SMIC Reports 2018 Third Quarter Results

SHANGHAI, Nov. 7, 2018 /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, 2018.

Third Quarter 2018 Highlights

• Revenue was $850.7 million in 3Q18, compared to $890.7 million ($837.9 million, excluding technology licensing revenue) in 2Q18 and $769.7 million in 3Q17.
• Gross profit was $174.5 million in 3Q18, compared to $217.8 million ($165.0 million, excluding technology licensing revenue) in 2Q18 and $177.3 million in 3Q17.
• Gross margin was 20.5% in 3Q18, compared to 24.5% (19.7%, excluding technology licensing revenue) in 2Q18 and 23.0% in 3Q17.

Fourth Quarter 2018 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 decrease by 7% to 9% QoQ.
• Gross margin to range from 15% to 17%.
• Non-GAAP operating expenses, excluding the effect of employee bonus accrual, government funding, impairment loss of machinery and equipment, gain or loss on the disposal of machinery and equipment and gain from the disposal of living quarters, to range from $226 million to $230 million.
• Non-controlling interests of our majority-owned subsidiaries to range from positive $20 million to positive $22 million (losses to be borne by non-controlling interests).

Dr. Zhao Haijun and Dr. Liang Mong Song, SMIC's Co-Chief Executive Officers commented, "With the support of our customers and the efforts of our colleagues, our third quarter performance was in line with guidance. When excluding revenue from technology licensing, revenue from our China region continued to grow 40% year over year, and 5% quarter over quarter. Wireless communications, power management and fingerprint IC applications were the major growth drivers. Looking at the full year, our annual revenue target remains unchanged.

Looking at the fourth quarter, although the industry has entered a period of seasonal adjustment, we continue to carry out customer engagement and verification on our advanced technology platforms, so as to gather strength for future growth.

Throughout this year, many changes have taken place both in the industry and market. At present, the most important task for SMIC is to seize the opportunities in the market and in new applications, and actively enhance the quality of products and customer service. In terms of technology research and development, we will continue to put in our utmost effort to focus on the planning and development of mainstream and advanced technology platforms, and maintain long-term and stable partnership with our customers. As China's preferred foundry partner, we believe that together with our customers, employees and shareholders, we will benefit from the growth opportunities of China's IC market."

To view the full third quarter 2018 earnings click here: http://www.smics.com/uploads/5be2cbbc/2018%20Q3%20Earnings%20Release_ENG_News%20Release.pdf

Conference Call / Webcast Announcement

Date: November 8, 2018
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/en/site/company_activity or https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/gmynvsjs

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), one of the leading foundries in the world, is Mainland China's largest foundry in scale, broadest in technology coverage, and most comprehensive in semiconductor manufacturing services. 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 2018 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, 2018, 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, impairment loss of machinery and equipment, gain or loss on the disposal of machinery and equipment and gain from the disposal of living quarters. This earnings release also includes fourth quarter 2018 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, impairment loss of machinery and equipment, gain or loss on the disposal of machinery and equipment 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.

By order of the Board

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation
Dr. Gao Yonggang
Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary

Shanghai, November 7, 2018

As at the date of this announcement, the directors of the Company are:

Executive Directors

ZHOU Zixue (Chairman)
ZHAO Haijun (Co-Chief Executive Officer)
LIANG Mong Song (Co-Chief Executive Officer)
GAO Yonggang (Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary)

Non-executive Directors

CHEN Shanzhi
ZHOU Jie
REN Kai
LU Jun
TONG Guohua

Independent Non-executive Directors

William Tudor BROWN
CHIANG Shang-Yi
CONG Jingsheng Jason 
LAU Lawrence Juen-Yee
FAN Ren Da Anthony

* For identification purposes only