BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 4, 2024, Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare services with a positive social impact, unveiled its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2024 ended June 30, 2024. During the quarter, Waterdrop reported net operating revenue of RMB 676 million. Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders totaled RMB 88.3 million, up 306.9% from the previous year, sustaining profitability for the tenth consecutive quarter. Operating expenses, including sales, administrative, and R&D costs, accounted for 45.1% of revenue, a decrease of 12 percentage points year-on-year.
In addition, Waterdrop also completed the first special cash dividend in the past quarter. Waterdrop declared that, with the board approval, the company will soon start the second special cash dividend of approximately US$7.5 million.
Since announcing its share repurchase program in September 2021, as of August 31, 2024, Waterdrop has repurchased approximately 49.3 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) from the open market. The board of the directors of the Company has approved a new share repurchase program whereby the Company is authorized to repurchase its own ordinary shares in the form of American depository shares with an aggregate value of up to US$50 million during the 12-month period through September 9, 2025.
Insurance Business Operating Profit Totaled RMB 123 Million
Waterdrop's insurance-related revenue amounted to RMB573.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The insurance business operating profit reached RMB 123 million in Q2 2024. First-year premiums (FYPs) generated by insurance business amounted to RMB 1,778.6 million.
Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace continually improved online traffic conversion capabilities and efficiency, driving the number of new users to grow at 15.8%. At the same time,Waterdrop's insurance business effectively sustained the policy renewal rate at a high level.
Committed to investment in technology, Waterdrop further piloted Shuishou large language model ("LLM"), known as "Waterdrop Guardian", in multiple service scenarios covering medical, critical illness, and auto insurance categories. During the quarter, the Company landed a strategic cooperation with a property & casualty insurer. This is the first time Waterdrop exports a customized solution for non-life insurance and the company looks forward to empowering more industry partners with AI solutions.
Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding Raised RMB 65.1 Billion for 3.25 Million Patients
During the quarter, Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding upheld its mission of "saving lives" with remarkable success. As of June 30, 2024, around 461 million people cumulatively donated an aggregate of RMB65.1 billion to 3.25 million patients through Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding. Despite recording an operating loss of approximately RMB 22.9 million, the losses have narrowed compared to previous periods.
Waterdrop's healthcare-related business has maintained its growth in the second quarter of 2024, generating revenues of approximately RMB 26.4 million. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had cumulatively enrolled nearly 8,600 patients into over 1,050 clinical trial programs through the E-Find Platform.
Shen Peng, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop, said, "In this quarter, we firmly implemented our high-quality development strategy, enhancing user experience through technological innovation and driving sustainable growth across all our businesses. Looking ahead, we will further strengthen our core operations, actively explore opportunities to apply large language model within the industry amid the new wave of AI,and strive to create greater commercial and social value.Meanwhile,we are grateful for the ongoing support from our users,partners,shareholders and investors. We're committed to repaying this trust with top-notch service and solid profitability."
