Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" (maintained) [1][9] Core Views - The company's game business is showing steady growth, with a diversified content strategy [1] - In Q1 2025, the company achieved revenue of 28.83 billion yuan, a year-over-year increase of 7.4% and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 7.8% [4] - The gross profit for Q1 2025 was 18.48 billion yuan, with a gross margin of 64.1%, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 0.7 percentage points [4] - The adjusted net profit for Q1 2025 was 11.24 billion yuan, a year-over-year increase of 32.0%, with a net margin of 39.0%, up 7.3 percentage points year-over-year [4] Summary by Sections Game Business Performance - The revenue from games and related services in Q1 was 24 billion yuan, a year-over-year increase of 12.1% [5] - Key titles contributing to revenue include "Identity V," which was the main revenue driver, and several new games like "Marvel Showdown" and "Yanyun Sixteen Sounds" performing well in the market [5] - Long-term operational games are showing stable performance, with titles like "Identity V" and "Naraka: Bladepoint" maintaining steady revenue streams [5] Youdao Business Strategy - Youdao's business is advancing its "AI-native" strategy, achieving a gross margin of 47.3% in Q1 [6] - The strategy focuses on AI-enabled products and services to drive intelligent transformation across various industries [6] Cloud Music Operations - Cloud Music achieved a gross margin of 36.7% in Q1, with a focus on community ecosystem building to enhance user engagement [7] - The platform is leveraging AI capabilities for song recommendations and content creation, enriching its creator ecosystem [7] Financial Projections - Revenue projections for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are 113.86 billion yuan, 118.78 billion yuan, and 124.09 billion yuan respectively, with corresponding net profits of 38.81 billion yuan, 39.92 billion yuan, and 41.31 billion yuan [8] - The company expects a year-over-year revenue growth of 8.1% in 2025, followed by 4.3% and 4.5% in the subsequent years [11]

Core Viewpoint - Huatai Securities maintains a "buy" rating for NetEase Youdao (NYSE: DAO) with a target price of $11.41, expressing confidence in the company's AI capabilities accelerating commercialization in education and marketing sectors [1] Financial Performance - In Q1 2025, NetEase Youdao reported a net revenue of 1.3 billion RMB, with operating profit reaching 104 million RMB, marking a historical high for the quarter and a year-on-year increase of 247.7%, significantly surpassing market expectations [3] - Operating cash flow net outflow narrowed by 34.7% year-on-year, indicating improved financial efficiency [3] Business Strategy and Growth - The company's "AI-native" strategy is driving sustained profitability, with core business showing robust growth [3] - Youdao's learning services focus on high-demand scenarios, with sales of Youdao Ling Shi increasing over 25% year-on-year in Q1 [3] - AI subscription services generated nearly 70 million RMB in sales in Q1, with a year-on-year growth rate exceeding 40% [3] - Online marketing services are expanding both domestically and internationally, with deeper collaborations with Google and NetEase Group expected to yield accelerated effects in the second half of the year [3] AI Development and Innovation - As one of the earliest companies to develop vertical large models in education, Youdao combines self-research with open-source technology [4] - The company launched the open-source educational reasoning model "ZiYue-o1" in January, which significantly enhances GPU efficiency compared to general large models [4] - The "ZiYue" model is being integrated into the company's learning services, AI subscriptions, and smart hardware, solidifying its leading position in the domestic education large model sector [4] Future Outlook - The CEO of NetEase Youdao stated that after achieving full-year profitability in 2024, the company is positioned for strategic advantages and aims to accelerate the deployment of the "ZiYue" model in both education and advertising sectors in 2025 [4] - Huatai Securities forecasts that NetEase Youdao's operating profit for 2025 could reach 216 million RMB, a year-on-year increase of 45% [4] - The company’s projected net profit under non-GAAP for 2025-2027 is estimated to be 173 million, 243 million, and 343 million RMB respectively [4] Industry Recognition - NetEase Youdao was ranked second in the "2025 Global Top Education Technology Companies" list by Times magazine, reflecting its rapid progress in large model implementation and performance [5]