Baidu Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Results

BEIJING, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)) ("Baidu" or the "Company"), a leading AI company with a strong Internet foundation, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

"Baidu Core reported another solid quarter," said Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu. "Throughout 2023, we made significant strides in advancing ERNIE and ERNIE Bot, reinventing our products and services, and achieving breakthroughs in monetization. Concurrently, our core business remained resilient and healthy. Looking ahead, our commitment to Gen-AI and foundation models remains unwavering, paving the way for the [gradual] creation of a new growth engine."

"In the fourth quarter, we maintained our focus on enhancing operational efficiencies," said Rong Luo, CFO of Baidu. "As we look ahead into 2024, our goal is to persistently enhance operational efficiencies and achieve high-quality growth."

Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights[1]

Operational Highlights

Corporate

• Baidu returned US$318 million to shareholders since the beginning of Q4 2023, bringing the cumulative repurchase to US$669 million under the 2023 share repurchase program.

AI Cloud

• PaddlePaddle developer community has grown to 10.7 million and has served 235,000 businesses, as of the end of 2023. Developers have created 860,000 models on PaddlePaddle by the end of 2023.

Intelligent Driving

• Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, provided about 839K rides in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 49% year over year. As of January 2, 2024, accumulated rides provided by Apollo Go on public roads surpassed 5 million.
• In the fourth quarter of 2023, the proportion of fully driverless orders within the overall order portfolio in Wuhan reached 45%, up from 40% in the third quarter of 2023.

Mobile Ecosystem

• In December 2023, Baidu App's MAUs reached 667 million, up 3% year over year.
• Managed Page accounted for 51% of Baidu Core's online marketing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023.

iQIYI

• iQIYI's average daily number of total subscribing members for the quarter was 100.3 million, compared to 111.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 and 107.5 million for the third quarter of 2023. More importantly, iQIYI's monthly average revenue per membership (ARM) for the quarter was RMB15.98, compared to RMB14.17 for the fourth quarter of 2022 and RMB15.54 for the third quarter of 2023.

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Total revenues were RMB35.0 billion ($4.92 billion), increasing 6% year over year.

• Revenue from Baidu Core was RMB27.5 billion ($3.87 billion), increasing 7% year over year; online marketing revenue was RMB19.2 billion ($2.70 billion), up 6% year over year, and non-online marketing revenue was RMB8.3 billion ($1.17 billion), up 9% year over year, mainly driven by AI Cloud business.
• Revenue from iQIYI was RMB7.7 billion ($1.09 billion), increasing 2% year over year.

Cost of revenues was RMB17.4 billion ($2.45 billion), increasing 3% year over year, primarily due to an increase in costs related to AI Cloud business, partially offset by a decrease in content costs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB5.9 billion ($825 million), which remained flat compared to the same period last year.

Research and development expenses were RMB6.3 billion ($886 million), increasing 11% year over year, primarily due to an increase in server depreciation expenses and server custody fees which support Gen-AI research and development inputs.

Operating income was RMB5.4 billion ($759 million). Baidu Core operating income was RMB4.7 billion ($657 million), and Baidu Core operating margin was 17%. Non-GAAP operating income was RMB7.1 billion ($996 million). Non-GAAP Baidu Core operating income was RMB6.2 billion ($873 million), and non-GAAP Baidu Core operating margin was 23%.

Total other loss, net was RMB2.5 billion ($356 million), compared to total other income, net of RMB1.8 billion for the same period last year, mainly due to a pickup of losses from an equity method investment as a result of a modification of certain terms of the underlying preferred shares.

Income tax benefit was RMB96 million ($14 million), compared to income tax expense of RMB1.3 billion for the same period last year, mainly due to a change of certain subsidiaries' amounts of valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

Net income attributable to Baidu was RMB2.6 billion ($366 million), and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB6.77($0.95). Net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB2.4 billion ($344 million), and net margin for Baidu Core was 9%. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu was RMB7.8 billion ($1.09 billion). Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB21.86($3.08). Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB7.5 billion ($1.06 billion), and non-GAAP net margin for Baidu Core was 27%.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB9.1 billion ($1.28 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin was 26%. Adjusted EBITDA for Baidu Core was RMB8.1 billion ($1.14 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin for Baidu Core was 30%.

As of December 31, 2023, cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB205.4 billion ($28.93 billion), and cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments excluding iQIYI were RMB200.0 billion ($28.17 billion). Free cash flow was RMB7.0 billion ($980 million), and free cash flow excluding iQIYI was RMB6.3 billion ($894 million).

Fiscal Year 2023 Results

Total revenues were RMB134.6 billion ($18.96 billion), increasing 9% year over year.

• Revenue from Baidu Core was RMB103.5 billion ($14.57 billion), increasing 8% year over year; online marketing revenue was RMB75.1 billion ($10.58 billion), up 8% year over year, and non-online marketing revenue was RMB28.4 billion ($3.99 billion), up 9% year over year.
• Revenue from iQIYI was RMB31.9 billion ($4.49 billion), increasing 10% year over year.

Cost of revenues was RMB65.0 billion ($9.16 billion), increasing 2% year over year, primarily due to an increase in traffic acquisition costs, partially offset by a decrease in content costs and costs related to AI Cloud business.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB23.5 billion ($3.31 billion), increasing 15% year over year, primarily due to an increase in channel spending and promotional marketing expenses.

Research and development expenses were RMB24.2 billion ($3.41 billion), increasing 4% year over year, primarily due to an increase in server depreciation expenses and server custody fees which support Gen-AI research and development inputs.

Operating income was RMB21.9 billion ($3.08 billion). Baidu Core operating income was RMB18.8 billion ($2.65 billion), and Baidu Core operating margin was 18%. Non-GAAP operating income was RMB28.4 billion ($4.01 billion). Non-GAAP Baidu Core operating income was RMB24.7 billion ($3.49 billion), and non-GAAP Baidu Core operating margin was 24%.

Total other income, net was RMB3.3 billion ($472 million), compared to total other loss, net of RMB5.8 billion last year, mainly due to a fair value gain of RMB198 million from long-term investments this year, compared to a fair value loss of RMB3.9 billion last year; and a decrease of RMB2.2 billion in impairment of long-term investments.

Income tax expense was RMB3.6 billion ($514 million), increasing 42% year over year, primarily due to an increase in profit before tax.

Net income attributable to Baidu was RMB20.3 billion ($2.86 billion), and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB55.08($7.76). Net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB19.4 billion ($2.73 billion), and net margin for Baidu Core was 19%. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu was RMB28.7 billion ($4.05 billion). Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB80.85($11.39). Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB27.4 billion ($3.86 billion), and non-GAAP net margin for Baidu Core was 26%.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB35.8 billion ($5.05 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin was 27%. Adjusted EBITDA for Baidu Core was RMB31.9 billion ($4.49 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin for Baidu Core was 31%.

Free cash flow was RMB25.4 billion ($3.58 billion), and free cash flow excluding iQIYI was RMB22.1 billion ($3.11 billion).

Conference Call Information

Baidu's management will hold an earnings conference call at 7.30 AM on February 28, 2024, U.S. Eastern Time (8.30 PM on February 28, 2024, Beijing Time).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the link provided below. It will automatically direct you to the registration page of "Baidu Inc Q4 2023 Earnings Conference Call". Please follow the steps to enter your registration details, then click "Register". Upon registering, you will then be provided with the dial-in number, the passcode, and your unique access PIN. This information will also be emailed to you as a calendar invite.

For pre-registration, please click:

https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10036733-mjkcdg.html

In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial-in number(s), the passcode and unique access PIN) provided in the calendar invite that you have received following your pre-registration.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at https://ir.baidu.com.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888". One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

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," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, Baidu's and other parties' strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Baidu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 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 but not limited to statements about Baidu'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: Baidu's growth strategies; its future business development, including development of new products and services; its ability to attract and retain users and customers; competition in the Chinese Internet search and newsfeed market; competition for online marketing customers; changes in the Company's revenues and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of its revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration, including those relating to intellectual property rights; the expected growth of the Chinese-language Internet search and newsfeed market and the number of Internet and broadband users in China; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Internet and Internet search providers, and general economic conditions in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Baidu does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Baidu undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement Baidu's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, Baidu uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to Baidu, non-GAAP net margin, non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and free cash flow. The presentation of these 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 GAAP.

Baidu believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of its recurring core business operating results, such as operating performance excluding non-cash charges or non-operating in nature. The Company believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to Baidu's historical performance and liquidity. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude certain items that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant component in the Company's results of operations. These non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company's data.

Non-GAAP operating income represents operating income excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations, and contingent loss pertaining to legal proceeding in relation to former advertising agencies.

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu represents net income attributable to Baidu excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations, disposal gain or loss, impairment of long-term investments, fair value change of long-term investments, and contingent loss pertaining to legal proceeding in relation to former advertising agencies, charitable donation from Baidu, adjusted for related income tax effects. Baidu's share of equity method investments for these non-GAAP reconciling items, amortization and impairment of intangible assets not on the investees' books, accretion of their redeemable non-controlling interests, and the gain or loss associated with the issuance of shares by the investees at a price higher or lower than the carrying value per share, adjusted for related income tax effects, are also excluded.

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS represents diluted earnings per ADS calculated by dividing non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu, by the weighted average number of ordinary shares expressed in ADS. Adjusted EBITDA represents operating income excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations, share-based compensation expenses, and contingent loss pertaining to legal proceeding in relation to former advertising agencies.

For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measure.