Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of May 2011
Commission File Number: 001-33107
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
No. 199 Lushan Road
Suzhou New District
Suzhou, Jiangsu 215129
People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive office)
Suzhou New District
Suzhou, Jiangsu 215129
People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form
20-F or Form 40-F.
| Form 20-F þ | Form 40-F o |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by
Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by
Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form
is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
| Yes o | No þ |
If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with
Rule 12g3-2(b):
82- N/A
Table of Contents
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| CANADIAN SOLAR INC. |
||||
| By: | /s/ Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu | |||
| Name: | Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu | |||
| Title: | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|||
Date: May 12, 2011
Table of Contents
Exhibit 99.1
Canadian Solar Reports First Quarter 2011 Financial Results
Ontario, Canada, May 11, 2011 — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”, “we” or “Canadian Solar”)
(NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar companies, today announced financial results for
the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.
First Quarter 2011 Highlights
| • | Solar module shipments were 244 MW, up 31.9% from 185MW in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Net revenue was $443.4 million, up 31.6% from $336.9 million in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Gross profit was $65.3 million, up 55.8% from $41.9 million in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Gross margin was 14.7%, compared to 12.4% in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Operating profit was $34.0 million, up 60.5% from $21.2 million in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Net income attributable to Canadian Solar Inc. was $5.9 million, up 292.5% from $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2010 | |
| • | Earnings per fully diluted share were $0.13, up from $0.03 in the first quarter of 2010 |
First Quarter 2011 Results
Net revenue for the first quarter of 2011 was $443.4 million, down 2.1% from $452.7 in the fourth
quarter of 2010 and up 31.6% from $336.9 million in the first quarter of 2010. Solar module
shipments for the first quarter of 2011 totaled 244 MW, compared to shipments of 185 MW for the
first quarter of 2010. Sales to European markets in the first quarter of 2011 accounted for 75.7%
of revenue, while sales to North America represented 12.2% and to Asia and others regions
represented 12.2% of revenue, compared to 88.5%, 5.7% and 5.8%, respectively, in the first quarter
of 2010.
| Revenue by Geography | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Q1 2011 | Q4 2010 | Q1 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| US$M | % | US$M | % | US$M | % | |||||||||||||||||||
Europe |
335.4 | 75.6 | % | 321.1 | 70.9 | % | 298.2 | 88.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
America |
54.0 | 12.2 | % | 46.8 | 10.3 | % | 19.1 | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
Asia and others |
54.0 | 12.2 | % | 84.8 | 18.8 | % | 19.6 | 5.8 | % | |||||||||||||||
Total |
443.4 | 100.0 | % | 452.7 | 100.0 | % | 336.9 | 100.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
Gross profit for the first quarter of 2011 was $65.3 million, down 15.1% from $77.0 million in the
fourth quarter of 2011 and up 55.8% from $41.9 million in the first quarter of 2010. Gross margin
was 14.7% in the first quarter of 2011, compared to 17.0% in the fourth quarter of 2010 and to
12.4% in the first quarter of 2010. The sequential decline in gross margin was primarily due to
lower average selling prices, relatively high raw material costs and costs associated with normal
holiday-related factory shutdowns. The year-over-year increase in gross margin was primarily due
to cost efficiencies from increased in-house cell production, partially offset by higher silicon
costs.
Operating margin was 7.7% in the first quarter of 2011, compared to 9.3% in the fourth quarter of
2010 and 6.3% in the first quarter of 2010. The sequential decrease in operating margin was due to
lower gross margin, and the year-over-year increase was due to lower non-silicon processing costs
across the value chain as well as improved economies of scale.
Interest expense in the first quarter of 2011 was $9.9 million, compared to $6.5 million in the
fourth quarter of 2010 and $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2010. The sequential and
year-over-year increases were due to additional bank borrowings and an increase in interest rates.
Interest Income was $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2011, compared to $1.4 million in the
fourth quarter of 2010 and $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2010.
The Company recorded a loss from foreign exchange hedging activities of $17.2 million in the first
quarter of 2011. The loss was due to actual settlements as well as mark to market of forward
exchange contracts the Company entered into in the third quarter of 2010 to hedge then forecasted
Euro denominated sales of fourth quarter 2010 and first quarter 2011 as well as contracts entered
into at the beginning of 2011 to hedge the then forecasted Euro denominated sales of first and
second quarters 2011. The range of contractual Euro/USD forward exchange rates for these contracts
was $1.31 to $1.34 per Euro. Out of the $17.2 million loss, approximately $5.0 million was realized
during the quarter, and $12.2 million was recognized but unrealized as a result of contracts with
settlement dates in the second quarter 2011 being marked to market.
Foreign exchange loss in the first quarter of 2011 was $0.7 million compared to $1.2 million in the
fourth quarter of 2010 and $16.4 million in the first quarter of 2010.
Income tax expense in the first quarter of 2011 was $1.7 million (representing a tax rate of 22.7%)
compared to an expense of $10.3 million (representing a tax rate of 28.5%) in the fourth quarter of
2010 and an expense of $1.5 million (representing a tax rate of 51.3%) in the first quarter of
2010.
Net income attributable to Canadian Solar Inc. for the first quarter of 2011 was $5.9 million, or
$0.13 per diluted share, compared to net income of $25.5 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, for
the fourth quarter 2010, and net income of $1.5 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, for the first
quarter of 2010.
As of March 31, 2011 the Company had $477.6 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash,
compared to $476.2 million as of December 31, 2010.
Accounts receivable balance at the end of the first quarter 2011 was $306.7 million, up from $169.7
million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 and $224.3 million at the end of the first quarter
of 2010. The sequential increase in accounts receivable was primarily due to the fact that most
shipments in the first quarter of 2011 were made in March.
Inventories at the end of the first quarter of 2011 were $305.5 million, compared to $272.1 million
at the end of the fourth quarter 2010 and $173.3 million at the end of the first quarter of 2010.
The sequential increase in inventory was primarily due to the increased work-in-progress for our
EPC projects in Canada, which amounted to $26.0 million at the end of the quarter.
Accounts payable balance at the end of the first quarter 2011 was $143.7 million, up from $113.4
million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and $93.7 million in the first quarter of 2010. The
sequential increase in accounts payable was in line with increased production.
Total bank borrowings were $827.6 million at the end of the first quarter of 2011, compared to
$610.0 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 and $403.1 million at the end of the first
quarter of 2010. Accounts receivable turnover days increased from 34 days in the fourth quarter
2010 to 50 days in the first quarter 2011. The increase in bank borrowings during the first
quarter 2011 was used to cover a temporary working capital shortage which primarily resulted from
the increase in accounts receivable turnover days.
Total equity as of March 31, 2011 was $545.9 million, compared to $535.0 million at the end of the
fourth quarter of 2010 and $469.2 million at the end of the first quarter of 2010.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “First quarter 2011
results were in line with prior guidance. Based on sales volumes and customer feedback, Canadian
Solar continues to build a successful downstream brand and gain market share in key solar industry
markets worldwide. Of note, the Canadian market continues to be encouraging, with sales volumes
expected to nearly double in 2011 compared to 2010. Also, indications are that the demand in Japan
will return to more normal levels in the third quarter of 2011, once activity levels recover from
the recent natural disaster. Finally, we continue to expand our brand and business in Germany and
the U.S., among other markets.”
Andrew Chen, Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Solar, commented: “First quarter gross margin of
14.7% was in line with prior guidance, with ASP declines in line with expectations and macro
trends. The benefits of our ongoing cost reduction program were offset by higher than forecasted
wafer prices on the spot market, higher polysilicon prices and higher non-silicon materials costs,
including silver paste. We continue to pursue cost efficiencies across our operations, with a
focus on reducing wafer, cell and module manufacturing costs.”
Business Outlook
The Company’s business outlook is based on management’s current views with respect to operating and
market conditions, order book and customers’ forecasts. Management’s views and estimates are
subject to change.
For the second quarter of 2011, shipments are expected to be in the range of approximately 245 MW
to 255 MW, with gross margin expected to be between 13% and 15%. In addition, the Company expects
to ship approximately 100 MW of modules under Delivery Duty Unpaid (“DDU”) or Cash on Delivery
(“COD”) contract terms. Revenue recognition under DDU terms can only take place after delivery of
goods to named destinations per sales contracts, resulting in increasing lead time for revenue
recognition by 35 to 45 days. These shipments are currently expected to be recognized as sales in
the third quarter 2011 according to the delivery schedules required by the Company’s customers.
In addition, the Company expects that its three ground-mounted EPC projects in Ontario will reach
certain degree of completion during the second quarter. The Company expects therefore to be able
to partially recognize revenue from these projects starting in the second quarter under the
percentage-of-completion method.
The Company’s internal cell and module capacities, which are 220MW and 350MW, respectively, for the
current quarter, are expected to be nearly fully utilized in the second quarter, reflecting strong
endorsement of Canadian Solar products in the marketplace. The percentage of third-party cells
compared to internally produced cells is expected to be higher in the second quarter than in the
first quarter due to the full utilization of the Company’s module capacity. However, the Company
still expects that its blended gross margin in the second quarter will be similar to the first
quarter based on its forecast of third party cell and wafer prices.
The Company remains on track to expand its annualized capacity for solar cells to 1.3GW, and
annualized capacity for modules to 2 GW, both by mid-2011. The new module capacity includes 200MW
in Guelph, Canada, to provide Ontario-content qualified solar modules to the Company’s downstream
solar projects and customers in Ontario.
For the full year 2011, the Company reiterates its previous guidance of shipments of approximately
1.2 GW to 1.3 GW.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “From an operations
standpoint, we are moving to more substantial cell and module vertical integration. Other than the
capacity expansion mentioned above, we have nearly completed the planning of the next phase of our
solar cell capacity expansion, for which we expect to add another 600 MW of high-efficiency cell
capacity through a proposed joint venture. The new solar cell plant is expected to adopt our
proprietary Alps technology using metal-wrap-through (MWT) design. With this expansion, we expect
to bring our internal cell capacity to 1.9 GW by early 2012. The joint venture is planned to allow
us to achieve significant vertical integration from cell to module. We are also working on
partnering with a leading wafer supplier in order to add another 600MW of wafer capacity dedicated
to Canadian Solar, thereby securing up to 2 GW of high quality and low cost wafers for 2012. These
planned strategic alliances are expected to enable us to expand significantly while minimizing the
impact on our cash flows. We expect to complete these agreements shortly to prepare ourselves for
further growth in the second half of 2011 and in 2012.”
Dr. Shawn Qu continued: “We have seen significant declines in raw materials costs so far in Q2,
including lower costs for polysilicon, wafer and cells, which we expect to help lessen the impact
of expected declines in module ASP. We are also pursuing further internal cost reduction measures.
On the module side, we expect to benefit from price declines in glass and other materials. We
expect these actions to contribute to our efforts to maintain a reasonable margin structure in
2011. We expect our strong global sales and service network, together with our leading brand name
and strong net cash position, to help us navigate through policy and incentive changes. We are
confident that we can expand our market share in 2011 through further cost reductions, technology
innovations and new product introductions. We also expect to benefit from our early mover
advantage in the total solutions EPC business.”
Recent Developments
On April 21, 2011, the Company announced a 97 MW supply agreement with GP Joule. Under the
agreement, Canadian Solar will supply its high performance solar modules to GP Joule, with all
deliveries to occur before December 31, 2011. GP Joule operates four offices in the North and
South Germany and has joint ventures in North America and France. In the PV sector, GP Joule
focuses principally on implementing ground mounted large solar power plants.
On April 20, 2011, the Company announced a 100 MW solar module supply agreement with Fire Energy
Group. Under the terms of the supply agreement, module deliveries will occur throughout 2011, with
prices adjusted quarterly. Fire Energy Group is a leading system integrator that provides project
management and distribution services in Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the U.S., the Czech
Republic, Morocco and China.
On April 19, 2011, the Company announced that it has supplied 8 MW of solar modules to a solar
power plant constructed by EOSOL Energies and the Caisse des depots et consignations in Villeneuve
de Marsan, Aquitaine, France. The ground-mounted solar plant at Villeneuve de Marsan has an
installed capacity of more than 8 MW, representing the consumption of 2,500 households and
preventing the emission of 9,180 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per annum.
On March 29, 2011, the Company announced it has been certified under industry standards ISO 14001
and REACH (registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals). The basis for
complying with the international ISO standard is the introduction of an environmental management
system to administer and monitor the corporate environmental objectives. The Company’s CS5 and CS6
series modules meet the requirements of REACH as these modules are free from so-called “substances
of very high concern” and are environmentally-friendly.
On March 16, 2011, the Company announced a third SkyPower engineering, procurement and construction
(EPC) agreement to build a 10.5 MW solar park in Thunder Bay, Ontario. SkyPower is Canada’s
largest owner and developer of large-scale solar projects and was recently awarded 148.3 MW through
thirteen power purchase agreements by the Ontario Power Authority under the Province of Ontario,
Canada’s Feed-in Tariff Program.
Conference Call Details
The Company will host a conference call on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
(7:00 a.m., May 12, 2011 in Hong Kong) to discuss its financial results and business outlook. To
participate on the live conference call please dial +1-617-786-2964 or +1-800-901-5217. The
passcode for the call is 14231903.
A replay of the call will be available on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
through May 18, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m., May 19, 2011 in Hong Kong). To
access the replay please dial +1-617-801-6888 and use passcode 63469827.
A live webcast of the call can be accessed in the investor relations section of Canadian Solar’s
website at www.canadiansolar.com, and will be available for replay shortly after the call.
About Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ)
Canadian Solar Inc. is one of the world’s largest solar companies. As 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 system solutions for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. 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. For more information, visit www.canadiansolar.com.
Canadian Solar Inc. is one of the world’s largest solar companies. As 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 system solutions for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. 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. For more information, visit www.canadiansolar.com.
Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release including statements regarding our expected future
shipment volumes, gross and net margins, manufacturing capacities and cell conversion efficiencies,
are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions
of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by such terms as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,”
“estimates,” the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause
actual results to differ include the risks regarding the previously disclosed SEC and internal
investigations as well as general business and economic conditions and the state of the solar
industry; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of
high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products
in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major
markets such as Germany; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; capacity
utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in average selling prices; delays
in new product introduction; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of
products with the features customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity
requirements; availability of financing; exchange rate fluctuations; litigation and other risks as
described in the Company’s SEC filings, including its annual report on Form 20-F originally filed
on August 19, 2011. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward
looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity,
performance, or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today’s date, unless otherwise
stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under
applicable law.
Investor Relations Contacts:
Ed Job, CFA Director, Investor Relations Canadian Solar Inc. ir@canadiansolar.com |
David Pasquale Global IR Partners Tel: +1-914-337-8801 csiq@globalirpartners.com |
FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW
Canadian Solar Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations
(In Thousands of US Dollars, except share and per share data)
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations
(In Thousands of US Dollars, except share and per share data)
| Three Months Ended | ||||||||||||
| 3/31/2011 | 12/31/2010 | 3/31/2010 | ||||||||||
Net revenues |
443,404 | 452,719 | 336,931 | |||||||||
Cost of revenues |
378,084 | 375,743 | 295,018 | |||||||||
Gross profit |
65,320 | 76,976 | 41,913 | |||||||||
Selling expenses |
12,608 | 14,161 | 10,698 | |||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
16,623 | 18,655 | 8,174 | |||||||||
Research and development expenses |
2,048 | 2,064 | 1,834 | |||||||||
Total operating expenses |
31,279 | 34,880 | 20,706 | |||||||||
Income from operations |
34,041 | 42,096 | 21,207 | |||||||||
Interest expenses |
(9,891 | ) | (6,476 | ) | (3,862 | ) | ||||||
Interest income |
1,455 | 1,397 | 1,395 | |||||||||
Investment (loss) income |
2 | (2,912 | ) | — | ||||||||
Gain (Loss) on change in fair value of derivatives |
(17,207 | ) | 3,158 | 536 | ||||||||
Exchange loss |
(722 | ) | (1,192 | ) | (16,438 | ) | ||||||
Income before taxes |
7,678 | 36,071 | 2,838 | |||||||||
Income tax expenses |
1,743 | 10,286 | 1,454 | |||||||||
Net income |
5,935 | 25,785 | 1,384 | |||||||||
Less: net income (loss) attributable to
non-controlling interest |
58 | 249 | (113 | ) | ||||||||
Net income attributable to Canadian Solar Inc. |
5,877 | 25,536 | 1,497 | |||||||||
Basic earnings per share |
$ | 0.14 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 0.04 | ||||||
Basic weighted average outstanding shares |
42,907,945 | 42,889,124 | 42,755,446 | |||||||||
Diluted earnings per share |
$ | 0.13 | $ | 0.58 | $ | 0.03 | ||||||
Diluted weighted average outstanding shares |
43,627,487 | 43,714,853 | 43,974,827 | |||||||||
Canadian Solar Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
(In Thousands of US Dollars)
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
(In Thousands of US Dollars)
| 3/31/2011 | 12/31/2010 | |||||||
| Unaudited | Unaudited | |||||||
Assets |
||||||||
Current assets |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
245,963 | 288,652 | ||||||
Restricted cash |
231,668 | 187,595 | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts |
306,736 | 169,657 | ||||||
Amount due from related parties |
607 | 1,356 | ||||||
Inventories |
305,466 | 272,097 | ||||||
Value added tax recoverable |
61,787 | 42,297 | ||||||
Advances to suppliers |
47,954 | 27,321 | ||||||
Foreign currency derivative assets |
1,751 | 2,183 | ||||||
Prepaid and other current assets |
40,313 | 43,508 | ||||||
Current assets — subtotal |
1,242,245 | 1,034,666 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net |
397,330 | 330,460 | ||||||
Intangible assets |
3,892 | 2,695 | ||||||
Long term prepayments |
14,118 | 13,946 | ||||||
Prepaid land use rights |
13,442 | 13,378 | ||||||
Investments |
8,737 | 5,671 | ||||||
Deferred tax assets — non current |
18,590 | 16,725 | ||||||
Other non current assets |
15,830 | 5,826 | ||||||
Total assets |
1,714,184 | 1,423,367 | ||||||
Liabilities and equity |
||||||||
Current liabilities |
||||||||
Short term borrowings |
747,513 | 540,520 | ||||||
Accounts payable |
143,708 | 113,404 | ||||||
Notes payable |
23,190 | 9,969 | ||||||
Other payables |
55,245 | 47,876 | ||||||
Advances from customers |
11,775 | 8,971 | ||||||
Amounts due to related parties |
2,827 | 2,445 | ||||||
Foreign currency derivative liabilities |
14,245 | 2,452 | ||||||
Provision for firm purchase commitment |
22,553 | 15,889 | ||||||
Other current liabilities |
18,655 | 33,807 | ||||||
Current liabilities — subtotal |
1,039,711 | 775,333 | ||||||
Accrued warranty costs |
35,516 | 31,225 | ||||||
Liability for uncertain tax positions |
12,073 | 11,460 | ||||||
Convertible notes |
917 | 906 | ||||||
Long term borrowings |
80,075 | 69,458 | ||||||
Total liablities |
1,168,292 | 888,382 | ||||||
Common shares |
502,096 | 501,146 | ||||||
Additional paid in capital |
(56,703 | ) | (57,392 | ) | ||||
Retained earnings |
67,988 | 62,111 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
31,785 | 28,462 | ||||||
Total CSI stockholders’ equity |
545,166 | 534,327 | ||||||
Non-controlling interest |
726 | 658 | ||||||
Total equity |
545,892 | 534,985 | ||||||
Total liabilities and equity |
1,714,184 | 1,423,367 | ||||||