Highpower International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HPJ),
a developer, manufacturer and marketer of nickel-metal hydride
(Ni-MH) and lithium batteries and related products, today announced
financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.
Business Highlights
- Net sales were $28.1 million for the third quarter of 2011, an
increase of 1% over the third quarter of 2010; net sales for the
nine months ended September 30, 2011 were $84.8 million, an
increase of 10% over the first nine months of 2010
- Lithium battery net sales were $6.1 million for the third
quarter of 2011, an increase of 33% over the third quarter of 2010;
lithium-ion battery net sales for the nine months ended September
30, 2011 were $15.9 million, an increase of 43% over the first nine
months of 2010
- Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk (MarcumBP) engaged as
Highpower's new independent registered public accounting firm
Management Commentary
"We were pleased with the performance of our lithium-ion
business during the quarter as this segment continued to show
strong sales and volume traction, resulting in lithium battery
revenues being up 43% year-to-date," said Mr. George Pan, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Highpower International.
"Highpower's lithium battery business line, which produces cleaner,
greener, rechargeable batteries, is a key area of focus for our
management team. We believe opportunities in the lithium battery
space will serve as a major growth catalyst for our business in
2012 and beyond. As a trend, more and more customers are demanding
higher capacity and cleaner battery options and we are clearly
making strong inroads in capturing market share."
"Although our lithium battery segment has strengthened, we have
faced a tough global macro operating environment this year, which
has certainly impacted our Ni-MH segment growth and profitability.
Despite the lower sales volume and increasing raw material and
labor costs, we remain committed to our mission of creating a
world-class, international clean battery company. To that end, we
are expanding our global sales team to pursue growth opportunities
in both our Ni-MH and lithium segments. These investments today in
our business, staffing, and infrastructure, will position us for
growth, profitability, and increased shareholder returns in 2012,"
concluded Mr. Pan.
Mr. Henry Sun, Chief Financial Officer of Highpower
International, added, "Through the first nine months, we have faced
headwinds from uncertain global demand, raw material price swings
and pricing pressure. We continue to work with our major customers
on price increases to reflect our existing cost structure, as well
as our supply chain to secure longer-term contracts and we expect
much of this margin pressure to be alleviated in the next few
quarters. In addition, we have focused on reorganizing our
management structure and have dedicated more attention on employee
training to enhance efficiency."
Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results
Net sales for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011 totaled
$28.1 million, a year-over-year increase of 1% compared with $27.8
million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010. The slight
increase in sales for the third quarter was primarily due to an
increase in both unit volume and average selling price of our
lithium battery units, but was offset by a decrease in the number
of Ni-MH battery units sold. In addition, our new materials
business had revenues of $3.8 million for the third quarter of
2011, an increase of $1.1 million over the prior year period.
Third quarter 2011 gross profit decreased to $3.9 million, as
compared with $5.9 million for the third quarter of 2010. Gross
profit margin was 13.8% for the third quarter 2011, as compared
with 21.1% for the third quarter of 2010. The year-over-year
decrease in gross profit margin for the third quarter of 2011 was
primarily due to a rise in raw materials prices, primarily for
nickel and rare earth materials and the resulting increase in cost
of sales for our Ni-MH and to a lesser extent our lithium
batteries. In addition, the increase in revenues in our materials
business, which has lower gross profit margins than our other
business segments, contributed to the lower overall gross profit
margin for the quarter.
Selling and distribution costs, including non-cash stock-based
compensation, were $1.5 million for the third quarter of 2011, as
compared with $1.1 million for the comparable period in 2010.
General and administrative expenses, including non-cash
stock-based compensation, were $2.2 million, or 8.0% of net sales,
for the third quarter of 2011, as compared to $2.2 million, or 7.8%
of net sales, for the third quarter of 2010.
Loss from operations for the third quarter of 2011 was $839,000,
as compared with income from operations of $1.7 million for the
third quarter of 2010. Included in these results were non-cash
stock-based compensation expenses of $335,000 and $17,000,
respectively.
Net loss for the third quarter of 2011 was $665,000, or ($0.05)
per diluted share, based on 13.6 million weighted average shares
outstanding. This compares with third quarter 2010 GAAP net income
of $1.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, based on 13.7 million
weighted average shares outstanding.
Net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was
$415,000 or ($0.03) per diluted share, based on 13.6 million
weighted average shares outstanding. Included in this loss was
$612,000 of non-cash stock-based compensation.
Balance Sheet
At September 30, 2011, Highpower International had cash, cash
equivalents and restricted cash totaling $23.8 million, total
assets of $90.9 million, and stockholders' equity of $29.2 million.
Bank credit facilities totaled $89.9 million at September 30, 2011,
of which $38.6 million was utilized and $51.3 million was available
as unused credit.
Outlook
Based on our current expectations for global demand for the
rechargeable battery market in 2011, the outlook for our key raw
material input prices and our planned increased investment in sales
and marketing and research and development, we are updating our
financial guidance for 2011. We expect net sales to be between $110
million and $120 million. We expect net income to be approximately
break-even on a GAAP basis, which includes non-cash stock-based
compensation expenses.
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will host a conference call today at 7:00 a.m.
Pacific time/10:00 a.m. Eastern time to discuss these results and
answer questions.
Individuals interested in participating in the conference call
may do so by dialing 888-549-7750 from the U.S. or 480-629-9722
from outside the U.S. and referencing the reservation code 4485472.
Those interested in listening to the conference call live via the
Internet may do so by visiting the Investor Relations section of
the Company's Web site at www.highpowertech.com or
www.InvestorCalendar.com.
About Highpower International, Inc.
Highpower International, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets
powerful, efficient, and environmental rechargeable nickel-metal
hydride (Ni-MH) and lithium batteries and related products for use
in a variety of devices and equipment including wireless
communications, electronics, lighting, backup power, electric
tools, and transportation, etc. Highpower International's products
are distributed worldwide to markets in the Americas, Europe,
China, and Southeast Asia. For more information, visit
http://www.highpowertech.com.
To be added to the Company's email distribution for future news
releases, please send your request to HPJ@finprofiles.com. Company
news can also be found at
http://www.highpowertech.com/InvestorNews.aspx?type=FinancialRelease.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are not historical
facts. These statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "expect," "may,"
"will," "should," "project," "plan," "seek," "intend," or
"anticipate" or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, and
include discussions of strategy, and statements about industry
trends and the Company's future performance, operations and
products. Such statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's
actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or
implied by such statements. For a discussion of these and other
risks and uncertainties see "Risk Factors" and "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations" in the Company's public filings with the SEC. Although
the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no
assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The
Company has no obligation to update the forward-looking information
contained in this press release.
-- financial tables to follow --
HIGHPOWER INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Stated in US Dollars)
September 30, December 31,
2011 2010
(Unaudited)
--------------- ---------------
$ $
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 8,185,189 8,490,629
Restricted cash 15,615,287 6,044,960
Accounts receivable, net 23,611,268 20,846,540
Notes receivable 294,001 256,574
Prepayments and other receivables 7,932,712 3,231,211
Inventories 12,678,875 13,447,432
--------------- ---------------
Total Current Assets 68,317,332 52,317,346
Plant and equipment, net 18,264,137 13,652,254
Land use right, net 3,111,161 3,022,293
Intangible asset, net 762,500 800,000
Investment in an associate - 103,123
Investment securities 56,388 53,904
Deferred tax assets 162,012 -
Non-trading foreign currency derivatives
assets 211,898 -
--------------- ---------------
TOTAL ASSETS 90,885,428 69,948,920
=============== ===============
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
LIABILITIES
Current Liabilities:
Non-trading foreign currency derivatives
liabilities - 77,699
Accounts payable 17,590,095 13,407,204
Notes payable 18,365,673 9,896,169
Letter of credit 2,995,868 1,341,924
Other payables and accrued liabilities 5,361,531 4,983,269
Income taxes payable 149,432 1,164,007
Bank borrowings 17,227,638 11,300,939
--------------- ---------------
Total Current Liabilities 61,690,237 42,171,211
--------------- ---------------
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
HIGHPOWER INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
(Stated in US Dollars)
September 30, December 31,
2011 2010
(Unaudited)
$ $
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock
(Par value: $0.0001
Authorized: 10,000,000 shares
Issued and outstanding: none) - -
Common stock
(Par value : $0.0001
Authorized: 100,000,000 shares
13,582,106 shares issued and outstanding) 1,358 1,358
Additional paid-in capital 5,792,375 5,180,318
Accumulated other comprehensive income 3,696,134 2,475,749
Retained earnings 19,705,324 20,120,284
--------------- ---------------
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 29,195,191 27,777,709
--------------- ---------------
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 90,885,428 69,948,920
=============== ===============
HIGHPOWER INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Stated in US Dollars)
Three months ended Nine months ended
September 30, September 30,
------------------------ ------------------------
2011 2010 2011 2010
(Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
$ $ $ $
Net sales 28,091,330 27,774,213 84,750,150 76,975,699
Cost of sales (24,212,746) (21,900,312) (72,105,177) (61,456,057)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Gross profit 3,878,584 5,873,901 12,644,973 15,519,642
Research and development
costs (793,702) (529,550) (2,302,163) (1,338,361)
Selling and distribution
costs (1,487,490) (1,132,812) (3,654,303) (2,995,314)
General and
administrative costs,
including stock-based
compensation (2,242,458) (2,153,988) (6,406,295) (5,105,848)
Loss on exchange rate
difference (186,879) (328,921) (657,581) (481,405)
Gain (loss) on
derivative instruments 97,411 (6,059) (136,786) 9,083
Loss in equity of an
associate (104,375) (6,780) (108,346) (6,780)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
(4,717,493) (4,158,110) (13,265,474) (9,918,625)
(Loss) Income from
operations (838,909) 1,715,791 (620,501) 5,601,017
Other income 239,831 84,657 458,086 282,701
Interest expenses (140,240) (89,669) (183,450) (257,113)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
(Loss) Income before
taxes (739,318) 1,710,779 (345,865) 5,626,605
Income taxes benefit
(expense) 73,683 (280,062) (69,095) (1,020,055)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net (loss) income for
the period (665,635) 1,430,717 (414,960) 4,606,550
Other comprehensive
income
- Foreign currency
translation gain
(loss) 61,799 (31,010) 1,220,385 (54,505)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Comprehensive income (603,836) 1,399,707 805,425 4,552,045
=========== =========== =========== ===========
(Loss) earnings per
share of common stock
- Basic (0.05) 0.11 (0.03) 0.34
=========== =========== =========== ===========
- Diluted (0.05) 0.11 (0.03) 0.34
=========== =========== =========== ===========
Weighted average common
shares outstanding
- Basic 13,582,106 13,582,106 13,582,106 13,582,106
=========== =========== =========== ===========
- Diluted 13,582,106 13,732,096 13,582,106 13,732,096
=========== =========== =========== ===========
HIGHPOWER INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Stated in US Dollars)
Nine months ended September 30,
--------------------------------
2011 2010
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
--------------- ---------------
$ $
Cash flows from operating activities
Net (loss) income (414,960) 4,606,550
Adjustments to reconcile net income to
net cash provided by operating
activities :
Depreciation and amortization 1,349,240 1,103,892
Allowance for doubtful accounts 146,393 9,408
(Profit) loss on disposal of plant and
equipment (7,462) 66,184
Equity loss in an associate 108,346 -
Share based payment 612,057 97,525
Change in fair value of derivative
instruments (211,898) (4,894)
Changes in operating assets and
liabilities :
Accounts receivable (1,839,396) (4,563,344)
Notes receivable (141,131) (1,382,756)
Prepaid expenses and other receivables (4,475,620) (2,591,572)
Inventories 1,518,693 (4,139,494)
Deferred income tax (159,157) -
Accounts payable 3,510,379 7,059,882
Other payables and accrued liabilities 151,627 1,488,057
Income taxes payable (1,041,362) (21,512)
--------------- ---------------
Net cash flows (used in)provided by
operating activities (894,251) 1,727,926
--------------- ---------------
Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of plant and equipment (5,168,156) (4,269,128)
Investment in associate - (135,735)
--------------- ---------------
Net cash flows used in investing
activities (5,168,156) (4,404,863)
--------------- ---------------
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from bank borrowings 12,708,732 2,284,420
Repayment of bank borrowings (7,305,110) (1,569,151)
Proceeds from notes payable 24,638,742 22,273,735
Repayment of notes payable (16,766,610) (13,502,988)
Proceeds from letter credit 2,995,868 2,762,389
Repayment of letter credit (1,379,051) (5,362,452)
Increase in restricted cash (9,231,878) (2,101,258)
--------------- ---------------
Net cash flows provided by financing
activities 5,660,693 4,784,695
--------------- ---------------
Effect of foreign currency translation on
cash and cash equivalents 96,274 310,163
--------------- ---------------
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash
equivalents (305,440) 2,417,921
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of
period 8,490,629 2,967,586
--------------- ---------------
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period 8,185,189 5,385,507
--------------- ---------------
Supplemental disclosures for cash flow
information :
Cash paid for :
Income taxes 1,271,794 1,043,776
--------------- ---------------
Interest 607,203 257,113
--------------- ---------------
Highpower International, Inc. Vickie Hawes Corporate
Communications Manager Email Contact Financial Profiles, Inc.
Tricia Ross +1-916-939-7285 Email Contact
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