BEIJING, Aug. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 21Vianet Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) (“21Vianet” or the “Company”), a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral Internet data center services provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. The Company will hold a conference call at 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, U.S. Eastern Time to discuss the financial results. Dial-in details are provided at the end of this release.

Second Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

• Net revenues in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 30.8% to RMB1.50 billion (US$231.9 million) from RMB1.14 billion in the same period of 2020.
• Adjusted cash gross profit (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 36.9% to RMB640.2 million (US$99.2 million) from RMB467.6 million in the same period of 2020. Adjusted cash gross margin (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2021 was 42.8%, compared to 40.9% in the same period of 2020.
• Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 38.7% to RMB425.1 million (US$65.8 million) from RMB306.4 million in the same period of 2020. Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2021 was 28.4%, compared to 26.8% in the same period of 2020.
  

Second Quarter 2021 Operational Highlights

• Total cabinets under management net increased by 6,950 to 62,876, as of June 30, 2021, compared to 55,926 as of March 31, 2021, and 44,050 as of June 30, 2020.
• Retail IDC MRR
  
  ¹
  
  per cabinet was RMB9,015, compared to RMB8,953 in the same period of 2020 and RMB9,144 in the first quarter of 2021.
• Compound utilization rate was 59.9%, compared to 61.7% in the first quarter of 2021.
  • Utilization rate for mature IDCs, which consisted of IDC deliveries prior to and during 2019, was 76.3%, compared to a utilization rate for mature IDCs of 73.9% in the first quarter of 2021.
  • Utilization rate for ramp-up and newly-built IDCs, which consisted of IDC deliveries in 2020 and 2021, was 29.2%, compared to a utilization rate for ramp-up and newly-built IDCs of 30.6% in the first quarter of 2021.
    

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Retail IDC MRR: Refers to Monthly Recurring Revenues for the retail IDC business.

Mr. Samuel Shen, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Retail IDC, stated, “We are delighted to report another strong quarter. Our dual-core growth engine, diversified customer base, and strong IDC market demand continued to fuel organic growth in our cabinet deliveries for the first half of 2021. Based on our leading market position and dual-core growth engine of retail and wholesale IDC solutions, we are confident that we will acquire more customers from various sectors, further diversify our revenue streams, sustain our growth, and generate lasting shareholder value going forward.”

Mr. Tim Chen, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, commented, “In the second quarter, our net revenues and adjusted EBITDA rose by 30.8% and 38.7% year over year respectively, both exceeding the high end of our previously announced guidance range. Leveraging our strong balance sheet and dual-core growth strategy, we are well-positioned to further capitalize on robust IDC market demand and endorsements from a number of diversified customers to strengthen our leading position in the IDC market and accelerate growth in the quarters ahead.”

Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

NET REVENUES:


Net revenues in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 30.8% to RMB1.50 billion (US$231.9 million) from RMB1.14 billion in the second quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 7.9% from RMB1.39 billion in the first quarter of 2021. This increase was mainly due to the increased revenue from both wholesale and retail IDC customers, as well as the growth of revenue from cloud business.

GROSS PROFIT:


Gross profit in the second quarter of 2021 was RMB359.5 million (US$55.7 million), representing an increase of 32.0% from RMB272.3 million in the same period of 2020 and an increase of 11.2% from RMB323.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. Gross margin in the second quarter of 2021 was 24.0%, compared to 23.8% in the same period of 2020 and 23.3% in the first quarter of 2021. The increase in gross margin was primarily attributable to the Company’s continued efforts in improving operational efficiency.

ADJUSTED CASH GROSS PROFIT



,

which excludes depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation expenses, was RMB640.2 million (US$99.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB467.6 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB605.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted cash gross margin in the second quarter of 2021 was 42.8%, compared to 40.9% in the same period of 2020 and 43.6% in the first quarter of 2021.

OPERATING EXPENSES:


Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2021 were RMB262.5 million (US$40.7 million), compared to RMB193.5 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB243.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. As a percentage of net revenues, total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2021 were 17.5%, compared to 16.9% in the same period of 2020 and 17.5% in the first quarter of 2021.

Sales and marketing expenses


in the second quarter of 2021 were RMB59.6 million (US$9.2 million), compared to RMB51.7 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB74.0 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Research and development expenses


in the second quarter of 2021 were RMB38.3 million (US$5.9 million), compared to RMB23.7 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB33.6 million in the first quarter of 2021.

General and administrative expenses


in the second quarter of 2021 were RMB154.2 million (US$23.9 million), compared to RMB119.5 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB135.2 million in the first quarter of 2021.

ADJUSTED OPERATING EXPENSES


, which exclude share-based compensation expenses and impairment of loan receivable to potential investee, were RMB235.6 million (US$36.5 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB182.5 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB212.5 million in the first quarter of 2021. As a percentage of net revenues, adjusted operating expenses in the second quarter of 2021 were 15.7%, compared to 15.9% in the same period of 2020 and 15.3% in the first quarter of 2021.

ADJUSTED EBITDA:


Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2021 was RMB425.1 million (US$65.8 million), representing an increase of 38.7% from RMB306.4 million in the same period of 2020 and an increase of 2.4% from RMB415.1 million in the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2021 excluded share-based compensation expenses of RMB27.5 million (US$4.3 million). Adjusted EBITDA margin in the second quarter of 2021 was 28.4%, compared to 26.8% in the same period of 2020 and 29.9% in the first quarter of 2021.

NET PROFIT/LOSS:


Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders in the second quarter of 2021 was RMB455.9 million (US$70.6 million), compared to a net loss of RMB2.12 billion in the same period of 2020 and a net loss of RMB84.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders in the second quarter of 2021 mainly included changes in the fair value of convertible promissory notes of RMB424.1 million (US$65.7 million) due to the drop in the Company’s stock price.

PROFIT PER SHARE:


Basic and diluted profit per share were RMB0.52 (US$0.08) and RMB0.04 (US$0.01) in the second quarter of 2021, respectively, which represent the equivalent of RMB3.12 (US$0.48) and RMB0.24 (US$0.06) per American depositary share (“ADS”), respectively. Each ADS represents six Class A ordinary shares. Diluted profit per share is calculated using net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding.

As of June 30, 2021, the aggregate amount of the Company’s

cash and


cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments

was RMB5.03 billion (US$779.7 million).

Net cash generated from operating activities

in the second quarter of 2021 was RMB314.8 million (US$48.8 million), compared to RMB161.8 million in the same period of 2020 and RMB274.5 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Financial Outlook

For the third quarter of 2021, the Company expects net revenues to be in the range of RMB1.53 billion to RMB1.55 billion. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of RMB420 million to RMB440 million.

For the full year of 2021, the Company expects net revenues to be in the range of RMB6.10 billion to RMB6.30 billion. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of RMB1.68 billion to RMB1.78 billion. The midpoints of the Company’s updated estimates imply an increase of 28.4% and 30.7% year over year in net revenues and adjusted EBITDA, respectively.

The forecast reflects the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and its operational conditions, which do not factor in any of the potential future impacts caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and are subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, U.S. Eastern Time, or 8:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Beijing Time, to discuss the financial results.

In advance of the conference call, all participants must use the following link to complete the online registration process to receive a unique registrant ID and a set of participant dial-in numbers to join the conference call.

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available through the Company’s investor relations website at

http://ir.21vianet.com

.

Non-GAAP Disclosure

In evaluating its business, 21Vianet considers and uses the following non-GAAP measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a supplemental measure to review and assess its operating performance: adjusted cash gross profit, adjusted cash gross margin, adjusted operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin. 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 U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP results” set forth at the end of this press release.

The non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information to help investors compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the Company’s current financial performance and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, U.S. GAAP results. In addition, the Company’s calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB6.4566 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on June 30, 2021, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.

Statement Regarding Unaudited Condensed Financial Information

The unaudited financial information set forth above is preliminary and subject to potential adjustments. Adjustments to the consolidated financial statements may be identified when audit work has been performed for the Company’s year-end audit, which could result in significant differences from this preliminary unaudited condensed financial information.

About 21Vianet

21Vianet Group, Inc. is a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral Internet data center services provider in China. 21Vianet provides hosting and related services, including IDC services, cloud services, and business VPN services to improve the reliability, security and speed of its customers’ Internet infrastructure. Customers may locate their servers and equipment in 21Vianet’s data centers and connect to China’s Internet backbone. 21Vianet operates in more than 20 cities throughout China, servicing a diversified and loyal base of over 6,000 hosting and related enterprise customers that span numerous industries ranging from Internet companies to government entities and blue-chip enterprises to small- to mid-sized enterprises.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “target,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement as well as 21Vianet’s strategic and operational plans contain forward-looking statements. 21Vianet may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports 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 21Vianet’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: 21Vianet’s goals and strategies; 21Vianet’s expansion plans; the expected growth of the data center services market; expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, 21Vianet’s services; 21Vianet’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with customers; 21Vianet’s plans to invest in research and development to enhance its solution and service offerings; and general economic and business conditions in the regions where 21Vianet provides solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 21Vianet’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the 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 21Vianet undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contacts:

21Vianet Group, Inc.


Xinyuan Liu

+86 10 8456 2121


[email protected]

Julia Jiang

+86 10 8456 2121


[email protected]

ICR, LLC


Robin Yang

+1 (646) 405-4922


[email protected]