Core Viewpoint - Cathay Securities maintains an "Overweight" rating for Tencent Music (01698), projecting revenue growth and adjusted net profit for 2025-2027, with a target price of HKD 96.0 for 2026 based on a 25x PE ratio [1] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Tencent Music achieved revenue of CNY 8.46 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.6% [1] - Gross margin stood at 43.5%, up 0.9 percentage points year-on-year [1] - Operating profit reached CNY 2.71 billion, reflecting a 26.4% year-on-year growth, with an operating margin of 32.0%, up 1.5 percentage points [1] - Adjusted net profit was CNY 2.41 billion, a 32.6% increase year-on-year, with an adjusted net margin of 28.4%, up 2.6 percentage points [1] Revenue Drivers - Online music service revenue for Q3 2025 was CNY 6.97 billion, up 27.2% year-on-year, with subscription revenue at CNY 4.5 billion, a 17.2% increase [2] - The number of paying users reached 126 million, a 5.6% year-on-year increase, with a paying penetration rate of 22.8%, up 2.2 percentage points [2] - Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) was CNY 11.9, a 10.2% increase year-on-year [2] - Offline performances, advertising, and peripheral income contributed to a revenue of CNY 2.47 billion, a significant 50.5% year-on-year growth [2] Content and User Engagement - The multilingual music library has been strengthened through contracts with top artists and the introduction of Japanese and Korean ACG labels [3] - Collaborative music projects with games like "Honor of Kings" have produced popular works such as "Tomorrow's Coordinates" [3] - The G-DRAGON concert series expanded to six countries with 14 performances in Q3 2025, enhancing global industry influence [3] - Innovations in membership systems have improved user engagement, with the new advertising membership attracting free users and increasing daily usage time on the platform [3]