Lufax Reports Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Lufax Holding Ltd (“Lufax” or the “Company”) (NYSE: LU), a leading technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021.

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

• Total income increased by 21.8% to RMB15,924 million (US$2,471 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB13,076 million in the same period of 2020.
• Net profit increased by 90.8% to RMB4,115 million (US$639 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB2,157 million in the same period of 2020.
• Non-IFRS adjusted net profit increased by 18.1% to RMB4,115 million (US$639 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB3,483 million in the same period of 2020. Non-IFRS adjusted net profit excludes a non-recurring adjustment of RMB1,326 million recognized in September 2020 in relation to the Company’s C-round convertible notes restructuring prior to its initial public offering.

Third Quarter 2021 Operational Highlights

Retail credit facilitation business:

• Outstanding balance of loans facilitated increased by 20.4% to RMB645.1 billion as of September 30, 2021, from RMB535.8 billion as of September 30, 2020.
• New loans facilitated increased by 16.2% to RMB171.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB147.8 billion in the same period of 2020.
• Cumulative number of borrowers increased by 15.6% to approximately 16.2 million as of September 30, 2021, from approximately 14.0 million as of September 30, 2020.
• During the third quarter of 2021, excluding the consumer finance subsidiary, 80.5% of new loans facilitated were disbursed to small business owners, up from 75.7% in the same period of 2020.
• As of September 30, 2021, excluding the consumer finance subsidiary, outstanding balance of loans facilitated with guarantees from credit enhancement partners accounted for 81.1% of the total outstanding balance of loans facilitated, a decrease from 91.8% as of September 30, 2020.
• During the third quarter of 2021, excluding the consumer finance subsidiary, the Company bore risk on 19.6% of its new loans facilitated, up from 7.3% in the same period of 2020.
• For the third quarter, the Company’s retail credit facilitation revenue take rate² based on loan balance was 9.7%, as compared to 9.4% for the third quarter of 2020.
• High-quality borrowers³ contributed 61.2% of the new general unsecured loans facilitated in the third quarter of 2021, as compared to 62.5% in the same period of 2020.
• C-M3 flow rate⁴ for the total loans the Company had facilitated was 0.4% in the third quarter of 2021, identical to the rate in the second quarter of 2021. Flow rate for the general unsecured loans the Company had facilitated was 0.5% in the third quarter of 2021, and flow rate for the secured loans the Company had facilitated was 0.1% in the third quarter of 2021, both of which were unchanged from the second quarter of 2021.
• Days past due (“DPD”) 30+ delinquency rate⁵ for the total loans the Company had facilitated was 1.9% as of September 30, 2021, identical to the rate as of June 30, 2021. DPD 30+ delinquency rate for general unsecured loans improved to 2.2% as of September 30, 2021, from 2.3% as of June 30, 2021. DPD 30+ delinquency rate for secured loans was 0.5% as of September 30, 2021, identical to the rate as of June 30, 2021.
• DPD 90+ delinquency rate⁶ for the total loans facilitated was 1.1% as of September 30, 2021, DPD 90+ delinquency rate for general unsecured loans was 1.3% as of September 30, 2021, and DPD 90+ delinquency rate for secured loans was 0.3% as of September 30, 2021, all of which are identical to the corresponding rates as of June 30, 2021.

Wealth management business:

• Total number of registered users grew to 48.7 million as of September 30, 2021, from 45.1 million as of September 30, 2020.
• Total number of active investors grew to 15.3 million as of September 30, 2021, from 13.2 million as of September 30, 2020.
• Total client assets grew by 12.4% to RMB425.1 billion as of September 30, 2021, from RMB378.3 billion as of September 30, 2020.
• Client assets in the Company’s current products (excluding legacy products⁷) increased by 22.9% to RMB425.1 billion as of September 30, 2021, from RMB346.0 billion as of September 30, 2020.
• As of September 30, 2021, no client assets remained in legacy products. Legacy products had accounted for 8.5% of total client assets as of September 30, 2020.
• The 12-month investor retention rate as of September 30, 2021, was 95.9%, a slight increase from 95.2% as of September 30, 2020.
• Contribution to total client assets from customers with investments of more than RMB300,000 on the Company’s platform increased to 80.8% as of September 30, 2021, from 77.5% as of September 30, 2020.
• During the third quarter of 2021, the annualized take rate⁸ for current products and services on the Company’s wealth management platform was 44.1 bps, up from 31.8 bps during the second quarter of 2021.

Mr. Ji Guangheng, Chairman of Lufax, commented, “We maintained our steady and healthy growth momentum during the third quarter, augmented our regulatory compliance and corporate governance initiatives, rewarded our shareholders through additional share repurchases, and completely phased out our legacy P2P products. Because our direct and indirect client exposure to the property sector is very minor, and because we predominately serve small and micro business owners who are resilient and play a crucial role in China’s economic development, the recent macroeconomic and property market downturn has not impacted our business much. By leveraging the competitive advantages born out of our unique business model and by maintaining frequent and constructive dialogs with regulators at all levels through all available channels, we have been able to deftly navigate through the constantly changing regulatory environment, preemptively adjust our operation strategies, and proactively align our business directions with regulatory trends. Looking ahead, we will continue to uphold our commitment to maintaining full regulatory compliance, providing compassionate and inclusive financial services, establishing ourselves as a role model of corporate governance among overseas-listed Chinese companies, and generating increasing value for our shareholders and our society.”

Mr. Gregory Gibb, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Lufax, commented, “We delivered another strong quarter of revenue and profit growth in the third quarter despite regulatory changes and economic slowdown. During the quarter, we successfully sustained our revenue take rates and net profit margins. Also, we grew our O2O direct sales force primarily serving small business owners to around 64,000 in the third quarter from 59,000 at the end of the second quarter, and improved their overall productivity by 4% quarter on quarter. As a result of our focus on small business owners and our diverse client base, we have not detected any sign of credit deterioration in our secured or unsecured loan facilitation portfolios. While we have observed increasing regulatory clarity, and although we no longer anticipate any additional major changes in regulations, we remain vigilant in our compliance efforts. The leverage ratio of our guarantee companies nationwide was under 3X as of the end of the third quarter, even though they share credit risk on all new loans facilitated. Also, with a strong cash position and an abundant capital reserve, we are well positioned to preempt any potential rectification requirements whenever necessary. In addition, we improved our shareholder return on equity through a newly announced cash dividend as a manifestation of our confidence in strong cash flow and business outlook. We continue to plough investment into empowering our salesforce with technology, deepening our deployment of AI capabilities, and expanding our product line functionality. By sharing our technological knowhow with our partners, we aim to increase our market reach, enhance our productivity, and improve our cost efficiency. ”

Mr. James Zheng, Chief Financial Officer of Lufax, commented, “We achieved double-digit growth in both revenue and net profit, as our total income increased by 21.8% to RMB15.9 billion and our net profit increased by 90.8% to RMB4.1 billion year over year. Our solid financial performance in the face of the regulatory uncertainty and economic slowdown showcases our execution capabilities on several fronts. First, we continued to maintain stable unit economics despite loan balance APR declines to 23.1% in third quarter from 26.6% a year ago by leveraging our diverse funding sources and relentless sales and marketing efficiency gains. Second, we sustained growth in our overall loan volume by optimizing our business mix, as our new loan sales for the retail credit business increased by 16.2% to RMB171.7 billion during the third quarter. Third, we continued to refine our risk-sharing business model and stabilize our asset quality. Finally, we improved the take rate of our wealth management segment through product mix realignment, achieving an increase of 12.3 basis points over the previous quarter. As of September 30, 2021, our total equity had reached RMB93 billion, and we had approximately RMB47 billion in liquid assets⁹ maturing in 90 days or less. We are confident that we will maintain a solid performance and continue to drive growth in the remainder of 2021 and beyond.”

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results

TOTAL INCOME

Total income increased by 21.8% to RMB15,924 million (US$2,471 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB13,076 million in the same period of 2020. The Company’s revenue mix changed with the evolution of its business model as it gradually bore more credit risk and increased funding from consolidated trust plans that provide lower funding costs.

• Technology platform-based income decreased by 3.5% to RMB9,567 million (US$1,485 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB9,910 million in the same period of 2020 due to the decrease in retail credit facilitation service fees, and wealth management transaction and service fees.
  • Retail credit facilitation service fees decreased by 3.4% to RMB9,100 million (US$1,412 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB9,420 million in the same period of 2020, mainly due to a change in revenue mix driven by the evolution of the Company’s risk-sharing business model.
  • Wealth management transaction and service fees decreased by 4.7% to RMB467 million (US$72 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB490 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was mainly driven by the run-off of legacy products and partially offset by increase in fees generated from the Company’s current products.

• Net interest income increased by 57.2% to RMB3,802 million (US$590 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB2,419 million in the same period of 2020, mainly as a result of the Company’s increased usage of trust funding channels that are consolidated by the Company. As of September 30, 2021, the Company’s on-balance sheet loans accounted for 31.2% of its total loan balance under management as compared to 18.4% as of September 30, 2020.
• Guarantee income increased by 639% to RMB1,293 million (US$201 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB175 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to the increase in the loans for which the Company bears credit risk.
• Other income increased by 144% to RMB997 million (US$155 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB409 million in the same period of 2020, mainly due to the increase of account management fees, collections, and other value-added service fees charged to the Company’s credit enhancement partners as part of the retail credit facilitation process.
• Investment income increased by 149% to RMB266 million (US$41 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB107 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to the increase of investment asset and return.

TOTAL EXPENSES

Total expenses increased by 5.1% to RMB9,936 million (US$1,542 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB9,455 million in the same period of 2020. Total expenses excluding credit and asset impairment losses, financial costs and other losses increased by 10.5% to RMB7,730 million (US$1,200 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB6,995 million in the same period of 2020.

• Sales and marketing expenses increased by 7.0% to RMB4,609 million (US$715 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB4,309 million in the same period of 2020.
  • Borrower acquisition expenses decreased by 8.5% to RMB2,553 million (US$396 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB2,790 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was mainly due to increased sales productivity and decreased sales commissions.
  • Investor acquisition and retention expenses increased by 10.1% to RMB218 million (US$34 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB198 million in the same period of 2020 mainly due to the increase in marketing efforts to attract and retain investors.
  • General sales and marketing expenses increased by 39.2% to RMB1,839 million (US$285 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB1,321 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to an increase in sales cost and the lower base in the third quarter of 2020 as a result of the social security relief during the COVID-19 outbreak.

• General and administrative expenses increased by 46.0% to RMB937 million (US$145 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB642 million in the same period of 2020. This increase was mainly due to an increase in accrued bonus driven by better performance, the lower base in the third quarter of 2020 as a result of the social security relief during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the Company’s headcount expansion in the third quarter of 2021 to support its new business development efforts, which included the development of the Company’s consumer finance business.
• Operation and servicing expenses increased by 6.3% to RMB1,660 million (US$258 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB1,562 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to the increase of trust plan management expenses, which resulted from the increase in consolidated trust plans.
• Technology and analytics expenses increased by 8.7% to RMB524 million (US$81 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB482 million in the same period of 2020, mainly due to the Company’s ongoing investments in technology research and development.
• Credit impairment losses increased by 74.8% to RMB1,664 million (US$258 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB952 million in the same period of 2020, due to the increase in the proportion of credit risk born by the Company as a result of its continued migration to a risk-sharing model while the credit quality indicators continued to stabilize and in some cases improve substantially from one year previously.
• Asset impairment losses increased to RMB410 million (US$64 million) in the third quarter of 2021 due to impairment loss of intangible assets and goodwill.
• Finance costs decreased by 89.8% to RMB168 million (US$26 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB1,652 million in the same period of 2020, mainly due to a non-recurring expense of RMB1,326 million recognized in September 2020 in relation to the Company’s C-round convertible notes restructuring and a decrease in the balance of convertible bonds and the increase in interest income resulting from the increase in deposits.
• Other gains decreased to RMB36 million (US$6 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB144 million in the same period of 2020.

NET PROFIT

Net profit increased by 90.8% to RMB4,115 million (US$639 million) in the third quarter of 2021 from RMB2,157 million in the same period of 2020, driven by the aforementioned factors. Net profit increased by 18.1% if compared to Non-IFRS adjusted net profit in the third quarter of 2020, which excludes the non-recurring expense recognized in relation to the Company’s C-round convertible notes restructuring.

EARNINGS PER ADS

Basic and diluted earnings per American Depositary Share (“ADS”) were RMB1.76 (US$0.27) and RMB1.66 (US$0.26), respectively, in the third quarter of 2021.

BALANCE SHEET

The Company had RMB30,548 million (US$4,741 million) in cash at bank as of September 30, 2021, as compared to RMB24,159 million as of December 31, 2020.

Recent Developments­

US$700M Share Repurchase Program

On August 6, 2021, the Company’s board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program (the “US$700M Share Repurchase Program”) under which the Company could repurchase up to an aggregate of US$700 million of its ADSs during the 12-month period beginning at the close of business on August 11, 2021. The Company’s proposed repurchases under the US$700M Share Repurchase Program may be made from time to time in the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had completed the repurchases under its previous US$300 million share repurchase program and it had repurchased approximately 37 million ADSs for approximately US$298 million under the US$700M Share Repurchase Program.

Annual Dividend Policy

On November 8, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved an annual cash dividend policy. Under the policy, starting from 2022, the Company will declare and distribute a recurring cash dividend at an amount range from 20% -40% of the consolidated net profit in the previous fiscal year. The Company expects to announce the dividend amount for the 2021 fiscal year after the disclosure of its fourth quarter 2021 results. Whether to make dividend distributions and the exact amount of such distributions in any particular year will be based upon the Company’s operations and earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors, and subject to adjustment and determination by the board of directors.

Business Outlook

For the full year of 2021, the Company expects its new loans facilitated to grow by 15% to 18% year over year to the range of RMB649 billion to RMB665 billion, client assets to grow by 1% to 5% year over year to the range of RMB430 billion to RMB450 billion, total income to grow by 17% to 18% year over year to the range of RMB61.1 billion to RMB61.4 billion, and net profit to grow by 33% to 34% year over year to the range of RMB16.3 billion to RMB16.5 billion.

These forecasts reflect the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change.

Conference Call Information

The Company’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 (9:00 A.M. Beijing Time on Wednesday, November 10, 2021) to discuss the financial results. For participants who wish to join the call, please complete online registration using the link provided below in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers, the Direct Event passcode, and a unique access PIN, which can be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10161835/ef8b58027f

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through November 16, 2021 (dial-in numbers: +1 (877) 344-7529 or +1 (412) 317-0088; replay access code: 10161835). A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com.

About Lufax

Lufax Holding Ltd is a leading technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China. Lufax Holding Ltd primarily utilizes its customer-centric product offerings and offline-to-online channels to provide retail credit facilitation services to small business owners and salaried workers in China as well as tailor-made wealth management solutions to China’s rapidly growing middle class. The Company has implemented a unique, capital-light, hub-and-spoke business model combining purpose-built technology applications, extensive data, and financial services expertise to effectively facilitate the right products to the right customers.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.4434 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of September 30, 2021, as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States 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" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Lufax’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Lufax has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends, which involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Lufax's goals and strategies; Lufax's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; expected changes in Lufax's income, expenses or expenditures; expected growth of the retail credit facility and wealth management markets; Lufax's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its services; Lufax's expectations regarding its relationship with borrowers, platform investors, funding sources, product providers and other business partners; general economic and business conditions; and government policies and regulations relating to the industry Lufax operates in. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Lufax’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Lufax does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

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