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JOYY Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results: Total Revenue Up 12.4% YoY, Substantially Expanding Shareholder Returns

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SINGAPORE, May 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JOYY Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYY) (“JOYY” or the “Company”), a leading global technology company, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.

In the first quarter, JOYY’s globally diversified ecosystem continued to take shape, with its three business pillarssocial entertainment, advertising, and e-commercebolstering one another in a self-reinforcing strategic flywheel. The Company’s total revenues for the quarter grew 12.4% year over year to US$555.7 million, the highest year-over-year growth rate the Company has delivered in recent years. Social entertainment revenue was US$400.4 million, up 3.2% year over year, while the Company’s second growth engine, BIGO Ads ad tech and SHOPLINE e-commerce, continued to scale with strong momentum. BIGO Ads contributed US$124.8 million, up 55.6% year over year, while SHOPLINE revenue increased 16.1% year over year to US$30.5 million. In the first quarter, non-GAAP[1] operating income and non-GAAP[1] EBITDA came in at US$38.0 million and US$45.7 million, up 22.5% and 13.2% year over year, respectively. Operating cash inflow for the quarter was US$46.0 million.

Simultaneously, JOYY announced a new share repurchase program, under which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to US$600 million of its shares until the end of 2028, and a new quarterly dividend program, under which a total of approximately US$900 million in cash will be distributed on a quarterly basis between 2026 and 2028. The new shareholder return program, totaling US$1.5 billion, represents a significant increase compared to the previous program (US$900 million)  announced in 2025. From January 1 to May 22, 2026, JOYY had returned a total of US$156.8 million to shareholders through US$87.9 million in share repurchases and US$68.9 million in dividends, under its 2025 program.

Ms. Ting Li, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of JOYY, commented, “We delivered a strong start to 2026. Total revenues for the first quarter reached US$555.7 million, up by 12.4% year over year, our strongest year-over-year growth rate in recent years. This quarter marks the first time we are reporting results under our new three-segment structure: Social Entertainment, BIGO Ads, and SHOPLINE. Our AI-driven globally diversified ecosystem is taking shape with social entertainment, advertising, and e-commerce reinforcing one another in a powerful strategic flywheel. With AI serving as the backbone of our entire operations—driving content recommendation, advertising efficiency, and merchant intelligence across all three segments—our business pillars form a closed-loop system that deepens our competitive moat and drives long-term value creation for JOYY and our shareholders.”

First Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were US$555.7 million, representing an increase of 12.4% from US$494.4 million in the first quarter of 2025.

– Social Entertainment revenue increased by 3.2% to US$400.4 million from US$387.8 million in the first quarter of 2025.

– BIGO Ads revenue increased by 55.6% to US$124.8 million from US$80.2 million in the first quarter of 2025.

– SHOPLINE revenue increased by 16.1% to US$30.5 million from US$26.3 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Operating income was US$6.8 million.
 Non-GAAP[1] operating income was US$38.0 million, representing an increase of 22.5% from US$31.0 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Non-GAAP[1] EBITDA was US$45.7 million, representing an increase of 13.2% from US$40.4 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Net cash as of March 31, 2026 was US$3,175.1 million.

Net cash from operating activities was US$46.0 million.

First Quarter 2026 Business Highlights

Social Entertainment Business

In the first quarter, global average mobile MAUs reached 276.3 million, up 6.1% year over year and 1.5% quarter over quarter. Social entertainment revenue increased by 3.2% year over year to US$400.4 million, with livestreaming revenue up 2.4% year over year. Core livestreaming paying users grew 5.9% year over year.

For flagship product Bigo Live, the Company improved its streamer incentive structure, launched targeted support programs for high-quality content categories, and integrated new AI capabilities. These initiatives drove ongoing gains in both content engagement and payment conversion. Number of active streamers increased 1.5% quarter over quarter, and average effective streaming hours per streamer rose 1.4% quarter over quarter. The Company has now fully rolled out AI smart tools for streamers across core markets, meaningfully improving interaction efficiency. In April, AI-generated interactive virtual gifts accounted for 34% of total virtual gift consumption on Bigo Live.

On the operating side, Bigo Live successfully hosted BIGO Awards Gala 2026 in South Korea along with regional galas in countries including Indonesia and the Philippines during the first quarter. These events underscore Bigo Live’s continued commitment to recognizing creator excellence, strengthening regional creator ecosystems, and connecting diverse communities worldwide. Bigo Live continued to pursue content innovation and successfully launched the inaugural BIGO Content Award in North America, drawing over 300 top-tier, highly active streamers to drive measurable growth in DAUs and user retention. Additionally, Bigo Live launched a Ramadan-themed initiative featuring a digital revival of traditional content, which drove user engagement during a key cultural period and reinforced its capability to deliver scalable and localized content experiences across diverse markets.

BIGO Ads Advertising Technology Business

In the first quarter, broader traffic coverage, multi-vertical advertiser expansion, and ongoing algorithm optimization fueled the growth momentum of JOYY’s ad tech business. BIGO Ads generated US$124.8 million in advertising revenue, up 55.6% year over year, with third-party Audience Network ad revenue delivering 78.8% year-over-year growth.

On the supply side, SDK traffic maintained strong growth, up 109% year over year in the first quarter. On the demand side, the Company’s strategic presence across multiple verticals drove an enrichment of its advertiser mix and enhanced ecosystem density. This multi-vertical approach not only accelerated data accumulation and algorithmic iteration, but also strengthened its traffic bidding capabilities. Notably, web-based demand grew 90% year over year and delivered positive sequential growth, while IAA demand sustained 97% year-over-year growth. Geographically, BIGO Ads continued to prioritize high-value developed markets. North America remains its largest market, while Western Europe delivered notable momentum, with revenue up 27% quarter over quarter.

On the algorithm side, BIGO Ads is steadily and prudently scaling its computing infrastructure and strengthening its R&D talent base. By integrating data feedback from advertisers across channels and leveraging the dual growth of traffic scale and advertiser density, BIGO Ads has built a rich behavioral data layer. This enables multi-dimensional, precise user profiling and real-time model iteration, which in turn improves ad delivery efficiency.

SHOPLINE E-Commerce Business

In the first quarter, SHOPLINE delivered strong results. Revenue was US$30.5 million, up 16.1% year over year, with gross margin expanding further to 51.5%. Revenue growth from cross-border merchants remained robust, sustaining over 60% year-over-year growth. This is the first quarter the Company is reporting SHOPLINE as a standalone segment, underscoring the Company’s diversified growth.

As global commerce enters the omnichannel era, merchants increasingly desire autonomy and full-funnel data ownership. The Company is building SHOPLINE as an AI-native, one-stop omnichannel commerce infrastructure that offers merchants a fully open and connectable retail operating system. Through deep integration of payment, logistics, and marketing modules, SHOPLINE empowers merchants across every stage of their journey, from store setup and transactions to fulfillment and full-lifecycle customer retention.

SHOPLINE is accelerating the integration of a suite of AI-powered capabilities. These tools will drive SHOPLINE’s evolution from an enablement tool to an AI-driven commerce engine. AI-powered traffic allocation and automated decision-making will unlock new growth opportunities and new levels of precision across omnichannel retail.

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as additional clarifying items to aid investors in further understanding the Company’s performance and the impact that these items and events had on the financial results. The non-GAAP financial measures provided above should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. For details of the non-GAAP measures, including the reconciliations of GAAP measures to non-GAAP measures, please refer to the press release titled “JOYY Reports First Quarter 2026 Unaudited Financial Results” issued by the Company on May 26, 2026.

 

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SOURCE JOYY Inc.

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Halfpricesoft.com’s ezPaycheck Simplifies Qualified Tips & Overtime for service industries

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Affordable payroll software helps service-industry employers accurately manage qualified tips, overtime, and tax reporting with ease.

REDMOND, Wash., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Halfpricesoft.com empowers service-based businesses, including restaurants, hotels, salons, and spas with the newest 2026 ezPaycheck Payroll software. This application will eliminate challenges, particularly when managing tipped employees and intricate overtime calculations. 

 

For business owners seeking to simplify their payroll operations, a free trial is available for download here.

Dr. Ge, Founder of Halfpricesoft.com, stated, “Payroll for tipped employees can become complicated for business owners. ezPaycheck gives service industry businesses a practical payroll solution that helps simplify qualified tip reporting and overtime calculations.”

ezPaycheck continues to provide unlimited payroll processing for multiple businesses at one affordable flat rate, making it a suitable choice for accountants, hospitality businesses, and growing service companies.

The 2026 ezPaycheck payroll software release introduces several key features to further enhance payroll management:

E-file Capabilities: Securely e-file 941, 940, and other 94x forms directly through the software using the IRS-authorized e-file system (add-on service). Flexible Payroll Schedules: Supports daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, and monthly payroll schedules. Automated Tax Calculations: Automatically calculates federal withholding tax, Social Security, Medicare, and employer unemployment taxes. Simplified Overtime: Simplifies qualified overtime and differential pay calculations. Check Printing: Prints payroll checks on blank or preprinted check stock, and prints miscellaneous business and vendor checks. Multi-Company Support: Creates and maintains payroll data for multiple companies simultaneously, and supports multiple accounts within a single installation at no additional charge.Tax Form Generation: Prints important tax forms including W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943 forms.Network Access: Optional network access available for multi-user environments.

ezPaycheck payroll software is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 systems, with a separate Mac-compatible version also available. Trusted by thousands of businesses since 2005, ezPaycheck remains a flexible, user-friendly, and affordable in-house payroll solution for accountants and small business owners. The software is priced at $169 per calendar year and includes state and federal tax tables along with support for W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943 forms.

Halfpricesoft.com is dedicated to providing robust and accessible payroll software that empowers small to midsize businesses to manage their finances efficiently. Business owners interested in learning more about ezPaycheck Payroll and its specialized tip-handling features can download the free trial and explore available payroll solutions.

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SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

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NEO Battery to Showcase Drone Battery Portfolio at Baltic SSD Expo 2026 and Partners with Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association

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TORONTO, June 10, 2026 /CNW/ – NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (“NEO” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost, silicon-enhanced battery developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging batteries for drones, robotics, and physical AI, is pleased to showcase the Company’s strike and surveillance drone battery portfolio at the Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 in Estonia. NEO is further pleased to announce a new partnership with the Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association to advance drone and counter-unmanned aerial system (cUAS) technologies.

Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 – Tallinn, Estonia
The Company will be exhibiting and presenting June 10-11, 2026, at the Baltic region’s leading defense, security, and supply chain event. Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 (“SSD Expo 2026”) convenes defense contractors, dual-use technology innovators, EU defense funds, and Baltic military organizations and ministries of defense. For more information on SSD Expo 2026, please visit: https://2026.supplysecurity.eu/.

With the launch of NEO’s high-power and energy strike drone battery portfolio (see news release dated June 4, 2026), the participation in SSD Expo 2026 supports the Company’s planned entry into the European defense market. NEO intends to actively market various drone and robotics battery products within Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – Baltic Sea countries focused on allocating defense spending on unmanned cUAS and surveillance systems1,2. At the event, the Company aims to connect with potential customers, suppliers, and strategic partners and will deliver a keynote presentation on supply chain resiliency for advanced energy storage.

Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association Partnership
NEO is also pleased to partner with the Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association (“KADIA”) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). KADIA is a leading national organization with a mission to strengthen South Korea’s national resilience against drone threats and advance cUAS innovation and cooperation between domestic and international markets.

Mr. Byeong Hui Yang, Chairman of KADIA, commented, “Onshoring the production of advanced energy storage solutions is considered a national security concern for South Korea. With this partnership, KADIA will provide several distribution channels for NEO to engage with various cUAS manufacturers, system integrators, and research institutions. We are committed to working closely together to deliver substantive, meaningful results.”

Under the MOU framework, NEO and KADIA aim to (i) collaborate on research and development across drone and cUAS technologies; (ii) coordinate policy and procurement responses for evolving standards/requirements of domestic and international cUAS markets; and (iii) achieve commercial deployment by shared analysis of emerging technology trends. The collaboration is intended to align NEO’s battery technology expertise with the operational requirements of cUAS platforms and to advocate for Korea-manufactured battery solutions (i.e. establishment of regional non-Chinese battery supply chains) within the domestic defense and security markets.

1AeroTime: Estonia drops €500 million CV90 order, shifts funds to drones, air defense (https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/estonia-halts-cv90-buy-shifts-funds-drones-air-defense)

2Central European Times: Baltic states ramp up air, missile defences (https://centraleuropeantimes.com/baltic-states-ramp-up-air-missile-defences/)

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian-South Korean battery technology company focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, robotics, physical AI, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost silicon manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging properties and provides end-to-end battery solutions from materials selection, cell architecture, and process optimization. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of high-performance lithium-ion batteries and materials, building a secure, robust battery supply chain for Western manufacturers. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Spencer Huh
Director, President, and CEO
T: +1 (437) 451-7678

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified notably by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: volatile stock prices; the general global markets and economic conditions; the possibility of write-downs and impairments; the risk associated with the research and development of battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of battery material, electrode, and cell technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale or under real-world operating conditions; the risks associated with battery-related manufacturing process scale-up, including maintaining consistent material, component, and cell quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot, semi-commercial, or commercial scale; the risks associated with compatibility of existing battery chemistries, formulations, components, or designs; unforeseen risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships, or commercial contracts with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery and downstream end-user supply chain; the risks associated with the failure to develop and produce commercially viable battery-related products or that technical goals may not be achieved within expected timelines or budgets under a joint development or collaboration; the risks associated with the Company’s technologies and products not meeting performance requirements or customer specifications; the risks that prototype and pilot-scale products do not advance into commercially produced products or translate into commercial orders; the risk associated with battery components and cell purchase orders and offtake supply that may not be fulfilled in full, on time, or at all as actual revenue realization depends on delivery schedules, achievement of technical milestones, and customer acceptance and validation; the risk associated with losing official vendor registration or status with existing customers; counterparty risk upon delivery of prototype and commercial products; the risks associated with constructing, completing, securing, and financing pilot, semi-commercial, and commercial battery materials, components, and cell manufacturing facilities including the Canadian and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with potential delays or increased costs with site preparation, equipment procurement and installation, and facility commissioning; the risks associated with integrating silicon anode material production, electrode manufacturing, and cell assembly within a single operational cluster or the Company’s business portfolio; the risks associated with supply chain disruptions or cost fluctuations in raw materials, processing chemicals, and additive prices, impacting production costs and commercial viability; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of research, development and production; competition faced by the Company in securing experienced personnel, contracts and sales, and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials, components, and cell research and development activities; the risks associated with changes in the technology regulatory regime governing the Company; the risks associated with the timely execution of the Company’s strategies and business plans; the risks associated with the lithium-ion battery industry and end-users’ demand and adoption of the Company’s silicon anode technology and battery products; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes and silicon battery products within battery manufacturers and OEMs’ systems; the risks associated with the various environmental and political regulations the Company is subject to; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; the reliance on key personnel; liquidity risks; the risk of litigation; risk management; and other risk factors as identified in the Company’s recent Financial Statements and MD&A and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available on www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued R&D and commercialization activities, no material adverse change in precursor, raw material, equipment, and relevant cost prices, development and commercialization plans to proceed in accordance with plans and such plans to achieve their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s business, operations, research and development, and commercialization plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this presentation, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

 

SOURCE NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

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CHAI AI: Post Training to Achieve SOTA MoE

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CHAI AI has continued its efforts to improve its social AI platform through the integration of state-of-the-art (SOTA) open-source models and the application of advanced reinforcement learning methodologies. The company’s AI research team recently tested its own variants of DeepSeek-V4, Kimi-K2, GLM-5, and Gemma-4 on the platform against key metrics such as user engagement and retention. Today, CHAI AI announced that its latest in-house model achieved a 4% increase in Day-30 user retention using the GSPO reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm.

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CHAI AI has continued its efforts to improve its social AI platform through the integration of state-of-the-art (SOTA) open-source models and the application of advanced reinforcement learning methodologies. The company’s AI research team recently tested its own variants of DeepSeek-V4, Kimi-K2, GLM-5, and Gemma-4 on the platform against key metrics such as user engagement and retention. Today, CHAI AI announced that its latest in-house model achieved a 4% increase in Day-30 user retention using the GSPO reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm.

The company transitioned its AI research from dense models to Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) models in early 2026 and has seen improvements in several key metrics using this architecture. Its AI researchers are also exploring novel RL strategies such as DPOGRPO, and GSPO to improve the quality of their in-house models in a conventional setting. In their recent A/B tests, models trained with GSPO achieved better performance than models trained with GRPO across the board, aligning with Qwen’s publication.

CHAI’s AI Research

2022 – First Mover Advantage in Social AI

CHAI became one of the first dedicated social AI platforms to reach one million users, launching AI-powered character creation experiences before conversational AI became mainstream.

2023 – AI-Assisted Creation Breakthrough

The introduction of AI-assisted character creation tools led to a 56% increase in prompt quality and a 33% increase in user-generated AI creation.

2024 – User Generated AI Training

CHAI launched the first phase of user-controlled supervised fine-tuning (SFT), enabling power users to train AI systems that achieved engagement rates approaching twice those of internally developed agents.

2025 – The Future of Personalized AI

The company began development of User-Generated AI (UGAI), a framework designed to place advanced AI customization and alignment capabilities directly in the hands of users.

2026 – Mixture-of-Experts Training Begins

CHAI began incorporating large MoE models into its RLHF research. Its latest model is serving approximately 1 billion messages per day.

What is the mission of CHAI AI? People want to create their own AI and share it with others, and they want to discover and interact with AI built by people they follow. Just as social media platforms emerged when video creation and consumption became ubiquitous, social AI platforms are now emerging to meet an equivalent wave of consumer demand for generative AI creation, sharing, and interaction.

What is the growth rate and traction? In the last three consecutive years, CHAI AI has sustained a 3x growth rate with ARR crossing $80 million by the end of Q1 2026 and a projection to surpass $200 million.

What is the valuation of CHAI AI? CHAI AI is estimated to have a valuation of $2.4 billion as of Q1 2026, based on $80 million in ARR and its sustained growth rate.

Who are the major investors in CHAI AI? AMD and CoreWeave are the primary, strategic investors in CHAI AI, bringing its total investment to date to over $55 million.

What is the culture like at CHAI AI? Our fast-growing company is supported by a talented engineering team that thrives on fast iteration cycles and takes on the most challenging problems in the field. CHAI AI operates with a high-bar, high-reward culture where engineers own entire product segments end-to-end, from prototyping to production.

What is the compensation? CHAI AI competes with top-paying companies such as Jane Street, OpenAI, Meta, and Citadel. We pay 100% cash salaries and are known for generous compensation offers, with the option to trade a portion of cash for stock options. The founding team’s background is in quantitative trading, and they have maintained a compensation philosophy consistent with that culture.

How do promotions and performance reviews work? Performance is reviewed on a daily basis, and engineers are expected to work hard and drive impact. At the beginning of each year, there is a performance-based salary increase.

What is the management structure? The structure is flat, with a team of 15 to 20 engineers.

What are the typical working hours? Engineers at CHAI AI typically work from 9 AM to 5 PM during weekdays, as well as Saturday morning.

Is there vacation or PTO? CHAI AI does not have a set number of vacation days on the calendar, but we respect that employees need time to recharge. In practice, most engineers take 14 – 20 days off per year.

Is the role fully in-person in Palo Alto, hybrid, or remote-friendly? All CHAI employees are expected to work in person in Palo Alto. As a startup that moves fast, we want to ensure the team stays in sync.

What’s the onboarding experience like for new engineers? New hires follow a structured 3-month onboarding plan. Each new hire is paired with an experienced hire and ramped up quickly. You will be assigned high-impact tasks from day one, with clear evaluation metrics and direct mentorship from peers.

Press Contact:

CHAI AI Press
+1 (626) 594-8966

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SOURCE Chai AI

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