Author: Durian

HONG KONG, Mar 26, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - The findings of the 1Q25 HKTDC Export Confidence Index showed confidence among Hong Kong exporters has risen moderately, despite the sizable tariff hikes imposed by the US on its trading partners around the world.In specific terms, the Current Performance Index (a measure of actual performance for the quarter in question) rose by 1.8 points to 52.1. Equally reassuringly, the Expectation Index (a measure of confidence in likely performance in the coming quarter) was up by 1.0 points to 51.0. Both readings were above the watermark level of 50, which can be taken as confirming general optimism with regard to future export prospects.Given the likely impact of the series of higher tariffs imposed by the US in the last two months, the HKTDC has slightly adjusted its 2025 Hong Kong export growth forecast from 4% to 3%. There remains a downside risk to the forecast given the uncertainty over any future escalation in global trade tension.Commenting on the revised forecast and the 1Q25 findings, Irina Fan, Director of HKTDC Research, said: “It’s a testament to the resilience of Hong Kong’s export sector that growth is still indicated. While export business may be growing at a moderately slower rate than had been initially anticipated, there are still many reasons to be optimistic.”“This is partly down to the agility and flexibility many Hong Kong exporters have demonstrated in terms of strategies for future-proofing their business activities.”From the findings of the 1Q25 survey, it is clear a range of strategies, including diversifying sourcing, expanding into new markets and the relocation of production lines, have been very much front-of-mind for many of Hong Kong’s export-oriented businesses. These moves, it is believed, will help enterprises mitigate the adverse effects of any current or future protectionist measures.Overall, despite a more challenging global trade backdrop, it was encouraging to note the majority of survey respondents (75.4%) remained confident their 2025 net profit margins would either rise or remain stable. This was notably higher than the 72.1% of respondents expressing the same sentiment in 4Q24, while also being the highest such figure for 12 months.In terms of market prospects, uncertainties over its trading stance have inevitably clouded the general views of the US. Tellingly, the Current Performance figure for the country was 47.8, with its 3.1 point quarter-on-quarter decline taking it below the watermark level of 50 for the first time in 12 months.Exporter sentiment, however, remained largely positive when looking beyond the US market, particularly with reference to Mainland China, the EU and the ASEAN bloc. In all, the Current Performance Index reading for Mainland China was up 6.7 points to 59.0 (compared to 4Q24) while the comparable finding for the EU was up 3.8 points to 50.1. The reading for the ASEAN bloc (56.4), meanwhile, remained solidly in expansionary territory.Nicholas Fu, Senior Economist, said “A similar pattern was in evidence in the case of the Expectation Index. This saw Mainland China up 3.0 points to 55.7, followed by the ASEAN bloc (53.0) and the EU (52.7). The US was again down, falling by 4.3 points to hit a one-year low of 46.7.”In terms of more general findings, Jewellery (at 53.1 points) was the most upbeat industry sector with regard to 1Q25 Current Performance, followed by Electronics (52.3) and Timepieces (51.2). In terms of Expectation, Jewellery (54.4), Equipment/Materials (52.6) and Timepiece (51.1) exporters were most optimistic as to their likely future performance.AppendixThe HKTDC Export Confidence Index has been designed to provide a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong exporter sentiment. It comprises two primary / overall indices, one of which gauges the Current Performance with regard to the surveyed quarter, while the other considers Expectation for the upcoming quarter. The findings of both indices are based on a weighted average of five sub-indices – Sales and New Orders, Trade Value, Cost, Procurement, and Inventory.Full details of the methodology / definitions relating to the HKTDC Export Confidence Index can be found in the Appendix section of the full quarterly report.ReferencesHKTDC Export Confidence Index 1Q25: Export Confidence Improves Despite Growing Trade TensionsHKTDC Research websitePhoto download: bit.ly/3QMQHmUHKTDC Director of Research Irina Fan (left) and Senior Economist Nicholas Fu (right) announced the HKTDC Export Confidence Index for the first quarter of 2025 at a press conference todayHKTDC Director of Research Irina FanHKTDC Senior Economist Nicholas FuMedia enquiriesPlease contact the HKTDC’s Communication and Public Affairs Department:Fraser LiAgnes WatTel: (852) 2584 4369Tel: (852) 2584 4554Email: fraser.li@hktdc.orgEmail: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.orgAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

IGG Inc 2024 Annual Financial Highlights and 2025 Business Update:- In 2024, the Group experienced a 9% year-on-year increase in revenue, reaching a total of HK$5.74 billion. This growth was primarily due to three growth drivers – two highly-rated games “Doomsday: Last Survivors” and “Viking Rise”, which contributed approximately HK$1 billion and HK$700 million, respectively, along with the APP Business , which generated HK$1.1 billion. These three contributors accounted for 49% of the Group’s revenue in 2024, up from 32% in 2023, underscoring the success of its diversified growth strategy. “Lords Mobile”, IGG’s flagship title launched nine years ago, made a significant contribution of nearly HK$2.6 billion in revenue.- The Group achieved a significant 697% year-on-year increase in net profit, reaching HK$580 million in 2024. The Group’s core business experienced a substantial surge of 3,626% year-on-year to HK$650 million in net profit. The investment business recorded an unrealized loss of approximately HK$70 million due to fair-value changes of investees.- Entering 2025, the Group will continue to enhance its gaming and APP Business, with a commitment to sustaining long-term profitability. The Group will release two blockbuster strategy games, “Frozen War” and Project PSS, along with a blockbuster casual game, “Tycoon Master”. With their innovative and meticulously crafted gameplay, these titles possess growth potential.HONG KONG, Mar 27, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - IGG Inc (“IGG” or “the Group”, stock code: 799.HK), a leading global developer and publisher of mobile games and applications, is pleased to announce the audited consolidated financial results of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2024.In 2024, the Group steadily reinforced its development goal of “diversified growth and steady profitability” through three growth drivers: two highly-rated games, “Doomsday: Last Survivors” and “Viking Rise”, along with the APP Business. In terms of revenue, the Group experienced a 9% year-on-year increase, reaching HK$5.74 billion in 2024. This growth was primarily driven by “Doomsday: Last Survivors” and “Viking Rise”, which contributed approximately HK$1 billion and HK$700 million, respectively, while the APP Business generated HK$1.1 billion. These three contributors accounted for 49% of the Group’s revenue in 2024, up from 32% in 2023, underscoring the success of its diversified growth strategy. “Lords Mobile”, IGG’s flagship title launched nine years ago, made a significant contribution of nearly HK$2.6 billion in revenue. During the year, revenue from Asia, Europe and North America accounted for 42%, 34% and 20%, respectively, of the Group’s total revenue.With the contribution of the aforementioned businesses and extensive utilization of AI technology, the Group achieved a significant 697% year-on-year increase in net profit, reaching HK$580 million in 2024. The Group’s core business experienced a substantial surge of 3,626% year-on-year to HK$650 million in net profit. The investment business recorded an unrealized loss of approximately HK$70 million due to fair-value changes of investees. As at 31 December 2024, the Group’s mobile games were available in 23 different languages worldwide, with approximately 1.5 billion users in total and over 17 million monthly active users (“MAU”) across more than 200 countries and regions.Since its launch, the game “Doomsday: Last Survivors” has regularly introduced new features, including account entrustment, alliance vault and mini-games, to enhance gamer engagement. Additionally, the game ran a series of collaborations with different partners, including the classic game “Metal Slug 3” and hit movie “Pacific Rim”. These initiatives, coupled with offline tournaments, were well-received by its 73 million players[1], leading to a 50% year-on-year increase in revenue. Following the success of the first International Offline SLG Championship held last year, the Group is gearing up for the “2025 World Championship” for “Doomsday: Last Survivors”, “Lords Mobile”, and “Viking Rise” to let players experience the thrill of ‘live’ competitive gaming.“Viking Rise”, the Group’s first Viking-themed strategy game, received widespread acclaim when it was launched in late 2022. Throughout the year, the game continued to introduce new features, including Battle Royale gameplay, mercenary guild battles and a new conquest season entitled “Fenrir’s Judgement”. Additionally, the game reintroduced a collaboration with the popular TV show “Vikings” from MGM Television and its spinoff series “Vikings: Valhalla”. These enhancements and marketing initiatives resonated with its 40 million players2, driving a remarkable 66% year-on-year increase in revenue.“Lords Mobile”, IGG’s blockbuster title that debuted nine years ago, is the Group’s first cross-platform, multi-language, real-time game, lauded by Sensor Tower for its longevity[2], and designed for a global audience. It has received widespread acclaim from gamers, and consistently generates stable revenue for the Group. As of 31 December 2024, it has amassed 740 million registered users worldwide and has 9 million MAU. In the second half of 2024, the game introduced the much-anticipated “Chaos Arena” feature, alongside ongoing IP collaborations and various offline events, to sustain player interest.After a decade of exploration, research and development, the Group’s APP Business finally achieved significant breakthroughs and remarkable growth over the past two years. It has built a proprietary ad traffic platform supported by service-oriented mobile applications. Leveraging the Group’s global operational expertise and a base of more than 1 billion users, the APP Business reached a new milestone of 62 million MAU. It generated a remarkable HK$1.1 billion in revenue in 2024, representing 19% of the Group’s total revenue. The APP Business has emerged as a vital growth driver for the Group, contributing notably to a net profit of HK$95 million.Through a combination of share repurchases and dividend payouts, the Group consistently returns value to its shareholders. During the year, the total amount declared in dividends, together with the funds allocated for share repurchases, accounted for approximately 38% of the Group’s net profit for 2024. The Board of Directors declared a second interim dividend of HK6.4 cents per ordinary share. Coupled with the first interim dividend of HK8.5 cents, the total dividend declared amounts to HK14.9 cents, representing approximately 30% of annual profit. In 2024, the Group allocated approximately HK$47 million for share buybacks, which corresponds to approximately 8% of annual profit.Entering 2025, the Group will continue to enhance its gaming and APP Business, with a commitment to sustaining long-term profitability. The Group will release two blockbuster strategy games, “Frozen War” and Project PSS, alongside a blockbuster casual game, “Tycoon Master”. With their innovative and meticulously crafted gameplay, these titles possess growth potential. The Group is dedicated to drive growth for the APP Business by enhancing its platform development. Embracing the corporate spirit of “Innovators at Work, Gamers at Heart”, the Group will continue to strengthen its global R&D and operational capabilities, to relentlessly pursue its strategy of quality, innovation, and excellence in creating innovative yet timeless games.About IGG IncEstablished in 2006, IGG Inc is a leading global mobile games and applications developer and operator with headquarters in Singapore and local offices in the United States, China, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Türkiye, Italy and Spain. IGG offers multi-language and multifarious games and mobile applications to users around the world. The Group has established long-term partnerships with over 100 business partners, including global platforms, advertising channels, and vendors such as Apple, Google and Meta. IGG’s most popular products include the games “Lords Mobile”, “Doomsday: Last Survivors”, “Viking Rise”, “Time Princess”, along with a range of diversified mobile applications.[1]APP Business: development and operations of the Group’s mobile applications.[2]User data as of December 31, 2024.[3]Source: Sensor Tower, a third-party analytics platform Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.