Star-net(SZ:002396) HTSC·2025-10-23 02:55Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of RMB 39.16 per share [6][5]. Core Views - The company achieved a revenue of RMB 14.168 billion in the first nine months of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.2%, and a net profit of RMB 344 million, up 31.1% year-on-year, driven by accelerated data center construction in the internet sector [1][5]. - The company is expected to benefit from high demand in the data center sector and ongoing internal operational improvements, leading to accelerated performance release [1]. - The company continues to innovate in the data center switch market, maintaining a leading position in various segments, including 200G/400G data center switches and enterprise WLAN [2]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, the company reported revenue of RMB 5.282 billion, a 15% increase year-on-year, but a net profit decline of 3.7% due to increased employee performance-related expenses [1]. - The overall gross margin for the first nine months of 2025 was 31.20%, a decrease of 1.20 percentage points year-on-year, while Q3 2025 gross margin improved to 32.46%, up 0.62 percentage points year-on-year [3]. Market Position and Innovation - The company holds the top market share in China for 200G/400G data center switches, Ethernet networks, and enterprise WLAN, with significant improvements in market share compared to 2024 [2]. - The company showcased new products and solutions at the 2025 Optical Expo, including a 51.2T CPO switch commercial interconnection solution and a new generation of lossless network solutions [2]. Future Outlook - The company is focusing on expanding its ICT, AI, and metaverse business lines, with plans to enhance AI capabilities and explore brain-computer interface business models [4]. - The company anticipates continued high demand for network equipment, particularly in data centers, and aims to leverage its subsidiaries for growth in emerging sectors [4].