However, Jiang also pointed out significant uncertainties that could affect iQIYI’s performance in the fiscal year 2025. These include the company’s ability to consistently produce high-quality competitive content and the effectiveness of its investment in mini/short dramas as a strategy to compete in the market.While the consensus among other analysts suggests that a more decisive turnaround for iQIYI may occur in the upcoming quarters, Jiang believes that it is difficult to predict whether iQIYI will be able to execute its strategies without further negative adjustments. The stock has declined over 34% in the past six months, though InvestingPro analysis suggests it’s currently undervalued. For deeper insights into iQIYI’s valuation and growth prospects, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report, available exclusively to InvestingPro subscribers.
According to Jiang, user engagement and subscription numbers for iQIYI have stabilized since December. The company’s content pipeline appears strong for the first quarter, especially with the anticipation of holiday releases. While the company maintains a strong free cash flow yield of 14%, Jiang expressed cautious optimism about a potential turning point in iQIYI’s content offerings.
However, Jiang also pointed out significant uncertainties that could affect iQIYI’s performance in the fiscal year 2025. These include the company’s ability to consistently produce high-quality competitive content and the effectiveness of its investment in mini/short dramas as a strategy to compete in the market.
While the consensus among other analysts suggests that a more decisive turnaround for iQIYI may occur in the upcoming quarters, Jiang believes that it is difficult to predict whether iQIYI will be able to execute its strategies without further negative adjustments. Consequently, Benchmark has chosen to maintain a neutral stance on the stock at this time.
In other recent news, iQIYI, a Chinese online entertainment service, is undergoing significant financial adjustments as several analyst firms have revised their stock price targets. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reduced its price target from $2.40 to $2.20, citing a projected revenue decline and challenges in subscription growth. The firm anticipates a 14% year-over-year decline in total revenue and a 9% quarter-over-quarter decrease. US Tiger Securities also revised iQIYI’s stock price target to $2.50 while maintaining a Hold rating. The firm recalibrated its projections for iQIYI’s fourth-quarter earnings, downgrading its forecast for membership revenue but increasing the estimate for advertising revenue.
Citi analysts revised the price target for iQIYI shares to $2.80, maintaining a Buy rating. They noted the company’s strong performance in the fourth quarter of 2024 and maintained their revenue estimate while slightly increasing the adjusted operating profit. BofA Securities reduced the price target to $3.60 from a previous $4.30, yet reaffirmed a Buy rating for the stock. CFRA lowered its price target on shares of iQIYI to $2.30, projecting slower growth and reduced margins.
These recent developments come as iQIYI reported a 10% year-over-year decline in total revenue in the third quarter of 2024, with membership services revenue decreasing by 13% and advertising revenue falling by 20%. Despite these challenges, iQIYI is initiating strategic shifts in its content strategy, focusing on mini and short dramas, and has seen membership revenue growth exceeding 40% in overseas markets such as Hong Kong, the UK, Brazil, and Australia.
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