NetEase's Board Approves New Share Repurchase Program

BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- NetEase.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES), one of China's leading Internet and online game services providers, today announced that its board of directors has approved a new share repurchase program of up to US$50 million of the company's outstanding American Depositary Shares (ADSs) for a period not to exceed three months.  

Under the terms of the approved program, NetEase may repurchase its issued and outstanding ADSs in open-market transactions on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The timing and dollar amount of repurchase transactions will be subject to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 10b-18 requirements. It is also expected that such repurchases will be effected pursuant to a plan in conformity with SEC Rule 10b5-1. NetEase plans to fund repurchases made under this program from available working capital.

About NetEase

NetEase.com, Inc. is a leading China-based Internet technology company that pioneered the development of applications, services and other technologies for the Internet in China. NetEase's online communities and personalized premium services have established a large and stable user base for the NetEase websites which are operated by its affiliates. In particular, NetEase provides online game services to Internet users through the in-house development or licensing of massively multi-player online role-playing games, including Fantasy Westward Journey, Westward Journey Online II, Westward Journey Online III, Tianxia II, Heroes of Tang Dynasty, Datang and Ghost, as well as the licensed games, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft and StarCraft II.

NetEase also offers online advertising on its websites, which enables advertisers to reach its substantial user base. In addition, NetEase has paid listings on its search engine and web directory and classified advertising services, as well as an online mall, which provides opportunities for e-commerce and traditional businesses to establish their own storefront on the Internet. NetEase also offers wireless value-added services such as news and information content, matchmaking services, music and photos from the Web, which are sent over SMS, MMS, WAP, IVR and Color Ring-back Tone technologies.

Other community services that the NetEase websites offer include instant messaging, online personal advertisements, matchmaking, alumni clubs and community forums. The Company believes that it is also the largest provider of free e-mail services in China. Furthermore, the NetEase websites as well as its micro-blogging services provide various channels of content. NetEase aggregates news content on world events, sports, science and technology, and financial markets, as well as entertainment content such as cartoons, games, astrology and jokes, from over one hundred international and domestic content providers.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. The accuracy of these statements may be impacted by a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including risks related to: the risk that the share repurchase program will not increase shareholder value; and other risks outlined in NetEase's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NetEase does not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE NetEase.com, Inc.