false 0001157762 0001157762 2024-05-14 2024-05-14 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares iso4217:USD xbrli:shares

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 14, 2024

 

China Automotive Systems, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware 000-33123 33-0885775
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

No. 1 Henglong Road, Yu Qiao Development Zone
Shashi District, Jing Zhou City
Hubei Province
The People's Republic of China
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (86) 27-8757 0027

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value CAAS The Nasdaq Capital Market

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

On May 14, 2024, China Automotive Systems, Inc. issued a press release announcing financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The information in this Item 2.02 and in Exhibit 99.1 attached to this Form 8-K is furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

  (d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No   Description
   
99.1 Press Release of China Automotive Systems, Inc. dated May 14, 2024.
   
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted in Inline XBRL in Exhibit 101)

 

2

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  China Automotive Systems, Inc.
  (Registrant)
   
     
Date: May 14, 2024 By: /s/ Hanlin Chen
    Hanlin Chen
    Chairman

 

3

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

China Automotive Systems Reports 17.4% Increase in Earnings Per Share in the First Quarter of 2024

 

WUHAN, China, May 14, 2024 - China Automotive Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAAS) (“CAAS” or the “Company”), a leading power steering components and systems supplier in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

 

First Quarter 2024 Highlights

 

Net sales were $139.4 million

Gross profit increased by 11.6% to $24.1 million with a gross margin of 17.3%, compared with $21.6 million of gross profit and a 15.2% gross margin in the first quarter of 2023

Income from operations increased by 26.0% to $9.7 million compared with $7.7 million in the first quarter of 2023

Diluted income per share increased by 17.4% to $0.27, compared to diluted income per share of $0.23 in the first quarter of 2023

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $135.8 million as of March 31, 2024

Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.5 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to net cash used of $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Mr. Qizhou Wu, chief executive officer of CAAS, commented, “We are pleased with achieving higher gross profit, income from operations, diluted income per share and net cash flow from operating activities in the 2024 first quarter. We remain confident in our sales growth in 2024, despite a slight decline in the 2024 first quarter. Our electric power steering (“EPS”) sales percentage remained consistent around 34.0% of total sales in the first quarter of 2024. International sales were mixed as sales in Brazil continued its growth trend with a 17.6% year-over-year sales rise, and North American sales were down by 12.4% year-over-year mainly due to temporary lower product sales to Stellantis N.V in the 2024 first quarter.”

 

“We continued to invest in our products as research and development (“R&D”) expenses remained stable. Investments targeted improving performance of our traditional steering products continued even as we focus on expanding our EPS portfolio of products and enhance our Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (“ADAS”) program with Sentient AB and our clients.”

 

Mr. Jie Li, chief financial officer of CAAS, commented, “We had total cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $135.8 million and our current ratio was 1.6 to 1 as of March 31, 2024. Cash flow from operating activities was $10.5 million in the first quarter of 2024 and gross margin increased primarily due to changes in the product mix sold combined with our ongoing cost controls.”

 

 

 

 

First Quarter of 2024

 

Net sales decreased by 2.0% to $139.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $142.2 million in the first quarter of 2023. Net sales of traditional steering products and parts were $92.0 million compared to $94.4 million for the first quarter of 2023. Net sales of electric power steering (“EPS”) products and parts were $47.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared with $47.8 million for the same period in 2023. EPS product sales for the first quarter of 2024 were approximately 34.0% of total net sales. North American net export sales were $30.4 million compared to $34.7 million in the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower demand of passenger vehicle products by Stellantis N.V. Brazil Henglong’s net product sales increased by 17.6% to $12.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $10.8 million for the same period in 2023 due to higher sales to Fiat. Sales volumes to Chery Automobile Co., Ltd increased, and sales for other entities increased by 31.2% to $29.0 million mainly due to higher sales by Wuhan Jielong and Wuhan Hyoseong. Steering product sales to the commercial vehicle markets of $16.8 million were consistent with the sales in the 2023 first quarter.

 

Gross profit increased by 11.6% to $24.1 million from $21.6 million in the first quarter of 2023. Gross margin in the first quarter of 2024 was 17.3%, compared with 15.2% gross margin in the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to changes in the product sales mix and the decrease in sales unit cost for the three months of March 31, 2024.

 

Gain on other sales was $0.5 million, compared to $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Selling expenses increased by 20.6% to $4.1 million from $3.4 million in the first quarter of 2023. This increase in selling expenses was primarily due to higher office expenses. Selling expenses represented 2.9% of net sales in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2.4% in the first quarter of 2023.

 

General and administrative expenses (“G&A expenses”) increased to $5.5 million, compared with $4.8 million of the first quarter of 2023 mainly due to higher payroll related expenses and maintenance expenses. G&A expenses represented 3.9% of net sales in the first quarter of 2024 compared with 3.4% of net sales in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Research and development expenses (“R&D expenses”) decreased by 17.2% to $5.3 million compared to $6.4 million in the first quarter of 2023, mainly due to decreased R&D activities for new projects of the traditional products. R&D expenses represented 3.8% of net sales in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Other income was $2.4 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2023, mainly due to higher government subsidies in the first quarter of 2024.

 

Income from operations was $9.7 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to income from operations of $7.7 million in the first quarter of 2023. The 26.0% increase in 2024 first quarter income from operations was primarily due to higher gross profit partially offset by a smaller increase in operating expenses.

 

Interest expense was $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $0.2 million in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Financial expense, net was $0.01 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2023. This change was primarily due to a decrease in foreign exchange loss due to foreign exchange volatility.

 

Income before income tax expenses and equity in earnings of affiliated companies increased by 37.2% to $11.8 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $8.6 million in the first quarter of 2023. The increase in income before income tax expenses and equity in earnings of affiliated companies in the first quarter of 2024 was mainly due to higher income from operations and increased net other income.

 

 

 

 

Equity in losses of affiliated companies was $0.8 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared with equity in income of affiliated companies of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Income tax expense was $1.7 million for the first quarter of 2024 as compared to $0.8 million for the first quarter of 2023. This higher tax was primarily due to an increase in the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) tax expenses.

 

Net income attributable to parent company’s common shareholders was $8.3 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $6.8 million in the first quarter of 2023. Diluted income per share was $0.27 in the first quarter of 2024, compared to net income per share of $0.23 in the first quarter of 2023.

 

The weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding was 30,185,702 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 30,193,082 in the first quarter of 2023.

 

Balance Sheet

 

As of March 31, 2024, total cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $135.8 million, total accounts receivable including notes receivable were $266.7 million, accounts payable including notes payable were $243.0 million and short-term bank loans were $40.5 million. Working capital rose to $206.7 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $180.3 million as of December 31, 2023. Total parent company stockholders’ equity was $358.4 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $344.5 million as of December 31, 2023.

 

Business Outlook

 

Management has reiterated revenue guidance for the full fiscal year 2024 of $605.0 million. This target is based on the Company’s current views on operating and market conditions, which are subject to change.

 

Conference Call

 

Management will conduct a conference call on May 14, 2024, at 8:00 A.M. EDT/8:00 P.M. Beijing Time to discuss these results. A question and answer session will follow management’s presentation. To participate, please see the dial-in information below, enter the call 10 minutes before the aforementioned start time and ask to be connected to the “China Automotive Systems” conference call with pin number 144876:

 

Phone Number: +1-888-506-0062 (North America)

Phone Number: +1-973-528-0011 (International)

Mainland China Toll Free: +86-400-120-3199

 

A replay of the call will be available on the Company’s website under the investor relations section.

 

 

 

 

About China Automotive Systems, Inc.

 

Based in Hubei Province, the People’s Republic of China, China Automotive Systems, Inc. is a leading supplier of power steering components and systems to the Chinese automotive industry, operating through eight Sino-foreign joint ventures. The Company offers a full range of steering system parts for passenger automobiles and commercial vehicles. The Company currently offers four separate series of power steering with an annual production capacity of over 8 million sets of steering gears, columns and steering hoses. Its customer base is comprised of leading auto manufacturers, such as China FAW Group, Corp., Dongfeng Auto Group Co., Ltd., BYD Auto Company Limited, Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. in China, and Stellantis N.V. and Ford Motor Company in North America. For more information, please visit: http://www.caasauto.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains statements that are “forward-looking statements” as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Our actual results may differ materially from the results described in or anticipated by our forward-looking statements due to certain risks and uncertainties. As a result, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2024, and in documents subsequently filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any of these factors and other factors beyond our control, could have an adverse effect on the overall business environment, cause uncertainties in the regions where we conduct business, cause our business to suffer in ways that we cannot predict and materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. A prolonged disruption or any further unforeseen delay in our operations of the manufacturing, delivery and assembly process within any of our production facilities could continue to result in delays in the shipment of products to our customers, increased costs and reduced revenue. We expressly disclaim any duty to provide updates to any forward-looking statements made in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Jie Li

Chief Financial Officer

China Automotive Systems, Inc.

jieli@chl.com.cn

 

Kevin Theiss

Awaken Advisors

+1-212-510-8922

Kevin@awakenlab.com

 

-Tables Follow –

 

 

 

 

China Automotive Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands of USD unless otherwise indicated)

 

 

   March 31, 2024   December 31, 2023 
ASSETS          
Current assets:          
Cash and cash equivalents  $112,557   $114,660 
Pledged cash   44,028    40,534 
Accounts and notes receivable, net - unrelated parties   255,119    261,237 
Accounts and notes receivable, net - related parties   11,599    8,169 
Inventories   109,082    112,392 
Other current assets   38,047    27,083 
Total current assets   570,432    564,075 
Non-current assets:          
Property, plant and equipment, net   99,395    101,359 
Land use rights, net   9,151    9,233 
Long-term investments   59,278    60,173 
Other non-current assets   32,416    31,600 
Total assets  $770,672   $766,440 
           
LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
Current liabilities:          
Short-term loans  $40,471   $48,005 
Accounts and notes payable-unrelated parties   228,705    240,739 
Accounts and notes payable-related parties   14,265    12,839 
Accrued expenses and other payables   44,839    44,771 
Other current liabilities   35,409    37,385 
Total current liabilities   363,689    383,739 
Long-term liabilities:          
Long-term tax payable   8,781    8,781 
Other non-current liabilities   5,360    5,498 
Total liabilities  $377,830   $398,018 
           
Mezzanine equity:          
Redeemable non-controlling interests   621    613 
           
Stockholders’ equity:          
Common stock, $0.0001 par value – Authorized – 80,000,000 shares; Issued – 32,338,302 and 32,338,302 shares as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively  $3   $3 
Additional paid-in capital   69,722    63,731 
Retained earnings-          
Appropriated   12,174    11,851 
Unappropriated   292,776    284,832 
Accumulated other comprehensive income   (8,558)   (8,258)
Treasury stock – 2,152,600 and 2,152,600 shares as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively   (7,695)   (7,695)
Total parent company stockholders’ equity   358,422    344,464 
Non-controlling interests   33,799    23,345 
Total stockholders’ equity   392,221    367,809 
Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and stockholders’ equity  $770,672   $766,440 

 

 

 

 

China Automotive Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income

(In thousands of USD, except share and per share amounts)

 

   Three Months Ended March 31, 
   2024   2023 
Net product sales ($11,360 and $13,576 sold to related parties for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023)  $139,394   $142,243 
Cost of products sold ($6,968 and $7,015 purchased from related parties for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023)   115,325    120,625 
Gross profit   24,069    21,618 
Gain on other sales   514    653 
Less: Operating expenses          
Selling expenses   4,073    3,384 
General and administrative expenses   5,547    4,753 
Research and development expenses   5,312    6,390 
Total operating expenses   14,932    14,527 
Income from operations   9,651    7,744 
Other income, net   2,403    1,502 
Interest expense   (258)   (249)
Financial expense, net   (12)   (422)
Income before income tax expenses and equity in earnings of affiliated companies   11,784    8,575 
Less: Income taxes   1,743    829 
Add: Equity in (losses)/earnings of affiliated companies   (777)   137 
Net income   9,264    7,883 
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests   989    1,055 
Accretion to redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests   (8)   (8)
Net income attributable to parent company’s common shareholders  $8,267   $6,820 
Comprehensive income:          
Net income  $9,264   $7,883 
Other comprehensive income:          
Foreign currency translation (loss)/income, net of tax   (348)   4,554 
Comprehensive income   8,916    12,437 
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests   941    1,321 
Accretion to redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests   (8)   (8)
Comprehensive income attributable to parent company  $7,967   $11,108 
           
Net income attributable to parent company’s common shareholders per share -          
Basic  $0.27   $0.23 
Diluted  $0.27   $0.23 
           
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding -          
Basic   30,185,702    30,185,702 
Diluted   30,185,702    30,193,082 

 

 

 

 

China Automotive Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands of USD unless otherwise indicated)

 

   Three Months Ended March 31, 
   2024   2023 
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net income  $9,264   $7,883 
Adjustments to reconcile net income from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:          
Depreciation and amortization   5,114    4,856 
Reversal of credit losses   (114)   (217)
Deferred income taxes   136    1,019 
Equity in losses/(earnings) of affiliated companies   777    (137)
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment   670    15 
(Increase)/decrease in:          
Accounts and notes receivable   2,335    (17,383)
Inventories   3,109    8,285 
Other current assets   1,091    (1,206)
Increase/(decrease) in:          
Accounts and notes payable   (10,157)   1,360 
Accrued expenses and other payables   96    (2,868)
Other current liabilities   (1,870)   (3,023)
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities   10,451    (1,416)
Cash flows from investing activities:          
Increase in demand loans included in other non-current assets       (14)
Cash received from disposal of property, plant and equipment sales   108    31 
Payments to acquire property, plant and equipment (including $1,615 and $2,376 paid to related parties for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively)   (4,493)   (3,160)
Payments to acquire intangible assets   (18)    
Investments under the equity method       (5,841)
Purchase of short-term investments   (14,534)   (34,795)
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments   2,370    26,541 
Cash received from long-term investments   84    557 
Net cash used in investing activities   (16,483)   (16,681)
Cash flows from financing activities:          
Proceeds from bank loans   34,347    20,135 
Repayments of bank loans   (41,866)   (20,534)
Cash received from capital contributions of a non-controlling interest   15,504     
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities   7,985    (399)
Effects of exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents and pledged cash   (562)   2,428 
Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and pledged cash   1,391    (16,068)
Cash, cash equivalents and pledged cash at beginning of the period   155,194    158,951 
Cash, cash equivalents and pledged cash at end of the period  $156,585   $142,883 

 

 

v3.24.1.1.u2
Cover
May 14, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Document Type 8-K
Amendment Flag false
Document Period End Date May 14, 2024
Entity File Number 000-33123
Entity Registrant Name China Automotive Systems, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key 0001157762
Entity Tax Identification Number 33-0885775
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE
Entity Address, Address Line One No. 1 Henglong Road, Yu Qiao Development Zone
Entity Address, Address Line Two Shashi District
Entity Address, Address Line Three Jing Zhou City
Entity Address, City or Town Hubei Province
Entity Address, Country CN
City Area Code 86
Local Phone Number 27-8757 0027
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Title of 12(b) Security Common Stock, $0.0001 par value
Trading Symbol CAAS
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company false

China Automotive Systems (NASDAQ:CAAS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024 Click Here for more China Automotive Systems Charts.
China Automotive Systems (NASDAQ:CAAS)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024 Click Here for more China Automotive Systems Charts.