Autohome Inc. Announces Unaudited Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

BEIJING, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) ("Autohome" or the "Company"), the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Highlights^[1]

• Net revenues in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB1,774.5 million (US$252.9 million), compared to RMB1,906.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Net income attributable to Autohome in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB441.3 million (US$62.9 million), compared to RMB578.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023, while net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB425.7 million (US$60.7 million), compared to RMB564.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP)^[2] in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB497.2 million (US$70.8 million), compared to RMB603.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Share repurchase: As of November 1, 2024, the Company had repurchased 244,302 American depositary shares ("ADSs") for a total cost of approximately US$6.7 million.
• Cash dividend: The Company's board of directors has approved a cash dividend of US$1.15 per ADS (or US$0.2875 per ordinary share) payable in U.S. dollars (the "Dividend") to holders of ADSs and ordinary shares of record as of the close of business on December 31, 2024. The aggregate amount of the Dividend will be approximately RMB1 billion and is expected to be paid to holders of ordinary shares and ADSs of the Company on or around March 14, 2025 and March 19, 2025, respectively.

Tao Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Autohome, stated, "In the third quarter, we made substantial progress in advancing our integrated online-to-offline ecosystem strategy, further optimizing our business structure. On the online front, we are leveraging our professional content and product matrix to strengthen our differentiated competitive advantages, leading to a continued growth in the scale of our user base. According to QuestMobile, our average mobile daily active users grew by 5.6% year-over-year to 72.87 million in September, highlighting our expanding influence within the automotive community. Looking at our offline offerings, our franchise stores - Autohome Space and satellite stores - are accelerating their penetration into lower-tier cities, creating a robust network that enhances our offline presence. Additionally, our collaboration with Ping An Group has reached new milestones with the launch of a series of new and innovative products and services across our traditional businesses, data products, used cars, and aftermarket business lines. This collaboration has further strengthened our unique offerings in these areas."

Craig Yan Zeng, Chief Financial Officer of Autohome, added, "The innovative new businesses we have been deploying are beginning to yield results, driving growth in our online marketplace and others business lines this quarter. Notably, revenues from new energy vehicle brands have once again outpaced the sales growth of the broader industry. We remain committed to maximizing shareholder value through our ongoing dividend and share repurchase programs. Looking ahead, we will continue to expand our footprint across the automotive sector while further enhancing operational efficiency in each of our business lines to ensure long-term sustainable value for our shareholders."

Unaudited Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues were RMB1,774.5 million (US$252.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB1,906.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

• Media services revenues were RMB326.0 million (US$46.5 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB476.9 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Leads generation services revenues were RMB830.7 million (US$118.4 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB830.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Online marketplace and others revenues were RMB617.8 million (US$88.0 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB599.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB407.7 million (US$58.1 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB373.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023, primarily attributable to an increase in operational costs. Share-based compensation expenses included in cost of revenues in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB3.1 million (US$0.4 million), compared to RMB2.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB1,352.2 million (US$192.7 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB1,431.4 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

• Sales and marketing expenses were RMB876.5 million (US$124.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB935.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in marketing and promotional expenses. Share-based compensation expenses included in sales and marketing expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB15.2 million (US$2.2 million), compared to RMB15.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• General and administrative expenses were RMB136.5 million (US$19.5 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB141.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in general and administrative expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB15.2 million (US$2.2 million), compared to RMB13.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
• Product development expenses were RMB339.2 million (US$48.3 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB355.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in product development expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB27.3 million (US$3.9 million), compared to RMB26.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB82.6 million (US$11.8 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB166.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Income Tax Benefit

Income tax benefit was RMB139.0 million (US$19.8 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB145.9 million in the corresponding period of 2023. The income tax benefit was primarily attributable to tax filing adjustments of the previous year, which was mainly benefit from the PRC preferential income tax rate and tax holiday of certain subsidiaries.

Net Income Attributable to Autohome

Net income attributable to Autohome was RMB441.3 million (US$62.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB578.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Net Income Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders and Earnings per Share/ADS

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB425.7 million (US$60.7 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB564.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") were RMB0.88 (US$0.13) and RMB0.87 (US$0.12), respectively, in the third quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB1.15 and RMB1.15, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB3.50 (US$0.50) and RMB3.49 (US$0.50), respectively, in the third quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB4.61 and RMB4.59, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023.

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) and Non-GAAP EPS/ADS

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) was RMB497.2 million (US$70.8 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB603.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB1.02 (US$0.15) and RMB1.02 (US$0.15), respectively, in the third quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB1.23 and RMB1.23, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB4.09 (US$0.58) and RMB4.08 (US$0.58), respectively, in the third quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB4.93 and RMB4.92, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB23.06 billion (US$3.29 billion). Net cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB208.5 million (US$29.7 million).

Cash Dividend

The Company's board of directors has approved the Dividend of US$1.15 per ADS (or US$0.2875 per ordinary share) payable in U.S. dollars to holders of ADSs and ordinary shares of record as of the close of business on December 31, 2024, New York Time and Beijing/Hong Kong Time, respectively. The aggregate amount of the Dividend will be approximately RMB1 billion. For holders of ordinary shares, in order to qualify for the Dividend, all valid documents for the transfer of shares accompanied by the relevant share certificates must be lodged for registration with the Company's Hong Kong branch share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, at Shops 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2024 (Beijing/Hong Kong Time). The Dividend is expected to be paid to holders of ordinary shares and ADSs of the Company (through the depositary bank and subject to the terms of the deposit agreement) on or around March 14, 2025 and March 19, 2025, respectively.

Employees

The Company had 4,710 employees as of September 30, 2024, including 1,414 employees from TTP Car, Inc.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (8:00 p.m. Beijing Time on the same day).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the registration link provided below. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which will be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIea362620c5254eb58ff269d0c9abdf2d

Please use the conference access information to join the call 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at https://ir.autohome.com.cn and a replay of the webcast will be available following the session.