Caitong Securities Maintains "Overweight" Rating on Tencent (00700) with 3Q25 Earnings Beating Expectations

Stock News
Yesterday

Caitong Securities issued a research report projecting Tencent Holdings' (00700) Non-IFRS net profit attributable to shareholders to grow by 17.0%, 11.9%, and 10.3% year-on-year in 2025–2027, reaching RMB 260.6 billion, RMB 291.5 billion, and RMB 321.5 billion, respectively. The current share price implies a forward P/E ratio of 21.0x, 18.8x, and 17.0x for 2025–2027. The firm reiterated an "Overweight" rating.

Key takeaways from Caitong Securities:

**Earnings Beat Expectations, Higher Sales & R&D Expense Ratios** In 3Q25, Tencent reported revenue of RMB 192.9 billion (+15.4% YoY, 2.15% above consensus), with a gross margin of 56.4% (0.19 ppts above consensus). Sales and R&D expense ratios stood at 5.9% (0.6 ppts above consensus) and 11.8% (0.9 ppts above consensus), respectively. However, profits from associates/joint ventures surged to RMB 7.85 billion (62.3% above consensus), driving Non-IFRS net profit to RMB 70.55 billion (+18.0% YoY, 6.9% above consensus).

**Overseas Gaming Revenue Up Over 40%, Strong Performance in Evergreen Titles** Gaming revenue reached RMB 63.6 billion (+22.8% YoY, 5.2% above consensus), with domestic market revenue at RMB 42.8 billion (+14.8% YoY, 1.3% above consensus), driven by titles like *Delta Force*, *Peacekeeper Elite*, and *Honor of Kings*. International gaming revenue rose 43.4% YoY to RMB 20.8 billion (14.8% above consensus), fueled by *Clash Royale*, contributions from acquired studios, and strong sales of the console game *Dying Light: Be the Zombie*.

**Ad Revenue & Gross Margin Exceed Expectations; FinTech & Business Services Margin Lags** Ad revenue grew 20.8% YoY to RMB 36.24 billion (1.8% above consensus), supported by increased ad spending across key sectors, higher user engagement, improved ad load rates, and AI-driven targeting boosting eCPM. The segment’s gross margin was 56.7% (0.5 ppts above consensus). However, FinTech & Business Services gross margin came in at 50.2% (1.4 ppts below consensus).

**Risk Factors:** Tighter regulatory oversight in gaming, slower ad revenue growth due to weak macroeconomic recovery, intensifying competition, and uncertainties in investment returns.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10