Youdao(US:DAO) HTSC·2025-05-16 07:45Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of $11.41 [5][6]. Core Insights - The company's Q1 2025 performance showed revenue of 1.3 billion RMB, a year-over-year decrease of 6.7%, while operating profit reached 100 million RMB, a significant increase of 247.7%, marking a historical high for Q1 [1]. - The "AI-native" strategy is driving continuous improvement in profitability, focusing on high-demand scenarios and accelerating the commercialization of AI capabilities in education and marketing [1]. - The company is expected to achieve an operating profit of 216 million RMB for the full year 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 45% due to accelerated AI commercialization and ongoing cost reduction measures [3]. Revenue Breakdown - In Q1 2025, the company's learning services, smart hardware, and online marketing businesses generated revenues of 602 million RMB, 190 million RMB, and 505 million RMB, respectively, with learning services experiencing a year-over-year decline of 16.1% [2]. - The AI enrollment planner has been upgraded, leading to an increase in renewal rates, while AI subscription services saw sales of nearly 70 million RMB, with a growth rate exceeding 40% [2]. Profitability and Cost Management - The operating profit margin for Q1 2025 was 8%, with significant reductions in sales, R&D, and management expenses, which decreased by 21%, 21%, and 25% year-over-year, respectively [3]. - The report anticipates that the company's profitability will continue to improve as it implements further cost optimization strategies [3]. Financial Forecast and Valuation - The report maintains the Non-GAAP net profit forecasts for 2025-2027 at 173 million RMB, 243 million RMB, and 343 million RMB, respectively [4]. - Using the SOTP valuation method, the company is assigned a PE of 23.22x for K12 business and 26.69x for smart hardware, with a target price adjustment to $11.41 based on comparable company valuation changes [4][10].