Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The China internet sector has shown strong performance in 2025, with a year-to-date return of +36.5%, outperforming Southeast Asia (+18.3%), India (+17.6%), Japan (+16.8%), the US (+16.2%), and Korea (+12.8%) [1][16] - Geopolitical tensions and AI supply-chain issues are expected to keep China's internet companies trading at discounts compared to global peers [1][2] Core Themes and Insights - **AI Competition and Productivity Gains**: The competition among AI players in China is anticipated to intensify in 2026, focusing on AI cloud infrastructure, chatbots, and applications [1][2] - **Monetization Lag**: Monetization of AI technologies is expected to lag behind user traffic growth, particularly when compared to global peers [1][2] - **Top Picks for 1H26**: Recommended stocks include Tencent and Alibaba as core AI plays, Trip.com and NetEase for stable earnings growth, and Century Huatong among A shares [1][2] AI Market Dynamics - **AI Chatbot Penetration**: ChatGPT leads globally with 800 million monthly active users (MAUs), while Bytedance's Dola and Doubao combined rank third with approximately 250 million MAUs [3] - **User Traffic Competition**: Major internet players are competing for user traffic through AI chatbots, which is crucial for future ecosystem monetization [2] Consumer Behavior and Spending - **Leisure and Entertainment Spending**: The adoption of AI tools is expected to enhance consumer productivity, leading to increased spending on leisure and entertainment, particularly in travel and online gaming [4] - **Stable Earnings Growth**: Online travel agencies (OTAs) and gaming companies are projected to benefit from resilient consumer spending [4] Investment Risks - **Geopolitical and Economic Risks**: Risks include geopolitical tensions, AI supply-chain constraints, muted consumer sentiment without stimulus policies, and intensified competition in AI applications [5] - **Profitability Concerns**: The potential for profit lock-in through membership investments and a slowdown in capital returns are highlighted as significant risks [5] Financial Performance Insights - **3Q25 Results**: Among 44 internet companies, 18 reported revenue beats, and 27 reported earnings beats. The guidance for 4Q25 showed mixed results, with some companies exceeding expectations while others fell short [6][10] - **Year-to-Date Share Price Performance**: Alibaba leads with an 86% return, followed by Tencent at 47%. Meituan has underperformed with a -32% return [16][28] Conclusion - The China internet sector is poised for growth driven by AI advancements, but faces challenges from geopolitical risks and competitive pressures. Companies like Tencent and Alibaba are positioned as key players in this evolving landscape, while consumer spending trends indicate resilience in leisure and entertainment sectors.

Market Overview - US stock markets experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones down 0.9%, Nasdaq down 0.38%, and S&P 500 down 0.53% [1] - Notable stock movements included Google A down 1.65%, Meta down 1.09%, and Microsoft down 1.07%, while Tesla rose 0.01% and Apple increased by 1.52% [1] - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose by 0.96%, with significant gains from NetEase (up 4.9%) and Alibaba (up 4.4%) [1] Company Developments - Nvidia announced a $2 billion investment in EDA giant Synopsys [1] - Apple is accelerating the development of its first foldable iPhone, expected to launch in Fall 2026, following the departure of its AI chief [2] - Google introduced the Gemini 3 AI model into its search engine, covering nearly 120 countries and regions [2] Industry Insights - The cobalt market saw prices surpass $50,000 per ton, with ongoing export bans affecting supply from the Democratic Republic of Congo [3] - A report from Morgan Stanley indicated a significant increase in Google's TPU chip production forecast, with expectations to reach 5 million units by 2027, potentially generating an additional $13 billion in revenue for every 500,000 units sold [7][10] - The NAND Flash market is experiencing strong demand driven by AI applications, with prices expected to rise by 20% to 60% across various products [6][7] - Rare earth prices, including praseodymium and neodymium, have increased by 3-6%, driven by tight supply and stable demand from domestic and overseas markets [8] Strategic Moves - DeepSeek announced the launch of its DeepSeek V3.2 model, achieving top performance in AI assessments, which may enhance its competitive position in the AI market [6] - Barclays predicts that AI inference computing demand will reach 4.5 times that of training demand by 2026, indicating a shift in the AI market focus [10]

Group 1: US Stock Market Performance - On December 1, US stock indices closed lower, with the Dow Jones down 0.9% at 47,289.33 points, the S&P 500 down 0.53% at 6,812.63 points, and the Nasdaq down 0.38% at 23,275.92 points [2] - The large-cap tech stocks showed mixed results, with the US Tech Giants Index up 0.15%. Nvidia rose over 1%, while Google's parent company Alphabet and other major tech firms like Microsoft and Meta fell over 1% [4] Group 2: Chinese Stocks Performance - Most Chinese stocks saw gains, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index up 0.87%. Notable performers included NetEase up about 5% and Alibaba up over 4% [4] Group 3: Airbus Stock Movement - Airbus shares experienced a significant drop, falling over 10% during intraday trading on December 1, due to a statement regarding the urgent grounding of a number of A320 series aircraft affected by flight control software issues [5] - Airbus indicated that approximately 6,000 aircraft could be impacted, with most already completing necessary technical work [5] Group 4: Precious Metals Market - On December 1, international precious metal futures generally rose, with COMEX gold futures up 0.24% at $4,265.00 per ounce and COMEX silver futures up 2.25% at $58.45 per ounce [6] - The market is closely monitoring the potential for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, which could influence gold prices due to their sensitivity to such expectations [6]

*中长期美债收益率上升，10年期美债逼近4.10%； *沃尔玛创历史新高。 *三大股指结束五连阳，标普500指数跌逾0.5%； 尽管多数美联储政策制定者态度谨慎，但近几周数位关键投票委员释放的鸽派信号，加之有报道称白宫 经济顾问哈塞特（Kevin Hassett）是接替美联储主席鲍威尔（Jerome Powell）的热门人选，这些因素均 推高了市场对未来几个月美联储进一步实施货币宽松政策的预期。 受美国国债收益率上升以及疲弱经济数据影响，美股主要股指周一下挫终结五连阳。截至收盘，道指跌 427.09点，跌幅0.90%，报47289.33点，纳指跌0.38%，报23275.92点，标普500指数跌0.53%，报6812.63 点。芝加哥期权交易所波动率指数（VIX）上涨5.5%，至17.23。 受日本央行行长植田和男相关言论影响，日本和欧洲国债价格走弱股市下挫，进而带动美国国债收益率 上升，与利率预期关联密切的2年期美债涨5.0个基点至3.540%，基准10年期美债涨7.7个基点至 4.095%。植田和男此前暗示，当前条件已逐渐适合日本央行可能实施的加息。 【热门股表现】 明星科技股涨跌互现，谷歌跌1.5%，M ...

恐慌指数VIX跳涨超5%。 *三大股指结束五连阳，标普500指数跌逾0.5%； *中长期美债收益率上升，10年期美债逼近4.10%； *沃尔玛创历史新高。 受美国国债收益率上升以及疲弱经济数据影响，美股主要股指周一下挫终结五连阳。截至收盘，道指跌 427.09点，跌幅0.90%，报47289.33点，纳指跌0.38%，报23275.92点，标普500指数跌0.53%，报6812.63 点。芝加哥期权交易所波动率指数（VIX）上涨5.5%，至17.23。 受日本央行行长植田和男相关言论影响，日本和欧洲国债价格走弱股市下挫，进而带动美国国债收益率 上升，与利率预期关联密切的2年期美债涨5.0个基点至3.540%，基准10年期美债涨7.7个基点至 4.095%。植田和男此前暗示，当前条件已逐渐适合日本央行可能实施的加息。 【热门股表现】 明星科技股涨跌互现，谷歌跌1.5%，Meta、微软跌1.1%，甲骨文跌0.5%，特斯拉平盘，亚马逊涨 0.3%，苹果涨1.5%。 人工智能芯片巨头英伟达宣布向半导体设计软件供应商新思科技（Synopsys）投资20亿美元，受此消息 推动，新思科技股价上涨4.9%，英伟达涨1.6%。 ...

Core Viewpoint - The majority of popular Chinese concept stocks experienced an increase in their closing prices on Monday, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rising by 0.87% [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Alibaba saw a significant increase, rising over 4% [1] - Pinduoduo increased by more than 1% [1] - NetEase rose by over 5% [1] - Baidu experienced a rise of over 2% [1] - Xpeng declined by more than 2% [1] - Beike fell by over 3% [1] - Li Auto dropped by more than 2% [1] - NIO saw a decrease of over 5% [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index increased by 0.87% on December 2, indicating a positive trend in the performance of Chinese concept stocks [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Notable gainers included NetEase, which rose by 4.9%, and Alibaba, which increased by 4.4% [1] - Other companies such as Pony.ai, New Oriental, WeRide, Baidu, and Pinduoduo saw increases of up to 3.4% [1]

Industry Overview - The Internet Software & Services industry is closely tied to the economy, with initial estimates declining due to concerns over tariffs, inflation, and interest rates, although the economy has remained relatively stable [1] - The industry is characterized by a diverse range of players, which leads to some dissonance, but overall valuations have decreased significantly, making it attractive for investors [4] Key Themes - Technology adoption is crucial for growth, with companies leveraging AI and cloud services to stay competitive, leading to increased demand for software and services [6] - The U.S. economy is performing better than expected, despite concerns about job growth and geopolitical tensions affecting oil prices and supply chains [6] - Subscription-based models are becoming more prevalent, providing stability and allowing companies to retain customers and adjust pricing as needed [7] Market Performance - The Zacks Internet – Software & Services Industry has outperformed the broader Zacks Computer and Technology Sector and the S&P 500, returning 33% over the past year compared to 27.6% and 16.3% respectively [11] - The industry is currently trading at a forward P/E ratio of 223.7X, which is slightly above its median level, indicating that shares are not overvalued on average [14] Company Highlights Criteo S.A. (CRTO) - Criteo operates a commerce media platform that connects advertisers with retailers and publishers, leveraging AI to enhance its services [16][20] - The company has maintained a client retention rate close to 90% and reported a 11% growth in Retail Media ex-TAC contributions [18][19] - Despite a challenging market, Criteo's shares have decreased by 53.5% over the past year, but earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have shown positive revisions [23] NetEase, Inc. (NTES) - NetEase is focused on online services, primarily in gaming, which is its largest revenue contributor, supported by a strong in-house R&D team [26][27] - The company has seen significant success with popular game titles and is expanding its international business with new content [28][29] - NetEase's shares have gained 59% over the past year, with positive earnings and revenue growth expected for 2025 and 2026 [29]

Core Insights - NetEase (NTES.US) shares rose over 5%, reaching $145.20, following the announcement of a prestigious award for a collaborative project in AI and image graphics [1] Group 1: Award Recognition - The project titled "Key Technologies and Applications of Intelligent Decision-Making Based on Reinforcement Learning," developed by NetEase (Hangzhou) Network Co., Tianjin University, University of Science and Technology of China, and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, won the first prize in the "Science and Technology Progress Award" by the China Society of Image and Graphics [1] Group 2: AI Innovations in Gaming - The project achieved significant breakthroughs in the application of AI within the gaming industry, particularly through the game "Justice" (逆水寒), which integrated AI technology deeply with its game systems, introducing the industry's first "intelligent NPC" system that supports natural language interaction and contextual decision-making [1] Group 3: Upcoming Game Release - The global release of "Where Winds Meet" (燕云十六声) is scheduled for November 15, launching simultaneously on Steam, PlayStation, and Epic platforms. Within 40 minutes of its overseas launch, the game attracted over 500,000 players, with Steam recording a peak concurrent user count of over 140,000 [1] - Huatai Securities indicated that the overseas launch of "Where Winds Meet" exceeded market expectations, suggesting a potential acceleration in mid-to-long-term revenue growth [1]

Core Insights - NetEase (NTES.US) shares rose over 5% to $145.20 following the announcement of a significant achievement in the field of artificial intelligence and image graphics [1] - The project titled "Key Technologies and Applications of Intelligent Decision-Making Based on Reinforcement Learning," developed in collaboration with Tianjin University, University of Science and Technology of China, and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, won the first prize in the "Science and Technology Progress Award" by the Chinese Society of Image and Graphics [1] - The project has made important breakthroughs in the application of AI technology within the gaming industry, particularly through the game "Justice" (逆水寒), which has integrated AI technology with game systems to create an "intelligent NPC" system that supports natural language interaction and contextual decision-making [1] Company Developments - The AI lead for the mobile game "Justice," Liu Chang, presented the innovative practices in AI at the 2025 Cloud Habitat Conference, drawing significant attention [1] - The global release of "Where Winds Meet" (燕云十六声) on November 15 saw over 500,000 players within 40 minutes of launch across Steam, PlayStation, and Epic platforms, with Steam recording a peak concurrent user count of over 140,000 [1] - Huatai Securities indicated that the overseas launch of "Where Winds Meet" exceeded market expectations, suggesting a potential acceleration in mid-to-long-term revenue growth for the company [1]