Amy Chen's questions to Huize Holding Ltd (HUIZ) leadership • Q4 2024
Question
Amy Chen from Citi asked about the significant year-over-year growth in selling and G&A expenses during the fourth quarter. She also inquired about the outlook for gross profit margin and the net profit guidance for 2025, noting the margin compression in 2024.
Answer
Co-CFO Kwok Ho Tam attributed the Q4 expense growth to one-off costs from personnel restructuring and increased AI investments, stating these are not ongoing trends. For 2025, he said the company targets a year-over-year decrease in operating expense ratios. He noted the gross margin recovered to 34.7% in Q4 and the outlook for 2025 is to maintain the low-to-mid 30s range, with a goal for a profitable year and a mid-single-digit net profit margin, supported by international business momentum.