Canadian Solar Reports 4Q and Full Year 2016 Results

GUELPH, Ontario — Canadian Solar Inc. announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2016. 

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “Results for the fourth quarter and full year 2016 were inline with our expectations, other than the unfavorable preliminary ruling on AD/CVD rates by U.S. Department of Commerce. We achieved record high total solar module shipments in the fourth quarter and the full year 2016. Despite strong demand levels, our revenue for both the fourth quarter and full year was lower compared to the prior year’s periods due to the industry-wide declines in average selling price that have been persistent all year.  We will continue to work to offset any negative impact of future declines in average selling price with the introduction of new products and through our supply chain and manufacturing efficiency programs. Importantly, we are actively monetizing our operating solar power plant assets. This includes the recent sale of five operating solar power plants in Canada for over $310 million (two sales closed in the fourth quarter of 2016; three additional sales closed in the first quarter of 2017). In addition, we closed the sales of two operating solar power plants in China in the fourth quarter of 2016 for over $32 million. We are also well underway in the sale process of our operating solar power plants in the U.S. and are targeting closure in the coming months. We plan to continue to execute on our strategy in the downstream energy business of developing solar power projects for sale to end customers, so as to deleverage our balance sheet and redeploy our capital to support the profitable growth of our business.”

Dr. Huifeng Chang, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Solar, added: “Our fourth quarter of 2016 gross margin was impacted by the significant AD/CVD true-up that was based on the preliminary Department of Commerce ruling. We plan to vigorously contest the preliminary results in the final phase of the DOC reviews. Excluding the AD/CVD adjustment, the gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2016 would have been 13.9%, which is inline with our guidance range of 11.0% to 16.0%. We continue to execute on our cost down model through diligent management of our existing manufacturing and supply chain assets, while enhancing our cost profile and competitive position with the selective expansion of our state-of-the-art manufacturing capacity. We expect to be even more vertically integrated and geographically diversified as we seek to maintain our industry leading cost position. During the quarter, we successfully restored two cell production lines, with a total capacity of 240 MW, at our Funing cell factory, which had previously been damaged by a tornado in June of 2016. We expect to restore an additional 1.2 GW by the end of the first half of 2017. The construction of our new 850 MW cell plant in Southeast Asia was completed in February 2017 and production is ramping up. All of the equipment we are installing in our new cell factories features the latest production technologies, which gives us further cost and efficiency advantages and the desired capacity customers are seeking, while allowing us to sunset less efficient, legacy capacity.”

Fourth Quarter 2016 Highlights

• Total solar module shipments set a record high at 1,612 MW, of which 1,581 MW were recognized in revenue, compared to 1,161 MW recognized in revenue in the third quarter of 2016, and fourth quarter 2016 guidance in the range of 1,400 MW to 1,500 MW.
• Net revenue was $668.4 million, compared to $657.3 million in the third quarter of 2016, and fourth quarter 2016 guidance in the range of $600 million to $750 million.
• Net revenue from the total solutions business as a percentage of total net revenue was 6.6% compared to 10.4% in the third quarter of 2016.
• Gross margin was 7.3% including an anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) true-up provision of $44.1 million associated with the prior years’ module sales. If excluding this charge, the gross margin would be 13.9%, compared to 17.8% in the third quarter of 2016, and fourth quarter guidance in the range of 11.0% to 16.0%.
• Net loss attributable to Canadian Solar was $13.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to net income of $15.6 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2016.
• Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million, 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 at the end of the quarter totaled $1.01 billion, compared to $986.0 million at the end of the third quarter of 2016.
• Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $109.3 million, compared to net cash used in operating activities of $205.7 million in the third quarter of 2016.
• During the quarter the Company completed the sale of two solar power plants in Canada for over C$152.5 million ($115 million) and two solar power plants in China for RMB223.5 million ($32.2 million). The Company completed three additional solar power plant sales in Canada for over C$257 million ($195.32 million) on February 1, 2017.
• The Company’s portfolio of operating solar power plants was 1,195.5 MWp as of February 28, 2017, with an estimated total resale value of approximately $1.6 billion.

Full Year 2016 Results

• Total solar module shipments set a record high at 5,232 MW in 2016, compared to 4,706 MW in 2015, with 5,204 MW recognized in revenue in 2016, compared to 4,384 MW recognized in revenue in 2015, and full year 2016 guidance in the range of 5,073 MW to 5,173 MW.
• Net revenue was $2.85 billion, compared to $3.47 billion in 2015, and full year 2016 guidance in the range of $2.78 billion to $2.94 billion.
• Net revenue from the total solutions business was 6.9% of total net revenue, compared to 30.9% in 2015.
• Net income attributable to Canadian Solar was $65.2 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, compared to $171.9 million, or $2.93 per diluted share, in 2015.
• Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to Canadian Solar, which is adjusted to exclude the AD/CVD true-up provision of $44.1 million, net of income tax effect, was $92.7 million, or $1.60 per diluted share.
• Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $278.1 million, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $413.7 million in 2015.

The full report can be accessed here.