Core Viewpoint - The report from CICC indicates that Tencent Music (01698) is expected to see significant growth in new business in 2025, with projected Non-IFRS net profits of 9.63 billion yuan and 10.75 billion yuan for 2025 and 2026 respectively, maintaining an outperform rating in the industry [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Tencent Music reported revenues of 8.46 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.6%, and Non-IFRS net profit of 2.41 billion yuan, up 32.6%, slightly exceeding CICC's expectations [2] - The company’s online music subscription revenue in Q3 2025 grew by 17.2% to 4.49 billion yuan, with a net increase of 1.3 million paying users, reaching a total of 126 million [3] Group 2: Business Segments - The subscription business shows profitability resilience, while non-subscription business demonstrates growth potential, with non-subscription revenue in Q3 2025 increasing by 50.3% to 2.48 billion yuan, driven by concert and artist economy revenues [3] - The company expects a continued increase in paid users and ARPPU, projecting a rise to 12.1 yuan/month in Q4 2025 [3] Group 3: Margin and Investment - Q3 2025 gross margin was 43.5%, with stable sales expenses and a 5.3% year-on-year increase in management expenses; the company is investing in offline performances and IP economy, which may impact short-term margins but is expected to support long-term growth [4] - The fluctuation in gross margin is attributed to the rising proportion of concert-related revenues, with expectations for a rebound in Q4 2025 [4] Group 4: Strategic Direction - The company is committed to a dual-wing strategy, focusing on deepening collaborations with global record labels and enhancing its own IP matrix, while innovating product features and services to expand multi-terminal scenarios [5] - Content payment, content privileges, and functional privileges are identified as key growth drivers, with the potential for increased commercial advantages through deeper value extraction from the music entertainment industry [5]
中金：维持腾讯音乐-SW“跑赢行业”评级 目标价100港元