SMIC Reports 2014 Second Quarter Results

SHANGHAI, Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) ("SMIC" or the "Company"), one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world, today announced its consolidated results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2014.

Second Quarter 2014 Highlights

• Revenue was $511.3 million in 2Q14, an increase of 13.4% quarter over quarter.
• Non-GAAP revenue excluding wafer shipments from Wuhan Xinxin reached a record high of $511.3 million in 2Q14, an increase of 1.9% year over year compared to $501.8 million in 2Q13.
• Gross margin was 28.0% in 2Q14, compared to 21.3% in 1Q14.
• Profit for the period attributable to SMIC was $56.8 million in 2Q14, compared to $20.3 million in 1Q14.
• China-region revenue grew to 44.4% of overall revenue becoming the largest contributor to revenue regionally in 2Q14.

Third Quarter 2014 Guidance: 

The following statements are forward looking statements which are based on current expectations and which involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are set forth under "Safe Harbor Statements" below.

• Revenue is expected to increase 1% to 5% quarter over quarter.
• Gross margin is expected to range from 24% to 26%.

Non-GAAP operating expenses excluding the effect of employee bonus accrual, government funding and gain from the disposal of living quarters are expected to range from $96 million to $101 million.

Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, SMIC's Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, commented, "Excluding Wuhan's contribution, SMIC achieved record high revenue in the second quarter, which is our ninth consecutive profitable quarter. We reached a gross margin of 28%--our highest since 2005.

Compared to Q1 2014, utilization was up more than 10 percentage points; while revenue increased 13.4% sequentially. When comparing Q2 2014 to Q1 2014, gross margin increased 6.7 percentage points, profit from operations nearly doubled, and net profit tripled.  We continue to emphasize the priority of sustained profitability and carefully planned growth. Overall, we are optimistic about 2015 as we prepare our capacity and technology for many new and exciting opportunities.

One of our growth drivers for 2015 will be 28nm. We are happy to work with our long-time customer as we ramp up this new technology. We are on track to have production ramp up in 2015. We are also working with other customers who are targeting to capture the LTE handset IC market in China, AP for tablets, and RF applications on 28nm.

Our other growth driver for this year and more so in 2015 is our differentiated product offering. SMIC continues to experience high demand for 8-inch production capacity for PMIC, CIS, e-NVM, and sensors. Our effort in 12-inch specialty process development has recently yielded the industry's leading 55nm embedded NVM solution. Our customer has entered into high volume production based on this technology.

The strong IC demand in China is continuing to drive our growth. For the first time in SMIC's history, our China revenue has exceeded all other regions in the second quarter. Revenue from China now accounts for more than 44% of our total revenue.

The second quarter recovery ended with strong financials and profitability for SMIC. We are optimistic about 2015 as we prepare for growth on 8-inch and 28nm. We continue to have confidence in our strategy to capture growth opportunities in China."

Conference Call / Webcast Announcement

The call will be webcast live with audio at http://www.smics.com/eng/investors/ir_presentations.php or http://www.media-server.com/m/p/89si7vqg.

An archived version of the webcast, along with an electronic copy of this news release will be available on the SMIC website for a period of 12 months following the webcast.

About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 28-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai; a 300mm mega-fab in Beijing with a joint-venture 300mm fab that is currently under construction; a 200mm fab in Tianjin; and a 200mm fab project under development in Shenzhen. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit www.smics.com.

Safe Harbor Statements

(Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)

This press release contains, in addition to historical information, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, including statements under "Third Quarter 2014 Guidance" and the statements regarding our optimism about our 2015 opportunities, our expected 2015 growth driver of 28nm technology, our expectation to have production ramp up in 2015, our expectation of differentiated products offering being another growth driver for this year and more so in 2015, our anticipation to experience high demand for 8-inch production capacity for PMIC, CIS, e-NVM, and sensors and our confidence in our strategy to capture growth opportunities in China, as well as the statements regarding future 2014 capital expenditures are based on SMIC's current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. SMIC uses words like "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," "target" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks, both known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SMIC's actual performance, financial condition or results of operations to be materially different from those suggested by the forward-looking statements including, among others, risks associated with the global economic slowdown, orders or judgments from pending litigation and financial stability in end markets.

Investors should consider the information contained in SMIC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its annual report on 20-F filed with the SEC on April 14, 2014, especially the consolidated financial statements, and such other documents that SMIC may file with the SEC or The Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited ("SEHK") from time to time, including current reports on Form 6-K. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on SMIC's future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release. Except as may be required by law, SMIC undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("Non-GAAP") Financial Measures

To supplement SMIC's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with IFRS, SMIC uses in this press release measures of operating results that are adjusted to exclude wafer shipments from Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation ("Wuhan Xinxin"), which SMIC began gradually phasing out in 3Q13. There were no wafer shipments from Wuhan Xinxin from 1Q14 onwards. This earnings release includes non-GAAP revenue, non-GAAP cost of sales, non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP operating expenses, which consists of total operating expenses as adjusted to exclude the effect ofemployee bonus accrual, government funding and gain from the disposal of living quarters. It also includes third quarter 2014 guidance for non-GAAP operating expenses. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS.

SMIC believes that use of these non-GAAP financial measures facilitates investors' and management's comparisons to SMIC's historical performance. The Company's management regularly uses these non-GAAP financial measures to understand, manage and evaluate the Company's business and make financial and operational decisions.

The accompanying table has more information and reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP measures is not available on a forward-looking basis.

For the full version of SMIC's second quarter financial results, please see:
http://photos.prnasia.com/prnk/20140806/0861405533-a

SOURCE Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation