Core Viewpoint - The company is heavily investing 1.5 billion in advertising to penetrate the white-collar recruitment market, despite its established presence in the blue-collar job sector [1] Group 1 - The company is utilizing various advertising channels, including subway elevators and community entrances, to promote its brand through founder Zhou Feng's playful imagery [1] - The significant investment of 1.5 billion in promotional expenses raises questions about the effectiveness of this strategy in breaking the "blue-collar recruitment" label [1] - The company's attempt to transition into the white-collar recruitment market indicates a strategic shift aimed at diversifying its target audience [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for FY 2025 was $165.2 million, down 22% from the prior year [17] - Net loss after tax was €2.9 million, an improvement from a €10 million loss in the previous year [17] - Operating expenses were reduced by £6 million through property consolidation and resizing support teams [18] - No dividend was declared for the year ending March 31, 2025, reflecting a prudent approach due to uncertain economic conditions [17][13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - AWF delivered improved profitability year on year despite a challenging environment, focusing on efficiency and quality business [22] - Madison strengthened its position in mid-senior recruitments and launched a new health channel, securing a place on key panels [22][23] - Jackson Stone and Wellington were significantly impacted by government spending reductions, affecting permanent and contract hires [24] - Absolute IT faced the hardest hit nationally but retained key capabilities [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Unemployment rates reached 5.1%, a 53% increase over two years, reflecting a seismic shift in the labor market [26] - The labor market participation rate decreased, indicating potential underreporting of unemployment figures [28] - ANZ's business outlook showed a dip in employment intentions, indicating nervousness in hiring across sectors [30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on high-value roles and longer-term contingent workforce solutions to provide clients with necessary flexibility [32] - There is a strategic emphasis on sectors with greater long-term robustness, such as infrastructure and health [21] - The company aims to leverage its scale as New Zealand's largest recruitment business to capture more opportunities [33] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the prolonged and challenging trading cycle but emphasized a positive leadership approach [15] - The focus remains on financial sustainability, recovery, and growth, with expectations for better performance in FY 2026 and stronger in FY 2027 [26][50] - Management is preparing for an eventual economic rebound, despite current market instability [30][47] Other Important Information - The company is actively working on extending banking facilities with ASB to support growth and reduce interest costs [19] - There is a commitment to maintaining a strong banking relationship and avoiding delinquent debt [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about capital requirements and company debt - A shareholder expressed concerns about the company's capital needs and suggested that additional capital could help address current challenges [72][74] - Management acknowledged the importance of retaining quality staff and emphasized that the company does not need to be capital-intensive [86][90] Question: Impact of AI on recruitment processes - A shareholder inquired about how AI might fine-tune recruitment processes and improve operational efficiency [96] - Management discussed ongoing digitization efforts and the integration of AI to enhance recruitment capabilities while maintaining the human touch [45][46]

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market opened lower on August 21, with the Dow Jones down 0.21%, S&P 500 down 0.19%, and Nasdaq down 0.16% as of 23:25 [1] - Popular tech stocks showed mixed performance, with Walmart's latest earnings report falling short of expectations, leading to a stock price drop of over 5% [2] - Chinese concept stocks rose against the trend, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index increasing by 1.43% [3] Individual Stock Performance - Notable individual stock movements included BOSS Zhipin rising over 8%, NIO and Miniso up over 7%, while Bilibili fell nearly 7% and Pony.ai dropped over 3% [5] - Xpeng Motors saw a significant increase of over 13% after its chairman and CEO, He Xiaopeng, purchased 3.1 million shares at an average price of HKD 80.49 per share, raising his ownership to approximately 18.9% [7] - Xpeng Motors reported a record high quarterly revenue of RMB 18.27 billion for Q2 2025, marking a 125.3% increase year-over-year and a 15.6% increase from Q1 2025 [7] Economic Events - The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, a significant annual event for the financial sector, took place from August 21 to 23, focusing on the transformation of the labor market and macroeconomic policy [9] - Investors are particularly attentive to potential key statements from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, as past meetings have led to significant market movements [10] Federal Reserve Insights - The minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on July 29-30 revealed a divide between hawkish and dovish members, with some officials expressing concerns about inflation risks [12] - The outlook for the Federal Reserve's policy remains uncertain, with potential for a rate cut in September if upcoming employment and inflation data do not show significant improvement [12] - Powell's cautious stance on inflation during the July meeting and the upcoming Jackson Hole speech are critical for market expectations regarding future interest rate decisions [13][15]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group like-for-like net fees decreased by 11% to £972 million, with pre-exceptional operating profit down 56% to £45.6 million [6][15][29] - Cash from operations increased by 14% to £128.3 million, ending the year with a cash position of £37 million [15][25] - Pre-exceptional earnings per share decreased by 67% to 1.31p, driven by lower operating profit and higher finance charges [16][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Temporary and contracting fees decreased by 7%, while permanent fees decreased by 17% [6][17] - Consultant net fee productivity increased by 5%, with enterprise solutions net fees growing by 8% [7][33] - In Germany, like-for-like net fees declined by 10%, while the UK and Ireland saw a 15% decline [8][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The US market showed strong performance with a 38% increase in net fee productivity [12][34] - In Rest of World, like-for-like net fees declined by 8%, with the US delivering strong growth [12][13] - Italy, Poland, and Spain reported positive growth in net fees, with Italy growing by 29% [40][41] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a five-lever strategy to increase exposure to high-potential markets and improve operational resilience [4][32] - Plans to deliver an additional £45 million in structural cost savings by FY 2029, building on previous savings [21][42] - Continued investment in technology and data to enhance productivity and client service [43][44] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted ongoing economic and political uncertainty affecting business confidence and recruitment markets [3][47] - The company expects to see improved performance in EMEA, particularly in France, but recovery timelines are uncertain [62][63] - Current trading in July and August is in line with expectations, with no significant changes in trading momentum [30][31] Other Important Information - The company has restructured its operations, closing offices and reducing headcount to improve profitability [22][29] - A full pension buy-in has been completed, significantly reducing future cash flow requirements related to pension contributions [27][70] - The final dividend proposed is 0.29p per share, reflecting a cautious approach to capital allocation amid uncertain trading conditions [28][70] Q&A Session Summary Question: CapEx spend for fiscal 2026 - The increase in CapEx is driven by technology investments and is expected to continue at a higher level over the next few years [53][54] Question: Job flow and conversion metrics - Currently, there is a 25% drop in placements, but pricing improvements are helping to mitigate this decline [56] Question: Expected performance improvement in EMEA - Recovery in EMEA is anticipated, but the timeline for profitability is uncertain, particularly in France [62][63] Question: Cash performance and expectations for FY 2026 - Cash performance was strong in FY 2025, but restructuring costs and increased CapEx may impact cash levels in FY 2026 [66][70] Question: Cost-saving program details - The company aims to achieve £45 million in additional structural cost savings, with significant progress expected in the next twelve months [76][78] Question: Temp and contracting business capacity - The company is satisfied with current consultant headcount levels but is shifting resources within countries to optimize productivity [81]

Core Insights - The acquisition of "Jigongjia" by Yupaodirect was completed smoothly within two months, with both teams aligning strategically, particularly in technology integration and market complementarity [1] - Yupaodirect's founder, Zhou Feng, outlined a clear "three-step" strategy for post-acquisition integration: short-term independent operation, mid-term technology integration, and long-term ecosystem integration [1] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition process took two months from initial contact to completion of business registration changes [1] - "Jigongjia" is owned by Chengdu Jizhi Life Technology Co., Ltd., which was established in 2014 and focuses on efficiently matching laborers with employers using big data and intelligent analysis [1] Group 2: Strategic Plans - The short-term plan involves maintaining the "Jigongjia" brand and team while focusing on niche market scenarios to retain user trust [1] - The mid-term plan includes integrating "Jigongjia's" AI matching algorithm into Yupaodirect's system to enhance job matching accuracy across 127 parameters [1] - The long-term vision aims to create a closed-loop system for recruitment, insurance, and payroll management by integrating labor data with value-added services [1] Group 3: Market Position - Yupaodirect has over 110 million registered users and more than 4 million daily active users, making it the leading player in China's blue-collar recruitment market and among the top four comprehensive recruitment platforms [3] - The company employs a differentiated strategy of "blue-collar breakout + white-collar penetration," reshaping the recruitment industry landscape compared to traditional giants like BOSS Zhipin and Zhilian Recruitment [3]

Group 1 - The founder and CEO of Laifen Technology publicly responded to criticism from a former employee and a media influencer regarding a product comparison video, highlighting concerns about industry trust and corporate anxiety during transformation [2] - Huge Dental Limited's IPO application in Hong Kong has expired after six months, indicating potential challenges in the dental materials market [3] - Shenzhen Metro's response to a request for support of Lingnan Tong card suggests technical compatibility issues, recommending the use of "Traffic United" card instead [4][5] Group 2 - Apple is reportedly developing a new operating system called "Charismatic," which may integrate elements from tvOS and watchOS, expected to launch with future smart home and desktop products [5] - Heytea is set to fully launch on Taobao Flash Sale, expanding its reach in the instant retail market with over 4,000 stores [6] - Alibaba and Ant Group have launched the "City Knight Orange Plan," aimed at providing better incentives and protections for delivery riders across various platforms [7] Group 3 - AVIC Optoelectronics has products applied in the industrial robotics sector, indicating a strategic focus on high-end manufacturing [8] - Chengdu's inbound tourism has surged by over 31% during the World Universiade, with key tourist destinations seeing increased traffic [9] - Wuhan's car replacement policy will be suspended starting August 19, 2025, affecting consumer behavior in the automotive market [10] Group 4 - Yupa Direct Recruitment has completed the strategic acquisition of "Jigongjia," a construction labor service platform, to strengthen its market position and prevent competitive threats [11] - Artist Fan Zeng has reassured the public of his well-being after recent rumors, indicating the impact of public perception on personal branding [12] - Keda Li's subsidiary Kemen is testing high-precision reducers with several quality clients, showcasing advancements in robotics technology [14]

Group 1 - The U.S. financial markets experienced significant turbulence on August 1, with all three major stock indices declining sharply, while gold prices surged, reflecting investor demand for safe-haven assets amid increased market uncertainty [1][2] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 601 points, a decrease of 0.74%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices dropped by 0.37% and 473.75 points respectively, marking the largest decline in four months [1] - The total market capitalization of U.S. stocks evaporated by over $1 trillion in a single night, with Chinese concept stocks also suffering losses, as evidenced by the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index declining by 1.82% [1] Group 2 - The U.S. Labor Department reported that non-farm payrolls added only 73,000 jobs in July, significantly below expectations, and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% [2] - The downward revision of job growth figures for May and June indicates a much weaker labor market than previously thought, leading to a sharp increase in expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut [2] - Following the employment data release, President Trump criticized the Labor Statistics Bureau and called for the resignation of its director, claiming that employment data had been artificially inflated ahead of the 2024 elections [2]

Group 1: National Policies and Economic Measures - The national childcare subsidy plan was announced, providing 3,600 yuan per child per year for infants under three years old starting from January 1, 2025 [2] - The Shanghai government is offering rent reductions and startup funding for eligible AI talent teams, with support ranging from six months to three years [13] Group 2: Corporate Developments - 澜起科技股份有限公司 has submitted its listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with joint sponsors including CICC, Morgan Stanley, and UBS [1] -居然智家 announced the passing of its actual controller and CEO, 汪林朋, and stated that daily operations will be managed by the executive team [6] -药明康德 reported a net profit of 8.561 billion yuan for the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 101.92% [15] -三星 signed a chip supply agreement worth $16.5 billion with Tesla, which is expected to boost Samsung's struggling foundry business [11] Group 3: Market Trends and Economic Indicators - The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its current interest rates during the upcoming monetary policy meeting, with potential cuts anticipated in September [5] - In South Korea, housing prices outside the capital region have declined, while prices in Seoul have increased by 0.39% in the first half of 2025 [12]

Company News - Lanqi Technology Co., Ltd. has submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with joint sponsors including CICC, Morgan Stanley, and UBS [1] - BOSS Zhipin has permanently banned an account involved in a scandal regarding inappropriate content in a job seeker's resume [4][5] - Taoyuan Heavy Industry has received a notice from the China Securities Regulatory Commission regarding an investigation for suspected violations of information disclosure [7] - Rebecca and its controlling shareholder have also been investigated by the CSRC for suspected violations of information disclosure [9] - Dahan Technology announced that its production and operational activities are normal, and there are no undisclosed significant matters [10] - Vanke has successfully sold a project in Shanghai, with reports indicating a transaction price of approximately 1.4 billion yuan [10] Financial Performance - Volkswagen Group reported a second-quarter revenue of 80.806 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 3%, with an operating profit of 3.834 billion euros, down 29.4% [12] - Kia's second-quarter operating profit decreased by 24.1% to 2.7648 trillion won (approximately 14.37 billion yuan) due to U.S. tariffs, despite a 6.5% increase in sales [12] - Digital Certification expects a net loss of 80 million to 96 million yuan for the first half of 2025, compared to a loss of 29.25 million yuan in the same period last year [12] - China Duty Free Group reported a net profit of 2.6 billion yuan for the first half of 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 20.81%, with total revenue of 28.151 billion yuan, down 9.96% [13]

Group 1: Major Companies - The number of ETFs with over 10 billion yuan in assets has surpassed 90, reaching a total of 91, an increase of approximately 38% from 66 at the end of last year [1] - Xiaoma Zhixing has launched 24/7 autonomous driving tests in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, marking a significant innovation in autonomous driving policies in these cities [1] - Haidilao has opened its first premium store in Hanwei Building, focusing on high-quality Cantonese hot pot with premium seafood and Wagyu beef [2] Group 2: Financial Performance - LG Energy Solution reported a net profit of 906 billion won in Q2 2025, recovering from a loss of 237 billion won in the same period last year, despite a 9.7% decline in revenue to 5.56 trillion won [3] - China Duty Free Group announced a net profit of 2.6 billion yuan for the first half of 2025, a decrease of 20.81% year-on-year, with total revenue of 28.15 billion yuan, down 9.96% [3] Group 3: Investment and Financing - Shanghai Guotou will participate in the new financing round of the AI startup Jiyue Xingchen, which aims for an annual revenue target of 1 billion yuan [4] - "Ancheng An Design" has secured 1 million yuan in angel investment to enhance technology and market expansion [4] Group 4: New Products and Innovations - Jiyue Xingchen has released its new generation foundational model Step 3, achieving leading inference decoding efficiency, with a performance up to 300% higher than the DeepSeek-R1 on domestic chips [5] - Alibaba has launched the Qianwen 3 inference model, significantly enhancing performance and positioning it alongside top closed-source models like Gemini-2.5 pro and o4-mini [6] - Yushu Technology has introduced its third humanoid robot, UnitreeR1, priced from 39,990 yuan, featuring multi-modal capabilities [7] - Zhilie Network has unveiled an AI Agent product for recruitment, which automates the entire hiring process, improving efficiency by over 200% [8]