UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of August 2023

 

 

 

Commission File Number: 001-38591

 

 

 

PDD Holdings Inc.

 

First Floor, 25 St Stephen’s Green,

Dublin 2, D02 XF99

Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F  x          Form 40-F  ¨

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit 99.1—Press Release (Earnings Release)

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  PDD HOLDINGS INC.
   
  By : /s/ Lei Chen
  Name : Lei Chen
  Title : Chairman of the Board of Directors and Co-Chief Executive Officer

 

Date: August 29, 2023

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

PDD Holdings Announces Second Quarter 2023 Unaudited Financial Results

 

DUBLIN and SHANGHAI, August 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – PDD Holdings Inc. (“PDD Holdings” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PDD), today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023.

 

Second Quarter 2023 Highlights

 

·Total revenues in the quarter were RMB52,280.7 million (US$17,209.8 million), an increase of 66% from RMB31,439.6 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

·Operating profit in the quarter was RMB12,718.8 million (US$1,754.0 million), an increase of 46% from RMB8,697.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP2 operating profit in the quarter was RMB14,609.4 million (US$2,014.7 million), an increase of 39% from RMB10,541.5 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

·Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the quarter was RMB13,108.1 million (US$1,807.7 million), an increase of 47% from RMB8,896.3 million in the same quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the quarter was RMB15,269.4 million (US$2,105.7 million), an increase of 42% from RMB10,776.3 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

“Technology serves as a pivotal driving force of sustainable, high-quality development,” said Mr. Lei Chen, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of PDD Holdings. “We remain unwaveringly committed to leveraging our resources and technology background to spearhead innovation, champion digital inclusion and generate a positive impact on society at large.”

 

“Over the recent quarter, we saw a positive shift in consumer sentiment, leading to a rise in demand across various product sectors,” stated Mr. Jiazhen Zhao, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer of PDD Holdings. “We are deeply dedicated to high-quality development to create values for every party of our ecosystem.”

 

“In Q2, we seized the opportunities of favorable consumption trends and invested firmly and responsibly,” said Ms. Jun Liu, VP of Finance at PDD Holdings. “Looking ahead, we will continue to invest with determination and patience to execute our high-quality development strategy.”

 

 

1 This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (“RMB”) amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, the translation of RMB into US$ has been made at RMB7.2513 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on June 30, 2023 as set forth in the H.10 Statistical Release of the Federal Reserve Board.

2 The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures exclude share-based compensation expenses, fair value change of certain investments, and interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to The Most Directly Comparable GAAP Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

 

1

 

 

 

Second Quarter 2023 Unaudited Financial Results

 

Total revenues were RMB52,280.7 million (US$7,209.8 million), an increase of 66% from RMB31,439.6 million in the same quarter of 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenues from online marketing services and transaction services.

 

·Revenues from online marketing services and others were RMB37,932.8 million (US$5,231.2 million), an increase of 50% from RMB25,223.4 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

·Revenues from transaction services were RMB14,347.9 million (US$1,978.7 million), an increase of 131% from RMB6,216.2 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

Total costs of revenues were RMB18,689.8 million (US$2,577.4 million), an increase of 135% from RMB7,961.9 million in the same quarter of 2022. The increase mainly came from the increased fulfilment fees and payment processing fees.

 

Total operating expenses were RMB20,872.2 million (US$2,878.4 million), an increase of 41% from RMB14,780.5 million in the same quarter of 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses.

 

·Sales and marketing expenses were RMB17,542.2 million (US$2,419.2 million), an increase of 55% from RMB11,343.4 million in the same quarter of 2022, mainly due to the increased spending in promotion and advertising activities.

 

·General and administrative expenses were RMB596.0 million (US$82.2 million), compared with RMB825.7 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

·Research and development expenses were RMB2,734.0 million (US$377.0 million), compared with RMB2,611.4 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

2

 

 

Operating profit in the quarter was RMB12,718.8 million (US$1,754.0 million), an increase of 46% from RMB8,697.2 million in the same quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP operating profit in the quarter was RMB14,609.4 million (US$2,014.7 million), an increase of 39% from RMB10,541.5 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the quarter was RMB13,108.1 million (US$1,807.7 million), an increase of 47% from RMB8,896.3 million in the same quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the quarter was RMB15,269.4 million (US$2,105.7 million), an increase of 42% from RMB10,776.3 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

Basic earnings per ADS was RMB9.64 (US$1.33) and the diluted earnings per ADS was RMB9.00 (US$1.24), compared with basic earnings per ADS of RMB7.06 and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB6.22 in the same quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB10.47 (US$1.44), compared with RMB7.54 in the same quarter of 2022.

 

Net cash generated from operating activities was RMB23,396.0 million (US$3,226.5 million), compared with RMB19,373.9 million in the same quarter of 2022.

 

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB179.5 billion (US$24.8 billion) as of June 30, 2023, compared with RMB149.4 billion as of December 31, 2022.

 

Recent Development

 

Independent Director Appointment

 

PDD Holdings today announced the appointment of Ms. Ivonne M.C.M. Rietjens to serve as an independent director of the Company, effective on August 29, 2023. Ms. Rietjens has more than 25 years of experience in food safety. She has been a full professor at Wageningen University since 2001 and is currently head of the division of toxicology. She is also an elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts Sciences (KNAW) and the chairperson of the KNAW Scientific Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering. Adding Ms. Rietjens to the Board increases the total number of board members to 7, of which 4 are independent directors.

 

Legal and Compliance Committee

 

PDD Holdings has formed a Legal and Compliance Committee, chaired by Mr. Lei Chen, which replaces the General Counsel role and function, effective on August 29, 2023.

 

3

 

 

Conference Call

 

The Company’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 7:30 AM ET on August 29, 2023 (12:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM HKT on the same day).

 

The conference call will be webcast live at https://investor.pddholdings.com/investor-events. The webcast will be available for replay at the same website following the conclusion of the call.

 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses non-GAAP measures, such as non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders, non-GAAP diluted earnings per ordinary share and non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS, as supplemental measures to review and assess operating performance. 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 accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of share-based compensation expenses, fair value change of certain investments, and interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value.

 

The Company presents these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, fair value change of certain investments, and interest expenses related to the convertible bonds’ amortization to face value, which are non-cash charges. The Company also believes that the non-GAAP financial measures may provide further information about the Company’s results of operations, and enhance the overall understanding of the Company’s past performance and future prospects.

 

The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. These non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect all items of income and expenses that affect the Company’s operations and do not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Further, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited. The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating performance. The Company encourages you to review the Company’s financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

 

For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to The Most Directly Comparable GAAP Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

 

4

 

 

Safe Harbor Statements

 

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,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), 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 but not limited to statements about the Company’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 Company’s growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to understand buyer needs and provide products and services to attract and retain buyers; its ability to maintain and enhance the recognition and reputation of its brand; its ability to rely on merchants and third-party logistics service providers to provide delivery services to buyers; its ability to maintain and improve quality control policies and measures; its ability to establish and maintain relationships with merchants; trends and competition in the e-commerce markets globally and in the countries or regions where the Company has operations; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of e-commerce markets globally and in the countries or regions where the Company has operations; developments in the relevant governmental policies and regulations relating to the Company’s industry; and general economic and business conditions globally and in the countries or regions where the Company has operations; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

 

5

 

 

About PDD Holdings

 

PDD Holdings is a multinational commerce group that owns and operates a portfolio of businesses. PDD Holdings aims to bring more businesses and people into the digital economy so that local communities and small businesses can benefit from the increased productivity and new opportunities.

 

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

 

investor@pddholdings.com

media@pddholdings.com

 

6

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“US$”))

 

   As of 
   December 31,
2022
   June 30,
2023
 
   RMB   RMB   US$ 
       (Unaudited) 
ASSETS            
Current assets               
Cash and cash equivalents   34,326,192    31,379,326    4,327,407 
Restricted cash   57,974,225    52,055,133    7,178,731 
Receivables from online payment platforms   587,696    1,559,765    215,101 
Short-term investments   115,112,554    148,129,260    20,427,959 
Amounts due from related parties   6,318,830    5,097,426    702,967 
Prepayments and other current assets   2,298,379    2,985,263    411,687 
Total current assets   216,617,876    241,206,173    33,263,852 
                
Non-current assets               
Property, equipment and software, net   1,044,847    1,064,374    146,784 
Intangible assets   134,002    22,651    3,124 
Right-of-use assets   1,416,081    2,121,964    292,632 
Deferred tax assets   1,045,030    1,544,634    213,015 
Other non-current assets   16,862,117    28,325,561    3,906,273 
Total non-current assets   20,502,077    33,079,184    4,561,828 
                
Total Assets   237,119,953    274,285,357    37,825,680 

 

7

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“US$”))

 

   As of 
   December 31,
2022
   June 30,
2023
 
   RMB   RMB   US$ 
       (Unaudited) 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY               
Current liabilities               
Amounts due to related parties   1,676,391    1,832,025    252,648 
Customer advances and deferred revenues   1,389,655    1,639,290    226,068 
Payable to merchants   63,316,695    60,115,463    8,290,301 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   20,960,723    30,889,820    4,259,900 
Merchant deposits   15,058,229    16,131,012    2,224,568 
Convertible bonds, current portion   13,885,751    14,431,092    1,990,139 
Lease liabilities   602,036    955,395    131,755 
Total current liabilities   116,889,480    125,994,097    17,375,379 
                
Non-current liabilities               
Convertible bonds   1,575,755    1,634,852    225,456 
Lease liabilities   870,782    1,248,107    172,122 
Deferred tax liabilities   13,025    64,222    8,857 
Total non-current liabilities   2,459,562    2,947,181    406,435 
                
Total Liabilities   119,349,042    128,941,278    17,781,814 
                
Shareholders’ equity               
Ordinary shares   170    176    24 
Additional paid-in capital   99,250,468    102,681,784    14,160,466 
Statutory reserves   5,000    5,000    690 
Accumulated other comprehensive income   3,322,238    6,254,971    862,600 
Retained earnings   15,193,035    36,402,148    5,020,086 
Total Shareholders’ Equity   117,770,911    145,344,079    20,043,866 
                
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity   237,119,953    274,285,357    37,825,680 

 

8

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Revenues   31,439,568    52,280,748    7,209,844    55,233,257    89,917,798    12,400,231 
Costs of revenues   (7,961,866)   (18,689,787)   (2,577,439)   (15,121,461)   (29,815,072)   (4,111,686)
Gross profit   23,477,702    33,590,961    4,632,405    40,111,796    60,102,726    8,288,545 
                               
Sales and marketing expenses   (11,343,447)   (17,542,209)   (2,419,181)   (22,562,515)   (33,801,897)   (4,661,495)
General and administrative expenses   (825,722)   (596,033)   (82,197)   (1,417,835)   (1,412,435)   (194,784)
Research and development expenses   (2,611,366)   (2,733,964)   (377,031)   (5,279,873)   (5,240,621)   (722,715)
Total operating expenses   (14,780,535)   (20,872,206)   (2,878,409)   (29,260,223)   (40,454,953)   (5,578,994)
                               
Operating profit   8,697,167    12,718,755    1,753,996    10,851,573    19,647,773    2,709,551 
                               
Interest and investment income, net   756,991    2,287,741    315,494    1,553,252    3,751,340    517,333 
Interest expenses   (13,148)   (11,937)   (1,646)   (25,788)   (23,624)   (3,258)
Foreign exchange (loss)/ gain   (199,349)   155,717    21,474    (179,265)   139,680    19,263 
Other income, net   1,266,235    1,106,471    152,589    1,506,005    2,333,991    321,872 
                               
Profit before income tax and share of results of equity investees   10,507,896    16,256,747    2,241,907    13,705,777    25,849,160    3,564,761 
Share of results of equity investees   (53,493)   9,781    1,349    (87,109)   116,170    16,021 
Income tax expenses   (1,558,063)   (3,158,442)   (435,569)   (2,122,877)   (4,756,217)   (655,912)
Net income   8,896,340    13,108,086    1,807,687    11,495,791    21,209,113    2,924,870 

 

9

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$, except for per share data)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Net income   8,896,340    13,108,086    1,807,687    11,495,791    21,209,113    2,924,870 
Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders   8,896,340    13,108,086    1,807,687    11,495,791    21,209,113    2,924,870 
                               
Earnings per ordinary share:                              
-Basic   1.76    2.41    0.33    2.28    3.96    0.55 
-Diluted   1.56    2.25    0.31    2.02    3.63    0.50 
                               
Earnings per ADS (4 ordinary shares equals 1 ADS ):                              
-Basic   7.06    9.64    1.33    9.12    15.82    2.18 
-Diluted   6.22    9.00    1.24    8.07    14.53    2.00 
                               
Weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares (in thousands):                              
-Basic   5,042,417    5,438,394    5,438,394    5,039,591    5,360,987    5,360,987 
-Diluted   5,716,947    5,833,348    5,833,348    5,708,590    5,845,398    5,845,398 

 

10

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Revenues                        
- Online marketing services and others   25,223,361    37,932,831    5,231,176    43,425,643    65,177,257    8,988,354 
- Transaction services   6,216,207    14,347,917    1,978,668    11,807,614    24,740,541    3,411,877 
Total   31,439,568    52,280,748    7,209,844    55,233,257    89,917,798    12,400,231 

 

11

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Share-based compensation expenses included in:                              
Costs of revenues   6,989    28,276    3,899    16,170    65,644    9,053 
Sales and marketing expenses   513,559    989,326    136,435    1,014,664    1,478,099    203,838 
General and administrative expenses   661,019    225,799    31,139    1,044,315    703,861    97,067 
Research and development expenses   662,781    647,228    89,257    1,291,949    1,176,427    162,237 
Total   1,844,348    1,890,629    260,730    3,367,098    3,424,031    472,195 

 

12

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Net cash generated from operating activities   19,373,871    23,395,981    3,226,453    10,305,775    24,734,003    3,410,975 
Net cash used in investing activities   (8,593,271)   (11,519,860)   (1,588,661)   (13,445,360)   (34,140,107)   (4,708,136)
Net cash generated from financing activities   268    7,233    997    311    7,286    1,005 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   (50,839)   881,105    121,510    (40,676)   532,860    73,484 
                               
Increase/ (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   10,730,029    12,764,459    1,760,299    (3,179,950)   (8,865,958)   (1,222,672)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period   52,133,992    70,670,000    9,745,839    66,043,971    92,300,417    12,728,810 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period   62,864,021    83,434,459    11,506,138    62,864,021    83,434,459    11,506,138 

 

13

 

 

PDD HOLDINGS INC.

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO THE MOST DIRECTLY COMPARABLE GAAP MEASURES

(Amounts in thousands of RMB and US$, except for per share data)

 

   For the three months ended June 30,   For the six months ended June 30, 
   2022   2023   2022   2023 
   RMB   RMB   US$   RMB   RMB   US$ 
   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited) 
Operating profit   8,697,167    12,718,755    1,753,996    10,851,573    19,647,773    2,709,551 
Add: Share-based compensation expenses   1,844,348    1,890,629    260,730    3,367,098    3,424,031    472,195 
Non-GAAP operating profit   10,541,515    14,609,384    2,014,726    14,218,671    23,071,804    3,181,746 
                               
Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders   8,896,340    13,108,086    1,807,687    11,495,791    21,209,113    2,924,870 
Add: Share-based compensation expenses   1,844,348    1,890,629    260,730    3,367,098    3,424,031    472,195 
Add: Interest expenses related to convertible bonds’ amortization to face value   13,148    11,937    1,646    25,788    23,624    3,258 
Add: Loss from fair value change of certain investments   22,459    258,704    35,677    88,059    738,980    101,910 
Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders    10,776,295    15,269,356    2,105,740    14,976,736    25,395,748    3,502,233 
                               
Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding (in thousands)   5,716,947    5,833,348    5,833,348    5,708,590    5,845,398    5,845,398 
                               
Diluted earnings per ordinary share   1.56    2.25    0.31    2.02    3.63    0.50 
Add: Non-GAAP adjustments to earnings per ordinary share   0.32    0.37    0.05    0.60    0.71    0.10 
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ordinary share   1.88    2.62    0.36    2.62    4.34    0.60 
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS   7.54    10.47    1.44    10.49    17.38    2.40 

 

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