Get the latest news on Yidu Tech stock with updates on market trends, financials, and analysis from Benzinga. Stay informed on YIDUF performance

Latest Yidu Tech Stock News | OTC:YIDUF | Benzinga

Yidu Tech offers healthcare Big Data. It is an AI cloud-based firm providing solutions and tools to aid in more informed decisions to drive better efficiency in clients' strategies. Its clients are hospitals, pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device firms, research institutions, insurance companies, patients, and regulators. It three business segments are: Big Data platform and solutions, which partners with hospitals and policymakers to drive better efficiency; life sciences solutions, which enables better probability of clinical trial success with less drug development time and cost; and health management solutions, which helps with patient management. The Big Data platform accounted for 40% of its revenue in 2024 and it is its core business.

Asia

Markets

General

YIDUF

Key Takeaways:


	Yidu Tech’s shares rose 13.6% on the day it disclosed that two key algorithms behind its medical big data services were approved by the Cyberspace Administration of China
	Like many of its money-losing peers, the company has recently sacrificed growth at any cost to focus on operating profitably




Yidu Finds Good Medicine In Regulatory Nod For Its AI

Yidu Tech Inc

Coupang's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPNG#NYSE">CPNG</a>) short percent of float has fallen 12.84% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 13.19 million shares sold short, which is 1.29% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.31 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Coupang Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668432_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Coupang has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Coupang's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Coupang's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 10.66%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Trading Ideas

CPNG

Peering Into Coupang's Recent Short Interest

Marriott International's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAR#NYSE">MAR</a>) short percent of float has fallen 3.98% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 4.10 million shares sold short, which is 1.93% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.24 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Marriott International Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668426_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Marriott International has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Marriott International's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Marriott International's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 6.84%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Peering Into Marriott International's Recent Short Interest

Macro Economic Events

News

Econ #s

Economics

USA Pending Home Sales Index For January 70.6 Vs 74.0 Prior

In the ever-evolving and intensely competitive business landscape, conducting a thorough company analysis is of utmost importance for investors and industry followers. In this article, we will carry out an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) alongside its primary competitors in the Software industry. By meticulously examining key financial metrics, market positioning, and growth prospects, we aim to offer valuable insights to investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>Microsoft Background</h3>
Microsoft develops and licenses consumer and enterprise software. It is known for its Windows operating systems and Office productivity suite. The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office, cloud-based Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, LinkedIn, Dynamics), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, Windows Server OS, SQL Server), and more personal computing (Windows Client, Xbox, Bing search, display advertising, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Microsoft Corp</td>
<td>32.21</td>
<td>9.82</td>
<td>11.41</td>
<td>8.17%</td>
<td>$36.79</td>
<td>$47.83</td>
<td>12.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oracle Corp</td>
<td>42.17</td>
<td>35.09</td>
<td>8.93</td>
<td>25.66%</td>
<td>$5.75</td>
<td>$9.97</td>
<td>8.64%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ServiceNow Inc</td>
<td>137.71</td>
<td>20.24</td>
<td>17.87</td>
<td>4.06%</td>
<td>$0.62</td>
<td>$2.33</td>
<td>21.34%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Palo Alto Networks Inc</td>
<td>107.09</td>
<td>19.69</td>
<td>15.68</td>
<td>4.35%</td>
<td>$0.41</td>
<td>$1.66</td>
<td>14.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CrowdStrike Holdings Inc</td>
<td>773.65</td>
<td>31.78</td>
<td>26.38</td>
<td>-0.57%</td>
<td>$0.05</td>
<td>$0.76</td>
<td>28.52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fortinet Inc</td>
<td>48.24</td>
<td>56.12</td>
<td>14.13</td>
<td>43.82%</td>
<td>$0.66</td>
<td>$1.35</td>
<td>17.31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gen Digital Inc</td>
<td>26.95</td>
<td>7.88</td>
<td>4.42</td>
<td>7.48%</td>
<td>$0.45</td>
<td>$0.79</td>
<td>4.01%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday.Com Ltd</td>
<td>493.61</td>
<td>14.81</td>
<td>16.51</td>
<td>2.3%</td>
<td>$-0.02</td>
<td>$0.23</td>
<td>6.76%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dolby Laboratories Inc</td>
<td>30.22</td>
<td>3.14</td>
<td>6.03</td>
<td>2.72%</td>
<td>$0.11</td>
<td>$0.32</td>
<td>13.13%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CommVault Systems Inc</td>
<td>45.22</td>
<td>26.27</td>
<td>8.23</td>
<td>3.9%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.21</td>
<td>21.13%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QXO Inc</td>
<td>21.44</td>
<td>1.10</td>
<td>19.53</td>
<td>-0.21%</td>
<td>$-0.03</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>-2.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Qualys Inc</td>
<td>28.66</td>
<td>10.19</td>
<td>8.19</td>
<td>9.49%</td>
<td>$0.05</td>
<td>$0.13</td>
<td>10.11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SolarWinds Corp</td>
<td>28.62</td>
<td>2.24</td>
<td>4.01</td>
<td>5.26%</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>$0.19</td>
<td>6.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Progress Software Corp</td>
<td>36.06</td>
<td>5.49</td>
<td>3.27</td>
<td>0.27%</td>
<td>$0.05</td>
<td>$0.18</td>
<td>21.47%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Teradata Corp</td>
<td>20.67</td>
<td>17.06</td>
<td>1.35</td>
<td>19.38%</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>$0.24</td>
<td>-10.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>N-able Inc</td>
<td>51.20</td>
<td>2.51</td>
<td>4.20</td>
<td>1.44%</td>
<td>$0.03</td>
<td>$0.1</td>
<td>8.25%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>126.1</td>
<td>16.91</td>
<td>10.58</td>
<td>8.62%</td>
<td>$0.55</td>
<td>$1.23</td>
<td>11.24%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<style>
 table {
 width: 100%;
 border-collapse: collapse;
 font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
 font-size: 14px;
 }

 th, td {
 padding: 8px;
 text-align: left;
 }

 th {
 background-color: #293a5a;
 color: #fff;
 text-align: left;
 }

 tr:nth-child(even) {
 background-color: #f2f4f8;
 }

 tr:hover {
 background-color: #e1e4ea;
 }

 td:nth-child(3), td:nth-child(5) {
 text-align: left;
 }

 .dividend-amount {
 font-weight: bold;
 color: #0d6efd;
 }

 .dividend-frequency {
 font-size: 12px;
 color: #6c757d;
 }
 </style>Through a thorough examination of Microsoft, we can discern the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
The stock's Price to Earnings ratio of 32.21 is lower than the industry average by 0.26x, suggesting potential value in the eyes of market participants.
</li>
<li>
Considering a Price to Book ratio of 9.82, which is well below the industry average by 0.58x, the stock may be undervalued based on its book value compared to its peers.
</li>
<li>
With a relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 11.41, which is 1.08x the industry average, the stock might be considered overvalued based on sales performance.
</li>
<li>
The Return on Equity (ROE) of 8.17% is 0.45% below the industry average, suggesting potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits.
</li>
<li>
Compared to its industry, the company has higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $36.79 Billion, which is 66.89x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
Compared to its industry, the company has higher gross profit of $47.83 Billion, which indicates 38.89x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
With a revenue growth of 12.27%, which surpasses the industry average of 11.24%, the company is demonstrating robust sales expansion and gaining market share.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668425_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio helps evaluate the capital structure and financial leverage of a company.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
In terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, Microsoft can be assessed by comparing it to its top 4 peers, resulting in the following observations:
<ul>
<li>
Microsoft has a stronger financial position compared to its top 4 peers, as evidenced by its lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.
</li>
<li>
This suggests that the company has a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be perceived as a positive indicator by investors.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Microsoft in the Software industry, the PE and PB ratios suggest that the stock is undervalued compared to its peers. However, the high PS ratio indicates that the market values its sales more highly. In terms of ROE, Microsoft's performance is weaker than its peers, while its high EBITDA and gross profit margins indicate strong operational efficiency. Additionally, the high revenue growth suggests potential for future expansion and market dominance.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

MSFT

Performance Comparison: Microsoft And Competitors In Software Industry

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HLI#NYSE">HLI</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 12.12% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 26.81%. Currently, Houlihan Lokey has a market capitalization of $11.98 billion. 
Buying $100 In HLI: If an investor had bought $100 of HLI stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $319.91 today based on a price of $170.74 for HLI at the time of writing.
<h3>Houlihan Lokey's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668422_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

$100 Invested In This Stock 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

In today's fast-paced and competitive business landscape, it is essential for investors and industry enthusiasts to thoroughly analyze companies before making investment decisions. In this article, we will conduct a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating NVIDIA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) against its key competitors in the Semiconductors &amp; Semiconductor Equipment industry. By examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, we aim to provide valuable insights for investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>NVIDIA Background</h3>
Nvidia is a leading developer of graphics processing units. Traditionally, GPUs were used to enhance the experience on computing platforms, most notably in gaming applications on PCs. GPU use cases have since emerged as important semiconductors used in artificial intelligence. Nvidia not only offers AI GPUs, but also a software platform, Cuda, used for AI model development and training. Nvidia is also expanding its data center networking solutions, helping to tie GPUs together to handle complex workloads.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVIDIA Corp</td>
<td>44.65</td>
<td>40.53</td>
<td>24.95</td>
<td>31.13%</td>
<td>$22.86</td>
<td>$26.16</td>
<td>93.61%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd</td>
<td>28.16</td>
<td>7.70</td>
<td>11.41</td>
<td>9.05%</td>
<td>$596.09</td>
<td>$512.38</td>
<td>38.84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Broadcom Inc</td>
<td>165.07</td>
<td>14.75</td>
<td>19.73</td>
<td>6.49%</td>
<td>$7.29</td>
<td>$9.0</td>
<td>51.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Instruments Inc</td>
<td>38.12</td>
<td>10.68</td>
<td>11.65</td>
<td>7.02%</td>
<td>$1.92</td>
<td>$2.31</td>
<td>-1.72%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Qualcomm Inc</td>
<td>17.49</td>
<td>6.67</td>
<td>4.50</td>
<td>11.97%</td>
<td>$4.23</td>
<td>$6.51</td>
<td>17.45%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Advanced Micro Devices Inc</td>
<td>104.74</td>
<td>2.95</td>
<td>6.65</td>
<td>0.84%</td>
<td>$1.69</td>
<td>$3.88</td>
<td>24.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ARM Holdings PLC</td>
<td>182.86</td>
<td>22.82</td>
<td>39.92</td>
<td>4.05%</td>
<td>$0.22</td>
<td>$0.95</td>
<td>19.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Analog Devices Inc</td>
<td>74.67</td>
<td>3.31</td>
<td>12.48</td>
<td>1.11%</td>
<td>$1.03</td>
<td>$1.43</td>
<td>-3.56%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Micron Technology Inc</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>2.33</td>
<td>3.77</td>
<td>4.07%</td>
<td>$4.3</td>
<td>$3.35</td>
<td>84.28%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Microchip Technology Inc</td>
<td>104.86</td>
<td>5.33</td>
<td>6.82</td>
<td>-0.87%</td>
<td>$0.21</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>-41.89%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ASE Technology Holding Co Ltd</td>
<td>24.54</td>
<td>2.38</td>
<td>1.31</td>
<td>2.94%</td>
<td>$28.59</td>
<td>$26.43</td>
<td>1.35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>STMicroelectronics NV</td>
<td>15.76</td>
<td>1.34</td>
<td>1.85</td>
<td>1.95%</td>
<td>$0.74</td>
<td>$1.23</td>
<td>2.15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ON Semiconductor Corp</td>
<td>13.93</td>
<td>2.42</td>
<td>3.09</td>
<td>4.37%</td>
<td>$0.62</td>
<td>$0.78</td>
<td>-14.65%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Solar Inc</td>
<td>13.05</td>
<td>2.10</td>
<td>4.01</td>
<td>5.05%</td>
<td>$0.58</td>
<td>$0.57</td>
<td>30.68%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>United Microelectronics Corp</td>
<td>10.51</td>
<td>1.47</td>
<td>2.35</td>
<td>4.0%</td>
<td>$29.73</td>
<td>$20.43</td>
<td>5.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Skyworks Solutions Inc</td>
<td>20.55</td>
<td>1.68</td>
<td>2.67</td>
<td>2.54%</td>
<td>$0.31</td>
<td>$0.44</td>
<td>-11.07%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lattice Semiconductor Corp</td>
<td>146.32</td>
<td>12.48</td>
<td>17.48</td>
<td>2.33%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>-31.17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Universal Display Corp</td>
<td>34.75</td>
<td>4.75</td>
<td>11.89</td>
<td>2.87%</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>$0.12</td>
<td>2.51%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Qorvo Inc</td>
<td>266.21</td>
<td>2.06</td>
<td>1.89</td>
<td>1.22%</td>
<td>$0.14</td>
<td>$0.39</td>
<td>-14.67%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>71.64</td>
<td>5.96</td>
<td>9.08</td>
<td>3.94%</td>
<td>$37.65</td>
<td>$32.82</td>
<td>8.84%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<style>
 table {
 width: 100%;
 border-collapse: collapse;
 font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
 font-size: 14px;
 }

 th, td {
 padding: 8px;
 text-align: left;
 }

 th {
 background-color: #293a5a;
 color: #fff;
 text-align: left;
 }

 tr:nth-child(even) {
 background-color: #f2f4f8;
 }

 tr:hover {
 background-color: #e1e4ea;
 }

 td:nth-child(3), td:nth-child(5) {
 text-align: left;
 }

 .dividend-amount {
 font-weight: bold;
 color: #0d6efd;
 }

 .dividend-frequency {
 font-size: 12px;
 color: #6c757d;
 }
 </style>Through a meticulous analysis of NVIDIA, we can observe the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
A Price to Earnings ratio of 44.65 significantly below the industry average by 0.62x suggests undervaluation. This can make the stock appealing for those seeking growth.
</li>
<li>
It could be trading at a premium in relation to its book value, as indicated by its Price to Book ratio of 40.53 which exceeds the industry average by 6.8x.
</li>
<li>
With a relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 24.95, which is 2.75x the industry average, the stock might be considered overvalued based on sales performance.
</li>
<li>
With a Return on Equity (ROE) of 31.13% that is 27.19% above the industry average, it appears that the company exhibits efficient use of equity to generate profits.
</li>
<li>
The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $22.86 Billion is 0.61x below the industry average, suggesting potential lower profitability or financial challenges.
</li>
<li>
The gross profit of $26.16 Billion is 0.8x below that of its industry, suggesting potential lower revenue after accounting for production costs.
</li>
<li>
The company's revenue growth of 93.61% exceeds the industry average of 8.84%, indicating strong sales performance and market outperformance.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668414_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a measure that indicates the level of debt a company has taken on relative to the value of its assets net of liabilities.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
In terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, NVIDIA can be assessed by comparing it to its top 4 peers, resulting in the following observations:
<ul>
<li>
NVIDIA has a stronger financial position compared to its top 4 peers, as evidenced by its lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.
</li>
<li>
This suggests that the company has a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be perceived as a positive indicator by investors.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
The low P/E ratio suggests that NVIDIA may be undervalued compared to its peers in the Semiconductors &amp; Semiconductor Equipment industry. However, the high P/B and P/S ratios indicate that the market values the company's assets and sales more highly. On the other hand, the high ROE, revenue growth, and low EBITDA and gross profit ratios suggest that NVIDIA is generating strong returns on equity and experiencing significant revenue growth, despite lower profitability margins.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

NVDA

Comparing NVIDIA With Industry Competitors In Semiconductors &amp; Semiconductor Equipment Industry

Over the past 24 hours, XRP's (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) price has fallen 3.4% to $2.18. This continues its negative trend over the past week where it has experienced a 18.0% loss, moving from $2.69 to its current price. 
The chart below compares the price movement and volatility for XRP over the past 24 hours (left) to its price movement over the past week (right). The gray bands are Bollinger Bands, measuring the volatility for both the daily and weekly price movements. The wider the bands are, or the larger the gray area is at any given moment, the larger the volatility.
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668411_0.png" alt="price_chart" />
The trading volume for the coin has increased 35.0% over the past week while the overall circulating supply of the coin has increased 0.13% to over 57.89 billion which makes up an estimated 57.89% of its max supply, which is 100.00 billion. The current market cap ranking for XRP is #4 at $126.48 billion.
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740668411_1.png" alt="supply_and_vol" />
<a href="https://www.coingecko.com/en/api">Powered by CoinGecko API</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Movers

$XRP

XRP Down More Than 3% Within 24 hours

USA Pending Home Sales (MoM) For January -4.6% vs -0.9% Est.; -4.1% Prior

Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Mike Scialla reiterates Sitio Royalties (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STR#NYSE">STR</a>) with a Overweight and maintains $28 price target.

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

Stephens & Co. Reiterates Overweight on Sitio Royalties, Maintains $28 Price Target

Betterment, the largest <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/betterment-review">independent digital investment advisor </a>in the U.S., has acquired the automated investing business of Ellevest, a wealth management company focused on serving women.
What To Know: Betterment, known for its user-friendly platform, offers <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/betterment-review">automated investment services</a>, diversified portfolios, tax-smart tools and financial planning resources. It currently manages over $55 billion in assets for more than 900,000 customers.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/44001229/us-stocks-likely-to-open-higher-after-nvidias-blowout-earnings-this-is-still-a-bull-market-says-expert">US Stocks Likely To Open Higher After Nvidia&#8217;s Blowout Earnings: &#8216;This Is Still A Bull Market,&#8217; Says Expert</a>
Ellevest provides wealth management and financial planning services, with a mission to help women build wealth. While it is transferring its automated investing accounts to Betterment, Ellevest will continue to serve high-net-worth clients who invest $500,000 or more.
What Else: Ellevest's automated investing clients will <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/betterment-acquires-ellevests-automated-investing-business-302386022.html">transition </a>to Betterment around April 17, 2025, unless they opt out. They will gain access to Betterment's broader range of financial tools, including joint accounts and additional cash management options. However, Betterment is only acquiring Ellevest's automated accounts, not its technology, employees or operations.
Betterment says this acquisition strengthens the company&#8217;s leadership in digital investing while allowing Ellevest to focus on personalized financial planning for high-net-worth individuals.
Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43903335/financial-crime-weekly-1-4-billion-ethereum-stolen-in-largest-crypto-hack-ever-sec-creates-cyber-and-emerging-technologies-unit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43949800/tesla-competes-against-chinese-rivals-with-one-hand-tied-behind-its-back-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Tesla Competes Against Chinese Rivals ‘With One Hand Tied Behind Its Back': Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Personal Finance

Betterment Strengthens Leadership In Digital Investing With Ellevest Acquisition

Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Tommy Moll reiterates ESCO Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ESE#NYSE">ESE</a>) with a Overweight and maintains $175 price target.

Stephens & Co. Reiterates Overweight on ESCO Technologies, Maintains $175 Price Target

Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Raj Kumar reiterates Universal Health Servs (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UHS#NYSE">UHS</a>) with a Equal-Weight and maintains $210 price target.

Stephens & Co. Reiterates Equal-Weight on Universal Health Servs, Maintains $210 Price Target

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DCI#NYSE">DCI</a>) shares are trading higher after the company&nbsp;reported&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b44000829/donaldson-reports-second-quarter-fiscal-year-2025-sales-and-earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">second-quarter results</a>.
Sales fell 0.8% year over year to&nbsp;$870.0 million,&nbsp;missing the consensus of&nbsp;$908.33 million, due to a 170 basis point negative impact from currency translation.
By Segment, Mobile Solutions sales declined 0.5% Y/Y, with Aftermarket sales climbing&nbsp;4.0% Y/Y, aided by strong demand in the OEM channel.
Industrial Filtration Solutions sales fell by 7.5% due to slower capital expenditure investments and the timing of Power Generation projects, while Aerospace and Defense sales rose 18.7% Y/Y, led by strong demand in the Defense sector.
Life Sciences segment sales increased&nbsp;9.2%, led by higher volume growth in Disk Drive.
Gross margin remained flat Y/Y at&nbsp;35.2% in the quarter. Adjusted EPS of&nbsp;83 cents <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">missed the consensus of&nbsp;85 cents</a>.
Year-to-date, Donaldson paid&nbsp;$64.6 million in dividends and repurchased shares worth&nbsp;$81.4 million.
Last month, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend per share of 27.0 cents, payable on February 28, to&nbsp;shareholders&nbsp;of record as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/b43321809/donaldson-company-declares-quarterly-cash-dividend" rel="noreferrer noopener">on February 13, 2025</a>.
Tod Carpenter, chairman, president, and chief executive officer, said, &#8220;We generated sales growth in Aftermarket, Aerospace and Defense, and Life Sciences, while also diligently managing costs and further optimizing operating expenses.&#8221;
&#8221;Our diversified portfolio of businesses, once again, provides balance in an uncertain environment, giving us confidence in our ability to drive record earnings in fiscal 2025.&#8221;
FY25&nbsp;Outlook: Donaldson revised its guidance for adjusted EPS to $3.60 &#8211; $3.68 (vs. consensus of $3.63) from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous range of $3.56 &#8211; $3.72</a>.
The company now sees sales growth of flat to up 4%, compared to the earlier expectation of a 2% to 6% increase year-over-year.
Donaldson projects mobile sales growth to be&nbsp;down 1% to up 3%, Industrial sales growth of 1% to 5%, and Life Sciences sales to increase in the high single digits.
For the full year, Donaldson anticipates repurchasing approximately&nbsp;2%&nbsp;to&nbsp;3%&nbsp;of its shares outstanding.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;VanEck Green Infrastructure ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RNEW#NASDAQ">RNEW</a>) and VanEck Environmental Services ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EVX#NYSE">EVX</a>).
Price Action: DCI shares are down 1.91% at $67.93 at the last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/44003404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Airbnb Is Nearly 40% More Expensive Than Its Rivals: Here&#8217;s What Key Indicators For ABNB Stock Reveal</a></li>
</ul>

Earnings

Equities

Large Cap

Guidance

Dividends

Market Vectors Environmental Services Index Fund

RNEW

Donaldson Q2 Earnings Miss: Aftermarket And Life Sciences Segments Shine Amid Revenue Dip

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HGV#NYSE">HGV</a>) shares are<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket" rel="noreferrer noopener"> trading higher on Thursday in the premarket session.</a>
The company reported <a target="_blank" href="https://s201.q4cdn.com/229588028/files/doc_financials/2024/q4/HGV-Q4-2024-Earnings-Release-2-26_FINAL.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener">fourth-quarter</a> adjusted earnings per share of 49 cents, missing the street view of 76 cents. Quarterly sales of $1.28 billion were in line with the street view, higher than $1.019 billion in the year-ago period.
Total revenues were affected by a net deferral of $90 million in the current period compared to a net deferral of $21 million in the same period in 2023.
Adjusted EBITDA attributable to stockholders for the fourth quarter was $240 million compared to $270 million for the same period in 2023.
Adjusted EBITDA attributable to stockholders was affected by a net deferral of $49 million in the current period.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44003404/airbnb-costs-40-more-than-its-rivals-here-what-a-technical-deep-dive-shows" rel="noreferrer noopener">Airbnb Is Nearly 40% More Expensive Than Its Rivals: Here&#8217;s What Key Indicators For ABNB Stock Reveal</a>
Total cash and equivalents were $328 million and total restricted cash was $438 million as of Dec. 31.
Debt (net) expanded to $4.601 billion from $3.049 billion in the year-ago period.
The estimated value of the company&#8217;s total contract sales pipeline is $12.7 billion at current pricing.
&#8220;Over the past year, we made meaningful improvements to our cost base and organizational structure, introduced HGV Max to Bluegreen members, and produced record free cash flow while returning over $430 million to shareholders,&#8221; said Mark Wang, CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations.
Outlook: The company expects full-year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA attributable to stockholders, excluding deferrals and recognitions to be in a range of $1.125 billion to $1.165 billion.
Hilton Grand intends to increase its average quarterly share repurchase goal to $150 million per quarter, from the current $100 million per quarter, to take advantage of the increased cash generated from its Financing Business Optimization program.
Price Action: HGV shares are trading higher by 2.44% to $41.50 premarket at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43969651/billionaire-ray-dalio-says-ai-risks-totalitarian-control-or-anarchy-as-it-could-reshape-world-in-next-5-years-here-is-a-list-of-ai-linked-etfs-for-investors-to-consider" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Billionaire Ray Dalio Says AI Risks ‘Totalitarian Control Or Anarchy' As It Could Reshape World In Next 5 Years: Here Are AI-Linked ETFs For Investors To Consider</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Hilton Grand Vacations Q4 Misses EPS Estimates, Boosts Share Repurchase

Papa John&#8217;s International Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PZZA#NASDAQ">PZZA</a>) shares are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket">trading higher in premarket</a> on Thursday after the fourth-quarter FY24 earnings.
The company reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b44002337/papa-johns-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-financial-results">fourth-quarter FY24 sales growth of 7%</a> year-on-year to $530.77 million, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $515.994 million.
The lower revenues were largely attributable to approximately $41 million in 2023 from the additional week of operations and a $17.8 million decrease in company-owned restaurant revenues.
Adjusted EPS of $0.63 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">topped the Street view </a>of $0.50.
Total comparable sales dropped 2.8% versus a growth of 0.1% last year. Comparable sales declined 4% in North America and improved 2% Internationally.
Total global system-wide restaurant sales decreased 7.9%.
The operating margin was 5.6%, and operating income for the quarter plunged 30.6% to $29.5 million.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43980853/why-is-mullen-automotive-stock-skyrocketing-today">Mullen EVs Receives Approval For Government And Educational Purchases</a>
The company held $37.9 million in cash and equivalents as of December 29, 2024. It generated an operating cash flow of $106.6 million for the twelve months with a free cash flow of $34.1 million.
Papa John&#8217;s recorded 122 net unit growth in the quarter. As of December 29, 2024, there were 6,030 Papa Johns restaurants operating in 51 countries and territories.
The company has $369.1 million remaining available under its share repurchase program as of April 29, 2022.
The company&#8217;s first quarter dividend of $0.46 per common share will be paid on February 21, to stockholders of record on February 10.
&#8220;I am pleased with the early progress we are seeing in our transformation as we work to improve our value perception, simplify our operations, and enhance our digital and loyalty experiences. These efforts helped to deliver results consistent with our fourth quarter expectations,&#8221; said President and CEO Todd Penegor.
Outlook 2025:&nbsp;Papa John&#8217;s sees system-wide sales growth of 2% &#8211; 5%. The company expects adjusted EBITDA of $200 million &#8211; $220 million.
Papa John&#8217;s expects North America gross restaurant openings of 85 &#8211; 115 and International 180 &#8211; 200.
Price Action:&nbsp;PZZA shares are trading higher by 5.97% at $49.00 in premarket on Thursday.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43973849/budweiser-parent-anheuser-busch-says-beer-is-a-passion-point-for-consumers-on-strong-q4-performance">Budweiser Parent Anheuser-Busch Says &#8216;Beer Is A Passion Point For Consumers&#8217; On Strong Q4 Performance</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

PZZA

Papa John's Posts Q4 Earnings Above Street View; Stock Rises

Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Jeff Garro reiterates Health Catalyst (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCAT#NASDAQ">HCAT</a>) with a Equal-Weight and maintains $7 price target.

HCAT

Stephens & Co. Reiterates Equal-Weight on Health Catalyst, Maintains $7 Price Target

Wells Fargo analyst Michael Brown downgrades Bridge Investment Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRDG#NYSE">BRDG</a>) from Overweight to Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $10 to $11.5.

Downgrades

BRDG

Wells Fargo Downgrades Bridge Investment Group to Equal-Weight, Raises Price Target to $11.5

TOMI Environmental Solutions, Inc.&#xAE; ("TOMI") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TOMZ#NASDAQ">TOMZ</a>), a global company specializing in disinfection and decontamination solutions, announced today it has achieved compliance, recognition and validation by a third vendor management and compliance management platform, Avetta, reflecting the Company's commitment to health, safety, and environmental (HSE) excellence for its customers.
The addition of the Avetta compliance platform complements TOMI's existing memberships with Highwire, and ISNetworld. These affiliations underscore TOMI's dedication to maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance within the health and environmental sectors. By meeting the rigorous criteria set forth by these industry-leading platforms, TOMI ensures that its customers can trust in its unwavering commitment to quality and safety.

TOMZ

TOMI Environmental Solutions Has Achieved Compliance, Recognition And Validation By A Third Vendor Management And Compliance Management Platform, Avetta

Nexstar Media Group Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NXST#NASDAQ">NXST</a>) shares are trading higher premarket on Thursday after the company reported a&nbsp;fourth-quarter&nbsp;FY24 net revenue increase of&nbsp;14.1%&nbsp;year over year (Y/Y) to&nbsp;$1.488 billion<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b44002375/nexstar-media-group-reports-record-fourth-quarter-net-revenue-of-1-49-billion" rel="noreferrer noopener">, in line with the consensus</a>.
<ul>
<li>Revenues from Advertising rose&nbsp;29.6% Y/Y&nbsp;to&nbsp;$758 million, led by a&nbsp;$223&nbsp;million&nbsp;Y/Y rise in election-year political advertising to $254 million.</li>
<li>Distribution revenue gained&nbsp;1.4%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;$714&nbsp;million, driven by favorable distribution contract renewals in 2023, annual rate escalators, an increase in vMVPD subscribers, new CW affiliations on certain stations, and the return of partner stations on one MVPD in January.</li>
<li>Adjusted EBITDA jumped&nbsp;39.9%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;$628&nbsp;million, and the margin expanded to&nbsp;42.2%&nbsp;from&nbsp;34.4%&nbsp;a year ago.</li>
<li>EPS was&nbsp;$7.56, up from&nbsp;$3.32 in the prior year quarter but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">below the consensus of&nbsp;$8.04.</a></li>
<li>Adjusted free cash flow totaled&nbsp;$411 million, up from&nbsp;$245 million in the prior year quarter. As of September 30, 2024, unrestricted cash stood at&nbsp;$144 million.</li>
</ul>
Buyback: The company repurchased shares worth&nbsp;$178&nbsp;million&nbsp;in the quarter.
Nexstar CEO Perry A. Sook credited the record net revenue to increased election year political advertising.
Nexstar has a presence in &#8220;nearly 85% of contested election markets across the country,&#8221; he said.
The company continued to grow distribution revenue, Sook added. 
In 2025, key company initiatives include renewing distribution contracts representing approximately 60% of Nexstar&#8217;s subscriber base.
Outlook: Nextar Media sees FY25 adjusted EBITDA<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;of $1.5 billion to $1.595 billion</a>.
Price Action: Nexstar shares are up 5.92% at $155.00 premarket at the last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42971698/wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts-spotlight-on-3-tech-and-telecom-stocks-delivering-high-dividend-yields-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wall Street&#8217;s Most Accurate Analysts Spotlight On 3 Tech And Telecom Stocks Delivering High-Dividend Yields</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

NXST

Nexstar Media's Q4 Revenue And EBITDA Surge, Misses EPS Consensus Amid Political Ad Spending

EchoStar Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SATS#NASDAQ">SATS</a>)&nbsp;stock is&nbsp;trading up on Thursday after fourth-quarter report.
Quarterly sales of $3.97 billion (down 4.7% year over year), topping the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">street view of $3.93 billion</a>.
Net Pay-TV subscribers dropped by about 253,000 versus a loss of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/n44001656/echostar-announces-financial-results-for-the-three-and-twelve-months-ended-december-31-2024" rel="noreferrer noopener">314,000 a year ago</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43982868/warner-bros-faces-gaming-woes-as-wonder-woman-title-halted-franchise-strategy-reworked" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warner Bros. Shuts Down Game Studios, Struggles To Revive DC and Harry Potter Franchise Success</a>
The company ended the quarter with 7.78 million total Pay-TV subscribers, including 5.69 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.09 million Sling TV subscribers, due to&nbsp;the decrease in net DISH TV and net Sling TV subscriber losses due to lower subscriber disconnects in 2024, which resulted from the company&#8217;s emphasis on acquiring higher-quality subscribers.
The company ended the third quarter with 883,000 Broadband Satellite subscribers, a loss of about 29,000 compared to 59,000 in the same period last year. This decrease in net Broadband Satellite subscriber losses was primarily due to lower subscriber disconnects from the new EchoStar XXIV (Jupiter 3) satellite service launch.
The company held cash and equivalents worth $5.7 billion and inventory worth $455.2 million as of December 31.
The company&#8217;s long-term debt, finance lease, and other obligations, net of the current portion, totaled $25.66 billion.
CEO Hamid Akhavan acknowledged improvements in all of its lines of business and achieved its plan of ending the year by delivering positive free cash flow. He also acknowledged notable developments in the company&#8217;s wireless business. Excluding the impact of ACP, efforts resulted in consecutive quarter-over-quarter net positive subscriber growth since the first quarter of 2024.
Price Action:&nbsp;SATS shares are trading higher by 1.34% to $29.40 premarket at last check Thursday.
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43983837/spotify-ceo-wants-eu-to-penalize-apple-for-defying-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify CEO Wants EU To Penalize Apple For Defying Regulations</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

SATS

EchoStar Q4: $3.97 Billion Revenue, Narrows Pay-TV Subscriber Losses, Focuses On High-Quality Users, Wireless Growth

Yidu Tech

<h4>Key Takeaways:</h4>

<ul>
	<li>Yidu Tech&rsquo;s shares rose 13.6% on the day it disclosed that two key algorithms behind its medical big data services were approved by the Cyberspace Administration of China</li>
	<li>Like many of its money-losing peers, the company has recently sacrificed growth at any cost to focus on operating profitably</li>
</ul>

By Doug Young

If you&rsquo;re a big data company, how much is a blessing from China&rsquo;s cyber regulator worth for the key large model algorithms that are your main asset? The answer is &ldquo;big,&rdquo; though perhaps not as large as some might have guessed.

For medical big data services provider&nbsp;Yidu Tech Inc.&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/YIDUF#OTC">YIDUF</a>), the official acceptance of two of its main algorithms by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) was worth about HK$500 million ($64 million), which is how much its market value rose after it announced&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2024/0619/2024061900907.pdf">the news</a>&nbsp;last week. More precisely, Yidu&rsquo;s shares shot up 13.6% the day of the announcement on trading volume that was more than four times its usual level.

That brief disclosure said that its Yidu Happy Health Large Model Algorithm and Yidu Happy Health Large Model Service Algorithm both recently &ldquo;passed the deep synthesis service algorithm filing of the Cyberspace Administration of China,&rdquo; according to Yidu, whose software solutions are used by medical institutions like hospitals and insurance companies for functions like assisting in disease diagnosis and management.

Both algorithms use artificial intelligence (AI) whose huge potential has vaulted into global headlines over the last two years with the rise of large language models like ChatGPT. Like ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), the deep synthesis technologies behind Yidu&rsquo;s algorithms are subsets of the broader category of generative AI.

China has been especially proactive about regulating such generative AI, especially LLMs, due to its tight oversight of data and information. But it has also been actively regulating other types of AI like deep synthesis technology in a bid to ensure the technology&rsquo;s orderly development.

The CAC&rsquo;s rule governing its oversight of deep synthesis technology took effect in January last year and applies to any company that uses such technology to provide internet information services in China. Since then, the CAC has announced at least five batches of companies whose deep synthesis algorithms have been approved, including one as recently as April. Yidu&rsquo;s name wasn&rsquo;t on the round of approvals released in April, but it&rsquo;s possible a new round has concluded and the company was informed individually.

We can&rsquo;t really comment on how easy or difficult it is to obtain such approvals, though failure would obviously be disastrous for any company. We should note that China&rsquo;s various regulators have been quite business friendly lately, reversing an earlier trend of regulatory toughness. Many believe the easing could reflect Beijing&rsquo;s broader attempts to prop up the Chinese economy, whose growth has slowed sharply in recent years after three decades of breakneck expansion.

In the context of that business-friendly approach, the approval for Yidu&rsquo;s algorithms probably doesn&rsquo;t come as a huge surprise, which explains the large &ndash; but not huge &ndash; gains for the company&rsquo;s stock after announcement of the news.

The bigger issue for Yidu is profitability, which was a lower priority for the company and many of its peers in earlier times when investors were more interested in growth and building up market share. But sentiment has shifted notably in the last two years, causing Yidu and other perpetual money-losers to slash costs and pare down or jettison lower-margin parts of their businesses to show they can operate sustainably over the longer term.

<h3>Shrinking Revenue</h3>

Yidu&rsquo;s shift was front-and-center in its latest financial results, led by a 25% revenue decline to 357 million yuan ($49 million) for the six months through last September, the first half of its fiscal year. Analysts expect that situation to reverse in the second half of the company&rsquo;s fiscal year, anticipating revenue will rise more than 30% for the period, resulting in roughly flat revenue for its entire fiscal year. The company is due to report its full fiscal year results on Thursday.

Yidu breaks down its business into three main areas: big data platforms and solutions; life sciences solutions; and health management platforms and solutions. Among those, the culprit behind the big revenue decline in the first half of Yidu&rsquo;s fiscal year was health management platforms and solutions, whose revenue plunged 71% year-on-year to 58 million yuan. By comparison, big data platform and life sciences solutions rose 3% and 16%, respectively.

That huge decline dropped health management platforms and solutions from Yidu&rsquo;s top breadwinner in the year-ago period, when it accounted for 43% of the total, to its smallest revenue source, with just 16% in the latest period. Yidu was vague in describing the reasons for the big drop, attributing it to &ldquo;streamlining our business portfolios.&rdquo;

But a closer look at the numbers shows this is one of the company&rsquo;s lower-margin businesses, which provides insurers and government health plan operators data-related services used for things like chronic disease management. As Yidu dropped many of the less-profitable clients for this business, the category&rsquo;s gross margin shot up to 53.2% in the first half of its fiscal year, more than double the 25.1% in the year-ago period.

By comparison, big data platform and solutions posted a gross margin of 45.2% in the latest quarter, while life science solutions stood at 27.8%.

At the same time, Yidu slashed its expenses, including particularly large cuts of more than 40% year-on-year for its R&amp;D and administrative spending in the first half of its latest fiscal year. As a result, the company&rsquo;s overall gross margin improved by 12.1 percentage points to 38.2%, and its net loss narrowed sharply to 80 million yuan from 356 million yuan a year earlier.

The two analysts polled by Yahoo Finance expect the company to continue losing money this year, though they expect the figure to keep narrowing by about half.

Investors seem to like the company&rsquo;s efforts to become profitable, though they aren&rsquo;t ready to reward Yidu with an inflated, AI-caliber valuation just yet. The company&rsquo;s stock currently trades at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 5.8, which is roughly comparable to the profitable&nbsp;Sinohealth Holdings Ltd.(2361.HK), but well behind the 12.8 for&nbsp;Medlive Technology&nbsp;(2192.HK), which is also profitable.

Yidu&rsquo;s stock was once valued quite highly, rising to as much as HK$50, or roughly double its 2021 IPO price of HK$26.30. It now trades at far more earthbound levels, including last Friday&rsquo;s close of HK$4.16. The latest approvals for its algorithms represent a solid show of government confidence towards the company that clearly encouraged investors. Now, Yidu needs to show it can earn some profits and return to steadier revenue growth while maintaining its hard-won higher margins.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Comments

Yidu Tech Stock News

News

Latest Yidu Tech Stock News | OTC:YIDUF | Benzinga

Monday, June 24, 2024

Popular Channels

Tools & Features

Partners & Contributors

About Benzinga