SMIC Reports 2017 Third Quarter Results

SHANGHAI, Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) ("SMIC," the "Company," or "our"), one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world, today announced its consolidated results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017.

Third Quarter 2017 Highlights

• Revenue was $769.7 million in 3Q17, an increase of 2.5% QoQ from $751.2 million in 2Q17 and a decrease of 0.7% YoY from $774.8 million in 3Q16.
• Gross profit was $177.3 million in 3Q17, compared to $194.1 million in 2Q17 and $232.1 million in 3Q16.
• Gross margin was 23.0% in 3Q17, compared to 25.8% in 2Q17 and 30.0% in 3Q16.

Fourth Quarter 2017 Guidance: 

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

• Revenue to increase by 1% to 3% QoQ.
• Gross margin to range from 18% to 20%.
• Non-GAAP operating expenses, excluding the effect of employee bonus accrual, government funding and gain from the disposal of living quarters, to range from $204 million to $210 million.
• Non-controlling interests of our majority-owned subsidiaries to range from positive $48 million to positive $50 million (losses to be borne by non-controlling interests).

Dr. Haijun Zhao and Dr. Liang Mong Song, SMIC's co-Chief Executive Officers commented, "Our third quarter revenue was in line with guidance and grew 2.5% quarter over quarter. The sequential growth came largely from the broad-based recovery in smartphone related shipments. By process node, 28nm wafer revenue grew 38.9% quarter over quarter, and 0.18um grew 33.8% quarter over quarter.

In the three years preceding 2017, SMIC had grown revenue and profitability on high utilizations, and in these two years, we have entered a period of transition as we prepare our technology and facilities for the next stage of growth. In the near-term, our growth drivers include: 28nm, flash memory, fingerprint sensors, and power management ICs. In the long-term, we work to speed up execution and focus our resources on key technology platforms, in which we strive to be the foundry-of-choice.

We believe in the importance of focusing our investment into strategic areas that support the long-term growth, profitability, and viability of our business. With our strengthened team, focused direction, and strong position in China, SMIC is well positioned to execute on our targets and benefit from the opportunities in the IC market. We work hard to grow the sustainable value of the company for all our stakeholders."

Conference Call / Webcast Announcement

Date: November 15, 2017
Time: 8:30 a.m. Beijing time
Dial-in numbers and pass code:

The call will be webcast live with audio at http://www.smics.com/eng/investors/ir_presentations.php or https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/upos75uf.

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 on process nodes from 0.35 micron to 28 nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has an international manufacturing and service base. In China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm fab in Shanghai; a 300mm fab and a majority-owned 300mm fab for advanced nodes in Beijing; 200mm fabs in Tianjin and Shenzhen; and a majority-owned joint-venture 300mm bumping facility in Jiangyin; additionally, in Italy SMIC has a majority-owned 200mm fab. 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 "Fourth Quarter 2017 Guidance", "CapEx Summary" and the statements contained in the quotes of our co-Chief Executive Officers 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 are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of SMIC's senior management and 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 cyclicality and market conditions in the semiconductor industry, intense competition in the semiconductor industry, SMIC's reliance on a small number of customers, timely wafer acceptance by SMIC's customers, timely introduction of new technologies, SMIC's ability to ramp new products into volume, supply and demand for semiconductor foundry services, industry overcapacity, shortages in equipment, components and raw materials, availability of manufacturing capacity, financial stability in end markets, orders or judgments from pending litigation, intensive intellectual property litigation in semiconductor industry, general economic conditions and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

In addition to the information contained in this press release, you should also consider the information contained in our other filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on April 27, 2017, especially in the "Risk Factors" section and such other documents that we 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 our 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 non-GAAP measures of operating results that are adjusted to exclude finance cost, depreciation and amortization, income tax benefits and expenses, the effect of employee bonus accrual, government funding and gain from the disposal of living quarters. This earnings release also includes fourth quarter 2017 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. This earnings release includes EBITDA, EBITDA margin and non-GAAP operating expenses which consist of total operating expenses as adjusted to exclude the effect of employee bonus accrual, government funding and gain from the disposal of living quarters. These non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated or presented in accordance with, and are not alternatives or substitutes for financial measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, and should be read only in conjunction with the Group's financial measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. The Group's non-GAAP financial measures may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

SMIC believes that use of these non-GAAP financial measures facilitates investors' and management's comparisons to SMIC's historical performance. The Group's management regularly uses these non-GAAP financial measures to understand, manage and evaluate the Group'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 because the effect of these adjustment items excluded for the purpose of non-GAAP operating expenses guidance are subject to some unpredictable conditions that cannot be estimated with reasonable certainty.

To see the complete results including financial tables, please click here:

http://www.smics.com/attachment/20171114151038979152440_en.pdf