Latest news with #TencentHoldingsLtd
Business Wire
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Starfall, a Nonprofit, Seeks Help From U.S. Counterintelligence to Protect Children From Alleged Chinese Intellectual Property Hijacker
BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starfall Education Foundation, a publicly supported nonprofit, made a request today under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) to the U.S. Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and other DOD agencies for Documents relating to the "inclusion of Tencent Holdings Limited on the Department of Defense List of Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States," "consumer data collection activities," "revenues derived from activities," and the "ability of the Chinese Military to access personal information about Americans." Starfall's request comes one week after it filed an amendment to its lawsuit in the Federal district court of Denver against Tencent Holdings (TCEHY) and its Singaporean subsidiary, Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd ( collectively "Tencent") alleging that "Tencent has hijacked Starfall's United States trademarks to attract children" and that it collects "personal information from children" and "places it under the control of a foreign entity." Tencent Holdings Ltd is a world-leading internet and technology company with headquarters in Shenzhen, China. This January, the US Department of Defense designated Tencent Holdings Ltd as a Chinese Military Company. The lawsuit alleges that Tencent's activities "were committed knowingly or recklessly" and Starfall is entitled to injunctive relief and damages, including disgorgement of Tencent's profits damages, treble damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs "in an amount to be determined at trial but believed to be in excess of $1,000,000." Founded over two decades ago, Starfall is widely used in schools and homes for all children including English language learners. Starfall™ games, movies and books are known as a place "Where Children Have Fun Learning." Earlier this year, Starfall released a successful interactive kindness exhibit for museums that is being translated into ten languages including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Malay.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF (EMGF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF (EMGF) was launched on 12/08/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market. The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment. Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns. However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta. This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics. While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results. The fund is managed by Blackrock, and has been able to amass over $887.40 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Diversified Multiple-Factor Index. The STOXX Emerging Markets Equity Factor Index (USD) composes of stocks of large and mid-capitalization companies in emerging markets that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints. Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.26%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space. The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.50%. Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings. Taking into account individual holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing accounts for about 8.61% of the fund's total assets, followed by Tencent Holdings Ltd and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. EMGF's top 10 holdings account for about 25.23% of its total assets under management. The ETF has gained about 14.17% so far this year and was up about 14.25% in the last one year (as of 06/17/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $41.37 and $51.83. The fund has a beta of 0.59 and standard deviation of 16.34% for the trailing three-year period. With about 611 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. IShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index and the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has $88.55 billion in assets, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $90.54 billion. VWO has an expense ratio of 0.07% and IEMG charges 0.09%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF (EMGF): ETF Research Reports iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG): ETF Research Reports Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tencent Holdings Ltd (TCEHY) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and AI ...
Total Revenue: RMB180 billion, up 13% year on year. Gross Profit: RMB100 billion, up 20% year on year. Non-IFRS Operating Profit: RMB69 billion, up 18% year on year. Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to Equity Holders: RMB61 billion, up 22% year on year. Value-Added Services Revenue: RMB92 billion, up 17% year on year. Social Networks Revenue: RMB33 billion, up 7% year on year. Domestic Games Revenue: Up 24% year on year. International Games Revenue: Up 23% year on year. Marketing Services Revenue: RMB32 billion, up 20% year on year. Fintech and Business Services Revenue: RMB55 billion, up 5% year on year. Gross Margin: 56%, up 3 percentage points year on year. Operating Expenses: Selling and marketing expenses were RMB7.9 billion, up 4% year on year. R&D Expenses: RMB18.9 billion, up 21% year on year. Free Cash Flow: RMB47.1 billion, down 9% year on year. Net Cash Position: RMB90.2 billion, up 17% quarter on quarter. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with STU:IGV0. Release Date: May 14, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Tencent Holdings Ltd (TCEHY) reported a 13% year-on-year increase in total revenue for Q1 2025, reaching RMB180 billion. Gross profit rose by 20% year-on-year to RMB100 billion, marking a significant improvement in profitability. The company's non-IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders increased by 22% year-on-year to RMB61 billion. Tencent's AI capabilities are contributing positively to various business segments, including advertising and gaming. The Weixin and WeChat platforms saw growth in monthly active users, reaching 1.4 billion, indicating strong user engagement. Finance costs increased by 37% year-on-year, primarily due to foreign exchange losses. Free cash flow decreased by 9% year-on-year, largely due to increased capital expenditures on GPUs and servers. Interest income declined by 12% year-on-year due to lower interest yields. There is a temporary narrowing of the gap between revenue and operating profit growth rates due to AI investments. The commercial payment volume experienced a slight decline year-on-year in Q1, reflecting potential macroeconomic challenges. Q: Can management comment about the outlook and differentiation of Weixin versus peers in the market, and strategies across various AI business models? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: We are developing agentic AI capabilities within Weixin, which will be unique due to its integration with the Weixin ecosystem, including social graphs and content ecosystems. In terms of AI business models, advertising is directly augmented by AI, improving targeting capabilities. GPU rental is currently a lower priority due to short supply, and subscriptions are not a mainstream model for AI in China. Q: What is the current progress with the Yuanbao integration into the Weixin ecosystem, and what synergies do you expect? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: Yuanbao is still in the early stages of development. Users are using it for questions and dialogues, and we plan to provide more linkage with the Weixin ecosystem. It's too early to summarize systematic synergies, but we expect more developments in the coming quarters. Q: Could you discuss the longer-term implications for growth in the domestic games segment and any regulatory changes affecting app stores? A: James Mitchell, Chief Strategy Officer: The first quarter benefited from easy comparisons, but we see a long runway for growth due to changes in game operations and AI utilization. Regarding app stores, there is a shift towards a fairer share of revenue for digital content creators, which is more advanced in China and expected to progress globally. Q: What are some notable user behavior changes post-AI integration into Tencent's business applications? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: It's too early for systematic analysis, but users are increasingly interacting with AI agents. We are in a discovery phase, adding functionalities and observing user engagement. Q: How is the US licensing requirement for high-end GPUs affecting Tencent's AI development and product launches? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: The situation is dynamic, but we have a strong stockpile of chips. We prioritize applications generating immediate returns, like advertising. We are optimizing software to manage GPU needs and exploring alternative chips for inference. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tencent Holdings Ltd (TCEHY) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and AI ...
Total Revenue: RMB180 billion, up 13% year on year. Gross Profit: RMB100 billion, up 20% year on year. Non-IFRS Operating Profit: RMB69 billion, up 18% year on year. Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to Equity Holders: RMB61 billion, up 22% year on year. Value-Added Services Revenue: RMB92 billion, up 17% year on year. Social Networks Revenue: RMB33 billion, up 7% year on year. Domestic Games Revenue: Up 24% year on year. International Games Revenue: Up 23% year on year. Marketing Services Revenue: RMB32 billion, up 20% year on year. Fintech and Business Services Revenue: RMB55 billion, up 5% year on year. Gross Margin: 56%, up 3 percentage points year on year. Operating Expenses: Selling and marketing expenses were RMB7.9 billion, up 4% year on year. R&D Expenses: RMB18.9 billion, up 21% year on year. Free Cash Flow: RMB47.1 billion, down 9% year on year. Net Cash Position: RMB90.2 billion, up 17% quarter on quarter. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with STU:IGV0. Release Date: May 14, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Tencent Holdings Ltd (TCEHY) reported a 13% year-on-year increase in total revenue for Q1 2025, reaching RMB180 billion. Gross profit rose by 20% year-on-year to RMB100 billion, marking a significant improvement in profitability. The company's non-IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders increased by 22% year-on-year to RMB61 billion. Tencent's AI capabilities are contributing positively to various business segments, including advertising and gaming. The Weixin and WeChat platforms saw growth in monthly active users, reaching 1.4 billion, indicating strong user engagement. Finance costs increased by 37% year-on-year, primarily due to foreign exchange losses. Free cash flow decreased by 9% year-on-year, largely due to increased capital expenditures on GPUs and servers. Interest income declined by 12% year-on-year due to lower interest yields. There is a temporary narrowing of the gap between revenue and operating profit growth rates due to AI investments. The commercial payment volume experienced a slight decline year-on-year in Q1, reflecting potential macroeconomic challenges. Q: Can management comment about the outlook and differentiation of Weixin versus peers in the market, and strategies across various AI business models? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: We are developing agentic AI capabilities within Weixin, which will be unique due to its integration with the Weixin ecosystem, including social graphs and content ecosystems. In terms of AI business models, advertising is directly augmented by AI, improving targeting capabilities. GPU rental is currently a lower priority due to short supply, and subscriptions are not a mainstream model for AI in China. Q: What is the current progress with the Yuanbao integration into the Weixin ecosystem, and what synergies do you expect? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: Yuanbao is still in the early stages of development. Users are using it for questions and dialogues, and we plan to provide more linkage with the Weixin ecosystem. It's too early to summarize systematic synergies, but we expect more developments in the coming quarters. Q: Could you discuss the longer-term implications for growth in the domestic games segment and any regulatory changes affecting app stores? A: James Mitchell, Chief Strategy Officer: The first quarter benefited from easy comparisons, but we see a long runway for growth due to changes in game operations and AI utilization. Regarding app stores, there is a shift towards a fairer share of revenue for digital content creators, which is more advanced in China and expected to progress globally. Q: What are some notable user behavior changes post-AI integration into Tencent's business applications? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: It's too early for systematic analysis, but users are increasingly interacting with AI agents. We are in a discovery phase, adding functionalities and observing user engagement. Q: How is the US licensing requirement for high-end GPUs affecting Tencent's AI development and product launches? A: Chi Ping Lau, President: The situation is dynamic, but we have a strong stockpile of chips. We prioritize applications generating immediate returns, like advertising. We are optimizing software to manage GPU needs and exploring alternative chips for inference. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Bloomberg
19-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tencent Grows Fastest in a Year After Spate of Holiday Game Hits
Tencent Holdings Ltd. posted its fastest pace of revenue growth in more than a year, after a string of gaming hits helped China's most valuable company overcome a persistent economic downturn. Revenue for the three months ended December rose to 172.5 billion yuan ($23.8 billion), versus an average estimate of 168.7 billion yuan. Net income for the period came to 51.3 billion yuan, compared with projections for 43.9 billion yuan. The company also unveiled plans to buy back at least HK$80 billion worth of shares for 2025, and proposed a 32% rise in its annual dividend.
