Core Viewpoint - Cathay Securities maintains a "Buy" rating for Tencent Music (01698), projecting revenue growth and adjusted net profit for 2025-2027, with a target price of HKD 96.0 for 2026 based on a 25x PE ratio [1] Financial Performance - Tencent Music achieved revenue of RMB 84.6 billion in Q3 2025, a year-on-year increase of 20.6% with a gross margin of 43.5%, up 0.9 percentage points [1] - Operating profit reached RMB 27.1 billion, reflecting a 26.4% year-on-year growth, with an operating margin of 32.0%, up 1.5 percentage points [1] - Adjusted net profit for Q3 2025 was RMB 24.1 billion, a 32.6% increase year-on-year, with an adjusted net margin of 28.4%, up 2.6 percentage points [1] Revenue Drivers - Online music service revenue was RMB 69.7 billion in Q3 2025, up 27.2% year-on-year, with subscription revenue at RMB 45 billion, a 17.2% increase [2] - The number of paying users reached 126 million, a 5.6% year-on-year increase, with a paid penetration rate of 22.8%, up 2.2 percentage points; ARPPU was RMB 11.9, a 10.2% increase [2] - Offline performances, advertising, and peripheral income contributed to a revenue of RMB 24.7 billion, a significant 50.5% year-on-year growth [2] Content and User Engagement - The multilingual music library has been strengthened through contracts with top artists and the introduction of Japanese and Korean ACG labels [3] - Collaborative music projects with games like "Honor of Kings" have produced hit songs such as "Tomorrow's Coordinates" [3] - The user experience has been enhanced through innovative membership systems, increasing user stickiness and daily usage time for free users [3]

Core Insights - Tencent Music operates popular music products in the domestic market, including QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music, and Quanmin Kge, offering services such as online music, audio, karaoke, live streaming, and online performances [1][2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Tencent Music reported total revenue of RMB 84.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.6%, and an adjusted net profit of RMB 24.8 billion, up 27.7% year-on-year [3] - Online music service revenue grew by 27.2% year-on-year to RMB 69.7 billion, driven by strong growth in online music subscription revenue and increases in offline performances, advertising services, and artist-related income [1] User Metrics - Monthly active users slightly decreased by 4.3% to 551 million, while the number of paying users increased by 5.6% to 126 million [1] - Online music subscription revenue reached RMB 45.0 billion, a 17.2% increase from RMB 38.4 billion in the same period last year, primarily due to an increase in average revenue per paying user [1] Membership Strategy - Tencent Music's multi-tier membership system enhances user engagement and conversion, offering differentiated services through free, ad-supported, and standard memberships to meet diverse user needs [2] - The newly introduced ad-supported membership has shown increasing appeal to free users, with daily usage time on the platform continuing to rise [2]