YY - JOYY Reports Third Quarter 2022 Unaudited Financial Results

SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JOYY Inc. (NASDAQ: YY) (“JOYY” or the “Company,” formerly known as YY Inc.), a global video-based social media company, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2022.

Third Quarter 202 2 Financial Highlights ¹

• Net revenues were US$586.7 million, compared to US$650.5 million in the corresponding period of 2021.
• Net income from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY ² was US$515.3 million, compared to net income of US$7.5 million in the corresponding period of 2021.
• Non-GAAP net i ncome from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest and common shareholders of JOYY ³ was US$76.9 million, compared to non-GAAP net income of US$35.1 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily as a result of improved gross margin, disciplined marketing spending and enhanced operating efficiency at the group level.

Third Quarter 202 2 Operational Highlights

• Average mobile MAUs ⁴ of Bigo Live increased by 14.2% to 35.4 million from 31.0 million in the corresponding period of 2021.
• Average mobile MAUs of Likee decreased by 34.1% to 50.6 million from 76.8 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to reduced spending on user acquisition via advertisement.
• Average mobile MAUs of Hago decreased by 29.6% to 7.6 million from 10.8 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to reduced spending on user acquisition via advertisement.
• Global average mobile MAUs decreased by 6.6% to 269.8 million from 288.8 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in average mobile MAUs of Likee and Hago.
• Total number of paying users of BIGO (including Bigo Live, Likee and imo) ⁵ decreased by 0.5% to 1.51 million from 1.52 million in the corresponding period of 2021.
• Average revenue per paying user of BIGO (including Bigo Live, Likee and imo) ⁶ decreased to US$259.8 from US$307.9 in the corresponding period of 2021.

Mr. David Xueling Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JOYY, commented, “Our forward-looking strategic planning and effective execution of our optimization measures delivered another quarter of improved profitability in spite of the volatile macro environment. We continued to execute our long-term growth strategy, focusing on product upgrades and emphasizing diverse localized content offerings. As a result, we achieved a steady and efficient expansion of Bigo Live’s user community, growing Bigo Live’s MAUs by 14.2% year over year to 35.4 million.”

“We remain focused on building our long-term capabilities and delivering value to users and creators by iterating and evolving our diversified global product matrix,” said Mr. David Xueling Li. “We are confident that our long-term efforts will further enhance our users’ social and entertainment experience, and ultimately boost the growth of our user community and global business. Looking ahead, we will be adaptive and responsive to the macro environment and continue to bolster our resilience and optimize our efficiency. As we are becoming increasingly efficient, we will be better positioned to capture long-term growth opportunities and generate sustainable shareholder value.”

Third Quarter 202 2 Financial Results

NET REVENUES

Net revenues were US$586.7 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$650.5 million in the corresponding period of 2021.

Live streaming revenues were US$542.8 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$612.2 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in the average revenue per paying user of BIGO, as global macroeconomic uncertainties and the appreciation of U.S. dollars against certain other local currencies negatively affected users’ paying activities.

Other revenues increased by 14.6% to US$44.0 million in the third quarter of 2022 from US$38.4 million in the corresponding period of 2021.

COST OF REVENUES AND GROSS PROFIT

Cost of revenues decreased by 16.7% to US$366.5 million in the third quarter of 2022 from US$439.8 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Revenue-sharing fees and content costs were US$245.8 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$290.1 million in the corresponding period of 2021.

Gross profit increased by 4.5% to US$220.2 million in the third quarter of 2022 from US$210.8 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Gross margin improved to 37.5% in the third quarter of 2022 from 32.4% in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to optimization of revenue sharing cost and other operational costs.

OPERATING EXPENSES AND INCOME

Operating expenses decreased by 3.1% to US$202.2 million in the third quarter of 2022 from US$208.7 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Among the operating expenses, sales and marketing expenses decreased to US$96.8 million in the third quarter of 2022 from US$106.3 million in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to the Company’s reduced spending on user acquisition via advertisement for Likee and Hago.

Operating income was US$19.8 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$6.9 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Operating income margin was 3.4% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 1.1% in the corresponding period of 2021, primarily as a result of disciplined marketing spending and enhanced operating efficiency at the group level.

Non-GAAP operating income ⁷ was US$43.1 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$31.3 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Non-GAAP operating income margin ⁸ was 7.4% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 4.8% in the corresponding period of 2021.

NET INCOME

Net income from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY was US$515.3 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$7.5 million in the corresponding period of 2021, mainly due to the one-off remeasurement gain of the Company’s previously held equity investment accounted under equity method recorded upon the Company’s consolidation of the investee as announced on August 22, 2022, as part of the “gain on fair value change of investments.” Net income margin was 87.8% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to net income margin of 1.2% in the corresponding period of 2021.

Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest and common shareholders of JOYY was US$76.9 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to non-GAAP net income of US$35.1 million in the corresponding period of 2021. Non-GAAP net income margin ⁹ was 13.1% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to non-GAAP net income margin of 5.4% in the corresponding period of 2021.

NET INCOME PER ADS

Diluted net income from continuing operations per ADS ¹⁰ was US$6.28 in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$0.07 in the corresponding period of 2021.

Non-GAAP diluted net income from continuing operations per ADS ¹¹ was US$0.96 in the third quarter of 2022, compared to US$0.42 in the corresponding period of 2021.

BALANCE SHEET AND CASH FLOWS

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, short-term deposits, restricted short-term deposits and short-term investments of US$4,276.7 million. For the third quarter of 2022, net cash inflow from operating activities was US$117.1 million.

SHARES OUTSTANDING

As of September 30, 2022, the Company had a total of 1,416.9 million common shares, or the equivalent of 70.8 million ADSs, outstanding.

Business Outlook

For the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company expects net revenues to be between US$594 million and US$619 million. This forecast reflects the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to changes, particularly as to the potential impact from increasing macroeconomic uncertainties.

Quarterly Dividend

On August 11, 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved a quarterly dividend policy for the next three years commencing in the fourth quarter of 2020. On November 16, 2020, the Company’s board of directors announced an additional quarterly dividend policy. Based on these two dividend policies, the board of directors has accordingly declared a dividend of US$0.51 per ADS, or US$0.0255 per common share, for the third quarter of 2022, which is expected to be paid on January 6, 2023 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 23, 2022. The ex-dividend date will be December 22, 2022. Under the policy, the board of directors of the Company reserves the discretion relating to the determination to make dividend distributions and the amount of such distributions in any particular quarter, depending on the Company’s operations and earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors.

Recent Developments

Share Repurchase Program

In November 2021, the Company announced that its board of directors has authorized an additional share repurchase plan under which the Company may repurchase up to US$1 billion of its shares between November 2021 and November 2022. (the “2021 Share Repurchase Program”). During the third quarter of 2022, the Company had repurchased approximately US$14.1 million of its shares pursuant to the 2021 Share Repurchase Program. In November 2022, the Company's board of directors has authorized the continued usage of the unutilized quota under the 2021 Share Repurchase Program, which amounted to US$800 million, for another 12-month period beginning from the date hereof.

Conference Call Information

The Company will hold a conference call at 9:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, November 28, 2022 (10:00 AM Singapore/Hong Kong Time on Tuesday, November 29, 2022). Details for the conference call are as follows:

All participants may use the link provided below to complete the online registration process in advance of the conference call. Upon registration, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers, the Direct Event passcode, and a unique registrant ID by email.

PRE-REGISTER LINK: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10027104-dyft5d.html

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.joyy.com .

The replay will be accessible through December 6, 2022, by dialing the following numbers:

About JOYY Inc.

JOYY is a leading global social media company that enables users to interact with each other in real time through online live media. On a mission to connect people and enrich their lives through video, JOYY currently operates several social products, including Bigo Live for live streaming, Likee for short-form videos, Hago for multiplayer social networking, and instant messaging product and others. The Company has created a highly engaging and vibrant user community for users across the globe. JOYY was listed on the NASDAQ in November 2012.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under 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, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as JOYY’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. JOYY may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), 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 JOYY’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: JOYY’s goals and strategies; JOYY’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the global online communication social platform market; the expectation regarding the rate at which to gain active users, especially paying users; JOYY’s ability to monetize the user base; fluctuations in global economic and business conditions; the impact of the COVID-19 to JOYY’s business operations and the global economy; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JOYY’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and JOYY does not undertake any obligation to update any forward- looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). JOYY uses non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating (loss) margin, non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY, non-GAAP net (loss) margin attributable to controlling interest of JOYY, non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY, and basic and diluted non-GAAP net income (loss) per ADS, which are non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP operating income (loss) is operating income (loss) excluding share-based compensation expenses, impairment of goodwill and investments, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, and gain on disposal of subsidiaries and business. Non-GAAP operating (loss) margin is non-GAAP operating income as a percentage of net revenues. Non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations is net income (loss) from continuing operations excluding share-based compensation expenses, impairment of goodwill and investments, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, gain on disposal of subsidiaries and business, (loss) gain on disposal and deemed disposal of investments, gain (loss) on fair value change of investments, reconciling items on the share of equity method investments(refers to share of income (loss) from equity method investments resulting from non-recurring or non-cash items of the equity method investments), gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt and derivative, interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value, and income tax effects of above non-GAAP reconciling items. Non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY is net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY excluding share-based compensation expenses, impairment of goodwill and investments, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, (loss) gain on disposal and deemed disposal of subsidiaries and business, gain on disposal of investments, gain (loss) on fair value change of investments, reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt and derivative, interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value, income tax effects of above non-GAAP reconciling items and adjustments for non-GAAP reconciling items for the net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interest shareholders. Non-GAAP net (loss) margin is non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY as a percentage of net revenues. Non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY is net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY excluding share-based compensation expenses, impairment of goodwill and investments, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, (loss) gain on disposal and deemed disposal of subsidiaries and business, gain on disposal of investments, gain (loss) on fair value change of investments, reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt and derivative, interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value, accretion, cumulative dividend and deemed dividend to subsidiaries’ preferred shareholders and income tax effects of above non-GAAP reconciling items and adjustments for non-GAAP reconciling items for the net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interest shareholders. After the non-GAAP reconciliation, non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interests of JOYY is equal to the non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY. Basic and diluted non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations per ADS is non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY divided by weighted average number of ADS used in the calculation of basic and diluted net income per ADS. The Company believes that separate analysis and exclusion of the non-cash impact of above reconciling items adds clarity to the constituent parts of its performance. The Company reviews these non-GAAP financial measures together with GAAP financial measures to obtain a better understanding of its operating performance. It uses the non-GAAP financial measure for planning, forecasting and measuring results against the forecast. The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measure is useful supplemental information for investors and analysts to assess its operating performance without the non-cash effect of (i) share-based compensation expenses and amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt and derivative, interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value, which have been and will continue to be significant recurring expenses in its business, (ii) impairment of goodwill and investments, gain on disposal of subsidiaries and business, (loss) gain on disposal and deemed disposal of investments, gain (loss) on fair value change of investments, reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, and accretion, cumulative dividend and deemed dividend to subsidiaries’ preferred shareholders, which may not be recurring in its business, and (iii) income tax expenses and non-GAAP adjustments for net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interest shareholders, which are affected by above non-GAAP reconciling items. However, the use of non-GAAP financial measures has material limitations as an analytical tool. One of the limitations of using non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not include all items that impact the Company’s net income (loss) for the period. In addition, because non-GAAP financial measures are not measured in the same manner by all companies, they may not be comparable to other similar titled measures used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations, you should not consider non-GAAP financial measure in isolation from or as an alternative to the financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “JOYY Inc. Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” near the end of this release.

Investor Relations Contact
JOYY Inc.
Jane Xie/Maggie Yan
Email: joyy-ir@joyy.com

ICR, Inc.
Robin Yang
Email: joyy@icrinc.com

¹ On November 16, 2020, the Company entered into definitive agreements with Baidu, Inc. (“Baidu”). Pursuant to the agreements, Baidu would acquire JOYY’s domestic video-based entertainment live streaming business (“YY Live”), which includes YY mobile app, YY.com website and PC YY, among others, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$3.6 billion in cash, subject to certain adjustments. Subsequently, the sale was substantially completed on February 8, 2021, with certain customary matters remaining to be completed in the future, including necessary regulatory approvals from government authorities. As a result, the historical financial results of YY Live are reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as discontinued operations and the Company ceased consolidation of YY Live business since February 8, 2021. The financial information and non-GAAP financial information disclosed in this press release is presented on a continuing operations basis, unless otherwise specifically stated.

For the avoidance of confusion, the continuing operations for the three months ended September 30, 2021, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022 as well as the continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2022 as presented in this press release primarily consisted of BIGO, excluding YY Live.

² Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY, is net income (loss) from continuing operations less net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to the non-controlling interest shareholders and the mezzanine equity classified as non-controlling interest shareholders.

³ Non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net loss from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY excluding share-based compensation expenses, impairment of goodwill and investment, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, gain on disposal of subsidiaries and business, gain (loss) on disposal and deemed disposal of investments, gain (loss) on fair value change of investments, reconciling items on the share of equity method investments which refer to those similar non-GAAP reconciling items of the Company, gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt and derivative, interest expenses related to the convertible bonds amortization to face value, income tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments and non-GAAP adjustments for net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interest shareholders. These adjustments amounted to US$438.3 million and US$27.6 million in the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. Please refer to the section titled “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” for more details.

⁴ Refers to mobile average monthly active users. Average mobile MAU for any period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of the Company’s mobile active users for each month of such period, by (ii) the number of months in such period.

⁵ The paying users are calculated by number of paying users during a given period as the cumulative number of registered user accounts that have purchased virtual items or other products and services on platforms including Bigo Live, Likee and imo at least once during the relevant period.

⁶ Average revenue per user is calculated by dividing our total revenues from live streaming on platforms including Bigo Live, Likee and imo during a given period by the number of paying users for our live streaming services on these platforms for that period.

⁷ Non-GAAP operating income (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as operating income (loss) excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, impairment of goodwill and investments and gain on disposal of subsidiaries and business. Please refer to the section titled “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” for details.

⁸ Non-GAAP operating income (loss) margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as non-GAAP operating income (loss) as a percentage of net revenues. Please refer to the section titled “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” for details.

⁹ Non-GAAP net income (loss) margin is non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to controlling interest of JOYY as a percentage of net revenues.

¹⁰ ADS is American Depositary Share. Each ADS represents twenty Class A common shares of the Company. Diluted net income (loss) per ADS is net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders of JOYY divided by weighted average number of diluted ADS.

¹¹ Non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) from continuing operations per ADS is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as non-GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders of JOYY divided by weighted average number of ADS used in the calculation of non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per ADS. Please refer to the section titled “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” for details.

(1)  JOYY has ceased consolidation of YY Live business since February 8, 2021 and classified and presented all the related assets and liabilities related to YY Live business on a net basis within prepayments and other current assets. The considerations received by the Company so far were recorded as advance payments received within accrued liabilities and other current liabilities.

(1)  Live streaming revenues by geographical areas were as follows:

(2)  Share-based compensation was allocated in cost of revenues and operating expenses as follows:

(1)  The elimination mainly consists of revenues and expenses generated from services among Bigo and all other segments, and interest income and interest expenses generated from the loan between Bigo and all other segments.

(2)  Share-based compensation was allocated in cost of revenues and operating expenses as follows: