Core Viewpoint - The company reported a decline in total revenue for the first half of 2025, but a significant increase in net profit, indicating a strong performance in core business areas despite challenges in online and IP operations [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, the company achieved total revenue of 3.191 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 23.9% [1]. - The net profit attributable to shareholders was 850 million yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 68.5% [1]. - The Non-IFRS net profit was 508 million yuan, down 27.7% year-on-year, primarily due to uneven scheduling of new media products [1]. - The gross margin for the first half of 2025 was 50.5%, an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to the first half of 2024, attributed to a reduced proportion of lower-margin film and television business [1]. Group 2: Business Segments - Online business revenue for the first half of 2025 was 1.985 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%, with proprietary platform product revenue growing by 3.1% [1]. - Revenue from IP operations in the first half of 2025 was 1.138 billion yuan, a decrease of 48.4%, due to the natural development cycle and scheduling of film and television projects [1]. - The company expects a recovery in film and television business performance with the upcoming releases of key projects [1]. Group 3: IP Derivative Business - The IP derivative business saw strong growth, with GMV reaching 480 million yuan in the first half of 2025, nearing the total for the entire year of 2024 [2]. - The growth was supported by enhanced full-chain capabilities, including a significant increase in new product launches and ongoing channel expansion [2]. - The company has partnered with 230 brands to expand IP influence and invested in a domestic plush toy brand to accelerate IP commercialization [2]. Group 4: AI Integration - The company is exploring AI integration across its business, launching an AI web literature knowledge base that increased author interaction with AI by 40% [2]. - AI-driven visual adaptations and translation services have also shown promising results, with a 38% increase in revenue from AI-translated works on the overseas platform WebNovel [2]. Group 5: Profit Forecast and Valuation - The company maintains its profit forecast, expecting Non-IFRS net profits of 1.41 billion, 1.57 billion, and 1.71 billion yuan for 2025-2027 [3]. - The target price has been raised to 45.58 HKD, based on improved valuations of comparable companies [3]. - The long-term outlook remains positive due to the company's capabilities in IP full-chain operations [3].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company [7][5] Core Views - The company achieved total revenue of 3.191 billion RMB in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 23.9%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders was 850 million RMB, an increase of 68.5% year-on-year [1] - The company's core business revenue is steadily growing, with rapid advancement in the IP derivative business and continuous empowerment of IP operations through AIGC technology [1][5] - The report highlights the strong growth of the IP derivative business, with a GMV of 480 million RMB in the first half of 2025, nearing the total for the entire year of 2024 [3] Summary by Sections Online Business - In the first half of 2025, online business revenue reached 1.985 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%, with self-owned platform product revenue increasing by 3.1% [2] - Revenue from Tencent product channels decreased by 25.6% due to optimization of content distribution mechanisms, while third-party platform revenue increased by 23.1% [2] IP Operations - The IP operation business saw a revenue decline of 48.4% in the first half of 2025, primarily due to the natural development cycle and scheduling of film and television projects, with no new releases during this period [2] - Future releases of key projects are expected to boost performance in the IP operation sector [2] AI Integration - The company is exploring AI integration across its business, with significant improvements in user engagement and content creation efficiency [4] - The launch of the AI web novel knowledge base has increased interaction frequency between authors and AI by 40% [4] Profit Forecast and Valuation - The report maintains profit forecasts, expecting Non-IFRS net profits of 1.41 billion RMB, 1.57 billion RMB, and 1.71 billion RMB for 2025-2027 [5] - The target price has been raised to 45.58 HKD, based on improved valuations of comparable companies [5][12]