On Friday, CLSA adjusted its outlook on NetEase.com (NASDAQ:NTES) shares, reducing the price target to $120 from $126, while keeping an Outperform rating on the stock. The firm decided after NetEase reported that its second-quarter earnings did not meet expectations.
The company's total revenue increased by 6.1% year-over-year to RMB 25.5 billion, which was 2% below CLSA's estimates. Adjusted net profit saw a 13% decline year-over-year to RMB 7.8 billion, also falling 2% short of expectations.
Online game revenues aligned with forecasts, experiencing an 11.8% growth year-over-year. However, there was a 5.7% quarter-over-quarter decrease attributed to the normalized grossing of Justice Mobile, the implementation of a new recharging policy for Eggy Party, and a new monetization system for FWJ PC. Despite the success of the new game Naraka Mobile, it might not compensate for the decline in revenue from last year's popular titles.
Looking ahead to the third quarter of 2024, CLSA anticipates that the revenue from online games and value-added services (VAS) will remain flat when compared year-over-year. Adjusted net profit forecasts have been lowered by 1% due to challenging comparisons for game revenue in the second half of 2024.
The firm highlighted that NetEase's stock is currently trading at a relatively low 11 times the 2025 expected adjusted earnings. Despite the reduced price target and the recent performance challenges, CLSA maintains an Outperform rating, indicating continued confidence in the stock's potential.
In other recent news, NetEase, a leading Chinese internet technology company, has made headlines with its second-quarter earnings for 2024. The company reported earnings per share at RMB12.15 ($1.67), surpassing the consensus forecast of RMB11.97.
However, with revenue of RMB25.49 billion ($3.51 billion), it fell short of the projected RMB26.11 billion. This led to Citi revising its price target on NetEase shares to $112 from $116, while Jefferies lowered its target from $126 to $103, maintaining a Buy rating.
NetEase's core games and related value-added services saw a year-over-year revenue increase of 6.7% to RMB20.06 billion ($2.76 billion). Other growth areas included the Youdao (NYSE:DAO) education technology unit, which posted a 9.5% revenue increase to RMB1.32 billion ($181.9 million), and the Cloud Music streaming division, which grew revenue by 4.7% to RMB2.04 billion ($280.8 million).
These recent developments, including Citi and Jefferies' anticipation of NetEase's quarter-over-quarter growth in its online games revenue, provide crucial information for investors.
InvestingPro Insights
In light of the recent analysis by CLSA on NetEase.com (NASDAQ:NTES), additional insights from InvestingPro provide a broader perspective on the company's financial health and market position. Notably, NetEase holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, which is a strong indicator of financial stability. This is particularly relevant as companies with robust cash reserves are generally better positioned to navigate economic downturns and invest in growth opportunities. Furthermore, NetEase has been trading at a low P/E ratio relative to near-term earnings growth, with an adjusted P/E ratio in the last twelve months as of Q1 2024 standing at 12.5, which suggests that the stock may be undervalued given its earnings potential.
From a performance standpoint, NetEase's revenue growth over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024 was 7.44%, and the company has maintained dividend payments for 12 consecutive years, with a current dividend yield of 3.14%. These figures reflect the company's ability to grow and return value to shareholders consistently. Additionally, NetEase is trading near its 52-week low, which could present a buying opportunity for investors who believe in the company's fundamentals and long-term prospects.
For readers interested in further analysis and metrics on NetEase, InvestingPro offers additional tips and insights, including a fair value estimate and earnings predictions. For a comprehensive understanding of NetEase's investment potential, visit the InvestingPro platform for more tips and real-time data. There are over 11 additional InvestingPro Tips available to help investors make informed decisions.
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