Online Brand Advertising Slumps But Total Revenues Rise In China For Sohu.com

Chinese online media company Sohu.com Inc. says its revenues rose by 35% over last year as it reported its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

Total revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were USD174.4 million, up 35% year-over-year and 1% quarter-over-quarter. Online brand advertising revenues for the first quarter of 2011 totaled USD57.2 million, up 45% year-over-year and down 5% quarter-over-quarter. Search revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were USD8.0 million, up 183% year-over-year and 21% quarter-over-quarter. Online game revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were USD94.9 million, up 32% year-over-year and 3% quarter-over-quarter. Wireless revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were USD11.7 million, down 12% year-over-year and 19% quarter-over-quarter.

Gross margin was 74% for the first quarter of 2011, compared with 74% in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 75% in the first quarter of 2010.

For the first quarter of 2011, Sohu’s operating expenses totaled USD65.1 million, up 34% year-over-year and 5% quarter-over-quarter. For the first quarter of 2011, excluding a non-cash income tax expense of USD0.2 million recorded for tax benefits from share-based awards, non-GAAP income tax expense was USD10.8 million, compared with USD11.1 million in the previous quarter.

Excluding stakes Sohu has in related businesses like Changyou.com, GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2011 was USD39.3 million, or USD1.01 per fully diluted share.

Sohu says it continued to maintain a debt-free balance sheet and a strong cash position of USD737.9 million as of March 31, 2011.