Core Viewpoint - Kingdee International (0268.HK) reported a continued loss in the first half of 2025, with a loss of 97.738 million yuan, accumulating over 1.4 billion yuan in losses over the past five and a half years [1][2]. Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Kingdee International achieved revenue of 3.192 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%, while the loss attributable to equity holders narrowed by 55.1% compared to the previous year [2][3]. - Cumulative losses over five and a half years reached 1.477 billion yuan [2]. Cost Structure - Research and development expenses were controlled at 777 million yuan, down 3.8% year-on-year, while sales expenses rose to 1.264 billion yuan, an increase of 3.18%, marking a historical high for the period [3]. - Administrative expenses increased by 39% to 346 million yuan due to personnel restructuring and severance payments [3]. Strategic Focus - The company has accelerated its AI transformation, launching several AI-native products in the first half of 2025, including the Cloud AI Agent platform 2.0 and various intelligent assistants [3]. - AI contract amounts exceeded 150 million yuan, with expectations that AI revenue could account for 30% of total revenue by 2030 [3]. Business Segments - The cloud service business remains the largest revenue source, contributing over 80% of total revenue, with a revenue of 2.673 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, growing approximately 11.9% year-on-year [5]. - However, the growth rate of cloud service revenue has been declining, with previous growth rates of 35.5%, 21.5%, and 17.2% from 2022 to 2024 [5]. Market Performance - In the large enterprise market, Kingdee's cloud services performed well, generating approximately 845 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34.3% [6]. - The mid-sized market showed weaker performance, with customer growth stagnating and a decline in new contracts signed [6]. - The small enterprise segment also faced challenges, with renewal rates below industry standards despite customer growth [6]. International Expansion - Kingdee is actively expanding its overseas business, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, but revenue from international operations remains low at 41.61 million yuan, accounting for only 1.32% of total revenue [7]. - The company has faced challenges in penetrating the high-end enterprise market dominated by international giants like SAP and Oracle [7]. Shareholder Sentiment - Recent shareholder reductions indicate a lack of confidence in the company's ability to turn around its financial performance, with stock prices significantly down from historical highs [8].

Market Space and Transformation Demand - The demand for digital transformation in enterprises has significantly increased post-pandemic, with the core ERP market space exceeding 50 billion yuan and the broader ERP market space exceeding 100 billion yuan [1][10] - Large enterprises continue to release information technology needs in areas such as group finance, marketing, and supply chain, while medium-sized enterprises are upgrading from basic information technology to intelligent management [1][10] - There are nearly 400,000 industrial enterprises above a designated size in China, providing a substantial customer base for ERP software, with significant differences in customer unit prices across different enterprise sizes [1][10] Breakthroughs and Competitive Landscape of Domestic Vendors - The dual-channel drive of digital transformation and the "Xinchuang" policy has created significant opportunities for domestic vendors, particularly in state-owned enterprises [2][10] - Leading vendors such as Kingdee, Yonyou, and Inspur have established dominant market positions through cloud transformation and product line enhancements, with Kingdee's cloud business revenue accounting for 76% of total revenue, and Yonyou's cloud business revenue nearing 70% [2][10] - Market share is dominated by Yonyou and Kingdee, which together account for approximately 26%, while foreign vendors like SAP hold an 18% share [2][10] Technological Evolution and Application Scenario Innovation - AI technology is reshaping the application model of enterprise management software, with international vendors like Microsoft and Salesforce implementing low-code platforms combined with AI capabilities [3][10] - Domestic vendors are also leveraging AI, with Kingdee's cloud services implementing chatbots and visual recognition, while Yonyou's intelligent platform automates processes in finance, human resources, and procurement [3][10] - The combination of cloud computing and AI is lowering the barriers to software usage, with Kingdee's public cloud renewal rate reaching 90% [3][10] Xinchuang and Domestic Process - The Xinchuang policy is driving the localization of software from office applications to core business systems, with significant progress in the financial and telecommunications sectors [4][10] - State-owned enterprises have set clear digital transformation goals during the 14th Five-Year Plan, with notable increases in Xinchuang investment proportions [4][10] - Domestic vendors like Kingdee and Yonyou are gradually replacing foreign systems like SAP and Oracle in core systems of large enterprises [4][10] Future Trends - The enterprise management software market is expected to exhibit a threefold trend of "cloudification, localization, and intelligence," with cloud business revenue continuing to rise [5][10] - Driven by Xinchuang, domestic vendors are likely to increase their market share in large enterprises from the current 50% [5][10] - AI technology is anticipated to evolve from being an auxiliary tool to becoming a core productivity driver, ultimately achieving full-scenario coverage as "personal AI assistants" [5][10]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - The company reported a revenue of 6.256 billion yuan for 2024, representing a year-on-year growth of 10.2%. The cloud business contributed 5.107 billion yuan, growing by 13.4% and accounting for 81.6% of total revenue. The annual recurring revenue (ARR) from cloud subscriptions reached 3.43 billion yuan, up 20% year-on-year, with contract liabilities increasing by 28.5%. The net loss attributable to shareholders for 2024 was 142 million yuan, an improvement from a loss of 270 million yuan in 2023 [4][5] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - For 2024, the company achieved a revenue of 6.256 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 10.2%. The projected revenues for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are 7.040 billion yuan, 7.965 billion yuan, and 8.912 billion yuan, respectively, indicating growth rates of 12.5%, 13.1%, and 11.9% [10] - The net profit for 2024 was a loss of 142 million yuan, with forecasts of 96 million yuan, 237 million yuan, and 416 million yuan for 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively, showing significant year-on-year growth of 167.9%, 145.8%, and 75.4% [10] Product Development - The company has fully empowered its products with AI, leading to a revenue of 1.304 billion yuan from its large client offerings, which grew by 32.9% year-on-year. The total contract value reached approximately 2.1 billion yuan, up 51.9% year-on-year [5] - The small and micro product segment also saw the implementation of AI features, generating 1.229 billion yuan in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%, with a net renewal rate of 93% [5] Future Outlook - The company expects revenues for the fiscal years 2025 to 2027 to be 7.040 billion yuan, 7.965 billion yuan, and 8.912 billion yuan, respectively, with net profits projected at 96 million yuan, 237 million yuan, and 416 million yuan [7][10] - The company maintains a "Buy" rating based on these projections, indicating confidence in its growth trajectory and profitability improvements [7]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Hold" rating for Kingdee International (268 HK) with a target price of HK$14.94, indicating a potential downside of 1% from the current price of HK$15.14 [1][8]. Core Insights - The report highlights that Kingdee's stock has appreciated by 94% year-to-date, outperforming the Hang Seng Index, which rose by 23%. However, the company's fundamental recovery is lagging behind this valuation increase [6]. - For the second half of 2024, Kingdee's revenue grew by 9% year-on-year to RMB 3.39 billion, which was below market expectations. The annual recurring revenue (ARR) increased by 20% to RMB 3.43 billion, also falling short of projections [6][10]. - The report notes that Kingdee's cloud service revenue grew by 10% to RMB 2.72 billion, again underperforming against market expectations [6][10]. - The management anticipates a revenue growth acceleration in 2025, projecting a 14% increase compared to the 9% growth in the second half of 2024, supported by a low base and macroeconomic recovery [6][10]. Summary by Sections Investment Rating and Price Target - The target price has been raised from HK$6.38 to HK$14.94, reflecting a significant increase of 134% [2][12]. - The report adjusts the target price-to-sales (P/S) ratio to 7.0, aligning it with global peers in the ERP sector [12][13]. Financial Performance - Kingdee's revenue for 2025 is projected at RMB 7.15 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 14% [9][10]. - The report anticipates that Kingdee will achieve a breakeven point in operating profit and net profit in 2025, despite downward adjustments in earnings forecasts due to underperformance in 2H24 [6][10]. Earnings Forecast Adjustments - The earnings per share (EPS) estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been revised downwards to RMB 0.05 and RMB 0.11, respectively, reflecting a decrease of 61% and 36% from previous estimates [2][10]. - The ARR for 2025 is expected to grow by 22%, while the growth rate is projected to slow to 20% in 2026 [7][10]. Market Comparisons - Kingdee's market capitalization stands at approximately US$6.99 billion, with a three-month average daily trading volume of US$89 million [1][12]. - The report compares Kingdee's performance with global peers, noting that its current valuation is in line with similar companies that have larger customer bases and stronger profitability [8][12].

Summary of Kingdee International's Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Kingdee International Software Group Co., Ltd. - **Fiscal Year**: 2024 - **Total Revenue**: RMB 3.93 billion, with cloud service revenue accounting for 81.6%, a year-on-year increase of 13.4% [2][3][4] - **Net Loss**: Reduced by 32.3% to RMB 142 million [2][3] - **Operating Cash Flow**: Increased by 42.9% to RMB 934 million [2][3] - **Cash Reserves**: RMB 4.65 billion at year-end, indicating a healthy financial position [2][3] Key Financial Metrics - **Profit Margin**: Increased from 3% in 2023 to 6% in 2024 [2][5] - **Research and Development (R&D) Investment**: Stable with a slight increase of 0.4% [2][6] - **Administrative Expenses**: Increased by 9.9% due to personnel restructuring [2][5] Cloud Service Performance - **Cloud Service Revenue Growth**: 13.4% increase, contributing to 81.6% of total revenue [2][4] - **Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)**: Grew by 20% to RMB 3.43 billion, with a 5.4 times increase since 2020 [2][4] - **Contract Liabilities**: High levels indicating potential future revenue [4] Large Enterprise Market - **Contract Growth**: Number of contracts over RMB 10 million doubled, totaling RMB 2.1 billion [2][7] - **New Customers**: 652 new large enterprise customers [2][7] - **ARR Growth for Large Clients**: Increased by 30% [2][7] - **Net Renewal Rate**: Improved to 108% [2][7] AI Integration and Innovations - **AI Applications**: Significant improvements in client management and operational efficiency, e.g., a 70% reduction in workload for China Merchants [2][8] - **AI Product Launches**: Introduction of EBC digital employee solutions and the Cangqiong GPT platform [2][11] - **Future AI Spending**: Expected global IT spending on AI to reach USD 500 billion by 2027 [2][10] Strategic Direction - **AI Development Goals**: Aim to become a leading enterprise management AI company by 2030 [2][10] - **Internal AI Utilization**: Initiatives to enhance efficiency and reduce costs through AI [2][20] - **Market Positioning**: Focus on becoming a benchmark for AI usage within the software industry [2][20] Challenges and Outlook - **Market Sensitivity**: The small and medium enterprise market is sensitive to economic conditions, impacting growth [2][19] - **Future Growth Expectations**: Anticipated improvement in performance due to increased demand for digital transformation among SMEs [2][19] - **Profitability Outlook**: Continued profitability expected, with a conservative approach to future guidance [2][21] Conclusion - **Investment Potential**: Kingdee International is positioned as a valuable player in the enterprise management AI sector, with a focus on sustainable growth and innovation in cloud services and AI applications [2][29]