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VNET Reports Unaudited Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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BEIJING, Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — VNET Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) (“VNET” or the “Company”), a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

“We delivered another solid quarter through continued strong execution of our effective dual-core development strategy,” said Josh Sheng Chen, Founder, Executive Chairperson and interim Chief Executive Officer of VNET. “The wholesale IDC business remained our key growth driver, highlighted by three new orders totaling 235MW for our Ulanqab IDC Campus in the Greater Beijing Area. Climbing utilization rates and a high pre-commitment rate for capacity under construction demonstrate our reliable, high-quality IDC services’ enduring customer appeal in the competitive market. Furthermore, we advanced our AI data center development with steady progress on our green, high-tech Ulanqab IDC Campus, enabling us to seamlessly meet the increasing AI-driven demand. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our innovative service offerings, vast high-power density resources and diverse AI-related capabilities to drive our healthy development and create value for all of our stakeholders.” 

Qiyu Wang, Chief Financial Officer of VNET, commented, “In the second quarter, we remained focused on high-quality revenue businesses while enhancing efficiency and profitability, tactics that continued to yield positive outcomes. Our total net revenues increased by 9.4% year over year to RMB1.99 billion, mainly driven by wholesale revenue growth of 81% year over year, while operating expenses decreased by 7.7% year over year and 36.8% quarter over quarter. Our adjusted EBITDA also grew by 7.3% year over year to RMB573.8 million. In addition, we recorded a net income of RMB71.8 million in the second quarter, a significant improvement from the net loss of RMB159.0 million in the first quarter of 2024, representing a quarter over quarter increase of RMB230.9 million, thanks to our consistent operational improvements. Supported by our robust business fundamentals and healthy cash position, we will continue to invest in our core capabilities and AI-driven opportunities, propelling high-quality, sustainable growth.”

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Total net revenues increased by 9.4% to RMB1.99 billion (US$274.4 million) from RMB1.82 billion in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the IDC business[1] increased by 12.1% to RMB1.37 billion (US$188.1 million) from RMB1.22 billion in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the wholesale IDC business (“wholesale revenues”) increased by 81.0% to RMB402.0 million (US$55.3 million) from RMB222.1 million in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the retail IDC business (“retail revenues”) decreased by 3.2% to RMB964.8 million (US$132.8 million) from RMB996.6 million in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the non-IDC business[2] increased by 4.0% to RMB627.0 million (US$86.3 million) from RMB603.1 million in the same period of 2023.Adjusted cash gross profit (non-GAAP) increased by 6.0% to RMB787.3 million (US$108.3 million) from RMB742.9 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted cash gross margin (non-GAAP) was 39.5%, compared with 40.8% in the same period of 2023.Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) increased by 7.3% to RMB573.8 million (US$79.0 million) from RMB535.0 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 28.8%, compared with 29.4% in the same period of 2023.Net income increased by RMB309.4 million and RMB230.9 million to RMB71.8 million (US$9.9 million) in the second quarter, compared with a net loss of RMB237.6 million in the same period of 2023 and a net loss of RMB159.0 million in the first quarter of 2024, respectively.

Second Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights

Wholesale IDC Business[3]

Capacity in service was 332MW as of June 30, 2024, compared with 332MW as of March 31, 2024, and 224MW as of June 30, 2023. Capacity under construction was 279MW as of June 30, 2024.Capacity utilized by customers reached 252MW as of June 30, 2024, compared with 236MW as of March 31, 2024, and 142MW as of June 30, 2023. The sequential increase during the second quarter of 2024 was 16MW, which was mainly contributed by E-JS Campus 02 C data center.Utilization rate[4] of wholesale capacity was 75.9% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 71.0% as of March 31, 2024, and 63.4% as of June 30, 2023.Utilization rate of mature wholesale capacity[5] was 94.9% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 94.6% as of March 31, 2024, and 94.2% as of June 30, 2023.Utilization rate of ramp-up wholesale capacity[6] was 45.7% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 33.6% as of March 31, 2024, and 39.9% as of June 30, 2023.Total capacity committed[7] was 326MW as of June 30, 2024, compared with 326MW as of March 31, 2024, and 194MW as of June 30, 2023.Commitment rate[8] for capacity in service was 98.1% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 98.1% as of March 31, 2024 and 86.7% as of June 30, 2023.Total capacity pre-committed[9] was 238MW and pre-commitment rate[10] for capacity under construction was 85.5% as of June 30, 2024.

Retail IDC Business[11]

Capacity in service was 52,177 cabinets as of June 30, 2024, compared with 52,068 cabinets as of March 31, 2024, and 53,702 cabinets as of June 30, 2023.Capacity utilized by customers reached 33,253 cabinets as of June 30, 2024, compared with 33,312 cabinets as of March 31, 2024, and 33,320 cabinets as of June 30, 2023.Utilization rate of retail capacity was 63.7% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 64.0% as of March 31, 2024, and 62.0% as of June 30, 2023.Utilization rate of mature retail capacity[12] was 72.5% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 72.8% as of March 31, 2024, and 73.5% as of June 30, 2023.Utilization rate of ramp-up retail capacity[13] was 12.7% as of June 30, 2024, compared with 13.0% as of March 31, 2024, and 16.3% as of June 30, 2023.Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) per retail cabinet was RMB8,753 in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB8,742 in the first quarter of 2024 and RMB8,931 in the second quarter of 2023.

[1] IDC business refers to managed hosting services, consisting of the wholesale IDC business and the retail IDC business. Beginning in the first quarter of 2024, our IDC business was subdivided into wholesale IDC business and retail IDC business according to the nature and scale of our data center projects. Prior to 2024, the subdivision was based on customer contract types.

[2] Non-IDC business consists of cloud services and VPN services.

[3] For wholesale IDC business, certain projects hosted in our E-JS02 data center with an aggregate of 27MW capacity were excluded and are expected to be continuously excluded from in-service wholesale due to pending commercial discussion with the client. Such projects were included as in-service wholesale from the first quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2023, given that such projects had been delivered to the client based on the terms of the MOU.

[4] Utilization rate is calculated by dividing capacity utilized by customers by the capacity in service.

[5] Mature wholesale capacity refers to wholesale data centers in which utilization rate is at or above 80%.

[6] Ramp-up wholesale capacity refers to wholesale data centers in which utilization rate is below 80%.

[7] Total capacity committed is the capacity committed to customers pursuant to customer agreements remaining in effect.

[8] Commitment rate is calculated by total capacity committed divided by total capacity in service.

[9] Total capacity pre-committed is the capacity under construction which is pre-committed to customers pursuant to customer agreements remaining in effect.

[10] Pre-commitment rate is calculated by total capacity pre-committed divided by total capacity under construction.

[11] For retail IDC business, since the first quarter of 2024, we have excluded a certain number of reserved cabinets from the capacity in service. Reserved cabinets refer to those that have not been utilized on a large scale, those that are planned to be closed, or those that are planned to be further upgraded. As of June 30, 2023, March 31, 2024, and June 30, 2024, 4,426, 4,426, and 4,150 reserved cabinets, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of utilization rate of retail IDC business capacity.

[12] Mature retail capacity refers to retail data centers that came into service prior to the past 24 months.

[13] Ramp-up retail capacity refers to retail data centers that came into service within the past 24 months, or mature retail data centers that have undergone improvements within the past 24 months.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

TOTAL NET REVENUES: Total net revenues in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB1.99 billion (US$274.4 million), representing an increase of 9.4% from RMB1.82 billion in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly driven by the continued growth of our wholesale IDC business.

Net revenues from IDC business increased by 12.1% to RMB1.37 billion (US$188.1 million) from RMB1.22 billion in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly driven by an increase in wholesale revenues and partially offset by a decrease in retail revenues.

Wholesale revenues increased by 81.0% to RMB402.0 million (US$55.3 million) from RMB222.1 million in the same period of 2023.Retail revenues decreased to RMB964.8 million (US$132.8 million) from RMB996.6 million in the same period of 2023.

Net revenues from non-IDC business increased by 4.0% to RMB627.0 million (US$86.3 million) from RMB603.1 million in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was driven by cloud and VPN businesses.

GROSS PROFIT: Gross profit in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB424.9 million (US$58.5 million), representing an increase of 24.0% from RMB342.7 million in the same period of 2023. Gross margin in the second quarter of 2024 was 21.3%, compared with 18.8% in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to a reduction in depreciation expense due to the change in the estimated useful lives of property and equipment starting from January 1, 2024.

ADJUSTED CASH GROSS PROFIT (non-GAAP), which excludes depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation expenses, was RMB787.3 million (US$108.3 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB742.9 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted cash gross margin (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2024 was 39.5%, compared with 40.8% in the same period of 2023.

OPERATING EXPENSES: Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB230.3 million (US$31.7 million), compared with RMB249.5 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to a decrease in professional service fees and personnel costs.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB58.2 million (US$8.0 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB63.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Research and development expenses were RMB62.0 million (US$8.5 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB81.1 million in the same period of 2023.

General and administrative expenses were RMB107.3 million (US$14.8 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB128.0 million in the same period of 2023.

ADJUSTED OPERATING EXPENSES (non-GAAP), which exclude share-based compensation expenses, were RMB243.2 million (US$33.5 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB241.5 million in the same period of 2023. As a percentage of total net revenues, adjusted operating expenses (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2024 were 12.2%, compared with 13.3% in the same period of 2023.

ADJUSTED EBITDA (non-GAAP): Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB573.8 million (US$79.0 million), representing an increase of 7.3% from RMB535.0 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2024 was 28.8%, compared with 29.4% in the same period of 2023.

NET INCOME/LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO VNET GROUP, INC.: Net income attributable to VNET Group, Inc. in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB63.7 million (US$8.8 million), compared with a net loss attributable to VNET Group, Inc. of RMB232.9 million in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to our consistent operational improvement and decreases in sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses and foreign exchange loss.

EARNINGS PER SHARE: Basic and diluted earnings per share in the second quarter of 2024 were both RMB0.04 (US$0.01), equivalent to both RMB0.24 (US$0.06) per American depositary share (“ADS”). Each ADS represents six Class A ordinary shares. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding.

LIQUIDITY: As of June 30, 2024, the aggregate amount of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments was RMB2.22 billion (US$306.0 million).

Total short-term debt consisting of short-term bank borrowings and the current portion of long-term borrowings was RMB1.67 billion (US$230.1 million). Total long-term debt was RMB8.45 billion (US$1.16 billion), comprised of long-term borrowings of RMB6.67 billion (US$917.7 million) and convertible promissory notes of RMB1.78 billion (US$245.1 million).

Net cash generated from operating activities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB405.2 million (US$55.8 million), compared with RMB423.5 million in the same period of 2023. During the second quarter of 2024, the Company obtained new debt financing, refinancing facilities and other financings of RMB1.45 billion (US$199.3 million).

Business Outlook

The Company expects total net revenues for 2024 to be between RMB7,800 million to RMB8,000 million, representing year-over-year growth of 5.2% to 7.9%, and adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) to be in the range of RMB2,220 million to RMB2,280 million, representing year-over-year growth of 8.9% to 11.8%. The above outlook remains unchanged from the previously provided estimates.

The forecast reflects the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and its operational conditions and is subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 9:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, or 9:00 AM Beijing Time on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

For participants who wish to join the call, please access the links provided below to complete the online registration process.

English line:
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10041484-y4obcl.html

Chinese line (listen-only mode):
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10041485-qdkvjp.html

Participants can choose between the English and Chinese options for pre-registration above. Please note that the Chinese option will be in listen-only mode. Upon registration, each participant will receive an email containing details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers, a conference call passcode and a unique access PIN, which will be used to join the conference call.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.vnet.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through September 4, 2024, by dialing the following numbers:

US/Canada:

1 855 883 1031

Mainland China:

400 1209 216

Hong Kong, China: 

800 930 639

International:

+61 7 3107 6325

Replay PIN (English line):

10041484

Replay PIN (Chinese line): 

10041485

Non-GAAP Disclosure

In evaluating its business, VNET considers and uses the following non-GAAP measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a supplemental measure to review and assess its operating performance: adjusted cash gross profit, adjusted cash gross margin, adjusted operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin. 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 U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP results” set forth at the end of this press release.

The non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information to help investors compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the Company’s current financial performance and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, U.S. GAAP results. In addition, the Company’s calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.2672 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on June 28, 2024, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.

Statement Regarding Unaudited Condensed Financial Information

The unaudited financial information set forth above is preliminary and subject to potential adjustments. Adjustments to the consolidated financial statements may be identified when audit work has been performed for the Company’s year-end audit, which could result in significant differences from this preliminary unaudited condensed financial information.

About VNET

VNET Group, Inc. is a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China. VNET provides hosting and related services, including IDC services, cloud services, and business VPN services to improve the reliability, security, and speed of its customers’ internet infrastructure. Customers may locate their servers and equipment in VNET’s data centers and connect to China’s internet backbone. VNET operates in more than 30 cities throughout China, servicing a diversified and loyal base of over 7,500 hosting and related enterprise customers that span numerous industries ranging from internet companies to government entities and blue-chip enterprises to small- to mid-sized enterprises.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “target,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement as well as VNET’s strategic and operational plans contain forward-looking statements. VNET may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports 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 VNET’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: VNET’s goals and strategies; VNET’s liquidity conditions; VNET’s expansion plans; the expected growth of the data center services market; expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, VNET’s services; VNET’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with customers; VNET’s plans to invest in research and development to enhance its solution and service offerings; and general economic and business conditions in the regions where VNET provides solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in VNET’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and VNET undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Xinyuan Liu
Tel: +86 10 8456 2121
Email: ir@vnet.com

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 As of 

 As of  

December 31, 2023

June 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Assets 

 Current assets: 

 Cash and cash equivalents 

2,243,537

1,796,105

247,152

 Restricted cash 

2,854,568

338,846

46,627

 Accounts and notes receivable, net 

1,715,975

1,802,572

248,042

 Short-term investments 

356,820

87,871

12,091

 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

2,375,341

2,673,585

367,898

 Amounts due from related parties 

277,237

345,408

47,530

 Total current assets 

9,823,478

7,044,387

969,340

 Non-current assets: 

 Property and equipment, net 

13,024,393

14,281,580

1,965,211

 Intangible assets, net 

1,383,406

1,340,625

184,476

 Land use rights, net 

602,503

593,309

81,642

 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 

4,012,329

4,384,000

603,258

 Restricted cash 

882

882

121

 Deferred tax assets, net 

247,644

285,199

39,245

 Long-term investments, net 

757,949

816,423

112,344

 Other non-current assets 

533,319

372,144

51,209

 Total non-current assets 

20,562,425

22,074,162

3,037,506

 Total assets 

30,385,903

29,118,549

4,006,846

 Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity 

 Current liabilities: 

 Short-term bank borrowings 

30,000

562,270

77,371

 Accounts and notes payable 

696,177

726,827

100,015

 Accrued expenses and other payables 

2,783,102

2,717,898

373,995

 Advances from customers 

1,605,247

1,530,852

210,652

 Deferred revenue 

95,477

87,103

11,986

 Income taxes payable 

35,197

61,930

8,522

 Amounts due to related parties 

356,080

379,070

52,162

 Current portion of long-term borrowings 

723,325

1,110,202

152,769

 Current portion of finance lease liabilities  

115,806

95,687

13,167

 Current portion of deferred government grants 

8,062

10,311

1,419

 Current portion of operating lease liabilities  

780,164

860,446

118,401

 Convertible promissory notes 

4,208,495

 Total current liabilities 

11,437,132

8,142,596

1,120,459

 Non-current liabilities: 

 Long-term borrowings 

5,113,521

6,668,842

917,663

 Convertible promissory notes 

1,769,946

1,781,082

245,085

 Non-current portion of finance lease liabilities  

1,159,525

1,142,194

157,171

 Unrecognized tax benefits 

98,457

98,457

13,548

 Deferred tax liabilities 

688,362

698,162

96,070

 Deferred government grants 

145,112

260,876

35,898

 Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities 

3,270,759

3,596,438

494,886

 Derivative liability 

188,706

185,297

25,498

 Total non-current liabilities 

12,434,388

14,431,348

1,985,819

 Shareholders’ equity 

 Ordinary shares  

107

109

15

 Additional paid-in capital 

17,291,312

17,260,924

2,375,182

 Accumulated other comprehensive loss 

(14,343)

(20,084)

(2,764)

 Statutory reserves 

80,615

80,615

11,093

 Accumulated deficit 

(11,016,323)

(11,139,653)

(1,532,867)

 Treasury stock 

(326,953)

(173,427)

(23,864)

 Total VNET Group, Inc. shareholders’ equity 

6,014,415

6,008,484

826,795

 Noncontrolling interest 

499,968

536,121

73,773

 Total shareholders’ equity 

6,514,383

6,544,605

900,568

 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity 

30,385,903

29,118,549

4,006,846

 

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”) except for number of shares and per share data) 

 Three months ended  

 Six months ended  

June 30, 2023

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Net revenues 

1,821,744

1,898,126

1,993,760

274,351

3,627,526

3,891,886

535,541

 Cost of revenues 

(1,478,995)

(1,487,405)

(1,568,865)

(215,883)

(2,932,397)

(3,056,270)

(420,557)

 Gross profit 

342,749

410,721

424,895

58,468

695,129

835,616

114,984

 Operating income (expenses) 

 Operating income 

13,895

3,949

47,274

3,949

543

 Sales and marketing expenses 

(63,068)

(71,743)

(58,225)

(8,012)

(128,844)

(129,968)

(17,884)

 Research and development expenses 

(81,126)

(75,389)

(61,998)

(8,531)

(160,876)

(137,387)

(18,905)

 General and administrative expenses 

(128,017)

(226,297)

(107,297)

(14,765)

(255,464)

(333,594)

(45,904)

 Reversal of (allowance for) doubtful debt 

8,833

5,175

(2,753)

(379)

11,282

2,422

333

 Total operating expenses 

(249,483)

(364,305)

(230,273)

(31,687)

(486,628)

(594,578)

(81,817)

 Operating profit 

93,266

46,416

194,622

26,781

208,501

241,038

33,167

 Interest income 

10,038

12,129

5,449

750

15,719

17,578

2,419

 Interest expense 

(71,709)

(137,682)

(92,172)

(12,683)

(141,495)

(229,854)

(31,629)

 Other income 

14,192

4,814

30,475

4,193

15,356

35,289

4,856

 Other expenses 

(320)

(1,422)

(6,900)

(949)

(3,912)

(8,322)

(1,145)

 Changes in the fair value of financial liabilities 

154

3,858

712

98

21,452

4,570

629

 Foreign exchange loss 

(271,630)

(28,361)

(4,387)

(604)

(192,997)

(32,748)

(4,506)

 (Loss) income before income taxes
 and gain from equity method investments 

(226,009)

(100,248)

127,799

17,586

(77,376)

27,551

3,791

 Income tax expenses 

(12,545)

(61,384)

(59,149)

(8,139)

(57,431)

(120,533)

(16,586)

 Gain from equity method investments 

983

2,606

3,199

440

809

5,805

799

 Net (loss) income 

(237,571)

(159,026)

71,849

9,887

(133,998)

(87,177)

(11,996)

 Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest 

4,692

(27,979)

(8,174)

(1,125)

(16,588)

(36,153)

(4,975)

 Net (loss) income attributable to the VNET Group, Inc. 

(232,879)

(187,005)

63,675

8,762

(150,586)

(123,330)

(16,971)

 (Loss) earnings per share 

 Basic 

(0.26)

(0.12)

0.04

0.01

(0.17)

(0.08)

(0.01)

 Diluted 

(0.26)

(0.12)

0.04

0.01

(0.19)

(0.08)

(0.01)

 Shares used in (loss) earnings per share
computation 

 Basic* 

888,705,981

1,568,300,360

1,594,662,099

1,594,662,099

888,555,145

1,581,481,229

1,581,481,229

 Diluted* 

888,705,981

1,568,300,360

1,595,517,338

1,595,517,338

905,386,636

1,581,481,229

1,581,481,229

(Loss) earnings per ADS (6 ordinary shares equal to 1 ADS)

Basic

(1.56)

(0.72)

0.24

0.06

(1.02)

(0.48)

(0.06)

Diluted

(1.56)

(0.72)

0.24

0.06

(1.14)

(0.48)

(0.06)

 * Shares used in (loss) earnings per share/ADS computation were computed under weighted average method. 

 

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS  

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 Three months ended  

 Six months ended 

June 30, 2023

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Gross profit 

342,749

410,721

424,895

58,468

695,129

835,616

114,985

 Plus: depreciation and amortization 

400,173

352,604

364,616

50,173

802,050

717,220

98,693

 Plus: share-based compensation expenses 

2,190

(2,190)

(301)

 Adjusted cash gross profit 

742,922

765,515

787,321

108,340

1,497,179

1,552,836

213,678

 Adjusted cash gross margin 

40.8 %

40.3 %

39.5 %

39.5 %

41.3 %

39.9 %

39.9 %

 Operating expenses 

(249,483)

(364,305)

(230,273)

(31,687)

(486,628)

(594,578)

(81,817)

 Plus: share-based compensation expenses 

8,006

111,681

(12,962)

(1,784)

16,342

98,719

13,584

 Adjusted operating expenses 

(241,477)

(252,624)

(243,235)

(33,471)

(470,286)

(495,859)

(68,233)

 Operating profit 

93,266

46,416

194,622

26,781

208,501

241,038

33,168

 Plus: depreciation and amortization 

433,735

379,551

394,334

54,262

866,364

773,885

106,490

 Plus: share-based compensation expenses 

8,006

113,871

(15,152)

(2,085)

16,342

98,719

13,584

 Adjusted EBITDA 

535,007

539,838

573,804

78,958

1,091,207

1,113,642

153,242

 Adjusted EBITDA margin 

29.4 %

28.4 %

28.8 %

28.8 %

30.1 %

28.6 %

28.6 %

 

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 Three months ended  

June 30, 2023

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

 Net (loss) income 

(237,571)

(159,026)

71,849

9,887

 Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash generated from operating activities: 

     Depreciation and amortization 

433,015

377,086

388,711

53,488

     Share-based compensation expenses 

8,006

113,871

(15,152)

(2,085)

     Others 

357,787

137,297

101,890

14,021

 Changes in operating assets and liabilities 

     Accounts and notes receivable 

8,388

(226,973)

142,469

19,604

     Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

70,627

(44,104)

(79,893)

(10,993)

     Accounts and notes payable 

33,434

77,668

(47,018)

(6,470)

     Accrued expenses and other payables 

(5,950)

56,105

(61,463)

(8,458)

     Deferred revenue 

(35,743)

5,626

(14,000)

(1,926)

     Advances from customers 

(114,977)

(11,090)

(63,305)

(8,711)

     Others 

(93,540)

(58,873)

(18,884)

(2,599)

 Net cash generated from operating activities 

423,476

267,587

405,204

55,758

 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES 

 Purchases of property and equipment 

(394,812)

(1,005,368)

(998,489)

(137,397)

 Purchases of intangible assets 

(10,178)

(5,965)

(7,594)

(1,045)

 (Payments for) proceeds from investments 

(655,815)

359,239

(138,224)

(19,020)

 Proceeds from other investing activities 

9,295

1,154

117,209

16,128

 Net cash used in investing activities 

(1,051,510)

(650,940)

(1,027,098)

(141,334)

 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 

 Proceeds from bank borrowings 

169,204

1,156,279

690,848

95,064

 Repayments of bank borrowings 

(55,865)

(51,441)

(533,324)

(73,388)

 Repurchase of 2025 Convertible Notes 

(380,333)

 Repurchase of 2026 Convertible Notes 

(4,262,340)

 Payments for finance leases  

(67,172)

(39,602)

(9,586)

(1,319)

 Proceeds from other financing activities  

285,013

591,446

516,493

71,072

 Net cash (used in) generated from financing activities 

(49,153)

(2,605,658)

664,431

91,429

 Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash
 equivalents and restricted cash  

51,314

(20,050)

3,370

464

 Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and
 restricted cash 

(625,873)

(3,009,061)

45,907

6,317

 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at

 beginning of period 

3,242,842

5,098,987

2,089,926

287,583

 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period 

2,616,969

2,089,926

2,135,833

293,900

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vnet-reports-unaudited-second-quarter-2024-financial-results-302231598.html

SOURCE VNET Group, Inc.

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Positive Perception of Term “All-Electric Home” Increases 12 Percentage Points in Recent Years, E Source Survey Finds

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Research from the utilities-focused research, consulting, and data science company shows positive shift in homeowner perceptions of electrification technologies, though cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching. 

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — E Source, a utilities-focused consulting, research, and data science company, has shared the results of its 2024 Residential Electrification Survey, including a shift in consumer attitudes toward electrification technologies in residential settings. The independent study, first conducted in 2021, fielded in April 2024 with over 10,000 residential homeowner utility customers in the United States and Canada.  

Designed and administered by the E Source Market Research team, the survey offers findings around: 

Consumer perceptions of electrification technologies: Over three-quarters of respondents believe that electricity is a safer home and appliance fuel source than natural gas, an increase from 2021. Despite shifting perceptions, cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching.Current ownership of electrification equipment: More respondents say they own electric equipment in 2024 compared to 2021, with electric cooktops and smart thermostats reported as the most common electric appliances.Readiness for adoption: While many respondents said they were unlikely to switch fuel sources for most home equipment, 27% expressed interest in taking steps to electrify all their appliances.

In other notable findings, positive perception of the term “all-electric home” increased from 40% in 2021 to 51% in 2024. Additionally, over one-third of respondents would prefer homes with only electric appliances when choosing their next residence, with 63% stating that gas appliances contribute to indoor air pollution, an increase from 51% in 2021.  

However, despite the growing interest in electrification, cost remains the largest barrier to fuel-switching, with 76% of respondents believing that switching fuel sources of any kind in their home appliances would be costly. 

Utilities today are navigating fast-paced technological advancements, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, managing tighter budgets, and looking to meet heightened customer expectations. A systematic and targeted approach to electrification is central to successfully addressing these challenges.

“Electrification holds tremendous potential along with risks. Utilities can realize that potential and mitigate the risks by understanding how to best engage their customers in the energy transition. With in-depth market research like our Residential Electrification Survey, utilities can understand perceptions of electrification to promote the value of new technologies based on customer needs, beliefs, and behaviors,” said Filomena Gogel, President of research and advisory at E Source.  

An overview of the insights is publicly available in a downloadable eBook here. Detailed findings are available in an industry report for members of the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Strategy Service offered by E Source. 

About E Source 
E Source combines industry-leading research, data science, and consulting to help utilities make and implement better data-driven decisions that positively impact their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, E Source has teams across the US and Canada. Learn more at www.esource.com.

Media Contact:  
Adarsh Nalam, Director, Solutions Marketing and Communications  
adarsh_nalam@esource.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/positive-perception-of-term-all-electric-home-increases-12-percentage-points-in-recent-years-e-source-survey-finds-302306080.html

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC

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Ironclad Launches Jurist: an AI-Powered Assistant That Shows its Work

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The conversational AI assistant utilizes purpose-built multi-agent technology that works together to automate legal work, giving legal professionals a singular place to work with all the right tools and information in one seamless experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ironclad, the leading digital contracting platform for modern businesses, today announced the public launch of a new conversational AI legal assistant, Ironclad Jurist. Jurist allows legal professionals to draft, edit, review, summarize, translate, and answer questions related to modern contracting. Jurist is the only AI-powered assistant purpose-built for lawyers that lets users create and iterate on any legal document with past company precedent, benchmarks, and real-time changes in the legal space—all in an online, fully editable .docx workspace.

Jurist, built on Ironclad’s open-source visual programming platform Rivet, offers users unprecedented transparency into AI decision-making within a contract by displaying agent actions and reasoning, complete with citations in its online research mode. Leveraging industry-leading prompt routing, specialized legal prompt engineering, and a sophisticated retrieval automation generation (RAG) approach that harnesses multiple top-tier LLMs, Jurist is transforming the landscape of AI-assisted legal work.

“Jurist has already eliminated hours of manual review from our document review process. Its intuitive interface lets us easily define our own parameters, transforming tasks like NDA reviews into a streamlined workflow,” said Katelyn Canning, Director and Head of Legal at Ocrolus. “What truly sets it apart is its ability to select the most appropriate AI model for each task behind the scenes, delivering useful results without requiring us to craft intricate prompts. This combination of power and simplicity has made it an indispensable tool for our legal team.”

After a rigorous five-month beta, which included in-house legal teams at companies like Ocrolus and Signifyd, and leading law firms including Gunderson Dettmer, Jurist is now generally available. With Ironclad Jurist, users can:

Perform legal work in one central place: Jurist provides a new surface for lawyers to work with, iterate, draft, edit, research, and ask questions, all within a single environment. Users can directly edit AI outputs—and write prompts for specific sections of documents to fine-tune contract language—in a native .docx editor.Personalize AI outputs with past documents: Jurist produces personalized drafts, reviews, and edits based on the context users provide, including templates and executed agreements.Access the latest legal knowledge from verified online sources: Users can stay current with the ever-evolving legal landscape from the most reputable online legal research sources.Verify actions taken by your team of agents: Jurist explains its decisions in real time and cites sources when answering prompts, empowering users to use what they create with confidence.Work in a responsible, privacy-forward environment: Jurist does not allow companies like OpenAI or Google to retain or train on customer data. Ironclad provides customers with complete enterprise-grade security and holds numerous certifications, including several ISOs. Ironclad is also compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, and the SOC 2 Type II Security Trust Criteria. To learn more about Ironclad’s security certifications, click here.

“Legal is the perfect application for LLMs, because LLMs are exceptionally good at working with unstructured data – which is the lion’s share of the types of documents lawyers work with,” said Ironclad Chief Product Officer Michel Feaster. “We built Jurist to help bridge this gap, and wanted to create something that was congruent with the ways that lawyers are already working. Lawyers need to be able to edit in real-time in one place, or be able to ask questions about specific parts of a contract, or compare and edit groups of documents at the same time. And because Ironclad has been building technology for lawyers and optimizing contracts for 10 years, our AI agents are fine tuned to be best in class at legal editing.”

“Using Jurist has helped give us a singular workplace to drastically speed up many kinds of legal work,” said Zuhair Saadat, Contracts Manager at Signifyd. “For example, performing an MNDA review or drafting custom clauses for an order form typically takes an hour to a day. Using Jurist, we could do this in minutes—in some cases seconds—depending on complexity. If I need to edit the output, translate it, or ask a question about it, I can do that right in the product without leaving. It reduces time spent on these kinds of tasks, saves money on attorney fees, and gives me a leg up. Whatever I’m doing, I never have to start from scratch.”

“We’ve released Jurist as a standalone product, built on Ironclad architecture, because we feel this will benefit the entire legal community—whether they already use Ironclad or not,” said Ironclad President Jeremy Smith. “We are committed to enabling legal teams with the products they need to drive tangible business impact, and we believe Jurist will make a lasting impact on the future of the legal field.”

To learn more about Jurist and try it for yourself, click here.

About Ironclad
Ironclad is the #1 contract lifecycle management platform for innovative companies, powering billions of contracts every year. L’Oréal, OpenAI, and other leading innovators use Ironclad to collaborate and negotiate on contracts, accelerate contracting while maintaining compliance, and turn contracts into critical carriers of operational business intelligence. It’s the only platform flexible enough to handle every type of contract workflow, whether a sales agreement, an HR agreement or a complex NDA. The company is backed by leading investors like Accel, Sequoia, Franklin Templeton, Y Combinator, and BOND. For more information, visit www.ironcladapp.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Media Contact:
Paul Chalker
paul.chalker@ironcladhq.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ironclad-launches-jurist-an-ai-powered-assistant-that-shows-its-work-302305858.html

SOURCE Ironclad Inc.

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Tom Atchison Honored as a Most Admired CEO by Denver Business Journal

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GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — National Corporate Housing is thrilled to announce that Tom Atchison, our esteemed Founder and Chief Executive Officer, has been honored with the Most Admired CEO Award by the Denver Business Journal. This prestigious award recognizes leaders in the Denver area who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and community impact within their industries and beyond.

Under Tom’s visionary leadership, National Corporate Housing has achieved significant growth and success while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical business practices and a people-first culture. He has fostered an environment that prioritizes employee development, customer satisfaction, and industry-leading service.

“Tom exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and Surprisingly Superior Service,” said Misty Gregarek, President of National Corporate Housing. “Part of what makes National so special is Tom’s incredible talent for identifying potential in people and providing them opportunities to excel. This recognition is a testament to his unwavering dedication to our company’s mission and to making a positive impact on our employees, customers, and the community.”

Tom was recognized along with 20 other executives Wednesday night at an award dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. We congratulate Tom on this well-deserved honor and look forward to continued success under his exceptional leadership.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Heidi Hume, Vice President, Marketing
703-727-9124 | hhume@nationalcorporatehousing.com

About National Corporate Housing: At National, we turn complex temporary housing challenges into seamless solutions. As a global leader in customized corporate housing since 1999, we provide personalized, 360-degree services that ensure your employees feel at home, wherever they are in the world. With our extensive network and local expertise, we make the unfamiliar comfortable, delivering exceptional experiences that transform clients into lifelong partners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tom-atchison-honored-as-a-most-admired-ceo-by-denver-business-journal-302306087.html

SOURCE NATIONAL CORPORATE HOUSING

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