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SPI Energy Co., Ltd. (SPI)·Q3 2014 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Revenue inflected sharply with Q3 2014 net sales of $26.7M, up 25% year over year and 4.2x sequentially, driven by SPI’s debut in the China market and higher-margin projects .
- Reported net loss of $7.7M (−$0.02) masked underlying profitability; management stated that absent a one-time $11.0M convertible bond conversion (non-cash $0.9M interest and $8.9M extinguishment loss), Q3 would have been ~$2.2M net income .
- Liquidity improved materially: cash rose to $12.8M at 9/30/14, aided by two private placements totaling ~$73.26M announced during the quarter .
- Strategic pipeline scaled: definitive agreements to acquire 26.57 MW of operating PV assets in Greece (closing shortly after Q3), multiple China EPC agreements, and entry into Japan via a new subsidiary—key potential stock catalysts around asset consolidation and execution .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Rapid top-line and gross profit improvement: net sales rose to $26.7M (Q3) from $6.3M (Q2) and $21.3M (Q3’13), with gross profit of $5.4M vs a gross loss in Q3’13, reflecting higher-margin project mix and China revenue contribution .
- Balance sheet momentum and capital access: two private placements totaling ~$73.26M announced in Q3; cash increased to $12.8M from $5.9M at 6/30/14 and $0.3M at 3/31/14 .
- Strategic expansion: agreements to acquire 26.57 MW of operating PV assets in Greece; numerous EPC/service agreements across China; established a Japan subsidiary to acquire the first project—broadening geographic footprint .
What Went Wrong
- GAAP net loss widened to $7.7M due to non-cash charges tied to convertible bond extinguishment and interest; tax provision also increased in Q3 .
- Operating expenses rose sequentially with rapid scale-up (Q3 OpEx $2.8M vs $1.2M in Q2), reflecting ramping activity after a period of dormancy .
- No formal financial guidance was provided, limiting near-term visibility on revenue cadence, margins, or OpEx trajectory .
Financial Results
Income Statement and Profitability (oldest → newest)
Notes: Margins are calculated from reported net sales/gross profit/operating income and net income in the cited filings .
Liquidity KPIs
Estimate Comparison
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q3 2014 EPS and revenue was unavailable due to missing S&P Global/CIQ mapping for SPI; estimate comparisons cannot be presented. Values would normally be retrieved from S&P Global.
Segment/Geography
- No segment revenue breakdown was disclosed in the press release; revenue growth was attributed to China operations and higher-margin projects .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Note: No earnings call transcript for Q3 2014 was available in our document system; themes reflect management commentary in press releases.
Management Commentary
- “We are pleased with SPI’s continued strong business execution and rapid growth during the third quarter… we have enhanced SPI’s reputation as a global leader in developing PV projects, particularly in the China PV installation market.” — Chairman Xiaofeng Peng .
- “We have laid the foundation for further rapid scaling of SPI’s global businesses looking into 2015… we believe that SPI is well-positioned to capitalize on above-average market growth… to become one of the largest PV project development companies [in China].” — Chairman Xiaofeng Peng .
- Q2 context: “These placements will dramatically improve our financial position and balance sheet to support our ambitious global growth strategy… strong foundation for… other important initiatives” — Chairman Xiaofeng Peng .
- Q1 context: “Strengthen our strategy… Yes! solar initiative… harness emerging growth prospects in the residential solar sector in China.” — CEO Min Xiahou .
Q&A Highlights
- No Q3 2014 earnings call transcript was available in our system; no Q&A highlights to report [ListDocuments showed none; see absence of earnings-call-transcript results].
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q3 2014 revenue and EPS were unavailable for SPI due to missing CIQ mapping; as a result, we cannot present “vs. estimates” comparisons. Management noted that excluding a one-time convertible bond conversion impact, Q3 would have been profitable (~$2.2M net income), implying a positive underlying variance versus prior periods, but no external consensus is available for validation .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Underlying profitability inflection: excluding the one-time convertible extinguishment, SPI indicates ~$2.2M net income in Q3, aided by a richer-margin mix and China project execution .
- Revenue scalability validated: sequential revenue growth from $3.6M (Q1) to $6.3M (Q2) to $26.7M (Q3) shows capacity to mobilize pipeline and convert backlog into sales .
- Liquidity and funding runway improved: cumulative private placements and rising cash position support continued pipeline build-out and asset acquisitions .
- Asset-backed growth catalysts: closing the 26.57 MW Greece portfolio and executing China EPC/service agreements could sustain revenue/margin momentum into 2015 .
- Risk monitor: one-time financing items distorted GAAP results; continued scaling brought OpEx higher q/q; lack of formal guidance limits visibility—watch execution pace and working capital .
- Leadership build-out: appointment of CFO Amy Jing Liu and establishment of Japan subsidiary point to organizational readiness for multi-region scaling .
Supporting details and data sourced from SPI’s Q3, Q2, and Q1 2014 8-K press releases and exhibits .