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TCL Electronics (01070.HK) Achieves Nearly 150% YoY Growth in Adjusted Net Profit in 1H 2024

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Mid-to-High-End and Globalisation Strategies Yields Tangible Results
Significantly Enhancing Profitability

Results Highlights

TCL Electronics’ mid-to-high-end and globalisation strategies yielded tangible results, enhancing its profitability significantly, during the first half of 2024, its revenue grew by 30.3% year-on-year (“YoY”) to HK$45.5 billion, its adjusted profit attributable to owners[1] grew by 147.3% YoY to HK$654 millionIn the first half of 2024, shipment of TCL TV grew by 9.2% YoY to 12.52 million sets, and its market share in terms of shipment increased by 0.9 percentage points YoY to 13.3%, ranking among the top two in the world[2]Shipment of TCL’s mid-to-high end products, QLED TV and Mini LED TV, recorded high YoY increases of 64.4% and 122.4% respectively, with Mini LED TV maintaining leading position worldwide in terms of shipmentInnovative business becomes a new growth driver, with revenue surging by 60.6% YoY to HK$14.0 billion, and gross profit growing by 64.1% YoY to HK$2.0 billionPhotovoltaic business achieved exponential growth, with revenue and gross profit surging 212.7% and 322.5% YoY to HK$5.3 billion and HK$542 million respectively, and the gross profit margin improving by 2.7 percentage points YoY to 10.3%

HONG KONG, Aug. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — TCL Electronics Holdings Limited (“TCL Electronics” or the “Company”, 01070.HK) today announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2024. During the reporting period, TCL Electronics continued to promote its mid-to-high-end and globalisation strategies. The Company’s revenue grew by 30.3% YoY to HK$45.5 billion in the first half of 2024, with the revenue from the innovative business surging by 60.6% YoY to HK$14.0 billion, achieving continuous increase in its diversified revenue and significant enhancement of its profitability.

TCL Electronics demonstrated continuous improvements in operational efficiency, resulting in a reduction of expenses across multiple areas. The Company’s administrative expense ratio decreased by 1.1 percentage points YoY to 4.1%, while the selling and distribution expense ratio decreased by 0.9 percentage points to 9.6%, attributed to the Company’s adherence to a precision marketing strategy. The overall expense ratio decreased by 2.0 percentage points YoY to 13.7%. As a result of the Company’s commitment to a solid operational practices, its adjusted net profit attributable to owners of the parent experienced a significant 147.3% YoY increase, amounting to HK$654 million, showing a significant improvement in the quality of operations.

Meanwhile, TCL Electronics has consistently maintained high dividend payout policy to reward shareholders since 2017, with a dividend payout ratio[3] of 50.0% in 2023.

Capturing Large-Screen Market Opportunities, Performance of Large-Sized Display Business Far Outperforming Industry

Benefitting from the surge in demand from major sporting events such as the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games in the European and American TV markets, shipment of global TV industry increased by 1.9% YoY in the first half of 2024[2]. Through the precise marketing on the sporting events by the Company, global shipment of TCL TV reached 12.52 million sets in the first half of 2024, representing a YoY increase of 9.2%, steadily ranking among the top two[2] in the world. Among which, shipment of large-sized and mid-to-high-end TCL TV grew significantly, the global shipment of TCL TV of 75-inch and above grew by 34.5% YoY, while the global shipment of TCL Mini LED TV surged by 122.4% YoY. Sales volume growth of large-sized and mid-to-high-end TV drove the revenue of the Company’s large-sized display business to increase by 23.2% YoY to HK$25.9 billion.

Regarding the PRC market, the retail sales volume of the domestic TV market declined by 10.7% YoY in the first half of 2024 due to the sustained decreased in domestic demand[4]. Nevertheless, TCL Electronics leveraged policy opportunities such as “trade-ins of consumer goods” and achieved upward breakthroughs in product mix upgrade through the TCL brand while targeting younger demographics with the Falcon brand, the shipment of TCL TV in the PRC market grew by 5.4% YoY in the first half of 2024, defying industry trends, and revenue increased by 21.1% YoY to HK$8.4 billion. Meanwhile, the Company made further advancements in the mid-to-high-end market. The shipment of TCL TV of 75-inch and above in the PRC market grew by 17.7% in the first half of 2024, with corresponding proportion increasing by 3.5 percentage points to 33.2%. Shipment of TCL Mini LED TV surged by 120.1% YoY, with corresponding proportion increasing by 4.5 percentage points to 8.6%, and retail sales volume consistently ranking the first in the PRC market[4].

TCL Electronics’ performance in the international market was particularly outstanding. In the first half of 2024, shipment of TCL TV in international market increased by 10.4% YoY, and revenue increased by 24.2% YoY to HK$17.6 billion. Notably, the shipment of 75-inch and above TVs and TCL Mini LED TVs saw significant growth of 77.9% and 124.7% YoY, respectively, leading to further optimisation of the product mix. Through precise investments in brand marketing and expand and deepen the coverage of key channels across multiple regions, including North America, Europe, and emerging markets. TCL TV ranked steadily among the top five in terms of sales volume in nearly 30 countries overseas, according to data from GfK and Circana.

Continuous Growth for Internet Business and Innovative Business, Further Enhancing Profit Contribution

Internet Business

In the first half of 2024, internet business revenue reached HK$1.2 billion, representing a YoY increase of 8.9%, and the gross profit margin was maintained at a high level of 54.0%.

As an innovator in the OTT field in the PRC market, TCL Electronics upgraded the “TCL LINGKONG UI 2.0”, which greatly enhanced the convenience and comfort of use, providing users with more personalised services. Meanwhile, the Company has created its proprietary IP of “Lei Dong Dong”(”雷咚咚”) based on the AI large-language model and cooperated with leading children’s IPs to develop AI animation for children’s education. In the first half of 2024, domestic internet business generated revenue of HK$870 million, maintaining a stable performance.

Regarding the international market, the Company continued to strengthen its close cooperation with prominent internet giants such as Google, Roku and Netflix, while continued to make breakthroughs in its business model, the average daily consumption time[5] spent on its self-developed content products for June 2024 doubled YoY and traffic monetisation capacity further enhanced. As at the end of June 2024, TCL Channel, an integrated content application, has covered 60 countries in North America, Europe, Central and South America, Asia Pacific and other regions, with a total of nearly 25 million cumulative users. During the period, internet business revenue from the international market amounted to HK$342 million, representing a significant YoY increase of 51.2%.

Innovative Business

In the first half of 2024, the Company adhered to the “Relatively Light Asset” model in operating the photovoltaic business, achieved quality growth in business scale through refined operations by strengthening core competencies in products, digitisation, engineering technology, finance and distribution channels. During the reporting period, the revenue of the photovoltaic business surged by 212.7% to HK$5.3 billion, while gross profit increased significantly by 322.5% YoY to HK$543 million, and gross profit margin improved by 2.7 percentage points to 10.3%. As of the end of June 2024, the photovoltaic business has covered 23 key provinces and cities in the PRC, with over 150 cumulative industrial and commercial contracted projects, over 1,200 cumulative channel distributors, and more than 70,000 cumulative contracted rural households. For the overseas markets, the Company will strategically identify the optimal path to globalisation, focus resources on channels, localise operations in markets where it has advantages, to transform its domestic photovoltaic power station business into an integrated global new energy solution provider.

Leveraging the global brand influence accumulated by the display business over the years and the trans-regional market channels, TCL Electronics’ global brand distribution business of smart products, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines, has maintained rapid growth. In the first half of 2024, the all-category marketing revenue increased by 27.7% YoY to HK$7.8 billion, with gross profit increased by 37.1% YoY to HK$1.3 billion, and the distribution gross profit margin improved by 1.1 percentage points YoY to 16.3%. In addition, RayNeo, a company internally incubated by the Company, launched RayNeo Air2s, the first AR glasses that has passed the ZREAL certification for ultra-high-definition video quality during the first half of 2024. During the 618 (18 June) Shopping Festival, RayNeo smart glasses secured the top positions in both sales volume and sales revenue on both JD.com and Tmall, demonstrating its market leadership.

Outlook: Expanding Scale and Strengthening Operations, Continuous Strengthening of Capabilities, High-Quality Development Driven by Globalisation

In the second half of 2024, TCL Electronics will vigorously pursue strategies centered at “Scale Expansion, Strong Operation, Organisation Activation, and Globalisation”, striving to achieve high-quality development with “net profit growth>gross profit growth>revenue growth”. While stabilising the mid-to-low-end market, the Company will continue to break through the mid-to-high-end market, deepen its overseas retail, channel, and marketing capabilities, and strengthen its global branding advantages. It will also strive for extreme operational efficiency, continuously improve its global organisational capabilities, and strengthen its data-driven operations to comprehensively assist in lowering costs, increasing efficiency, and enhancing user experience. Moreover, the Company will adhere to the globalisation of operations, achieving local or nearby supply of products through global production capacity deployment, fostering global talent cultivation to ensure the global deployment of local talents, and promoting global localisation of brand marketing to effectively enhance the global brand influence.

Looking forward, the Company will adhere to the strategy of “Lead with Brand Value, Excel in Global Efficiency, Drive with Technology, Thrive on Global Vitality”, focus on strengthening core competencies in product power, marketing power, operation power, and organisational power, and promote the long-term sustainable development of the Company’s core businesses, such as the display business and internet business, as well as the innovative business. The Company will continue to deepen its “Globalisation” and “Technologisation” layout, moving towards the goal of becoming a “world-leading smart device enterprise”.

About TCL Electronics

 TCL Electronics Holdings Limited (01070.HK, incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability) was listed on the mainboard of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 1999. It is engaged in display business, innovative business and internet business. TCL Electronics actively transforms and innovates under the strategy of “Lead with Brand Value, Excel in Global Efficiency, Drive with Technology, Thrive on Global Vitality”. Focusing on the mid-to-high-end markets around the world, the Company strives to consolidate the “Intelligent IoT Ecosystem” strategy and is committed to providing users with an all-scenario smart and healthy life while developing into a world-leading smart technology company. TCL Electronics is part of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program and is included in the Hang Seng Stock Connect Hong Kong Index, the Hang Seng Composite MidCap & SmallCap Index and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index. Besides, it has received Hang Seng Index’s ESG rating of A for consecutive years since 2018.

For more information, please visit the investor relations web page of TCL Electronics at http://electronics.tcl.com or follow the WeChat Official Page of TCL Electronics investor relations.

[1] Adjusted net profit attributable to owners of the parent is defined as net profit attributable to owners of the parent after adding back the following adjustments: (i) (gain)/loss from investment companies, net; (ii) (gain)/loss on disposal and liquidation of subsidiaries, net; (iii) (gain)/loss related to call options and put options, net; (iv) (gain)/loss on disposal of non-current assets, net.; and (v) income tax effect.

[2] Data source: Omdia, 1H 2024.

[3] Dividend payout ratio was calculated with adjusted net profit attributable to owners as the denominator.

[4] Data source: CMM’s omni-channel, H1 2024.

[5] The average daily consumption time is calculated by taking the sum of the daily active users multiplied by the average daily usage hours within the month, and divided by the number of days in the month.

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SOURCE TCL Electronics Holdings Limited

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Tech employment ends year with uptick in hiring, CompTIA analysis finds

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Tech unemployment rate falls to 2%

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tech hiring increased during the latest jobs data release, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the tech unemployment rate, CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products, reported today.

Analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data reveals the tech unemployment rate dropped to 2% in December, the lowest level since November 2023. The national unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.1% for the month.

The base of tech employment throughout the economy increased by a net new 7,000 positions. In the aggregate the core tech workforce totals nearly 6.5 million workers.¹

Employment within the technology industry sector, encompassing all types of workers, declined by 6,117 jobs.² Positions in PC, semiconductor and components manufacturing accounted for the bulk of the cuts. The tech sector employs nearly 5.6 million people, which translates to a percentage decline of 1%.

“This marks the 100th release of the CompTIA Tech Jobs report,” noted Tim Herbert, chief research officer, CompTIA. “What an incredible journey in tracking tech workforce trends over the past decade. A true honor to be at the center of such an innovative and dynamic space.”

There were 434,415 active employer job postings for tech positions in December, including 165,189 newly added during the month.³ Both totals were down from November. Positions in software development and engineering, IT project management, cybersecurity, data science and analysis and tech support had the most activity.

Companies with the largest numbers of December job postings included Amazon, Accenture, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GovCIO, Robert Half, Lumen Technologies and Insight Global.

Employers listed open positions at all career levels. Among postings that specified a work experience requirement, 22% sought candidates with 0-3 years of experience; 28% of openings sought workers with 4-7 years of experience; and 16%, 8 years or more.

Across all tech occupations 45% of December job postings did not specify a four-year degree requirement for applicants. Openings for network support specialists (85%), tech support specialists (72%) and computer programmers (54%) had notably higher percentages.

The “CompTIA Tech Jobs Report” is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/tech-jobs-report.

About CompTIA
CompTIA Inc. is the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products. CompTIA unlocks potential in millions of aspiring technology professionals and careers changers. Working in partnership with thousands of academic institutions and training providers, CompTIA helps students build career-ready skills through best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career resources.
Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/.

Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
+1.630.678.8468

¹ Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility.
² Labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings from Lightcast may be subject to backward revisions.
³ Active job postings include open postings carried over from previous months and new postings added by employers.

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SOURCE CompTIA

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Iktos and Cube Biotech Announce Launch of Small Molecule AI Drug Discovery Collaboration

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Partnership will leverage Iktos’s AI-enabled drug discovery platform and Cube Biotech’s advanced protein technologies to develop novel agonists of the Amylin Receptor

PARIS and MONHEIM, Germany, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Iktos, a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics for drug design, and Cube Biotech, a pioneer in membrane protein production and purification technologies, today announced a strategic collaboration to discover novel small molecule agonists of the Amylin Receptor.

The partnership combines Iktos’ generative AI-driven drug discovery and robotic synthesis platform with Cube Biotech’s advanced native membrane protein technology NativeMPTM, as well as their purification and biophysical assay expertise, to accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies. This paves the way for a joint collaborative offering directed towards pharmaceutical companies, combining the strengths of both platforms to undertake their most challenging drug discovery programs.

Amylin receptor agonists hold significant promise for addressing unmet medical needs in cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic hepatitis (MASH). The Amylin Receptor regulates appetite and satiety, making it a compelling target for obesity, which affects over one-third of the global population. Existing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies like semaglutide or the peptide Amylin analogue Pramlintide have limited impact due to high costs, accessibility, and undesirable side effects.

Orally administered novel small molecule agonists of the Amylin receptor could overcome these barriers, offering scalable and effective treatments and providing better management for the growing obesity epidemic and its comorbidities. However, the receptor’s structural and biological complexity has long posed challenges for discovering viable low-molecular-weight modulators.

“By tackling one of the most pressing unmet needs in cardiometabolic disorders, our partnership with Cube Biotech aims to discover improved treatments for patients affected by obesity, diabetes, and related conditions,” said Yann Gaston-Mathé, Co-founder and CEO of Iktos. “We are excited to add the Amylin Receptor to our pipeline as this complex, yet promising target demands innovation at every stage. We see this collaboration as a foundation for future initiatives, extending the reach of our combined platform to address the most challenging membrane targets for the benefit of our pharma partners.”

Iktos has developed a cutting-edge 3D generative chemistry technology for structure-guided de novo design that natively accounts for protein flexibility during molecule optimization—a key advantage over models like AlphaFold, which can only be applied post-molecule generation. Cube Biotech has developed a world-leading protein production platform, based on NativeMP™ technology, which preserves the natural configuration of membrane proteins – a key advantage in accessing biologically active drug targets for testing. The company’s native protein stabilization technology enhances the reliability and precision of functional assays, structural insights, and downstream applications.

“Amylin Receptor is a challenging but highly promising target for metabolic disorders”, said Dr. Barbara Maertens, Co-founder and COO of Cube Biotech. “Through our collaboration with Iktos, we aim to leverage our advanced protein stabilization and structural analysis technologies to validate and accelerate the discovery of novel small molecule agonists. Together, we are setting a new standard for efficiency and innovation in drug discovery.”

These integrated technologies endeavor to overcome longstanding inefficiencies in drug discovery, shortening timelines, improving success rates, and unlocking new possibilities for targeting complex and historically elusive membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane transporters, ion channels, and others.

About Iktos

Iktos is a leader in artificial intelligence and robotic solutions applied to research in medicinal chemistry and new drug design. Iktos’ proprietary and innovative generative AI solution enables the design of molecules that are optimized in silico to meet all the success criteria of a small molecule discovery project. The use of Iktos technology enables major productivity gains in upstream pharmaceutical R&D. Iktos offers its technology through the SaaS software platforms Makya™ for generative drug design and Spaya™ for retrosynthesis, and through strategic collaborations with pharma companies where Iktos mobilizes its unique platform and leading-edge capabilities to expedite small molecule drug discovery for the benefit of its partners. Iktos has also developed Iktos Robotics, a unique AI-driven synthesis automation platform that dramatically accelerates the Design-Make-Test-Analyze cycle in drug discovery and is developing its own pipeline of drug candidates targeting oncology and auto-immune and inflammatory diseases. In March 2023, Iktos completed a 15.5M€ Series A financing round co-led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation with contribution by Omnes Capital. In July 2024, Iktos announced the acquisition of Synsight, thereby complementing its Chemistry AI platform with a groundbreaking biology platform for the discovery of new drugs targeting Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) and RNA-Protein Interactions (RPI).

About Cube Biotech Cube Biotech is a leader in membrane protein production, purification, and characterization technologies. With proprietary copolymer-based solutions that maintain biological integrity in native-like protein states, Cube Biotech enables groundbreaking research in challenging drug targets, including membrane receptors, protein co-expressions, and even larger complexes.

The company’s expertise in assay development, biophysical characterization, and structural resolution supports efficient drug discovery workflows across the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries. Additionally, an extensive purification resin and magnetic bead portfolio for affinity chromatography and efficient protein purification is manufactured in-house at high quality. For more information, visit www.cube-biotech.com.

Media Contact:
Eleonora Echegaray
P: 35 823189279
E: 388591@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Iktos

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Rule 10b-5 Private Securities-Fraud Litigation Peaked in 4Q’24

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BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SAR, a data analytics company specialized in the securities litigation risk of U.S. public companies, today published the Securities Class Action Rule 10b-5 Exposure Report for 4Q 2024. According to the report, securities litigation exposure of public company defendants that trade in the NYSE and NASDAQ peaked during the fourth quarter of 2024, when records were set across the buoyant U.S. equity markets. During the bullish market conditions of 2024, shareholders claimed approx. $665.2 billion in market capitalization losses due to alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 – the most in the last five years.

Rule 10b-5 settlements increased over 20% in 2024 relative to the last 6 years.

According to the report, global quarterly Rule 10b-5 securities litigation exposure in 2024 was 17% greater than the average of 2023. Actual monetary settlements with investor plaintiffs last year were, on average, 23% greater than during the last six years.

SAR data and analysis indicate that the litigation exposure of U.S. public company defendants amounts to approximately $380.3 billion in 2H 2024. Shareholders claimed approximately $4.0 billion in market capitalization losses per securities class action filing, and approximately $2.0 billion per allegedly fraud-related stock drop in 2H 2024. The former metric increased by 32.1%, and the latter by 15.4% during the second half of 2024.

“Our data and analyses indicate that securities litigation exposure against U.S. public companies peaked in the fourth quarter of last year. This peak may be short-lived with an expected increase in volatility and new headwinds for U.S. equities given greater shareholder scrutiny of corporate disclosures. With average Rule 10b-5 settlements over 20% greater in 2024 than during the last six years, litigation activity is expected to increase in 2025,” said Anthony Kabanek, EVP of SAR.

According to the report, in 2023 and 2024 investor plaintiffs claimed $13.6 billion and $20.5 billion, respectively, in private Rule 10b-5 securities-fraud class actions that relied on short-seller research.

Key takeaways:

86 U.S. issuers were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 during 2H 2024. Based on allegations presented in the first-filed class action complaint against each defendant issuer, U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $259.4 billion. U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure decreased -5.4% relative to 1H 2024.

U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure peaked in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, followed by a decline to trend in the 4th quarter of 2024.

9 Non-U.S. issuers were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 during 2H 2024. Based on allegations presented in the first-filed class action complaint against each defendant issuer, ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $120.9 billion. ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure increased by 11.3x relative to 1H 2024.

An anomalously high 4th quarter exposure among Non-U.S. issuers contributed to a remarkably volatile year for ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure.

Rule 10b-5 private securities-fraud filing frequency and potential loss severity need not move in tandem. Global exposure increased by approximately 34% in the 2H 2024 relative to 1H 2024, while filing frequency remained relatively stable.

38 U.S. Large Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 in 2H 2024, the same observed frequency as 1H 2024. The U.S. Large Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $233.7 billion, a decrease of 10.1% relative to 1H 2024.

22 U.S. Mid Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 In 2H 2024. The U.S. Mid Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $19.8 billion, more than 3 times the amount in 1H 2024.

26 U.S. Small Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5. The U.S. Small Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $5.9 billion, a decrease of 33% relative to 1H 2024.

9 Non-U.S. issuers that trade via ADRs in the U.S. public markets were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5. The ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure increased by over 11.3x to ~$121 billion, relative to 1H 2024.

Media contact: info@sarlit.com

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SOURCE SAR

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