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8-K - FORM 8-K - Fushi Copperweld, Inc.v239239_8k.htm
Fushi Copperweld Announces 2011 Third Quarter Results


BEIJING, November 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Fushi Copperweld, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSIN), the leading global manufacturer and innovator of copper-clad bimetallic wire used in a variety of telecommunication, utility, transportation and other electrical applications, today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

Third Quarter Highlights
·  
Net income of $8.9 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to $12.9 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2010;
·  
Revenues of $74.3 million, up 11.7% from $66.5 million in the third quarter of 2010;
·  
Net cash generated from operations of $19.9 million, compared to $20.1 million net cash generated from operations in the third quarter of 2010;
·  
Established operational hub in continental Europe; and
·  
Cash position at quarter end remains strong at $163.6 million.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2011 increased 11.7% to $74.3 million, up from $66.5 million in the prior year quarter, primarily driven by higher average selling prices.

Gross profit in the third quarter was $19.9 million compared to $19.7 million a year ago. Gross margin decreased to 26.8% from 29.6% in the prior year period.  Gross margin for the Company’s Dalian cladding facility was 33.5% compared to 36.1% in the prior year period, while gross margin for the Company's Fayetteville, TN facility was 6.0% in the third quarter of 2011, compared to 12.5% in the third quarter of 2010.  Gross margin in the period was impacted by higher raw material prices and lower fixed price absorption as a result of a decline in sales volumes. The Company’s results for the third quarter of 2011 also reflect the impact of continued supply constraints for its CCS clad lines in Dalian.

Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2011 increased to $6.2 million, compared to $4.6 million in the prior year's quarter, primarily as a result of the Company’s continued investment in its international growth strategy, increased expenses including higher audit and professional service fees, and advisor fees related to the ongoing privatization proposal. On a percentage basis, operating expenses increased to 8.3% of revenues from 6.9% in the third quarter of 2010.

Other expense increased to $0.8 million during the 2011 third quarter from $0.2 million in the year ago period.  The increase in other expense is primarily related to the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates on the revaluation of receivables denominated in USD to RMB, which increased other expense by $0.6 million, or $0.02 per diluted share after-tax.

The Company’s effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2011 was 31.6% compared with an effective income tax rate of 13.8% in the year ago period. The higher tax rate is primarily due to the change in income tax rate from 12.5% in 2010 to 25.0% in 2011 for the Company's subsidiary, Fushi International (Dalian) Bimetallic Cable Co. Ltd., as a result of the expiration of the subsidiary’s tax holiday. The Company expects its effective income tax rate for the 2011 full-year to be approximately 31.0%.
 
 
 

 

Net income for the third quarter was $8.9 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to net income of $12.9 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2010.

Fully diluted share count increased 0.8% in the third quarter of 2011 to 38.3 million from 38.0 million a year ago.

During the three months ended September 30, 2011, the Company generated net cash from operations of $19.9 million, compared $20.1 million net cash generated from operations in the comparable period in 2010. In the nine months ended September 30, 2011, net cash generated from operations was $40.7 million, compared to $23.2 million in the year ago period.

As of September 30, 2011, the Company’s cash position was $163.6 million, an increase of 33.0% from $123.0 million as of December 31, 2010. Accounts receivable at September 30, 2011 were $73.9 million, compared to $65.8 million at December 31, 2010. Long-term debt was $5.2 million as of September 30, 2011, compared to $5.7 million at December 31, 2010.

As previously announced, during the quarter the Company entered an agreement with the receivers of Leaf Business Holdings Belgium regarding the lease with an option to purchase a 45,000 square-meter copper tubing manufacturing and distribution center that establishes an operational hub for Fushi Copperweld in continental Europe.  The Company will begin stocking the facility with copper-clad aluminum and copper-clad steel product for sale in continental Europe in the 2011 fourth quarter, and expects initial sales to commence in the first quarter of 2012.

The Company continues to expect this transaction to be dilutive to 2011 earnings by approximately $815,000, or approximately $0.02 per share, and to become slightly accretive in 2012.

Joe Longever, co-Chief Executive Officer of Fushi Copperweld, commented, “While we began the quarter with strong sales momentum across most of the markets we serve, the volatility in commodity prices in the latter part of the quarter and the uncertain economic environment reduced order rates, particularly in the U.S. market.  In addition, the planned ramp-up of production on our CCS line at Dalian continues to be delayed by supply constraints, and we remain focused on finding a solution to this issue.  Despite these challenges, CCA volumes in China were in line with our expectations and we continued to generate strong cash flows and make strategic investments that will benefit Fushi Copperweld over the long-term.  A primary example is our recent expansion into Belgium, which enhances our access to the European market.”

Mr. Longever continued, “As we enter the fourth quarter, market conditions remain challenging and current economic trends are difficult to predict. Global economic uncertainty continues to affect our customers’ purchasing decisions, with many deciding to either postpone their purchases or purchase in smaller allotments, and progress in addressing our CCS production issue remains slower than anticipated.  Despite these factors, we continue to see opportunities for our copper-clad products in the marketplace and remain committed to investing in our global sales, marketing, and new business initiatives to ensure we are well positioned to leverage a recovery of demand.”
 
 
 

 

Outlook
Based on third quarter performance, current business trends and the expected dilution related to the Company’s new facility in Belgium as described above, Fushi Copperweld has revised its annual guidance for fully diluted earnings per share to a range of $0.88 to $0.98. This guidance is based on an estimated weighted average diluted share count of 38.4 million shares, and an effective income tax rate of 31.0%.

Conference Call
The Company will conduct a conference call to discuss the third quarter 2011 results today, Thursday, November 3, 2011, at 8:30 am ET. To participate, the conference call may be directly accessed from the U.S. and Canada at 1-866-225-2055 and accessed internationally at 1-416-340-8410. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available at www.fushicopperweld.com on the Investor Relations section. A replay of the call will be available atwww.fushicopperweld.com.

About Fushi Copperweld
Fushi Copperweld Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Fushi International (Dalian) Bimetallic Cable Co. Ltd., and Copperweld Bimetallics LLC, is the leading manufacturer and innovator of copper-clad bimetallic engineered conductor products for electrical, telecommunications, transportation, utilities and industrial applications. With extensive design and production capabilities, and a long-standing dedication to customer service, Fushi Copperweld is the preferred choice for bimetallic products worldwide.
 
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may include certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will” “believes”, “expects” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may also include statements about our proposed discussions related to our business or growth strategy, which is subject to change. Such information is based upon expectations of our management that were reasonable when made but may prove to be incorrect. All of such assumptions are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control and upon assumptions with respect to future business decisions, which are subject to change. We do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. For a description of the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, see our most recent Annual Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form 10-K, and our subsequent SEC filings. Copies of filings made with the SEC are available through the SEC's electronic data gathering analysis retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov.

 
 

 

For more information, please contact:

Investors
JolinQiao/Investor Relations Officer — Fushi Copperweld Inc.
Phone +1.931.433.0482 — E-mail: IR@fushicopperweld.com
Web:  www.fushicopperweld.com
 
 
 

 
 
   
September 30,
   
December 31,
 
   
2011
   
2010
 
   
USD
   
USD
 
ASSETS
           
Current assets:
 
 
   
 
 
Cash
    163,624,276       123,000,338  
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
    73,913,870       65,765,722  
Inventories
    18,899,317       16,143,922  
Advances to suppliers
    8,586,217       15,022,976  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
    1,042,982       743,206  
Total current assets
    266,066,662       220,676,164  
                 
Property, plant and equipment, net
    119,064,234       124,177,512  
Intangible assets, net
    468,518       577,587  
Land use rights, net
    13,246,167       13,089,733  
Deposits for land use rights
    9,957,883       9,623,181  
Goodwill
    1,788,231       1,669,789  
Other non-current assets
    518,477       443,397  
Total assets
    411,110,172       370,257,363  
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Current liabilities:
               
Current portion of long-term bank loan
    650,000       650,000  
Accounts payable
    5,361,105       3,241,428  
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
    14,128,367       15,542,111  
Total current liabilities
    20,139,472       19,433,539  
Long-term bank loan
    5,200,000       5,687,500  
Deferred income tax liabilities
    673,470       669,540  
Other non-current liabilities
    -       65,057  
Total liabilities
    26,012,942       25,855,636  
                 
Shareholders’ equity:
               
Common stock, $0.006 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 38,204,138 and 38,099,138 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively
    229,226       228,596  
Additional paid-in capital
    169,028,404       167,596,792  
Retained earnings
    166,871,835       140,462,840  
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    48,967,765       36,113,499  
Total shareholders’ equity
    385,097,230       344,401,727  
Commitments and contingencies
    -       -  
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
    411,110,172       370,257,363  
 
 
 

 
 
   
Three-Month Period Ended September 30,
   
Nine-Month Period Ended September 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
   
USD
   
USD
   
USD
   
USD
 
                         
Revenues
    74,279,340       66,507,433       219,158,766       195,062,641  
Cost of revenues
    54,353,890       46,842,955       161,047,950       137,986,750  
    Gross profit
    19,925,450       19,664,478       58,110,816       57,075,891  
                                 
Selling expenses
    1,127,259       1,457,154       3,519,065       4,074,280  
General and administrative expenses
    5,061,337       3,117,062       15,035,656       10,923,878  
    Total operating expenses
    6,188,596       4,574,216       18,554,721       14,998,158  
                                 
    Income from operations
    13,736,854       15,090,262       39,556,095       42,077,733  
                                 
Interest income
    222,852       200,295       663,776       590,236  
Interest expense
    (116,378 )     (120,176 )     (340,282 )     (697,367 )
Gain on cross-currency interest swap derivative
    -       -       -       128,861  
Loss on extinguishment of HY notes
    -       -       -       (2,395,778 )
Other expense, net
    (757,407 )     (176,001 )     (1,677,122 )     (194,445 )
    Total other expense, net
    (650,933 )     (95,882 )     (1,353,628 )     (2,568,493 )
                                 
    Income before income taxes
    13,085,921       14,994,380       38,202,467       39,509,240  
Income tax expense
    4,137,255       2,072,009       11,793,472       5,197,187  
                                 
    Net income
    8,948,666       12,922,371       26,408,995       34,312,053  
                                 
Other comprehensive income:
                               
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of nil income taxes
    5,322,885       4,433,165       12,854,266       6,198,740  
                                 
     Comprehensive income
    14,271,551       17,355,536       39,263,261       40,510,793  
                                 
Earnings per share:
                               
Basic
    0.23       0.34       0.69       0.94  
Diluted
    0.23       0.34       0.69       0.93  
 
 
 

 
 
   
Nine-Month Period Ended September 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
 
   
USD
   
USD
 
Cash flows from operating activities:
           
Net cash provided by operating activities
    40,676,212       23,215,333  
                 
Cash flows from investing activities:
               
Payment for acquisitions of Jinchuan and Hongtai
    -       (6,375,000 )
Cash acquired from acquisitions of Jinchuan and Hongtai
    -       901,442  
Purchases of property and equipment
    (1,160,718 )     (1,869,029 )
Net cash used in investing activities
    (1,160,718 )     (7,342,587 )
                 
Cash flows from financing activities:
               
Proceeds from interest-free loans provided by Mr. Li Fu
    -       15,000,000  
Payment for acquisition of  Jinchuan
    (4,819,107 )     -  
Repayment of revolving line of credit
    -       (4,033,783 )
Proceeds from long-term bank loans
    -       6,500,000  
Repayment of long-term bank loans
    (487,500 )     -  
Repayment of notes payable
    -       (35,600,000 )
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
    -       59,800,050  
Proceeds from exercise of warrants and stock options
    628,495       1,207,824  
Transaction costs paid in connection with issuance of common stock
    -       (3,438,550 )
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
    (4,678,112 )     39,435,541  
                 
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash
    5,786,556       1,960,862  
Net increase in cash
    40,623,938       57,269,149  
                 
Cash at beginning of period
    123,000,338       60,597,849  
Cash at end of period
    163,624,276       117,866,998  
                 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
               
Interest paid
    340,282       1,425,833  
Income taxes paid
    7,665,233       6,161,271  
Non-cash investing and financing activities
               
Accrual for the acquisition of Jinchuan
    -       4,819,107  
Issuance of common stock in connection with the acquisition of Hongtai
    -       2,600,000  
Payable for purchase of property and equipment
    554,538       314,294