Qifu Technology Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Provided by Quartr
May 18, 2023

There are 5 speakers on the call.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by, and welcome to Qifu Technologies First Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer Please also note today's event is being recorded. At this time, I would like to turn the conference call over to Ms. Karen Ji, Senior Director of Capital Markets.

Operator

Please go ahead, Karen.

Speaker 1

Thank you, operator. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Qifu Technologies' Q1 2023 earnings conference call. Our earnings release was distributed. Joining me today is Mr. Wu Hai Shen, our CEO Ms.

Speaker 1

Alex Xu, our CFO and Mr. Chen Yan, our CFO. Before we start, I would like to refer you to our Safe Harbor statements in the earnings press release, which applies to this call as we will make certain forward looking statements. Also, this call includes discussions of certain non GAAP financial measures. Please refer to our earnings release, which contains a reconciliation of the non GAAP measures to GAAP measures.

Speaker 1

Also, please note that unless otherwise stated, all figures Over to our CEO, Mr. Hu Hai Shen. Please go ahead. By the end of Q1, our platform cumulatively connected approximately 46,000,000 users with approved credit lines and a total of 150 financial institutions. Total loan facilitation and origination volume on our platform reached RMB109.5 billion, up by 10.7% year over year and 4.7% total over quarter.

Speaker 1

Related number of users with approved credit lines increased 15.6% year over year. The growth was better than our initial Against the backdrop of the rate recovery in China's macro economy. Since the beginning of this year, we have seen positive overall Pricing remained stable during the quarter with our user base having been substantially optimized. At the same time, we continue to upgrade our risk management models, including the release of more than 1,000 version updates And the duration of over 30,000 strategic rules to our credit assessment models over the past 12 months. We also further upgraded our PBOC credit data assessment models.

Speaker 1

Since Q3 last year, we have to incorporate PBOC credit data into our ongoing post credit assessment process on a large scale. With over 20,000 derived data dimensions, we are able to unlock the value of our existing users with enhanced credit assessment capabilities. Supported by our constantly improving ability to accurately identify risks, our day 1 delinquency rate in April 2023 decreased by 37 basis points from December 2022, while our M1 production rate increased by 189 basis points for the same period. With our risk performance having substantially reached our target, we are more confident in gradually ramping up investments in customer acquisition in the near term. Liquidity in the financial system remained ample during the quarter with total social financing and M2 money supply increasing by 10% and 12.7% year over year respectively.

Speaker 1

This enabled us to further diversify our funding sources and reduce our funding costs by 30 basis points sequentially. In addition, with our solid risk performance in the loan facilitation model, we have obtained more from our financial institution partners for ABS issuance, thereby accelerating our pace of issuance. In Q1, we issued RMB2.3 billion of ADS, up 77% year over year, increased by 17 basis points sequentially, contributing to a further reduction in overall funding costs. Going forward, we will continue to deepen our partnerships with financial institutions and strengthen our competitive edge in terms of funding cost. We expect overall funding cost to remain generally stable over the next two quarters.

Speaker 1

In terms of customer acquisition in Q1, we entered into a co operation agreement with Bilibili during the quarter, becoming one of its 1st batch of FinTech Marketing Partners. We also launched precision marketing with the RTE model in app stores of major mobile We did marketing model will help us improve our marketing efficiency on the relevant app store platforms. 20% lower than it had been under the traditional model. Within our embedded finance business, we connected with additional Traffic platforms, which resulted in new users receiving credit lines. In addition, we have been exploring innovative ways to acquire new customers.

Speaker 1

The official live streaming account for our We further expanded our outreach to existing users and optimized operational strategies To boost user conversion and retention, in Q1, we introduced the enterprise WeChat as a new channel for engaging with our existing users, which drives user conversion by offering a step by step guide through the loan application drawdown and the submission process. As of today, we have engaged with more than 200,000 existing users. Furthermore, we also improved the user retention by optimizing our As the macro economy gradually recovers, we have noticed that demand has been rebounding fast among broadly defined SME borrowers. To capture to this demand, we strategically strengthened our ability to identify and manage the specific segments. We enhanced our customer profiling capabilities by improving data dimensions such as credit history, invoice, e commerce transactions, Industry data which allow us to accurately identify customers within the broadly defined SME segment, which accounts for more than 40% of our current user base.

Speaker 1

Our next step is to conduct pilot test on a selected group of users Aimed at developing differentiated products and fine tuning risk management strategies for the broadly defined SME segment, which we believe has the potential to drive meaningful growth for our business For our Technology Solutions business, our focus in Q1 was enhancing our product capabilities. Specifically, we extended the scope of our solutions beyond personal consumer loans to include individual business loans. Our diversified deployment method allow us to better serve the needs of each financial institutions we work with. So far, we have developed standardized products based on our core technological capabilities and created 18 standardized modules covering every aspect of the credit business, including customer acquisition, risk management, operations and accounting, etcetera. We also incorporated our extensive credit industry know how into the modules, which encourage financial institutions Over the past few months, Cai Jibiki has been having significant impact on various industries since its release.

Speaker 1

We believe that generative AI technology has many natural For example, in areas such as intelligent customer service, telemarketing and loan collection, CSPT can better understand user emotions and facilitate natural news and personalized interaction with users. In risk management, it can derive useful information from credit reports and identify relevant factors for our risk management models. In April, we established a large language model department. This new strategic division is dedicated to developing various Deep learning algorithm and generative AI technologies, specifically for applications in the financial sectors. We have already launched the first version of CPT for internal use, which is designed to perform semantic Analysis in our loan collection and the telemarketing process.

Speaker 1

Through GPT analysis of user intention and labeling, we can see that The users of different labels have clear variations in the effectiveness of Caixin and Telemarketing. Apart from applying AIGC to enhance the user experience and our operational efficiency, We also plan to gradually export some such capabilities to our financial partners. On the regulatory front, we continue to make steady progress in gaining compliance with Bhanjiliian Credit Agency Reform in Q1. We have substantially completed the required integration of systems with our financial partners according to the plan we submitted to the regulator. So far, our loan facilitation progress to the Zuan Zhilean model has been very smooth.

Speaker 1

Given the current regulatory focus on promoting economic We believe the industry will be able to deliver healthy growth in a stable regulatory environment. Looking ahead, while the economic recovery is due in its early stage, The trend for recovery is clear. We believe that the macroeconomic environment will gradually improve throughout the remainder of the year. We are also confident in our ability to capitalize on the recovery momentum and deliver on our growth effectively. Finally, I have some news to share with you.

Speaker 1

Our Board of Directors have just passed a resolution to increase our dividend payout ratio. As we continue to drive quality growth and create shareholder value, it is also important to listen to the market and share the benefit We believe this will enable us to enhance the value of our company. Alex will share more about this later. With that, I will now turn the call over to our CFO, Alex, who will walk you through with our financial results for the quarter.

Speaker 2

Thank you, Haijun. Good morning and good evening. Welcome to our Q1 earnings call. 1st quarter set a positive trend for a recovery year. We have seen improvement in many aspects of our operations.

Speaker 2

User activity levels continue to improve in recent months aside from normal seasonality. Although we still want to call the recovery a modest one, Things are indeed trending a little bit better than we initially saw. As I think discussed earlier, with macro conditions improving throughout 2020 3, we intend to focus on an effort and deploy our resources to drive retro growth while maintaining desirable asset quality. In Q1, we target high quality and low risk user base and drive further improvement in risk performance. Key leading indicators in day 1 delinquency has been on a steady declining trend in recent quarter.

Speaker 2

Was 4.1% in Q1 versus 4.3% in Q4 and further declined Approximately 4% in April. The continued improvement in day 1 delinquency mainly reflect the macro improvement as well as further optimization of our algorithm. Early day collection rate was 86.2% Q1 versus 84.7 percent in Q4. This sharp rebound from the COVID disrupted Q4 mainly reflect back to normal collection operations. As economic recovery continues, we see further improvement in these metrics.

Speaker 2

By late April, 30 day collection rate already at near 87%. Total net revenue for Q1 was $3,600,000,000 versus $3,900,000,000 in Q4 and $4,300,000,000 Still reflects from mortgage early repayment momentum and oversupply of liquidity at the beginning of the year. Looking ahead, we expect early repayment level to stabilize in Q2 as above mentioned matters or factors gradually easing. Our balance sheet loan continued to grow at a faster pace and account for nearly 20% of the total loan volume We continue to drive for better utilization of our capital as well as our microlending license. Revenue from platform service, Capital Light was $969,000,000 in Q1 compared to $1,100,000,000 in Q4 and $1,400,000,000 a year ago.

Speaker 2

The year on year and sequential decline was also mainly due to overall decline in expected average retainer of new loans as well as further adjustment to existing loans expected tenure. For Q1, Capline Loan Facilitation, ICE and other technology solutions combined account for roughly 56% of the total loan volume, roughly flat versus the prior quarter. We expect the risk ratio to be relatively stable throughout this year. In the long run, we will continue to pursue tech driven business model while seeking a balance among various forms of non risk bearing solutions based on macro environment and operational conditions. During the quarter, average IRR prices Of loans we originated and or facilitated remain stable Q on Q, well within the regulatory cap requirement rate cap requirements.

Speaker 2

Looking forward, we expect pricing to be relatively stable for the coming quarters. Sales and marketing expenses increased marginally Q on Q as recovery in our user activity was offset by seasonal impact of Chinese New Year. We added approximately 1,500,000 new credit line users in Q1, flat versus Q4. Good results to acquire a new credit line user also increased marginally. While we will continue to drive for efficiency in our operation, We may adjust the pace of new user acquisition as economic recovery continues throughout 2023.

Speaker 2

Meanwhile, we will continue to focus on reenergizing existing user base as repeat borrowers historically contribute vast majority of our growth. Although we will continue to take prudent approach to book provision against potential credit loss, along with macro conditions. Total new provisions for risk bearing loans in Q1 was approximately RMB1.7 billion And the write backs of the previous provisions were approximately 411,000,000 Provision coverage ratio, which is defined as total outstanding provision divided by total outstanding delinquent Loan balance between 90 and 180 days or 4 32% in Q1 compared to 4 56% in Q4. With solid operating results and stable contribution from Capital Light Model, our leverage ratio, which is defined as risk bearing loan balance divided by shareholders' equity, was at a historical low of 3.4x in Q1 compared to 4.2 times a year ago. A rather stable leverage ratio for the time being until non risk bearing contribution resume grows in the future.

Speaker 2

We generated approximately $1,800,000,000 cash from operations in Q1, roughly flat Q on Q. Total cash and cash equivalents was CNY9 1,000,000,000 in Q1 compared to $10,900,000,000 in Q4. Non restricted cash was approximately $5,100,000,000 in Q1, compared to $7,200,000,000 in Q4. The sequential decline in cash position was mainly due to increased Cash usage in our balance sheet lending. As we discussed earlier, with economic condition improving, we may look for opportunities to deploy resources to launch new initiatives and develop new technologies and expand our service offerings.

Speaker 2

Non GAAP net profit was $976,000,000 in Q1 compared to $919,000,000 in Q4. As we continue to generate healthy cash flow from operations, we believe our current cash position is sufficient to support our business development and to return to our shareholders. Since Q3 of 2021, we have Paid out a total of $1,340,000,000 cash dividend to our shareholders in 6 consecutive quarters To generate high returns to our investors and solidify and expand our long term investor base, the company's Board of Directors The new dividend plan yesterday. The new plan increased our dividend payout ratio to 20% to 30% from previous 15% to 20% of net profit. Also to reduce the transaction cost for our shareholders, The new plan approves a semiannual dividend distribution schedule to replace the quarterly dividend schedule of the old plan.

Speaker 2

The first semi annual dividend payout will be declared in our Q2 earnings release. Finally, regarding our outlook for 2023, We start to see a gradual recovery of microeconomy and our business activities are also trending a bit better than previously thought And it may still take extra time for consumers' confidence and the behavior return to normal. At this juncture, We still see a modest recovery in consumer credit demand with growth rate potentially accelerating throughout the year. As such, we would like to maintain our full year total loan volume target for 2023 at between RMB455 1,000,000,000 and RMB495 1,000,000,000 representing year on year growth of 10% to 20%. As always, this forecast reflects the company's current and preliminary view, which is subject to material change.

Speaker 2

With that, I would like to conclude our prepared remarks. Operator, we can now take some questions.

Operator

Thank you. Followed by English translation. In addition in order to have enough time to address everyone on the call, please Our first question comes from the line of Frank Jun from Credit Suisse. Please ask your question, Frank.

Speaker 3

Thank you, management for taking my questions. This is Frank from Credit Suisse. I have two questions. The first one is on the strategic focus for the rest of the year. Could the management provide more color on measures, for instance, more aggressive client acquisition, optimization on existing clients And potentially further upgrade in client segments.

Speaker 3

And second question is on operating expenses. What are some of the measures the

Speaker 1

Thanks, Frank. And I will answer your first question and I will For this year, we want to say the new customer and existing customer are equally important for us. So in terms of the new customer acquisition, our efforts will be focused on 2 aspects. First, we will continue to expand our partnership with different channels and increase the depth of the partnership. For example, we have been trying the live streaming on some short form video platforms And we innovatively utilized the RT model into our app store marketing.

Speaker 1

The result is Better than our initial expectation. And second part, we used the RTA model to increase Our recognition about the users' willingness to borrow, so we can Optimize our offer and increase our users' conversion ratio. Therefore, we can increase the LTV of our users. So we will increase our competitiveness in terms of customer acquisition. This is about the new customer at New Customer Acquisition Park.

Speaker 1

Regarding our existing users, actually we have a very significant user base of our existing users. It's very important for us to increase efforts on existing users to improve the conversion effectiveness. For example, we have tried to use enterprise WeChat to cover our existing users to increase effectiveness for us to outreach our existing users. And we refine our risk management models To better understand our users and identify different profile of our users. 40%.

Speaker 1

So later we can optimize our offer and improve our So at this point in the moderate macro economy recovery environment, We believe it's very important for us to increase our efficiency at this stage. So we will Increase our coverage in terms of the channel and the partnership, so we can better improve our marketing efficiency. So we are actually enjoyed the competitive advantage in terms of these parts And we believe we will further increase our user base when the macro further

Speaker 2

Okay. Hi, Frank. So basically for the operating expenses trend going forward, There are a few aspects. 1, some of the operating expenses are variable costs. For example, The one we use to get credit scores cost and the one we do the transaction or sending the message Those variable costs, we have a long term relationship with those suppliers and every year you can always A little bit from the cost base on a unit basis, but the room for that is not really that much.

Speaker 2

And then the other big part of the variable cost is really customer acquisition. I think we had this kind of discussion earlier or before. Last year, our unit or per credit line users customer acquisition cost was about RMB370 or RMB360 RMB per user. This year, we intend to lower that unit cost number To somewhere around 330. The Q1 was only about 280 Less than 290.

Speaker 2

So the following quarters with the kind of increased Customer acquisition, you may see some increase in the sales and marketing spending. But overall, On a full year basis, we will see a lowered unit cost for per credit line users acquisition cost. Other back office related fixed cost, we have a pretty tight internal control, including headcounts and also the IT spendings there. Thank you.

Operator

Right. Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Alex Ye from UBS. Please ask your question, Alex.

Speaker 4

So my question is mainly on the loan pricing outlook. So firstly, in terms of the competitive landscape, we have seen the overall consumption recovery and consumer credit data has been quite In April, so could you share some color in terms of what's the current trend you have seen Regarding the capacity to pressure from different players. And secondly, would you consider lowering your loan pricing in order to Stimulate some long drawdown demand from your existing customer base. Thank you.

Speaker 1

Thanks, Alex. From the competition perspective, We think for our industry, the recovery of the credit demand is more important for the competition. The impact from the recovery of user demand is more important from the impact of the competition. On the other hand, we believe the segmentation of this industry is very Clear at this stage. We are actually quite differentiated from the large banks and Also the smaller players, we're targeting different target customers and the pricing segments.

Speaker 1

So there is limited overlapping among the competitors. And on the other hand, for our service capability, We think we can have a wide coverage of different kind of users. We can cover the lower Pricing users and also the higher pricing users. So we can further refine our Risk management models to provide differentiated products and offerings to better serve our users. So, theoretically, As long as our model is accurate enough, we can have very strong competitiveness.

Speaker 1

On pricing perspective, actually we can try some We do surprising to better activate and engage some of our users. As long as our model is accurate enough, we can better serve them and increase at increased value from this sort of strategy. So from the overall pricing perspective, we think the Future pricing will maintain at current level, will maintain a stable level compared to the current

Operator

All right, thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Richard Hsu from Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead, Richard.

Speaker 2

So essentially my question is on the loan demand, Particularly on the sequential change from the potential borrowers in recent months and any divergent trends among the different region groups of borrowers in terms of loan demand, income growth and credit quality. Thank you.

Speaker 1

In terms of credit demand recovery, we have seen 2 trends. 1 is moderate recovery. The other is Divergent recovery. So in terms of the diversified recovery, We look at this problem in several aspects. From region perspective, Those regions are recovering faster than other regions, which is in line with the Incremental social financing by region published by the government in Q1.

Speaker 1

From customer segment perspective, we have seen higher quality users recovering relatively faster with increasing credit size. And on the other hand, we have seen the broadly defined SME group recovering relatively faster, especially for those from the service industries. Thank you.

Operator

Right. Thank you. We have reached the end of the question and answer session. Thank you very much for all your questions. I'll now turn the conference back to the management team for closing remarks.

Speaker 2

Okay. Thank you. Thank you for everyone to join us. If you have additional questions, we can discuss offline. Thank you.

Speaker 2

Have a good day. Bye bye.

Operator

Thank you. This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.

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Qifu Technology Q1 2023
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