360 Security Technology (SH:601360) Xin Lang Zheng Quan·2025-09-05 10:09Core Viewpoint - The company 360 is heavily investing in AI to address its commercial challenges, as traditional PC traffic sources are declining, leading to continuous revenue drops and significant losses despite substantial R&D investments exceeding 20 billion yuan [1][2][5]. Financial Performance - In the first half of 2024, the company's revenue was 3.827 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.67%, while the net profit attributable to the parent company was -282 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.43% [2][4]. - The company's sales expenses grew nearly 35% in the first half of the year, significantly outpacing revenue growth of less than 4%, indicating challenges in market expansion [3][5]. Business Model and Revenue Sources - The company's internet advertising and service business relies on products like "Nano AI Search," "360 Search," and "360 Browser" to monetize traffic [5][6]. - The PC segment remains the core of the company's traffic acquisition strategy, with a high market penetration rate; however, the shift to mobile has led to a decline in advertising revenue [6][8]. AI Strategy and Product Development - The company has adopted an "AI + Security" dual strategy since 2023, focusing on developing AI-native products and enhancing existing offerings [1][10]. - The "Nano AI Search" has been upgraded to "Nano AI Super Search," and the company has launched a new general-purpose model, "360 Zhinao," which has shown strong performance in third-party evaluations [10][11]. User Engagement and Market Trends - Despite the introduction of new AI products, the monthly active users (MAU) for "Nano AI Search" have declined from 24 million in February to 12 million in August, indicating a downward trend in user engagement [11][12]. - The company faces increasing competition in the AI space, with a need to optimize advertising efficiency and user experience to maintain its market position [9][10].