Huge earnings as anticipated. it should be interesting as stock earnings are saturated in value
Highpower International Reports Unaudited Second Quarter First Half 2017 Financial Results
6:00 am ET August 10, 2017 (PR Newswire) Print
Highpower International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HPJ) ("Highpower" or the "Company"), a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of lithium ion and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable batteries, battery management systems, and a provider of battery recycling, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017.
Second Quarter 2017 Highlights
-- Net sales for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 40.7% to $51.7 million from $36.7 million in the prior year period.
-- Gross profit for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 57.9% to $12.1 million from $7.6 million in the prior year period
-- EBITDA for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 67.1% to $6.5 million from $3.9 million in the prior year period.
-- Net income attributable to the Company for the second quarter of 2017 was $4.4 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, as compared to $2.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the prior year period.
Mr. George Pan, Chairman and CEO of Highpower International, commented, "We are extremely pleased to deliver yet another quarter of strong top- and bottom-line results in the second quarter of 2017. Our lithium ion battery and battery solution business continued to enjoy healthy growth, driven by continued high demand for energy storage systems, smart wearable devices, and other digital products. Our gross margins performed well as we continued to benefit from efficiencies of scale, and we continued to invest in areas that are critical to our business.
As we enter the second half of 2017, we expect a stronger cash position and reasonable growth given our much higher baseline. We believe that the cash received from the previously announced equity transfer of our Yipeng ownership will help us expand our production capacity and research and development efforts. We also look forward to seeing the financial benefits of the previously announced partnerships for supplying batteries to industry-leading smart vacuum brands as well as supplying PHEV and EV to Yipeng. We will continue to drive our business forward by focusing on strategic partnerships. We are well-positioned to take advantage of strong growth opportunities and expand current partnerships with leading brands."
Second Quarter and First Half 2017 Financial Results
Net Sales
Net sales for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 40.7% to $51.7 million from $36.7 million in the prior year period, primarily attributable to the substantial growth in revenue from the Lithium and New Materials segments, driven by increased demand in consumer products including portable power stations, digital products, smart wearable devices, and notebooks.
Net sales increased 42.1% to $93.6 million in the first half of 2017 as compared to $65.8 million for the first half in 2016. The increase was driven by higher sales volume and revenue from the Lithium and New Materials segments.
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 57.9% to $12.1 million from $7.6 million in the prior year period, primarily attributable to a higher margin product mix and efficiencies gained from economies of scale. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2017 increased to 23.3% from 20.8% in the prior year period.
Gross profit for the first half of 2017 increased 62.8% to $22.0 million from $13.5 million in prior year period. Gross margin was 23.5% and 20.5% for first half 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Operating Expenses
-- Research and development (R&D) expenses for the second quarter of 2017 were $2.1 million as compared to $2.0 million in the prior year period. Research and development expenses were $4.0 million, or 4.2% of net sales, for the first half of 2017 as compared to $3.7 million, or 5.6% of net sales, for the first half of 2016.
-- Selling and distribution expenses for the second quarter of 2017 were $1.7 million as compared to $1.5 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of net sales, selling and distribution expenses decreased to 3.3% from 4.2% in the prior year period, primarily attributable to the Company's customer base optimization efforts. Selling and distribution expenses were $3.4 million, or 3.6% of net sales, for the first half of 2017 as compared with $3.1 million, or 4.7% of net sales, for the first half of 2016.
-- General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2017 were $3.0 million as compared to $3.2 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of net sales, general and administrative expenses decreased to 5.8% from 8.8% in the prior year period. General and administrative expenses were $6.1 million, or 6.5% of net sales, for the first half of 2017 as compared with $6.3 million, or 9.6% of net sales, for the six months ended June 30, 2016.
Net Income
Net income attributable to the Company for the second quarter of 2017 increased to $4.4 million from $2.1 million in the prior year period. Net income attributable to the Company per diluted share for the second quarter of 2017 increased to $0.28 from $0.14 in the prior year period.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company's weighted average diluted shares outstanding used in computing diluted share was 15,479,357 and 15,102,877, respectively.
Net income attributable to the Company for the first half of 2017 increased to $6.9 million from $1.7 million in the prior year period. Net income attributable to the Company per diluted share for the first half of 2017 increased to $0.45 from $0.11 in the prior year period.
For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company's weighted average diluted shares outstanding used in computing diluted share was 15,304,773 and 15,103,886, respectively.
EBITDA
EBITDA for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 67.1% to $6.5 million from $3.9 million in the prior year period. EBITDA for the first half of 2017 increased by 124.9% to $11.5 million from $5.1 million in the prior year period.
A table reconciling EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, to the appropriate GAAP measure is included with the Company's financial information below.
Balance Sheet Highlights
($ in millions, except per share data) June 30, December 31,
2017 2016
(Unaudited)
$ $
Cash $19.3 $9.3
Total Current Assets $126.0 $104.5
Total Assets $188.2 $163.3
Total Current Liabilities $133.6 $118.0
Total Liabilities $133.6 $118.0
Total Equity $54.5 $45.3
Total Liabilities and Equity $188.2 $163.3
Book Value Per Share $3.55 $3.00
Ganzhou Highpower
Shenzhen Highpower Technology Co., Ltd ("Shenzhen Highpower"), Xiamen Tungsten Co. Ltd. (SHA: 600549) ("Tungsten"), and other minority shareholders of Ganzhou Highpower Technology Co., Ltd. ("Ganzhou Highpower") have been in discussions regarding, and Tungsten recently announced that its board of directors has approved, a proposed investment of RMB 78.8 million (or approximately $11.8 million) in exchange for the acquisition of 47% ownership of Ganzhou Highpower, the Company's majority-owned subsidiary. Shenzhen Highpower would not be transferring any of its equity ownership of Ganzhou Highpower and it would not receive any of the consideration, which would be given directly to Ganzhou Highpower. The proposed transaction is subject to approval by Highpower's board of directors and execution of a definitive binding agreement and related documentation, satisfaction of conditions included therein, and other customary approvals and conditions. As a result of this transaction, if consummated, Shenzhen Highpower's ownership of Ganzhou Highpower would decrease from 70% to 31.3%. There can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the proposed transaction will be consummated. Further, readers are cautioned that the terms of the proposed transaction described herein, including the consideration to be issued therein, are non-binding.
Conference Call Details
The Company will hold a conference call on Thursday, Aug 10, 2017 at 10:00 am Eastern Time or 10:00 pm Beijing Time to discuss the financial results. Participants may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
United States: 877-407-3108
International: 201-493-6797
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