LENOVO GROUP (00992), a global leader in PC and server manufacturing, is poised to capitalize on the 2025 device replacement cycle, prompting DBS to reiterate its "Buy" rating and raise the target price to HK$20 (from HK$15). Key insights from DBS include:
1. **Transition to Service-Driven Model**: Leveraging its dominant 25% global PC market share and strong reputation in servers, LENOVO GROUP is shifting growth toward services and solutions. Its production expertise and innovation also position it well in the AI boom.
2. **2025 Upgrade Cycle Momentum**: Driven by Windows 11 migration and a robust AI PC lineup launching in 2025, the company will benefit from replacement demand. Its AI assistant "Xiaotian," now integrated with DeepSeek, offers on-device summarization, translation, transcription, and enhanced text/code reasoning. Deeper ecosystem collaborations are planned. AI PC shipments are projected to surge 93% in FY3/26F and 52% in FY3/27F, raising their share of total PC shipments to 37% and 57%, respectively.
3. **Server Business Riding China’s AI Infrastructure Wave**: China’s server market is expected to exceed $140 billion annually by 2029, directly boosting LENOVO GROUP’s orders. AI server revenue grew 155% YoY in April–June 2025, supported by IDM partnerships (e.g., Alibaba/ByteDance) and its Neptune liquid-cooling system, which cuts data center power consumption by ~40%. The company held ~35% of China’s AI cloud server revenue in early 2025. DBS forecasts its China server market share to surpass 20% by 2028, with sustained profitability for ISG from FY27 onward as hyperscale deployments expand and liquid cooling becomes standard in new AI data centers.
DBS maintains its "Buy" rating, updating the valuation benchmark to FY27. It also raises FY27/FY28 earnings forecasts by 10.1%/17.1% to reflect higher AI server shipment assumptions.