Core Insights - Haitong International initiates coverage on Zhihu with an "outperform" rating, highlighting its unique positioning in the Q&A community and the potential of AI applications [1][2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Zhihu reported total revenue of approximately 659 million yuan, with a non-GAAP operating loss narrowing by 16.3% year-on-year, indicating improved operational efficiency and quality [1] - Zhihu's cash reserves are robust, totaling 4.58 billion yuan as of the end of Q3, which includes cash and cash equivalents, time deposits, restricted funds, and short-term investments [1] Strategic Initiatives - The company is actively optimizing operations to eliminate inefficiencies, which has resulted in a slight loss as part of its investment in sustainable long-term operations [1] - Zhihu has implemented share buybacks and cost-reduction measures to strengthen its capital and profit flexibility, with positive expectations for profitability and margin improvement in 2025-2026 [1] AI Development - Zhihu's AI application, Zhihu Zhidao, has seen significant growth, with its penetration rate exceeding 15% by the end of Q3, nearly four times the level from the same period last year [1] - Future upgrades for Zhihu Zhidao will enhance AI capabilities across various scenarios, including search, content creation, and consumption, further increasing AI usage within the community [1] Market Outlook - Haitong International anticipates Zhihu's total revenue for Q4 2025 and the fiscal year 2025 to be 640 million yuan and 2.75 billion yuan, respectively, with a projected price-to-sales ratio of 1.2 times for FY 2025 [2]

Group 1 - Haitong International initiated coverage on Zhihu (02390) with an "outperform" rating, highlighting its unique positioning in the Q&A community and the potential of AI applications [1][2] - The company forecasts Zhihu's target price at HKD 14.8 for 2025, with projected total revenue of approximately RMB 6.59 billion for Q3 2025 and a non-GAAP operating loss narrowing by 16.3% year-on-year [1][2] - Zhihu's cash reserves are robust, totaling RMB 4.58 billion as of the end of Q3, which supports its capital and profit flexibility [1] Group 2 - The usage and penetration of Zhihu's AI product, Zhihu Zhida, have been steadily increasing, with a penetration rate exceeding 15%, nearly four times that of the same period last year [1] - Haitong International believes that Zhihu's high user engagement and trust in its "professional discussion" space will continue to attract high-value users and brand budgets, benefiting from the generative AI trend [2] - The firm predicts Zhihu's total revenue for Q4 2025 and the fiscal year 2025 to be RMB 640 million and RMB 2.75 billion, respectively, with a projected price-to-sales ratio of 1.2 times [2]

Core Viewpoint - Zhihu-W (02390) announced the grant of a total of 1.0798 million restricted stock units to several qualified participants under the 2022 share incentive plan, representing approximately 0.4% of the total issued shares (excluding treasury shares) as of the announcement date [1] Summary by Relevant Sections - **Stock Incentive Plan** - The company is granting 1.0798 million restricted stock units under the 2022 share incentive plan [1] - **Impact on Shares** - The granted units correspond to the same number of Class A ordinary shares and represent about 0.4% of the total issued shares as of the announcement date [1]

Core Insights - Zhihu reported a revenue of 717 million yuan for Q2 2025, with an adjusted net profit of 91.3 million yuan, marking three consecutive quarters of Non-GAAP profitability [1] - The paid reading business generated 402 million yuan in revenue, accounting for 56.1% of total revenue [1] - Marketing services and vocational education contributed 223 million yuan and 62.1 million yuan, representing 31.1% and 8.7% of total revenue, respectively [1] - As of the end of Q2, Zhihu had a total of 4.82 billion yuan in cash and cash equivalents, time deposits, restricted funds, and short-term investments [1]