two main categories of investment opportunities: deep value balance sheet bargains and wide moat stocks, which are characterized by their strong competitive advantages [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The research service aims to identify deep value stocks, such as net cash stocks and low price-to-book (P/B) ratio stocks, which are available at a discount [1] - It also seeks wide moat stocks, which are high-quality businesses with sustainable competitive advantages, often referred to as "Magic Formula" stocks [1] Group 2: Market Focus - The primary market of interest is the Asian equity market, with a specific emphasis on Hong Kong-listed stocks [1] - The service provides monthly updates and watch lists to assist investors in tracking potential investment opportunities [1]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the focus on value investing in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong, targeting stocks with significant discrepancies between market price and intrinsic value [1] - It highlights two main categories of investment opportunities: deep value balance sheet bargains and wide moat stocks, which are characterized by their strong competitive advantages [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The research service aims to identify deep value balance sheet bargains, such as net cash stocks and low price-to-book (P/B) ratio stocks, which are available at a discount [1] - It also seeks wide moat stocks, which are high-quality businesses with strong earnings power that can be acquired at a discount [1] - The service provides monthly updates and watch lists to assist investors in tracking potential investment opportunities [1] Group 2: Market Focus - The primary focus is on the Asian equity market, with a particular emphasis on Hong Kong-listed stocks [1] - The service is designed for value investors looking for unique investment opportunities in the region [1]

Core Insights - Haitong International initiates coverage on Zhihu with an "outperform" rating, highlighting its unique positioning in the Q&A community and the potential of AI applications [1][2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Zhihu reported total revenue of approximately 659 million yuan, with a non-GAAP operating loss narrowing by 16.3% year-on-year, indicating improved operational efficiency and quality [1] - Zhihu's cash reserves are robust, totaling 4.58 billion yuan as of the end of Q3, which includes cash and cash equivalents, time deposits, restricted funds, and short-term investments [1] Strategic Initiatives - The company is actively optimizing operations to eliminate inefficiencies, which has resulted in a slight loss as part of its investment in sustainable long-term operations [1] - Zhihu has implemented share buybacks and cost-reduction measures to strengthen its capital and profit flexibility, with positive expectations for profitability and margin improvement in 2025-2026 [1] AI Development - Zhihu's AI application, Zhihu Zhidao, has seen significant growth, with its penetration rate exceeding 15% by the end of Q3, nearly four times the level from the same period last year [1] - Future upgrades for Zhihu Zhidao will enhance AI capabilities across various scenarios, including search, content creation, and consumption, further increasing AI usage within the community [1] Market Outlook - Haitong International anticipates Zhihu's total revenue for Q4 2025 and the fiscal year 2025 to be 640 million yuan and 2.75 billion yuan, respectively, with a projected price-to-sales ratio of 1.2 times for FY 2025 [2]

Investment Rating - The report initiates coverage on Zhihu-W (2390 HK) with an "Outperform" rating, targeting a price of HK$14.80 [2][5][24]. Core Insights - Zhihu is positioned as China's leading Q&A-centric online content community, leveraging generative AI to enhance content supply and commercial conversion, which is expected to unlock new monetization opportunities [3][19]. - The company aims to achieve its first annual adjusted profit in 2025, with a focus on improving operational efficiency and reducing costs [8][22]. - The integration of AI tools is transforming the community ecosystem, significantly increasing user engagement and monetization potential [23]. Financial Overview - For FY25, total revenue is projected to decline by 24% to RMB 27.5 billion, with adjusted net profit expected to be RMB 33.34 million, marking a return to profitability [9][20]. - The company reported a total revenue of RMB 6.589 billion in Q3 2025, a 22% year-over-year decline, but better than market expectations [20][21]. - Adjusted gross profit margin is expected to improve from 60.6% in FY24 to 61.7% in FY25, indicating a focus on margin expansion [17][20]. Business Segment Outlook - Online marketing services are anticipated to bottom out in Q4 2025, with management confident in maintaining revenue levels in 2026 [21]. - Paid membership services are being refined to enhance user experience and community integration, with projected revenue of RMB 344 million for Q4 2025 [21][22]. - The vocational education segment has reached breakeven and is now included in the "Other" business category, contributing to overall revenue stability [21][22]. Valuation Analysis - The report assigns a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.2 for FY25, reflecting a cautious valuation approach due to ongoing business adjustments [13][24]. - The target price of HK$14.80 is based on the company's unique positioning in the Q&A community and the anticipated benefits from AI integration [5][24].

Core Insights - The documentary interview series "People Whose Minds Are in a Storm," focusing on adult ADHD, has successfully entered the Macau International Film Festival, marking a significant achievement for ADHD awareness and education [1][4]. Group 1: Project Background - The documentary is part of the "ADHD Advantages in Me" science popularization project supported by the Zhihu Lighthouse Plan in 2023, aimed at providing comprehensive information about ADHD [3][4]. - The project was initiated to counteract the growing trend of "overdiagnosing ADHD" and to promote a more balanced understanding of the condition [3]. Group 2: Project Impact - The project has led to significant social outcomes, with more participants accepting their ADHD traits and overcoming associated stigma, thus embarking on a journey of self-realization [4]. - The Zhihu Lighthouse Plan has allocated 10 million yuan since 2023 to support projects with significant public science education value that face various challenges in implementation [4]. Group 3: Future Directions - Zhihu plans to continue collaborating with platform creators to produce in-depth and emotionally resonant science popularization works, aiming to foster a more inclusive and understanding societal environment regarding diverse traits [4].

Core Insights - The company reported a revenue of 659 million yuan for Q3 2025, a year-on-year decline of 22%, which aligns with expectations [1] - Non-GAAP net loss was 21 million yuan, better than the anticipated loss of 55 million yuan, attributed to lower-than-expected sales and R&D expenses [1] - The CFO indicated that the current market value is significantly below cash assets, which amounted to 4.58 billion yuan at the end of Q3 2025, and the company plans to continue share buybacks [1] Business Development Trends - The company is focused on optimizing its platform business and balancing commercialization with community ecology [1] - Marketing business revenue decreased by 26% to 189 million yuan in Q3 2025, but the decline rate improved from 35% in Q2 2025, suggesting effective adjustments that may lead to growth next year [1] - Paid membership revenue reached 386 million yuan, with a notable increase in daily active user engagement, achieving double-digit year-on-year growth for six consecutive quarters [1] - IP copyright revenue saw a significant increase, with triple-digit year-on-year growth in Q3 2025, driven by the accelerated development of the "Salt Story" IP into various media formats [1] - Other revenue declined by 35% to 83.9 million yuan, with a focus on optimizing ROI in vocational training [1] - The company is relatively confident in achieving Non-GAAP profitability in 2025 [1] AI Application and Collaboration Potential - The penetration rate of the Zhihu direct answer community increased to 15% in Q3, with AI search upgraded to an Agentic assistant [2] - Upcoming features include full user access to search results and enhanced AI search capabilities for community trends [2] - The introduction of AI Copilot tools aims to boost content creation frequency and community engagement, with over 20% usage rate by the end of Q3 2025 [2] - The combination of high-quality content, expert networks, and AI capabilities is expected to create a competitive advantage for Zhihu in the AI era [2] Profit Forecast and Valuation - Revenue forecasts for 2025 and 2026 have been adjusted downwards by 2% and 17% to 2.76 billion yuan and 2.48 billion yuan, respectively [2] - The Non-GAAP net profit forecast for 2026 has been reduced by 47% to 40.86 million yuan [2] - Current stock prices correspond to 0.8/0.9x and 0.9/0.9x P/S ratios for Hong Kong and US stocks for 2025/2026 [2] - The target price has been lowered by 11% and 13% to 14 HKD and 5.4 USD, respectively, with an upside potential of 34% for both markets [2]

Core Viewpoint - Zhihu-W's stock price fell by 8.52% following the release of its Q3 2025 earnings report, indicating market concerns over its financial performance [1]. Financial Performance - For Q3 2025, Zhihu-W reported revenue of 659 million RMB, representing a year-on-year decline of approximately 22% [1]. - The company recorded an adjusted net loss of 21 million RMB, compared to an adjusted net loss of 13 million RMB in the same period last year [1]. Stock Market Reaction - As of 10:55 AM on November 26, Zhihu-W's stock was trading at 9.55 HKD, down 0.89 HKD from the previous close [2]. - The total market capitalization of Zhihu-W is approximately 2.524 billion HKD [2].

Core Insights - Zhihu Inc. is a leading online content community in China, similar to Quora, providing a platform for knowledge sharing despite facing competition from Baidu and Tencent [1] Financial Performance - Zhihu reported an earnings per share (EPS) of -$0.08 for Q3 2025, missing the estimated EPS of $0.18 [2][6] - The actual revenue for Q3 2025 was $92.53 million, significantly below expectations and down from $116 million in the same period of 2024 [3][6] - The gross margin decreased to 61.3% from 63.9% year-over-year [3] - The company experienced a net loss of $6.6 million, an increase from the $1.2 million loss in Q3 2024, with an adjusted net loss of $3 million compared to $1.8 million last year [3][6] Management Outlook - CEO Yuan Zhou expressed optimism about achieving a full-year non-GAAP breakeven, citing solid progress during the quarter [4] - The average number of monthly subscribing members reached 14.3 million, indicating a strong user base [4][6] Financial Metrics - Zhihu has a price-to-sales ratio of 0.66 and a negative enterprise value to sales ratio of -0.28, indicating a unique financial situation [5] - The debt-to-equity ratio is low at 0.055, suggesting conservative debt use [5] - The company maintains a strong liquidity position with a current ratio of 3.48 [5]