Tencent Holdings Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Tencent Holdings - **Date**: March 19, 2026 Key Financial Performance - **Q4 2025 Revenue**: CNY 194.4 billion, up 13% YoY, up 1% QoQ [3] - **Adjusted Net Profit**: CNY 64.7 billion, up 17% YoY [3] - **R&D Investment**: Over CNY 85 billion, up 21% YoY, a record high [3] - **Capital Expenditure**: CNY 79.2 billion, 10.5% of revenue, slightly down from 11.6% in 2024 [3] - **Overall Gross Margin**: 55.7%, up 3.1 percentage points YoY [3] Business Segment Performance Gaming - **Domestic Gaming Revenue**: CNY 38.2 billion, up 15% YoY [3] - **Overseas Gaming Revenue**: CNY 21.1 billion, up 32% YoY [3] - **Key Titles**: - "Delta Action" achieved a peak DAU of 50 million in February 2026 [5] - Upcoming major releases include "World of Luo Ke Kingdom" and "Honor of Kings World" scheduled for March and April 2026, respectively [5] - **2026 Growth Outlook**: Expected to maintain double-digit growth driven by new and existing titles [5] Advertising - **Q4 2025 Advertising Revenue**: CNY 41.1 billion, up 17% YoY [3] - **Growth Drivers**: AI applications, increased user engagement, and deeper e-commerce partnerships [9] - **Video Account Growth**: User engagement increased by 20%, becoming a significant driver for advertising revenue [10] - **2026 Outlook**: Positive growth trend expected, with Q1 2026 showing better performance than Q4 2025 [9] Financial Technology and Enterprise Services - **Q4 2025 Revenue Growth**: 8% YoY, with enterprise services growing over 20% [10] - **Tencent Cloud**: Achieved scale profitability for the first time, with adjusted operating profit of CNY 5 billion [10] - **Cloud Strategy**: Focus on high-quality services and increased AI demand driving growth [10] AI and Technology Investments - **AI Investment for 2026**: Expected to double to over CNY 36 billion [11] - **AI Applications**: Used in game development to enhance content quality and reduce development time [8] - **AI Product Development**: Significant advancements in the "Hunyuan" model, with version 3.0 expected to launch in April 2026 [12] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - **AI Model Competition**: Tencent aims to be a leading player in the AI model space, focusing on performance and cost efficiency [13] - **AI Agent Development**: Plans to expand AI applications beyond chatbots, enhancing user experience across various platforms [14] Conclusion - **2026 Expectations**: Strong growth anticipated in gaming and advertising sectors, supported by new product launches and AI-driven enhancements [16]

Core Viewpoint - In 2025, Tencent Holdings demonstrated accelerated growth with total revenue reaching 751.766 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14%, and gross profit growth of 21%. Non-IFRS profit was 259.6 billion yuan, up 17% year-on-year. The growth structure shifted from steady recovery to a "high-quality growth" model driven by international gaming, AI-enabled advertising, and profitable cloud services [2]. Gaming Business - Tencent's gaming business showed a "strong comeback" in 2025, with value-added service revenue reaching 369.3 billion yuan, a significant increase from 7% in 2024 to 16% [4]. - International gaming became the primary growth engine, with revenue increasing by 33% to 77.4 billion yuan, compared to a 9% growth in 2024. This surge was attributed to the recovery of Supercell's products, contributions from new game "Mingchao," and the steady performance of "PUBG MOBILE" [4]. - The domestic market achieved stable progress with revenue of 164.2 billion yuan, growing by 18%. Key contributors included the platform evolution of evergreen games like "Honor of Kings" and the success of the self-developed shooting game "Delta Force" [6]. Marketing Services - Tencent's advertising business maintained a strong growth rate of 19% in 2025, with total revenue reaching 145 billion yuan [7]. - The growth was driven by technological benefits from AI, which enhanced advertising targeting optimization and the proliferation of AI creative material tools, significantly improving ad placement efficiency [8]. - The ecosystem's closed-loop transactions, such as those from Video Accounts and WeChat Search, increased, directly boosting advertising prices (eCPM) [10]. Enterprise Services - The financial technology and enterprise services business saw an 8% year-on-year revenue increase to 229.4 billion yuan, with financial technology services growing due to increased income from wealth management, consumer loans, and commercial payment activities. Enterprise services revenue grew nearly 20% [12]. - A notable highlight was Tencent Cloud achieving profitability in 2025, driven by a surge in demand for AI cloud services from both domestic and international markets. The increase in transaction volume from WeChat Mini Stores also contributed significantly [14]. WeChat Ecosystem - In 2025, the commercialization of the WeChat ecosystem deepened, with Video Accounts benefiting from upgraded content recommendation algorithms and a richer content ecosystem, leading to a user engagement time increase of over 20% year-on-year [16]. - High-engagement businesses like Video Accounts, WeChat Mini Stores, and mini-games are continuously pushing Tencent's growth ceiling through internal logic [17]. Strategic Investments - Tencent fulfilled its commitment to repurchase at least 80 billion Hong Kong dollars worth of shares in 2025, demonstrating strong cash flow generation capabilities [19]. - Despite returning value to shareholders, Tencent continued to invest heavily in the future, with capital expenditures reaching 79.2 billion yuan and increased R&D spending. The ongoing upgrades of the mixed Yuan model and practical applications of AI products indicate new opportunities for Tencent [20][22]. Investment Value - By the end of 2025, Tencent's book value of equity in listed companies (excluding subsidiaries) was 672.7 billion yuan, and in unlisted companies, it was 363.1 billion yuan, totaling 1,036 billion yuan [24]. - Tencent completed the acquisition of 100% equity in a gaming company for approximately 1.2 billion USD (about 8.8 billion yuan). The company is characterized as a prudent and intelligent "sniper," leveraging AI deeply embedded in existing ecosystems like WeChat and Video Accounts [25].

Financial Forecast - The company is expected to achieve revenue of 195.4 billion yuan in Q4 2025, representing a year-over-year growth of 13% [1] - Value-added services are projected to generate 90.9 billion yuan, with a year-over-year increase of 15% [1] - Within value-added services, the gaming sector is anticipated to reach 59.3 billion yuan, growing by 21% year-over-year, while social networking is expected to generate 31.6 billion yuan, up by 6% [1] - Online advertising revenue is forecasted at 40.5 billion yuan, reflecting a 16% year-over-year growth [1] - Financial technology and enterprise services are expected to generate 61.9 billion yuan, with a year-over-year growth of 10% [1] - The gross margin is projected to be 20%, an increase of 3.0 percentage points year-over-year, resulting in a gross profit of 108.7 billion yuan, up by 20% [1] - Non-IFRS operating profit is expected to be 70 billion yuan, an 18% increase year-over-year, with a non-IFRS net profit of 65.1 billion yuan, also up by 18% [1] Gaming Sector - Revenue from gaming is expected to grow by 21% year-over-year in Q4 2025, with domestic and overseas markets growing by 17% and 28% respectively [1] - Domestic evergreen games are performing steadily, with shooting games showing strong performance, particularly titles like "Delta Force" and "Valorant Mobile" contributing to revenue growth [1] - Several key new games are set to launch in Q1 2026, indicating strong future growth potential in the gaming sector [1] - Overseas, Supercell's "Clash Royale" continues to generate high revenue, and the AAA game "Dying Light: The Beast" is performing strongly, supporting sustained high growth in overseas gaming [1] Marketing Services - Revenue from marketing services is projected to grow by 16% year-over-year in Q4 2025, with the WeChat ecosystem advertising being the main growth driver [2] - The performance of video accounts and search ads remains strong, benefiting from enhanced advertising efficiency and conversion rates due to the synergy of content ecology and AI capabilities [2] Financial Technology and Enterprise Services - Revenue from financial technology and enterprise services is expected to grow by 10% year-over-year in Q4 2025, with stable payment business and double-digit growth in wealth management and micro-loan services [2] - Cloud business is anticipated to exceed 20% year-over-year growth, with WeChat's small store e-commerce technology service fees continuing to contribute to revenue [2] - Recent organizational adjustments in AI business aim to enhance the efficiency of large model development, with WeChat officially launching an AI mini-program developer growth plan [2] Profit Forecast and Investment Rating - The company is adjusting its profit expectations, forecasting revenues of 752.8 billion yuan, 847.5 billion yuan, and 931.5 billion yuan for 2025-2027 [2] - Non-IFRS net profit is projected to be 260 billion yuan, 299.2 billion yuan, and 338.4 billion yuan for the same period, with corresponding Non-IFRS EPS of 29, 33, and 37 yuan [2] - Based on the SOTP valuation method, the target market value for Tencent Holdings' various businesses in 2026 is set at 6.5 trillion yuan, corresponding to a target price of 791 HKD, maintaining a "buy" rating [2]

Core Insights - Supercell's recent blog post titled "What We've Learned from Failures" reveals the heavy side of their optimistic culture of celebrating failures, emphasizing that acknowledging failures does not equate to enjoying them [1][3]. Group 1: Company Culture and Learning from Failures - Supercell held an internal meeting where veteran employees shared significant failures, highlighting the need for newer employees to understand the company's history beyond its current successes [3]. - The blog serves as a declaration that celebrating failure does not mean it is pleasant; rather, it often comes with substantial sunk costs and emotional turmoil [3][5]. Group 2: Key Lessons from Failures - Supercell identified three core lessons from their failures, addressing common issues in the gaming industry: resource management, team dynamics, and value judgment [5]. - The first lesson emphasizes that ambition requires boundaries; unlimited resources can hinder innovation, as seen in the failure of "Clash Mini" due to indecision and lack of focus [6][10]. - The second lesson stresses the importance of team alignment with the game genre; "Hay Day Pop" failed because the team lacked passion for the match-three genre, leading to a reliance on data rather than instinct [11][18]. - The third lesson revolves around pride in the work; a failed marketing campaign for "Clash of Clans" was halted not due to poor data but because it did not meet Supercell's quality standards, reinforcing the importance of maintaining brand integrity [19][26]. Group 3: Psychological Safety and Organizational Structure - Supercell's commitment to celebrating failures through rituals like "opening champagne" fosters a culture of psychological safety, allowing employees to feel secure in taking risks without fear of retribution [28][30]. - This safety net is crucial for a decentralized organization where decision-making is distributed, as it encourages innovation and risk-taking among project leaders [30][32].

Core Viewpoint - Tencent Holdings is expected to report mixed financial results for Q4 2025, with revenue forecasts showing a slight decline to moderate growth, while net profit forecasts indicate a significant potential drop alongside some growth opportunities [1][7]. Financial Forecasts - The predicted revenue for Q4 2025 ranges from 168.88 billion to 198.21 billion RMB, reflecting a year-on-year change of -2.1% to 14.9% [1][7]. - The expected net profit for Q4 2025 is forecasted between 30.63 billion and 67.16 billion RMB, with a year-on-year change of -40.3% to 30.8% [1][7]. - Adjusted net profit is anticipated to be between 57.47 billion and 76.46 billion RMB, showing a year-on-year growth of 3.9% to 38.2% [1][7]. Business Segment Insights - The gaming segment has shown robust growth, with domestic game revenue increasing by 15% and international game revenue rising by 43% [5][11]. - AI technology is driving significant growth in advertising revenue, with a year-on-year increase of 21% attributed to improved click-through and conversion rates [11]. - The company’s AI strategy, particularly the deployment of its leading model, is accelerating applications in WeChat and cloud services, contributing to overall revenue growth [11]. Analyst Predictions - Analysts from various firms have provided revenue and profit forecasts, with the average revenue estimate at 193.56 billion RMB, reflecting a 12.2% year-on-year growth [3][8]. - The median revenue forecast stands at 195.51 billion RMB, indicating a 13.4% year-on-year increase [3][8]. - Notable predictions include Goldman Sachs estimating revenue at 197.74 billion RMB with a 14.7% growth rate, and Morgan Stanley forecasting 196.01 billion RMB with a 13.7% growth rate [3][8].

Group 1: Core Insights - The overseas business segments of major Chinese internet companies have become "profit dark horses," with Alibaba's international digital commerce turning profitable, Meituan's Keeta achieving monthly profitability in Hong Kong, and Tencent's overseas gaming revenue surging by 43% year-on-year [1] - As domestic internet traffic growth reaches diminishing returns, going overseas has become a necessary strategy for companies, evolving from "go overseas or go home" to "no core capabilities, no overseas expansion" [1] Group 2: Cross-Border E-commerce - Alibaba's international retail business reported revenue of 28.068 billion yuan, a 10% year-on-year increase, driven by growth from AliExpress and other international operations [2] - The international wholesale business generated 6.731 billion yuan, an 11% increase year-on-year, attributed to growth in value-added services related to cross-border business [2] - Temu's gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth is primarily due to rapid penetration in the European (30-40% share, 60-70% year-on-year growth) and Latin American markets (over 15% share), while growth in North America is slowing [2][3] Group 3: Local Lifestyle Services - Meituan's Keeta achieved its first monthly profitability in Hong Kong, marking a significant milestone in its overseas expansion [4] - Keeta is expanding in the Middle East and Brazil, utilizing AI algorithms and big data to optimize delivery routes and improve efficiency [4][5] - The competitive landscape in Brazil is intense, with Didi and Uber also expanding their food delivery services, indicating a battle for market share [6] Group 4: Entertainment Sector - Tencent's international gaming revenue reached 20.8 billion yuan, a 43% year-on-year increase, driven by successful titles like "Clash Royale" and "PUBG MOBILE" [7] - NetEase's overseas strategy is undergoing significant adjustments, with the closure of several overseas studios despite some successful game launches [8] Group 5: Mobile Phones - Xiaomi's smartphone revenue declined by 3.1% year-on-year to 46 billion yuan, attributed to a decrease in average selling price (ASP) [9] - Xiaomi's overseas internet service revenue reached a record high of 3.3 billion yuan, growing by 19.1% year-on-year, with a notable increase in the share of high-margin overseas market revenue [10] - The competition in the African market between Xiaomi and Transsion is intensifying, leading to price wars [10] Group 6: Conclusion - The third-quarter financial reports indicate a shift in Chinese internet companies' overseas strategies, moving from reliance on policy advantages and low prices to focusing on supply chain capabilities, AI technology, localization, and compliance management [12] - The transformation represents an upgrade from being participants in the global value chain to integrators, with challenges such as geopolitical compliance risks and cultural differences remaining significant [13]

Core Viewpoint - Tencent's Q3 performance exceeded market expectations, with significant growth in revenue, gross profit, and adjusted net profit, driven by strong performance in its gaming, marketing, and fintech segments [1][2][3]. Group 1: Q3 Financial Performance - Tencent reported Q3 revenue of 192.87 billion yuan, a year-over-year increase of 15% and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 5%, surpassing the consensus estimate of 188.8 billion yuan [1]. - Gross profit reached 108.8 billion yuan, up 22% year-over-year and 4% quarter-over-quarter, also exceeding the expected 106.39 billion yuan [1]. - Adjusted net profit was 70.55 billion yuan, reflecting an 18% year-over-year increase and a 12% quarter-over-quarter increase, beating the consensus estimate of 65.97 billion yuan by 6.9% [1]. Group 2: Value-Added Services (VAS) - Domestic gaming revenue was 42.8 billion yuan, a 15% year-over-year increase, driven by stable contributions from games like "Delta Action" and "Honor of Kings" [2]. - International gaming revenue reached 20.8 billion yuan, a 43% year-over-year increase, exceeding expectations due to growth from Supercell games and strong sales of new titles [2]. Group 3: Marketing Business - Marketing revenue for Q3 was 36.2 billion yuan, a 21% year-over-year increase, surpassing the expected 35.6 billion yuan, driven by AI-enhanced advertising platforms [2]. - The introduction of Tencent's advertising AIM+ improved targeting and bidding capabilities, leading to increased ad exposure and advertiser investment [2]. Group 4: Fintech Performance - Fintech revenue was 58.2 billion yuan, a 10% year-over-year increase, supported by growth in commercial payment activities and consumer loan services [3]. - AI service demand contributed to revenue growth, with significant improvements in the capabilities of Tencent's AI models [3]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The company projects non-IFRS net profits of 257.02 billion yuan, 290.51 billion yuan, and 319.01 billion yuan for 2025, 2026, and 2027 respectively, indicating stable growth in gaming and advertising sectors [3].

Investment Rating - The investment rating for Tencent Holdings is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - Tencent's Q3 revenue reached 192.87 billion yuan, representing a year-over-year increase of 15% and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 5%, exceeding consensus expectations of 188.8 billion yuan [4] - The adjusted net profit for Q3 was 70.55 billion yuan, up 18% year-over-year and 12% quarter-over-quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of 65.97 billion yuan [4] - The growth in revenue and profit is driven by strong performance in the gaming sector, robust advertising growth fueled by AI, and improvements in financial technology services [4][10] Summary by Sections Q3 Performance - Revenue: 192.87 billion yuan (yoy +15%, qoq +5%), above consensus of 188.8 billion yuan [4] - Gross Profit: 108.8 billion yuan (yoy +22%, qoq +4%), exceeding consensus of 106.39 billion yuan [4] - Adjusted Net Profit: 70.55 billion yuan (yoy +18%, qoq +12%), above consensus of 65.97 billion yuan [4] Value-Added Services (VAS) - Domestic game revenue reached 42.8 billion yuan (yoy +15%), driven by stable contributions from titles like "Delta Action" and "Honor of Kings" [5] - International game revenue was 20.8 billion yuan (yoy +43%), exceeding expectations due to growth from Supercell games and new releases [5] Marketing Business - Marketing revenue was 36.2 billion yuan (yoy +21%), surpassing expectations, driven by AI-enhanced advertising platforms [6] - The combined MAU for WeChat reached 1.414 billion, a year-over-year increase of 2% [6] Financial Technology - Financial technology revenue was 58.2 billion yuan (yoy +10%), supported by growth in commercial payment activities and consumer loan services [7] AI Investments - Capital expenditure for Q3 was 12.98 billion yuan, a year-over-year decrease of 24% [8] - AI capabilities are continuously improving, with advancements in transaction ecosystems and model performance [8][9] Investment Recommendations - Projected net profits for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are 257.02 billion yuan, 290.51 billion yuan, and 319.01 billion yuan respectively, with stable growth expected in gaming and advertising sectors [10]

Core Insights - The company reported a revenue of 193 billion RMB in Q3 2025, marking a 15% year-on-year increase and a 5% quarter-on-quarter increase, driven by the expansion of core ecosystem scenarios such as video accounts, mini-programs, and search [1] - Non-IFRS net profit attributable to shareholders reached 70.6 billion RMB, reflecting an 18% year-on-year growth and a 12% quarter-on-quarter growth, indicating improved operational efficiency and profit quality [1] - The AI's role in enhancing efficiency across various business lines is becoming increasingly significant, with a focus on precision targeting, search relevance, content generation, and game production [1] Business Segments Gaming - Value-added services revenue was 95.9 billion RMB, a 16% year-on-year increase, with domestic game revenue at 42.8 billion RMB, up 15% [1] - Key titles such as "Delta Force," "Honor of Kings," and "Peacekeeper Elite" showed strong performance, with "Delta Force" achieving a DAU of over 30 million and "Honor of Kings" reaching a record DAU of 139 million [1] - International game revenue surged by 43% to 20.8 billion RMB, driven by significant contributions from titles like Supercell's "Clash Royale" [1] Marketing Services - Marketing services revenue for Q3 was 35.8 billion RMB, reflecting a 21% year-on-year increase, with video accounts and mini-programs leading the growth [1] - The improvement in eCPM and automated ad placement efficiency driven by AI contributed to revenue growth, although traffic expansion remained a primary revenue driver [1] Financial Technology and Enterprise Services - Financial technology and enterprise services revenue reached 58.2 billion RMB, a 10% year-on-year increase, with strong performance in commercial payments and enterprise services [1] - The company maintained one of the lowest bad debt ratios in the industry for consumer credit, while its cloud business continued to grow, supported by advancements in AI capabilities [1] Investment Outlook - The target price for the company's stock has been raised to 790 HKD, indicating a potential upside of 26.7% from the previous closing price, with a "buy" rating maintained due to improved profit margins and AI-driven returns in high-margin sectors [2]

Core Viewpoint - Tencent Holdings reported strong financial performance for Q3 2025, with significant year-on-year growth in revenue, operating profit, and net profit, indicating robust business fundamentals and growth potential in key segments [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Tencent achieved operating revenue of 192.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.36% [1] - The gross margin was 56.41%, up by 3.28 percentage points year-on-year [1] - Adjusted operating profit reached 72.57 billion yuan, growing 18.44% year-on-year, with an operating profit margin of 37.63% [1] - Adjusted net profit attributable to shareholders was 70.55 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 17.95%, corresponding to a profit margin of 36.58% [1] Group 2: Gaming Revenue - Domestic gaming revenue for Q3 2025 was 42.8 billion yuan, up 15% year-on-year, driven by the success of new titles like "Delta Action" and the growth of established games such as "Honor of Kings" and "Peacekeeper Elite" [2] - International gaming revenue reached 20.8 billion yuan, a 43% year-on-year increase (42% at constant exchange rates), supported by revenue growth from Supercell games and new PC and console releases [2] - The agreement with Apple regarding a 15% fee on WeChat mini-program games is expected to enhance payment conversion rates and expand the mini-program market [2] Group 3: Advertising Revenue - Advertising and marketing revenue for Q3 2025 was 36.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 21% [3] - The launch of the AIM+ advertising product matrix has improved ad targeting and ROI for advertisers, contributing to revenue growth [3] - Enhanced recommendation algorithms and increased user engagement in platforms like Video Accounts have driven higher ad loading rates and eCPM [3] Group 4: Future Outlook - Tencent is developing AI capabilities within the WeChat ecosystem, aiming to create an AI operating system applicable across various sectors such as e-commerce and payments [4] - The company maintains a strong focus on AI investments, with expectations for revenue growth reaching 750.4 billion yuan by 2027, alongside adjusted net profits of 258.9 billion yuan [4] - The projected PE ratios for 2025-2027 are 21.1, 18.4, and 17.2 times, indicating a favorable valuation outlook [4]