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Total Revenues up 36% Year-on-Year to US$115.7 Million, Exceeding High End of Company Guidance;
Non-GAAP Net Income up 87% Year-on-Year to US$46.9 Million;
Non-GAAP Fully Diluted EPS of US$1.20, Exceeding High End of Company Guidance by US 10 Cents
BEIJING, CHINA, May 4, 2009 ¨C Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU), China's leading online media, communications, search, online games and mobile value-added services company, today reported unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009.
First Quarter Highlights
- Total revenues of US$115.7 million, up 36% year-on-year, exceeding high end of company guidance.
- Brand advertising revenues of US$39.1 million, up 18% year-on-year, within company guidance.
- Online game revenues of record US$61.6 million, up 50% year-on-year and up 6% quarter-on-quarter, exceeding high end of company guidance by US$1.6 million.
- For online game business, aggregate peak concurrent users (¡°PCU¡±) for both MMORPGs increased 16% quarter-on-quarter and 47% year-on-year to 970,000. Aggregate active paying accounts (¡°APA¡±) for both MMORPGs increased 14% quarter-on-quarter and 50% year-on-year to 2.27 million.
- GAAP net income of US$44.6 million or US$1.15 per fully diluted share. GAAP net income was 2.1 times that of first quarter 2008. GAAP net income included US$33.5 million of GAAP net income contributed by online game business with a 15% quarter-on-quarter increase or a 120% year-on-year increase.
- Non-GAAP net income (i.e., excluding share-based compensation expense) of US$46.9 million, or US$1.20 per fully diluted share, exceeding the high end of company guidance of US$1.10 by US 10 cents. Non-GAAP net income increased 87% year-on-year. Non-GAAP net income included US$34.4 million of Non-GAAP net income contributed by online game business with a 13% quarter-on-quarter increase or a 100% year-on-year increase.
- Non-GAAP operating margin of 45%, up from 43% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 40% in the first quarter of 2008.
Explanation of the Company¡¯s non-GAAP financial measures and related reconciliations to GAAP financial measures are included in the accompanying ¡°Non-GAAP Disclosure¡± and the ¡°Reconciliation to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.¡±
Dr. Charles Zhang, Chairman and CEO of Sohu.com, commented, ¡°We are pleased to report another quarter of solid financial results, which further proves the combination of our two core businesses, namely our portal business and online game business, can enable Sohu to deliver sustainable growth through various economic cycles. Our online game business has been more resilient to the weak economic conditions and continues to show strong growth momentum. This more than offsets any temporary impact on our portal business brought by the economic weakness in China.
¡°For Sohu¡¯s portal business, as always, we are extremely focused on our long-term strategic vision to make Sohu one of the most powerful mainstream media platforms in China. With some indications of the potential recovery of the overall economy underway, we believe a modest macro environment provides great media-driven opportunities for Sohu. Bolstered by a rapidly growing Internet population, we will put to use our unparalleled media platform to further strengthen our position as a leading Internet company in China in 2009.¡±
¡°Success of our online game business has been one of our proud achievements. In a short period of two years, Sohu¡¯s online game business was developed from nascency to become one of the top massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) operators in China. Its success was further endorsed by the spin-off and initial public offering of MMORPG subsidiary Changyou.com (NASDAQ: CYOU) on April 2, 2009. Changyou¡¯s public debut was one of the most successful IPOs in the US markets in nearly 12 months. The successful IPO provides Changyou with the platform and resources to become a leading company in the MMORPG industry, and enables Changyou to compete head to head with first tier players.
Dr. Zhang continued, ¡°Going forward, Sohu and Changyou will continue to enjoy the same synergies as before. Sohu provides Changyou with advertising resources on the Sohu portal and its verticals, especially China¡¯s largest gaming portal 17173.com, marketing and promotion of Changyou¡¯s games through the use of Sohu¡¯s web domains, single user-ID system and base of more than 250 million registered users, as well as Sohu¡¯s strong brand recognition and user platforms. Meanwhile, Changyou continues to bring users to Sohu portal.¡±
Commenting on Sohu¡¯s brand advertising business, Ms. Belinda Wang, Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer of Sohu.com, said, ¡°Although the general advertising and media industry have been shadowed by weak economic conditions and advertisers remain cautious about their advertising spending, Internet as a group will continue to gain market share from other offline media. Despite a difficult economic environment, Sohu¡¯s continuous efforts and investment in branding, sales and marketing initiatives, technology and content offering will continue to pay off.¡±
First Quarter Financial Results
Revenues
Total revenues for the first
quarter ended March 31, 2009 were US$115.7 million, representing a decrease of
5% sequentially and increase of 36% year-on-year.
Brand advertising revenues
for the first quarter of 2009 totaled US$39.1 million, down 13%
quarter-on-quarter seasonally but up 18% year-on-year.
Online game revenues
for the first quarter of 2009 were US$61.6 million with an increase of 6%
quarter-on-quarter and 50% year-on-year. The increases were mainly attributable
to an increase in Tian Long Ba Bu (¡°TLBB¡±) revenues as a result of user base
expansion and enhanced user loyalty, as well as increased revenues from Blade
Online (¡°BO¡±).
Gross Margin
Gross
margin was 76% in the first quarter of 2009, up from 75% in the fourth quarter
of 2008, and equivalent to 76% in the first quarter of 2008.Non-GAAP gross
margin for the first quarter of 2009 was also 76%, up from 75% in the fourth
quarter of 2008, and equivalent to 76% in the first quarter of
2008.
Brand advertising gross margin for the first quarter of 2009 was
65%, compared with 66% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 66% in the first
quarter of 2008. Non-GAAP brand advertising gross margin for the first quarter
of 2009 was 65%, compared with 67% in both the fourth quarter of 2008 and the
first quarter of 2008.
Online game gross margin for the first quarter of
2009 was 94%, up from 93% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 92% in the first
quarter of 2008. Non-GAAP non-advertising gross margin for the first quarter of
2009 was 85%, up from 83% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and at the same level as
in the first quarter of 2008.
Operating
Expenses
For the first quarter of 2009, Sohu's operating
expenses totaled US$38.1 million. Non-GAAP operating expenses totaled US$36.1
million, down 9% from US$39.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 and up 17%
year-on-year. The quarter-on-quarter decrease was primarily attributable to
lower sales commission and bonuses in the first quarter of 2009. The
year-on-year increase was primarily due to continued investment in product
development, marketing expenses for Sohu¡¯s branding initiatives and an increase
in salaries and bonuses.
Operating
Margin
Non-GAAP operating margin for the first quarter of
2009 was 45%, up from 43% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 40% during the first
quarter of 2008.
Income Tax Expense
For
the first quarter of 2009, income tax expense was $6.6 million, and the
effective tax rate was 13%, as compared to 5% for the full year 2008.
Net Income
GAAP net income for the
first quarter of 2009 was US$44.6 million or US$1.15 per fully diluted share.
Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2009 was US$46.9 million or US$1.20
per fully diluted share.
GAAP net income contributed by online game
business for the first quarter of 2009 was US$33.5 million, a 15% increase
quarter-on-quarter and 120% year-on-year. Non-GAAP net income contributed by
online game business was US$34.4 million, a 13% increase quarter-on-quarter and
100% year-on-year.
Cash Balance
The
Company continued to maintain a debt free balance sheet and a strong cash
position of US$373.2 million as of March 31, 2009.
In addition, the Company¡¯s cash balance will reflect a deposit of US$ 128.3 million of net proceeds from the successful IPO of Changyou.com completed in early April 2009.
Stock Repurchase Program
For the first quarter of
2009, no shares were repurchased under the US$150 million share repurchase
program approved by the Company¡¯s Board of Directors in October 2008. As of
April 30th, under this program, approximately 500,000 shares were repurchased
for a total consideration of US$20 million.
First Quarter Online Game Results
Operations
Aggregate PCU for both MMORPGs
increased 16% quarter-on-quarter and 47% year-on-year to 970,000, while PCU for
Tian Long Ba Bu (¡°TLBB¡±), Changyou¡¯s in-house-developed, martial-arts-style
game, increased 19% quarter-on-quarter and 48% year-on-year to 875,000 following
the release of Changyou¡¯s ¡°Legend of the Shadow¡± expansion pack on March 26,
2009. Registered accounts of TLBB as of March 31, 2009 increased 12%
quarter-on-quarter and 80% year-on-year to 50.1 million.
Aggregate APA for both MMORPGs increased 14% quarter-on-quarter and 50% year-on-year to 2.27 million, while APA for TLBB increased 16% quarter-on-quarter and 52% year-on-year to 2.11 million.
Average revenue per user (¡°ARPU¡±) for both MMORPGs decreased 8% quarter-on-quarter and 7% year-over-year to RMB179, while ARPU for TLBB decreased 9% quarter-on-quarter and 12% year-on-year to RMB176. The decrease was mainly a result of Changyou¡¯s strategic decision to maintain TLBB ARPU at a level that is comfortable for the majority of Chinese game players with the goal of fostering a healthy in-game environment so as to further extend lifecycle of the game.
Revenue
Revenues from game operations
increased 5% quarter-on-quarter and 46% year-on-year to US$59.3 million. The
increases were mainly due to the higher APA, which reflects the growing
popularity of Changyou¡¯s online games. Revenues from game operations include
those generated from TLBB, which increased 6% quarter-on-quarter and 41%
year-on-year to US$54.4 million and revenues for Blade Online, which increased
2% quarter-on-quarter and 139% year-on-year to US$5.0 million. Overseas
licensing revenues increased 14% quarter-on-quarter and 493% year-on-year to
US$2.3 million. Changyou began licensing TLBB to Vietnam in August 2007, and
Hong Kong and Taiwan in April 2008. The quarter-on-quarter increase was
primarily due to the successful launch and user acceptance of expansion packs in
overseas markets during the first quarter of 2009.
Ms. Carol Yu, Co-President and CFO of Sohu.com, commented, ¡°Our first quarter results showcase Sohu¡¯s ability to deliver impressive year-over-year growth despite widespread weakness in the economy. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Sohu shareholders and the investment community for their support in the Changyou IPO process. As Changyou¡¯s majority shareholder, holding approximately 68.5% of the total outstanding equity interest and controlling approximately 80.8% of the total voting power, Sohu will continue to provide strong leadership and support to bolster Changyou¡¯s sharpened focus on the MMORPG business, and be a long term beneficiary of Changyou¡¯s performance in years to come. ¡±
Business Outlook
Sohu estimates total revenues for
the second quarter of 2009 to be between US$121 million and US$125 million, with
advertising revenues of US$43.5 million to US$45.5 million and non-advertising
revenues of US$77.5 million to US$79.5 million.
Sohu estimates brand
advertising revenues for the second quarter of 2009 to be between US$42 million
and US$44 million.
Sohu estimates online game revenues for the second
quarter of 2009 to be between US$63 million and US$65 million.
Sohu
estimates non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2009, before deducting
the share of net income pertaining to the Non-Controlling Interest in Changyou,
to be between US$44 million to US$46 million. After deducting the share of net
income pertaining to the Non-Controlling Interest in Changyou, Sohu estimates
non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2009, to be between US$31 million
to US$33 million and non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share for the second
quarter of 2009 to be between $0.80 and $0.85.
Assuming no new grants of
share-based awards, Sohu estimates share-based compensation expense for the
second quarter of 2009 to be between $6.0 million and $7.0 million, which
includes Changyou¡¯s share-based compensation expense for the second quarter of
2009 estimated to be between $5.5 million and $6.0 million. Considering Sohu¡¯s
share in Changyou, the estimated impact of this expense is expected to reduce
Sohu's fully diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2009, under US
GAAP, by $0.10 to $0.13.
Non-GAAP Disclosure
To
supplement the unaudited consolidated financial statements presented in
accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (¡°GAAP¡±),
Sohu's management uses non-GAAP measures of cost of revenues, operating
expenses, net income and net income per share, which are adjusted from results
based on GAAP to exclude the compensation cost of share-based awards granted to
employees under Statement of Financial Accounting Standard 123R. These measures
should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP,
but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP
results.
Sohu's management believes excluding the share-based
compensation expense from its non-GAAP financial measure is useful for itself
and investors. Further, the amount of share-based compensation expense cannot be
anticipated by management and business line leaders and these expenses were not
built into the annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, which have been the basis
for information Sohu provides to analysts and investors as guidance for future
operating performance. As share-based compensation expense does not involve any
upfront or subsequent cash outflow, Sohu does not factor this in when evaluating
and approving expenditures or when determining the allocation of its resources
to its business segments. As a result, the monthly financial results for
internal reporting and any performance measure for commissions and bonuses are
based on non-GAAP financial measures that exclude share-based compensation
expense.
The non-GAAP financial measures are provided to enhance the
investors¡¯ overall understanding of Sohu's current financial performance and
prospects for the future. A limitation of using non-GAAP cost of revenues,
operating expenses, net income and net income per share, excluding share-based
compensation expense, is that the share-based compensation charge has been and
will continue to be a significant recurring expense in our business for the
foreseeable future. In order to mitigate these limitations we have provided
specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP
measure. The accompanying tables include details on the reconciliation between
GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to the non-GAAP
financial measures we have presented.
Notes to Financial
Information
Financial information in this press release other
than the information indicated as being non-GAAP is extracted from Sohu's
unaudited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.
On June 20,
2006, Sohu discontinued its own e-commerce platform of physical consumer goods.
While processing the disposal of its e-commerce business, Sohu is reporting the
related business activities as discontinued operations. Sohu's income statement
separates out discontinued operations for both current and prior periods in
order to focus on continuing operations and provide a consistent basis for
comparing financial performance over time.
Safe
Harbor Statement
This
announcement contains forward-looking statements. It is currently expected that
the Business Outlook will not be updated until release of Sohu's next quarterly
earnings announcement; however, Sohu reserves right to update its Business
Outlook at any time for any reason. Statements that are not historical facts,
including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking
statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and
projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution
you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential
risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current global
financial and credit markets crisis and its potential impact on the Chinese
economy, the slower growth the Chinese economy experienced during the latter
half of 2008, and first quarter of 2009 which could continue through the
remainder of 2009, the uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic
of China, fluctuations in Sohu's quarterly operating results, EPS dilution
resulting from Changyou¡¯s initial public offering, Sohu's historical and
possible future losses, and the its reliance on online advertising sales, online
games and wireless services (most wireless revenues are collected from a few
mobile network operators) for its revenues. Further information regarding these
and other risks is included in Sohu's annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2008, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Conference Call and Webcast
Sohu's management team
will host a conference call today at 8:30 AM EDT, May 4, 2009 (or 8:30 PM, May
4, 2009 Beijing/Hong Kong time). To listen to the conference call, please use
the dial in numbers below:
USA Toll Number: 1-877-941-1427
International:
1-480-629-9664
A replay of the call will be available for two weeks following the call and can be accessed by dialing the numbers below:
USA Toll Number: 1-800-406-7325
International: 1-303-590-3030
PASSCODE:
4064940#
The conference call will be available on webcast live and available for replay at: http://corp.sohu.com/.
About Sohu.com
Sohu.com Inc.
(NASDAQ: SOHU) is China's premier online brand and indispensable to the daily
life of millions of Chinese, providing a network of web properties and community
based/web 2.0 products which offer the vast Sohu user community a broad array of
choices regarding information, entertainment and communication. Sohu has built
one of the most comprehensive matrices of Chinese language web properties and
proprietary search engines, consisting of the mass portal and leading online
media destination www.sohu.com; interactive
search engine www.sogou.com; #1 games
information portal www.17173.com; the top
real estate website www.focus.cn; #1 online
alumni club www.chinaren.com; wireless
value-added services provider www.goodfeel.com.cn; leading online
mapping service provider www.go2map.com, and
developer and operator of MMORPGs www.changyou.com.
Sohu corporate
services consist of brand advertising on its matrix of websites as well as paid
listing and bid listing on its in-house developed search directory and engines.
The Company's MMORPG subsidiary, Changyou, currently operates two MMORPGs, Tian
Long Ba Bu and Blade Online. Sohu also offers wireless value-added services such
as news, information, music, ringtone and picture content sent over mobile
phones. Sohu.com, established by Dr. Charles Zhang, one of China's internet
pioneers, is in its thirteenth year of operation.
Sohu.com Contact Information
James
Deng
Senior Finance Director
Tel: +86-10-6272 6596
E-mail:
xiufengdeng@sohu-inc.com
Helen Zhang
Director
Investor Relations and Corporate
Communications
Tel: +86-10-6272 6969
E-mail: ir@contact.sohu.com
http://corp.sohu.com