BOSS ZHIPIN(BZ)2024-12-11 20:39Financial Data and Key Metrics - Revenue for Q3 2024 reached RMB1.91 billion, up 19% year-on-year [8] - Net income was RMB460 million, with adjusted operating income at RMB610 million, reflecting a 10% year-on-year growth [8] - Share-based compensation expenses declined both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, entering a phase of gradual reduction [11] - Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB812 million, relatively stable compared to the same period last year [34] - Cash and cash equivalents, short-term time deposits, and short-term investments totaled RMB14.6 billion as of September 30, 2024 [35] Business Line Performance - Average monthly active users on the BOSS Zhipin app reached 58 million, a 30% year-on-year increase [13] - Newly posted job positions increased by 18% year-on-year, driven by user growth and market share expansion [14] - Paid enterprise customers reached 6 million in the trailing 12 months, up 22% year-on-year [18] - Blue-collar business revenue contribution increased to over 38% of total revenue, with the Hailuo Conch-led project growing by 45% quarter-on-quarter [19] - The platform facilitated an average of nearly 200 million monthly mutual achievements, indicating successful interactions between enterprise users and job seekers [20] Market Performance - The job seeker-to-enterprise user ratio continued its upward trend, shortening recruitment cycles for enterprises [16] - Retention rates for enterprise users remained solid, with the number of paid enterprise customers experiencing decent growth [15][17] - Blue-collar sectors, particularly manufacturing, logistics, and automobile industries, showed strong performance, with manufacturing revenue growing over 45% year-on-year [52][53] Strategic Direction and Industry Competition - The company remains focused on user growth, paying ratio stability, and ARPU improvement as key revenue drivers [43][44][46] - Investments in technology and operational efficiency continue, with a focus on sustainable cost control and strong operating leverage [27][30] - The company repurchased 220 million, demonstrating confidence in long-term growth [22][36] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the recruitment market remains challenging but highlighted positive results from focusing on key growth drivers [12] - The company expects Q4 2024 revenue to be between RMB1.795 billion and RMB1.81 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.6% to 14.6% [36] - For 2025, the company anticipates maintaining a 15% user growth rate and improving profitability through operating leverage and cost control [43][69][70] Other Important Information - The company allocated additional resources to brand promotion during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Euro Cup 2024, leading to increased marketing expenses [9] - R&D expenses increased by 12% year-on-year to RMB464 million, with adjusted R&D expenses up 18% year-on-year [31] - G&A expenses rose by 31% year-on-year due to higher employee-related expenses and one-off expenditures [32] Q&A Session Summary Question 1: Impact of Government Policies and Revenue Growth in 2025 - The company observed improvements in newly added enterprise users since October, indicating positive effects from government policies [40] - Key revenue drivers for 2025 include user growth, paying ratio stability, and ARPU improvement, with blue-collar business contributing significantly [43][44][46][47] Question 2: Blue-Collar vs. White-Collar Performance and User Growth Potential - Blue-collar revenue growth outpaced white-collar, with manufacturing, logistics, and automobile industries performing well [51][52] - The company estimates China's marketable employees at over 400 million, indicating significant growth potential for both individual and enterprise users [56][57] Question 3: Blue-Collar Recruitment Strategy and Profitability Outlook - The company's blue-collar strategy focuses on creating a balanced ecosystem for factories, intermediaries, workers, and platforms [63][64] - Profitability in 2025 is expected to improve through gross margin stability, sales efficiency, and disciplined spending on new business initiatives [70] Question 4: Overseas Business and AI Applications - Overseas business investments will remain limited in 2025, with a focus on small-scale experiments [74][75] - AI applications are being used to enhance user safety and operational efficiency, with no immediate plans for large-scale AI hardware investments [76][79][80]