Camelot Information Systems Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2010 Unaudited Financial Results

Net revenues exceeded guidance, increasing 56.6% y-o-y to USD$53.5 million

FY2010 revenue guidance revised upward to USD$186 million from USD$176 million, representing a 58% y-o-y increase

BEIJING, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Camelot Information Systems Inc. (NYSE: CIS, the "Company" or "Camelot"), a leading domestic provider of enterprise application services and financial industry information technology services in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.  

THIRD QUARTER 2010 FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

• Net revenues increased 56.6% year-over-year to US$53.5 million.
• Adjusted operating income(1) increased 47.9% year-over-year to US$11.7 million from US$7.9 million in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP operating income increased 29.9% year-over-year to US$8.3 million from US$6.4 million in the third quarter 2009.
• Adjusted net income(1) attributable to Camelot increased 49.5% year-over-year to US$10.4 million from US$6.9 million in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP net income attributable to Camelot increased 28.6% year-over-year to US$6.9 million from US$5.4 million in the third quarter 2009.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share(1) was US$0.06, as compared to diluted earnings per share of US$0.05 in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per share was US$0.04 in the third quarter 2010 and US$0.04 in the third quarter 2009. Adjusted diluted earnings per American Depositary Share ("ADS")(2) was US$0.23, as compared to diluted earnings per ADS of US$0.20 in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per ADS(2) was US$0.16 in the third quarter 2010, as compared to US$0.16 in the third quarter 2009.
• Employees totalled 3,485, including 2,953 information technology (IT) professionals, as of September 30, 2010, representing a 40.9% increase in total employees and a 40.7% increase in IT professionals compared with September 30, 2009.

Mr. Simon Ma, Camelot's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), commented, "We are pleased to report another quarter of strong results, with top- and bottom-line growth both exceeding our guidance. We continued to expand our Enterprise Application Services ("EAS") segment by capitalizing on the enormous potential in China's underpenetrated implementation market for sophisticated and high-end ERP systems across the various key industry verticals that we serve. These results demonstrate that we are successfully leveraging our leading position in a fragmented market to further drive our growth. As a result, revenue from our EAS segment increased 47.9% year-over-year. Our Financial Industry IT Services ("FIS") segment also delivered another robust performance, with revenue growth driven by greater demand for our customized solutions and services including bank teller automation systems and financial supply chain solutions, which allow our clients to improve their customer operations and accelerate financial product innovation. The strong demand for our customized solutions underscores the growing potential for Camelot to capture the next wave of IT spending in the financial services sector. Additionally, the continued growth of our FIS segment has led to a more balanced revenue mix between our FIS and EAS business lines.

"Overall, our strong growth for the quarter was supported by continued organic expansion, deepening customer relationships and increasing demand for our services. Looking ahead, we will continue to position ourselves to capitalize on the market opportunities and positive industry dynamics in China's high-growth, underpenetrated IT services market."

Ms. Heidi Chou, President, added, "As our key clients and partnerships have been, and will continue to be, the main drivers behind our strong revenue growth, my new role as President will focus on strengthening relationships with these key clients and partners while driving business development initiatives to capitalize on growth opportunities in the near- to mid-term."  

Mr. Brett Ho, Chief Operating Officer ("COO"), commented, "After serving as an Independent Director since February 2008, I am honored to have joined Camelot's executive management team to spearhead the Company's operational expansion to support its strong growth trajectory as a newly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange. As COO of Camelot, I look forward to drawing on my executive management level experience at leading Chinese IT solutions companies including Kingdee International Software and UFIDA Software, and international packaged software companies, including Oracle and Siebel. In addition to optimizing our operational efficiency, one of my key focuses will be on the integration of Camelot's acquired entities to increase synergies and enhance cross-sell opportunities. I will also be heavily involved in the development of customized solutions, which will position us to capture the next wave of financial services sector IT spending. I look forward to helping Camelot achieve its goal of becoming the leading IT services company in China."  

Mr. Gordon Lau, Chief Financial Officer, concluded, "In addition to achieving impressive net revenues during the third quarter of 2010, our continued success in shifting our business mix towards higher value-added solutions and services, particularly in our FIS segment, resulted in significant gross margin improvement on a year-over-year basis. As we exceeded our guidance for the third quarter, we have raised our annual guidance for the full-year 2010 to net revenue of approximately US$186 million and adjusted net income attributable to Camelot of approximately US$30 million."

THIRD QUARTER 2010 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND OPERATIONAL UPDATES

Net Revenues  

Net revenues for the third quarter 2010 increased 56.6% to US$53.5 million from US$34.1 million in the third quarter 2009.

Net Revenues by Service Line

EAS revenues increased 47.9% year-over-year to US$34.9 million, reflecting the rapid growth of this service line as the Company continues to strengthen its leading market position in mainland China. FIS revenues increased 76.1% year-over-year to US$18.6 million as a result of organic growth and the acquisition of customized solutions provider Tansun in 2009 ("customized solutions acquisition").  

EAS and FIS accounted for 65.2% and 34.8% of total net revenues, respectively, in the third quarter 2010, as compared to 69.0% and 31.0%, respectively, in the same period of the previous year, reflecting a shift to a more balanced contribution from the Company's two service lines.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Adjusted gross profit(1) increased 73.1% to US$19.9 million, from US$11.5 million in the third quarter 2009, as a result of revenue growth from both service lines. U.S. GAAP gross profit was US$19.5 million, compared to US$11.2 million for same period last year. The difference between adjusted and GAAP gross profit represents US$0.4 million in share-based compensation and the amortization of intangible assets relating to the customized solutions acquisition.

Adjusted gross margin(1) in the third quarter 2010 improved to 37.2%, as compared to 33.6% in the third quarter 2009, reflecting the shift towards higher-margin products and services in the Company's business mix. U.S. GAAP gross margin for the third quarter 2010 was 36.4%, compared with 32.9% in the third quarter 2009.

Operating Expenses

Adjusted operating expenses(1) were US$8.2 million, a 129.0% year-over-year increase compared to the same period last year. U.S. GAAP operating expenses increased 129.7% to US$11.2 million from US$4.9 million in the third quarter 2009. The increase was mainly due to continuing business expansion, increased sales and marketing activities, consolidation of the customized solutions acquisition, and expansion of the Company's operational infrastructure to support its publicly listed status.  

The difference between adjusted and GAAP operating expenses reflected US$1.2 million in share based compensation, US$1.0 million in amortization expenses, and US$0.8 million changes in fair value of contingent consideration incurred from the customized solutions acquisition in 2009.

Operating Income and Operating Margin

Adjusted operating income(1) in the third quarter 2010 increased 47.9% to US$11.7 million, from US$7.9 million in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP operating income in the third quarter 2010 increased 29.9% to US$8.3 million as compared to US$6.4 million in the third quarter 2009.

Adjusted operating margin(1) for the third quarter 2010 was 21.9%, compared with 23.2% in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP operating margin for the third quarter 2010 was 15.5%, compared with 18.7% in the year-earlier period.  

Net Income Attributable to Camelot and Earnings Per Share

As a result of the foregoing, adjusted net income(1) attributable to Camelot for the third quarter increased 49.5% to US$10.4 million from US$6.9 million in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP net income attributable to Camelot for the third quarter 2010 increased 28.6% to US$6.9 million from US$5.4 million in the third quarter 2009.

Adjusted net margin(1) was 19.4% in the third quarter 2010, compared to 20.3% in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP net margin was 12.9% in the third quarter 2010, compared to 15.7% in the third quarter 2009, reflecting an increase in amortization of share based compensation, intangible assets and change in fair value of contingent consideration for the customized solutions acquisition in 2009.

Third quarter 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per share(1) was US$0.06, compared to adjusted diluted earnings per share of US$0.05 in the third quarter 2009. U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per share in the third quarter 2010 was US$0.04, in-line with diluted earnings per share of US$0.04 in the year-earlier period.

Third quarter 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per ADS(2) was US$0.23, compared to adjusted diluted earnings per ADS(2) of US$0.20 in the same period of the previous year. U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per ADS(2) in the third quarter 2010 was US$0.16, and diluted earnings per ADS² in the third quarter 2009 was US$0.16.

Cash, Cash Flow and Days Sales Outstanding

As of September 30, 2010, the Company had US$109.0 million in cash and cash equivalents, an increase of US$90.5 million from June 30th 2010, derived mainly from the proceeds of US$93.8 million (after underwriting commission) from our initial public offering in July.  Operating cash flow was US$2.0 million for the third quarter 2010.

Days sales outstanding(3) ("DSO") was 154 for the third quarter 2010, an improvement from 166 in third quarter 2009.  

Employees

As of September 30, 2010, employee headcount totalled 3,485, including 2,953 information technology (IT) professionals, representing a 40.9% increase in total employees and a 40.7% increase in IT professionals as compared with September 30, 2009. In terms of IT professionals, EAS employee headcount was 1,690, and FIS employee headcount was 1,263, as of September 30, 2010.

FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL-YEAR 2010 GUIDANCE

Fourth Quarter 2010

Camelot expects net revenues for the fourth quarter 2010 to be approximately US$53 million, representing a 32% increase from the fourth quarter 2009.

The Company expects fourth quarter 2010 adjusted net income attributable to Camelot to be approximately US$10 million, representing a 49% increase from the fourth quarter 2009.

Camelot expects fourth quarter 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per share to be approximately US$0.05, based on 187.7 million weighted average ordinary shares outstanding. Fourth quarter 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per ADS is expected to be approximately US$0.21 based on 46.9 million weighted average ADSs outstanding, compared with US$0.20 for the fourth quarter 2009.

Upward Revision of Full Year 2010 Guidance

The Company expects net revenues for the full year 2010 to be approximately US$186 million, representing a 58% increase from 2009.

Camelot expects full-year 2010 adjusted net income attributable to Camelot to be approximately US$30 million, representing a 65% increase from 2009.

Camelot expects full-year 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per share to be approximately US$0.18, based on 165.2 million weighted average ordinary shares outstanding. The Company expects full-year 2010 adjusted diluted earnings per ADS to be approximately US$0.74 based on 41.3 million weighted average ADSs, compared to adjusted diluted earnings per ADS of US$0.55 in 2009.

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

Camelot's management will host a conference call on Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 5:00 am (US Pacific) / 8:00 am (US Eastern) / 9:00 pm (Beijing) to discuss its third quarter 2010 financial results and recent business activity. The conference call may be accessed by calling:

Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until Thursday, November 25, 2010:

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of Camelot's website at www.camelotchina.com .

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

To supplement the unaudited consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Camelot uses the non-GAAP ("adjusted") financial measures of gross profit and margin, operating expenses, operating income and margin, net income attributable to Camelot Information Systems Inc. and margin, and diluted earnings per share and diluted earnings per ADS, which are adjusted from results based on U.S. GAAP to exclude share-based compensation, acquisition-related intangible amortization, gain from extinguishment of liability, postponed initial public offering costs, and changes in fair value of contingent consideration. The non-GAAP financial measure is provided as additional information to help our investors compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and to enhance investors' overall understanding of our current financial performance and prospects for the future. The non-GAAP financial measure should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to U.S. GAAP results. In addition, our calculation of the non-GAAP financial measure may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

STATEMENT REGARDING UNAUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The unaudited financial information set forth above is subject to adjustments that may be identified when audit work is performed on the Company's year-end financial statements, which could result in significant differences from this unaudited financial information.

ABOUT CAMELOT INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC.

Camelot is a leading domestic provider of enterprise application services and financial industry IT services in China, focusing on the high end of the IT value chain. The Company is the largest domestic provider of SAP-based Enterprise Resource Planning services in China as measured by 2009 revenue and by number of SAP consultants as of December 31, 2009. Camelot also operates in other areas of the Asia Pacific region, including Taiwan and Japan. The Company provides services to a wide range of industries, including financial services, resources and energy, manufacturing and automobile, technology, as well as telecommunication, media and education. For more information about Camelot Information Systems Inc., please visit www.camelotchina.com.

SAFE HARBOR

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, 2010 financial outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Camelot may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to second parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Camelot's anticipated growth strategies; Camelot's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; expected changes in the Company's revenues and certain cost or expense items; Camelot's ability to attract customers and leverage its brand; trends and competition in the software industry; the Company's ability to control expenses and maintain profit margins; the Company's ability to hire, train and retain qualified managerial and other employees; the Company's ability to develop new software and pilot new business models at desirable locations in a timely and cost-effective manner; the performance of third parties under contracts with the Company; the expected growth of the Chinese economy software market in retail and consumer goods industries; and Chinese governmental policies relating to private managers and operators of software and applicable tax rates.

Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Camelot's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of November 18, 2010, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any other forward-looking information, except as required under applicable law.