NYSE$ZH

Zhihu Inc-ADR · Q4 2025 earnings

Q4 2025 earnings · · Before market open · Investor relations

Briefing

Zhihu Q4 2025: revenue falls 25% to RMB643.5M as goodwill impairment drives GAAP loss despite first full-year non-GAAP profit

Zhihu reported unaudited Q4 2025 results on March 25, 2026, with total revenue of RMB643.5 million (US$92.0 million), down from RMB859.2 million a year earlier, as marketing services and paid membership both declined amid ongoing refinement of service offerings and fewer average monthly subscribing members (12.2 million). Gross margin compressed to 53.6% from 62.9% as the company broadened content offerings. A RMB126.3 million goodwill impairment tied to prior acquisitions pushed Q4 to a GAAP net loss of RMB210.8 million versus net income of RMB86.4 million in Q4 2024; adjusted net loss was RMB39.4 million. For full-year 2025, revenue was RMB2.75 billion and Zhihu achieved its first-ever full-year non-GAAP profitability with adjusted net income of RMB37.9 million, helped by cost discipline, lower operating expenses, and RMB231.9 million of investment income. Cash and equivalents plus term deposits and short-term investments totaled RMB4.45 billion at year-end, and the company had repurchased 31.1 million Class A shares for US$66.5 million under existing programs.

  • Q4 revenue fell 25% year over year to RMB643.5M, with marketing services at RMB234.8M and paid membership at RMB333.5M, both down on weaker demand and fewer average monthly subscribing members (12.2M).
  • A RMB126.3M goodwill impairment drove a Q4 GAAP net loss of RMB210.8M; adjusted net loss was RMB39.4M versus adjusted net income of RMB97.1M in Q4 2024.
  • Full-year 2025 revenue was RMB2.75B with 59.9% gross margin; Zhihu delivered its first full-year non-GAAP profit at RMB37.9M through expense cuts and improved operating leverage.
  • Liquidity remained solid with RMB4.45B in cash, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments; share repurchases totaled US$66.5M for 31.1M Class A shares in 2025.
  • Management highlighted 41+ minutes of daily user time on platform and plans to accelerate AI-related commercialization in 2026 while prioritizing higher-margin revenue streams.

Headline financials

Total Revenue

¥644M

No prior period
EPS (adj)

-¥0.17

No prior period
Gross Margin

53.6%

No prior period
Average Monthly Subscribing Members

12.2M

No prior period
Average Daily Time Spent per DAU

41

No prior period
Net Income

-¥211M

No prior period
Operating Income

-¥264M

No prior period
Gross Profit

¥345M

No prior period
Cash & Equivalents

¥4.45B

No prior period

Revenue & EPS history

Zhihu · Revenue · Quarterly

¥644M

Q4 2025
Beat estimate in 4 of 10 quarters(40%)
ActualEstimate

Revenue by segment

Zhihu · ¥644M total across 3 segments · Q4 2025

  • Paid Membership
    ¥333M
  • Marketing Services
    ¥235M
  • Other
    ¥75.2M

Historical earnings impact

How earnings announcements have historically affected this stock's price.

Avg. return before/after earnings

Based on 13 quarterly earnings reports · overlaid with Q4 2025

Historical avgQ4 2025

-5.2%

Avg return

Earnings day

+3.4%

Avg return

5 days after

+1.9%

Avg return

30 days after

21%

3 / 14 earnings

Positive

+24.8%

Q1 2022

Best reaction

-31.8%

Q4 2021

Worst reaction

Earnings price reactions
QuarterReport dateReaction (Day 0)+5 days+30 days
Q1 2026+0.3%+7.6%
Q4 2025-7.7%-10.6%+12.6%
Q2 2023-8.3%+1.0%-1.0%
Q1 2023-2.0%+4.5%+2.7%
Q4 2022+4.2%-3.4%-2.5%
Q3 2022-2.9%+28.6%+23.8%
Q2 2022-10.4%-2.0%+0.0%
Q1 2022+24.8%-11.3%-2.1%
Q4 2019-15.2%-5.6%+24.3%
Q4 2020-15.2%-18.3%-42.2%
Q4 2021-31.8%+49.8%+1.9%
Q3 2021-2.8%-0.8%-31.2%
Q2 2021-3.2%+10.2%+3.8%
Q1 2021-3.4%-2.1%+34.4%
Q3 2020
Q2 2020
Q1 2020

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