AI Deployment Shows Positive Progress
发布时间:2026-11-05 来源:华泰证券
For 9M26, Beijing Kunlun Tech's revenue was RMB8,937mn (+54.0% YoY), while attributable net profit was RMB3mn (turning around from loss YoY) and recurring net loss widened YoY to RMB1,546mn. For 3Q26, revenue was RMB3,578mn (+72.7% YoY, +28.3% QoQ), while attributable net loss/recurring net loss were RMB1,085/1,088mn, shifting from profitability YoY and QoQ. Revenue growth was mainly driven by AI short play platforms, Opera, and AI software technology operations, while elevated marketing and channel spending weighed on earnings. As AI commercialization progresses, we advise monitoring the efficiency of converting user growth into earnings. Maintain BUY.
Overseas short play operations expanded
Expanding overseas short play operations have become a pillar of core business growth. Per Sensor Tower, for 9M26, the company's AI short play platforms ranked first in overall MAUs in the overseas short play market, with FreeReels ranking first in downloads among overseas-bound short play apps; in September, monthly gross billing of the short play platform business approached USD100mn. The company is sharpening its dual "paid + free" product strategy: DramaWave targets high-ARPU markets such as Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea, with daily time spent per user exceeding 40 minutes and over 95% of new titles launched in September generated by AI; FreeReels penetrates emerging markets via ad monetization, maintaining daily time spent per user above 80 minutes. We believe AI content generation capabilities enhance supply efficiency, while future platform profitability will hinge on customer acquisition costs and user retention.
GPM improved QoQ; marketing spending hikes dented profit
For 3Q26, GPM rose by 9.4pp QoQ to 74.4% and gross profit rose by 46.9% QoQ to RMB2,662mn, mainly driven by a rising revenue mix of high-margin short play operations; sales expenses rose by 41.9% QoQ to RMB2,478mn, lifting the sales expense ratio by 6.7pp QoQ to 69.3%. R&D/administrative expenses were RMB358/336mn, with the R&D/administrative expense ratios falling QoQ from 14.5/12.7% in 2Q26 to 10.0/9.4%. As revenue and gross profit growth have yet to cover overall expense outlays, 3Q26 recurring net profit swung to a loss. We believe the company remains in a commercialization expansion and market investment phase, with future earnings recovery contingent on ad placement efficiency optimization and economies of scale.
Earnings forecasts and valuation
While commercialization across the AI product matrix is deepening and AI short plays and applications maintain rapid growth, elevated 3Q26 marketing outlays and volatile investment income mean the pace of earnings growth remains to be seen. We raise our 2026/2027/2028 revenue forecasts to RMB12.48/13.82/ 14.32bn (previous: RMB10.48/12.12/12.76bn), and factoring in the pace of investment income recognition and marketing spending, we revise our 2026/2027/2028 attributable net profit forecasts to RMB-130/180/740mn (previous: RMB1,660/840/1,520mn). Our SOTP-derived target market cap is RMB78.26bn (based on 6.0x 2026E PS for Opera, 6.4x 2026E PS for the short play segment, RMB11.28bn for the AI model segment, and RMB9.50bn for the investment segment), corresponding to a lower target price of RMB60.90 (previous: RMB64.05).
Risks: slower Al deployment/model development than we expect, industry policy overhang.