Daqo New Energy Announces Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2019 Results

SHIHEZI, China, March 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo New Energy", the "Company" or "we"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year of 2019.

Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial and Operating Highlights

    --  Polysilicon production volume was 16,204 MT in Q4 2019, compared to
        9,437 MT in Q3 2019
    --  Polysilicon sales volume was 13,291 MT in Q4 2019, compared to 9,238 MT
        in Q3 2019
    --  Polysilicon average total production cost((1)) was $6.38/kg in Q4 2019,
        compared to $6.97/kg in Q3 2019
    --  Polysilicon average cash cost((1)) was $5.47/kg in Q4 2019, compared to
        $5.85/kg in Q3 2019
    --  Polysilicon average selling price (ASP) was $8.77/kg in Q4 2019,
        compared to $8.99/kg in Q3 2019
    --  Revenue from continuing operations was $118.9 million in Q4 2019,
        compared to $83.9 million in Q3 2019
    --  Gross profit from continuing operations was $35.1 million in Q4 2019,
        compared to $18.1 million in Q3 2019. Gross margin from continuing
        operations was 29.5% in Q4 2019, compared to 21.5% in Q3 2019
    --  EBITDA (non-GAAP)((2)) from continuing operations was $45.4 million in
        Q4 2019, compared to $19.7 million in Q3 2019. EBITDA margin
        (non-GAAP)((2)) from continuing operations was 38.2% in Q4 2019,
        compared to 23.5% in Q3 2019
    --  Net income from continuing operations was $20.4 million in Q4 2019,
        compared to $4.8 million in Q3 2019 and $17.1 million in Q4 2018.
    --  Net loss from discontinued operations was $0.3 million in Q4 2019,
        compared to net income from discontinued operations of $0.2 million in
        Q3 2019 and net loss from discontinued operations of $5.6 million in Q4
        2018.
    --  Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders was $20.1
        million in Q4 2019, compared to $5.0 million in Q3 2019 and $11.4
        million in Q4 2018.
    --  Earnings per basic American Depository Share (ADS) was $1.45 in Q4 2019,
        compared to $0.37 in Q3 2019, and $0.86 in Q4 2018.
    --  Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)((2)) attributable to Daqo New Energy
        Corp. shareholders was $24.5 million in Q4 2019, compared to $9.5
        million in Q3 2019 and $15.7 million in Q4 2018.
    --  Adjusted earnings per basic ADS (non-GAAP)((2)) was $1.77 in Q4 2019,
        compared to $0.69 in Q3 2019, and $1.18 in Q4 2018.



            `                                              
       
       Three months ended

    ---


            US$ millions                                     
       
        Dec 31, 2019    
     
     Sept 30, 2019   
     
     Dec 31, 2018


            except as indicated otherwise

    ---


            Revenues                                                            118.9                83.9                75.6

    ---


            Gross profit                                                         35.1                18.1                16.9

    ---


            Gross margin                                                        29.5%              21.5%              22.4%

    ---


            Operating income                                                     30.1                 8.8                20.2

    ---


            Net income from continuing operations                                20.4                 4.8                17.1

    ---


            Net (loss) / income from discontinued                               (0.3)                0.2               (5.6)
    operations, net of tax

    ---


            Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy                           20.1                 5.0                11.4
    Corp. shareholders

    ---


            Earnings per basic ADS ($ per ADS)                                   1.45                0.37                0.86

    ---


            Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)(2) attributable                       24.5                 9.5                15.7
    to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders

    ---


            Adjusted earnings per basic ADS (non-GAAP)(2)                        1.77                0.69                1.18
    ($ per ADS)

    ---


            EBITDA (non-GAAP)(2) from continuing                                 45.4                19.7                29.5
    operations

    ---


            EBITDA margin (non-GAAP)(2) from continuing                         38.2%              23.5%              39.1%
    operations

    ---


            Polysilicon sales volume (MT)                                      13,291               9,238               7,030

    ---


            Polysilicon production cost ($/kg)(1)                                6.38                6.97                7.94

    ---


            Polysilicon cash cost (excl. dep'n) ($/kg)(1)                        5.47                5.85                6.64

    ---

Full Year 2019 Financial and Operating Highlights

    --  Polysilicon production volume was 41,556 MT in 2019, compared to 23,351
        MT in 2018
    --  Polysilicon sales volume was 38,110 MT in 2019, compared to 22,521 MT in
        2018
    --  Revenue from continuing operations was $350.0 million in 2019, compared
        to $301.6 million in 2018
    --  Gross profit from continuing operations was $80.1 million in 2019,
        compared to $98.1 million in 2018. Gross margin was 22.9% in 2019,
        compared to 32.5% in 2018
    --  EBITDA (non-GAAP)((2)) from continuing operation was $95.3 million in
        2019, compared to $120.4 million in 2018
    --  EBITDA margin (non-GAAP)((2)) from continuing operations was 27.2% in
        2019, compared to 39.9% in 2018
    --  Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders was $29.5
        million in 2019, compared to $38.1 million in 2018
    --  Earnings per basic ADS was $2.17 in 2019, compared to $3.06 in 2018
    --  Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)((2)) attributable to Daqo New Energy
        Corp. shareholders was $47.4 million in 2019, compared to $71.6 million
        in 2018
    --  Adjusted earnings per basic ADS (non-GAAP)((2)) was $3.49 in 2019,
        compared to $5.74 in 2018

Notes:

(1) Production cost and cash cost only refer to production in our Xinjiang polysilicon facilities. Production cost is calculated by the inventoriable costs relating to production of polysilicon in Xinjiang divided by the production volume in the period indicated. Cash cost is calculated by the inventoriable costs relating to production of polysilicon excluding depreciation expense, divided by the production volume in the period indicated.

(2) Daqo New Energy provides EBITDA from continuing operations, EBITDA margin from continuing operations, adjusted net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and adjusted earnings per ADS on a non-GAAP basis to provide supplemental information regarding its financial performance. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section captioned "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the tables captioned "Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable US GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this press release.

Management Remarks

Mr. Longgen Zhang, CEO of Daqo New Energy, commented, "We are pleased to report an outstanding quarter to close out the year in which we delivered strong operational and financial results. Having completed the new 35,000 MT Phase 4A expansion project at the end of the third quarter, we quickly ramped its production up during the fourth quarter and hit full capacity in December 2019. We completed the ramp up progress months ahead of schedule and were able to generate outstanding operational results across all key metrics including production volume, product quality, and manufacturing cost. I would like to thank our entire team for their hard work and dedication. I also would like to thank the Shihezi city government and our energy suppliers, equipment providers, construction and installation partners and other business partners, for their enormous support that made the Phase 4A expansion project a great success. We truly appreciate their contributions and excellent work."

"We successfully reduced our total production cost to $6.38/kg during the quarter, an 8.5% decrease sequentially and below our previous target of $6.50/kg. With the Phase 4A fully ramped up, our energy consumption, raw material utilization efficiency, and other unit costs are all trending positively. Approximately 81% of our production during the quarter consisted of high-quality mono-grade polysilicon. This result is all the more exceptional given we achieved it while ramping up production and optimizing overall operations for the new Phase 4A. With manufacturing costs continuing to fall, our gross margin for the fourth quarter expanded to 29.5%, a significant improvement sequentially from 21.5%. Our EBITDA improved to $45.4 million during the quarter as adjusted net income jumped to $24.5 million. We are proud of this financial performance and believe it reflects the direction we are headed in with Phase 4A now at full production capacity."

"Based on our current estimates, we expect to run our facilities at full utilization and produce approximately 18,000 MT to 19,000 MT of polysilicon during the first quarter of 2020. We are also making progress in further cost reduction by improving operational efficiency and reducing energy consumption. As such, we expect our production costs to be reduced to approximately $6.10/kg in the first quarter of 2020. At the same time, we will continue to improve product quality and expect mono-grade polysilicon products to account for approximately 90% of our sales volume during the first quarter of 2020."

"2019 was a challenging year for China's domestic solar PV market. Due to the delayed announcement of the subsidy policy last year, newly added solar PV installations in China during the year came in at approximately 30 GW, significantly below the market and government's original expectations of 40~50 GW. However, a draft of the subsidy policy for 2020 was released in late January this year and is expected to be finalized sometime in March or April of 2020. When combined with some delayed projects from 2019, we expect newly added installations in China for 2020 to be approximately 40 GW. Demand from overseas markets is expected to grow healthily in 2020 as overall costs fall further and grid-parity is reached in more and more countries and regions. With China's domestic market expected to recover and overseas demand continuing to grow, we believe global solar PV demand will exceed 140 GW in 2020, a significant increase from 2019."

"Towards the end of 2019 we saw the market share for multi-grade polysilicon shift meaningfully towards mono-grade polysilicon. While mono-grade polysilicon continues to be in high demand with stable pricing, demand for multi-grade polysilicon wanes with prices dropping significantly. While we are ideally positioned to benefit from this shift towards mono-grade polysilicon, this will adversely impact some of our competitors who produce mostly multi-grade polysilicon. At the same time, we are seeing a number of major competitors shutting down their operations, exiting the market and laying off employees due to significant financial losses and their uncompetitive cost structure. We believe this trend will continue going forward unless ASPs can recover to healthy levels for our competitors to continue production."

"In order to limit and contain the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in China, the government implemented strict controls and policies starting in late January this year that had an adverse impact on logistics and supply chains of many companies in manufacturing industry. We immediately set up a crisis response task force led by our senior management team and began rolling out initiatives to ensure business continuity including a detailed assessment of our supply chain and logistics, the immediate procurement of critical raw materials, and plans to allow employees return to work, which resulted in uninterrupted production and full utilization during this challenging period. We are pleased to report that with our team's dedication and the strong support we received from our raw material suppliers and logistics partners, we were able to remediate most of the impact on production, sales, and shipments resulting from the outbreak and related government controls."

"We believe the balance between polysilicon supply and demand will improve meaningfully in 2020 driven by the aggressive capacity expansion of mono wafer producers and very limited additional polysilicon production capacity coming online. So far during the first quarter, we are seeing improvements in ASPs of polysilicon every month which we believe will continue going forward. I am confident that we will continue to benefit from the shift from multi-crystalline to mono-crystalline technology resulting in robust demand and pricing for mono-grade polysilicon."

Outlook and guidance

The Company expects to produce approximately 18,000MT to 19,000MT of polysilicon and sell approximately 17,500MT to 18,500MT of polysilicon to external customers during the first quarter of 2020. For the full year of 2020, the Company expects to produce approximately 73,000 to 75,000 MT of polysilicon, inclusive of the impact of the Company's annual facility maintenance.

This outlook reflects Daqo New Energy's current and preliminary view as of the date of this press release and may be subject to changes. The Company's ability to achieve these projections is subject to risks and uncertainties. See "Safe Harbor Statement" at the end of this press release.

Fourth Quarter 2019 Results

Revenues

Revenues were $118.9 million, compared to 83.9 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $75.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher polysilicon sales volume and partially offset by lower ASPs.

The Company produced 16,204 MT and sold 13,291 MT of polysilicon during the quarter. The difference between the production and sales volume was primarily attributable to an increase in finished goods inventory associated with the doubling of production capacity in December 2019 when compared to the third quarter of 2019, the majority of which were shipments in transit to customers, as well as an increase in the amount of polysilicon utilized for the production of silicon seed rods.

Gross profit and margin

Gross profit was $35.1 million, compared to $18.1 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $16.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. Gross margin was 29.5%, compared to 21.5% in the third quarter of 2019 and 22.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to lower production costs despite a slight decrease in ASPs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $9.0 million, compared to $8.2 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $8.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in shipping costs as a result of higher sales volume. SG&A expenses during the quarter included $4.0 million in non-cash share-based compensation costs related to the Company's share incentive plan.

Research and development expenses

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $1.2 million, compared to $1.2 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. Research and development expenses can vary from period to period and reflect R&D activities that take place during the quarter.

Income from operations and operating margin

As a result of the foregoing, income from operations was $30.1 million, compared to $8.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $20.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Operating margin was 25.3%, compared to 10.4% in the third quarter of 2019 and 26.7% in the third quarter of 2018.

Interest expense

Interest expense was $3.9 million, compared to $2.6 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $1.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in bank loans.

EBITDA (non-GAAP)

EBITDA (non-GAAP) from continuing operations was $45.4 million, compared to $19.7 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $29.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 38.2%, compared to 23.5% in the third quarter of 2019 and 39.1% in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Loss / (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax

During the third quarter of 2018, the Company decided to discontinue its solar wafer manufacturing operations. Net loss from discontinued operations was $0.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to net income from discontinued operations of $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2019 and net loss from discontinued operations of $5.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. Net income from discontinued operations during the third quarter of 2019 resulted from the disposal of fixed assets which were impaired in 2018 and the previous years.

Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and earnings per ADS

As a result of the aforementioned, net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders was $20.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $5.0 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $11.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Earnings per basic American Depository Share (ADS) was $1.45 in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $0.37 in the third quarter of 2019, and $0.86 in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Financial Condition

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had $114.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, compared to $68.2 million as of September 30, 2019 and $94.0 million as of December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2019, the notes receivable balance was $5.6 million, compared to $4.3 million as of September 30, 2019 and $8.1 million as of December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2019, total borrowings were $280.1 million, of which $151.5 million were long-term borrowings, compared to total borrowings of $248.8 million, including $163.5 million long-term borrowings, as of September 30, 2019 and total borrowings of $171.5 million, including $133.3 million long-term borrowings, as of December 31, 2018.

Cash Flows

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, net cash provided by operating activities was $181.0 million, compared to $95.6 million in the same period of 2018.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, net cash used in investing activities was $261.8 million, compared to $164.7 million in the same period of 2018. The net cash used in investing activities in 2019 and 2018 was primarily related to the capital expenditures on Xinjiang Phase 3B and 4A polysilicon projects.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, net cash provided by financing activities was $102.3 million, compared to net cash used in financing activities of $86.7 million in the same period of 2018.

Full Year 2019 Results

Revenues

Revenues were $350.0 million in 2019, compared to $301.6 million in 2018. The increase was primarily due to higher polysilicon sales volume and partially offset by lower ASPs.

Gross profit and margin

Gross profit was $80.1 million in 2019, compared to $98.1 million in 2018. Gross margin was 22.9% in 2019, compared to 32.5% in 2018. The decrease was primarily due to lower polysilicon ASPs andpartially offset by further reductions in cost.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $32.9 million in 2019, compared to $27.1 million in 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase of non-cash share-based compensation costs related to the Company's 2018 share incentive plan.

Research and development expenses

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $5.3 million in 2019, compared to $2.7 million in 2018, mainly due to an increase in R&D staff and costs related to new R&D projects. Research and development expenses can vary from period to period and reflect R&D activities that took place during the period.

Income from operations and operating margin

As a result of the foregoing, income from operations was $47.5 million in 2019, compared to $81.2 million in 2018. Operating margin was 13.6% in 2019, compared to 26.9% in 2018.

Interest expense

Interest expense was $10.4 million in 2019, compared to $10.8 million in 2018.

Income tax expense

Income tax expense was $9.6 million in 2019, compared to $11.7 million in 2018. The decrease was primarily due to lower income before income taxes.

Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and earnings per ADS

Net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders was $29.5 million in 2019, compared to $38.1 million in 2018. Earnings per basic ADS were $2.17 in 2019, compared to $3.06 in 2018.

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders was $47.4 million in 2019, compared to $71.6 million in 2018. Adjusted earnings per basic ADS (non-GAAP) were of $3.49 in 2019, compared to $5.74 in 2018.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement Daqo New Energy's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("US GAAP"), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures that are adjusted for certain items from the most directly comparable GAAP measures including earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") and EBITDA margin; adjusted net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and adjusted earnings per basic and diluted ADS. Our management believes that each of these non-GAAP measures is useful to investors, enabling them to better assess changes in key element of the Company's results of operations across different reporting periods on a consistent basis, independent of certain items as described below. Thus, our management believes that, used in conjunction with US GAAP financial measures, these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with meaningful supplemental information to assess the Company's operating results in a manner that is focused on its ongoing, core operating performance. Our management uses these non-GAAP measures internally to assess the business, its financial performance, current and historical results, as well as for strategic decision-making and forecasting future results. Given our management's use of these non-GAAP measures, the Company believes these measures are important to investors in understanding the Company's operating results as seen through the eyes of our management. These non-GAAP measures are not prepared in accordance with US GAAP or intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with US GAAP; the non-GAAP measures should be reviewed together with the US GAAP measures, and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

The Company uses EBITDA, which represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and EBITDA margin, which represents the proportion of EBITDA in revenues. Adjusted net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and adjusted earnings per basic and diluted ADS exclude costs related to the non-operational polysilicon assets in Chongqing. Such costs mainly consist of non-cash depreciation costs, as well as utilities and maintenance costs associated with the temporarily idle polysilicon machinery and equipment, and the Company had removed this adjustment from the non-GAAP reconciling item since the fourth quarter of 2018, because as of the end of the third quarter of 2018, all of the polysilicon machinery and equipment had been either relocated to Xinjiang, disposed, or planned to be disposed of in due course. Adjusted net income attributable to Daqo New Energy Corp. shareholders and adjusted earnings per basic and diluted ADS also exclude costs related to share-based compensation. Share-based compensation is a non-cash expense that varies from period to period. As a result, our management excludes this item from our internal operating forecasts and models. Our management believes that this adjustment for share-based compensation provides investors with a basis to measure the Company's core performance, including compared with the performance of other companies, without the period-to-period variability created by share-based compensation.

A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable US GAAP measures is presented later in this document.

Conference Call

The Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on March 11, 2020. (8:00 PM Beijing / Hong Kong time on the same day).

The dial-in details for the live conference call are as follows:


      Participant dial in (toll free):           +1-888-346-8982


      Participant international dial
       in:                                       +1-412-902-4272


      China mainland toll free:                  4001-201203



     Hong Kong toll free:                       800-905945



     Hong Kong-local toll:                      +852-301-84992




      Participants please dial in 10 minutes
       before the call is scheduled to begin and
       ask to be joined into the Daqo New Energy
       Corp. call.

You can also listen to the conference call via Webcast through the URL:
https://services.choruscall.com/links/dq200311.html

A replay of the call will be available 1 hour after the end of the conference through March 18, 2020.

The conference call replay numbers are as follows:



              US Toll Free:              
              +1-877-344-7529



              International Toll:        
              +1-412-317-0088



              Canada Toll Free:          
              855-669-9568



              Replay access code:                          10140066

To access the replay using an international dial-in number, please select the link below.

https://services.choruscall.com/ccforms/replay.html
Participants will be required to state their name and company upon entering the call.

About Daqo New Energy Corp.

Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2008, the Company is one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon. Daqo's highly-efficient and technically advanced manufacturing facility in Xinjiang, China currently has a nameplate annual polysilicon production capacity of 70,000 metric tons.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook for the first quarter and the full year of 2020 and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Daqo New Energy's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies; global supply and demand for polysilicon; alternative technologies in cell manufacturing; the Company's ability to significantly expand its polysilicon production capacity and output; the reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications; the Company's ability to lower its production costs; and the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in China and many other countries and the impact of the outbreaks and the quarantines and travel restrictions instituted by relevant governments on economic and market conditions, including potentially weaker global demand for solar PV installations that could adversely affect the Company's business and financial performance.. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents the Company has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.


                                                              
              
                Daqo New Energy Corp.


                                                
     
         Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income


                                                    
              (US dollars in thousands, except ADS and per ADS data)




                                                  
       
                Three months Ended                           Year Ended Dec 31,


                                                                   Dec 31,                                            Sep 30,              Dec 31,        2019          2018
                                                                      2019                                                     2019             2018





              Revenues                                           $118,918                                                  $83,909          $75,603     $349,991      $301,600



              Cost of revenues                                   (83,800)                                                (65,834)        (58,665)   (269,887)    (203,486)




              Gross profit                                         35,118                                                   18,075           16,938       80,104        98,114



              Operating expenses



              Selling, general and
       administrative expenses
                                                                   (8,987)                                                 (8,178)         (8,240)    (32,907)     (27,077)



              Research and development
       expenses
                                                                   (1,206)                                                 (1,228)           (970)     (5,258)      (2,737)



              Other operating income                                5,164                                                       81           12,462        5,546        12,904



              Total operating                                     (5,029)                                                 (9,325)           3,252     (32,619)     (16,910)
       
              (expenses) / income




              Income from operations                               30,089                                                    8,750           20,190       47,485        81,204



              Interest expense                                    (3,936)                                                 (2,551)         (1,891)    (10,397)     (10,763)



              Interest income                                         208                                                      193              441          983         1,236



              Foreign exchange gain / (loss)                            4                                                                    (102)       (185)        1,836




              Income before income taxes                           26,365                                                    6,392           18,638       37,886        73,513



              Income tax expense                                  (5,972)                                                 (1,561)         (1,563)     (9,623)     (11,717)




              Net income from continuing
       operations
                                                                    20,393                                                    4,831           17,075       28,263        61,796




              Net (loss) / income from
       discontinued operations
                                                                     (306)                                                     152          (5,628)       1,261      (23,030)




              Net income                                           20,087                                                    4,983           11,447       29,524        38,766



              Net (loss) / income attributable
      to non-controlling interest
                                                                       (1)                                                                      66          (1)          641




              Net income attributable to Daqo                     $20,088                                                                  $11,381      $29,525       $38,125
       New Energy Corp.
       shareholders

                                                                                                                            $4,983






              Net income                                           20,087                                                    4,983           11,447       29,524        38,766



              Other comprehensive income /
    (loss):



              Foreign currency translation                         13,892                                                 (21,337)             935
       adjustments
                                                                                                                                                       (6,702)     (26,356)




              Total other comprehensive                            13,892                                                 (21,337)             935
    income / (loss)
                                                                                                                                                       (6,702)     (26,356)




              Comprehensive income / (loss)                        33,979                                                 (16,354)          12,382       22,822        12,410



              Comprehensive income                                      2                                                                       69            2           501
       attributable to non-controlling
       interest




              Comprehensive income / (loss)
       attributable to Daqo New
       Energy Corp. shareholders

                                                                   $33,977                                                $(16,354)         $12,313      $22,820       $11,909






              Earnings / (Loss) per ADS



              -Continuing operations                                 1.47                                                     0.36             1.29         2.08          4.91



                -Discontinued operations                           (0.02)                                                    0.01           (0.43)        0.09        (1.85)




               Basic                                                 1.45                                                     0.37             0.86         2.17          3.06






              -Continuing operations                                 1.43                                                     0.34             1.27         2.02          4.70



                -Discontinued operations                           (0.02)                                                    0.01           (0.42)        0.09        (1.77)




               Diluted                                               1.41                                                     0.35             0.85         2.11          2.93






              Weighted average ADS
    outstanding



              Basic                                            13,837,250                                               13,634,401       13,237,220   13,582,842    12,468,606



              Diluted                                          14,274,977                                               14,219,008       13,455,067   13,998,462    13,020,253


                                               
         
             Daqo New Energy Corp.


                                         
           
         Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets


                                                   
       (US dollars in thousands)




                                                                                        Dec 31, 2019 Sep 30, 2019  Dec 31, 2018






              ASSETS:



              Current Assets:



              Cash and cash equivalents                                                     $51,840       $26,985        $65,419



              Restricted cash                                                                62,609        41,192         28,609



              Short-term investments                                                                                    21,807



              Accounts receivable, net                                                           13           129          1,181



              Notes receivable                                                                5,644         4,294          8,111



              Prepaid expenses and other
       current assets
                                                                                              15,344        24,176         10,336



              Advances to suppliers                                                           1,544         7,823          3,328



              Inventories                                                                    36,391        21,023         15,449



              Amount due from related parties

                                                                                                  17         3,492            815



              Current assets associated with
       discontinued operation
                                                                                                 926           414          5,014



              Total current assets                                                          174,328       129,528        160,069



              Property, plant and equipment,
       net
                                                                                             995,027       888,080        611,975



              Prepaid land use right                                                         29,593        22,612         23,923



              Deferred tax assets                                                             1,352           790            821



              Investment in affiliate                                                           642           625            650



              Operating lease Right-of-use
       assets
                                                                                                 197           211




              Non-current asset associated
      with discontinued operation
                                                                                                 217           226         52,491




              TOTAL ASSETS                                                                1,201,356     1,042,072        854,929






              Current liabilities:



              Short-term borrowings,
       including current portion of
       long-term borrowings

                                                                                             128,612        85,278         38,206



              Accounts payable                                                               12,713        20,070          9,195



              Notes payable                                                                 101,171        62,287         29,209



              Advances from customers-                                                       33,028        21,218         10,214
    short term portion



              Payables for purchases of                                                     112,538        81,709         27,221
      property, plant and equipment



              Accrued expenses and other
       current liabilities
                                                                                              12,222        12,071          9,418



              Amount due to related parties                                                  38,825        16,787          2,260



              Income tax payable                                                              4,789         3,437          5,455



              Lease liabilities - short term
    portion
                                                                                                  85            81



              Current liabilities associated
    with discontinued operation
                                                                                               1,165         1,087         18,676



              Total current liabilities                                                     445,148       304,025        149,854



              Long-term borrowings                                                          151,518       163,519        133,312



              Advance from customers -
    long term portion
                                                                                               2,154         9,092          7,269



              Amount due to related parties -
    long term portion
                                                                                               7,899        15,387         15,992



              Other long-term liabilities                                                    21,034        20,876         21,463



              Deferred Tax Liabilities                                                        6,368         1,145          1,185



              Lease liabilities - long term
    portion
                                                                                                  77            74



              Non-current liabilities
    associated with discontinued
    operation

                                                                                                                            723




              TOTAL LIABILITIES                                                             634,198       514,118        329,798





              EQUITY:



              Ordinary shares                                                                    35            35             33



              Treasury stock                                                                (1,749)      (1,749)       (1,749)



              Additional paid-in capital                                                    387,371       382,660        368,681



              Accumulated gains                                                             200,922       180,834        171,398



              Accumulated other
       comprehensive loss
                                                                                            (19,937)     (33,826)      (13,232)




              Total Daqo New Energy Corp.'s
       shareholders' equity
                                                                                             566,642       527,954        525,131



              Non-controlling interest                                                          516




              Total equity                                                                  567,158       527,954        525,131




              TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY                                                  1,201,356     1,042,072        854,929


                                                                        
             
                Daqo New Energy Corp.


                                                           
              
               Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows


                                                                             
             (US dollars in thousands)




                                                                                                                                            For the year ended
                                                                                                                                             December 31,



                                                                                                                                       2019                     2018




              
                Operating Activities:



              Net income                                                                                                           $29,524                  $38,766



              Less: Income / (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax                                                         1,261                 (23,030)



              Net income from continuing operations                                                                                 28,263                   61,796



              Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by
    operating activities:



                 Share-based compensation                                                                                           17,897                   13,788



                 Inventory write-down                                                                                                  327



                 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment                                                                      47,371                   27,718



                 Depreciation of right-of-use assets                                                                                    49





                    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:



                 Accounts receivable                                                                                                 1,163                    (540)



                 Notes receivable                                                                                                    2,389                   12,023



                 Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                                         (5,174)                 (4,700)



                 Advances to suppliers                                                                                               1,758                  (1,915)



                 Inventories                                                                                                      (21,635)                   (641)



                 Deferred tax assets                                                                                                 (545)                   (152)



                 Right of use assets                                                                                                 (248)



                 Prepaid land use rights                                                                                               583                      588



                 Accounts payable                                                                                                    3,660                  (9,449)



                 Notes payable                                                                                                      78,386                 (14,205)



                 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities                                                                      2,943                    (918)



                 Income tax payable                                                                                                  (605)                 (7,314)



                 Advances from customers                                                                                            18,063                    2,076



                 Amount due to related parties                                                                                         103                        9



                 Deferred tax liabilities                                                                                            5,242



                 Deferred government subsidies                                                                                       (171)                   (605)



                 Lease liabilities                                                                                                     164




              Net cash provided by operating activities-continuing operations                                                      179,983                   77,559



              Net cash provided by operation activities-discontinued operations                                                      1,010                   17,993




              Net cash provided by operating activities                                                                            180,993                   95,552






              
                Investing activities:



              Purchases of property, plant and equipment                                                                         (279,045)               (143,065)



              Purchase of land use right                                                                                           (6,592)



              Purchase of short-term investment                                                                                                           (37,860)



              Repayment of short-term investment                                                                                    21,726                   15,144



              Acquisition of Xinjiang Daqo Investment                                                                                  627                      444




              Net cash used in investing activities-continuing operations                                                        (263,284)               (165,337)



              Net cash provided by investing activities-discontinuing
    operations
                                                                                                                                      1,457                      617




              Net cash used in investing activities                                                                              (261,827)               (164,720)






              
                Financing activities:



              Proceeds from related parties loans                                                                                                           34,831



              Repayment of related parties loans                                                                                                          (34,831)



              Proceeds from bank borrowings                                                                                        178,226                   56,003



              Repayment of bank borrowings                                                                                        (66,597)                (59,820)



              Cash received from exercise of options                                                                                   791                      687



              Proceeds from follow-on offering                                                                                                             113,541



              Issuance cost                                                                                                                                (6,919)



              Paid-in capital received from non-controlling interests                                                                  515




              Net cash provided by financing activities - continuing operations                                                    112,935                  103,492



              Net cash used in financing activities - discontinued operations                                                     (10,607)                (16,780)




              Net cash provided by financing activities                                                                            102,328                   86,712




              Non-cash transactions



              Effect of exchange rate changes                                                                                      (1,320)                   4,910




              Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                                                            20,174                   22,454



              Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the
    year
                                                                                                                                     95,120                   72,666




              Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year                                                    115,294                   95,120

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the statement of financial position that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statement of cash flows.


                                                                     
     Dec 31, 2019      
     Dec 31, 2018




     Cash and cash equivalents                                                   52,685               66,401



     Restricted cash                                                             62,609               28,719




     Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the             115,294               95,120

     statement of cash flows


                                                                           
              
                Daqo New Energy Corp.


                                                         
     
                Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable US GAAP measures


                                                                                
              (US dollars in thousands)




                                                     
     
       Three months Ended                            Year ended


                                                           Dec. 31,                                         Sep. 30,                                 Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,    Dec. 31,
                                                               2019                                               2019                                     2018        2019         2018



            
                Net income from continuing
      operations
                                                             20,393                                              4,831                                   17,075      28,263       61,796



            Income tax expense                               5,972                                              1,561                                    1,563       9,623       11,717



            Interest expense                                 3,936                                              2,551                                    1,891      10,397       10,763



            Interest income                                  (208)                                             (193)                                   (441)      (983)     (1,236)



            Depreciation & amortization                     15,281                                             10,942                                    9,451      48,003       37,341




            
                EBITDA (non-GAAP)                  45,374                                             19,692                                   29,539      95,303      120,381




            
                EBIDTA margin (non-GAAP)            38.2%                                             23.5%                                   39.1%      27.2%       39.9%


                                                          Three months Ended Year ended


                                                                 Dec. 31,        Sep. 30,    Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,    Dec. 31,
                                                                     2019               2019       2018        2019         2018



              
                Net income / (loss)                    20,088              4,983     11,381      29,525       38,125
       attributable to Daqo New
       Energy Corp. shareholders



              Long-lived assets impairment                                                                           18,770



              Costs related to the non-                                                                                 905
    operational Chongqing
    polysilicon operations



              Share-based compensation                             4,461              4,476      4,278      17,897       13,788




              
                Adjusted net income (non-              24,549              9,459     15,659      47,422       71,588
       GAAP) attributable to Daqo
      New Energy Corp.
      shareholders




              
                Adjusted earnings per basic
       ADS (non-GAAP)
                                                                    $1.77              $0.69      $1.18       $3.49        $5.74




              
                Adjusted earnings per diluted           $1.72              $0.67      $1.16       $3.39        $5.50
     ADS (non-GAAP)

For further information, please contact:

Daqo New Energy Corp.
Investor Relations Department
Phone: +86-187-1658-5553
Email: dqir@daqo.com

Christensen

In China
Mr. Christian Arnell
Phone: +86-10- 5900-1548
E-mail: carnell@christensenir.com

In US
Mr. Tip Fleming
Phone: +1-917-412-3333
Email: tfleming@Christensenir.com

For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com

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SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.