TENCENT(00700) 华创证券·2025-03-30 15:21Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) with a target price range of HKD 547.75 to HKD 608.61 [1][5]. Core Insights - Tencent's 4Q24 financial results exceeded expectations, with revenue of CNY 172.4 billion, a year-over-year increase of 11%, and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 3%. The NON-IFRS net profit reached CNY 55.3 billion, up 30% year-over-year but down 8% quarter-over-quarter [1][8]. - The company is increasing its investment in AI infrastructure, anticipating significant advancements in application scenarios [1][34]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In 4Q24, Tencent achieved revenue of CNY 1724 billion, YOY +11%, QOQ +3%, exceeding expectations by 2%. The NON-IFRS net profit was CNY 553 billion, YOY +30%, QOQ -8%, surpassing expectations by 4% [1][8]. - The total revenue forecast for 2025 is adjusted to CNY 721.8 billion, with a YOY growth of 9%. The NON-IFRS net profit forecast is CNY 225.9 billion, reflecting a YOY increase of 16.4% [5][6]. Business Segments - Gaming: Revenue reached CNY 492 billion, YOY +20%, marking the highest growth rate since 2021. The international gaming segment contributed CNY 160 billion, YOY +15%, while the domestic market generated CNY 332 billion, YOY +23% [4][20]. - Social Networks: Revenue was CNY 298 billion, YOY +6%, driven by mobile game income and TME membership growth [27]. - Marketing Services: Revenue reached CNY 350 billion, YOY +17%, supported by the WeChat ecosystem [31]. - Financial Technology and Enterprise Services: Revenue was CNY 561 billion, YOY +3%, meeting expectations [33]. Capital Expenditure and AI Investment - Tencent's CAPEX for the quarter was CNY 39 billion, a significant increase of 418% YOY and 225% QOQ, indicating a strong commitment to AI infrastructure [33][34]. - The company is focusing on enhancing its AI capabilities, with plans to integrate self-developed and open-source models into its applications [34]. Shareholder Returns - Tencent announced a cash dividend of CNY 41 billion, corresponding to a dividend rate of approximately 17%, and plans to repurchase over CNY 80 billion worth of shares [38].