阿特斯公布2017年第一季度财报

Veröffentlicht auf 07.06.2017
CSI Solar 
Canadian Solar Inc. announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2017 ended March 31, 2017.

First Quarter 2017 Highlights

- Total solar module shipments were 1,480MW, compared to 1,612MW in the fourth quarter of 2016, and first quarter 2017 guidance was in the range of 1,150MW to 1,200MW.

- Net revenue was $677.0 million, compared to $668.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, and first quarter 2017 guidance was in the range of $570 million to $590 million.

- Net revenue from the total solutions business as a percentage of total net revenue was 18.8% compared to 6.6% in the fourth quarter of 2016.

- Gross margin was 13.5%, compared to 13.9% (excluding the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million) or 7.3% (including the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million) in the fourth quarter of 2016, and first quarter 2017 guidance was in the range of 13.0% to 15.0%.

- Net loss attributable to Canadian Solar was $13.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $13.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2016.

- Non-GAAP adjusted net loss attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude a one-time provision of $8.6 million as explained in later paragraph, net of income tax effect, was $6.0 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2017, compared to non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude the impact of the $44.1 million AD/CVD true-up provision, net of income tax effect, was $14.2 million, or $0.24 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2016. (For a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see accompanying tables "Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures.")

- Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances as of March 31, 2017 was $961.4 million, compared to $1.01 billion as of December 31, 2016.

- Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $55.8 million, compared to net cash used in operating activities of $109.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.

- In March, the Company completed the sale of two solar power plants in China, for over RMB687.1 million (US$99.8 million). In February, the Company also completed the sale of three solar power plants in Canada, totaling 59.8MWac, for over C$257 million ($195.32 million).

- The Company's portfolio of solar power plants in commercial operation was 1,156.5MWp as of March 31, 2017, with an estimated total resale value of approximately $1.6 billion.

First Quarter 2017 Results

Net revenue in the first quarter of 2017 was $677.0 million, up 1.3% from $668.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and down 6.2% from $721.4 million in the first quarter of 2016. Solar module shipments recognized in revenue totaled 1,489MW, compared to 1,581MW recognized in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 1,172MW recognized in revenue in the first quarter of 2016. Solar module shipments recognized in revenue in the first quarter of 2017 included 176.3MW used in the Company's total solutions business, compared to 85.6MW in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 24.8MW in the first quarter of 2016.

The following table is a summary of net revenue by geographic region based on the location of customers' headquarters (in millions of US$, except percentages).



Gross profit in the first quarter of 2017 was $91.4 million, compared $49.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $112.5 million in the first quarter of 2016. Gross margin in the first quarter of 2017 was 13.5%, compared to 13.9% in the fourth quarter of 2016, (excluding the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million) or compared to 7.3% (including the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million) in the fourth quarter of 2016, and compared to 15.6% in the first quarter of 2016.

Total operating expenses were $93.7 million in the first quarter of 2017, up 54.4% from $60.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and up 26.5% from $74.1 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Selling expenses were $33.9 million in the first quarter of 2017, down 20.6% from $42.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and down 2.4% from $34.8 million in the first quarter of 2016. The sequential decrease was primarily due to lower shipping and handling costs, external sales commissions and other expenses, including travel and office expenses. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the decrease in external sales commissions and marketing expenses, which was partially offset by a slight increase in insurance expenses.

General and administrative expenses were $55.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, down12.4% from $62.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and up 55.0% from $35.5 million in the first quarter of 2016. The sequential decrease was primarily attributable to a $14.0 million decrease in fixed assets impairment, and a decrease in professional service fees and travel expenses, which was partially offset by an increase in labor costs and a one-time $8.6 million provision ("LDK provision") for a judgment made against the Company by the Xinyu Intermediate People's Court in favor of the bankruptcy liquidation committee of LDK Solar Co., Ltd. The Company disputes the merits of the judgment and continues to evaluate its legal options. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to an increase in labor costs, an increase in fixed assets impairment expenses, and the LDK provision.

Research and development expenses were $5.6 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $3.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $4.5 million in the first quarter of 2016. The sequential and year-over-year increase reflected the Company's continued commitment to investing in and commercializing solar energy technologies that differentiate the Company and strengthen its competitive position.

Loss from operations was $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to loss from operations of $11.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, and income from operations of $38.4 million in the first quarter of 2016. Excluding the $8.6 million LDK provision and the $44.1 million AD/CVD true-up provision, income from operations would have been $6.3 million and $32.3 million in the first quarter of 2017 and in the fourth quarter of 2016, respectively. Operating margin was negative 0.3% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to negative 1.8% in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 5.3% in the first quarter of 2016. Excluding the $8.6 million LDK provision and the $44.1 million AD/CVD true-up provision, operating margin would have been 0.9% and 4.8% in the first quarter of 2017 and in the fourth quarter of 2016, respectively.

Non-cash depreciation and amortization charges were approximately $17.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $19.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, and $25.7 million in the first quarter of 2016. Non-cash equity compensation expense was $0.9 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $2.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Interest expense was $24.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $22.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $16.1 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Interest income was $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $3.4 million in the first quarter of 2016. 

The Company recorded a loss on change in fair value of derivatives, predominantly foreign exchange hedging positions of forwards, of $7.8 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to a gain of $24.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and a gain of $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2016. Foreign exchange gain in the first quarter of 2017 was $14.2 million compared to a foreign exchange loss of $12.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and a foreign exchange gain of $8.5 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Income tax benefit was $3.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $10.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and an income tax expense of $12.3 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Net loss attributable to Canadian Solar was $13.3 million or $0.23 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017, compared to net loss of $13.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2016 and net income of $22.6 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2016. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude the LDK provision of $8.6 million, net of income tax effect, was $6.0 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2017, compared to non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude the impact of the $44.1 million AD/CVD true-up provision, net of income tax effect, was $14.2 million, or $0.24 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2016. For a reconciliation of measures presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") to the non-GAAP measures, a table is available at the end of this press release.

Financial Condition

The Company had $961.4 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of March 31, 2017, compared to $1.01 billion as of December 31, 2016.

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts as of March 31, 2017 were $368.6 million, compared to $400.3 million as of December 31, 2016. Accounts receivable turnover was 59 days in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 65 days in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Inventories as of March 31, 2017 were $274.5 million, compared to $295.4 million as of December 31, 2016. Inventory turnover was 48 days in the first quarter of 2017, which remained unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2016.

Accounts and notes payable as of March 31, 2017 were $847.2 million, compared to $736.8 million as of December 31, 2016.

Excluding the borrowings included in 'Liabilities held-for-sale', short-term borrowings as of March 31, 2017 were $1.71 billion, compared to $1.60 billion as of December 31, 2016. Long-term borrowings as of March 31, 2017 were $462.1 million, compared to $493.5 million as of December 31, 2016.

The Company had approximately $972.0 million in non-recourse bank borrowings as of March 31, 2017. Senior convertible notes totaled $125.8 million as of March 31, 2017, compared to $125.6 million as of December 31, 2016. Total borrowings directly related to utility-scale solar power projects, which included $898.8 million of non-recourse borrowings, were $1.20 billion as of March 31, 2017, compared to $1.19 billion as of December 31, 2016.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked, "Solar module shipments and revenue in the first quarter exceeded expectations led by demand for our high performance solar modules out of China, Brazil, and the U.S, as well as unwavering execution on our total solutions business. We have successfully restored six cell production lines at our tornado damaged Funing cell factory, and have restored another six lines subsequently in Q2. We have also successfully ramped up our new solar cell plant in South East Asia. The equipment used in these cell factories features the latest production technologies, which gives us further cost and efficiency advantages and the desired capacity customers are seeking. We have completed five additional project sales in China and Canada in the first quarter. We are well underway in the process to monetize our other operating solar power plants in the U.S., Japan and China. We have just completed the second round of binding offers for the sales of our high quality solar power plant assets in the U.S. and will soon select the final winner. In Japan, we now have 65 MWp of solar power plants in commercial operation and made progress to launch the JREIT listing around the end of the third quarter, or in the fourth quarter this year. It is our expectation that as we continue to successfully execute our operating plan our share price will achieve a higher valuation in the market, one that more appropriately reflects the value of our operating assets, global project pipeline and prospects for continued success."

Dr. Huifeng Chang, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Solar, added: "The higher manufacturing efficiency of our facilities and tight inventory management allowed us to partially offset the impact of solar module ASP declines and hold gross margin at 13.5%. We are also now positioned to benefit from having production facilities online in trade-friendly South East Asia, enabling us to meet demand requirements of the U.S. and other markets. Also, I am personally pleased with the progress our team has made at monetizing our operating asset portfolio in the U.S. These are major undertakings with equally significant potential upside for the Company as we focus on increasing returns on our project investments and maximizing operating cash flow. Finally, we believe we are in the final stage of negotiations with our insurance provider and expect to receive further compensation in the second quarter this year for the tornado damage and losses of our Funing cell factory."

Utility-Scale Solar Project Pipeline

The Company divides its utility-scale solar project pipeline into two parts: an early-to-mid-stage pipeline and a late-stage pipeline. The late-stage pipeline primarily includes projects that have energy off-take agreements and are expected to be built within the next two to four years. The Company cautions that some late-stage projects may not reach completion due to such risks as failure to secure permits and grid connection, among others.

Late-Stage Utility-Scale Solar Project Pipeline

As of March 31, 2017, the Company's late-stage solar project pipeline, including those in construction, totaled approximately 2.16GWp, which included 626 MWp in Japan, 401MWp in the U.S., 400MWp in China, 399MWp in Brazil, 144MWp in India, 118MWp in Australia, 68MWp in Mexico and 6MWp in Africa.

In the United States, as previously announced, the late-stage 92MWp IS 42 project is in construction and is expected to reach commercial operation by the end of 2017. Two other projects (Tranquillity 8 and Gaskell West 1) are currently under development and are expected to reach commercial operation before the end of 2018.

The table below sets forth the Company's late-stage, utility-scale solar project pipeline in the U.S. as of March 31, 2017:



In Japan, as of March 31, 2017, the Company's pipeline of late-stage utility-scale solar power projects totaled approximately 626MWp, including 209.3MWp in construction and 2MWp at the ready-to-build stage. The table below sets forth the expected commercial operation schedule of the Company's late­-stage utility-scale solar power projects in Japan as of March 31, 2017:



As of March 31, 2017, of the late-stage utility-scale solar power projects pipeline in Japan, Canadian Solar has executed interconnection agreements for 421.6MWp of projects that are under construction or under development, with an additional 204.4MWp of projects that are in a bidding process.

The table below sets forth the Company's late-stage, utility-scale solar project pipeline in Brazil as of March 31, 2017:



The Company completed the sale of 80% interest in Pirapora I in the fourth quarter of 2016. And the Company supplies the modules for all Pirapora projects. The Company also recently completed the sales of an 80% interest of both Pirapora II and III.

The table below sets forth the Company's late-stage utility-scale power project pipeline in India as of March 31, 2017:



As previously announced, the Company secured power purchase agreements for an aggregate 80MWac of solar power projects with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in March 2017. These projects are expected to generate clean solar electricity for SECI over the next 25 years.

Solar Power Plants in Operation

In addition to its late stage, utility­scale solar project pipeline, the Company has a portfolio of solar power plants in operation totaling 1,156.5MWp as of March 31, 2017 recorded on the balance sheet as Project assets ($1,167.9 million), Assets held for sale ($156.0 million) and Solar power systems, net ($108.4 million). Revenue from the sale of electricity generated by these plants in the first quarter of 2017 totaled $5.2 million, compared to $11.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.

The sale of projects recorded as 'Project assets' (build­to­sell) on the balance sheet will be recorded as revenue once revenue recognition criteria are met, and the gain from the sale of projects recorded as 'Assets held-for-sale' and 'Solar power systems, net' (build­to­own) on the balance sheet will be recorded within 'Other operating income (expenses)' in the income statement.

The table below sets forth the Company's total portfolio of solar power plants in operation as of March 31, 2017:



Manufacturing Capacity 

The Company plans to expand its ingot, wafer, cell and module capacities to 1.1GW, 4.0GW, 4.49GW and 7.04GW, respectively, by December 31, 2017. The table below sets forth the Company's capacity expansion plan from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017:



The Company successfully started, and is ramping up its new multi-crystalline silicon ingot casting workshop in Baotou, China, with 50 new casting furnaces and 700MW annual capacity, operated in G6 mode producing 36 bricks per ingot. The Company is also in the process of relocating its older casting ingot furnaces, previously in Luoyang, China, to Baotou in order to benefit from the lower electricity cost. The Company expects to complete both the relocation and ramp up by the end of September and reach 1,100MW of annual internal ingot casting capacity. We plan to migrate the 50 new casting furnaces to G7 mode, producing 49 bricks per ingot, by approximately the middle of 2018, therefore raising our ingot capacity to 1,350GW and further reducing the cost. The new ingot factory will also help us to reduce the purchase of external ingots and thus reduce our all-in module manufacturing costs.

The Company's wafer manufacturing capacity recently reached 2.0GW and will reach 4.0GW by December 31, 2017, all of which will use diamond wire-saw technology. Diamond wire-saw technology works compatibly with the Company's proprietary and highly efficient Onyx black silicon multi-crystalline solar cell technology, significantly reducing silicon usage and therefore manufacturing cost.

The Company's solar cell manufacturing capacity, as of March 31, 2017, was 3.77GW, and is expected to reach 4.49GW by June 30, 2017. The Company restored a total of six cell production lines, with original nameplate capacity of 500MW, at its Funing cell factory by March 31, 2017. The Company has since then restored the other 500MW of original nameplate cell capacity, and therefore completed the full restoration of this factory, which was damaged by a severe tornado on June 23rd, 2016. With continued improvement, the Company expects to reach an actual capacity of 1,440MW at its Funing factory. The Company's new 850MW cell plant in South East Asia began to ramp-up production in March 2017. As a result, the Company's cell manufacturing capacity is expected to reach 4.49GW by June 30, 2017.

The Company expects that its total worldwide module manufacturing capacity will exceed 7.0GW by December 31, 2017.

Business Outlook

The Company's business outlook is based on management's current views and estimates with respect to operating and market conditions, its current order book and the global financing environment. It is also subject to uncertainties relating to customer final demand and solar project construction schedules. Management's views and estimates are subject to change without notice.

For the second quarter of 2017, the Company expects total solar module shipments to be in the range of approximately 1,530MW to 1,580MW, including approximately 120MW of shipments to the Company's utility-scale solar power projects that may not be recognized as revenue in the second quarter of 2017. The Company is facing an overwhelming demand for its solar modules in China market at this moment. The demand is also healthy in major markets such as Europe, the U.S., and Japan. The Company's module shipment for quarter is limited by the internal solar cell production capacity and the supply shortage of third-party solar cells. Total revenue for the second quarter of 2017 is expected to be in the range of $615 million to $635 million. Gross margin for the second quarter is expected to be between 13% and 15%.

Considering shipment volume expected in the first half of 2017 and the constraint of internal solar cell and module capacities in the second half of the year, the Company's total module shipments in 2017 are now expected to be in the range of 6.0GW to 6.5GW, as compared to 6.5GW to 7.0GW previously. The module shipment recognized in revenue and the total annual revenue may also be lower than its previous guidance depending on market conditions, including but not limited to ASP trends. The Company continues to expect it will connect approximately 1GW to 1.2GW of new solar projects globally in 2017, based on the commercial operation date (COD). These projects are located in the U.S., Japan, China, UK, India, Brazil and Africa. The revenue from the Company's energy business will mainly come from the monetization of the Company's high quality solar power plant assets in the U.S., Japan, China, UK and Brazil. The Company continues to expect its cost of production will decrease throughout the year as new internal wafer, cell and module capacity comes online, and the percentage of external purchases and OEM is reduced. Management expects that the increase in vertical integration along the manufacturing cycle will help the Company maintain or improve its gross margin.


ENF Profile von in diesem Artikel genannten Unternehmen

CSI Solar (Solarwerkstoffe): https://de.enfsolar.com/csi-solar
CSI Solar (Solarmodule): https://de.enfsolar.com/csi-solar
CSI Solar (Komponenten): https://de.enfsolar.com/csi-solar
CSI Solar (Solarteure): https://de.enfsolar.com/csi-solar
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