Summary of Southern Media Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Southern Media - **Industry**: Education Publishing and AI Education Key Points Industry and Market Dynamics - Southern Media has completed the fall textbook and supplementary materials subscription, ensuring "books before class" by early September [2][4] - The pass rate for junior high school first-class supplementary materials reached 90%, with the "Southern New Classroom" being the only all-subject, all-version approved material in the province [2][4] - The education publishing market in Guangdong is stable, with a steady demand for high school and college entrance exams, indicating continued growth for the company's market-oriented supplementary materials business over the next two to three years [2][6][7] Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Southern Media's total profit reached 550 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.2%, outperforming expectations in the publishing industry [3][4] AI Education Initiatives - Southern Media has developed an AI education matrix, with its core product "Yuejiao Xiangyun" having nearly 16 million users across 19,151 schools [2][8] - The AI assistant application has completed public testing and is set for provincial rollout in early September [2][9] - The company has sold 3,000 units of the AI mouse, generating approximately 600,000 yuan in sales, with a target of 30,000 units for the year [2][9][11] Product Development and Sales - The "Southern Easy Classroom" mini-program, in collaboration with Tencent, has reached 398,000 users, while the smart homework platform with iFLYTEK has been launched [2][10] - Sales of "Yue High School" and "Language Fun Learning" cards reached 4.68 million units, generating over 20 million yuan in revenue in the first half of the year [2][11] Challenges and Strategic Responses - General book revenue declined due to a nationwide drop in sales and a lack of blockbuster titles compared to the previous year [2][14] - Southern Media is actively transforming through digital initiatives like micro-short dramas and has established an 80 million yuan publishing fund to attract quality authors [2][14][16] Future Plans and Market Expansion - The company plans to continue promoting head products and increase the sales of general books despite market pressures [2][15] - Southern Media aims to expand its AI education offerings and has plans for new product launches, including AI teaching aids and digital education platforms [2][10][18] Dividend and Investment Strategy - Southern Media will steadily increase its total dividend to enhance investor satisfaction [2][22] - The company has reduced its holdings in Longban Media and is exploring new investment opportunities in consumer, trendy toys, and animation sectors [2][23] Cash Flow and Financial Management - The decrease in net cash flow was primarily due to prepayments for textbooks, which are expected to be recovered later [2][24] - In a low-interest environment, the company is converting some cash into trading financial assets for better returns [2][25] Educational Policy Impact - The population advantage in Guangdong provides a favorable environment for the textbook and supplementary materials market, with expectations for stable growth despite regulatory challenges [2][12] New Business Opportunities - The inclusion of preschool education in the free education phase presents new opportunities, with Southern Media developing various preschool reading materials and digital platforms [2][29] Overall Outlook - Southern Media is well-positioned in the education publishing sector, benefiting from demographic trends and increasing educational demands, with a strong focus on AI education and digital transformation [2][30]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Accumulate" with a target price of 18.79 CNY, while the current price is 15.79 CNY [2][11]. Core Views - The company's textbook and educational materials business is stable, and digital textbooks and application services are expected to become a second growth curve, indicating a positive outlook on the company's digital transformation performance [3][11]. - The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 5.50 CNY per 10 shares, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.4% based on the closing price on June 3 [11]. - The company achieved a significant profit increase in Q1 2025, with revenue of 2.113 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 1.21%, and a net profit of 320 million CNY, a year-on-year increase of 110.25% [11]. Financial Summary - Revenue projections for the company are as follows: 9,365 million CNY in 2023, 9,172 million CNY in 2024 (a decrease of 2.1%), and expected growth to 10,543 million CNY by 2027 [5][12]. - Net profit (attributable to the parent company) is projected to be 1,284 million CNY in 2023, dropping to 810 million CNY in 2024 (a decrease of 36.9%), and then recovering to 1,256 million CNY by 2027 [5][12]. - The earnings per share (EPS) are expected to be 1.43 CNY in 2023, decreasing to 0.90 CNY in 2024, and then gradually increasing to 1.40 CNY by 2027 [5][12]. Business Performance - The company's textbook and educational materials publishing achieved sales of 5.36 billion CNY in 2024, a growth of 4.65%, with significant new adoptions in various regions [11]. - The general book publishing segment saw a remarkable sales increase of 51.61%, with popular titles contributing to strong performance [11]. - The company is advancing its digital transformation by integrating digital textbooks into free teaching materials and achieving significant growth in digital media initiatives [11].