Sea Limited Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) (“Sea” or the “Company”) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

“I’m happy to report that it has been a solid quarter for us, with our strong momentum from Q1 continuing into Q2. All three of our businesses have shown both strong growth and higher profitability,” said Forrest Li, Sea’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

On Shopee’s 2024 outlook, he said, “With the strong results delivered in the first half and our outlook for the rest of the year, we expect that Shopee will become adjusted EBITDA positive from the third quarter. We are also revising up our guidance for Shopee’s 2024 full year GMV growth to mid-20%.”

On digital entertainment, Mr. Li said, “Garena delivered a strong quarter, with more than 20% year-on-year growth in bookings, mainly contributed by Free Fire.” On Free Fire, Mr. Li said, “I am very proud to share that, every single day throughout Q2, Free Fire had more than 100 million daily active players. This reinforces our conviction that Free Fire is an evergreen franchise.”

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights

• Group
  • Total GAAP revenue was US$3.8 billion, up 23.0% year-on-year.
  • Total gross profit was US$1.6 billion, up 9.2% year-on-year.
  • Total net income was US$79.9 million, as compared to total net income of US$331.0 million for the second quarter of 2023.
  • Total adjusted EBITDA1 was US$448.5 million, as compared to US$510.0 million for the second quarter of 2023.
  • As of June 30, 2024, cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and other treasury investments2 were US$9.0 billion, representing a net increase of US$364.7 million from March 31, 2024.
    
    
• E-commerce
  • Gross orders totaled 2.5 billion for the quarter, increasing by 40.3% year-on-year.
  • GMV was US$23.3 billion for the quarter, increasing by 29.1% year-on-year.
  • GAAP revenue was US$2.8 billion, up 33.7% year-on-year.
  • GAAP revenue included US$2.5 billion of GAAP marketplace revenue, which consists of core marketplace revenue and value-added services revenue and increased by 32.7% year-on-year.
    • Core marketplace revenue, mainly consisting of transaction-based fees and advertising revenues, was up 41.4% year-on-year to US$1.8 billion.
    • Value-added services revenue, mainly consisting of revenues related to logistics services, was up 15.5% year-on-year to US$722.3 million.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 was US$(9.2) million, as compared to US$150.3 million for the second quarter of 2023.
    • Asia markets recorded adjusted EBITDA of US$3.8 million, as compared to US$204.1 million for the second quarter of 2023.
    • Other markets recorded adjusted EBITDA of US$(13.0) million, as compared to US$(53.7) million for the second quarter of 2023.
    • In Brazil, unit economics continued to improve, as we achieved positive contribution margin3 per order of US$0.09 for the quarter, as compared to a loss of US$(0.24) for the second quarter of 2023.
      
      
• Digital Financial Services
  • GAAP revenue was US$519.3 million, up 21.4% year-on-year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 was US$164.7 million, up 20.2% year-on-year.
  • Digital financial services revenue and operating income are primarily attributed to the consumer and SME credit business. As of June 30, 2024, consumer and SME loans principal outstanding was US$3.5 billion, up 39.5% year-on-year. This consists of US$2.9 billion on-book and US$0.7 billion off-book loans principal outstanding4.
  • Non-performing loans past due by more than 90 days as a percentage of consumer and SME loans principal outstanding, which includes both on-book and off-book loans principal outstanding4, was 1.3%, a slight improvement quarter-on-quarter.
    
    
• Digital Entertainment
  • Bookings5 were US$536.8 million, up 21.1% year-on-year.
  • GAAP revenue was US$435.6 million, as compared to US$529.4 million for the second quarter of 2023.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 was US$302.8 million, up 26.5% year-on-year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA represented 56.4% of bookings for the second quarter of 2024, as compared to 54.0% for the second quarter of 2023.
  • Quarterly active users were 648.0 million, up 19.0% year-on-year.
  • Quarterly paying users were 52.5 million, up 21.7% year-on-year. Paying user ratio was 8.1%, as compared to 7.9% for the second quarter of 2023.
  • Average bookings per user were US$0.83, as compared to US$0.81 for the second quarter of 2023.

Changes in Board of Directors

With effect from August 12, 2024, Dr. Silvio Savarese and Ms. Jessica Tan have been elected to Sea’s board of directors as independent directors. Mr. Tony Hou, who is also serving as Sea’s Chief Financial Officer, has stepped down from the board at the same time, such that with effect of these changes, our seven-member board now comprises a majority of independent directors. Tony will continue to serve as Sea’s Chief Financial Officer.

Dr. Savarese currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Scientist of Salesforce Research where he leads the AI Research organization and shapes Salesforce’s scientific direction and long-term AI strategy. He has been in this position since April 2021. Dr. Savarese is also an adjunct professor of Computer Science at Stanford University.

Ms. Tan previously served as the Group co-CEO and Executive Director of Ping An Group. Ms. Tan is a member of the board of directors of Ping An Bank Co Ltd., listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and is on the boards of the Central Provident Fund Board, the National Healthcare Group, and the Agency Integrated Care, three non-profit organizations in Singapore. Ms. Tan is also a member of the advisory panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the World Bank Private Sector Investment Lab.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2024 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2023

Revenue

Our total GAAP revenue increased by 23.0% to US$3.8 billion in the second quarter of 2024 from US$3.1 billion in the second quarter of 2023.

• Digital Entertainment: GAAP revenue was US$435.6 million in the second quarter of 2024 compared to US$529.4 million in the second quarter of 2023. Despite the increase in bookings during the second quarter of 2024, the decrease in GAAP revenue was primarily due to lower recognition of accumulated deferred revenue due to lower bookings in previous quarters.
• E-commerce and other services: GAAP revenue increased by 30.4% to US$3.0 billion in the second quarter of 2024 from US$2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2023, primarily driven by the GMV growth of our e-commerce business and the growth of our credit business.
• Sales of goods: GAAP revenue increased by 40.5% to US$342.6 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$243.8 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Cost of Revenue

Our total cost of revenue was US$2.2 billion in the second quarter of 2024, as compared to US$1.6 billion in the second quarter of 2023.

• Digital Entertainment: Cost of revenue decreased by 13.2% to US$139.5 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$160.7 million in the second quarter of 2023.
• E-commerce and other services: Cost of revenue for our e-commerce and other services segment combined was US$1.8 billion in the second quarter of 2024, as compared to US$1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2023, primarily driven by an increase in logistics costs as orders volume grew.
• Cost of goods sold: Cost of goods sold increased by 44.0% to US$317.7 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$220.6 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Other Operating Income

Our other operating income was US$42.6 million and US$58.0 million in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively. Other operating income mainly consists of rebates from e-commerce related logistics services providers.

Sales and Marketing Expenses

Our total sales and marketing expenses increased by 57.0% to US$774.8 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$493.6 million in the second quarter of 2023. The table below sets forth breakdown of the sales and marketing expenses of our major reporting segments. Amounts are expressed in thousands of US dollars (“$”).

General and Administrative Expenses

Our general and administrative expenses were US$303.8 million, as compared to US$295.2 million in the second quarter of 2023, relatively flat year-on-year.

Provision for Credit Losses

Our provision for credit losses increased by 9.4% to US$167.4 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$153.0 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Research and Development Expenses

Our research and development expenses increased by 5.4% to US$298.5 million in the second quarter of 2024 from US$283.3 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Non-operating Income or Losses, Net

Non-operating income or losses mainly consist of interest income, interest expense, investment gain (loss), foreign exchange gain (loss) and gain (loss) on debt extinguishment. We recorded a net non-operating income of US$56.4 million in the second quarter of 2024, as compared to a net non-operating income of US$107.6 million in the second quarter of 2023. The non-operating income in the second quarter of 2024 was primarily due to interest income of US$91.4 million, partially offset by foreign exchange loss of US$16.1 million and investment losses of US$14.1 million recognized.

Income Tax Expense

We had a net income tax expense of US$60.6 million and US$62.2 million in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Net Income

As a result of the foregoing, we had net income of US$79.9 million in the second quarter of 2024, as compared to net income of US$331.0 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share Attributable to Sea Limited’s Ordinary Shareholders

Basic earnings per share attributable to Sea Limited’s ordinary shareholders was US$0.14 and US$0.57 in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Diluted earnings per share attributable to Sea Limited’s ordinary shareholders was US$0.14 and US$0.54 in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The Company’s management will host a conference call today to review Sea’s business and financial performance.

Details of the conference call and webcast are as follows:

A replay of the conference call will be available at the Company’s investor relations website (www.sea.com/investor/home). An archived webcast will be available at the same link above.

About Sea Limited

Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) is a leading global consumer internet company founded in Singapore in 2009. Its mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology. Sea operates three core businesses across digital entertainment, e-commerce, as well as digital financial services, known as Garena, Shopee and SeaMoney, respectively. Garena is a leading global online games developer and publisher. Shopee is the largest pan-regional e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan and has a significant presence in Latin America. SeaMoney is a leading digital financial services provider in Southeast Asia and is growing its presence in Brazil.

Forward-Looking Statements

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 “may,” “could,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “likely to,” “potential,” “confident,” “guidance,” and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Sea’s beliefs and expectations, the business, financial and market outlook, and projections from its management in this announcement, as well as Sea’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Sea may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “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. 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: Sea’s goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition, financial results, and results of operations; the expected growth in, and market size of, the digital entertainment, e-commerce and digital financial services industries in the markets where it operates, including segments within those industries; expected changes or guidance in its revenue, costs or expenditures; its ability to continue to source, develop and offer new and attractive online games and to offer other engaging digital entertainment content; the expected growth of its digital entertainment, e-commerce and digital financial services businesses; its expectations regarding growth in its user base, level of engagement, and monetization; its ability to continue to develop new technologies and/or upgrade its existing technologies; growth and trends of its markets and competition in its industries; government policies and regulations relating to its industries, including the effects of any government orders or actions on its businesses; general economic, political, social and business conditions in its markets; and the impact of widespread health developments. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Sea’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 Sea undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we use the following non-GAAP financial measures to help evaluate our operating performance:

• “Adjusted EBITDA” for our digital entertainment segment represents operating income (loss) plus (a) depreciation and amortization expenses, and (b) the net effect of changes in deferred revenue and its related cost for our digital entertainment segment. We believe that the segment adjusted EBITDA helps to identify underlying trends in our operating results, enhancing their understanding of the past performance and future prospects.
• “Adjusted EBITDA” for our e-commerce segment, digital financial services segment and other services segment represents operating income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization expenses. We believe that the segment adjusted EBITDA helps to identify underlying trends in our operating results, enhancing their understanding of the past performance and future prospects.
• “Total adjusted EBITDA” represents the sum of adjusted EBITDA of all our segments combined, plus unallocated expenses. We believe that the total adjusted EBITDA helps to identify underlying trends in our operating results, enhancing their understanding of the past performance and future prospects.

These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. None of the above financial measures should be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to revenue, net loss/income, or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of our operating performance. 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 Sea’s data. We compensate for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to their nearest U.S. GAAP financial measures, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance. We encourage you to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on any single financial measure.

The tables below present selected financial information of our reporting segments, the non-GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to GAAP financial measures, and the related reconciliations between the financial measures. Amounts are expressed in thousands of US dollars (“$”) except for number of shares & per share data.

Net cash used in investing activities amounted to US$1,564 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. This was primarily attributable to increase in loans receivable of our credit business of US$873 million, net placement of US$575 million in securities purchased under agreements to resell, time deposits and liquid investment products, for better cash yield management and purchase of property and equipment of US$91 million to support the existing operations. Net cash generated from financing activities amounted to US$426 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. This was primarily attributable to an increase in bank deposits of US$674 million, offset by the cash used in repurchase of convertible notes of US$176 million as well as net repayment of our other funding sources related to the credit business of US$70 million.

UNAUDITED SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company has three reportable segments, namely e-commerce, digital financial services and digital entertainment. The Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) reviews the performance of each segment based on revenue and certain key operating metrics of the operations and uses these results for the purposes of allocating resources to and evaluating the financial performance of each segment. Amounts are expressed in thousands of US dollars (“$”).

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