Autohome Inc. Announces Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results

BEIJING, Feb. 24, 2022 /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 fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Highlights^[1]

• Net Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2021 were RMB1,693.6 million ($265.8 million), compared to RMB2,483.1 million in the corresponding period of 2020.
• Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB267.8 million ($42.0 million), compared to RMB1,146.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020 and net income attributable to Ordinary Shareholders in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB257.0 million ($40.3 million), compared to RMB1,146.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020.
• Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP)^[2] in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB469.6 million ($73.7 million), compared to RMB1,192.0 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Full Year 2021 Highlights^[1]

• Net Revenues in 2021 were RMB7,237.0 million ($1,135.6 million), compared to RMB8,658.6 million in 2020. Online Marketplace and Others Revenues in 2021 were RMB2,237.5 million ($351.1 million), contributing 30.9% of the total revenues, compared to 23.2% in 2020.
• Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. in 2021 was RMB2,248.8 million ($352.9 million), compared to RMB3,405.2 million in 2020 and net income attributable to Ordinary Shareholders in 2021 was RMB2,148.6 million ($337.2 million), compared to RMB3,405.2 million in 2020.
• Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP)^[2] in 2021 was RMB2,582.4 million ($405.2 million), compared to RMB3,621.0 million in 2020.
• Share Repurchase: As of February 22, 2022, the Company has repurchased 432,653 American depositary shares ("ADSs") for a total cost of approximately US$12.7 million.
• Annual Dividend: The Company's Board of Directors ("Board") has approved a dividend of US$0.53 per ADS (or US$0.1325 per ordinary share) for fiscal year 2021, which is expected to be paid to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 21, 2022. The payment is expected to be issued on March 31, 2022 for holders of ordinary shares and on or around April 5, 2022 for holders of ADSs.

Mr. Quan Long, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Autohome, stated, "We ended 2021 on a solid note with total revenues for the full year coming in at RMB7.24 billion, despite the challenging macro environment. During the past year, we successfully maintained our industry leadership position in our traditional businesses. We also achieved steady progress in new business areas. In addition, our diverse and high-quality content continued to drive the expansion of our user base and better user engagement. According to QuestMobile, in December 2021, our mobile daily active users reached a record high with an 11.4% year-over-year increase, further cementing our leadership position in the industry. Furthermore, revenues from new energy vehicle ("NEV") brands for 2021 more than doubled year-over-year as we continue to engage with NEV automakers. We're also delighted to see higher adoption of our data products by dealer-customers in 2021, as we continue to enhance our data products with additional innovative premium features."

Mr. Long added, "On top of these accomplishments, we successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and implemented our strategy upgrade in 2021, both marking historic milestones for the Company. We also launched a share repurchase program while maintaining our annual dividend policy, which evidence confidence in our corporate strategy and long-term prospect. Stepping into 2022, we will continue to bring best-in-class products and services to our users and customers and invest strategically in new territories to enable our sustainable growth and long-term value creation."

Unaudited Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues in the fourth quarter of 2021 were RMB1,693.6 million ($265.8 million), compared to RMB2,483.1 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

• Media services revenues were RMB372.7 million ($58.5 million), compared to RMB1,029.3 million in the corresponding period of 2020. The decline was primarily due to the decrease in average revenue per automaker advertiser.
• Leads generation services revenues were RMB778.1 million ($122.1 million), compared to RMB846.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020. The decline was primarily due to the decrease in dealers' marketing spending.
• Online marketplace and others revenues were RMB542.8 million($85.2 million), compared to RMB606.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020. The decline was primarily due to the revenue decrease from data products.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues remained relatively stable at RMB262.0 million ($41.1 million) and RMB268.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 2020, respectively. In addition, share-based compensation expense included in cost of revenues was RMB4.8 million ($0.8 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB4.6 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB1,325.2 million ($207.9 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB1,338.0 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

• Sales and marketing expenses were RMB802.7 million ($126.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB870.5 million in the corresponding period of 2020, primarily due to the decrease in promotional spending and continuous budget control. Share-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing expenses in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB10.2 million ($1.6 million), compared to RMB8.6 million in the corresponding period of 2020.
• General and administrative expenses were RMB127.6 million ($20.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB70.6 million in the corresponding period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the consolidation of TTP Car, Inc ("TTP"). Share-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expenses in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB21.4 million ($3.4 million), compared to RMB10.3 million in the corresponding period of 2020.
• Product development expenses were RMB394.8 million ($62.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB396.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Share-based compensation expense included in product development expenses in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB16.6 million ($2.6 million), compared to RMB20.5 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB176.9 million ($27.8 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB947.2 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Income Tax Benefit

There was an income tax benefit of RMB119.4 million ($18.7 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB70.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. 

Net income attributable to Autohome Inc. was RMB267.8 million ($42.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared with RMB1,146.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

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

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB257.0 million ($40.3 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB1,146.9 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Basic and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") were RMB0.51 ($0.08) and RMB0.51 ($0.08), respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2021 as compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB2.39 and RMB2.38, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2020. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB2.03 ($0.32) and RMB2.03 ($0.32), respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2021 as compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB9.58 and RMB9.53, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2020.

Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP) and Non-GAAP Earnings per Share/ADS

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP) was RMB469.6 million ($73.7 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to RMB1,192.0 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB0.93 ($0.15) and RMB0.93 ($0.15), respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2021 as compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB2.49 and RMB2.48, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2020. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB3.71 ($0.58) and RMB3.71 ($0.58), respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2021 as compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB9.95 and RMB9.91, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2020.

Unaudited Full Year 2021 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues in 2021 were RMB7,237.0 million ($1,135.6 million), compared to RMB8,658.6 million in 2020.

• Media services revenues were RMB2,011.4 million ($315.6 million), compared to RMB3,455.1 million in 2020. The decline was primarily due to the decrease in average revenue per automaker advertiser, who adjusted their advertising budgets due to the ongoing global chip shortage and the elevated price of raw materials.
• Leads generation services revenues were RMB2,988.1 million ($468.9 million), compared to RMB3,198.8 million in 2020. The decline was primarily due to the decrease in dealers' marketing spending.
• Online marketplace and others revenues increased by 11.6% year-over-year to RMB2,237.5 million ($351.1 million) from RMB2,004.7 million in 2020. The increase was primarily due to the consolidation of TTP.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB1,047.9 million ($164.4 million) in 2021, compared to RMB961.2 million in 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to the consolidation of TTP. In addition, share-based compensation expense included in cost of revenues was RMB23.1 million ($3.6 million) in 2021, compared to RMB21.4 million in 2020.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB4,701.7 million ($737.8 million) in 2021, compared to RMB4,992.6 million in 2020.

• Sales and marketing expenses were RMB2,759.9 million ($433.1 million) in 2021, compared to RMB3,246.5 million in 2020, primarily due to the decrease in promotional spending and continuous budget control. Share-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing expenses in 2021 was RMB46.8 million ($7.3 million), compared to RMB40.1 million in 2020.
• General and administrative expenses were RMB543.8 million ($85.3 million) in 2021, compared to RMB381.8 million in 2020. The increase was primarily due to the consolidation of TTP. Share-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expenses in 2021 was RMB48.8 million ($7.7 million), compared to RMB55.9 million in 2020.
• Product development expenses were RMB1,398.0 million ($219.4 million) in 2021, compared to RMB1,364.2 million in 2020. The increase was primarily due to the consolidation of TTP. Share-based compensation expense included in product development expenses in 2021 was RMB87.3 million ($13.7 million), compared to RMB93.9 million in 2020.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB1,781.6 million ($279.6 million) in 2021, compared to RMB3,148.0 million in 2020.

Income Tax Expense

There was an income tax expense of RMB34.0 million ($5.3 million) in 2021, compared to RMB260.9 million in 2020. The decrease was primarily due to lower taxable income.

Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. 

Net income attributable to Autohome Inc. was RMB2,248.8 million ($352.9 million) in 2021, compared to RMB3,405.2 million in 2020.

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

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB2,148.6 million ($337.2 million) in 2021, compared to RMB3,405.2 million in 2020. Basic and diluted EPS were RMB4.30 ($0.67) and RMB4.29 ($0.67), respectively, in 2021 as compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB7.13 and RMB7.10, respectively, in 2020. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB17.19 ($2.70) and RMB17.17 ($2.69), respectively, in 2021 as compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB28.53 and RMB28.40, respectively, in 2020.

Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP) and Non-GAAP Earnings per Share/ADS

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome Inc. (Non-GAAP) was RMB2,582.4 million ($405.2 million) in 2021, compared to RMB3,621.0 million in 2020. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB5.17 ($0.81) and RMB5.16 ($0.81), respectively, in 2021 as compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB7.58  and RMB7.55, respectively, in 2020. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB20.66 ($3.24) and RMB20.64 ($3.24), respectively, in 2021 as compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB30.33 and RMB30.19, respectively, in 2020.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB20.73 billion ($3.25 billion). Net cash provided by operating activities in the year of 2021 was RMB3,523.9 million ($553.0 million).

Share Repurchase

On November 18, 2021, the Company announced that its Board had authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$200 million of its ADSs for a period not to exceed 12 months thereafter. As of February 22, 2022, the Company had repurchased 432,653 ADSs for a total cost of approximately US$12.7 million.

Annual Dividend

The Board has approved a dividend of US$0.53 per ADS (or US$0.1325 per ordinary share) for fiscal year 2021, which is expected to be paid to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 21, 2022, Beijing/ Hong Kong Time and New York Time, respectively, payable in U.S. dollars. 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 March 21, 2022 (Beijing/ Hong Kong Time). The payment is expected to be issued on March 31, 2022 for holders of ordinary shares and on or around April 5, 2022 for holders of ADSs.

Under the Company's annual dividend policy approved on November 4, 2019, the annual dividend has been set at an amount equivalent to approximately 20% of the Company's net income in the previous fiscal year. The determination to make future dividend distributions, and the exact amount of such distributions in any particular year, will be based upon the Company's operations and earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors, and subject to adjustment and determination by the Board.

Employees

The Company had 5,793 employees as of December 31, 2021, including 2,147 employees from TTP.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call at 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 24, 2022 (8:00 PM Beijing Time on the same day).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

Please dial in ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until March 3, 2022:

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

About Autohome Inc.

Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to engage, educate and inform consumers about everything auto. Autohome provides original generated content, professionally generated content, user-generated content, and AI-generated content, a comprehensive automobile library, and extensive automobile listing information to automobile consumers, covering the entire car purchase and ownership cycle. The ability to reach a large and engaged user base of automobile consumers has made Autohome a preferred platform for automakers and dealers to conduct their advertising campaigns. Further, the Company's dealer subscription and advertising services allow dealers to market their inventory and services through Autohome's platform, extending the reach of their physical showrooms to potentially millions of internet users in China and generating sales leads for them. The Company offers sales leads, data analysis, and marketing services to assist automakers and dealers with improving their efficiency and facilitating transactions. Autohome operates its "Autohome Mall," a full-service online transaction platform, to facilitate transactions for automakers and dealers. Further, through its websites and mobile applications, it also provides other value-added services, including auto financing, auto insurance, used car transactions, and aftermarket services. For further information, please visit www.autohome.com.cn.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, Autohome's business outlook, Autohome's strategic and operational plans and quotations from management in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. Autohome may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Hong Kong Stock Exchange"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Autohome's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Autohome's goals and strategies; Autohome's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the online automobile advertising market in China; Autohome's ability to attract and retain users and advertisers and further enhance its brand recognition; Autohome's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; competition in the online automobile advertising industry; relevant government policies and regulatory environment of China; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Autohome's filings with the SEC and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Autohome does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement net income presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we use Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc., Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS and earnings per ADS, Adjusted net margin and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP financial measures. We define Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. as net income attributable to Autohome Inc. excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition, certain noncontrolling interests adjustments for TTP (for the first time starting in the first quarter of 2021 included interest income related to convertible bond investment to TTP, which is eliminated in consolidation), and investment loss relating to non-operating impact of a write-down of the initial investment in a financial product, adjusted for related income tax effects. We define Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares. We define Adjusted net margin as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome Inc. divided by total net revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Autohome Inc. before income tax expense, depreciation expenses of property and equipment, amortization expenses of intangible assets, and share-based compensation expenses. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance, in addition to net income prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are important to help investors understand our operating and financial performance, compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and assess our core operating results, as they exclude certain non-cash charges or non-operating items in nature. The use of the above non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations, as the excluded certain items that have been and will continue to be incurred in the future and are not reflected in the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures, but should be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliation of non-GAAP and GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Autohome Inc.
Investor Relations  
Tel: +86-10-5985-7483
E-mail: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: [email protected]

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Autohome Inc.