Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2024 were RMB247.7 million (US$34.3 million), compared with RMB229.9 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily due to higher share-based compensation expenses, as well as an increase in salary and benefits expenses.
Income from Operations. Income from operations in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB312.2 million (US$43.2 million), an increase of 88.3% from RMB165.8 million in the same period of 2023.
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income.5 Non-GAAP adjusted operating income in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB485.4 million (US$67.2 million), an increase of 78.2% from RMB272.4 million in the same period of 2023.
Net Income. Net income in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB586.4 million (US$81.2 million), an increase of 42.5% from RMB411.4 million in the same period of 2023.
Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income. Non-GAAP adjusted net income in the first quarter of 2024 was RMB756.4 million (US$104.8 million), an increase of 46.9% from RMB514.8 million in the same period of 2023.
Basic and Diluted Net Income per ADS6 and Non-GAAP Adjusted Basic and Diluted Net Income per ADS.7 Basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB0.56 (US$0.08) in the first quarter of 2024, compared with RMB0.38 in the same period of 2023. Non-GAAP adjusted basic and diluted net income per ADS was RMB0.72 (US$0.10) in the first quarter of 2024, compared with RMB0.48 in the same period of 2023.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, long-term time deposits and wealth management products with maturities over one year of RMB27.5 billion (US$3.8 billion) in total, compared with RMB27.6 billion as of December 31, 2023.
As of March 31, 2024, the total outstanding balance of on-balance sheet loans, consisting of the total principal amounts and all accrued and unpaid interests of the loans funded through our small loan company, reduced by an allowance for estimated losses, was RMB3,565.2 million (US$493.8 million), compared with RMB3,521.1 million as of December 31, 2023. The total non-performing loan ratio8 for these loans was 2.1% as of March 31, 2024, compared with 2.0% as of December 31, 2023.
In the first quarter of 2024, net cash provided by operating activities was RMB195.3 million (US$27.0 million).
4 | Effective January 1, 2024, to better reflect our business development, we have renamed our “Transaction commission” revenue stream as “Transaction service,” which consists of all monetization from truckers related to our freight matching service, including the revenue generated from our intra-city business, which was previously classified under “Freight listing service” and “Value-added services.” The comparative periods have been restated to conform to this presentation by reclassifying RMB23.8 million and RMB3.2 million, which were previously included in “Freight listing service” and “Value-added services,” respectively, as “Transaction service”. |
5 | Non-GAAP adjusted operating income is defined as income from operations excluding (i) share-based compensation expense; (ii) amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions; and (iii) compensation cost incurred in relation to acquisitions. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” at the end of this press release. |
6 | ADS refers to American depositary shares, each of which represents 20 Class A ordinary shares. |