EX-99.1 2 p74556exv99w1.htm EX-99.1: PRESS RELEASE exv99w1
 

Exhibit 99.1
(FIRST SOLAR LOGO)
     
News Release
   
 
   
Contacts:
   
First Solar, Inc.
  Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
Jens Meyerhoff
  Erica Mannion
Chief Financial Officer
  Investor Relations
(602) 414-9300
  (212) 766-1800
investor@firstsolar.com
  investor@firstsolar.com
First Solar, Inc. Announces 2007 Third Quarter Financial Results
PHOENIX, AZ — November 7, 2007 — First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 29, 2007. Quarterly revenues were $159.0 million, up from $77.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2007 and up from $40.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2006.
Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 was $46.0 million or $0.58 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared to $44.4 million or $0.58 per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 and $4.3 million or $0.06 per share on a fully diluted pro-forma basis for the third quarter of fiscal 2006.
Net income for the third and second quarters of fiscal 2007 include one time tax benefits of $7.5 million, or $0.09 per fully diluted share and $39.2 million, or $0.51 per fully diluted share, respectively, due to the reversal of valuation allowances against previously established deferred tax assets in Germany and the United States, respectively.
Pro-forma earnings per share for the three months ended September 30, 2006 have been adjusted to give effect to the Company’s equity offerings during 2006, including its initial public offering, as if each occurred on January 1, 2006. The Company believes the pro-forma earnings per share presentation represents a meaningful basis for the comparison of its current results to results during fiscal periods occurring prior to the Company’s initial public offering.
“The third quarter of 2007 concludes another important milestone in our mission towards grid parity. We successfully completed the ramp of our German production facility well ahead of schedule, which afforded us with highly leveraged growth during the quarter and provided our

 


 

customers with additional production volumes in a continued robust demand environment,” said Mike Ahearn, chief executive officer and chairman of First Solar.
First Solar will discuss these results and expected results for fiscal 2007 and 2008 in a conference call scheduled for today at 4:30 p.m. ET. To participate in the conference call, please dial (888) 264-8952 or (913) 312-1278. Investors may also access a live audio web cast of this conference call in the Investors section of the Company’s website at http://www.firstsolar.com. An audio replay of the web cast will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. The audio replay will remain available until Monday, November 12, 2007 at 11:59 p.m. ET and can be accessed by dialing (888) 203-1112 or (719) 457-0820 and entering access ID number 6614343.
About First Solar:
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) manufactures solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor process that significantly lowers solar electricity costs. By enabling clean renewable electricity at affordable prices, First Solar provides an economic alternative to peak conventional electricity and the related fossil fuel dependence, greenhouse gas emissions, and peak time grid constraints.
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The First Solar, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3052
For First Solar Investors:
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the company’s business involving the company’s products, their development and distribution, economic and competitive factors and the company’s key strategic relationships, and other risks detailed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. First Solar assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

 


 

FIRST SOLAR, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

 
                                 
    Three Months Ended     Nine Months Ended  
    September 30,     September 29,     September 30,     September 29,  
    2006     2007     2006     2007  
Net sales
  $ 40,794     $ 159,007     $ 82,279     $ 303,179  
Cost of sales
    24,537       76,967       53,650       162,726  
 
                       
Gross profit
    16,257       82,040       28,629       140,453  
 
                       
Operating expenses:
                               
Research and development
    1,657       3,854       4,712       10,675  
Selling, general and administrative
    8,393       27,082       22,398       58,057  
Production start-up
    1,109       2,805       7,750       12,802  
 
                       
Total operating expenses
    11,159       33,741       34,860       81,534  
 
                       
Operating income (loss)
    5,098       48,299       (6,231 )     58,919  
Foreign currency gain (loss)
    (298 )     965       2,792       716  
Interest income
    312       5,298       893       13,199  
Interest expense
    (158 )     (647 )     (866 )     (2,131 )
Other expense, net
    (481 )     (266 )     (471 )     (881 )
 
                       
Income (loss) before income taxes
    4,473       53,649       (3,883 )     69,822  
Income tax benefit (expense)
    (181 )     (7,615 )     (181 )     25,658  
 
                       
Net income (loss)
  $ 4,292     $ 46,034     $ (4,064 )   $ 95,480  
 
                       
Net income (loss) per share:
                               
Basic
  $ 0.08     $ 0.61     $ (0.08 )   $ 1.30  
 
                       
Diluted
  $ 0.07     $ 0.58     $ (0.08 )   $ 1.24  
 
                       
Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:
                               
Basic
    56,137       75,666       53,757       73,537  
 
                       
Diluted
    57,956       79,088       53,757       76,856  
 
                       

 


 

FIRST SOLAR, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

 
                 
    December 30,     September 29,  
    2006     2007  
ASSETS
               
Current assets:
               
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 308,092     $ 117,153  
Marketable securities
    323       564,641  
Accounts receivable, net
    27,123       19,660  
Inventories
    16,510       31,887  
Economic development funding receivable
    27,515       34,323  
Deferred tax asset, net — current
          3,752  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
    8,959       24,369  
 
           
Total current assets
    388,522       795,785  
Property, plant and equipment, net
    178,868       317,552  
Restricted investments
    8,224       14,458  
Deferred tax asset, net — noncurrent
          45,071  
Other noncurrent assets
    2,896       4,290  
 
           
Total assets
  $ 578,510     $ 1,177,156  
 
           
 
               
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Current liabilities:
               
Short-term debt
  $ 16,339     $ 23,713  
Current portion of long-term debt
    3,311       9,900  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    32,083       69,465  
Other current liabilities
    340       9,111  
 
           
Total current liabilities
    52,073       112,189  
Accrued recycling
    3,724       9,424  
Long-term debt
    61,047       72,484  
Other noncurrent liabilities
          2,240  
 
           
Total liabilities
    116,844       196,337  
Commitments and contingencies
               
Employee stock options on redeemable shares
    50,226        
Stockholders’ equity:
               
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 77,950,515 shares issued and outstanding at September 29, 2007
    72       78  
Additional paid-in capital
    555,749       1,026,856  
Accumulated deficit
    (145,403 )     (49,979 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    1,022       3,864  
 
           
Total stockholders’ equity
    411,440       980,819  
 
           
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
  $ 578,510     $ 1,177,156  
 
           

 


 

FIRST SOLAR, INC.
PRO-FORMA vs. GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE
(in thousands, except per share data)
A reconciliation of the denominator used in calculating pro-forma fully diluted earnings per share is as follows:
                         
    Three Months Ended
    September 30,   June 30,   September 29,
    2006   2007   2007
    (Unaudited)
Net income
  $ 4,292     $ 44,418     $ 46,034  
 
                       
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted
    57,956       76,089       79,088  
Adjustment to reflect the IPO shares as if they had been outstanding since the beginning of 2006
    16,193              
 
                       
Pro-forma weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted
    74,149       76,089       79,088  
 
                       
Net income per share diluted as reported
  $ 0.07     $ 0.58     $ 0.58  
 
                       
Net income per share diluted pro-forma
  $ 0.06     $ 0.58     $ 0.58