Azure Power Announces Results for Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2019
EBENE, Mauritius, June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Azure Power Global Limited (NYSE: AZRE), a leading independent solar power producer in India, today announced its consolidated results under United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") for the fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, 2019.
Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2019 Year Ended March 31, 2019 Operating Highlights:
-- Net profit of INR 241.0 million (US$ 3.5 million) and INR 138.5 million
(US$ 2.0 million) for the quarter and year ended March, 31, 2019,
respectively.
-- Operating Megawatts (MW) were 1,441 MWs as of March 31, 2019, an
increase of 58% over March 31, 2018.
-- Operating & Committed Megawatts were 3,356 MWs as of March 31, 2019, an
increase of 79% over March 31, 2018.
-- Revenue for the quarter was INR 2,847.2 million (US$ 41.1 million), an
increase of 26% over the quarter ended March 31, 2018.
-- Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was INR 2,142.5 million (US$ 31.0
million), an increase of 32% over the quarter ended March 31, 2018.
Key Operating Metrics
Electricity generation during the year ended March 31, 2019 increased by 497 million kWh, or 40%, to 1,733 million kWh compared to the year ended March 31, 2018. The increase in electricity generation was principally a result of additional capacity operating during the year.
Total revenue during the year ended March 31, 2019 was INR 9,926.2 million (US$ 143.5 million), up by 29% from INR 7,700.6 million during the year ended March 31, 2018. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by the commissioning of new projects.
Project cost per megawatt operating consists of costs incurred for one megawatt of new solar power plant during the year. The project cost per megawatt operating for the year ended March 31, 2019 decreased by INR 5.7 million (US$ 0.08 million) to INR 40.7 million (US$ 0.59 million). The project cost per megawatt was lower for the year ended March 31, 2019 than the comparable previous year due to lower costs on account of a decline in solar module prices and efficiency gains in balance of system costs.
As of March 31, 2019, our operating and committed megawatts increased by 1,485 MW, or 79% to 3,356 MW compared to March 31, 2018 as a result of winning new projects.
Nominal Contracted Payments
The Company's PPAs create long-term recurring customer payments. Nominal contracted payments equal the sum of the estimated payments that the customer is likely to make, subject to discounts or rebates, over the remaining term of the PPAs. When calculating nominal contracted payments, the Company includes those PPAs for projects that are operating or committed.
The following table sets forth, with respect to our PPAs, the aggregate nominal contracted payments and total estimated energy output as of the reporting dates. These nominal contracted payments have not been discounted to arrive at the present value.
As of March 31,
2018 2019
INR INR US$
Nominal
contracted
payments
(in
thousands) 358,816,034 584,196,197 8,447,024
Total
estimated
energy
output
(kilowatt
hours
in
millions) 82,884 170,718
Nominal contracted payments increased from March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019 as a result of the Company entering into additional PPAs.
Portfolio Revenue Run-Rate
Portfolio revenue run-rate equals annualized payments from customers extrapolated based on the operating and committed capacity as of the reporting dates. In estimating the portfolio revenue run-rate, the Company multiplies the PPA contract price per kilowatt hour by the estimated annual energy output for all operating and committed solar projects as of the reporting date. The estimated annual energy output of the Company's solar projects is calculated using power generation simulation software and validated by independent engineering firms. The main assumption used in the calculation is the project location, which enables the software to derive the estimated annual energy output from certain meteorological data, including the temperature and solar insolation based on the project location.
The following table sets forth, with respect to the Company's PPAs, the aggregate portfolio revenue run-rate and estimated annual energy output as of the reporting dates. The portfolio revenue run-rate has not been discounted to arrive at the present value.
As of March 31,
2018 2019
INR INR US$
Portfolio
revenue
run-rate
(in
thousands) 15,764,719 25,939,910 375,071
Estimated
annual
energy
output
(kilowatt
hours in
millions) 3,557 7,468
Portfolio revenue run-rate increased by INR 10,175 million (US$ 147.1 million) to INR 25,939.9 million (US$ 375.0 million) as of March 31, 2019, as compared to March 31, 2018, due to an increase in operational and committed capacity.
Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2019 year ended March 31, 2019 Consolidated Financial Results:
Operating Revenues
Operating revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased by INR 588.1 million (US$ 8.5 million), or 26%, to INR 2,847.2 million (US$ 41.1 million) compared to the same period in 2018. The increase in revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2019 is on account of projects commissioned by the Company since last compared period.
Cost of Operations (Exclusive of Depreciation and Amortization)
Cost of operations during the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased by INR 40.3 million (US$ 0.5 million), or 19%, to INR 255.7 million (US$ 3.7 million) compared to the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily due to increase in plant maintenance costs related to newly operational projects. The operating cost per megawatt during the three-month period ended March 31, 2019 was INR 0.18 million, a decrease of INR 0.06 million per megawatt as compared to the same period in 2018, due to improved operational and maintenance methods which improved plant productivity.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased by INR 30.7 million (US$ 0.4 million), or 7.4%, to INR 448.9 million (US$ 6.4 million) compared to the same period in 2018. The increase in general and administrative expenses was lower than the increase in revenue due to economies of scale of operations.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2019 decreased by INR 14.7 million, or 2.8%, to INR 510.0 million (US$ 7.4 million) compared to the same period in 2018. There was no significant change in the depreciation and amortization expense as the additional depreciation on new projects commissioned since last year was offset by a decrease in depreciation expense on account of change in useful life. For a detailed discussion, please refer to Note 2(i), to our consolidated financial statements in our Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2019.
Interest Expense, Net
Net interest expense during the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased by INR 593.0 million (US$ 8.5 million), to INR 1,426.7 million (US$ 20.6 million) compared to the same period in 2018. Interest expense increased on account of borrowings for new projects and was partially offset by the increased interest income on investments during the quarter ended March 31, 2018.
Loss / (Gain) on Foreign Currency Exchange
The Indian rupee appreciated against the U.S. dollar by INR 0.62 to US$ 1.00 (0.9%) during the period from December 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019. Foreign exchange gain during the three months ended March 31, 2019 was INR 16.9 million (US$ 0.2 million), an improvement of INR 115.2 million (US$ 1.7 million) compared to the same period in 2018.
Income Tax Expense / (Benefit)
Income tax expense decreased by INR 39.4 million (US$ 0.5 million) to INR 18.2 million (US$ 0.2 million) during the three months ended March 31, 2019 reflecting an increase in non-cash deferred tax income which was primarily because of new projects commissioned during the quarter.
Net Profit
The net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was INR 240.9 million (US$ 3.4 million) as compared to a net profit of INR 147.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, reflecting an improvement of INR 93.3 million (US$ 1.3 million) as compared to the same period in 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue and economies of scale on operating costs achieved during the period.
Cash Flow and Working Capital
Cash generated from operating activities for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 was INR 2,115.9 million (US$ 30.5 million), an increase of INR 276.8 million (US$ 4.0 million) as compared to the prior comparable period, primarily due to increase in revenue during the current period.
Cash used in investing activities for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 was INR 26,031.2 million (US$ 376.4 million) compared to INR 18,048.1 million for the prior comparable period. The cash outflow was primarily due to INR 26,007.1 million (US$ 376.0 million) incurred to purchase Property, Plant and Equipment.
Cash generated from financing activities increased by INR 10,071.3 million (US$ 145.6 million) to INR 26,887.4 million (US$ 388.7 million), primarily because of the issuance of equity shares pursuant to its follow-on offering and new debt incurred during the period.
Liquidity Position
As of March 31, 2019, the Company had INR 10,544.9 million (US$ 152.4 million) of cash, cash equivalents and current investments. The Company had undrawn project debt commitments of INR 10,158.9 (US$ 146.8) as of March 31, 2019 and a working capital facility of INR 4,363.6 million (US$ 63.1 million).
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA during the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased by INR 517.0 million (US$ 7.4 million) or 32%, as compared to the same period in 2018 to INR 2,142.5 million (US$ 30.9 million). The increase was primarily due to the increase in revenue and economies of scale on operating costs achieved during the period.
Earnings per share
The earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was US$ 0.08, as compared to earnings per share of US$ 0.09 for the prior comparable period. The number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019 increased by 15,043,096, to 41,040,028 primarily, as the Company issued 14,915,542 shares pursuant to its follow-on offering in October 2018.
The Company attributed profits amounting to INR 26,333 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and INR 109,070 for the year ended March 31, 2019, towards a non-controlling interest which was acquired in March 2019. Earnings per share excluding the non-controlling interest would have been INR 6.09 (US$ 0.09) for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and INR 5.67 (US$ 0.08) for the year ended March 31, 2019.
Guidance for Fiscal Year 2020
The following statements are based on current expectations. These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. With a robust pipeline and strong execution capabilities, we expect to continue to deliver high growth in fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, the Company continues to expect to have between 1,800 - 1,900 MWs operational. In addition, the Company is reiterating its guidance of revenues between INR 12,770 - 13,350 million (US$ 185- 193 million at the March 31, 2019 exchange rate of INR 69.16 to US$ 1.00) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.
Webcast and Conference Call Information
The Company will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss earnings results on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 8:30 am US Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed live by dialing 1-888-317-6003 (in the U.S.) and 1-412-317-6061 (outside the U.S.) and enter passcode 3442418. Investors may access a live webcast of this conference call by visiting http://investors.azurepower.com/events-and-presentations. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. The replay will remain available until Tuesday, June 18, 2019 and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (in the U.S.) and 1-412-317-0088 (outside the U.S.) and entering the replay passcode 10132070. An archived podcast will be available at http://investors.azurepower.com/events-and-presentations following the call.
Exchange Rate
This press release contains translations of certain Indian rupee amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, the translation of Indian rupees into U.S. dollars has been made at INR 69.16 to US$ 1.00, which is the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfer in non-U.S. currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on March 29, 2019. The Company makes no representation that the Indian rupee or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this press release could have been converted into U.S. dollars or Indian rupees, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.
About Azure Power Global Limited
Azure Power is a leading independent solar power producer in India. Azure Power developed India's first private utility scale solar project in 2009 and has been at the forefront in the sector as a developer, constructor and operator of utility scale, micro-grid and rooftop solar projects since its inception in 2008. With its inhouse engineering, procurement and construction expertise and advanced in-house operations and maintenance capability, Azure Power manages the entire development and operation process, providing low-cost solar power solutions to customers throughout India.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's future financial and operating guidance, operational and financial results such as estimates of nominal contracted payments remaining and portfolio run rate, and the assumptions related to the calculation of the foregoing metrics. The risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include: the availability of additional financing on acceptable terms; changes in the commercial and retail prices of traditional utility generated electricity; changes in tariffs at which long term PPAs are entered into; changes in policies and regulations including net metering and interconnection limits or caps; the availability of rebates, tax credits and other incentives; the availability of solar panels and other raw materials; its limited operating history, particularly as a new public company; its ability to attract and retain its relationships with third parties, including its solar partners; our ability to meet the covenants in its debt facilities; meteorological conditions and such other risks identified in the registration statements and reports that the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, from time to time. Portfolio represents the aggregate megawatts capacity of solar power plants pursuant to PPAs, signed or allotted or where the Company has been cleared as one of the winning bidders or won a reverse auction but has yet to receive a letter of allotment. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. We present Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure of our performance. This measurement is not recognized in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should not be viewed as an alternative to U.S. GAAP measures of performance. The presentation of Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss (income) plus (a) income tax expense, (b) interest expense, net, (c) depreciation and amortization and (d) loss (income) on foreign currency exchange. We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors in assessing our ongoing financial performance and provides improved comparability between periods through the exclusion of certain items that management believes are not indicative of our operational profitability and that may obscure underlying business results and trends. However, this measure should not be considered in isolation or viewed as a substitute for net income or other measures of performance determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Moreover, Adjusted EBITDA as used herein is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies due to potential inconsistencies in the methods of calculation.
Our management believes this measure is useful to compare general operating performance from period to period and to make certain related management decisions. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by securities analysts, lenders and others in their evaluation of different companies because it excludes certain items that can vary widely across different industries or among companies within the same industry. For example, interest expense can be highly dependent on a company's capital structure, debt levels and credit ratings. Therefore, the impact of interest expense on earnings can vary significantly among companies. In addition, the tax positions of companies can vary because of their differing abilities to take advantage of tax benefits and because of the tax policies of the various jurisdictions in which they operate. As a result, effective tax rates and tax expense can vary considerably among companies.
Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations include:
-- it does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for
capital expenditures or contractual commitments or foreign exchange
gain/loss;
-- it does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working
capital;
-- it does not reflect significant interest expense or the cash
requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our
outstanding debt;
-- it does not reflect payments made or future requirements for income
taxes; and
-- although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets
being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or paid
in the future and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect cash requirements for
such replacements or payments.
Investors are encouraged to evaluate each adjustment and the reasons the Company considers it appropriate for supplemental analysis. For more information, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures" at the end of this release.
AZURE POWER GLOBAL LIMITED
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(INR and US$ amounts in thousands, except share and par value data)
As of March 31,
2018 2019 2019
(INR) (INR) (US$)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 8,346,526 10,537,581 152,365
Investments in available for sale securities 1,383,573 7,408 107
Restricted cash 2,406,569 2,167,827 31,345
Accounts receivable, net 2,223,455 3,307,076 47,818
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,114,482 1,380,314 19,958
Total current assets 15,474,605 17,400,206 251,593
Restricted cash 329,926 1,280,323 18,512
Property, plant and equipment, net 56,580,700 83,444,529 1,206,543
Software, net 39,802 63,715 921
Deferred income taxes 1,052,393 2,406,525 34,796
Other assets 499,653 4,268,462 61,719
Investments in held to maturity securities 7,041
Total assets 73,984,120 108,863,760 1,574,084
Liabilities and shareholders
'
equity
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt 835,000 2,824,843 40,845
Accounts payable 1,521,854 3,477,382 50,280
Current portion of long-term debt 873,883 7,288,995 105,393
Income taxes payable 5,878 93,688 1,355
Interest payable 1,220,463 919,627 13,297
Deferred revenue 79,192 99,065 1,432
Other liabilities 611,598 2,301,669 33,280
Total current liabilities 5,147,868 17,005,269 245,882
Non-current liabilities:
Long-term debt 52,234,940 61,658,403 891,533
Deferred revenue 1,563,732 1,800,155 26,029
Deferred income taxes 892,138 2,053,808 29,696
Asset retirement obligations 356,649 665,146 9,617
Other liabilities 513,344 283,728 4,102
Total liabilities 60,708,671 83,466,509 1,206,859
Shareholders
'
equity
Equity shares, US$ 0.000625 par value;
25,996,932 and 41,040,028 shares issued 1,076 1,773 26
and outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and 2019
respectively
Additional paid-in capital 19,004,604 32,186,606 465,393
Accumulated deficit (6,593,471) (6,311,095) (91,253)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (294,672) (747,545) (10,809)
Total APGL shareholders
'
equity 12,117,537 25,129,739 363,357
Non-controlling interest 1,157,912 267,512 3,868
Total shareholders
'
equity 13,275,449 25,397,251 367,225
Total liabilities and shareholders
'
equity 73,984,120 108,863,760 1,574,084
AZURE POWER GLOBAL LIMITED
INTERIM CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(INR and US$ amounts in thousands, except share value data)
Unaudited
Audited
Three months ended March 31,
Year ended March 31,
2018 2019 2019 2018 2019 2019
INR INR US$ INR INR US$
Operating revenues:
Sale of power 2,259,021 2,847,201 41,168 7,700,600 9,926,209 143,525
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of operations (exclusive of
depreciation and amortization
shown separately below) 215,350 255,722 3,698 691,947 868,963 12,565
General and administrative 418,155 448,949 6,491 1,187,379 1,313,765 18,996
Depreciation and amortization 524,784 510,025 7,375 1,882,451 2,137,133 30,901
Total operating costs and
expenses: 1,158,289 1,214,696 17,564 3,761,777 4,319,861 62,462
Operating income 1,100,732 1,632,505 23,604 3,938,823 5,606,348 81,063
Other expense, net:
Interest expense, net 833,704 1,426,742 20,630 5,168,218 4,873,042 70,460
Loss (gain) on foreign currency
exchange, net 98,282 (16,949) (245) 45,716 442,001 6,391
Total other expenses, net 931,986 1,409,793 20,385 5,213,934 5,315,043 76,851
Profit /(loss) before income
tax 168,746 222,712 3,219 (1,275,111) 291,305 4,212
Income tax benefit /(expense) (21,141) 18,244 264 252,882 (152,812) (2,210)
Net profit /(loss) 147,605 240,956 3,483 (1,022,229) 138,493 2,002
Less: Net (loss) /profit
attributable to non-
controlling interest 2,369 17,983 260 (201,547) 60,094 869
Net profit /(loss) attributable
to APGL 145,236 222,973 3,223 (820,682) 78,399 1,133
Accretion to redeemable non-
controlling interest (6,397)
Net profit /(loss) attributable
to APGL equity shareholders 145,236 222,973 3,223 (827,079) 78,399 1,133
Basic 5.59 5.44 0.08 (31.84) 2.37 0.03#
Diluted 5.39 5.41 0.08 (31.84) 2.31 0.03#
Shares used in computing basic
and diluted per share amounts
Equity shares: Basic 25,992,050 40,970,406 25,974,111 33,063,832
Equity shares: Diluted 26,937,258 41,185,670 25,974,111 33,968,127
# The Company attributed profits amounting to INR 109,070 (US$ 1,577), for the year ended March 31, 2019, towards a non-controlling interest which was acquired during the year. Earnings per share for the year ended March 31, 2019, excluding the non-controlling interest is INR 5.67 (US$ 0.08).
AZURE POWER GLOBAL LIMITED
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(INR and US$ amounts in thousands)
Unaudited Audited
Three months ended March 31,
Year ended March 31,
2018 2019 2019 2018 2019 2019
INR INR US$ INR INR US$
Net cash provided
by operating
activities 1,433,582 1,326,908 19,186 1,839,125 2,115,916 30,594
Net cash used in
investing
activities (1,744,855) (12,916,956) (186,769) (18,048,123) (26,031,226) (376,391)
Net cash provided
by financing
activities 59,114 1,772,979 25,636 16,816,081 26,887,370 388,771
RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO THE NEAREST COMPARABLE GAAP MEASURES
The table below sets forth a reconciliation of our income from operations to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods indicated:
Three months ended March 31,
Year ended March 31,
2018 2019 2019 2018 2019 2019
INR INR US$ INR INR US$
Net Profit /(Loss) 147,605 240,956 3,483 (1,022,229) 138,493 2,002
Income tax expense/
(benefit) 21,141 (18,244) (264) (252,882) 152,812 2,210
Interest expense, net 833,704 1,426,742 20,630 5,168,218 4,873,042 70,460
Depreciation and
amortization 524,784 510,025 7,375 1,882,451 2,137,133 30,901
Loss/(gain) on foreign
currency exchange, net 98,282 (16,949) (245) 45,716 442,001 6,391
Adjusted EBITDA 1,625,516 2,142,530 30,979 5,821,274 7,743,481 111,964
Investor Relation Contacts:
For investor enquiries, please contact Nathan Judge, CFA, Investor Relations, Azure Power, ir@azurepower.com
Media Contact
For media related information, please contact Samitla Subba, Marketing, Azure Power, pr@azurepower.com, +91-11- 4940 9854
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/azure-power-announces-results-for-fiscal-fourth-quarter-2019-300864845.html
SOURCE Azure Power
