Canadian Solar reports third quarter 2009 results and issues 2010 guidance

Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009

Canadian Solar Inc. announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2009 ended September 30, 2009 and its outlook for the fourth quarter of 2009 and the full year 2010.

Net revenues for the third quarter of 2009 were $213.1 million, compared to net revenues of $114.2 million for the second quarter of 2009 and $252.4 million for the third quarter of 2008.

Net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $25.3 million, or $0.69 per diluted share, compared to $17.7 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2009 and $11.1 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2008.

Shipments for the third quarter of 2009 were 102.6 MW, compared to shipments of 48.2 MW for the second quarter of 2009 and 60 MW for the third quarter of 2008. Third quarter 2009 sales came from all geographic markets important to the solar industry, with Europe continuing to be the Company's largest contributing geographic market. Sales in that region grew strongly in the quarter, increasing 179% from the second quarter of 2009.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, commented: "We broke our previous records on both MW shipment volumes and net profit in this quarter. The significant increases in sales and earnings were the result of the successful implementation of our global sales strategy combined with our strong brand name recognition, cost control and effective supply chain management. Our flexible vertical integration model allowed us to capture the sharp increase in market demand during the quarter and to raise our module sales faster than the growth of our internal cell capacity. Our R&D capability is another important competitive differentiator for Canadian Solar. During the quarter, three of our solar module products recorded the highest scores for P-type solar modules during the PV USA (PTC) tests, which are mandatory for the California Solar Initiatives. Subsequent to the quarter end, we pre-launched our high-output premium products using our enhanced selective emitter technology. These products are expected to have monocrystalline cell conversion efficiencies of 18.5% and multicrystalline cell efficiencies of 17%. We are also in the process of testing a cost effective two-axis tracker."

Arthur Chien, CFO of Canadian Solar, noted: "We are pleased that we were able to aggressively grow our top line while delivering an 11.9% net margin. We remain focused on managing all operating and financing costs as we work to improve profitability. We expect the expansion of our internal cell facility in H1 2010 will help us to further offset ongoing industry pricing pressure, while at the same time increasing our manufacturing process control. Importantly, our disciplined management of our balance sheet continues to give us superior operating leverage and a low cost of financing. The recent successful closure of our follow-on stock offering in October further strengthened our balance sheet and prepares us for the Company's expected growth in 2010."

Outlook for Q409 and 2010

The outlook below is based on the Company's current views with respect to operating and market conditions, its current order book and customer' forecasts, which are subject to change. The risks to our guidance also include changes in product pricing, availability and pricing of feedstock, and the project financing environment.

We are reiterating our fourth quarter 2009 guidance of shipments of approximately 128 MW to 138 MW, with gross margin expected to be in the high- teens on a percentage basis. We expect shipments of approximately 295 MW to 305 MW for the full year 2009.

For the full year 2010, we believe our shipments will be in the range of 600 MW to 700 MW. We believe that the demand for our high quality solar modules will come from all major markets, including Germany, Italy, the U.S., the Czech Republic, South Korea and Spain. We also expect strong growth from our newer markets, such as Canada, Japan and China.

Given the demand forecast, the Company plans to increase our solar module production capacity from today's 820 MW to 1 GW by the end of April 2010, and to increase our internal cell production capacity from 420 MW to 700 MW by June 2010. We also intend to slightly increase our internal ingot and wafer capacity in 2010.

Under this expansion plan, we expect to produce approximately 450 MW to 500 MW of solar cells internally, while outsourcing approximately 200 MW to 250 MW from our long-term solar cell partners.

By achieving a higher ratio of internal cell production compared to external sourcing, we expect to sustain gross margins in the high teens and maintain a healthy net profit margin.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO, remarked: "We believe that we have reasonable visibility for our 2010 forecast based on our channel checks. We expect to more than double our shipments in 2010 and are preparing our capacity expansion accordingly. This rapid growth is driven by our sales strategy of combining a superior product with attractive pricing and value added services. Furthermore, we intend to continue to aggressively develop new markets for our products. We were successful in our strategy in the U.S., South Korea and the Czech Republic this year, and have targeted other new markets such as Canada, Japan and China for 2010. We believe this strategic diversification will significantly reduce our exposure to the traditional solar markets such as Germany, Italy and Spain and allow us to build a solid foundation for continued growth and market share expansion."

Investor Conference Call / Webcast Details

The dial-in number for the live audio call, which will begin today, Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (9:00 p.m. November 17, 2009 in Hong Kong), is +1-617-213-8059. The conference call passcode is 23659019. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available on our website at Canadian Solar Inc..

A replay of the call will be available approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call through 12:00 p.m. on November 24, 2009, U.S. Eastern Time (1:00 a.m., November 25, 2009 in Hong Kong) by telephone at +1-617-801-6888. To access the replay, use passcode 19894949. A webcast replay will also be available at Canadian Solar Inc..

About Canadian Solar Inc. ( CSIQ)

Canadian Solar Inc. is a leading vertically integrated provider of ingot, wafer, solar cell, solar module and other solar applications. Canadian Solar designs, manufactures and delivers solar products and solar systems for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. Canadian Solar is one of the world's largest solar module producers by manufacturing capacity. With operations in North America, Europe and Asia, Canadian Solar provides premium quality, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solar solutions to support global sustainable development.

Source: PR Newswire