Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Trina Solar's very understanding banks...

Trina Solar is fast becoming a test-piece about just how understanding a Chinese bank can become.

They have just produced some pretty ordinary numbers (as pre-announced) but it the massive changes in their balance sheet that are really interesting.


Trina Solar Limited
Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet
(US dollars in thousands)




June 30

March 31

June 30



2011

2011

2010








ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents


$            630,978

$        489,820

$          639,517
Restricted cash


53,260

64,813

45,758
Marketable Securities


315

426

443
Inventories


226,303

179,780

96,395
Project assets


43,472

42,110

23,877
Accounts receivable, net


584,046

542,967

313,042
Current portion of advances to suppliers


64,049

82,370

42,895
Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net

101,948

90,297

53,256
Total current assets


1,704,371

1,492,583

1,215,183
Property, plant and equipment


751,480

663,851

533,795
Project assets- long term


2,614

-

-
Prepaid land use right


36,661

36,854

27,139
Advances to suppliers - long-term


129,138

94,807

87,205
Investment in affiliates


320

319

-
Deferred tax assets


14,667

15,405

10,481
Other noncurrent assets


28

196

1,352
TOTAL ASSETS


$         2,639,279

$     2,304,015

$       1,875,155








LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY






Current liabilities:







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


$            342,953

$        153,286

$          161,557
Accounts payable


315,004

253,223

197,789
Convertible note payable


137,870

137,065


Income tax payable


20,139

46,656

9,436
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

130,305

132,487

60,220
Total current liabilities


946,271

722,717

429,002
Long-term bank borrowings


382,631

295,652

331,152
Convertible note payable


-

-

134,644
Accrued warranty costs


50,205

44,194

27,508
Other noncurrent liabilities


17,223

18,454

14,740
Total liabilities


1,396,330

1,081,017

937,046








Ordinary shares


40

40

40
Additional paid-in capital


646,925

644,628

638,457
Retained earnings


579,183

567,423

291,572
Other comprehensive income


16,601

10,707

8,040
Total shareholders' equity


1,242,749

1,222,798

938,109
Non-controlling interest


200

200

-
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
$         2,639,279

$     2,304,015

$       1,875,155












Cash went up from $490 million to $631 million - an increase of $141 million.

But that was the end of the balance sheet good news.

Short term debt went up from $153 to $343 million. They borrowed $190 million short term.

And long term debt went up from $296 to $383 million. They borrowed another $87 million.

So another way to look at it is that the company chewed through a net (190+87-141=) 136 million despite their (much lower) stated profit.

What gives? Its a widget company with stated profit but cash burn.

Actually we know what gives - the company still can't sell their product to customers that actually pay.

Inventory went up from $180 to $226 million. This company is still shipping to warehouses...

Receivables went up from $543 to $584 million. So they are selling to people who are slow to pay (but who have probably already received irrevocable delivery of solar panels and installed them into levered solar parks. (The project financier almost certainly has the collateral now!)

The rest of the cash burn wasn't really burn - it was (another) large increase in capacity. These increases are happening despite the obvious problems this company has in selling its inventories.

As I said - the banks are very understanding.

And they will need to be because the company has contracted to buy lots more silicon and it needs to increase its output substantially. They tell us that the silicon price will be lowered in accordance with the contract. That is great: they are going to need it.

Today at my office in Sydney I was cold-called by a solar panel installer. Business is quiet so they were drumming up business. They want to sell me panels at an installed price (with inverters etc).  The panel price was $1.35 per watt. Not kidding - way below where Trina is currently booking sales.

The brand was Alex Panel - another company which the salesman assured me was "planning to list on the New York Stock exchange".

Trina say next quarter will be better. At $1.35 per watt sold by retail-cold-call in Sydney I don't quite see it.



John

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