SHANGHAI, China, February 27, 2017 — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), a global leader in the solar PV industry, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2016.
In November 2016, the Company completed sale of JinkoSolar Power Engineering Group Limited (“Jinko Power”) downstream business in China to Shangrao Kangsheng Technology Co., Ltd. (the “Buyer”), a company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, formed by a buyer consortium led by Mr. Xiande Li, chairman of the board of directors of the Company. According to applicable accounting standards, assets and liabilities related to Jinko Power, including comparatives, are reclassified as assets/liabilities held for sale, while results of operations related to Jinko Power, including comparatives, are reported as income or loss from discontinued operations. Figures presented in this release are related to continuing operations only, and exclude results from Jinko Power unless indicated otherwise. The Company recognized the gain on disposal of discontinued operations of RMB1.01 billion (US$145.2 million) reported in the discontinued operations, and received cash of RMB1.73 billion (US$250.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2016. The transaction between the related parties mainly includes the modules sales and financing obligation guarantee.
Fourth Quarter 2016 Highlights
Results presented herein exclude Jinko Power-related discontinued operations, unless specified otherwise
• Total solar module shipments were 1,733 megawatts (“MW”), an increase of 7.9% from 1,606 MW in the third quarter of 2016 and an increase of 1.3% from 1,710 MW in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Total revenues were RMB5.12 billion (US$737.6 million), a decrease of 3.9% from the third quarter of 2016 and a decrease of 13.7% from the fourth quarter of 2015. Total revenues including electricity revenue from discontinued operations were RMB5.23 billion (US$753.0 million), a decrease of 8.3% from the third quarter of 2016 and a decrease of 13.9% from the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Gross margin was 14.3%, compared with 19.2% in the third quarter of 2016 and 19.0% in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Income from operations was RMB77.9 million (US$11.2 million), compared with RMB433.3 million in the third quarter of 2016 and RMB465.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Net income attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing operations was RMB145.8 million (US$21.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with RMB212.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 and RMB429.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Net income attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing and discontinued operations was RMB999.6 million (US$144.0 million), compared with RMB233.7 million in the third quarter of 2016 and RMB349.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Diluted earnings per American depositary share (“ADS”) from continuing operations were RMB4.56 (US$0.64).
• Total diluted earnings per ADS from continuing and discontinued operations were RMB31.28 (US$4.48), compared with RMB6.04 in the third quarter of 2016 and RMB10.88 in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing operations in the fourth quarter of 2016 was RMB228.6 million (US$32.9 million), compared with RMB235.3 million in the third quarter of 2016 and RMB538.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS from continuing operations were RMB7.24 (US$1.04) and RMB7.16 (US$1.04), respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Full Year 2016 Highlights
Results presented herein exclude Jinko Power-related discontinued operations, unless specified otherwise
• Total solar module shipments were 6,656 MW, an increase of 47.5% from 4,512 MW for the full year 2015.
• Total revenues for the full year 2016 were RMB21.40 billion (US$3.08 billion), an increase of 38.5% from RMB15.45 billion for the full year 2015. Total revenues including electricity revenue from discontinued operations were RMB22.35 billion (US$3.22 billion), an increase of 39.0% from RMB16.08 billion for the full year 2015.
• Gross margin was 18.1% for the full year 2016, compared with 19.0% for the full year 2015.
• Income from operations was RMB1.35 billion (US$194.3 million), compared with RMB1.12 billion in the full year 2015.
• Net income attribute to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing operations was RMB990.7 million (US$142.7 million) for the full year 2016, compared with RMB766.6 million for the full year 2015.
• Net income attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing and discontinued operation was RMB1.83 billion (US$263.1 million) for the full year 2016, compared with RMB683.8 million for the full year 2015.
• Diluted earnings per ADS from continuing operations for the full year 2016 were RMB29.04 (US$4.20), compared with RMB24.00 for the full year 2015.
• Total diluted earnings per ADS from continuing and discontinued operations for the full year 2016 were RMB53.40 (US$7.72), compared with RMB21.36 for the full year 2015.
• Non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders from continuing operations for the full year 2016 was RMB1.25 billion (US$179.4 million), compared with RMB1.06 billion for the full year 2015.
• Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS from continuing operations for the full year 2016 were RMB39.60 (US$5.72) and RMB36.28 (US$5.24), respectively.
Mr. Kangping Chen, JinkoSolar’s Chief Executive Officer commented, “I am pleased to announce a strong quarter to finish out the year with module shipments hitting 1,733 MW and 6,656 MW in the fourth quarter and full year 2016, respectively. I am proud to say that this puts us firmly in the position as the largest module supplier globally. Total revenues during the quarter hit US$737.6 million and US$3.08 billion for the whole year. While market sentiment is gloomy overall, we remain optimistic about the global demand in 2017.”
“We successfully complete the spin-off process of Jinko Power’s project business which generated US$145.2 million in investment gain for JinkoSolar and strengthened our balance sheet by cutting debt to US$892 million from US$2.1 billion. In January 2017, we further cut our debt by repurchasing almost all of our convertible notes due in 2019 at holders’ put option. These initiatives have increased our corporate flexibility and reinforced our financial position which will allow us to take advantage of more opportunities in 2017.”
“We further consolidated our leading position across a number of key and emerging markets during the quarter. China remains our largest market where we expect growth momentum to continue during the first half of 2017 as rush orders come in before the FiT cut in June 2017. Demand during the second half of 2017 may soften, but distributed generation and Top Runner projects are expected to make up for the demand. After a sharp decline during the quarter, ASPs in the US have begun to stabilize. While uncertainties remain, we believe that the growth trajectory of the US market won’t deviate significantly, especially with ITC still valid. India, with its abundant sunlight and increasing demand for power, has created ideal market conditions for rapid growth. We are very optimistic about our potential in this market and have been rapidly expanding our team there. We will also reinforce our leading position in Latin America and the Middle East, two markets that remain full of opportunities.”
“We remain focused on high-efficiency technologies and stringent quality controls. Demand for our PERC products continues to be strong and as a result, we have been adjusting our production capacity to accommodate this market trend since the first half of 2016.”
“In conclusion, I am proud of what we have achieved throughout the past quarter and year. We have extensive experience having faced similar market headwinds before, leaving us confident in our strategy and our ability to focus on developing technology, building our brand equity, keeping a lid on costs and improving our financial strength to further drive shareholder value.”