Fair value measurement of financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities of the Company primarily comprise of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits, financial products, derivative instruments, accounts receivable, due from related parties, available-for-sale debt investments, equity securities, accounts payable, due to related parties, advances from end users, short-term bank borrowings, exchangeable senior notes, other short-term liabilities and long-term debts. As of December 31, 2023, and March 31, 2024, except for financial products, derivative instruments, exchangeable senior notes, long-term debts, listed equity securities and available-for-sale debt investments, carrying values of the financial instruments approximated their fair values because of their generally short maturities. The Company reports financial products, derivative instruments, exchangeable senior notes, listed equity securities and available-for-sale debt investments at fair value at each balance sheet date and changes in fair value are reflected in the statements of income and comprehensive income. The Company disclosed the fair value of its long-term debts based on Level 2 inputs in Note 8.
The Company measures its financial assets and liabilities using inputs from the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy. The three levels are as follows:
Level 1 inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets that the management has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset (i.e., interest rates, yield curves, etc.), and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (market corroborated inputs).
Level 3 includes unobservable inputs that reflect the management’s assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset. The management develops these inputs based on the best information available, including the own data.
Business combination
U.S. GAAP requires that all business combinations not involving entities or businesses under common control be accounted for under the acquisition method. The Company applies ASC 805, “Business combinations”, the cost of an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the fair values at the date of exchange of the assets given, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued. The costs directly attributable to the acquisition are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired or assumed are measured separately at their fair value as of the acquisition date, irrespective of the extent of any non-controlling interests. The excess of the (i) the total of cost of acquisition, fair value of the non-controlling interests and acquisition date fair value of any previously held equity interest in the acquiree over (ii) the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquiree is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
The determination and allocation of fair values to the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed is based on various assumptions and valuation methodologies requiring considerable management judgment. The most significant variables in these valuations are discount rates, terminal values, growth rates, the number of years on which to base the cash flow projections, as well as the assumptions and estimates used to determine the cash inflows and outflows. Management determines discount rates to be used based on the risk inherent in the related activity’s current business model and industry comparisons. Terminal values are based on the expected life of products and forecasted life cycle and forecasted cash flows over that period. The Company’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Any changes to provisional amounts identified during the measurement period are recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined.
Acquisitions
During the periods presented, the Company completed several transactions to acquire controlling shares to enrich its products and to expand business. The Company makes estimates and judgments in determining the fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities, based in part on independent appraisal reports as well as its experience with purchasing similar assets and liabilities in similar industries. Major assumptions used in determining the fair value of these acquired assets include revenue growth rate and weighted average cost of capital. The amount of excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired is recorded as goodwill.
The acquisitions in the three-month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2024 with total consideration of RMB3.5 million and nil that resulted in no recorded goodwill and recorded intangible assets of RMB2.6 million and nil respectively.
Pro forma results of operations for these acquisitions have not been presented because they are not material to the consolidated income statements for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2024, either individually or in aggregate.
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