Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating, highlighting the potential of lightweight IP carriers to tap into a billion-dollar market through a comprehensive industry layout [2]. Core Insights - The collectible card game (CCG) industry is experiencing explosive growth in China, with the market size projected to reach 26.3 billion RMB in 2024, up from 2.8 billion RMB in 2019, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.6% [5][17]. - The report identifies the U.S. and Japan as mature markets, while China's market is characterized by a younger consumer base, high-frequency low-cost purchases, and social media-driven engagement [5][47]. - The collectible card industry is segmented into trading card games (TCG) and collectible cards, with TCGs like Pokémon and sports cards leading the market [10][35]. Summary by Sections 1. Collectible Cards: Lightweight IP Carriers Providing Multi-Dimensional Value - Collectible cards offer various values, including aesthetic, social, and investment aspects, making them appealing to consumers [14]. - The market is expected to grow significantly, with China's collectible card market projected to reach 44.6 billion RMB by 2029 [17]. 2. Market Size: Explosive Growth in China's Collectible Card Market - The Chinese collectible card market is forecasted to grow to 26.3 billion RMB in 2024, with a significant increase in consumer spending potential [15][17]. - The average spending per consumer in China is only 18.7 RMB, compared to 119.3 RMB in Japan and 64.0 RMB in the U.S., indicating room for growth [17]. 3. Country Segmentation: Mature Markets in the U.S. and Japan, Developing Market in China - The U.S. market is characterized by a well-established ecosystem for sports cards, driven by a strong sports culture and a history of card trading [18][29]. - Japan's market focuses on TCGs, with a compound annual growth rate of 22% from 2019 to 2024, driven by a robust community and competitive events [29][35]. - China's market is rapidly evolving, with a focus on younger consumers and a growing interest in IP-driven products, supported by a burgeoning entertainment toy market [47].

Core Insights - In the first half of 2025, the company reported a revenue of 3.19 billion yuan, a year-on-year decline of 23.9%, primarily due to a 48.4% decrease in copyright operation and licensing revenue, attributed to the development cycle and scheduling of film and television projects [2][3] - Despite the revenue decline, the company's net profit attributable to shareholders reached 850 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 68.5%, driven by a reduction in costs [5] - The company's CEO emphasized the significant commercialization potential of IP and the importance of quickly responding to user demands in the derivative product business [2] Revenue Breakdown - The company's online business revenue for the first half of 2025 was 1.985 billion yuan, accounting for 62.2% of total revenue, with a year-on-year growth of 2.3% [2] - The copyright operation and licensing revenue for the first half of 2025 was 1.205 billion yuan, a decrease of 46.4% year-on-year, with the main revenue from copyright operations dropping 48.4% to 1.138 billion yuan [3][4] IP Derivative Products - The GMV of IP derivative products reached 480 million yuan in the first half of 2025, nearing the 500 million yuan target for the entire year of 2024 [8] - The company has seen strong performance from its top IPs, including "Full-Time Master" and "Fox Demon Little Red," and is planning to develop customized derivative products for mid-tier IPs [8][9] - The company has established an integrated online and offline channel network for its derivative products and is continuously expanding [8] Cost Management - The company's cost of revenue decreased by 25.1% year-on-year to 1.578 billion yuan, mainly due to the absence of new film and television projects, which resulted in no corresponding production costs [5] - Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 20.4% to 922 million yuan, primarily due to reduced marketing and promotional expenses related to film and television projects [5] Market Position and Future Outlook - The company is actively investing in the card game and plush toy sectors to enhance its market position and capitalize on the growing demand for derivative products [9] - Analysts suggest that while the company has made significant strides in the IP derivative market, the current GMV is still modest compared to the broader market potential, indicating a need for the company's IPs to gain greater influence beyond their original formats [9][10]

Core Insights - The e-commerce platforms do not prioritize the direct GMV generated by books, but rather the external value of business expansion and audience conversion [2][13] Group 1: Market Overview - The domestic book retail market in China is projected to reach a scale of 112.9 billion yuan in 2024, with e-commerce contributing 40.92% and content e-commerce accounting for 30.38% [2] - The overall book market has been declining for several years, with all channels except content e-commerce experiencing negative growth [2][6] - Major platforms like Dangdang and JD have seen a decline of about 10% in their book market scale, while short video e-commerce platforms like Douyin are expanding but at a slowing rate [6] Group 2: Historical Context - The book market was once a key category for e-commerce, with Dangdang being established in 1999 focusing on books due to their standardization and ease of transport [4] - JD's entry into the book market led to a price war among major book e-commerce players, but despite the rise of new e-commerce forces, books remain an important category [5] Group 3: New Sales Logic - The approach to selling books has shifted from "people finding books" to "books finding people," emphasizing the need for books to reach their target audience [7] - The influence of short video marketing and live streaming has significantly impacted book sales, with Douyin selling over 300 million books daily in 2024 [9] Group 4: E-commerce Platforms' Strategies - E-commerce platforms are increasingly using books as a means to drive traffic to other categories, with a focus on long-term audience conversion rather than immediate sales [13] - The stable sales of educational and children's books account for a significant portion of the book market, indicating a consistent demand [14] Group 5: Potential Opportunities - High-value consumers are emerging, willing to invest in premium books, as seen with the pricing strategy of Zhejiang People's Publishing House [15] - The rise of IP-related books, driven by popular media franchises, is expected to boost sales and attract younger audiences [15]