Earnings Labs

Antelope Enterprise Holdings Limited (AEHL)

Q3 2013 Earnings Call· Wed, Nov 13, 2013

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the operator. Today’s conference is scheduled to begin momentarily, until that time your lines will again be tied to a music code. Thank you for your patience. Good morning my name is Arnica [ph] and I will be conference operator today. At this time I’d like to welcome everyone to the China Ceramics Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers remarks there will be a question and answer session. (Operator Instructions) Thank you. I would now like to turn the conference over to David Rudnick.

David Rudnick

Management

Thank you Arnica [ph]. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and good evening to those of you who are joining us from China. Welcome to China Ceramics Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call. With us today are China Ceramics Chairman, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Jia Dong Huang and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Edmund Hen. Before I turn the call over to Mr. Huang, may I remind our listeners that during this call, management’s prepared remarks contain forward-looking statements which are subject to risk and uncertainties and management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. Therefore the company claims protection of the Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements that is contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from those discussed today. Refer to more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties with the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any projections as the company’s future performance represent management’s estimates as of today November 13, 2013. China Ceramics assumes no obligation to update these projections in the future as market conditions changed. To supplement its financial results presented in accordance with IFRS, management may make reference to certain non-GAAP financial measures, which the company believes to provide meaningful additional information to understand the company’s performance. As statement reconciling any non-GAAP measures to nearest GAAP equivalents can be found in the earnings press release issued earlier today. And now, it’s my pleasure to turn the call over to China Ceramics, Chairman, CEO, Mr. Jia Dong Huang and China Ceramics, CFO, Mr. Edmund Hen. Precept’s [ph] Sandy Jin [ph] will be translating for Mr. Huang. Mr. Huang, you may proceed.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] Thank you David. On behalf of the company, I would like to welcome everyone to our Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] We are pleased to report strong top-line financial performance for the third quarter as our revenue grew at 53% over that of the second quarter. The increase was driven by a 50% sequential rise in the sales volume of our ceramic tiles as well as a moderate increase in our average selling price. We believe that the market environment in the real estate and construction sectors has begun to normalize, although some pricing sensitivity among our customers continues. For the fourth quarter, we expect a seasonal slowdown consistent with the construction building cycle and an opportunity it involved our business into higher-margin sector through additional product options [ph] for both current and new potential customers.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] Well, our top line was strong to promote products that meet current and expected customer demand, we wrote-down asset attributes for the replacement of certain components at our Hengda facility in the third quarter that affected the quarter’s profitability.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] However, our past growth [ph] was strong with a 50% increase in EBITDA from the second quarter. In addition, with our upgraded and new facilities we continue to differentiate ourselves from our competition due to our capability to operate efficiently and produce new lines of innovative and high performance ceramic tiles.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] In the third quarter, we utilized plant production facilities capable of producing 35 million square meters of ceramic tiles out of an annual production capacity of 72 million square meters of ceramic tiles. This represents an increase from the second quarter where we utilized the plant production facilities capable of producing 28 million square meters per year. As market conditions improve, we will look to bring additional capacity online.

Jia Dong Huang

Management

[Foreign Language] [Interpreted] We are also intent upon regaining the product pricing levels that were in place prior to the macroeconomic difficulties that began in late 2012. Our modern facilities enable us to optimize our product mix and develop hundreds of customized products including those of our better performing products which could ultimately enhance our margins. We believe that we continue to be well positioned in our industry and that our superb name-brand recognition, customer-centric focus and strategic marketing optimally positions us to ultimately improve our pricing power as market conditions strengthen. Further company development in the quarter was that, we established our new subsidiary, Fujian Hengdali Construction Material Company Limited for future trading activities with such entities as China State Decoration Group Company Limited. With that I would like to turn over the call to the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Edmund Hen who will discuss the company’s third quarter results in more detail. Thank you.

Edmund Hen

Management

Thank you Mr. Huang. I would now move on to a more detailed discussion of our preliminary financial results for the third quarter in September 30, 2013. Our revenue for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013 was RMB340.7 million or U.S. $55.3 million, an increase of 53% from the second quarter but down 11.8% from the third quarter of 2012. The sales volume of ceramic tiles in the third quarter was 12.5 million square meters, an increase of 50.6% as compared to the second quarter of 2012 and a 2.9% increase from the 12.2% million square meters of ceramic tiles sold in the year of both quarter. The average selling price or ASP in the second quarter rose 1.9% to RMB27.2 per square meters from the second quarter’s ASP of RMB24.4 per square meter but is still represents 14.2% decrease from the ASP of the comparable year-ago quarter. The Company attributes its substantially improved revenue to the second quarter to more normalized business conditions in China’s real estate and construction sector although pricing has proved to be more resistant to recovery due to pricing concession institute to address the difficult market conditions that began in late 2012. Gross profits for the third quarter of 2013was RMB33.3 million or U.S. $5.4 million, a substantial rise of 50% from second quarter but still can see [ph] lower than the RMB 110 million or U.S. $17.7 million records for the third quarter of 2012. Although the sales volume have been quoted. The year-over-year decrease in gross profit was due to the comparable year of third quarter or still showed the decrease in the average selling price of the company’s ceramic tiles in the quarter. Our gross profit margin for the third quarter was 9.8% compared it to 28.5% for the same period…

Operator

Operator

(Operator Instructions) we’ll pause for a just a moment to compile the Q&A roster. Your first question comes from Howard Flinker with Flinker and Company. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: I have three questions. First, is the write off of plant and equipment not tax deductible?

Edmund Hen

Management

Yes, it’s a tax deductible. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: It is?

Edmund Hen

Management

It is. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: It seems that you added the whole write off to post tax earnings to get to the adjusted earnings per share. Did I make a mistake in calculation? Because it was what? 4.1 million or 3.1 million pretax and 25% less after tax, is that correct?

Edmund Hen

Management

Yes, 25% after tax. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: 25% in this. Then I must have made a mistake in the calculation. Second, are your increases in receivables, inventory receivable or is that going to be a new continues level?

Edmund Hen

Management

You mean the inventory receivable? The account receivable is maintaining 150 days and all this account receivable are collected within this period. So, and this policy was since the end of last year. So, it actually has no extension for our account receivable. And for the inventory, we always maintain at reasonable level for our inventory level. And it still keeps that about especially in our press release. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: When your turn over of inventory is slower now than it was before, so does that mean you’re adding more inventory to serve your customers or is that somewhat related to the summer season?

Edmund Hen

Management

This is a seasonal increase. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: Okay. And finally, what’s that new subsidiary Hengdali Construction or something like that? What’s it going to do?

Edmund Hen

Management

This company will majorly focusing on the trading activity for the company. And also the area we established that we have benefits from certain kind of cast [ph] benefit. So, that will give more benefit to the company for future trading with some – Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: And the trading activity mean that you might by some tiles form other companies to sell to the China Decoration Company or whatever it’s called?

Edmund Hen

Management

Not necessarily, the tiles. So, some stoneware or some other type of products [ph]. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: Oh, I get it.

Edmund Hen

Management

Company is for certain special specific type of product. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: Has the company placed orders or not yet? The China Decoration Company?

Edmund Hen

Management

They have not placed the order at the end of the third quarter yet. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: But they obviously indicated that they will?

Edmund Hen

Management

Yes. Howard Flinker – Flinker and Company: Okay. Thank you very much. [Foreign Language]

Edmund Hen

Management

[Foreign Language]

Operator

Operator

Again. (Operator Instructions) Your next question comes from James Kahn with Oppenheimer. James Kahn – Oppenheimer: [Foreign Language]. My question is, have you noticed yet any pick up in business from competitors that’s suffered in the downturn?

Edmund Hen

Management

Yes, we do. We do see a lot of this small competitor suffering right now and some of them even closed their production line. And also, some second tier competitor also stopped their production line – a few production line within their factory. James Kahn – Oppenheimer: Thank you. Also, are there any international companies with whom you compete? And is there – do you foresee in the next decade for example, any possibility of expanding overseas, away from China?

Edmund Hen

Management

Yes. We always look into new opportunity. First of all, should be inside China and also we visited some overseas country like Middle East, Japan, et cetera, to see the latest opportunity, while at this level, as our overseas sales is to maintaining at a single digit. So, the challenge to expand into overseas will be a bit remote from now. But we still look in to the new opportunity if there’s any chance for us to expand further. James Kahn – Oppenheimer: Thank you. [Foreign Language]

Operator

Operator

At this time, there are no further questions. You may continue with your presentation or closing remarks.

David Rudnick

Management

Okay. Thank you very much. On behalf of the entire China Ceramics management team, we’d like to thank all of you for your interest and participation on this call. This concludes China Ceramic’s third quarter 2013 earnings conference call. Thank you all very much.

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today’s conference call. You may now disconnect.