UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of May 2024

Commission File Number: 001-36222

 

 

Autohome Inc.

 

 

18th Floor Tower B, CEC Plaza

3 Dan Ling Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100080

The People’s Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F ☒    Form 40-F ☐

 

 

 


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

99.1    Press Release


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Autohome Inc.
By :  

/s/ Tao Wu

Name:   Tao Wu
Title :   Director and Chief Executive Officer

Date: May 8, 2024

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

 

 

Autohome Inc. Announces Unaudited First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

BEIJING, May 8, 2024 – 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 March 31, 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Highlights1

 

   

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB1,609.1 million (US$222.9 million), compared to RMB1,533.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Net income attributable to Autohome in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB394.5 million (US$54.6 million), compared to RMB405.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023, while net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB379.8 million (US$52.6 million), compared to RMB392.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP)2 in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB493.9 million (US$68.4 million), compared to RMB483.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Mr. Tao Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Autohome, stated, “We are delighted to report a solid start to the year, characterized by sustained revenue growth, consistent expansion in our user-base, and the successful deployment of our new business initiatives. For our users, according to QuestMobile, average mobile daily active users grew by 8.1% year-over-year to 69.39 million in March, highlighting the effectiveness of our content-focused strategy on attracting users. For our innovative businesses, Autohome Space is expanding further geographically, with a number of new franchise stores on track to open this year. In addition, we actively responded to the national “trade-in for new” policy, launching a series of initiatives such as the “Hundred Cities ‘Trade-in for New’ Car-Buying Festival”—in collaboration with Ping An Group—allowing consumers to enjoy even more benefits. Going forward, we will continue to build upon our solid business fundamentals and leverage Ping An Group’s unique resources to strengthen our long-term competitiveness in the industry.”

Mr. Craig Yan Zeng, Chief Financial Officer of Autohome, added, “We delivered solid financial results in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting the successful execution of our key growth strategies. Revenues from our data products continued their strong upward growth trajectory, while revenues from new energy vehicle (“NEV”) brands remained robust, with a quarterly growth rate that consistently outpaces the broader industry. Our new retail business also bolstered our topline, enhancing our revenue sources. Moving ahead, we remain committed to delivering a diverse array of premium products and services, while generating sustainable long-term returns for our shareholders.”

 

 

1 

The reporting currency of the Company is Renminbi (“RMB”). For readers’ convenience, certain amounts throughout the release are presented in US dollars (“US$”). Unless otherwise noted, all conversions from RMB to US$ are translated at the noon buying rate of US$1.00 to RMB7.2203 on March 29, 2024 in the City of New York for cable transfers of RMB as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$ at such rate.

2 

For more information on this and other non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section captioned “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the tables captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of Non-GAAP and GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this release.

 

1


Unaudited First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB1,609.1 million (US$222.9 million), compared to RMB1,533.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Media services revenues were RMB327.4 million (US$45.3 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB361.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Leads generation services revenues were RMB726.4 million (US$100.6 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB680.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Online marketplace and others revenues were RMB555.2 million (US$76.9 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB491.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB300.9 million (US$41.7 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB340.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in the cost of revenues in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB0.9 million (US$0.1 million), compared to RMB2.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB1,126.9 million (US$156.1 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB996.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB641.3 million (US$88.8 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB523.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023, due primarily to an increase in marketing and promotional expenses. Share-based compensation expenses included in the sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB12.8 million (US$1.8 million), compared to RMB10.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

General and administrative expenses were RMB149.5 million (US$20.7 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB149.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in the general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB12.0 million (US$1.7 million), compared to RMB12.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

   

Product development expenses were RMB336.1 million (US$46.5 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB324.4 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expense included in the product development expenses in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB22.6 million (US$3.1 million), compared to RMB21.7 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB276.1 million (US$38.2 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB263.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

 

2


Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was RMB68.4 million (US$9.5 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to an income tax expense of RMB54.7 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Net Income Attributable to Autohome

Net income attributable to Autohome was RMB394.5 million (US$54.6 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB405.5 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 RMB379.8 million (US$52.6 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB392.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) were RMB0.78 (US$0.11) and RMB0.78 (US$0.11), respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB0.80 and RMB0.79, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB3.14 (US$0.43) and RMB3.13 (US$0.43), respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB3.18 and RMB3.17, 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 RMB493.9 million (US$68.4 million) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to RMB483.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB1.02 (US$0.14) and RMB1.02 (US$0.14), respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB0.98 and RMB0.98, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB4.08 (US$0.57) and RMB4.07 (US$0.56), respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB3.92 and RMB3.91, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB23.65 billion (US$3.27 billion). Net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB560.8 million (US$77.7 million).

Employees

The Company had 5,420 employees as of March 31, 2024, including 2,092 employees from TTP Car, Inc.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 8, 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/BI2fcb0a45d64545c6a343681516211406

 

3


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.

About Autohome

Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to relentlessly reduce auto industry decision-making and transaction costs driven by advanced technology. Autohome provides occupationally 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. 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 https://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.

 

4


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, 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 as net income attributable to Autohome excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition, investment loss/(gain) relating to non-operating impact of a write-down of the initial investment in a financial product, and loss/(gain) pickup of equity method investments, with all the reconciliation items adjusted for related income tax effects. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ADSs. We define Adjusted net margin as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by total net revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Autohome 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 items that are non-operating in nature. The use of the above non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations as they excluded certain items that have been and will continue to be incurred in the future, but such items 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 “Unaudited Reconciliation of non-GAAP and GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Autohome Inc.

Investor Relations

Sterling Song

Investor Relations Director

Tel: +86-10-5985-7483

E-mail: ir@autohome.com.cn

Christensen China Limited

Suri Cheng

Tel: +86-185-0060-8364

E-mail: suri.cheng@christensencomms.com

 

5


AUTOHOME INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA

(Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)

 

     For three months ended March 31,  
     2023     2024  
     RMB     RMB     US$  

Net revenues:

      

Media services

     361,468       327,431       45,349  

Leads generation services

     680,634       726,423       100,608  

Online marketplace and others

     491,527       555,211       76,896  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total net revenues

     1,533,629       1,609,065       222,853  

Cost of revenues

     (340,214     (300,892     (41,673
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     1,193,415       1,308,173       181,180  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

      

Sales and marketing expenses

     (523,116     (641,276     (88,816

General and administrative expenses

     (149,156     (149,545     (20,712

Product development expenses

     (324,366     (336,067     (46,545
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     (996,638     (1,126,888     (156,073
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other operating income, net

     66,388       94,793       13,129  

Operating profit

     263,165       276,078       38,236  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest and investment income, net

     225,015       219,974       30,466  

Loss from equity method investments

     (31,435     (49,133     (6,805
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

     456,745       446,919       61,897  

Income tax expense

     (54,681     (68,401     (9,473
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

     402,064       378,518       52,424  

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

     3,438       15,981       2,213  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Autohome

     405,502       394,499       54,637  

Accretion of mezzanine equity

     (36,499     (41,671     (5,771

Accretion attributable to noncontrolling interests

     23,749       26,948       3,732  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders

     392,752       379,776       52,598  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share for ordinary shares

      

Basic

     0.80       0.78       0.11  

Diluted

     0.79       0.78       0.11  

Earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders (one ADS equals for four ordinary shares)

      

Basic

     3.18       3.14       0.43  

Diluted

     3.17       3.13       0.43  

Weighted average shares used to compute earnings per share attributable to ordinary shareholders:

      

Basic

     493,324,032       484,278,900       484,278,900  

Diluted

     494,826,708       485,253,760       485,253,760  

 

6


AUTOHOME INC.

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP AND GAAP RESULTS

(Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)

 

     For three months ended March 31,  
     2023     2024  
     RMB     RMB     US$  

Net income attributable to Autohome

     405,502       394,499       54,637  

Plus: income tax expense

     56,021       69,742       9,659  

Plus: depreciation of property and equipment

     47,938       33,534       4,644  

Plus: amortization of intangible assets

     10,840       9,650       1,337  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EBITDA

     520,301       507,425       70,277  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Plus: share-based compensation expenses

     46,185       48,307       6,690  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

     566,486       555,732       76,967  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Autohome

     405,502       394,499       54,637  

Plus: amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition

     10,722       9,583       1,327  

Plus: share-based compensation expenses

     46,185       48,307       6,690  

Plus: investment loss/(gain) arising from one of financial products3

     (5,813     —        —   

Plus: loss on equity method investments, net

     31,435       49,133       6,805  

Plus: tax effects of the adjustments

     (4,520     (7,594     (1,052
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome

     483,511       493,928       68,407  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Autohome

     405,502       394,499       54,637  

Net margin

     26.4     24.5     24.5

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome

     483,511       493,928       68,407  

Adjusted net margin

     31.5     30.7     30.7

Non-GAAP earnings per share

      

Basic

     0.98       1.02       0.14  

Diluted

     0.98       1.02       0.14  

Non-GAAP earnings per ADS (one ADS equals for four ordinary shares)

      

Basic

     3.92       4.08       0.57  

Diluted

     3.91       4.07       0.56  

Weighted average shares used to compute non-GAAP earnings per share:

      

Basic

     493,324,032       484,278,900       484,278,900  

Diluted

     494,826,708       485,253,760       485,253,760  

 

 

3 

It represented the loss or gain of an investment with fair value below its initial investment, which was recognized at “interest and investment income, net”. The impact was considered to be not directly related to the Company’s operating activities.

 

7


AUTOHOME INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

(Amount in thousands, except as noted)

 

     As of
December 31,
    As of March 31,  
     2023     2024  
     RMB     RMB     US$  

ASSETS

      

Current assets

      

Cash and cash equivalents

     4,996,353       2,870,271       397,528  

Restricted cash

     126,794       152,730       21,153  

Short-term investments

     18,552,354       20,775,926       2,877,433  

Accounts receivable, net

     1,472,489       1,337,141       185,192  

Amounts due from related parties, current

     16,439       66,962       9,274  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     360,559       437,926       60,652  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     25,524,988       25,640,956       3,551,232  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current assets

      

Restricted cash, non-current

     5,000       5,000       692  

Property and equipment, net

     200,860       189,714       26,275  

Goodwill and intangible assets, net

     4,143,968       4,125,383       571,359  

Long-term investments

     448,341       399,208       55,290  

Deferred tax assets

     295,598       295,598       40,940  

Amounts due from related parties, non-current

     16,048       13,877       1,922  

Other non-current assets

     200,928       186,645       25,850  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-current assets

     5,310,743       5,215,425       722,328  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

     30,835,731       30,856,381       4,273,560  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

      

Current liabilities

      

Accrued expenses and other payables

     2,932,227       2,528,006       350,125  

Advance from customers

     105,379       109,485       15,163  

Deferred revenue

     801,581       1,189,742       164,777  

Income tax payable

     227,260       284,658       39,425  

Amounts due to related parties

     24,572       27,767       3,846  

Dividends payable

     984,332       536,760       74,340  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     5,075,351       4,676,418       647,676  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

      

Other liabilities

     89,187       77,363       10,715  

Deferred tax liabilities

     497,955       495,708       68,655  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-current liabilities

     587,142       573,071       79,370  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     5,662,493       5,249,489       727,046  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MEZZANINE EQUITY

      

Convertible redeemable noncontrolling interests

     1,758,933       1,800,604       249,381  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EQUITY

      

Total Autohome shareholders’ equity

     23,928,187       24,363,089       3,374,249  

Noncontrolling interests

     (513,882     (556,801     (77,116
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

     23,414,305       23,806,288       3,297,133  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and equity

     30,835,731       30,856,381       4,273,560  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

8


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