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BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 4, 2024, Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare services with a positive social impact, unveiled its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2024 ended June 30, 2024. During the quarter, Waterdrop reported net operating revenue of RMB 676 million. Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders totaled RMB 88.3 million, up 306.9% from the previous year, sustaining profitability for the tenth consecutive quarter. Operating expenses, including sales, administrative, and R&D costs, accounted for 45.1% of revenue, a decrease of 12 percentage points year-on-year.
In addition, Waterdrop also completed the first special cash dividend in the past quarter. Waterdrop declared that, with the board approval, the company will soon start the second special cash dividend of approximately US$7.5 million.
Since announcing its share repurchase program in September 2021, as of August 31, 2024, Waterdrop has repurchased approximately 49.3 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) from the open market. The board of the directors of the Company has approved a new share repurchase program whereby the Company is authorized to repurchase its own ordinary shares in the form of American depository shares with an aggregate value of up to US$50 million during the 12-month period through September 9, 2025.
Insurance Business Operating Profit Totaled RMB 123 Million
Waterdrop's insurance-related revenue amounted to RMB573.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The insurance business operating profit reached RMB 123 million in Q2 2024. First-year premiums (FYPs) generated by insurance business amounted to RMB 1,778.6 million.
Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace continually improved online traffic conversion capabilities and efficiency, driving the number of new users to grow at 15.8%. At the same time,Waterdrop's insurance business effectively sustained the policy renewal rate at a high level.
Committed to investment in technology, Waterdrop further piloted Shuishou large language model ("LLM"), known as "Waterdrop Guardian", in multiple service scenarios covering medical, critical illness, and auto insurance categories. During the quarter, the Company landed a strategic cooperation with a property & casualty insurer. This is the first time Waterdrop exports a customized solution for non-life insurance and the company looks forward to empowering more industry partners with AI solutions.