Jupai Reports Full Year 2018 Results

SHANGHAI, April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jupai Holdings Limited ("Jupai" or the "Company") (NYSE: JP), a leading third-party wealth management service provider, focusing on distributing wealth management products and providing quality product advisory services to high-net-worth individuals in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2018.

FULL YEAR 2018 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Net revenues for the full year 2018 were RMB1,321.7 million (US$^[1]192.2 million), a decrease of 22.5% from 2017.

• Loss from operations for the full year 2018 was RMB159.9 million (US$23.3 million), compared to income from operations of RMB523.6 million in 2017.
• Non-GAAP^[2] net income attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was RMB13.0 million (US$1.9 million), a decrease of 97.1% from 2017.
• Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was RMB387.7 million (US$56.4 million), compared to net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB409.5 million in 2017.

FULL YEAR 2018 OPERATIONAL UPDATES 

• Total number of active clients^[3] for the full year 2018 was 8,638.
• The aggregate value of wealth management products distributed by the Company for the full year 2018 was RMB30.3 billion (US$4.4 billion), a 44.3% decrease from 2017.

• Jupai's coverage network as of December 31, 2018 included 76 client centers covering 50 cities, as compared to 72 client centers covering 46 cities as of December 31, 2017.
• Total assets under management^[4] as of December 31, 2018 were RMB56.8 billion (US$8.3 billion), a 1.4% decrease from December 31, 2017.

"2018 was challenging for Jupai on several fronts," said Mr. Jianda Ni, Jupai's chairman of the board and chief executive officer. "During the year, investors became increasingly conservative as the Chinese government's focus on deleveraging at the expense of economic growth and the expanding US-China trade conflict contributed to an uncertain economic outlook. In addition, China's wealth management industry continued to experience a difficult transition period due to tightened regulations. Amid this unfavorable environment, the aggregate value of wealth management products distributed by Jupai decreased by 44.3% year-over-year to RMB30.3 billion in 2018, and total net revenue for 2018 declined by 22.5% year-over-year to RMB1.3 billion. We were, however, able to achieve an average one-time commission rate of 2.4% in 2018, compared to 1.9% in 2017, due to our enhanced bargaining power as real estate companies continued to face rising cost of capital. Based on our observation of the overall credit market since the beginning of 2019, we are confident in maintaining our average one-time commission rate at a healthy level in the next few quarters."

"Looking into 2019, we remain cautiously optimistic about China's overall economic outlook, as the government has introduced various stimulus policies to support private enterprises, especially SMEs, to enhance economic growth. The domestic equity market has also shown signs of recovery since the beginning of the year, which we believe will help restore investor confidence and gradually increase the appetite for wealth management products. During this time of industry transition, Jupai will focus on developing new product categories, including real estate equity products and overseas products to better meet investors' evolving needs, selecting high-quality project counterparties to control risk, and streamlining internal management to optimize costs. We are confident that we will be well-positioned to seize opportunities as the market recovers and we look forward to building Jupai into a leading wealth and asset management brand in China."

Ms. Min Liu, Jupai's chief financial officer, said, "Jupai's operating results in 2018 were under pressure due to the severe industry headwinds, and we saw declines in our revenue and bottom-line results for the full year. In the fourth quarter of 2018, based on our impairment assessment review, we recognized a goodwill impairment loss of US$39.0 million from acquisition of Scepter, as the volatile market environment continued to negatively impact the Company's operations and business outlook. As we have fully written down the book value of the goodwill related to the acquisition of Scepter with approximately RMB0.3 million of goodwill on our balance sheet, we do not expect to incur any additional substantial goodwill impairment losses going forward. Since the third quarter of 2018, Jupai has adopted various measures to enhance our operating efficiency, such as personnel optimization, IT system enhancement, business SOP streamlining, and more stringent cost controls. We expect these measures to take effect gradually and have a positive influence on our operating results in the quarters to come."

FULL YEAR 2018 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Net Revenues

Net revenues for the full year 2018 were RMB1,321.7 million (US$192.2 million), a 22.5% decrease from 2017, primarily due to decreases in both one-time commissions and other service fees.

• Net revenues from one-time commissions for the full year 2018 were RMB737.5 million (US$107.3 million), a 29.0% decrease from 2017, primarily as a result of a decrease in the aggregate value of wealth management products distributed by the Company.
• Net revenues from recurring management fees for the full year 2018 were RMB435.5 million (US$63.3 million), a 19.8% increase from 2017, primarily due to an increase in the moving average value of assets under management. RMB61.6 million (US$9.0 million) and RMB81.7 million carried interest were recognized as part of Jupai's recurring management fees for the full year 2018 and 2017, respectively.
• Net revenues from recurring service fees for the full year 2018 were RMB64.3 million (US$9.4 million), a 38.7% decrease from 2017, primarily because the Company provided ongoing services to fewer product suppliers. The Company recognized RMB0.3 million (US$0.04 million) and RMB13.8 million variable performance fees for the full year 2018 and 2017, respectively.
• Net revenues from other service fees for the full year 2018 were RMB84.4 million (US$12.3 million), a 57.5% decrease from 2017, primarily due to a decrease in sub-advisory fees collected from other companies.
  
  Starting from January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606), on a modified-retrospective basis. The adoption has no material impact on the Company's financial positions, results of operations, or cash flows.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Operating costs and expenses for the full year 2018 were RMB1,481.7 million (US$215.5 million), a 25.3% increase from 2017.

• Cost of revenues for the full year 2018 was RMB684.6 million (US$99.6 million), a 7.2% decrease from 2017, primarily due to a reduction in performance-based compensation as a result of a decline in the aggregate value of wealth management products distributed.
• Selling expenses for the full year 2018 were RMB303.2 million (US$44.1 million), a 7.4% increase from 2017, primarily due to the increase in marketing expenses.
• General and administrative expenses for the full year 2018 were RMB274.8 million (US$40.0 million), a 34.7% increase from 2017, mainly due to the increase in payroll expenses and the provision for doubtful accounts of certain product providers.
• Impairment loss of goodwill for the full year 2018 was RMB267.9 million (US$39.0 million), which was the impairment of goodwill from Scepter acquisition in 2015.
• Other operating income (government subsidies) received by the Company for the full year 2018 was RMB48.7 million (US$7.1 million), an 18.5% increase from 2017. Government subsidies were recorded when received, with their availability and amount dependent upon government administrative policies.

Operating margin for the full year 2018 was -12.1%, compared to 30.7% in 2017.

Income tax expenses for the full year 2018 were RMB129.9 million (US$18.9 million), a slight increase from 2017.

Loss from equity in affiliates for the full year 2018 was RMB113.5 million (US$16.5 million), as compared to income from equity in affiliates of RMB2.6 million in 2017. The loss was primarily attributable to RMB90.8 million (US$13.2 million) of impairment loss relating to the Company's investment in Shanghai Runju Financial Information Service Co., Ltd. ("Runju"), a non-controlled investee of the Company. Due to new industry regulations implemented since March 2018, Runju's legacy business model had to be discontinued. By the end of 2018, an impairment provision for the full book value of investment in Runju had been provided.

Net Income

• Non-GAAP Net Income

- Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was RMB13.0 million (US$1.9 million), a 97.1% decrease from 2017.
- Non-GAAP net margin attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was 1.0%, as compared to 26.6% in 2017.
- Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders per diluted American depositary share ("ADS") for the full year 2018 was RMB0.37 (US$0.05), as compared to RMB 13.24 in 2017.

• Net Income

- Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was RMB387.7 million (US$56.4 million), compared to net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB409.5 million in 2017.
- Net margin attributable to ordinary shareholders for the full year 2018 was -29.3%, compared to 24.0% in 2017.
- Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders per basic and diluted ADS for the full year 2018 were RMB11.60 (US$1.69) and RMB11.60 (US$1.69), respectively, as compared to net income attributable to ordinary shareholders per basic and diluted ADS of RMB12.57 and RMB11.95, respectively, in 2017.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of December 31, 2018, the Company had RMB1,302.6 million (US$189.5 million) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, compared to RMB1,527.8 million as of December 31, 2017.

Net cash used in operating activities for the full year 2018 was RMB62.9 million (US$9.1 million).

Net cash used in investing activities for the full year 2018 was RMB40.9 million (US$5.9 million).

Net cash used in financing activities for the full year 2018 was RMB121.4 million (US$17.7 million).

CONFERENCE CALL

Jupai's management will host an earnings conference call on April 23, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until May 1, 2019:

Additionally, a live and archived webcast will be available at http://jupai.investorroom.com.

DISCUSSION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to disclosing financial results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company's earnings release contains non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the effects of all forms of share-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets related to acquisition, impairment loss of investment in affiliates and impairment loss of goodwill. The reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest GAAP measures as set forth in the table captioned "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results" below.

The non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by the Company should not be considered a substitute for financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The financial results reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results should be carefully evaluated. The non-GAAP financial measure used by the Company may be prepared differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.

When evaluating the Company's operating performance in the periods presented, management reviewed non-GAAP net income results reflecting adjustments to exclude the impacts of share-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets related to acquisition, impairment loss of investment in affiliates and impairment loss of goodwill, to supplement U.S. GAAP financial data. As such, the Company believes that the presentation of the non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders, non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shares per diluted ADS and non-GAAP net margin attributable to ordinary shareholders provides important supplemental information to investors regarding financial and business trends relating to the Company's financial condition and results of operations in a manner consistent with that used by management. Pursuant to U.S. GAAP, the Company recognized significant amounts of expenses for the restricted shares and share options, amortization of intangible assets related to acquisition, impairment loss of investment in affiliates and impairment loss of goodwill in the periods presented. The Company utilized the non-GAAP financial results to make financial results comparable period to period and to better understand its historical business operations.

ABOUT JUPAI HOLDINGS LIMITED

Jupai Holdings Limited ("Jupai") (NYSE: JP) is a leading third-party wealth management service provider focusing on distributing wealth management products and providing quality product advisory services to high-net-worth individuals in China. Jupai's comprehensive and personalized client service and broad range of carefully selected third-party and self-developed products have made it a trusted brand among its clients. Jupai maintains extensive and targeted coverage of China's high-net-worth population.

For more information, please visit http://jupai.investorroom.com.

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, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Jupai's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Jupai may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 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 statements about Jupai'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: the goals and strategies of the Company and the Company's ability to manage its growth and implement its business strategies; future business development, financial condition and results of operations of the Company; condition of the wealth management market in China and internationally; the demand for and market acceptance of the products the Company distributes; the Company's ability to maintain and further grow its active high-net-worth client base and maintain or increase the amount of investment by clients; developments in relevant government policies and regulations relating to the Company's industry and the Company's ability to comply with those policies and regulations; the Company's ability to attract and retain quality employees; the Company's ability to adapt to potential uncertainties in China's real estate industry and stay abreast of market trends and technological advances; the results of the Company's investments in research and development to enhance its product choices and service offerings; general economic and business conditions in China; and the Company's ability to protect its reputation and enhance its brand recognition. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Jupai's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Jupai does not undertake any obligation to update any such information, including forward-looking statements, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

Contacts:
Jupai Holdings Limited
Harry He
Director of Investor Relations
Jupai Holdings Limited
Phone: +86 (21) 6026 9129
Email: ir@jpinvestment.cn

Philip Lisio
The Foote Group
Phone: +86 (10) 8429 9544
Email: Jupai-IR@thefootegroup.com

- FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL TABLES FOLLOW -

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jupai-reports-full-year-2018-results-300836235.html