NetEase Inc. will cut off funding to the studio led by Yakuza franchise creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, the latest to be affected by the Chinese company’s broader strategy to shrink game development activities https://t.co/KDtl38ZYSd ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call discusses the implications of Google Play's fee structure adjustment on the mobile gaming industry, particularly focusing on Chinese game companies with overseas exposure [1][2]. Core Insights - **Google Play's Policy Overhaul**: Google Play is restructuring its in-app purchase (IAP) service fees, reducing the standard 30% fee to a 20% fee for new installs and a 5% optional billing fee. This change is expected to improve gross profit margins (GPM) for game companies, depending on their domestic and overseas market mix [1][4]. - **Encouragement for Overseas Expansion**: The new fee structure may incentivize more game studios to explore international markets, benefiting companies like Tencent, NetEase, and Century Huatong, especially those with significant overseas revenue [1][8]. - **Competitive Landscape**: Other app stores may follow Google's lead to remain competitive, creating a favorable environment for game developers and publishers, particularly in the online gaming sector [1]. Company-Specific Insights - **Tencent Holdings**: In Q3 2025, Tencent's overseas game revenues reached RMB 20.8 billion, accounting for 33% of online game revenues. The fee overhaul is expected to enhance GPM for Tencent's value-added services (VAS) and could lead to higher equity value from Epic Games if its store is registered on Google Play [8][13]. - **NetEase**: Currently, less than 10% of NetEase's game revenues come from overseas, suggesting a smaller impact on GPM from the fee changes compared to Tencent [8][11]. - **Century Huatong**: In H1 2025, Century Huatong's overseas revenues made up 52% of its total, primarily from its mobile game portfolio. The company plans to allocate its budget towards traffic acquisition and content updates to enhance product lifecycle and return on investment [8][9]. Valuation Insights - **Century Huatong**: Target price set at RMB 24.0 based on a 20x PE ratio for 2026 estimates, reflecting its position as the third-largest online game company in China [9]. - **NetEase**: Target price of US$165 based on a sum-of-the-parts valuation, with online gaming valued at a P/E of 15x and a net margin assumption of 41% [11]. - **Tencent Holdings**: Target price of HK$783 based on a sum-of-the-parts approach, with various segments valued at different P/E ratios [13]. Risks - **Century Huatong**: Risks include delayed launches of significant game titles and a potential slowdown in the auto parts business [10]. - **NetEase**: Risks involve unexpected slowdowns in core titles and declines in rankings for key mobile games [12]. - **Tencent Holdings**: Risks include revenue slowdowns in core PC games, unsuccessful mobile game launches, and changes in the regulatory environment [14]. Additional Considerations - The changes in Google Play's fee structure are seen as a significant milestone that could reshape the mobile gaming landscape, particularly for Chinese companies looking to expand internationally [1][2]. This summary encapsulates the key points discussed in the conference call, highlighting the implications for the mobile gaming industry and specific companies involved.

Market Overview - The US stock market experienced a collective decline, with the Dow Jones down approximately 3%, the S&P 500 down about 2%, and the Nasdaq down 1.24% [1] - Major European indices also fell, with the DAX30 down 1.21%, FTSE 100 down 1.22%, CAC40 down 0.94%, and FTSE MIB down 0.99% [1] Key Index Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 47,501.55, down 453.19 points (-0.95%) [2] - The Nasdaq index closed at 22,387.68, down 361.31 points (-1.59%) [2] - The S&P 500 index closed at 6,740.02, down 90.69 points (-1.33%) [2] Sector Performance - Major technology stocks saw declines, with Intel down over 5%, Nvidia down about 3%, and Amazon, Tesla, and Meta down over 2% [2] - Semiconductor stocks collectively fell, with Micron Technology and Applied Materials down over 6%, ASML down over 5%, and TSMC down over 4% [2] Notable Stock Movements - Marvell Technology surged 18%, marking its best single-day gain since April 2025, driven by strong earnings and an optimistic revenue growth forecast for FY2027 [3] - Defense and aerospace stocks led gains, with Boeing up over 4%, and Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin up over 2% [3] - Chinese concept stocks showed resilience, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index up 0.69%, and notable gains in JD.com and Xpeng [3] Commodity Prices - Spot gold rose to $5,168 per ounce, up 1.64%, while spot silver reached $84.47 per ounce, up 2.67% [4] - International oil prices surged, with WTI crude oil at $91.27 per barrel, up over 12%, and Brent crude at $93.17 per barrel, up over 9% [4] Cryptocurrency Market - Bitcoin traded at $68,369, down over 4%, while Ethereum fell to $1,986 [6] Geopolitical Developments - Reports indicated that the Iranian military claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the US aircraft carrier Lincoln in the Gulf of Oman [6] - Former President Trump stated he must personally participate in selecting Iran's next leader, warning of potential military conflict if a new leader continues current policies [7]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of HKD 200.50 / CNY 177.59 [3][5] Core Insights - The company is expected to see growth driven by the upcoming launch of new games, particularly "The Forgotten Sea" in 2026, alongside strong performance from existing titles like "Yanyun Sixteen Sounds" [3][9] - The company's net profit forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are adjusted to CNY 33.76 billion, CNY 37.50 billion, and CNY 43.33 billion respectively, reflecting changes in revenue and margin expectations [3][9] Financial Summary - Revenue projections for 2023A to 2027E are as follows: CNY 103.47 billion, CNY 105.30 billion, CNY 112.63 billion, CNY 122.04 billion, and CNY 138.38 billion, with growth rates of 7.23%, 1.77%, 6.96%, 8.36%, and 13.39% respectively [4][14] - Operating profit is expected to grow from CNY 27.71 billion in 2023A to CNY 47.54 billion in 2027E, with growth rates of 41.17%, 6.77%, 21.13%, 12.50%, and 17.93% [4][14] - The company's gross margin is projected to improve from 60.95% in 2023A to 67.60% in 2027E, while net profit margin is expected to rise from 28.43% to 31.32% over the same period [4][14] - The earnings per share (EPS) are forecasted to increase from CNY 9.29 in 2023A to CNY 13.68 in 2027E [4][14]

Investment Focus - The report highlights the strong growth potential in the storage industry, with domestic storage manufacturers expected to exceed production expansion forecasts, benefiting companies closely tied to these manufacturers [1] - NVIDIA is projected to have a strong performance in FY4Q26, with a significant increase in overall revenue and EPS trajectory, supported by a robust order backlog of 500 billion [1] - Alphabet's cloud business is expected to grow significantly, driven by AI solutions, with a 48% growth rate in the last quarter, leading to an increase in EPS for 2026 and 2027 [1] - Alibaba's cloud growth is anticipated to exceed consensus estimates by 2-3% for the year, despite short-term performance pressures [1] Company Analysis - Zhongwei Company is positioned as a leading player in the hardware sector, benefiting from a deepening platform strategy that expands its capabilities in etching, film deposition, and measurement [1] - Tencent is recommended as a top pick in the internet sector, with a target price of 700, driven by steady growth in core gaming and advertising businesses, alongside new revenue streams from mini-games and video accounts [2] - New Oxygen is recognized for its strong marketing capabilities and low customer acquisition costs, with a target price of 10.1 USD based on its growth trajectory in the light medical beauty sector [2] - Ato Hotel is expected to achieve a revenue growth of 26% to 12.39 billion, with a strong market position in the mid-to-high-end hotel sector [3] - HashKey is positioned as a leading digital asset platform in Asia, benefiting from regulatory trends and expected to expand its product offerings in derivatives and leveraged trading [4] - Tesla's advancements in autonomous driving and robotics are highlighted, with expectations for accelerated overseas expansion and significant product developments [4] - MP Materials is noted for its strategic importance in the rare earth industry, benefiting from domestic supply chain localization and increasing demand from the defense and renewable energy sectors [7] - ACWA Power is recognized as a leader in the renewable energy sector, with a focus on solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects, supported by government power purchase agreements [8] - Vestas is highlighted as a dominant player in the wind energy sector, benefiting from global wind power growth and technological advancements in turbine efficiency [9] - Three-Six Pharmaceutical is noted for its strong market position in kidney, blood, and oncology sectors, with promising pipeline products and collaborations with Pfizer [10]

Market Overview - The Middle East situation has led to a decline in European and US stock markets, with the German DAX and French CAC40 indices dropping over 3%, and the UK FTSE 100 index falling more than 2% [1] - Major US tech stocks mostly fell, with Tesla down over 2% and Nvidia down more than 1%, while Microsoft rose over 1% [3] Semiconductor Sector - The semiconductor industry faced significant declines, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropping over 4.5%. Notable declines included SanDisk down nearly 9%, Micron Technology down nearly 8%, and Intel down over 5% [4] - The Semiconductor ETF fell by 3.77%, indicating a broader weakness in the sector [4] Commodity Market - International precious metals experienced sharp declines, with spot gold dropping $233 (over 4%) to nearly $5000 per ounce, and silver plunging over 8% [4] - Conversely, international oil prices surged, with WTI crude oil rising 5% to nearly $75 per barrel [4] Economic Outlook - Goldman Sachs indicated that the market is in a phase of "initial volatility followed by attempts to break through" key levels, with oil price impacts being a critical factor for future market direction [5] - The uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict has complicated the US economic outlook, leading to expectations that the Federal Reserve may delay interest rate cuts until at least September [6]

Core Insights - The article discusses the evolution of infrastructure in the gaming industry driven by the wave of AI, particularly focusing on how NetEase Games is leveraging large models to enhance user experience and operational efficiency [2][3]. Group 1: AI Integration in Gaming - NetEase Games has developed a comprehensive ecosystem with popular titles like "Fantasy Westward Journey" and "Party of Eggs," necessitating advanced data handling capabilities due to the increasing complexity of user demands [3]. - The introduction of large models is transforming the gaming sector, particularly in areas such as NPC intelligence, automated storyline generation, and asset creation, making it a core competitive advantage [3]. Group 2: Challenges in Large Model Inference - The scarcity and high cost of high-end GPU resources pose significant challenges, requiring minute-level elasticity in resource allocation to avoid long-term resource wastage [8]. - Resource wastage can exceed 60% when accommodating peak loads across different gaming services, highlighting the inefficiencies in current resource management [9]. - Serverless cold start delays, particularly for large models, can take 10-15 minutes, negating the benefits of elasticity [10]. Group 3: Solution Selection - The article evaluates the choice between deploying Alluxio directly versus building a complete solution with Fluid, emphasizing the need for a robust data orchestration platform [12][13]. - Fluid is positioned as a cloud-native data orchestration platform that integrates deeply with Kubernetes, offering a more suitable abstraction for AI applications compared to Alluxio's file system approach [15][19]. Group 4: Implementation and Benefits - A three-layer decoupled architecture was established, consisting of a storage layer (CubeFS/OSS), an acceleration layer (Fluid + AlluxioRuntime), and a computing layer (Kubernetes clusters) [20]. - The implementation of Fluid has led to significant performance improvements, including a 12-fold acceleration in startup times for large models, making serverless computing viable [28][33]. - Cost savings have been realized through the elimination of resource fragmentation and improved GPU utilization, reducing idle rates by approximately 20% [29][33]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The successful application of Fluid in NetEase Games serves as a model for the gaming industry, demonstrating how modernized infrastructure can support AI-driven experiences [34]. - The article concludes that a data-centric architecture is essential for companies aiming to enhance efficiency and competitiveness in an increasingly intelligent and personalized gaming landscape [34].

香港交易及結算所有限公司及香港聯合交易所有限公司（「香港聯交所」）對本公告的內 容概不負責，對其準確性或完整性亦不發表任何聲明，並明確表示概不會就本公告全部或 任何部分內容而產生或因倚賴該等內容而引致的任何損失承擔任何責任。 於 2026 年 2 月 27 日（香港時間），公司接獲香港聯交所發出的通知（「轉移交易所通知」）， 告知公司香港聯交所釐定公司的股份於公司最近一個財政年度（即 2025 年財政年度）以金額 計算的全球總成交量中，有 55%或以上是在香港聯交所市場進行。因此，根據香港上市規則第 19C.13 條附註 1，香港聯交所視公司的上市股份交易已大部分永久轉移至香港聯交所市場。 轉移寬限期及香港主要上市生效日期 根據香港上市規則第19C.13條附註2，公司自轉移交易所通知日期起有12個月的寬限期（「轉 移寬限期」），令其遵守適用的香港上市規則（即公司的寬限期將於 2027 年 2 月 27 日午夜 （香港時間）屆滿）。香港聯交所在(i)轉移寬限期屆滿；或(ii)公司自行決定的較早日期（兩 者的較早日期即為「香港主要上市生效日期」）後，將視公司具有雙重主要*（而非第二）上 市地位。自香港主要上市生效 ...

Investment Rating - The industry rating is maintained as "Recommended" indicating a positive outlook for the industry fundamentals and an expectation that the industry index will outperform the benchmark index [2][7]. Core Insights - The gaming industry is expected to benefit significantly from the AI wave, with leading companies likely to thrive amidst concerns that AI may disrupt the gaming sector [5]. - The report suggests that while AI may lower the barriers to game development, creating large-scale games will still require substantial resources, making it unlikely for small teams to compete with established gaming giants [5]. - Historical trends show that leading gaming companies have consistently benefited from technological advancements, and they are well-positioned to adapt to new changes in the industry [5]. Industry Overview - The gaming sector consists of 160 companies with a total market capitalization of 2,270.9 billion and a circulating market value of 2,090.9 billion [2]. - The absolute performance of the industry over 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months is -0.9%, 22.7%, and 27.0% respectively, while the relative performance is 1.2%, 11.1%, and 7.7% [4]. Company Recommendations - The report continues to favor leading gaming companies such as Tencent, NetEase, Century Huatong, Giant Network, and others, indicating a strong belief in their potential to leverage AI advancements [5].

Core Insights - The integration of AI into the Chinese New Year celebrations has become a significant trend, with major companies like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent launching various AI-driven initiatives to engage users and enhance their experiences during the holiday season [1][3] Group 1: AI Initiatives and User Engagement - ByteDance's "Doubao New Year" activity allowed users to generate New Year greetings for a chance to win prizes, while Alibaba's Qianwen launched "Super Treat Cards" for shopping and social activities [1] - Tencent's Yuanbao introduced a "New Year Moments" feature, distributing 1 billion red envelopes to recreate the excitement of past WeChat red envelope campaigns [1] - On New Year's Eve, Doubao's AI interactions reached 1.9 billion, generating over 50 million new avatars and 100 million greetings [1] Group 2: AI in Entertainment and Cultural Integration - The Spring Festival Gala showcased AI prominently, with various platforms using AI to enhance performances and engage audiences [3][4] - The CCTVs Spring Festival Gala incorporated AI technology, such as see dance 2.0, to innovate traditional performances, while other platforms like Bilibili and NetEase also hosted AI-themed events [3][6] - AI's role in cultural presentations was highlighted by the "Hehua Shen" program, which creatively integrated AI with traditional themes, although it faced criticism for inaccuracies in cultural representation [5][4] Group 3: Audience Reception and Market Dynamics - Despite the excitement around AI, there are concerns about the quality and authenticity of AI-generated content, with some viewers expressing dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of human touch in performances [8][11] - The competition among platforms to leverage AI for user engagement is intensifying, with each platform adopting different strategies to attract and retain users [8][10] - Music platforms like Tencent Music and NetEase are exploring AI as a potential new narrative direction amidst challenges in user growth and content monetization [8][9] Group 4: Future Outlook and Challenges - The long-term success of AI in the entertainment industry will depend on its ability to enhance human creativity and maintain a balance between technology and authentic human experiences [9][10] - The industry's focus on integrating AI into production processes aims to improve efficiency while addressing audience demands for genuine, relatable content [10][11] - As AI continues to evolve, its impact on the cultural landscape will require careful consideration of both technological advancements and the preservation of human elements in creative expressions [9][11]