Astro-century(SZ:300654) 3 6 Ke·2025-07-10 23:29Core Viewpoint - Century Tianhong, a company rooted in educational publishing, has faced significant challenges following the "double reduction" policy, leading to slow net profit growth in recent years. Despite launching an AI strategy in 2021, the business has not matured, resulting in a rapid contraction of cash flow [1][6][13]. Financial Performance - In 2021, Century Tianhong reported total revenue of 411 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.17%, with net profit at 35.64 million yuan, up 9.73%. However, profit growth lagged behind revenue growth [6]. - By 2022, total revenue increased to 433 million yuan, a growth of 5.35%, while net profit rose to 36.68 million yuan, reflecting a mere 2.92% increase [6]. - In 2024, the company achieved revenue of 531 million yuan, with book sales accounting for 86.57% of total revenue. However, cash flow issues became apparent, with a net cash flow from operating activities of -8.17 million yuan, a decrease of 59.61% from the beginning of the year [7][13]. Share Pledge and Liquidity Issues - On July 8, 2025, Century Tianhong's controlling shareholder pledged 11.6 million shares for a loan, which raised concerns about the liquidity of shareholder funds. Cumulatively, 48.97 million shares have been pledged, representing 13.38% of the total share capital [1][8]. - The company has seen a total of 26.8 million shares pledged in the past six months, amounting to 7.32% of the total share capital, indicating ongoing liquidity challenges [3]. AI Strategy and Market Position - Century Tianhong's AI initiatives, including the development of "Xiao Hong Assistant" and "Bi Shen Composition," have attracted over 22 million users, but the company still faces significant hurdles in achieving commercial scale [7][10]. - The education AI market is projected to grow significantly, with estimates suggesting it could reach 700 billion yuan by 2025 and 3 trillion yuan by 2030. However, Century Tianhong's technological capabilities remain limited compared to competitors [10][12]. - The company's R&D expenses have increased significantly since the introduction of its AI strategy, but total spending remains low compared to industry leaders, highlighting a gap in investment [12][14]. Challenges and Future Outlook - Century Tianhong is struggling to balance its traditional publishing business, which serves as a cash cow, with the costly investments required for its AI initiatives. This dual pressure is compounded by inventory turnover issues and demographic changes [13]. - The company’s operating profit in 2024 was 62.58 million yuan, down 3.48% year-on-year, indicating that the AI segment has yet to make a significant impact on overall financial performance [13][14].