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ZH 6-K

Zhihu Inc. (ZH)

6-K 2025-03-26 For: 2025-03-26
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Added on April 10, 2026

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 March 2025


Commission File Number: 001-40253

Zhihu Inc.

(Registrant’s Name)

18 Xueqing Road

Haidian District, Beijing100083

People’s Republicof China

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

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

Form 20-F x      Form 40-F ¨


EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release—Zhihu Inc. Reports Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results
99.2 Announcement—Annual Results Announcement for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

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.

Zhihu Inc.
By : /s/<br> Han Wang
Name : Han Wang
Title : Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 26, 2025


Exhibit 99.1


Zhihu Inc. Reports Unaudited Fourth Quarterand Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

BEIJING, China, March 26, 2025 — Zhihu Inc. (“Zhihu” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), a leading online content community in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

Total revenues were RMB859.2 million (US$117.7 million)<br>in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1,138.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Gross margin expanded to 62.9% in the fourth quarter<br>of 2024 from 59.1% in the same period of 2023.

Net income was RMB86.4 million (US$11.8 million) in the<br>fourth quarter of 2024, compared with a net loss of RMB103.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)^[1]^ was RMB97.1<br>million (US$13.3 million) in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with an adjusted net loss of RMB91.3 million in the same period of<br>2023.
Average monthly active users (MAUs)^[2]^ were<br>81.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.
--- ---

Average monthly subscribing members^[3]^ were<br>14.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Fiscal Year 2024 Highlights

Total revenues were RMB3,598.9 million (US$493.0 million)<br>in 2024, compared with RMB4,198.9 million in 2023.

Gross margin expanded to 60.6% in 2024 from 54.7% in<br>2023.

Net loss was RMB169.0 million (US$23.1 million) in 2024,<br>narrowed by 79.9% from 2023.

Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)^[1]^ was RMB96.3<br>million (US$13.2 million) in 2024, narrowed by 85.4% from 2023.

“The year of 2024 marked a significant turnaround for Zhihu, driven by the successful execution of the strategic roadmap we laid out at the beginning of the year and culminating in a profitable fourth quarter,” said Mr. Yuan Zhou, chairman and chief executive officer of Zhihu. “We optimized our ecosystem to foster greater vibrancy and trust across our community, consistently improving user metrics and deepening creator engagement throughout the year. We have consistently invested in AI applications, leveraging our premium content and strong network of trusted experts. By further integrating AI into our diverse community scenarios, we are unlocking new possibilities to redefine user interactions in the AI era while sharpening our own competitive edge.”

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Mr. Han Wang, chief financial officer of Zhihu, added, “The fourth quarter of 2024 marked a milestone for Zhihu as we achieved a major inflection point with positive operating profit and net income on both GAAP and non-GAAP basis for the first time—a testament to our strategic focus and successful execution. Improved operating efficiency and disciplined cost management drove significant margin expansion during the quarter, with gross profit margin expanding by 3.8 percentage points year-over-year to 62.9% while operating expenses decreased by 37.9%. Going forward, we will build on this robust momentum to lay a solid foundation for sustainable long-term growth, unlocking greater value for our shareholders and users.”


Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results


Totalrevenues were RMB859.2 million (US$117.7 million), compared with RMB1,138.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Marketingservices revenue was RMB315.9 million (US$43.3 million), compared with RMB465.2 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to our proactive and ongoing refinement of service offerings to strategically focus on margin improvement.

Paidmembership revenue was RMB420.2 million (US$57.6 million), compared with RMB455.9 million in the same period of 2023. The slight decrease was primarily attributable to a marginal decline in our average revenue per subscribing member.

Vocationaltraining revenue was RMB84.0 million (US$11.5 million), compared with RMB169.3 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by lower revenue contribution from our acquired businesses.

Otherrevenues were RMB39.1 million (US$5.4 million), compared with RMB48.0 million in the same period of 2023.

Costof revenues decreased by 31.5% to RMB318.5 million (US$43.6 million) from RMB465.2 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to reduced content and operating costs associated with the decline in our revenues and a decrease in cloud services and bandwidth costs resulting from our improved technological efficiency.

Grossprofit was RMB540.7 million (US$74.1 million), compared with RMB673.1 million in the same period of 2023. Gross margin expanded to 62.9% from 59.1% in the same period of 2023, primarily attributable to our monetization enhancements and improvements in our operating efficiency.

Totaloperating expenses decreased by 37.9% to RMB528.8 million (US$72.4 million) from RMB851.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Sellingand marketing expenses decreased by 40.1% to RMB316.2 million (US$43.3 million) from RMB527.6 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to more disciplined promotional spending and a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

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Researchand development expenses decreased by 37.0% to RMB146.6 million (US$20.1 million) from RMB232.6 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to more efficient spending on technological innovation and a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Generaland administrative expenses decreased by 27.5% to RMB66.0 million (US$9.0 million) from RMB91.1 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decline in the allowance for expected credit losses on trade receivables.

Incomefrom operations was RMB11.9 million (US$1.6 million), compared with a loss from operations of RMB178.2 million in the same period of 2023.

**Adjustedincome from operations (non-GAAP)^[1]^**was RMB23.1 million (US$3.2 million), compared with an adjusted loss from operations of RMB165.3 million in the same period of 2023.


Netincome was RMB86.4 million (US$11.8 million), compared with a net loss of RMB103.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Adjustednet income (non-GAAP)^[1]^ was RMB97.1 million (US$13.3 million), compared with an adjusted net loss of RMB91.3 million in the same period of 2023.


Dilutednet income per American depositary share (“ADS”) ^[4]^ was RMB1.00 (US$0.14), compared with a diluted net loss per ADS of RMB1.07 in the same period of 2023.

Cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-terminvestments

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB4,859.0 million (US$665.7 million), compared with RMB5,462.9 million as of December 31, 2023.

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results


Totalrevenues were RMB3,598.9 million (US$493.0 million), compared with RMB4,198.9 million in 2023.

Marketingservices revenue was RMB1,247.1 million (US$170.9 million), compared with RMB1,653.0 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to our proactive and ongoing refinement of service offerings to strategically focus on margin improvement.

Paidmembership revenue was RMB1,762.0 million (US$241.4 million), compared with RMB1,826.6 million in 2023. The slight decrease was primarily attributable to a marginal decline in our average revenue per subscribing member.

Vocationaltraining revenue was RMB468.1 million (US$64.1 million), compared with RMB565.6 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by lower revenue contribution from our acquired businesses, partially offset by the growth of our self-operated course offerings.

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Otherrevenues were RMB121.7 million (US$16.7 million), compared with RMB153.8 million in 2023.

Costof revenues decreased by 25.5% to RMB1,418.1 million (US$194.3 million) from RMB1,903.0 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to reduced content and operating costs associated with the decline in our revenues and a decrease in cloud services and bandwidth costs resulting from our improved technological efficiency.

Grossprofit was RMB2,180.8 million (US$298.8 million), compared with RMB2,295.8 million in 2023. Gross margin expanded to 60.6% from 54.7% in 2023, primarily attributable to our monetization enhancements and improvements in our operating efficiency.

Totaloperating expenses decreased by 21.0% to RMB2,661.9 million (US$364.7 million) from RMB3,368.1 million in 2023.


Sellingand marketing expenses decreased by 21.9% to RMB1,599.2 million (US$219.1 million) from RMB2,048.1 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to more disciplined promotional spending and a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Researchand development expenses decreased by 18.7% to RMB732.6 million (US$100.4 million) from RMB901.5 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to more efficient spending on technological innovation and a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Generaland administrative expenses decreased by 21.1% to RMB330.2 million (US$45.2 million) from RMB418.5 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower share-based compensation expenses.

Lossfrom operations narrowed by 55.1% to RMB481.1 million (US$65.9 million) from RMB1,072.2 million in 2023.

Adjustedloss from operations (non-GAAP)^[1]^ narrowed by 54.4% to RMB405.4 million (US$55.5 million) from RMB888.0 million in 2023.


Netloss narrowed by 79.9% to RMB169.0 million (US$23.1 million) from RMB839.5 million in 2023.

Adjustednet loss (non-GAAP)^[1]^ narrowed by 85.4% to RMB96.3 million (US$13.2 million) from RMB659.1 million in 2023.


Dilutednet loss per ADS^[4]^ was RMB1.88 (US$0.26), compared with RMB8.46 in 2023.


Share Repurchase Programs

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had repurchased 31.1 million Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs) for a total price of US$66.5 million on both the New York Stock Exchange and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the Company’s existing US$100 million share repurchase program (the “2022 Repurchase Program”), established in May 2022 and extended until June 26, 2025. In addition, a concurrent share repurchase program (the “2024 Repurchase Program”) was established in June 2024 and will remain effective until June 26, 2025. The maximum number of shares (including shares underlying the ADSs) that can be repurchased under the 2024 Repurchase Program, together with the remaining number of shares (including shares underlying the ADSs) that can be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Program, will not exceed 10% of the total number of issued shares of the Company (excluding any treasury shares) as of June 26, 2024, the date of the resolution granting the general unconditional mandate to purchase the Company’s own shares approved by shareholders.

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In addition, as previously announced, the Company conducted an all cash tender offer and repurchased a total of 33,016,016 Class A ordinary shares tendered (including 19,877,118 Class A ordinary shares in the form of 6,625,706 ADSs) for a total consideration of approximately HK$300 million. These shares were repurchased and canceled on November 8, 2024.


^[1]^Adjusted income/(loss) from operations and adjusted net income/(loss) are non-GAAP financial measures. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

^[2]^MAUs refers to the sum of the number of mobile devices that launch our mobile apps at least once in a given month, or mobile MAUs, and the number of logged-in users who visit our PC or mobile website at least once in a given month, after eliminating duplicates.

^[3]^ Monthly subscribing members refers to the number of members who subscribed for our membership packages in a specified month. Average monthly subscribing members for a period is calculated by dividing the sum of monthly subscribing members for each month during the specified period by the number of months in such period.

^[4]^On May 10, 2024, we effected a change in the ratio of our ADSs to Class A ordinary shares from two ADSs representing one Class A ordinary share to a new ratio of one ADS representing three Class A ordinary shares. Basic and diluted net loss per ADS have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect this ADS ratio change for all periods presented.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 26, 2025 (7:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on March 26, 2025).

All participants wishing to join the conference call must pre-register online using the link provided below. Once the pre-registration has been completed, each participant will receive a set of dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN which can be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI822b4edc673942e382e2354f17702df3

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Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.zhihu.com.


About Zhihu Inc.

Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390) is a leading online content community in China where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Since the initial launch in 2010, we have grown from a Q&A community into one of the top comprehensive online content communities and the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com.


Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted income/(loss) from operations and adjusted net income/(loss), to supplement the review and assessment of its operating performance. The Company defines non-GAAP financial measures by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions and the tax effects of the non-GAAP adjustments, which are non-cash expenses. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons of operating performance from period to period and company to company by adjusting for potential impacts of items, which the Company’s management considers to be indicative of its operating performance. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating the Company’s consolidated results of operations in the same manner as they help the Company’s management.

The non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The use of the non-GAAP financial measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider them in isolation from or as a substitute for analysis of our results of operations or financial condition as reported under U.S. GAAP. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.


Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB7.2993 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of December 31, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.

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Safe Harbor Statement

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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to,” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.


For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Zhihu Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Christensen Advisory

Roger Hu

Tel: +86-10-5900-1548

Email: [email protected]

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ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSOF OPERATIONS

(All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data)

For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended
December 31,<br> <br>2023 September 30,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2023 December 31,<br> <br>2024
RMB RMB RMB US RMB RMB US
Revenues:
Marketing services 465,153 256,631 315,940 43,284 1,652,992 1,247,092 170,851
Paid membership 455,906 459,387 420,215 57,569 1,826,557 1,761,978 241,390
Vocational training 169,272 105,058 83,984 11,506 565,585 468,111 64,131
Others 47,966 23,944 39,073 5,353 153,755 121,724 16,676
Total revenues 1,138,297 845,020 859,212 117,712 4,198,889 3,598,905 493,048
Cost of revenues (465,197 ) (304,879 ) (318,547 ) (43,641 (1,903,041 ) (1,418,076 ) (194,276
Gross profit 673,100 540,141 540,665 74,071 2,295,848 2,180,829 298,772
Selling and marketing expenses (527,604 ) (388,049 ) (316,198 ) (43,319 (2,048,090 ) (1,599,186 ) (219,088
Research and development expenses (232,585 ) (179,261 ) (146,613 ) (20,086 (901,452 ) (732,553 ) (100,359
General and administrative expenses (91,069 ) (57,161 ) (65,988 ) (9,040 (418,531 ) (330,173 ) (45,234
Total operating expenses (851,258 ) (624,471 ) (528,799 ) (72,445 (3,368,073 ) (2,661,912 ) (364,681
(Loss)/Income from operations (178,158 ) (84,330 ) 11,866 1,626 (1,072,225 ) (481,083 ) (65,909
Other income/(expenses):
Investment income 12,279 13,679 13,049 1,788 41,695 65,441 8,965
Interest income 38,828 31,136 26,311 3,605 158,671 114,964 15,750
Fair value change of financial instruments 14,780 6,887 30,698 4,206 (5,170 ) 78,405 10,741
Exchange (losses)/gains (937 ) (1,097 ) 1,701 233 97 1,013 139
Others, net 15,032 23,799 113 15 49,236 42,902 5,878
(Loss)/Income before income tax (98,176 ) (9,926 ) 83,738 11,473 (827,696 ) (178,358 ) (24,436
Income tax (expenses)/benefits (4,929 ) 949 2,663 365 (11,832 ) 9,391 1,287
Net (loss)/income (103,105 ) (8,977 ) 86,401 11,838 (839,528 ) (168,967 ) (23,149
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (666 ) (1,514 ) (127 ) (17 (4,113 ) (2,835 ) (388
Net (loss)/income attributable to Zhihu Inc.’s shareholders (103,771 ) (10,491 ) 86,274 11,821 (843,641 ) (171,802 ) (23,537
Net (loss)/income per share
Basic (0.36 ) (0.04 ) 0.34 0.05 (2.82 ) (0.63 ) (0.09
Diluted (0.36 ) (0.04 ) 0.33 0.05 (2.82 ) (0.63 ) (0.09
Net (loss)/income per ADS (One ADS represents three Class A ordinary shares)
Basic (1.07 ) (0.11 ) 1.01 0.14 (8.46 ) (1.88 ) (0.26
Diluted (1.07 ) (0.11 ) 1.00 0.14 (8.46 ) (1.88 ) (0.26
Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding
Basic 291,056,615 277,309,431 256,257,971 256,257,971 299,132,894 273,560,865 273,560,865
Diluted 291,056,615 277,309,431 259,990,323 259,990,323 299,132,894 273,560,865 273,560,865

All values are in US Dollars.

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ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSOF OPERATIONS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands, except share, ADS, per share data and per ADS data)

For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended
December 31,<br> <br>2023 September 30,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2023 December 31,<br> <br>2024
RMB RMB RMB US RMB RMB US
Share-based compensation expenses included in:
Cost of revenues 1,575 1,016 (314 ) (43 9,751 3,949 542
Selling and marketing expenses (7,001 ) 547 269 37 13,882 (1,975 ) (271
Research and development expenses (57 ) 6,233 (6,436 ) (882 49,847 7,916 1,084
General and administrative expenses 12,983 (14,767 ) 14,261 1,954 91,176 49,372 6,764

All values are in US Dollars.


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ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands)


As of December 31,<br> <br>2023 As of December 31,<br> <br>2024
RMB RMB US
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 2,106,639 3,999,160
Term deposits 1,586,469 320,088
Short-term investments 1,769,822 538,816
Restricted cash - 900
Trade receivables 664,615 420,636
Amounts due from related parties 18,319 41,588
Prepayments and other current assets 232,016 163,446
Total current assets 6,377,880 5,484,634
Non-current assets:
Property and equipment, net 10,849 8,490
Intangible assets, net 122,645 54,534
Goodwill 191,077 126,344
Long-term investments, net 44,621 51,176
Right-of-use assets 40,211 7,151
Other non-current assets 7,989 623
Total non-current assets 417,392 248,318
Total assets 6,795,272 5,732,952
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,038,531 835,688
Salary and welfare payables 342,125 275,260
Taxes payables 21,394 22,081
Contract liabilities 303,574 235,539
Amounts due to related parties 26,032 6,825
Short term lease liabilities 42,089 17,308
Other current liabilities 171,743 131,955
Total current liabilities 1,945,488 1,524,656
Non-current liabilities
Long term lease liabilities 3,642 1,823
Deferred tax liabilities 22,574 6,830
Other non-current liabilities 121,958 3,957
Total non-current liabilities 148,174 12,610
Total liabilities 2,093,662 1,537,266
Total Zhihu Inc.’s shareholders’ equity 4,599,810 4,136,123
Noncontrolling interests 101,800 59,563
Total shareholders’ equity 4,701,610 4,195,686
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity 6,795,272 5,732,952

All values are in US Dollars.


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ZHIHU INC.

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAPRESULTS

(All amounts in thousands)

For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended
December 31,<br> <br>2023 September 30,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2024 December 31,<br> <br>2023 December 31,<br> <br>2024
RMB RMB RMB US RMB RMB US
(Loss)/Income from operations (178,158 ) (84,330 ) 11,866 1,626 (1,072,225 ) (481,083 ) (65,909
Add:
Share-based compensation expenses 7,500 (6,971 ) 7,780 1,066 164,656 59,262 8,119
Amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions 5,365 3,490 3,490 478 19,585 16,460 2,255
Adjusted (loss)/income from operations (165,293 ) (87,811 ) 23,136 3,170 (887,984 ) (405,361 ) (55,535
Net (loss)/income (103,105 ) (8,977 ) 86,401 11,838 (839,528 ) (168,967 ) (23,149
Add:
Share-based compensation expenses 7,500 (6,971 ) 7,780 1,066 164,656 59,262 8,119
Amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions 5,365 3,490 3,490 478 19,585 16,460 2,255
Tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments (1,069 ) (600 ) (600 ) (82 (3,806 ) (3,025 ) (414
Adjusted net (loss)/income (91,309 ) (13,058 ) 97,071 13,300 (659,093 ) (96,270 ) (13,189

All values are in US Dollars.

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