Antelope Enterprise Announces Second Half and Full Year Financial Results for Fiscal 2020

Antelope Enterprise Holdings Limited (NASDAQ Capital Market: AEHL) (“Antelope Enterprise” or the “Company”), a leading Chinese manufacturer of ceramic tiles used for exterior siding and for interior flooring and design in residential and commercial buildings, today announced its financial results for the second half and fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Second Half 2020 Summary

• Revenue was RMB 143.2 million (US$ 21.1 million) as compared to RMB 150.2 million (US$ 21.4 million) for the same period of 2019.
• Net loss was RMB 81.6 million (US$ 12.1 million) as compared to a net profit of RMB 183.7 million (US$ 26.1 million) for the same period of 2019.
• Loss per share were RMB 24.85 (US$ 3.67) as compared to income per share of RMB 92.01 (US$ 13.08) for the same period of 2019.

Operating Results for Second Half 2020 were Affected by the Following Significant Items:

• A provision for the reversal of inventory impairment of RMB 2.3 million (US$ 0.3 million) as compared to a reversal of inventory impairment of RMB 56.8 million (US$ 8.1 million) for the same period of 2019.
• A provision for bad debt of RMB 48.5 million (US$ 7.2 million) as compared to a provision for a reversal of bad debt of RMB 125.2 million (US$ 17.8 million) for the same period of 2019.

Ms. Meishuang Huang, Chief Executive Officer of Antelope Enterprise, commented, “During  fiscal year 2020, we experienced challenging market conditions as  the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had a material adverse impact on the demand for our products with customers both having canceled and delayed their purchases awaiting the normalization of business activity. We instituted a 15% price decrease in late 2019 in order to sustain our sales volume as well as to retain customers for future business. Our average selling price subsequently decreased for the second half of 2020 as compared to the same period of 2019, where the price decrease was in effect for only two months, but this mitigated what we believe would have been a greater decline in sales as compared to the modest decrease in sales volume that occurred in the second half of the year as business conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic began to normalize.”

“For fiscal year 2020, we utilized production facilities capable of producing 4.2 million square meters of ceramic tiles per year out of the Company’s effective total annual production capacity of 51.6 million square meters of ceramic tiles. Consistent with our practice in past periods, we maintained a reduced utilization of existing plant capacity based on the current market environment to keep our operating costs low. We intend to bring additional capacity online as the business environment improves.”

“We remain focused on diversifying our operations to fuel our growth. While we remain committed to our core business, our two subsidiaries, Chengdu Future, which provides computer consulting, and Antelope Chengdu, which develops fintech software, generated RMB 7.2 million or US$ 1.1 million in income in 2020.”

“China’s real estate market has been resilient in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the long-term, we believe that the building materials sector will grow due to urbanization, innovative property development and the upgrading of neglected housing stock. Further, we plan upon securing customers in the larger Southeast Asia market outside of China to capitalize upon new building construction that is happening in this region’s urban areas,” concluded Ms. Huang.

Six Months Results Ended December 31, 2020

Revenue for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 143.2 million (US$ 21.1 million), a 4.6% decrease from RMB 150.2 million (US$ 21.4 million) for the same period of 2019. The decrease in revenue was due to the 9.1% decrease in average selling price to RMB 21.8 (US$ 3.34) for the second half of 2020 from RMB 24.0 (US$ 3.41) for the same period of 2019, which was partially offset by the 4.8% increase in our sales volume to 6.6 million square meters of ceramic tiles for the second half of 2020 compared to 6.3 million square meters of ceramic tiles for the same period of 2019. We instituted a 15% price decrease in late 2019 in order to sustain our sales volume as well as to retain customers for future business. Our average selling price decreased for the second half of 2020 as compared to the same period of 2019 since the 15% price decrease was in effect for only two months in the latter period. Our sales volume grew sequentially from 1.8 million square meters of ceramic tiles in the first half of 2020 to 6.6 million square meters of ceramic tiles in the second half of 2020 as business conditions in China began to normalize.

Gross loss for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 26.9 million (US$ 4.0 million), as compared to gross profit of RMB 66.0 million (US$ 9.4 million) for the same period of 2019. The gross loss margin was 18.8% as compared to a 44.0% gross profit margin for the same period of 2019. The gross loss margin for the six months ending December 31, 2020 was mainly due to the 9.0% decrease in average selling price and the 102.2% increase in cost of goods sold. The second half of 2020 cost of goods sold includes a reversal of inventory impairment of RMB 2.3 million (US$ 0.3 million); without this reversal of inventory impairment the gross loss for the six months ended December 31, 2020 would have been 20.4%. The second half of 2019 cost of goods sold includes a reversal of inventory impairment of RMB 56.8 million (US$ 8.1 million); without this reversal of inventory impairment the gross profit margin for the six months ended December 31, 2019 would have been 6.2%.

Other income for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 12.2 million ($1.8 million), an increase of RMB 4.7 million (US$ 0.7 million) from the RMB 7.5 million ($1.1 million) for the comparable period of 2019. Other income primarily consists of rental income that the Company received by leasing out one of its production lines from its Hengdali facility pursuant to an eight-year lease contract and RMB 7.2 million ($1.1 million) from our newly incorporated subsidiaries, Chengdu Future and Antelope Chengdu, who engage in computer consulting and software development, respectively.

Selling and distribution expenses for the six months ended December 31, 2020 were RMB 4.2 million (US$ 0.6 million), a decrease of RMB 1.4 million (US$ 0.2 million) from RMB 5.6 million (US$ 0.8 million) for the comparable period of 2019. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease in advertising expenses of RMB 0.9 million and a decrease in payroll expenses of RMB 0.5 million.

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Administrative expenses for the six months ended December 31, 2020 were RMB 11.9 million (US$ 1.8 million), an increase of RMB 2.7 million (US$ 0.4 million) from RMB 9.2 million (US$ 1.3 million), for the same period of 2019. The increase in administrative expenses was primarily due to increased start-up expenses for our newly incorporated entities and an increase in consulting expenses.

Bad debt expense for the six months ended December 31, 2020 entailed bad debt of RMB 48.5 million (US$ 7.2 million), as compared to a reversal of bad debt expense of RMB 125.2 million (US$ 17.8 million) for the same period of 2019. We recognize a loss allowance for expected credit loss on our financial assets, primarily on trade receivables, which are subject to impairment under IFRS 9, Financial Instruments, first effective for year 2018. We believe that we have undertaken appropriate measures to resolve our bad debt expense. We will continue to review each of our customers for credit quality as well as assiduously test their accounts receivables balances in each upcoming fiscal period.

Net loss for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 81.6 million (US$ 12.0 million), as compared to a net profit of RMB 183.7 million (US$ 26.1 million) for the same period of 2019. The net loss was primarily due to the gross loss for the second half of 2020 and the bad debt expense incurred in the second half of 2020.

Loss per basic share and fully diluted share for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 24.85 (US$ 3.67) per share, as compared to profit per basic and fully diluted share of RMB 92.01 (US$ 13.08) for the same period of 2019.