SHANGHAI, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cango Inc. (NYSE: CANG) ("Cango" or the "Company"), a leading automotive transaction service platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Financial and Operational Highlights
Total revenues were RMB787.7 million (US$124.3 million), compared with RMB1,123.8 million in the same period of 2021. Car trading transactions revenues were RMB599.3 million (US$94.5 million), or 76.1% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2022, a 4.9% increase from RMB571.6 million in the same period of 2021.
Automotive financing facilitation revenues were RMB105.9 million (US$16.7 million), compared with RMB411.7 million in the same period of 2021. The amount of financing transactions the Company facilitated in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB2,637.4 million (US$416.0 million). The total outstanding balance of financing transactions the Company facilitated was RMB42,550.3 million (US$6,712.1 million) as of March 31, 2022.
M1+ and M3+ overdue ratios for all financing transactions that remained outstanding and were facilitated by the Company were 1.76% and 0.80%, respectively, as of March 31, 2022, compared with 1.62% and 0.86%, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.
The number of dealers covered by the Company was 44,771 as of March 31, 2022, compared with 45,930 as of December 31, 2021.
Mr. Jiayuan Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Cango, commented, “Since the beginning of the year, the overall market environment has been tougher than we anticipated. While the automotive industry is still in the shadow of a chip shortage, it is also facing industrial production and supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 resurgence across the nation. Given policy changes and the decline in consumers’ credit level and repayment ability caused by the economic downturn, we have been proactively making strategic adjustments since last year, tightening our traditional automotive financing facilitation business, strengthening risk control measures and enhancing our collection efforts on overdue assets. At the same time, we remain focused on developing a tech-enabled car trading services platform centered around our car trading transactions business and supported by our insurance and financing businesses as multi-monetization channels.
“First quarter total revenues were RMB787.7 million, of which more than 76.1% were generated by our car trading transactions business. We are very pleased with our progress in transforming Cango into a comprehensive automotive transaction services platform, particularly our first quarter improvements to operating efficiency and capacity. In addition, as the main online traffic entrance, our B2B WeChat mini program “Cango Haoche” has been resonating well with a growing number of registered dealers and recorded increased logistics order demand and transaction volume during the quarter.
“The current round of the pandemic outbreak has lasted for more than two months, spanning the first two quarters of 2022. The corresponding prevention and control measures have had a greater impact on the Chinese economy in the second quarter, and for the automotive industry, the production decline has been huge. While the pandemic is slowly coming under control and production is gradually resuming, we believe the impact on the demand side will persist longer-term. As a result, we expect our total revenues to continue to decline sequentially in the second quarter. Amid this complex macro environment, we will continue to strengthen our risk management while further enhancing our platform capabilities to better serve and engage dealers and consumers.”
Mr. Yongyi Zhang, Chief Financial Officer of Cango, stated, “The economic upheaval, global chip shortage and resurgence of Covid-19 in China have brought great challenges to companies across all industries. Together with the deliberate strategic steps we have taken to adjust our traditional automotive financing facilitation business, these factors significantly impacted our top line in the first quarter. Entering the second quarter, the latest Covid surge has thrown China’s car market into disarray with factories shut down and sales plunging, and we, along with our dealers, are facing a much more difficult operating environment. Thus, we are now predicting an even higher year-over-year decline in total revenues for the second quarter. However, with our solid balance sheet and disciplined cost controls, we believe we can effectively cope with the dynamics caused by the pandemic outbreak and will closely monitor the evolving situation.”
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
REVENUES
Total revenues in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB787.7 million (US$124.3 million) compared with RMB1,123.8 million in the same period of 2021. Revenues from car trading transactions in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB599.3 million (US$94.5 million), continuing to serve as an important revenue contributor. Revenues from automotive financing facilitation and after-market services facilitation in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB105.9 million (US$16.7 million) and RMB25.8 million (US$4.1 million), respectively.
OPERATING COST AND EXPENSES
Total operating cost and expenses in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB976.8 million (US$154.1 million) compared with RMB964.2 million in the same period of 2021.
Cost of revenue in the first quarter of 2022 decreased to RMB687.0 million (US$108.4 million) from RMB769.0 million in the same period of 2021. As a percentage of total revenues, cost of revenue in the first quarter of 2022 was 87.2% compared with 68.4% in the same period of 2021. The change was primarily due to an increase in car trading transactions’ share of total revenues. Car trading transactions normally present a higher cost-revenue ratio, thus pushing up the overall ratio. For automotive financing facilitation and after-market services facilitation, cost of revenue as a percentage of relevant revenues was around 54.2% in the first quarter of 2022.
Sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB53.8 million (US$8.5 million) compared with RMB57.8 million in the same period of 2021. As a percentage of total revenues, sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2022 was 6.8% compared with 5.1% in the same period of 2021.
General and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB50.9 million (US$8.0 million) compared with RMB61.4 million in the same period of 2021. As a percentage of total revenues, general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2022 was 6.5% compared with 5.5% in the same period of 2021.
Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2022 were RMB14.5 million (US$2.3 million) compared with RMB13.6 million in the same period of 2021. As a percentage of total revenues, research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2022 was 1.8% compared with 1.2% in the same period of 2021.
Net loss on risk assurance liabilities in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB98.9 million (US$15.6 million) compared with RMB21.7 million in the same period of 2021. Net loss on risk assurance liabilities was mainly due to a sequential increase in the default rate since 2021.
(LOSS)/ INCOME FROM OPERATIONS
Loss from operations in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB189.1 million (US$29.8 million), compared with an income of RMB159.5 million in the same period of 2021.
NET LOSS
Net loss in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB136.2 million (US$21.5 million). Non-GAAP adjusted net loss in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB113.3 million (US$17.9 million). Non-GAAP adjusted net loss excludes the impact of share-based compensation expenses. For further information, see "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure."
NET LOSS PER ADS
Basic and diluted net loss per American Depositary Share (ADS) in the first quarter of 2022 were both RMB0.98 (US$0.15). Non-GAAP adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADS in the first quarter of 2022 were both RMB0.81 (US$0.13). Each ADS represents two Class A ordinary shares of the Company.
BALANCE SHEET
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB2,137.0 million (US$337.1 million), compared with RMB1,434.8 million as of December 31, 2021.
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had short-term investments of RMB1,874.1 million (US$295.6 million), compared with RMB2,598.9 million as of December 31, 2021.
Business Outlook
For the second quarter of 2022, the Company expects total revenues to be between RMB250 million and RMB300 million. This forecast reflects the Company's current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change.
Share Repurchase Program
Pursuant to the share repurchase program announced on August 19, 2021, the Company had repurchased 7,324,169 ADSs with cash in the aggregate amount of approximately US$26.3 million up to May 31, 2022.
