Solarfun Reports Second Quarter 2008 Results

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:48am EDT

SHANGHAI, China--(Business Wire)--
Solarfun Power Holdings Co. , Ltd. ("Solarfun" or "the Company")
(NASDAQ:SOLF), an established vertically integrated manufacturer of
silicon ingots and photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules in China, today
reported its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended
June 30, 2008.

   2008 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS

   --  Net revenue was RMB 1.35 billion (US$ 197.1 million), an
        increase of 12.7% from the first quarter of 2008, and 192.2%
        from the second quarter of 2007.

   --  PV module shipments reached 43.1 MW, an increase of 162% from
        the second quarter of 2007. Solarfun also shipped 5 MW of
        cells with specification levels that are different than the
        Company's mainstream business.

   --  Average selling price ("ASP") improved to US$4.17 from US$4.07
        in the first quarter of 2008. Business in Europe remained
        robust, with Germany, Spain and France accounting for 56%, 33%
        and 5% of net revenues, respectively.

   --  Gross profit was RMB 185.6 million (US$ 27.1 million), an
        increase of 163.7% from the second quarter of 2007.

   --  Gross margin decreased to 13.7% from 15.8% in the first
        quarter of 2008. The figure was in line with the Company's
        guidance and was primarily due to higher polysilicon and wafer
        costs.

   --  Operating profit was RMB 116.4 million (US$ 17.0 million), an
        increase of 306.6% from the second quarter of 2007. Operating
        margins decreased to 8.6% from 11.8% in the first quarter of
        2008 as the Company returned to more normal levels of spending
        to support growth, including a nearly RMB 2.9 million
        sequential increase in research and development expenses.

   --  Interest expense rose over RMB 25.5 million (US$ 3.7 million)
        from the second quarter of 2007 to RMB 28.1 million (US$ 4.1
        million) due to increased bank borrowings and the Company's
        convertible senior notes offering earlier in the year.

   --  Currency gain was RMB 4.1 million (US$ 0.6 million) as a
        result of the appreciation of the RMB relative to the U.S.
        dollar.

   --  Net income was RMB 78.1 million (US$ 11.4 million), a 285.2%
        increase over the second quarter of 2007.

   --  Earnings per basic ADS were RMB 1.62 (US$ 0.24).

   Harold Hoskens, CEO of Solarfun, noted "We are pleased with the
progress achieved during the second quarter as we continued to see
healthy demand and firm pricing. The tight supply and higher costs for
polysilicon and wafers constrained both our top and bottom line
growth, and our gross margins. This is a temporary situation with
visibility improving on both measures during the second half of 2008,
most notably during the fourth quarter. A number of important
initiatives were completed following the close of the quarter which
position us for continued growth going forward."

   FINANCIAL POSITION

   As of June 30, 2008, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of
RMB 557.7 million (US$ 81.3 million) and working capital of RMB 2.2
billion (US$ 322.7 million). Total bank borrowings were RMB 1.28
billion (US$ 186.8 million), remaining relatively constant with the
levels of the first quarter of 2008. Subsequent to the end of the
second quarter of 2008, the Company raised US$ 71.9 million in net
proceeds from a sale of 5,421,093 ADSs pursuant to a sales agency
agreement with Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.

   The Company continued to improve its working capital management
with improved inventory and accounts receivable management. Net
accounts receivable were RMB 442.2 million (US$ 64.5 million). Days
Sales Outstanding (DSOs) continued to improve to 37 days, down from 41
days in the first quarter of 2008. Inventories of RMB 823.4 million
(US$ 120 million) were relatively constant with last quarter and
inventory turnover days improved to 63 days versus 104 days from the
same period in 2007.

   * Capital outlays during the second quarter totaled US$ 57.2
million, of which US$ 42.4 million was for capital expenditures and
US$ 14.8 million was for pre-payments to suppliers.

   SIGNIFICANT SECOND QUARTER EVENTS

   --  Signed an 8-year, 1.2 gigwatt ("GW") contract for virgin
        polysilicon with GCL Silicon Technology.

   --  Purchased the remaining 48% interest in Jiangsu Yangguang
        Solar (a silicon ingot producer) that the Company did not
        already own.

   SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

   Following the close of the second quarter of 2008, the Company
made a number of announcements, including:

   --  Completed and successfully initiated production on four new
        manufacturing lines, increasing nameplate capacity by 120 MW
        to 360 MW.

   --  Began early stage operation of an expanding wire saw facility
        at the Company's manufacturing facility in Qidong.

   --  Signed a 47 MW sales contract to supply PV modules to Schuco
        International KG between December 2008 and October 2009, with
        installations targeted for the Middle East and south-east
        Europe.

   --  Signed a 30 MW sales contract to supply PV modules to Martifer
        Solar Sistemas Solares, a leading solar project developer,
        installer and producer in Europe, from January through
        December 2009.

   --  Concluded a letter-of-intent ("LOI") with Q-Cells AG for a
        three-year module supply agreement for the purchase by Q-Cells
        of no less than 100 MW of PV modules per annum using PV cells
        Q-Cells will provide from 2009 through 2011. The Company and
        Q-Cells intend to enter into an agreement to exchange
        technology to further enhance the development of highly
        efficient and low cost PV modules.

   BUSINESS OUTLOOK

   Based on current operating trends and other conditions, the
Company's outlook is as follows:

   For the remainder of 2008, management expects:

   --  Continued strong demand. Based on contracted sales volume,
        guidance for 2008 shipments has been raised from 160-180 MW to
        175-190 MW. In constant Euro terms (the currency in which the
        majority of the Company's sales are recorded) pricing is
        expected to be relatively stable for the remainder of the
        year.

   --  Gross margins for the second half of 2008 are expected to
        improve from levels seen in the second quarter of 2008,
        although the Company expects that polysilicon and wafer
        pricing will continue to be high during the third quarter of
        2008. Margin improvements from lower supply costs and other
        benefits related to greater vertical integration are expected
        to become more meaningful during the fourth quarter of 2008.

   --  Operating expenses as a percent of revenues are expected to
        remain in the 5-6 % range.

   --  Capital expenditures for the remainder of 2008 are anticipated
        to approach US$ 90 million, and an additional $70-$80 million
        for supplier prepayments and the LYG equity acquisition. Cash
        on hand and access to additional commercial debt is viewed as
        adequate to fund the Company's capital outlays for the
        remainder of 2008.

   For the Full Year 2009, management expects:

   --  Total shipments to rise 50% from the revised full-year
        guidance range of 175-190 MW for 2008. The Company has good
        visibility on 200 MW of contracted sales volume for 2009,
        one-half of which is secured through signed contracts.

   --  ASP's to decline 5-10% from the expected full-year 2008.

   --  The Company's polysilicon and wafer needs are 100% secured, of
        which approximately two thirds are in the form of long-term
        contracts.

   --  Through the reduction in polysilicon-related costs and the
        benefits of vertical integration, the Company foresees the
        potential to improve gross margins 500 basis points for
        full-year 2009.

   --  Management's current projections call for a further 120 MW of
        integrated cell and module capacity expansion in 2009. A
        further 100MW of module capacity will be added and dedicated
        to the Company's aforementioned arrangement with Q-Cells.

   --  These projections assume constant currencies (Euro vs. US
        Dollar), management's ability to execute its vertical
        integration ramp, and to a lesser extent, dependence on raw
        material suppliers meeting contractual obligations for timely
        delivery.

   Harold Hoskens concluded, "We are on track for a solid year of
growth in 2008 and have positioned ourselves for meaningful progress
in 2009. Although near-term supply constraints and higher costs
persist, we see visibility for better conditions beginning in the
fourth quarter of this year and further improvements throughout 2009.
Demand is good. Our brand is growing worldwide. Customers recognize
our low-cost and high quality manufacturing platform and are
contracting their production needs with us. We are secure in our
supply needs for next year and our vertical integration strategy will
begin to show meaningful benefits starting in the final quarter of
this year."

   Conference Call:

   Management will host a conference call to discuss the results at
8:00 am U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 pm Shanghai time) on August 27, 2008.

   The dial-in details for the live conference call are as follows:

   - U.S. Toll Free Number: +1 866 713 8563

   - International dial-in number: +1 617 597 5311

   - China Toll Free Number: 10 800 130 0399

   Passcode: SOLF

   A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the
investor relations section of the Company's website at:
http://www.solarfun.com.cn. A replay of the webcast will be available
for one month.

   A telephone replay of the call will be available for twenty-four
hours after the conclusion of the conference call. The dial-in details
for the replay are as follows:

   - U.S. Toll Free Number: +1 888 286 8010

   - International dial-in number: +1 617 801 6888

   Passcode: 42684940

   Foreign Currecy Conversion

   The conversion in this release of Renminbi into U.S. dollars is
made solely for the convenience of the reader, and is based on the
noon buying rate in The City of New York for cable transfers of
Renminbi as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York as of June 30, 2008, which was RMB6.8591 to US$1.00. No
representation is intended to imply that the Renminbi amounts could
have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into U.S.
dollars at that rate on March 31, 2008, or at any other date. The
percentages stated in this press release are calculated based on
Renminbi amounts.

   Financial Statements

-0-
*T
                  SOLARFUN POWER HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
 (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi ("RMB") and U.S. dollars ("US$"),
           except for number of shares and per share data)

                               For the three months ended
                     June 30      March 31     June 30      June 30
                      2007         2008         2008         2008
                   (Unaudited)  (Unaudited)  (Unaudited)  (Unaudited)
                       RMB          RMB          RMB          USD
Net revenue
Photovoltaic
 modules               462,283    1,151,507    1,233,527      179,838
Photovoltaic cells         501       29,734      104,217       15,194
PV modules
 processing                  -            -        3,229          471
Raw materials                -       18,088       11,220        1,636

                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Total net revenue      462,784    1,199,329    1,352,193      197,139
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Cost of revenue
Photovoltaic
 modules              (391,855)    (965,588)  (1,056,912)    (154,089)
Photovoltaic cells        (559)     (27,918)     (97,244)     (14,177)
PV modules
 processing                  -            -       (1,208)        (176)
Raw materials                -      (15,762)     (11,273)      (1,644)

                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Total cost of
 revenue              (392,414)  (1,009,268)  (1,166,637)    (170,086)
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Gross profit            70,370      190,061      185,556       27,053
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Operating expenses
Selling expenses       (13,014)     (21,055)     (26,482)      (3,861)
G&A expenses           (18,739)     (22,520)     (34,956)      (5,096)
R&D expenses            (9,985)      (4,784)      (7,697)      (1,122)
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Total operating
 expenses              (41,738)     (48,359)     (69,135)     (10,079)
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Operating profit        28,632      141,702      116,421       16,974

Interest expenses       (2,694)     (26,669)     (28,148)      (4,104)
Interest income          4,159        2,381        1,368          199
Exchange gain /
 (losses)              (10,371)      19,430        4,136          603
Other income             2,208        2,011        4,383          639
Other expenses            (351)     (12,323)      (6,140)        (895)
Government grant             -          124          114           17

                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Net income before
 income tax and
 minority interest      21,583      126,656       92,134       13,433
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------


Income tax
 expenses               (1,332)     (18,730)      (8,282)      (1,208)
Minority interest           20       (3,363)      (5,763)        (840)
                   ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Net income              20,271      104,563       78,089       11,385
                   ============ ============ ============ ============


Net income
 attributable to
 ordinary
 shareholders           20,271      104,563       78,089       11,385
                   ============ ============ ============ ============


Net income per
 share
Basic                     0.08         0.43         0.32         0.05
Diluted                   0.08         0.41         0.31         0.05

Shares used in
 computation
Basic              240,024,754  241,181,882  241,340,409  241,340,409
Diluted            240,024,754  271,563,142  287,007,417  287,007,417

Net income per ADS
Basic                     0.42         2.17         1.62         0.24
Diluted                   0.42         2.06         1.54         0.23

ADSs used in
 computation
Basic               48,004,951   48,236,376   48,268,082   48,268,082
Diluted             48,004,951   54,312,628   57,401,483   57,401,483
*T

-0-
*T
                  SOLARFUN POWER HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
                     CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi ("RMB") and U.S. dollars ("US$"),
           except for number of shares and per share data)

                                    March 31     June 30     June 30
                                      2008        2008        2008
                                   (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited)
                                       RMB         RMB         USD
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents              595,158     557,748      81,315
Restricted cash                        474,725     486,220      70,887
Accounts receivable, net               653,625     442,190      64,465
Inventories, net                       780,851     823,379     120,042
Advance to suppliers                 1,114,907   1,205,767     175,791
Other current assets                   155,767     164,224      23,943
Deferred tax assets                      5,065      14,423       2,103
Amount due from related parties            917      19,548       2,850
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

    Total current assets             3,781,015   3,713,499     541,396
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

Non-current assets
Fixed assets - net                     857,612   1,134,301     165,372
Intangible assets - net                 93,800      93,317      13,605
Deferred tax assets                      4,936       5,061         738
Long-term deferred expenses            200,026     195,124      28,447
Long-term investment                       300           -           -


    Total non-current assets         1,156,674   1,427,803     208,162
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

TOTAL ASSETS                         4,937,689   5,141,302     749,558
                                   =========== =========== ===========

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS'
 EQUITY
Current liabilities
Short-term bank borrowings             988,082   1,074,152     156,602
Long-term bank borrowings,
 current portion                        15,000      22,000       3,207
Accounts payable                       187,965     170,791      24,900
Notes payable                                -       4,726         689
Accrued expenses and other
 liabilities                           140,503     140,413      20,471
Customer deposits                       90,654      76,415      11,141
Deferred tax liability                     689       1,160         169
Amount due to related parties           21,851      10,493       1,530
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

    Total current liabilities        1,444,744   1,500,150     218,709
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

Non-current liabilities
Long-term bank borrowings, non-
 current portion                       170,000     185,000      26,971
Convertible notes payable            1,210,778   1,183,195     172,500
Long term payable                       10,000      17,000       2,478
Deferred tax liability                   8,990       8,942       1,304
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

    Total non-current liabilities    1,399,768   1,394,137     203,253

Minority interests                     111,783     175,106      25,529
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

Redeemable ordinary shares                  32          32           5
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

Shareholders' equity

Ordinary shares                            195         195          28
Additional paid-in capital           1,616,069   1,628,495     237,421
Statutory reserves                      50,935      57,231       8,344
Retained earnings                      314,163     385,956      56,269
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

    Total shareholders' equity       1,981,362   2,071,877     302,062
                                   ----------- ----------- -----------

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS'
 EQUITY                              4,937,689   5,141,302     749,558
                                   =========== =========== ===========

*T

   Safe Harbor Statement

   This news release contains forward-looking statements, as defined
under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as
the Company's business outlook for 2008, including third quarter and
full year 2008 estimates for net revenue, PV product shipments, raw
materials and product prices, PV cell production capacity and gross
margins. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from such
estimates depending on future events and other changes in business
climate and market conditions. Solarfun disclaims any obligation to
update or correct this information.

   About Solarfun

   Solarfun Power Holdings Co, Ltd. manufactures both PV cells and PV
modules, provides PV cell processing services to convert silicon
wafers into PV cells, and supplies solar system integration services
in China. Solarfun produces both monocrystalline and multicrystalline
silicon cells and modules, and manufactures 100% of its modules with
in-house produced PV cells. Solarfun sells its products both through
third-party distributors, OEM manufacturers and directly to system
integrators. Solarfun was founded in 2004 and its products have been
certified to TUV and UL safety and quality standards. SOLF-G

   http://www.solarfun.com.cn

Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd.
Investor Relations
86 21-6306-8907
IR@solarfun.com.cn
or
Christensen
Roger Hu, +852-2117-0861
rhu@ChristensenIR.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008
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