Lates News

Morgan Stanley raised Tencent (0700) target price by 7.7% from HKD 650 to HKD 700, maintaining a "buy" rating and reiterating it as a top pick. Morgan Stanley stated that Tencent's core business is showing steady growth, and they are optimistic about the continued deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) driving revenue growth, with a high return on investment (ROI) for its AI investments. Concerns about profit margin pressure from AI investments have eased. Tencent has maintained its capital expenditure guidance with first-half capital expenditure at RMB 47 billion, and Morgan Stanley expects a full-year expenditure of RMB 97 billion, which is in line with expectations. With supply chain constraints easing in the second quarter and H20 resuming sales in mainland China, capital expenditure in the second half of the year is expected to accelerate. Morgan Stanley expects third-quarter revenue and non-IFRS operating profit for Tencent to increase by 12% and 14% respectively; game revenue is expected to rise by 16%; advertising revenue is expected to increase by 20% and Financial Technology and Business Services (FBS) revenue is expected to increase by 9%. Morgan Stanley raised Tencent's revenue and adjusted operating profit forecasts for this year and next by 2%, with forecasted revenues of RMB 743.5 billion and RMB 812.8 billion, and adjusted operating profits of RMB 275.8 billion and RMB 311.2 billion respectively.