HTSC·2025-11-13 07:38Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company [7][5]. Core Views - The company is expected to see a 5.3% year-over-year decline in revenue for Q3 2025, amounting to $440 million, while adjusted net profit is projected to decrease by 22% to $108 million [1][5]. - The strategic focus for the second half of the year includes increased investment in AI to enhance search quality and strengthen advertising infrastructure [1]. - The company is shifting its strategy towards a multi-faceted approach of "Focus + Recommendation + Hot Topics," which has led to improved user engagement, with a 12% year-over-year increase in total video viewing time in Q3 [1][3]. Revenue and Advertising Insights - Q3 and Q4 advertising revenue is expected to decline by 6% and 5% respectively, primarily due to a high base from the previous year [2]. - The advertising demand from the e-commerce and automotive sectors is anticipated to continue its stable growth, while sectors like food and beverage, and apparel are expected to show weaker performance [2]. - The smartphone sector is facing a traditional off-season, with a reported 0.6% year-over-year decline in smartphone shipments in Q3 2025 [2]. Strategic Developments - The company has shifted its strategy to focus on three key areas: personalized recommendation streams, social-based attention streams, and hot topic streams centered around trending searches [3]. - The number of high-quality creators on the platform is expanding, with the number of top-tier creators reaching 18,000 and secondary tier creators increasing by 57% to 110,000 [3]. - The advertising revenue sharing plan has been optimized to encourage more quality content creation, with the revenue share for targeted tasks increasing to 55% [3]. Commercialization and User Engagement - The "Smart Search" feature is expected to initiate a small-scale commercialization pilot in Q4, enhancing user interaction and retention [4]. - The current integration of Smart Search into social interaction scenarios allows users to verify content and engage in extended reading based on posts [4]. Financial Forecasts and Valuation - Revenue forecasts for 2025-2027 have been adjusted downwards by 1% each year, reflecting a decrease in advertising spending in the gaming and mobile sectors [5][13]. - The adjusted net profit estimates for 2025-2027 have been revised to $480 million, $470 million, and $480 million respectively [5][13]. - The target price has been set at $14.74, corresponding to a 7.5x PE ratio for 2025 adjusted net profit, which is a discount compared to the global peer average of 28.0x due to liquidity factors and slower revenue growth [5][17].