Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" [8] Core Views - The company demonstrates resilient demand and stable loan quality, with a focus on shareholder returns through ongoing share buybacks. The operational stability and quality are expected to enhance profitability in 2025 [1][2][4] Summary by Sections Loan Quality and Profitability - The C-M2 ratio slightly increased to 0.60% in Q1 2025 from 0.57% in Q4 2024, while the first-day overdue rate rose to 5.0% from 4.8%. The 30-day repayment rate remained stable at 88.1%. The loan quality is considered healthy, with a provisioning rate of approximately 4.9%, significantly higher than the long-term vintage overdue rate of 2.5-3.5%, indicating a strong profit cushion [2] Demand and Customer Acquisition Strategy - In Q1 2025, the company achieved a loan issuance of 88.9 billion RMB, reflecting a slight decrease of 1.1% quarter-on-quarter, indicating resilient credit demand. The customer acquisition cost per new credit user increased to 384 RMB from 312 RMB in Q4 2024, attributed to a higher proportion of API channel acquisitions and increased spending on high-cost information flow channels [3] Shareholder Returns - As of May 19, 2025, the company repurchased shares worth 178 million USD under a 450 million USD buyback plan, with expectations to complete the remaining amount within the year. The anticipated minimum shareholder return for the year is approximately 10%, supported by a commitment to a 20-30% dividend payout ratio [4] Profit Forecast - The company maintains its profit forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 at 7.1 billion, 7.7 billion, and 8.2 billion RMB respectively. The target prices are set at 55.6 USD and 220.9 HKD, based on a PE ratio of 6.5x for 2025 and DCF methods [5]

Core Viewpoint - Growth investors are increasingly focusing on stocks with above-average financial growth, and Qifu Technology, Inc. (QFIN) is highlighted as a strong candidate due to its favorable growth metrics and Zacks Rank [2][10]. Group 1: Earnings Growth - The historical EPS growth rate for Qifu Technology, Inc. is 8.3%, but projected EPS growth for this year is expected to be 25.3%, surpassing the industry average of 23.7% [5]. Group 2: Cash Flow Growth - Qifu Technology, Inc. has a year-over-year cash flow growth of 41.5%, significantly higher than the industry average of -11.5% [6]. - The company's annualized cash flow growth rate over the past 3-5 years is 19.2%, compared to the industry average of 14.7% [7]. Group 3: Earnings Estimate Revisions - The current-year earnings estimates for Qifu Technology, Inc. have been revised upward, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 2.3% over the past month [9]. Group 4: Overall Positioning - Qifu Technology, Inc. has achieved a Growth Score of A and holds a Zacks Rank 2, indicating strong potential for outperformance in the growth investment space [10][11].

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street is experiencing volatility due to uncertainty surrounding the new U.S. administration's economic tariffs, prompting investors to seek stability through dividend investing [1][2]. Investment Strategy - Dividend investing is highlighted as a strategy that offers income and stability, especially in a rocky market, despite not providing dramatic price appreciation [2]. - Stocks with a history of dividend growth are recommended for building a healthy portfolio with potential for capital appreciation [3][4]. Selected Dividend Growth Stocks - Four dividend growth stocks are identified as compelling picks: - NetEase Inc. (NTES) with an expected earnings growth rate of 10.6% and a Zacks Rank 1 [10]. - Fox Corporation (FOX) with an expected earnings growth rate of 32.4% and a Zacks Rank 1 [11]. - Qifu Technology Inc. (QFIN) with an expected earnings growth rate of 22.6% and a Zacks Rank 2 [12][13]. - UGI Corporation (UGI) with a positive earnings estimate revision and a Zacks Rank 2 [14][15]. Stock Selection Criteria - Stocks selected for dividend growth should have: - 5-Year Historical Dividend Growth greater than zero [6]. - 5-Year Historical Sales Growth greater than zero [7]. - 5-Year Historical EPS Growth greater than zero [7]. - Next 3-5 Year EPS Growth Rate greater than zero [7]. - Price/Cash Flow less than M-Industry [8]. - 52-Week Price Change greater than S&P 500 [8]. - Top Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 [8]. - Growth Score of B or better [9]. Company Fundamentals - Companies with strong fundamentals are characterized by sustainable business models, profitability, rising cash flows, good liquidity, and strong balance sheets, making them promising long-term investments [5].

Group 1 - Qifu (NASDAQ: QFIN) is strengthening its position in the online lending space as observed since 2023 [1] - The focus of the analysis is on long-term stock positions rather than short-term analysis [1] Group 2 - The author has a background in finance and has worked with two financial companies, focusing on Energy, Banking, and Tech stocks [1]

Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating to Qifu Technology with a 12-month price target of US$58.50, while the current price is US$42.94 [5][25]. Core Insights - Qifu Technology is experiencing stable operating trends in Q2 2025, with a modest quarter-over-quarter decline in loan volume expected due to a strong Q1 and a soft start in Q2 [2]. - The company reaffirms its 2025 net take rate target of 5.2-5.3%, indicating a positive outlook for loan volume growth of 6-7% [3]. - Regulatory risks are considered manageable, with expectations for better clarity on new loan facilitation regulations before October [4]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - Qifu Technology's revenues are projected to grow from Rmb16,939 million in 2024 to Rmb18,793 million in 2025, with net earnings expected to increase from Rmb6,264 million in 2024 to Rmb6,857 million in 2025 [8]. - The diluted EPS is forecasted to rise from Rmb42.38 in 2024 to Rmb53.52 in 2025 [6]. Market Position - The company is a leading loan facilitation platform in China, focusing on consumer loans and utilizing both credit-driven and platform service models [10]. - The market capitalization of Qifu Technology is approximately US$5.96 billion, with a free float of 79% [5]. Valuation Metrics - The report indicates a P/E ratio of 5.8 for 2025 and a P/BV ratio of 1.6, suggesting a favorable valuation compared to historical performance [8]. - Forecast returns include a price appreciation of 36.2% and a dividend yield of 3.4%, leading to an overall forecast stock return of 39.7% [9].

Core Insights - Qifu Technology, Inc. (QFIN) and Byrna Technologies Inc. (BYRN) are lesser-known tech companies with significant growth potential in their respective sectors [1] - QFIN focuses on AI-driven consumer finance, while BYRN specializes in non-lethal self-defense technology [1] Qifu Technology (QFIN) - QFIN's AI + Finance strategy is transforming credit services, leading to a 15.8% year-over-year growth in loan origination and an 11.1% increase in registered users in Q1 2025 [2] - The company employs AI models to assess large datasets for identifying creditworthy individuals and SMEs, enhancing risk management and reducing defaults [3] - QFIN's AI-led marketing strategy has improved user profiling accuracy, resulting in a 33% increase in the conversion rate of new credit line users to new borrowers [4] - The company's sales estimate for fiscal 2025 is $2.6 billion, indicating a 7.6% year-over-year growth, with earnings estimated at $6.94 per share, reflecting a 22.6% increase [9] Byrna Technologies (BYRN) - BYRN's patented "first-shot, pull-pierce" technology enhances product reliability, making it appealing for personal safety and law enforcement [5] - The company’s blunt impact projectile design is less lethal yet effective, broadening its market appeal [6] - Byrna is increasing production, with a 33% rise in launcher production in Q1 2025, reaching 24,000 units per month to meet market demand [7] - The sales estimate for BYRN in fiscal 2025 is $111.7 million, suggesting a 30.2% year-over-year growth, with earnings projected at 35 cents per share, indicating a 12.9% rise [8] Comparative Analysis - QFIN's forward earnings multiple is 61.74X, lower than its 12-month median of 92.59X, while BYRN's multiple is 5.83X, slightly below its median of 5.84X [10] - Both companies are rated with a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), but BYRN is considered a more compelling investment due to its growth potential in the personal security market compared to the competitive fintech sector [13][14]

Core Viewpoint - Qifu Technology (NASDAQ: QFIN) is rated as a 'Strong Buy' due to its cheap valuation, strong growth, good business economics, and potential for a turnaround in the Chinese economy [1] Group 1: Company Analysis - The company has a strong growth trajectory and favorable business economics, making it an attractive investment opportunity [1] - The valuation of Qifu Technology is considered cheap, indicating potential for price appreciation [1] Group 2: Market Context - There is an expectation of a turnaround in the Chinese economy, which could serve as a catalyst for Qifu Technology's performance [1]

Core Insights - The AICon Global AI Development and Application Conference highlighted the transformative impact of AI on the financial industry, emphasizing a shift from efficiency tools to value engines [1][3] - 2025 is projected to be a pivotal year for AI technology to fundamentally alter core business scenarios in finance, driven by advancements in foundational models and AI Agent technology [3][4] Financial Industry Developments - The continuous evolution of foundational models like DeepSeek and breakthroughs in AI Agent technology have enabled the financial sector to reach a critical point in its intelligent transformation [3] - Qifu Technology has developed an end-to-end risk control capability system based on rigorous innovation in core risk control modules, improving accuracy and efficiency in risk assessment [3] - The company has enhanced its data mining capabilities through multi-modal video capabilities, achieving over 95% accuracy in user feature consistency verification [3] Applications in Financial Services - The intelligent research report system for the securities industry utilizes large models to instantly analyze vast amounts of financial report data, significantly improving analyst efficiency [3] - In the insurance sector, an intelligent underwriting system employs knowledge graphs and multi-turn dialogue technology to drastically reduce the processing time for complex policies [3] - The consumer finance sector benefits from dynamic risk pricing optimization through 360-degree user profiling and cross-validation with macroeconomic data [3] Future Outlook - The integration of AI and finance is expected to lead to a significant transformation in the industry, marking the beginning of a century-long change in financial value creation [4] - The ongoing technological innovations centered around large models are anticipated to break traditional constraints and pave the way for a more efficient, precise, and creative development path in the financial sector [4]

Core Insights - Qifu Technology has been recognized as the "Most Honored Company" in the 2025 Extel Asia Best Managed Teams rankings, highlighting its leadership in corporate governance and investor relations within the fintech sector [1][2] - The company excelled in several sub-categories, including "Best CEO," "Best CFO," and "Best Investor Relations Professional," reinforcing its status as a benchmark in Asia's fintech industry [1][2] Company Performance - In Q1 2025, Qifu reported significant growth, connecting with 163 financial institution partners and reaching 268 million registered users, with 58.4 million credit-approved users [3] - The company facilitated loan origination amounting to RMB 88,883 million, reflecting a 15.8% year-over-year increase, driven by its "AI + Finance" strategy [3] - Qifu is developing the industry's first intelligent agent for its core credit business, which includes multiple smart modules aimed at enhancing operational efficiency [3]

Core Viewpoint - Qifu Technology, Inc. (QFIN) shows potential for significant upside, with a mean price target of $54.80 indicating a 28.9% increase from the current price of $42.52 [1] Price Targets - The average price target consists of four estimates ranging from a low of $50 to a high of $58.50, with a standard deviation of $4.14, suggesting a consensus among analysts [2] - The lowest estimate indicates a 17.6% increase, while the highest suggests a 37.6% upside [2] - A low standard deviation indicates a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement [9] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts are optimistic about QFIN's earnings prospects, as indicated by upward revisions in earnings estimates, which historically correlate with stock price movements [11] - Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 0.1%, with one estimate moving higher and no negative revisions [12] Zacks Rank - QFIN holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate factors, indicating strong potential for near-term upside [13]