Greenland Technologies Holding Corp. quarterly report, Q3 FY2021

Greenland Technologies Holding Corp. — Q3 2021 Form 10-Q

Business context and period. Unaudited results cover the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared with the same 2020 periods. Greenland manufactures transmission products for material-handling equipment, principally forklifts, in China, and is developing electric industrial vehicles. Management attributed the recovery in demand partly to processing backlogged orders after COVID-related disruption.

Financial performance and liquidity

MetricQ3 2021Q3 2020Nine months 2021Nine months 2020
Revenue$23.08 million$16.52 million$75.90 million$42.97 million
Gross profit$5.10 million$3.40 million$15.91 million$8.20 million
Gross margin22.1%20.6%21.0%19.1%
Operating income$2.05 million$2.24 million$8.36 million$3.97 million
Net income$1.25 million$0.46 million$6.85 million$2.26 million
Operating cash flowNot separately presented for quarter$(5.86) million$2.20 million
  • Nine-month revenue increased 76.6%; management cited higher sales volume, stronger demand, improved supply capability, and competitors’ material shortages. Transmission-product shipments rose to 110,082 sets from 71,749. Higher-value product mix contributed to gross-margin expansion.
  • Nine-month operating expenses rose 78.1% to $7.55 million. R&D expense more than doubled to $3.34 million, including investment in more sophisticated and electrification products. G&A increased 52.8% to $2.81 million; selling expense increased 76.4% to $1.40 million.
  • Cash and cash equivalents were $9.02 million at September 30, 2021; restricted cash was $6.64 million. Working capital was approximately $45.10 million. Operating cash flow was negative as receivables, notes receivable, and inventory grew; financing provided $12.67 million net cash.
  • Current liabilities included $8.66 million of short-term bank loans and $42.63 million of bank acceptance notes payable. Short-term bank loans declined from $18.49 million at year-end 2020; acceptance notes increased from $25.89 million. The acceptance notes are interest-free but secured by restricted cash and other pledged assets. The company reported compliance with loan covenants.
  • Net accounts receivable was $21.32 million, notes receivable $37.03 million, and amounts due from related parties $39.03 million. The latter was principally owed by controlling shareholder Cenntro Holding Limited and was due April 27, 2022 under an extended repayment agreement.

Changes, outlook and risks

  • For Q3, revenue rose 39.7% and gross profit 50.0%, but operating income fell 8.4% as operating expenses increased sharply. Net income increased, aided by the change in other income from a loss in the prior-year quarter to income in 2021, which management attributed mainly to lower foreign-exchange losses.
  • In June 2021, the company completed an offering of 857,844 shares at $8.16 per share, raising $7.0 million gross. Shares outstanding were 11,371,171 at September 30, versus 10,225,142 at December 31, 2020.
  • Management said it expected available funding sources to support operations for the next 12 months and expected positive operating cash flow. Funding plans include operating cash flow, bank-borrowing renewals, possible equity financing, and potential support from shareholders and affiliates. No quantified financial guidance was provided.
  • The company reported that U.S. commercial sales of its GEF-series electric forklifts began in November 2021; the GEL-1800 loader was expected to be available from November, and the GEX-8000 electric excavator was scheduled to arrive in the United States in January 2022. U.S. assembly sites and experience centers were planned for 2022. These are forward-looking plans, not results for the reporting period.
  • Key risks include COVID-related uncertainty and supply-chain disruption; PRC operating, regulatory, currency-conversion and fund-transfer risks; foreign-exchange exposure; customer credit and collection risk; and inflation in materials and overhead. Two customers represented 30.2% of nine-month revenue. Management cautioned that Cenntro Holding may not repay its $39.0 million receivable when expected.
  • Disclosure controls were assessed as ineffective due to a material weakness involving accounting/reporting personnel experience and insufficient supervisory review. Management described remediation plans, including hiring, training, formalizing procedures, and strengthening oversight. Management stated the unaudited financial statements fairly present the reported periods.
  • The filing describes a prior class action relating to the business combination as dismissed; discussions over attorneys’ fees were completed. No material subsequent event requiring adjustment or disclosure was reported.

Investor verification priorities

  1. Reconcile conflicting earnings and EPS disclosures. The primary statements report parent-attributable income of $5.94 million for nine months and $1.03 million for Q3, with EPS of $0.55 and $0.09. The EPS note instead reports $5.44 million and $0.53 million, with EPS of $0.51 and $0.05. Verify the correct attributable income and per-share figures.
  2. Assess collectability and related-party exposure: confirm repayment terms, credit support, and status of the $39.03 million Cenntro Holding receivable; also review the quality and maturity of notes receivable and customer receivables.
  3. Evaluate cash conversion and liquidity: investigate the operating cash outflow despite reported profit, the growth in working-capital balances, and the availability of cash restricted for bank acceptance notes.
  4. Review financing and dilution: verify maturities, collateral, renewal access, and the terms of bank acceptance notes, as well as the impact of the 2021 share issuance and outstanding warrants.
  5. Monitor control remediation and execution: track progress addressing the material weakness and whether electric-vehicle launches and planned U.S. infrastructure meet stated timelines.