Guo Ji Jin Rong Bao·2025-10-30 21:21Core Viewpoint - ZTE Corporation is experiencing a significant transformation period, with its third-quarter financial results showing a sharp decline in net profit despite revenue growth, indicating challenges in maintaining profitability during its transition to new business areas [2][3]. Financial Performance - In the first three quarters of the year, ZTE's revenue exceeded 100 billion yuan, growing by 11.63% to 100.52 billion yuan, while net profit dropped by 32.69% to 5.322 billion yuan, reflecting a situation of increasing revenue but decreasing profit [2]. - For the third quarter alone, ZTE reported revenue of 28.967 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.11%, but net profit plummeted by 87.84% to only 264 million yuan, with a non-recurring net profit of -225 million yuan, indicating a shift from profit to loss [2][3]. Business Segments - ZTE's operations are divided into three main segments: carrier networks, government and enterprise business, and consumer business, with the carrier networks segment historically being the primary revenue and profit driver [2]. - The carrier networks segment's revenue for the first three quarters was 35.064 billion yuan, down 5.99% year-on-year, marking the first time its revenue share fell below 50% in a decade [3]. Transition Challenges - The decline in capital expenditure from major telecom operators in China has pressured ZTE's carrier networks business, with a reported 16.5% decrease in capital spending expected by mid-2025 [3]. - ZTE is currently undergoing a critical transformation phase, with a projected decline in both revenue and profit for the 2024 annual report, forecasting a revenue of 121.299 billion yuan, down 2.38%, and a net profit of 8.425 billion yuan, down 9.66% [3]. Leadership Change - In March, ZTE appointed its first female chairperson, Fang Rong, following the resignation of former chairman Li Zixue, who had led the company through significant growth during the 5G construction boom [4][5]. New Business Focus - Under Fang Rong's leadership, ZTE aims to pivot towards new business opportunities in the AI-driven industry, emphasizing the importance of transitioning from a connectivity-focused model to one that integrates computing power [5]. - The company's computing power segment has shown substantial growth, with revenue increasing by 180% year-on-year, although it still only accounts for 25% of total revenue [5]. Profitability Concerns - ZTE's overall gross margin has decreased to 32.45%, down 7.99 percentage points year-on-year, with the carrier networks segment maintaining a higher margin of 52.94%, while the consumer business and government enterprise business have significantly lower margins [6][8]. - The third-quarter gross margin further declined to 25.85%, highlighting the need for ZTE to enhance the profitability of its expanding computing power business [8]. Cost Management - In response to the ongoing transformation pressures, ZTE has implemented cost-cutting measures, reducing management expenses by 10.77% to 2.884 billion yuan, while sales and R&D expenses also saw declines [8].