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Zhihu Inc. (ZH) 10-Year Financial Performance & Capital Metrics

ZH • • Industrial / General
Communication ServicesInternet ServicesSocial Networking & CommunicationQ&A & Knowledge Communities
AboutZhihu Inc. operates an online content community in the People's Republic of China. Its community allows people to seek inspiration, find solutions, make decisions, and have fun. The company also offers technology, business support, and consulting services; information transmission, software, and information technology services; information and marketing services; vocational training; and internet services, as well as holds audio-visual permit. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.Show more
  • Revenue $3.65B -13.1%
  • EBITDA -$466M +55.5%
  • Net Income -$174M +79.3%
  • EPS (Diluted) -1.89 +77.7%
  • Gross Margin 60.6% +10.8%
  • EBITDA Margin -12.76% +48.9%
  • Operating Margin -13.37% +47.7%
  • Net Margin -4.77% +76.2%
  • ROE -3.92% +75.9%
  • ROIC -25.62% +37.8%
  • Debt/Equity 0.00 -53.1%
  • Interest Coverage -
Technical Analysis

Key Insights

Based on financial data analysis

✓Strengths

  • ✓Company is almost debt free
  • ✓High quality earnings: Operating CF exceeds net income
  • ✓Strong 5Y sales CAGR of 40.4%
  • ✓Share count reduced 8.2% through buybacks
  • ✓Trading at only 0.1x book value

✗Weaknesses

  • ✗Negative free cash flow
  • ✗Trading more than 30% below 52-week high

* These insights are generated automatically based on available financial data. Please conduct your own research before making investment decisions.

Price & Volume

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Growth Metrics

Revenue CAGR

10Y-
5Y40.41%
3Y7.71%
TTM-22.78%

Profit (Net Income) CAGR

10Y-
5Y-
3Y-
TTM128.45%

EPS CAGR

10Y-
5Y-
3Y-
TTM128.76%

ROCE

10Y Avg-22.8%
5Y Avg-20.8%
3Y Avg-18.82%
Latest-10.77%

Peer Comparison

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Sector-Specific
NameMarket CapCurrent PriceP/E RatioRevenue Growth 1YNet MarginROEFCF YieldDebt/Equity
ZHZhihu Inc.314.73M3.73-1.97-13.06%3.46%2.49%0.00

Profit & Loss

Dec 2019Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 2022Dec 2023Dec 2024
Sales/Revenue+668.7M1.28B2.92B3.67B4.2B3.65B
Revenue Growth %-0.91%1.28%0.26%0.14%-0.13%
Cost of Goods Sold+357.27M561.95M1.39B1.83B1.9B1.44B
COGS % of Revenue0.53%0.44%0.47%0.5%0.45%0.39%
Gross Profit+311.43M716.43M1.53B1.84B2.3B2.21B
Gross Margin %0.47%0.56%0.53%0.5%0.55%0.61%
Gross Profit Growth %-1.3%1.14%0.2%0.25%-0.04%
Operating Expenses+1.37B1.29B2.91B3.47B3.37B2.7B
OpEx % of Revenue2.04%1.01%1%0.95%0.8%0.74%
Selling, General & Admin1.02B974.64M2.29B2.69B2.47B1.96B
SG&A % of Revenue1.52%0.76%0.79%0.73%0.59%0.54%
Research & Development350.06M311.76M611.56M776.77M901.33M742.93M
R&D % of Revenue0.52%0.24%0.21%0.21%0.21%0.2%
Other Operating Expenses000000
Operating Income+-1.06B-569.97M-1.37B-1.63B-1.07B-487.9M
Operating Margin %-1.58%-0.45%-0.47%-0.44%-0.26%-0.13%
Operating Income Growth %-0.46%-1.41%-0.19%0.34%0.54%
EBITDA+-1.04B-551.44M-1.35B-1.61B-1.05B-465.64M
EBITDA Margin %-1.55%-0.43%-0.46%-0.44%-0.25%-0.13%
EBITDA Growth %-0.47%-1.45%-0.19%0.35%0.56%
D&A (Non-Cash Add-back)20.15M18.53M21.17M25.65M24.89M22.26M
EBIT-1B-488.28M-1.28B-1.59B-827.58M-180.89M
Net Interest Income+28.67M24.75M31.3M68.1M158.67M114.96M
Interest Income28.67M24.75M31.3M68.1M158.67M114.96M
Interest Expense000000
Other Income/Expense54.15M81.69M96.01M40.23M244.5M307.01M
Pretax Income+-1B-488.28M-1.28B-1.59B-827.58M-180.89M
Pretax Margin %-1.5%-0.38%-0.44%-0.43%-0.2%-0.05%
Income Tax+39.89K1.02M5.37M14.43M11.83M-9.52M
Effective Tax Rate %1%1%1%1.01%1.02%0.96%
Net Income+-1B-489.3M-1.28B-1.61B-843.53M-174.24M
Net Margin %-1.5%-0.38%-0.44%-0.44%-0.2%-0.05%
Net Income Growth %-0.51%-1.62%-0.25%0.48%0.79%
Net Income (Continuing)-1B-489.3M-1.28B-1.61B-839.41M-171.36M
Discontinued Operations000000
Minority Interest007.5M40.57M101.8M59.56M
EPS (Diluted)+-10.12-12.85-18.35-15.68-8.47-1.89
EPS Growth %--0.27%-0.43%0.15%0.46%0.78%
EPS (Basic)-10.12-12.85-18.35-15.68-8.47-1.89
Diluted Shares Outstanding99.06M92.14M79.18M100.5M99.61M91.42M
Basic Shares Outstanding99.06M92.14M79.18M100.5M99.61M91.42M
Dividend Payout Ratio------

Balance Sheet

Dec 2019Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 2022Dec 2023Dec 2024
Total Current Assets+3.9B3.72B8.33B7.32B6.38B5.48B
Cash & Short-Term Investments3.54B3.1B7.21B6.26B5.46B4.86B
Cash Only900.35M957.82M2.16B4.53B2.11B4B
Short-Term Investments2.64B2.14B5.06B1.74B3.36B858.9M
Accounts Receivable251.87M499.89M988.96M859.05M682.93M496.17M
Days Sales Outstanding137.48142.73123.5885.4859.3749.62
Inventory27.15M04.6M10.35M22.19M0
Days Inventory Outstanding27.74-1.212.074.26-
Other Current Assets62.13M51.71M-1.43M92.61M117.65M6.99M
Total Non-Current Assets+82.35M41.27M471M336.44M417.39M248.32M
Property, Plant & Equipment40.56M11.35M136.38M107.41M51.06M15.64M
Fixed Asset Turnover16.49x112.67x21.42x34.15x82.22x233.35x
Goodwill0073.66M126.34M191.08M126.34M
Intangible Assets34.94M23.48M68.31M80.24M122.64M54.53M
Long-Term Investments00178.52M044.62M51.18M
Other Non-Current Assets6.86M6.45M14.13M22.45M7.99M623K
Total Assets+3.98B3.76B8.81B7.66B6.8B5.73B
Asset Turnover0.17x0.34x0.33x0.48x0.62x0.64x
Asset Growth %--0.06%1.34%-0.13%-0.11%-0.16%
Total Current Liabilities+763.04M1.01B1.9B1.82B1.95B1.52B
Accounts Payable287.04M501.85M1.03B916.11M1.04B835.69M
Days Payables Outstanding293.25325.96270.1182.88199.22212.09
Short-Term Debt000000
Deferred Revenue (Current)1000K1000K1000K1000K01000K
Other Current Liabilities23.87M303.85M134.96M140.66M432.5M47.13M
Current Ratio5.11x3.67x4.39x4.01x3.28x3.60x
Quick Ratio5.08x3.67x4.39x4.01x3.27x3.60x
Cash Conversion Cycle-128.03--145.31-95.34-135.59-
Total Non-Current Liabilities+7.21B7.89B169.3M137.13M148.17M12.61M
Long-Term Debt000000
Capital Lease Obligations2.89M082.13M43.37M3.64M1.82M
Deferred Tax Liabilities0014.03M11.63M22.57M6.83M
Other Non-Current Liabilities7.21B7.89B73.14M82.13M121.96M3.96M
Total Liabilities7.98B1.01B2.07B1.96B2.09B1.54B
Total Debt+25.64M2.89M122.66M96.56M45.73M19.13M
Net Debt-874.71M-954.93M-2.12B-4.43B-2.06B-3.98B
Debt / Equity-0.00x0.02x0.02x0.01x0.00x
Debt / EBITDA------
Net Debt / EBITDA------
Interest Coverage------
Total Equity+-3.99B2.75B6.75B5.69B4.7B4.2B
Equity Growth %-1.69%1.46%-0.16%-0.17%-0.11%
Book Value per Share-40.3029.8185.2056.6647.2045.89
Total Shareholders' Equity-3.99B2.75B6.74B5.65B4.6B4.14B
Common Stock46K193K241K249K241K203K
Retained Earnings-3.94B-4.95B-6.28B-7.86B-8.71B-8.88B
Treasury Stock000-33.81M-161.64M-112.06M
Accumulated OCI-52.6M-195.93M-339.12M-65.81M-17.87M12.82M
Minority Interest007.5M40.57M101.8M59.56M

Cash Flow

Dec 2019Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 2022Dec 2023Dec 2024
Cash from Operations+-715.52M-244.42M-440.23M-1.11B-415.53M-280.19M
Operating CF Margin %-1.07%-0.19%-0.15%-0.3%-0.1%-0.08%
Operating CF Growth %-0.66%-0.8%-1.53%0.63%0.33%
Net Income-1B-517.55M-1.3B-1.58B-839.53M-168.97M
Depreciation & Amortization20.24M19.61M21.45M25.21M24.89M21.95M
Stock-Based Compensation179.69M180.09M548.47M373.89M164.66M59.26M
Deferred Taxes00-1.09M-2.4M-3.81M-3.02M
Other Non-Cash Items3.35M83.49M-1.58M200.58M126.47M-104.93M
Working Capital Changes85.42M-10.06M291.4M-133.83M111.79M-84.48M
Change in Receivables-62.63M-257.07M-374.68M-132.84M64.41M208.24M
Change in Inventory54.38M37.26M29.23M000
Change in Payables38.64M214.81M524.25M-15.87M220.24M-183.37M
Cash from Investing+-2.1B430.11M-3.14B3.49B-1.68B2.56B
Capital Expenditures-5.75M-1.95M-7.44M-714K-8.49M-2.73M
CapEx % of Revenue0.01%0%0%0%0%0%
Acquisitions------
Investments------
Other Investing-1.04M9K0123K-381K27K
Cash from Financing+3B9.29M4.88B-108.35M-365.06M-403.86M
Debt Issued (Net)------
Equity Issued (Net)------
Dividends Paid000000
Share Repurchases------
Other Financing-13.5M9.29M22.95M19.61M4.51M-3.15M
Net Change in Cash------
Free Cash Flow+-721.27M-246.37M-447.67M-1.12B-424.4M-282.92M
FCF Margin %-1.08%-0.19%-0.15%-0.3%-0.1%-0.08%
FCF Growth %-0.66%-0.82%-1.49%0.62%0.33%
FCF per Share-7.28-2.67-5.65-11.10-4.26-3.09
FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income)0.71x0.50x0.34x0.69x0.49x1.61x
Interest Paid000000
Taxes Paid003.5M16.92M11.14M1.78M

Key Ratios

Metric201920202021202220232024
Return on Equity (ROE)--17.81%-27.01%-25.87%-16.23%-3.92%
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)--23.86%-31.66%-40.96%-41.17%-25.62%
Gross Margin46.57%56.04%52.51%50.16%54.68%60.6%
Net Margin-149.77%-38.27%-43.89%-43.86%-20.09%-4.77%
Debt / Equity-0.00x0.02x0.02x0.01x0.00x
FCF Conversion0.71x0.50x0.34x0.69x0.49x1.61x
Revenue Growth-91.17%128.49%25.58%14.45%-13.06%

Revenue by Segment

2021202220232024
Membership---1.76B
Membership Growth----
Advertising---1.25B
Advertising Growth----
Service, Other---121.72M
Service, Other Growth----
Paid membership service668.51M1.23B1.83B-
Paid membership service Growth-84.11%48.40%-
Marketing services--1.65B-
Marketing services Growth----
Other Revenue155.94M169.37M153.75M-
Other Revenue Growth-8.61%-9.22%-
Content-commerce solutions973.99M1.03B--
Content-commerce solutions Growth-5.77%--
Advertising service1.16B926.3M--
Advertising service Growth--20.21%--

Frequently Asked Questions

Growth & Financials

Zhihu Inc. (ZH) reported $2.97B in revenue for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 344% increase from $668.7M in 2019.

Zhihu Inc. (ZH) saw revenue decline by 13.1% over the past year.

Yes, Zhihu Inc. (ZH) is profitable, generating $102.6M in net income for fiscal year 2024 (-4.8% net margin).

Dividend & Returns

Zhihu Inc. (ZH) has a return on equity (ROE) of -3.9%. Negative ROE indicates the company is unprofitable.

Zhihu Inc. (ZH) had negative free cash flow of $282.9M in fiscal year 2024, likely due to heavy capital investments.

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