SkyPeople Fruit Juice Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results

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May 14, 2012, 08:00 ET

XI'AN , China, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPU) ("SkyPeople" or "the Company"), a producer of fruit juice concentrates, fruit beverages and other fruit-related products, today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2012.

First Quarter 2012 Summary:

Total revenue was $15.0 million, a decrease of 23% year-over-year
Sales revenue of concentrated kiwi juice and kiwi puree increased 26% to $3.8 million
Sales revenue of concentrated pear juice increased 19% to $4.8 million
Cash generated from operations was $14.8 million
Cash and cash equivalents were $76.7 million as of March 31, 2012

Yongke Xue, Chief Executive Officer of SkyPeople, commented, "We continue to be challenged by unpredictable market conditions and rising raw material costs due to the volatile pricing of fresh fruits. We understand that these factors are beyond our control, and have been working to further diversify our segment mix to offset, to the extent possible, the effect of seasonality. Nonetheless, we were able to generate healthy margins in two key product lines. We are also pleased to report solid cash flows generated from operating activities, further strengthening our cash position which enables us to execute our comprehensive growth strategy."

"During the quarter we achieved the following important developments which I would like to highlight. First of all, our cash balances had been independently verified, which substantiated our integrity and reassured investors as to our credibility. Secondly, we had commenced operation of a new fruit juice beverage production line in our Huludao Wonder subsidiary, which was expected to help us take advantage of economies of scale and focus on producing high margin fruit juice beverages. Thirdly, we appointed Mr. Xin Ma as our new Chief Financial Officer with confidence that his experience with U.S. publicly traded Chinese companies is an excellent fit to our needs. These developments reflected our management's commitment to focus on enhanced financial transparency, sound investor communications and an operational focus on high margin products. Our top priority continues to be generating solid returns on our investment so as to create long-term value for our shareholders," CEO Xue stated.

First Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was $15.0 million, a decrease of 23%, as compared to $19.4 million in the same period in 2011. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in the sales of concentrated apple juice and apple aroma, fruit juice beverages as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, as partially offset by an increase in the sales of concentrated kiwifruit juice and kiwifruit puree and concentrated pear juice.

*First Quarter 2012 Revenue by Segment* (in thousands)
	2012	2011	% of change
Concentrated apple juice and apple aroma	$2,508	$3,673	(32%)
Concentrated kiwifruit juice and kiwifruit puree	3,761	2,985	26%
Concentrated pear juice	4,767	4,022	19%
Fruit juice beverages	3,370	7,277	(54%)
Fresh fruits and vegetables	588	1,458	(60%)
Total	$14,994	$19,415	(23%)

Gross profit was $4.8 million, as compared to $8.6 million in the first quarter of 2011. Gross profit margin was 32% as compared to 44% in the same period of 2011. The year-over-year decline in gross margin was attributable to a decline in gross margins in four of the Company's five primary product segments.

Operating expenses for the first quarter of 2012 were $2.1 million, or 15% of sales, compared to $1.4 million, or 7% of sales in the same period of 2011. General and administrative expenses increased by 81% to $1.5 million, mainly due to an increase in legal fees related to the Company's current pending litigations, payroll and related expenses as a result of an increase in employees to handle the increased general and administrative work. Selling expenses increased by 16% to $0.5 million, mainly due to an increase in payroll and related expenses as a result of an increased headcounts to handle the greater sales effort.

Income from operations for the first quarter of 2012 dropped 63% to $2.6 million as compared to $7.2 million for the same period of 2011.

Net income attributable to common shareholders and earnings per share for the first quarter of 2012 were $1.9 million and $0.07, respectively, compared to $5.3 million and $0.20, respectively, in the first quarter of 2011.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

The Company's CEO, Mr. Yongke Xue, and the CFO, Mr. Xin Ma, will host the call.

To attend the live conference call, please dial in at least 10 minutes before the call to ensure timely participation. Please use the dial-in information below. When prompted by the operator, mention the conference Pass Code.

Date:	Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Time:	9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, US
Conference Line Dial-In:	+1-866-394-2209
International Dial-In:	+1-706-758-1481
Conference Pass Code:	79908497

To access the replay, please dial 1-855-859-2056 within the United States or 1-404-537-3406 when dialing internationally, and enter the pass code 79908497 for the replay. The replay will be available on May 15th at 12:00 pm.

About SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc.

SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc., a Florida company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Pacific Industry Holding Group Co., Ltd. ("Pacific"), a Vanuatu company, holds 99.78% ownership interest in SkyPeople Juice Group Co., Ltd. ("SkyPeople (China)"). SkyPeople (China) is engaged in the production and sales of fruit juice concentrates, fruit beverages, and other fruit related products in the PRC and overseas markets. Its fruit juice concentrates are sold to domestic customers and exported directly or via distributors. Fruit juice concentrates are used as a basic ingredient component in the food industry. Its brands, "Hedetang" and "SkyPeople", which are registered trademarks in the PRC, are positioned as high quality, healthy and nutritious end-use juice beverages. For more information, please visit http://www.skypeoplefruitjuice.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning and protections of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, capital, ownership or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "point to," "project," "could," "intend," "target" and other similar words and expressions of the future.

All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings, including the final prospectus for our offering. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. We have no obligation and do not undertake to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements after the date hereof, or after the respective dates on which any such statements otherwise are made.

For more information, please contact:

COMPANY

Xin Ma, CFO

SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc.

Tel: China + 86 - 29-8837-7161

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.skypeoplefruitjuice.com

- Financial Tables Follow -

SKYPEOPLE FRUIT JUICE, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS


	March 31,		December 31,
	2012		2011
ASSETS	(Unaudited)

CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	76,713,489	$	61,154,007
Restricted cash		31,775		316,396
Accounts receivables, net of allowance of $46,577 and $46,529 as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively		21,782,597		35,999,858
Other receivables		190,210		192,032
Inventories		5,335,964		6,126,376
Deferred tax assets		113,770		174,285
Advances to suppliers and other current assets		175,832		66,528
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS		104,343,637		104,029,482

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET		49,784,454		44,277,228
LAND USE RIGHT, NET		6,635,133		6,673,496
OTHER ASSETS		173,233		5,323,162
TOTAL ASSETS	$	160,936,457	$	160,303,368


LIABILITIES

CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	$	2,099,190	$	2,972,916
Accrued expenses		3,468,696		4,701,054
Income tax payable		855,217		1,910,779
Advances from customers		-		178,857
Short-term bank loans		8,467,979		6,425,713
Short-term notes payable		-		284,654
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES		14,891,082		16,473,973

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc, Stockholders' equity
Series B Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 1,456,647 issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011		1,457		1,457
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 66,666,666 shares authorized; 25,690,402 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011		25,690		25,690
Additional paid-in capital		59,189,374		59,189,374
Retained earnings		66,542,611		64,623,453
Accumulated other comprehensive income		14,236,710		14,086,620
Total SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc. stockholders' equity		139,995,842		137,926,594
Non-controlling interests		6,049,533		5,902,801
TOTAL EQUITY		146,045,375		143,829,395
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	$	160,936,457	$	160,303,368

SKYPEOPLE FRUIT JUICE, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Unaudited)

	For the Three month Ended March 31,
	2012		2011
Revenue	$	14,993,500	$	19,414,915
Cost of goods sold		10,207,501		10,809,357
Gross profit		4,785,999		8,605,558

Operating Expenses
General and administrative expenses		1,477,604		816,160
Selling expenses		525,334		454,674
Research and development expenses		142,685		136,467
Total operating expenses		2,145,623		1,407,301

Income from operations		2,640,376		7,198,257

Other income (expenses)
Interest income		69,689		76,312
Subsidy income		433,504		483,067
Interest expenses		(154,812)		(163,795)
Others		(968)		(3,033)
Total other income (expenses)		347,413		392,551

Income before income tax		2,987,789		7,590,808
Income tax provision		928,380		1,929,808
Net income		2,059,409		5,661,000

Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests		140,251		368,824

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SKYPEOPLE FRUIT JUICE, INC.	$	1,919,158	$	5,292,176

Earnings per share:
Basic earnings per share	$	0.07	$	0.20
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.07	$	0.20

Weighted average number of shares outstanding
Basic		25,690,402		25,690,402
Diluted		26,661,500		26,662,599

Comprehensive Income
Net income	$	2,059,409	$	5,661,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment		156,571		1,141,578
Total Comprehensive income	$	2,215,980	$	6,802,578
Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests		146,732		413,802
Comprehensive income attributable to SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc.	$	2,069,248	$	6,388,776

SKYPEOPLE FRUIT JUICE, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)

	For the Three month Ended March 31,
	2012		2011
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income	$	2,059,409	$	5,661,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities
Depreciation and amortization		706,064		865,108
Deferred income tax assets		60,515		-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable		14,225,403		10,143,930
Other receivable		2,009		(108,542)
Advances to suppliers and other current assets		(109,276)		(28,135)
Inventories		1,163,961		(837,263)
Accounts payable		(875,022)		2,457,839
Accrued expenses		(1,233,484)		(1,699,172)
Income tax payable		(1,055,393)		(2,451,649)
Advances from customers		(178,673)		(394,573)
Net cash provided by operating activities		14,765,513		13,608,543

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Additions to property, plant and equipment		(1,320,608)		(60,901)
Prepayment for other assets		(13,621)		(225,513)
Net cash used in investing activities		(1,334,229)		(286,414)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Decreased in restricted cash		284,361		103,574
Short-term notes payable		(284,361)		(103,574)
Proceeds from short-term bank loans		3,170,879		2,486,808
Repayment of short-term bank loans		(1,139,578)		-
Net cash provided by financing activities		2,031,301		2,486,808

Effect of change in exchange rate		96,897		560,614

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		15,559,482		16,369,551
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		61,154,007		49,350,385
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	76,713,489	$	65,719,936

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid for interest	$	154,812	$	163,795
Cash paid for income taxes	$	1,923,258	$	4,381,457

SUPPLEMENTARY DISCLOSURE OF SIGNIFICANT NON-CASH TRANSACTION
Transferred from other assets to property, plant and equipment and construction in process	$	5,158,425	$	445,487