Bona Reports Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results

BEIJING, Nov. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bona Film Group Limited (NASDAQ: BONA) ("Bona" or the "Company"), a leading film distributor and vertically integrated film company in China, today announced unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.

"We are pleased with our third quarter results with non-GAAP net income meeting our prior guidance," said Bona's founder, Chairman and CEO Mr. Yu Dong. "Our movie theater business continued its growth momentum in the third quarter, achieving a year-over-year increase of 55%, which was mainly driven by the Company's strategic expansion efforts with additional theaters and screens. The rapid growth of China's film industry also benefitted our overall business in the third quarter."

"In November, we were delighted to announce our investment in TSG, one of the pre-eminent film financing companies in the United States to build our film presence in the international market as well as to participate in more Hollywood mainstream film projects, while also sharing in their worldwide box office receipts. Our international expansion initiative is pivotal to our long-term growth strategy, as it expands our market reach, with the goal of becoming one of the leading film companies in China and around the world," Mr. Yu added.

Third Quarter 2015 Financial Summary

• Third quarter 2015 net revenues were US$78.9 million, a decrease of 21.1% from US$100.0 million in the third quarter of 2014.
• Third quarter 2015 gross profit was US$40.5 million, a decrease of 1.1% from US$40.9 million in the third quarter of 2014.
• Third quarter 2015 gross margin was 51.3%, compared with 40.9% in the third quarter of 2014.
• Third quarter 2015 net income attributable to Bona Film Group Limited was US$0.8 million, or US$0.01 per basic and diluted ADS[1], compared with net income attributable to Bona Film Group Limited of US$5.9 million, or US$0.10 and US$0.09, per basic and diluted ADS, in the third quarter of 2014, respectively.
• Third quarter 2015 non-GAAP net income[2] was US$5.1 million, compared with non-GAAP net income of US$9.3 million in the third quarter of 2014.
• Third quarter 2015 adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP[2] was US$9.9 million, compared with adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP of US$16.5 million in the third quarter of 2014.
• Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled US$150.9 million as of September 30, 2015.
• Cash used in operating activities totaled US$164.9 million in the third quarter of 2015, compared with cash provided from operating activities of US$1.3 million in the third quarter of 2014.

Third Quarter 2015 Business Updates and Recent Highlights

• Distributed and/or invested in a total of 5 films in the third quarter of 2015 – Bride Wars and The Dead End were Bona's top performers in the third quarter. The five films generated total box office receipts of RMB587.3 million to date.
  • Distributed Bride Wars on August 20, 2015. The film has generated RMB173.3 million in domestic box office receipts.
  • Distributed The Dead End on August 27, 2015. The film has generated RMB304.5 million in domestic box office receipts.
• Major films undergoing production in the third quarter of 2015 include The Cinema That Never Dies, Sword Master and The Treasure.
• The movie theater business achieved record quarterly revenues of US$33.8 million, a 55.0% increase compared with the same period last year.
• As of September 30, 2015, Bona owned and operated 30 theaters with 250 screens, including seven DMAX screens and two IMAX screens.
• On November 5, 2015, the Company announced an investment (the "Investment") of $235 million in TSG Entertainment Finance LLC ("TSG").  TSG is a film finance entity working with Twentieth Century Fox to finance primarily live action films. The Investment is structured primarily with the Bona Film Fund and a credit facility arranged by East West Bank, and entitles Bona to participate in the on-going slate financing arrangement that TSG has with Twentieth Century Fox, which will continue to distribute films worldwide. Films previously included in the TSG slate were Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men Days of Future Past, and the recently released Ridley Scott film, starring Matt Damon, The Martian.

Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues for the third quarter of 2015 decreased 21.1% year-over-year to US$78.9 million. The decrease in net revenues was primarily attributable to the stronger performance of the films distributed in the third quarter of 2014, especially the films The White-Haired Witch and The Continent.

Net Revenues by Segment Operations

Net revenues from the film distribution segment totaled US47.8 million in the third quarter of 2015, a decrease of 39.6% from US$79.1 million in the third quarter of 2014. The decrease was mainly due to the stronger performance of the films distributed in the third quarter of 2014, especially the film The Continent. During the third quarter of 2015, Bona distributed and/or invested in a total of 5 films, with Bride Wars and The Dead End being well received by movie audiences.

Net revenues from the film investment and production segment were US$12.6 million in the third quarter of 2015, a decrease of 32.3% from US$18.6 million in the third quarter of 2014. The decrease was mainly due to the stronger performance of the films distributed in the third quarter of 2014, especially the film The White-Haired Witch.

Net revenues from the movie theater segment were US$33.8 million in the third quarter of 2015, a 55.0% increase from US$21.8 million in the third quarter of 2014. The increase was mainly due to the increase in the number of theaters and screens from the Company's strategic expansion efforts, and the maturation of new theaters over time.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

For the third quarter of 2015, gross profit slightly decreased to US$40.5 million, compared with US$40.9 million in the third quarter of 2014. 

Segment Profit[3] and Segment Margin

Margin for the Company's film distribution segment was 43.1% in the third quarter of 2015, compared with 37.3% in the third quarter of 2014. The increase was mainly due to better economic returns on films distributed in the third quarter of 2015.

Margin for the Company's film investment and production segment was 9.5% in the third quarter of 2015, compared with a segment margin of negative 24.2% in the third quarter of 2014. The increase was the result of the acceleration of amortization, impairment and one-time write-off of production costs in the third quarter of 2014.

Margin for the Company's movie theater segment was 58.9% in the third quarter of 2015, in line with 58.3% in the third quarter of 2014.  

Operating Income and Operating Margin

Total operating expenses, including participation expenses, general and administrative expenses, and selling and marketing expenses, for the third quarter of 2015 slightly decreased to US$31.0 million, compared with US$32.3 million in the third quarter of 2014.

Operating income for the third quarter of 2015 decreased 13.9% to US$9.1 million from US$10.6 million in the third quarter of 2014. Operating margin in the third quarter of 2015 was 11.6% compared with 10.6% in the third quarter of 2014. The year-over-year increase in operating margin was primarily due to the growth in the Company's movie theater businesses.

Net Income and Net Income Attributable to Bona Film Group Limited per ADS

Excluding share-based compensation expenses of US$4.5 million and US$3.6 million for the third quarters of 2015 and 2014, respectively, non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2015 was US$5.1 million, compared with non-GAAP net income of US$9.3 million in the third quarter of 2014.

Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP in the third quarter of 2015 was US$9.9 million, compared with adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP of US$16.5 million in the third quarter of 2014.

Cash and Cash Flow

As of September 30, 2015, Bona had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash totaling US$150.9 million, compared with US$153.6 million as of December 31, 2014. Net cash used in operating activities for the third quarter of 2015 was US$164.9 million, compared with net cash provided from operating activities of US$1.3 million for the third quarter of 2014. The change in cash flow from operations was mainly attributable to the increase in investment in films scheduled for release in future.

"I am very excited about our film slate for the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first half of 2016, which includes highly anticipated productions, such as The Treasure, The Cinema That Never Dies, Absolutely Unexpected, and The Man from Macau 3. In addition, the film we are developing in partnership with Tristar and Studio 8, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, is in the post-production phase and is on schedule for a November 2016 release. As we continue to roll out our international expansion plan, we look forward to adding more high quality films to our pipeline," concluded Mr. Yu.

Third quarter 2015 Conference Call Details

Bona management will hold the earnings conference call at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 (9:00 a.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time on Thursday, November 26, 2015). Management will discuss results and highlights of the quarter and answer questions from investors.

The dial-in numbers for the earnings conference call are as follows:

U.S. Toll Free: +1-855-500-8701
Hong Kong Toll Free: 800-906-606
China, Domestic: 400-120-0654
International: +65-6713-5440

The conference ID # is 85580082.

A live and archived webcast of the earnings conference call will be available on the IR Calendar page of the Bona investor relations website at http://ir.bonafilm.cn/events.cfm.

About Bona Film Group Limited

Bona Film Group Limited (NASDAQ:BONA) is a leading film distributor in China, with an integrated business model encompassing film distribution, film production, film exhibition and talent representation. Bona distributes films to Greater China, Korea, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe, invests and produces movies in a variety of genres, owns and operates thirty movie theaters and manages a range of talented and popular Chinese artists.

For more information about Bona, please visit http://www.bonafilm.cn.

To be added to Bona's email list to receive Company news, please send your request to [email protected].

Forward Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in 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. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements and involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates, but involve a number of unknown risks and uncertainties, Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. You are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained herein and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement Bona's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, Bona uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC: non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income attributable to Bona Film Group Limited per ADS, which exclude share-based compensation expenses, and adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP, which excludes share-based compensation expenses, interest, taxes, and non-cash depreciation and amortization charges. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation, as a substitute for, or to be superior to the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, Bona's definition of non-GAAP net income may be different from the definitions used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

Bona believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding certain expenses and expenditures that may not be indicative of its operating performance and a supplemental liquidity measure which is useful for understanding and evaluating the Company's capacity for servicing its debt, and otherwise meeting its cash needs. Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP excludes depreciation and amortization, so it does not reflect any cash requirements for the replacement of the assets, which will often have to be replaced in the future. The Company believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the Company's performance and liquidity, and when planning and forecasting future periods. The table appears at the end of this press release has more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

SOURCE Bona Film Group Limited