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SINA.com Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2001 Results
Advertising Revenues Increased 218% over Prior Year; Net Loss Decreased by 10% From Previous Quarter

SUNNYVALE, Calif. ( January 17, 2000) - SINA.com (Nasdaq: SINA), a leading Internet media and services company for Chinese communities worldwide, today announced results for the second quarter fiscal 2001 ended December 31, 2000.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Pro forma net loss per share decreased to $0.13, narrowed from prior quarter's $0.15 and ahead of First Call Consensus of $0.18.
  • Pro forma net loss decreased by 10% sequentially to $5.4 million.
  • Pro forma gross margin improved for the sixth successive quarter to 46%.
  • Advertising revenue rose 218% year over year, and 7% sequentially.
  • "We are pleased to report quarterly financial results ahead of street expectations for the fourth consecutive quarter since our IPO," said Zhidong Wang, President and Chief Executive Officer of SINA. "We are very proud of SINA's continued ability to grow revenue, monetize traffic and deliver the best products and services to our loyal users. In the past quarter, we have continued to increase our bricks-and-mortar advertising base, serving as the gateway to the China Internet marketplace for new clients such as Johnson & Johnson and Hewlett Packard. Our success is a testament to the experience of the SINA management team and our commitment to build a stronger company in the current market environment."

    FINANCIAL RESULTS

    SINA reported consolidated net revenues of $7.6 million for the second quarter fiscal 2001, an increase of 158% compared to net revenues of $3.0 million for the second quarter fiscal 2000, and a sequential increase of 7% over net revenues of $7.2 million for the first quarter fiscal 2001. Advertising revenues for the second quarter fiscal 2001 amounted to $6.7 million, an increase of 218% compared to advertising revenues of $2.1 million for the second quarter fiscal 2000, and a sequential increase of 7% over advertising revenues of $6.3 million for the last quarter.

    Pro forma net loss for the quarter was $5.4 million or $0.13 loss per share, $0.05 ahead of First Call consensus estimate of $0.18 loss per share and $0.02 lower than the immediate prior quarter. Pro forma net loss was $6.2 million or $0.20 loss per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2000 and $6.0 million or $0.15 loss per share last quarter. Pro forma net loss excludes non-cash charges for amortization of intangibles and stock-based deferred compensation. Including the non-cash charges, net loss for the second quarter of fiscal 2001 was $8.9 million or $0.22 loss per share. This compares to the net loss of $11.4 million or $1.54 loss per share for the second quarter fiscal 2000 and the net loss of $10.2 million or $0.26 loss per share for the last quarter.

    During the previous quarter, SINA adopted a more stringent pageview counting method based on new standards instituted by ABC Interactive, a firm specializing in online traffic audit and whose client base includes many of the leading Internet portals in the United States. By complying with the new standards, SINA is tabulating its traffic figures based on the same discipline used by leading global Internet companies. According to the results audited by ABC Interactive, SINA's pageviews totaled 1.5 billion for the month of December. Registered users reached approximately 16 million at the end of December 2000.

    In the second quarter fiscal 2001, SINA continued to focus on providing the best content and services to its audiences worldwide, while actively pushing forward the Internet revolution in China. Some company highlights include the creation of a global career platform for jobseekers on all four SINA sites; the launch of a new channel called "LinkChina" on the Taiwan site to connect Taiwan's business community with investment opportunities in China; a new partnership with Hi-tech Wealth, the leading PDA company in China to help PDA users organize personal information through SINA's Personal Information Center; and a strengthened relationship with China Mobile to deliver short message services to its mobile phone users. SINA's leadership in China's Internet market was further distinguished when it became the first private, commercial enterprise in China to receive government approval earlier this year to publish news online and to operate an Internet content business.

    "Our solid financial and business performance speaks to the viability of our business model and the execution discipline of our team," said Daniel Mao, Chief Operating Officer of SINA. "SINA has continued to demonstrate clear leadership in the Chinese Internet industry, leveraging our extensive international reach to Chinese communities throughout Greater China and the rest of the world. We're very pleased that the Chinese government has acknowledged and supported our market leader position by granting us the first licenses for private sector Internet operation. As China prepares for imminent entry into the World Trade Organization, we look forward to continuing to serve as a virtual bridge between China and the international business community."

    ABOUT SINA.com

    SINA.com is a leading Internet media and services company for Chinese communities worldwide, offering on-line news, entertainment, community and e-commerce. A popular destination site for the world's largest population group, SINA.com offers a Chinese-language network of four localized Web sites that are produced and updated daily by local teams in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and North America. SINA.com enjoyed 1.5 billion pageviews for the month of December 2000, as audited by ABC Interactive, and had16 million registered users at the end of the same month.

    To learn more about SINA.com, visit the company's corporate site at http://www.sina.com/corp , or regional sites at http://www.sina.com.cn, http://sina.com.hk and http://www.sina.com.tw

    Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, SINA.com's historical and future losses, limited operating history, uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic of China, fluctuations in quarterly operating results and our reliance on advertising sales for revenue. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in SINA.com's prospectus dated April 12, 2000, in its 10-K filing and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     

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