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 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of November 2022

 

Commission File Number: 000-30666

 

 

 

NETEASE, INC.

 

 

 

NetEase Building, No. 599 Wangshang Road

Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310052

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 x     Form 40-F ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibits

 

Exhibit 99.1 - NetEase Reports Third Quarter 2022 Unaudited Financial Results

Exhibit 99.2 - Announcement on Non-Renewal of Licenses with Blizzard

 

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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.

 

  NETEASE, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Charles Zhaoxuan Yang
  Name: Charles Zhaoxuan Yang
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
     
Date: November 17, 2022      

 

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Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

Contact for Media and Investors:

Margaret Shi

Email: ir@service.netease.com

Tel: (+86) 571-8985-3378

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NetEase_Global

 

NetEase Announces Third Quarter 2022 Unaudited Financial Results

 

(Hangzhou- November 17, 2022)- NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999, “NetEase” or the “Company”), one of China’s leading internet and online game services providers, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022.

 

Third Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights

 

·Net revenues were RMB24.4 billion (US$3.4 billion), an increase of 10.1% compared with the third quarter of 2021.

 

·Games and related value-added services net revenues were RMB18.7 billion (US$2.6 billion), an increase of 9.1% compared with the third quarter of 2021.[1]

 

·Youdao net revenues were RMB1.4 billion (US$197.2 million), an increase of 1.1% compared with the third quarter of 2021.

 

·Cloud Music net revenues were RMB2.4 billion (US$331.4 million), an increase of 22.5% compared with the third quarter of 2021.

 

·Innovative businesses and others net revenues were RMB2.0 billion (US$276.7 million), an increase of 13.6% compared with the third quarter of 2021.[1]

 

·Gross profit was RMB13.7 billion (US$1.9 billion), an increase of 16.4% compared with the third quarter of 2021.

 

 

[1] Effective as of the second quarter of 2022, the Company renamed its “online game services” segment as “games and related value-added services,” and transferred certain business lines that are related or ancillary to its games from “innovative businesses and others” to “games and related value-added services.” The Company retrospectively recast prior periods’ segment information to conform to the current period presentation. See “Change in Segment Reporting” in this announcement.

 

 1 

 

 

·Total operating expenses were RMB9.0 billion (US$1.3 billion), an increase of 12.0% compared with the third quarter of 2021.

 

·Net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders was RMB6.7 billion (US$941.8 million). Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders was RMB7.5 billion (US$1.1 billion).[2]

 

·Basic net income per share was US$0.29 (US$1.44 per ADS). Non-GAAP basic net income from continuing operations per share was US$0.32 (US$1.61 per ADS).[2]

 

Third Quarter 2022 and Recent Operational Highlights

 

·Extended the longevity of leading franchise titles including both the Fantasy Westward Journey and Westward Journey Online series, and other hit titles including Identity V and Infinite Lagrange.

 

·Delivered exciting anniversary content updates for the popular title Naraka: Bladepoint in August, winning wide acclaim among players.

 

·Diablo® Immortal™, co-developed by NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment, debuted in Chinese mainland, topping the iOS download chart soon after its launch.

 

·Advanced pipeline, propelling new games under development including Naraka: Bladepoint mobile game, Justice mobile game and Ghost World Chronicle.

 

·Continued preparations for the roll-out of Harry Potter: Magic Awakened in international markets, which is now expected to be launched globally in 2023.

 

·Net revenues of Youdao maintained healthy growth with increased contributions from sales of new services and smart devices.

 

·Enhanced content and product innovation for Cloud Music, driving solid growth in net revenues and continued margin improvement.

 

As previously disclosed, NetEase has entered into certain licensing agreements covering the publication of several Blizzard titles in Chinese mainland. These licenses will expire in January 2023, and will not be renewed. Net revenues and net income contribution from these licensed Blizzard games represented low single digits as a percentage of NetEase’s total net revenues and net income in 2021 and in the first nine months of 2022. The expiration of such licenses will have no material impact on NetEase’s financial results. The co-development and publishing of Diablo® Immortal™ is covered by a separate long-term agreement.

 

 

[2] As used in this announcement, non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders and non-GAAP basic and diluted net income from continuing operations per share and per ADS are defined to exclude share-based compensation expenses. See “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” at the end of this announcement.

 

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Commenting on this quarter’s financial results, Mr. William Ding, Chief Executive Officer and Director of NetEase said, “Steady growth characterized our third quarter, generating total net revenues of RMB24.4 billion, an increase of 10.1% year-over-year. Our games business continues to see solid gains. Beloved flagship titles such as our Fantasy Westward Journey sagas further grew in the third quarter, impressing the industry with their strength and longevity. The successful launch of thrilling new games such as Diablo® Immortal™ is a further testament to our robust R&D programs and ability to captivate the attention of players in the international arena.”

 

In addition to our games, we maintained our differentiated offerings with Youdao, Cloud Music and Yanxuan businesses. As we move forward, we will continue to leverage our innovative content and services to drive sustainable growth across each of our carefully cultivated businesses,” Mr. Ding concluded.

 

Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results

 

Net Revenues

 

Net revenues for the third quarter of 2022 were RMB24,426.8 million (US$3,433.9 million), compared with RMB23,159.1 million and RMB22,190.7 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

Net revenues from games and related value-added services, which include both the operation of online games as well as other related or ancillary services to the games, were RMB18,699.1 million (US$2,628.7 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB18,139.8 million and RMB17,145.7 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. Net revenues from the operation of online games, which is the primary component of this segment, accounted for approximately 92.9% of the segment for the third quarter of 2022, compared with 92.8% and 92.7% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. Net revenues from mobile games accounted for approximately 68.6% of net revenues from the operation of online games for the third quarter of 2022, compared with 66.1% and 69.2% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

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Net revenues from Youdao were RMB1,402.4 million (US$197.2 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB956.2 million and RMB1,387.3 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

Net revenues from Cloud Music were RMB2,357.2 million (US$331.4 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB2,191.5 million and RMB1,924.7 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

Net revenues from innovative businesses and others were RMB1,968.0 million (US$276.7 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB1,871.5 million and RMB1,733.1 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit for the third quarter of 2022 was RMB13,743.9 million (US$1,932.1 million), compared with RMB12,941.5 million and RMB11,810.8 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases in games and related value-added services gross profit were primarily due to increased net revenues from online games, including the Fantasy Westward Journey Online series and Infinite Lagrange, and certain newly launched titles.

 

The quarter-over-quarter increase in Youdao gross profit was primarily attributable to the increase in net revenues from improved economies of scale for its learning services as well as increased sales volume of its smart devices.

 

The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases in Cloud Music gross profit were primarily due to increased net revenues from its social entertainment services, as well as continuously improved cost control measures.

 

The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases in innovative businesses and others gross profit were primarily due to increased gross profit contribution from Yanxuan.

 

Gross Profit Margin

 

Gross profit margin for games and related value-added services for the third quarter of 2022 was 65.0%, compared with 64.9% and 61.3% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The year-over-year increase in gross profit margin was mainly due to changes in the revenue contribution from different distribution channels.

 

Gross profit margin for Youdao for the third quarter of 2022 was 54.2%, compared with 42.8% and 56.6% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The quarter-over-quarter increase was primarily attributable to the factors enumerated above. The year-over-year decrease mainly resulted from a decline in economies of scale due to the decreased net revenues from its learning services.

 

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Gross profit margin for Cloud Music was 14.2% for the third quarter of 2022, compared with 13.0% and 2.2% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year improvements were mainly due to the factors enumerated above.

 

Gross profit margin for innovative businesses and others for the third quarter of 2022 was 25.5%, compared with 25.8% and 27.2% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The year-over-year fluctuations were mainly due to changes in gross profit margin from advertising services.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2022 were RMB9,002.1 million (US$1,265.5 million), compared with RMB7,995.2 million and RMB8,035.6 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases were mainly due to increased marketing expenditures related to games and related value-added services and Youdao, as well as higher staff-related costs.

 

Other Income/ (Expenses)

 

Other income/ (expenses) consisted of investment income/ (loss), interest income, exchange gains/ (losses) and others. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases were mainly due to investment income arising from the disposal of certain equity investments and net unrealized exchange gains arising from the Company’s U.S. dollar-denominated bank deposits and loans balances as the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the RMB fluctuated in the third quarter of 2022.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company recorded a net income tax charge of RMB1,586.7 million (US$223.1 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB1,259.3 million and RMB807.6 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2022 was 19.3%, compared with 22.0% and 19.6% for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. The effective tax rate represents certain estimates by the Company as to the tax obligations and benefits applicable to it in each quarter.

 

Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income

 

Net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders totaled RMB6,699.4 million (US$941.8 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB5,291.5 million and RMB3,181.8 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively. Net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders for the preceding quarter also included net income from discontinued operations of RMB624.9 million which was related to the prior disposal of the Kaola business.

 

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Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders totaled RMB7,469.6 million (US$1,050.1 million) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB5,409.8 million and RMB3,857.8 million for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

NetEase reported basic net income of US$0.29 per share (US$1.44 per ADS) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with US$0.23 per share (US$1.14 per ADS) and US$0.13 per share (US$0.67 per ADS) for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

NetEase reported non-GAAP basic net income from continuing operations of US$0.32 per share (US$1.61 per ADS) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with US$0.23 per share (US$1.16 per ADS) and US$0.16 per share (US$0.82 per ADS) for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

Quarterly Dividend

 

The board of directors has approved a dividend of US$0.0870 per share (US$0.4350 per ADS) for the third quarter of 2022 to holders of ordinary shares and holders of ADSs as of the close of business on December 2, 2022, Beijing/ Hong Kong Time and New York Time, respectively, payable in U.S. dollars. For holders of ordinary shares, in order to qualify for the dividend, all valid documents for the transfer of shares accompanied by the relevant share certificates must be lodged for registration with the Company’s Hong Kong branch share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, at Shops 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 2, 2022 (Beijing/ Hong Kong Time). The payment date is expected to be on December 13, 2022 for holders of ordinary shares and on or around December 16, 2022 for holders of ADSs.

 

NetEase paid a dividend of US$0.0720 per share (US$0.3600 per ADS) for the second quarter of 2022 in September 2022.

 

Under the Company’s current dividend policy, the determination to make dividend distributions and the amount of such distribution in any particular quarter will be made at the discretion of its board of directors and will be based upon the Company’s operations and earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors.

 

Other Information

 

As of September 30, 2022, the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents, current and non-current time deposits and restricted cash, as well as short-term investments balance, minus short-term and long-term loans totaled RMB94.6 billion (US$13.3 billion), compared with RMB85.6 billion as of December 31, 2021. Cash flow generated from operating activities was RMB7.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) for the third quarter of 2022, compared with RMB6.6 billion and RMB6.3 billion for the preceding quarter and the third quarter of 2021, respectively.

 

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Change in Segment Reporting

 

Effective as of the second quarter of 2022, the Company implemented certain changes to align its segment financial reporting more closely with the manner in which the Company’s management currently receives and uses financial information to allocate resources and evaluate the performance of reporting segments. The Company renamed its “online game services” segment as “games and related value-added services,” and transferred certain business lines that are related or ancillary to its games from “innovative businesses and others” to “games and related value-added services,” including the NetEase CC live streaming service (a platform offering various live streaming content with a primary focus on game broadcasting) and other value-added services. The Company retrospectively recast prior periods’ segment information to conform to current period presentation. These changes had no impact on NetEase’s previously reported consolidated net revenues, net income or net income per share.

 

Share Repurchase/ Purchase Program

 

On February 25, 2021, the Company announced that its board of directors had approved a new share repurchase program of up to US$2.0 billion of the Company’s outstanding ADSs and ordinary shares in open market transactions for a period not to exceed 24 months beginning on March 2, 2021. On August 31, 2021, the Company announced that its board of directors had approved an amendment to such program to increase the total authorized repurchase amount to US$3.0 billion. As of September 30, 2022, approximately 27.0 million ADSs had been repurchased under this program for a total cost of US$2.5 billion.

 

The Company also announced today that its board of directors has approved a new share repurchase program of up to US$5.0 billion of the Company’s ADSs and ordinary shares in open market transactions. This new share repurchase program will be in effect for a period not to exceed 36 months, commencing upon the expiration of the Company’s existing share repurchase program or, if earlier, the date on which the Company has repurchased the maximum amount authorized under the existing program.

 

On August 31, 2021, the Company announced that its board of directors had approved a share purchase program of up to US$50.0 million of Youdao’s outstanding ADSs for a period not to exceed 36 months beginning on September 2, 2021. Under the terms of this program, NetEase may purchase Youdao’s ADSs in open-market transactions on the New York Stock Exchange. As of September 30, 2022, approximately 2.3 million ADSs had been purchased under this program for a total cost of US$20.7 million.

 

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NetEase also purchased approximately 0.7 million ordinary shares of Cloud Music in open market transactions on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for a total cost of US$6.9 million during the third quarter of 2022.

 

The extent to which NetEase repurchases its ADSs and its ordinary shares or purchases Youdao’s ADSs and Cloud Music’s ordinary shares will depend upon a variety of factors, including market conditions. These programs may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

 

** The United States dollar (US$) amounts disclosed in this announcement are presented solely for the convenience of the reader. The percentages stated are calculated based on RMB.

 

Conference Call

 

NetEase’s management team will host a teleconference call with simultaneous webcast at 7:00 a.m. New York Time on Thursday, November 17, 2022 (Beijing/ Hong Kong Time: 8:00 p.m., Thursday, November 17, 2022). NetEase’s management will be on the call to discuss the quarterly results and answer questions.

 

Interested parties may participate in the conference call by dialing 1-914-202-3258 and providing conference ID: 10026570, 15 minutes prior to the initiation of the call. A replay of the call will be available by dialing 1-855-883-1031 and entering PIN: 10026570. The replay will be available through November 24, 2022.

 

This call will be webcast live and the replay will be available for 12 months. Both will be available on NetEase’s Investor Relations website at http://ir.netease.com/.

 

About NetEase, Inc.

 

As a leading internet technology company based in China, NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX:9999, “NetEase”) provides premium online services centered around content creation. With extensive offerings across its expanding gaming ecosystem, the Company develops and operates some of China’s most popular and longest running mobile and PC games. Powered by industry-leading in-house R&D capabilities in China and globally, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences, inspires players, and passionately delivers value for its thriving community worldwide. By infusing play with culture and education with technology, NetEase transforms gaming into a meaningful vehicle to build a more entertaining and enlightened world.

 

Beyond games, NetEase service offerings include its majority-controlled subsidiaries Youdao (NYSE: DAO), China’s leading technology-focused intelligent learning company, and Cloud Music (HKEX: 9899), China’s leading online music content community, as well as Yanxuan, NetEase’s private label consumer lifestyle brand.

 

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NetEase’s ESG initiatives are among the best in the global media and entertainment industry, earning it a distinction as one of the S&P Global Industry Movers and an “A” rating from MSCI. For more information, please visit: http://ir.netease.com/.

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This announcement contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. In addition, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about NetEase’s strategies and business plans, its expectations regarding the growth of its business and its revenue and the quotations from management in this announcement are or contain forward-looking statements. NetEase may also make forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. The accuracy of these statements may be impacted by a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including risks related to: the risk that the online game market will not continue to grow or that NetEase will not be able to maintain its position in that market in China or globally; the risk that COVID-19 or other health risks in China or globally could adversely affect the Company’s operations or financial results; risks associated with NetEase’s business and operating strategies and its ability to implement such strategies; NetEase’s ability to develop and manage its operations and business; competition for, among other things, capital, technology and skilled personnel; potential changes in government regulation that could adversely affect the industry and geographical markets in which NetEase operates, including, among others, initiatives to enhance supervision of companies listed on an overseas stock exchange and tighten scrutiny over data privacy and data security, as well as the risk that NetEase’s ADSs could be barred from trading in the United States as a result of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and the rules promulgated thereunder; the risk that NetEase may not be able to continuously develop new and creative online services or that NetEase will not be able to set, or follow in a timely manner, trends in the market; competition in NetEase’s existing and potential markets; and the risk that fluctuations in the value of the Renminbi with respect to other currencies could adversely affect NetEase’s business and financial results. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NetEase’s filings with the SEC and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. NetEase does not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information, except as required under the applicable law.

 

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

NetEase considers and uses non-GAAP financial measures, such as non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders and non-GAAP basic and diluted net income from continuing operations per ADS and per share, as supplemental metrics in reviewing and assessing its operating performance and formulating its business plan. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

 

NetEase defines non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders as net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders enables NetEase’s management to assess its operating results without considering the impact of share-based compensation expenses. NetEase believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in understanding and evaluating the Company’s current operating performance and prospects in the same manner as management does, if they so choose. NetEase also believes that the use of this non-GAAP financial measure facilitates investors’ assessment of its operating performance.

 

Non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders is that it does not reflect all items of expense/ income that affect our operations. Share-based compensation expenses have been and may continue to be incurred in NetEase’s business and are not reflected in the presentation of non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders. In addition, the non-GAAP financial measures NetEase uses may differ from the non-GAAP measures used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

 

NetEase compensates for these limitations by reconciling non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating the Company’s performance. See “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” at the end of this announcement. NetEase encourages you to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

 

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NETEASE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

    December 31,     September 30,     September 30,  
    2021     2022     2022  
    RMB     RMB     USD (Note 1)  
Assets                        
Current assets:                        
Cash and cash equivalents     14,498,157       17,999,166       2,530,283  
Time deposits     70,754,846       89,301,940       12,553,868  
Restricted cash     2,876,628       2,844,386       399,857  
Accounts receivable, net     5,507,988       5,208,019       732,132  
Inventories     964,733       932,905       131,146  
Prepayments and other current assets, net     6,235,857       6,371,412       895,679  
Short-term investments     12,281,548       8,934,202       1,255,950  
Assets held for sale     497       -       -  
Total current assets     113,120,254       131,592,030       18,498,915  
                         
Non-current assets:                        
Property, equipment and software, net     5,433,858       6,165,151       866,683  
Land use right, net     4,108,090       4,134,507       581,220  
Deferred tax assets     1,297,954       1,387,083       194,993  
Time deposits     5,823,840       4,473,840       628,922  
Restricted cash     1,330       850       119  
Other long-term assets, net     23,857,510       24,954,210       3,508,008  
Assets held for sale     1,088       -       -  
Total non-current assets     40,523,670       41,115,641       5,779,945  
Total assets     153,643,924       172,707,671       24,278,860  
                         
Liabilities, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests and Shareholders’ Equity                        
Current liabilities:                        
Accounts payable     985,059       867,298       121,923  
Salary and welfare payables     4,133,254       2,701,749       379,806  
Taxes payable     4,537,050       3,740,750       525,866  
Short-term loans     19,352,313       25,445,617       3,577,088  
Contract liabilities     12,132,743       13,901,882       1,954,296  
Accrued liabilities and other payables     9,360,907       10,371,294       1,457,973  
Total current liabilities     50,501,326       57,028,590       8,016,952  
                         
Non-current liabilities:                        
Deferred tax liabilities     1,345,874       1,354,827       190,459  
Long-term loans     1,275,140       3,549,900       499,037  
Other long-term liabilities     1,097,708       1,125,227       158,182  
Total non-current liabilities     3,718,722       6,029,954       847,678  
Total liabilities     54,220,048       63,058,544       8,864,630  
                         
Redeemable noncontrolling interests     145,238       143,354       20,152  
                         
NetEase, Inc.’s shareholders’ equity     95,328,080       105,364,713       14,811,937  
Noncontrolling interests     3,950,558       4,141,060       582,141  
Total shareholders’ equity     99,278,638       109,505,773       15,394,078  
                         
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and shareholders’ equity     153,643,924       172,707,671       24,278,860  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

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NETEASE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(in thousands, except per share data or per ADS data)  

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Net revenues   22,190,749    23,159,078    24,426,760    3,433,860    63,232,461    71,141,680    10,000,939 
Cost of revenues   (10,379,981)   (10,217,587)   (10,682,868)   (1,501,774)   (29,179,440)   (31,619,918)   (4,445,058)
Gross profit   11,810,768    12,941,491    13,743,892    1,932,086    34,053,021    39,521,762    5,555,881 
                                    
Operating expenses:                                   
Selling and marketing expenses   (3,134,030)   (3,300,705)   (3,768,618)   (529,784)   (8,914,159)   (9,984,812)   (1,403,643)
General and administrative expenses   (1,140,296)   (1,112,755)   (1,264,342)   (177,738)   (3,101,673)   (3,392,866)   (476,962)
Research and development expenses   (3,761,239)   (3,581,700)   (3,969,156)   (557,975)   (10,228,287)   (10,948,938)   (1,539,177)
Total operating expenses   (8,035,565)   (7,995,160)   (9,002,116)   (1,265,497)   (22,244,119)   (24,326,616)   (3,419,782)
Operating profit   3,775,203    4,946,331    4,741,776    666,589    11,808,902    15,195,146    2,136,099 
                                    
Other income/ (expenses):                                   
Investment  (loss)/ income, net   (264,611)   (707,489)   1,347,269    189,396    1,320,079    91,078    12,804 
Interest income, net   349,550    505,991    556,148    78,182    1,124,685    1,520,383    213,732 
Exchange gains/ (losses), net   153,310    865,283    1,398,045    196,534    (159,091)   2,165,448    304,414 
Other, net   117,636    121,175    164,435    23,116    413,191    501,940    70,562 
Income before tax   4,131,088    5,731,291    8,207,673    1,153,817    14,507,766    19,473,995    2,737,611 
Income tax   (807,648)   (1,259,320)   (1,586,673)   (223,051)   (3,194,284)   (4,065,264)   (571,486)
                                    
Net income from continuing operations   3,323,440    4,471,971    6,621,000    930,766    11,313,482    15,408,731    2,166,125 
Net income from discontinued operations   -    624,864    -    -    -    624,864    87,842 
Net income   3,323,440    5,096,835    6,621,000    930,766    11,313,482    16,033,595    2,253,967 
                                    
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests   (147,825)   (754)   (781)   (110)   (437,067)   (2,268)   (319)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests   6,167    195,395    79,145    11,126    286,273    353,536    49,699 
Net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders   3,181,782    5,291,476    6,699,364    941,782    11,162,688    16,384,863    2,303,347 
Including:                                   
-Net income from continuing operations attributable to the  Company’s shareholders   3,181,782    4,666,612    6,699,364    941,782    11,162,688    15,759,999    2,215,505 
-Net income from discontinued operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders   -    624,864    -    -    -    624,864    87,842 
                                    
Basic net income per share *   0.96    1.62    2.05    0.29    3.34    5.01    0.70 
-Continuing operations   0.96    1.43    2.05    0.29    3.34    4.82    0.67 
-Discontinued operations   -    0.19    -    -    -    0.19    0.03 
                                    
Basic net income per ADS *   4.78    8.08    10.27    1.44    16.71    25.04    3.52 
-Continuing operations   4.78    7.13    10.27    1.44    16.71    24.09    3.39 
-Discontinued operations   -    0.95    -    -    -    0.95    0.13 
                                    
Diluted net income per share *   0.95    1.60    2.03    0.29    3.30    4.96    0.70 
-Continuing operations   0.95    1.41    2.03    0.29    3.30    4.77    0.67 
-Discontinued operations   -    0.19    -    -    -    0.19    0.03 
                                    
Diluted net income per ADS *   4.73    8.00    10.17    1.43    16.50    24.79    3.48 
-Continuing operations   4.73    7.05    10.17    1.43    16.50    23.84    3.35 
-Discontinued operations   -    0.95    -    -    -    0.95    0.13 
                                    
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in calculating net income per share *                                   
Basic   3,325,892    3,274,695    3,262,989    3,262,989    3,340,925    3,271,602    3,271,602 
Diluted   3,361,727    3,305,504    3,293,766    3,293,766    3,382,467    3,305,081    3,305,081 

 

*  Each ADS represents five ordinary shares.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

 12 

 

 

NETEASE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Cash flows from operating activities:                                   
Net income   3,323,440    5,096,835    6,621,000    930,766    11,313,482    16,033,595    2,253,967 
Net income from discontinued operations   -    (624,864)   -    -    -    (624,864)   (87,842)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:                                   
Depreciation and amortization   805,485    609,036    713,852    100,352    2,439,685    2,089,068    293,676 
Fair value changes of equity security investments   1,194,338    735,159    680,019    95,596    513,021    2,956,180    415,573 
Impairment losses of investments and other long-term assets   26,055    243,085    6,763    951    30,852    254,848    35,826 
Fair value changes of short-term investments   (184,564)   (119,882)   (119,620)   (16,816)   (473,244)   (319,278)   (44,884)
Share-based compensation cost   688,226    764,447    786,999    110,635    2,038,593    2,297,600    322,991 
Allowance for expected credit losses   212,010    10,965    44,126    6,203    252,998    54,778    7,701 
Losses on disposal of property, equipment and software   4,008    481    528    74    5,273    2,454    345 
Unrealized exchange (gains)/ losses   (157,292)   (890,066)   (1,401,893)   (197,075)   141,369    (2,193,925)   (308,417)
Gains on disposal of long-term investments, business and subsidiaries   (1)   -    (1,724,433)   (242,417)   (173,829)   (1,728,433)   (242,979)
Deferred income taxes   307,994    (169,539)   (234,336)   (32,943)   838,963    (88,647)   (12,461)
Share of results on equity method investees and revaluation results from previously held equity interest   (730,363)   (134,569)   (159,128)   (22,370)   (1,125,015)   (1,205,195)   (169,424)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                                   
Accounts receivable   (1,178,290)   82,282    35,786    5,031    (1,089,522)   330,143    46,411 
Inventories   (154,072)   17,791    (88,300)   (12,413)   (417,175)   33,082    4,651 
Prepayments and other assets   (38,490)   (163,612)   368,673    51,827    (230,335)   (364,782)   (51,280)
Accounts payable   172,696    48,452    (84,434)   (11,870)   (66,055)   (128,355)   (18,044)
Salary and welfare payables   (647,029)   782,789    (567,676)   (79,803)   (1,016,409)   (1,541,111)   (216,646)
Taxes payable   (434,893)   (538,234)   475,245    66,809    (273,665)   10,457    1,470 
Contract liabilities   2,154,751    279,669    1,580,450    222,176    2,514,243    1,781,919    250,498 
Accrued liabilities and other payables   928,647    600,934    552,688    77,696    1,334,899    1,050,486    147,675 
Net cash provided by operating activities   6,292,656    6,631,159    7,486,309    1,052,409    16,558,129    18,700,020    2,628,807 
                                    
Cash flows from investing activities:                                   
Purchase of property, equipment and software   (407,688)   (445,054)   (557,028)   (78,306)   (1,159,306)   (1,751,443)   (246,214)
Proceeds from sale of property, equipment and software   11,030    23,338    3,307    465    15,007    39,210    5,512 
Purchase of intangible assets, content and licensed copyrights   (218,168)   (85,121)   (152,276)   (21,407)   (1,211,037)   (381,233)   (53,593)
Net change in short-term investments with terms of three months or less   167,978    (159,173)   156,475    21,997    5,169,261    1,708,147    240,127 
Purchase of short-term investments with terms over three months   (630,000)   -    -    -    (10,985,000)   (1,250,000)   (175,722)
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments with terms over three months   6,251,750    1,459,172    1,195,475    168,057    9,922,302    3,208,478    451,041 
Investment in long-term investments and acquisition of subsidiaries   (586,124)   (899,968)   (844,513)   (118,720)   (4,521,538)   (3,434,752)   (482,850)
Proceeds from disposal of long-term investments, businesses and subsidiaries   33,731    6,413    2,277,625    320,183    498,915    2,318,275    325,898 
Placement/ rollover of matured time deposits   (11,723,614)   (33,122,029)   (18,830,844)   (2,647,198)   (54,669,947)   (75,998,870)   (10,683,752)
Proceeds from maturities of time deposits   28,328,155    32,100,141    17,770,581    2,498,149    65,599,476    64,570,517    9,077,179 
Change in other long-term assets   (69,429)   (60,900)   (31,782)   (4,468)   (168,959)   (262,227)   (36,863)
Net cash provided by/ (used in) investing activities   21,157,621    (1,183,181)   987,020    138,752    8,489,174    (11,233,898)   (1,579,237)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

 13 

 

 

NETEASE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)

(in thousands)

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Cash flows from financing activities:                                   
Net changes in bank loans with terms of three months or less   (7,967,910)   2,721,487    (3,645,232)   (512,439)   (867,227)   2,479,450    348,556 
Proceed of bank loans with terms over three months   612,885    1,641,708    70,691    9,938    2,170,415    3,627,609    509,961 
Payment of bank loans with terms over three months   (235,284)   (32,273)   (50,208)   (7,058)   (985,312)   (82,481)   (11,595)
Amounts paid for NetEase’s issuance of shares in Hong Kong   -    -    -    -    (13,800)   -    - 
Net Amounts received/ (paid) related to capital contribution from or repurchase of noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests shareholders   34,800    33,200    14,305    2,011    1,550,025    (54,537)   (7,667)
Cash paid for repurchase of NetEase’s ADSs/ purchase of subsidiaries’ ADSs and shares   (6,310,841)   (2,119,613)   (1,956,829)   (275,087)   (10,798,277)   (5,320,359)   (747,924)
Dividends paid to NetEase’s shareholders   (1,028,116)   (1,403,637)   (1,617,574)   (227,395)   (2,567,837)   (4,704,683)   (661,374)
Net cash (used in)/ provided by financing activities   (14,894,466)   840,872    (7,184,847)   (1,010,030)   (11,512,013)   (4,055,001)   (570,043)
                                    
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash held in foreign currencies   14,435    74,898    3,470    488    25,316    57,166    8,036 
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   12,570,246    6,363,748    1,291,952    181,619    13,560,606    3,468,287    487,563 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, at the beginning of the period   13,158,965    13,188,702    19,552,450    2,748,640    12,168,605    17,376,115    2,442,696 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, at end of the period   25,729,211    19,552,450    20,844,402    2,930,259    25,729,211    20,844,402    2,930,259 
                                    
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:                                   
Cash paid for income tax, net   898,112    1,055,096    1,550,748    218,001    2,688,995    4,121,174    579,345 
Cash paid for interest expense   52,765    93,079    193,329    27,178    144,749    324,149    45,568 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

 14 

 

 

NETEASE, INC.

UNAUDITED SEGMENT INFORMATION

(in thousands, except percentages)

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Net revenues:                                   
Games and related value-added services   17,145,668    18,139,843    18,699,106    2,628,679    49,027,297    55,480,763    7,799,362 
Youdao   1,387,292    956,225    1,402,434    197,151    4,020,566    3,559,200    500,344 
Cloud Music   1,924,683    2,191,510    2,357,248    331,377    5,108,357    6,615,964    930,057 
Innovative businesses and others   1,733,106    1,871,500    1,967,972    276,653    5,076,241    5,485,753    771,176 
Total net revenues   22,190,749    23,159,078    24,426,760    3,433,860    63,232,461    71,141,680    10,000,939 
                                    
Cost of revenues:                                   
Games and related value-added services   (6,634,238)   (6,375,598)   (6,551,193)   (920,952)   (18,660,292)   (19,978,841)   (2,808,581)
Youdao   (601,741)   (546,498)   (642,254)   (90,287)   (1,790,817)   (1,751,443)   (246,214)
Cloud Music   (1,881,859)   (1,905,954)   (2,023,600)   (284,473)   (5,042,912)   (5,745,203)   (807,648)
Innovative businesses and others   (1,262,143)   (1,389,537)   (1,465,821)   (206,062)   (3,685,419)   (4,144,431)   (582,615)
Total cost of revenues   (10,379,981)   (10,217,587)   (10,682,868)   (1,501,774)   (29,179,440)   (31,619,918)   (4,445,058)
                                    
Gross profit:                                   
Games and related value-added services   10,511,430    11,764,245    12,147,913    1,707,727    30,367,005    35,501,922    4,990,781 
Youdao   785,551    409,727    760,180    106,864    2,229,749    1,807,757    254,130 
Cloud Music   42,824    285,556    333,648    46,904    65,445    870,761    122,409 
Innovative businesses and others   470,963    481,963    502,151    70,591    1,390,822    1,341,322    188,561 
Total gross profit   11,810,768    12,941,491    13,743,892    1,932,086    34,053,021    39,521,762    5,555,881 
                                    
Gross profit margin:                                   
Games and related value-added services   61.3%   64.9%   65.0%   65.0%   61.9%   64.0%   64.0%
Youdao   56.6%   42.8%   54.2%   54.2%   55.5%   50.8%   50.8%
Cloud Music   2.2%   13.0%   14.2%   14.2%   1.3%   13.2%   13.2%
Innovative businesses and others   27.2%   25.8%   25.5%   25.5%   27.4%   24.5%   24.5%

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

 15 

 

 

NETEASE, INC.

 

NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Note 1: The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into United States dollars (USD) is based on the noon buying rate of USD1.00 = RMB7.1135 on the last trading day of September 2022 (September 30, 2022) as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$ at that rate on September 30, 2022, or at any other certain date.

 

Note 2: Share-based compensation cost reported in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income is set out as follows in RMB and USD (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Share-based compensation cost included in:                                   
Cost of revenues   180,669    173,840    190,645    26,800    565,965    562,620    79,092 
Operating expenses                                   
Selling and marketing expenses   29,289    31,817    24,980    3,512    79,954    87,170    12,254 
General and administrative expenses   258,805    297,891    288,598    40,570    746,952    865,551    121,677 
Research and development expenses   219,463    260,899    282,776    39,752    645,722    782,259    109,968 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

Note 3: The financial information prepared and presented in this announcement might be different from those published and to be published by NetEase’s listed subsidiaries to meet the disclosure requirements under U.S. GAAP or different accounting standards requirement.

 

Note 4: The unaudited reconciliation on GAAP and non-GAAP results is set out as follows in RMB and USD (in thousands, except per share data or per ADS data):

 

   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30, 
   2021   2022   2022   2022   2021   2022   2022 
   RMB   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1)   RMB   RMB   USD (Note 1) 
Net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders   3,181,782    4,666,612    6,699,364    941,782    11,162,688    15,759,999    2,215,505 
Add: Share-based compensation   675,999    743,198    770,255    108,281    2,003,644    2,237,056    314,480 
Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations attributable to the Company’s shareholders   3,857,781    5,409,810    7,469,619    1,050,063    13,166,332    17,997,055    2,529,985 
                                    
Non-GAAP basic net income from continuing operations per share *   1.16    1.65    2.29    0.32    3.94    5.50    0.77 
Non-GAAP basic net income from continuing operations per ADS *   5.80    8.26    11.45    1.61    19.70    27.50    3.87 
Non-GAAP diluted net income from continuing operations per share *   1.15    1.64    2.27    0.32    3.89    5.45    0.77 
Non-GAAP diluted net income from continuing operations per ADS *   5.74    8.18    11.34    1.59    19.46    27.23    3.83 

 

*  Each ADS represents five ordinary shares.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this announcement.

 

 16 

 

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

 

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

 

 

 

 

NetEase, Inc.

(Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

(Stock Code: 9999)

 

INSIDE INFORMATION

 

BUSINESS UPDATE

 

This announcement is made by NetEase, Inc. (the “Company” or “NetEase”) pursuant to Rule 13.09(2) of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Listing Rules”) and the Inside Information Provisions (as defined in the Listing Rules) under Part XIVA of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong).

 

The Company announces that its licenses covering the publication of several titles of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Chinese mainland will expire in accordance with their terms on January 23, 2023 and will not be renewed. The affected games are World of Warcraft®, the StarCraft® series, Hearthstone®, Warcraft® III: Reforged, Heroes of the Storm®, Overwatch® and Diablo III®.

 

The net revenues and net income contribution from these licensed Blizzard games represented low single digits as a percentage of NetEase’s total net revenues and net income in 2021 and in the first nine months of 2022. The expiration of such licenses will have no material impact on NetEase’s financial results. The co-development and publishing of Diablo® Immortal™ is covered by a separate long-term agreement and will continue.

 

The information set forth above will also disclosed by the Company on the Company’s website at http://ir.netease.com.

 

 

By order of the Board

  NetEase, Inc.
  William Lei Ding
  Director        

 

Hong Kong, November 17, 2022

 

As at the date of this announcement, the board of directors of the Company comprises Mr. William Lei Ding as the director, and Ms. Grace Tang, Ms. Alice Cheng, Mr. Joseph Tong, Mr. Lun Feng and Mr. Michael Leung as the independent directors.