Giant Network(002558) 国元证券·2024-11-07 00:31Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company Giant Network (002558) [3][10]. Core Views - The company reported a quarter-on-quarter revenue growth of 8.28% in Q3 2024, although there was a year-on-year revenue decline of 2.15% [3]. - The net profit attributable to shareholders decreased by 1.29% year-on-year, with a net profit of 1.071 billion yuan in Q3, reflecting a 16.18% decline year-on-year [3]. - The company has increased its sales expenses, with a sales expense ratio of 35.24% in Q3, up 7.49 percentage points year-on-year [3]. - The performance of the mini-program game "King's Journey" has been strong, ranking 9th to 14th in sales from July to October [4]. - The company showcased its AI capabilities at the 2024 Yunqi Conference, introducing new AI models that enhance its gaming business [4]. Financial Summary - For Q3 2024, the company achieved a revenue of 7.91 billion yuan, down 3.94% year-on-year but up 8.28% quarter-on-quarter [3]. - The projected earnings per share (EPS) for 2024-2026 are 0.71, 0.81, and 0.91 yuan, respectively, with corresponding price-to-earnings (PE) ratios of 17, 15, and 14 times [4]. - The company's total revenue for 2024 is estimated at 3.011 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 2.98% [5]. - The net profit for 2024 is projected to be 1.409 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 29.73% [5]. Market Position and Strategy - The company is focusing on the "Journey" IP sector, maintaining a strong position in casual competitive products while leveraging AI for business empowerment [4]. - The company has successfully launched both mini-program and app versions of its games, which are expected to support future revenue performance [4].