China’s internet companies reported resilient 3Q25 top-line growth and continuous margin improvement in the online gaming and OTA sectors, empowered by improved AI efficiency and benign competition. Margin pressure in e-commerce due to the intense on-demand delivery competition is likely to ease in 4Q25, but could persist into 2026 given the continuous investment and tough comparison base boosted by the trade-in programme in 2025. Maintain MARKET WEIGHT. Top BUYs: Alibaba, Tencent, TCOM, TME, Ne...
Greater China Sector Update | Consumer We met investors in Thailand and Malaysia during our marketing trip from 24-28 Nov 25. Overall investor interest in the China consumer sector is improving. The most frequently discussed segments and names include Miniso, Shenzhou, Anta, consumer staples (including dairy, beer and baijiu), as well as some new consumption names such as Pop Mart (non-rated) and Laopu Gold (non-rated). Our preferred stocks include: Galaxy, Midea, Miniso, Shenzhou and Sands ...
Today, we are publishing the Ride-sharing and delivery section of our 29th Tech Infrastructure Quarterly Bible. The Tech Bible is a must-read for any tech investor, as it summarizes the quarterly earnings reports from the over 140 companies we track, providing an update on our key perspectives and convictions. In the coming weeks we will publish sections on Automotive, Memory, Hyperscale & Cloud, Telecom Equipment, Industrials, PCs, Enterprise IT, Foundry, and Semicap Equipment. Bookings across...
What’s new: Baidu’s reported 3Q25 core revs that were largely in line with consensus and our expectations. Baidu Core ad rev YoY decline could further narrow in 4Q partly driven by continued monetization of AI-native ad products. Margins could also fare better in 4Q compared to 3Q as BIDU would remain disciplined in AI spending. We maintain our PT at USD140. Analysts: Jin Yoon
Baidu’s 3Q25 earnings missed our expectations. Revenue dropped 7% yoy to Rmb31.2b, in line with consensus estimate. Gross margin dropped 10ppt yoy to 41.2%, below consensus expectation. Non-GAAP operating profit was Rmb2.2b, plunging 69% yoy, while non-GAAP operating profit margin came in at 7%. Non-GAAP net profit slumped 36% yoy to Rmb3.8b, beating consensus forecast. Maintain BUY with an unchanged target price of HK$151.00 (US$167.00).
Top Stories Initiate Coverage | Pony AI Inc (PONY US/BUY/US$12.18/Target: US$26.10) Pony AI is a global leader in autonomous mobility, leveraging its virtual driver technology to enable the mass production and deployment of autonomous vehicles across diverse regions. We expect revenue to grow at a three-year CAGR of 65% from 2024-27, net loss to narrow, and bottom line to turn around in 2028, driven by large-scale commercialisation. Initiate coverage with BUY and a target price of US$26.10 for ...
Greater China Initiate Coverage | Pony AI Inc (PONY US/BUY/US$12.18/Target: US$26.10) Pony AI is a global leader in autonomous mobility, leveraging its virtual driver technology to enable the mass production and deployment of autonomous vehicles across diverse regions. We expect revenue to grow at a three-year CAGR of 65% from 2024-27, net loss to narrow, and bottom line to turn around in 2028, driven by large-scale commercialisation. Initiate coverage with BUY and a target price of US$26.10...
What’s New: We maintain our Baidu Core total rev estimates in the 2H as ads would continue to be adversely impacted by restructuring of AI search. Cloud could continue to decelerate in the 2H partly due to tougher comps. We up our PT from US$110 to US$140 partly due to multiples rerating on AI. Our updated PT of US$140 implies an 18.8x FY26E P/E. We maintain our BUY rating. Analysts: Jin Yoon
The growing robotaxi ecosystem is drawing an increasing number of new entrants, including autonomous service providers and ride-hailing platforms. We expect technological maturity, policy support and better fleet economics to drive a major expansion wave for the robotaxi industry into 2H25/2026, with China’s robotaxi fleet size expected to grow ten-fold during this period. We see material development and monetisation progress of Robotaxi, sparking renewed investor interest. Key companies riding ...
Greater China Sector Update | Internet The growing robotaxi ecosystem is drawing in an increasing number of new entrants, including autonomous service providers and ride-hailing platforms. We expect technological maturity, policy support, and better fleet economics to drive a major expansion wave for the robotaxi industry into 2H25/2026, with China’s robotaxi fleet size expected to grow ten-fold during this period. We see material development and monetisation progress of Robotaxi, sparking r...
Following the release of 2Q25 results, the market has started to re-value AI-related and ad-tech upgrade themes. Garnering the most interest was the AI theme driven by: a) re-accelerated cloud revenue growth, b) the emergence of AI agents, c) broader AI application, and d) self-sufficiency in chip development. Potential beneficiaries of the AI theme poised for continuous re-rating include Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu. Tongcheng could see robust travel demand during Golden Week. Maintain OVERWEIGHT...
Greater China Sector Update | Internet Following the release of 2Q25 results, the market has started to re-value AI-related and ad-tech upgrade themes. The AI theme garnered the most interest, attributable to: a) re-accelerated cloud revenue growth, b) the emergence of AI agents, c) broader AI application, and d) development of self-sufficient chips. Potential beneficiaries of the AI theme poised for continuous re-rating include Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu. Tongcheng could see robust travel ...
Key investor focus areas discussed during the marketing trip include: a) key drivers for AI cloud and applications outperformance, b) sustainability of monetisation of AI applications, c) ROI of accelerating capex, d) self-sufficiency in chips development, and e) where the competition in food delivery and quick commerce is ultimately headed. We foresee that AI/AI Cloud, online gaming and OTAs are poised to benefit from further re-rating, supported by their outperformance in growth. Maintain OVER...
Amid US chip ban uncertainties, Baidu Inc's (Baidu) Kunlun chip is well-positioned to capture emerging AI chip localisation opportunities. Meanwhile, Robotaxi offers significant growth potential, with Baidu emerging as the global leader in driverless commercial ride-hailing. In cloud, Baidu differentiates itself through its full-stack AI capabilities and a resilient, recurring software revenue stream. Upgrade to BUY with a higher target price of HK$135.00 (US$150.00).
Greater China Economics | Trade China’s export momentum softened in August as front-loaded US demand has faded, exposing the vulnerability of shipments to the US market. While the trade diversion supported flows to ASEAN and the EU, overall growth moderated. Imports also weakened amid subdued agricultural demand, despite firmer commodity-related inflows. Pro...
Top Stories Economics | Trade China’s export momentum softened in August as front-loaded US demand has faded, exposing the vulnerability of shipments to the US market. While the trade diversion supported flows to ASEAN and the EU, overall growth moderated. Imports also weakened amid subdued agricultural demand, despite firmer commodity-related inflows. Product-level data was mixed, with motor vehicles and hi-tech exports showing strength. Looking ahead, the trade outlook remains cautious, with ...
We expect the emergence of AI agents and AI applications to continue fuelling the surge in AI inference demand, driving the acceleration of hyperscaler revenue growth, and we forecast revenue growth reaccelerating in 2H25-2026. The sustained dominance of super-apps in commerce, coupled with the swift rise of cost-efficient AI models, creates a strong catalyst for adoption and future global expansion. We upgrade the internet sector to OVERWEIGHT and are OVERWEIGHT the AI segment.
We expect the emergence of AI agents and AI applications to continue fuelling the surge in AI inference demand, driving the acceleration of hyperscaler revenue growth, and we forecast revenue growth reaccelerating in 2H25-2026. The sustained dominance of super-apps in commerce, coupled with the swift rise of cost-efficient AI models, creates a strong catalyst for adoption and future global expansion. We upgrade the internet sector to OVERWEIGHT and are OVERWEIGHT the AI segment. WHAT’S NEW Ev...
China’s internet companies reported intact 2Q25 top-line with mixed earnings results. The key focuses are on the latest quick commerce war and AI cloud and agent development. In 2Q25, we saw meaningful AI monetisation visibility contributing to incremental top-line growth, and expect this momentum to continue into 2H25. On the profitability front, margins will remain under pressure from heightened investments to fend off the intensifying competition in on-demand delivery. Maintain MARKET WEIGHT.
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