Connect with us

Technology

Shengfeng Development Limited Announces First Half of Fiscal Year 2024 Unaudited Financial Results

Published

on

Revenue Up 22.8% Year Over Year, Driven by Expansion of Customer Relationships

FUZHOU, China, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Shengfeng Development Limited (“Shengfeng” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SFWL), a contract logistics company in China providing customers with integrated logistics solutions, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

Financial Highlights for the First Half of 2024:

Total Revenue: Increased by approximately 22.8% to $227.1 million, compared to $185.0 million for the same period in 2023. This growth was primarily driven by the expansion of services with new clients, particularly in the new energy sector. The Company saw significant growth due to increased demand within this sector, reflecting deepened partnerships and expanded service offerings.Gross Profit: Decreased by approximately 7.4% to $21.1 million, compared to $22.8 million in the first half of 2023. However, the Company anticipates improved margins in the second half of the year, due to enhanced operational efficiencies and a focus on higher-margin customer contracts.Net Income: Decreased by 22.5% to $5.0 million, compared to $6.5 million for the same period in 2023. Earnings per share (EPS) decreased to $0.06 from $0.08 in the first half of 2023. Despite a competitive market environment and increased operational costs, the Company remains optimistic about net income growth through improved cost management strategies and sustained revenue expansion.

Cost and Expense Overview:

Operating Expenses: Operating expenses increased slightly by 1.5% to $14.5 million in the first half of 2024, compared to $14.3 million for the same period in 2023. Operating expenses grew at a much slower rate than sales, reflecting the Company’s disciplined approach to cost management. This modest increase reflects contrasting trends within different expense categories:Selling and Marketing Expenses: Decreased by 14.2% to $2.9 million, down from $3.3 million in the first half of 2023. This reduction was primarily due to a decrease in employee-related costs as a result of workforce optimization initiatives, which streamlined operations and reduced overall expenses.General and Administrative Expenses: Increased by 6.3% to $11.7 million, up from $11.0 million in the same period in 2023. This rise was driven by higher employee salaries and benefits, as well as increased professional consultancy fees. These increases were necessary to support the Company’s expanded operations and higher revenue base, necessitating additional resources and staff in the general and administrative departments.

Cash Position:

Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of June 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $11.2 million, compared to $26.7 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to investments in business expansion and increased working capital requirements to support the growth in revenue. The Company remains committed to maintaining a strong liquidity position to support ongoing operations and strategic initiatives.

Operational Highlights:

Transportation Services: Net revenues increased by 25.0% to $217.5 million, driven by the expansion of new customer relationships and increased demand for logistics solutions, especially in the new energy and consumer goods sectors.Warehouse Storage Management Services: Revenues decreased by 11.2% to $8.3 million, reflecting a strategic shift away from low-margin services and the closure of redundant facilities.

CEO Commentary:

Mr. Yongxu Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Shengfeng, commented, “Our robust revenue growth in the first half of 2024 reflects the deepened cooperation with our clients, particularly in the fast-moving consumer goods and new energy sectors. With notable partners like BYD Company Limited, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, and Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited, we are endeavoring to enhance our service offerings and expand our presence in these dynamic industries. We remain confident in our ability to maintain our growth trajectory while enhancing operational efficiencies.”

Outlook:

Looking ahead, Shengfeng aims to sustain its growth and improve margins in the second half of 2024. The Company is committed to leveraging its extensive logistics network and innovative solutions to serve a broader range of industries and customers.

About Shengfeng Development Limited

Shengfeng Development Limited is a contract logistics company in China providing customers with integrated logistics solution services. Established in 2001, the Company has developed extensive and reliable transportation networks in China, covering 341 cities across 31 provinces, as of June 30, 2024. The Company provides integrated logistics solutions comprised of B2B freight transportation services, cloud storage services, and value-added services. The Company applies well-established management system and operation procedures to assist companies in China to increase efficiency and improve their own management systems with respect to transportation, warehousing and time management. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: http://ir.sfwl.com.cn/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements reflect our current view about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any 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 the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shengfeng-development-limited-announces-first-half-of-fiscal-year-2024-unaudited-financial-results-302238575.html

SOURCE Shengfeng Development Limited

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

G42 Collaborates with NVIDIA to Deliver Next-Generation Climate Solutions Using Earth-2

Published

on

By

ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — G42, a leader in AI and cloud computing, today announced that it is partnering with NVIDIA to advance climate technology with a focus on developing AI solutions aimed at dramatically enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasting globally.

The collaboration builds on NVIDIA’s Earth-2, an open platform that accelerates climate and weather predictions with interactive, AI-augmented, high-resolution simulation. G42 and NVIDIA will initially focus on a square-kilometer resolution weather forecasting model that improves the accuracy of meteorological predictions.

Key to this initiative is the establishment of a new operational base and Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for research and development, driving forward both companies’ commitment to environmental sustainability. This facility will also mobilize the creation of tailored climate and weather solutions that leverage over 100 petabytes of geophysical data assets.

Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said, “This initiative with NVIDIA is a testament to our commitment to applying AI in ways that not only innovate but also solve critical global challenges. Establishing the Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi allows us to leverage our unique capabilities and insights to foster a sustainable future for the world.”

In addition to fostering innovation in climate technology, the initiative will focus on building a robust framework for integrating enhanced weather prediction capabilities with comprehensive data metrics and visualization. This will assist organizations worldwide in achieving their sustainability goals through well-informed, data-driven environmental strategies.

“Our collaboration with G42 marks a pivotal step toward harnessing AI to understand and predict climate phenomena with unprecedented accuracy,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “The Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab will propel environmental solutions using the most advanced accelerated computing and AI technology to benefit millions of people around the world.”

By uniting G42’s AI expertise with NVIDIA’s computational acumen, this partnership aims to deliver transformative climate solutions that combine scientific accuracy with real-world applicability, driving impactful change across industries and ecosystems.

About G42

G42 is a technology holding group, a global leader in creating visionary artificial intelligence for a better tomorrow. Born in Abu Dhabi and operating worldwide, G42 champions AI as a powerful force for good across industries. From molecular biology to space exploration and everything in between, G42 realizes exponential possibilities, today.
To know more visit www.g42.ai.

Media contacts
Media and PR Team, G42
media@g42.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/g42-collaborates-with-nvidia-to-deliver-next-generation-climate-solutions-using-earth-2-302253818.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Kawasaki and CB&I Sign Strategic Collaborative Agreement for Promoting Commercial-Use Liquefied Hydrogen Supply Chain

Published

on

By

HOUSTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki) and CB&I, a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott, announced today their signing of a strategic agreement for promoting a commercial-use liquefied hydrogen (LH2) supply chain and realizing a zero-carbon-emission society. The signing ceremony took place at Gastech Exhibition & Conference in Houston on September 18, 2024.

“We are very pleased for this opportunity to build and launch a commercial liquefied hydrogen supply chain in cooperation with CB&I,” said Motohiko Nishimura, President, Energy Solutions & Marine Engineering Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. “By taking advantage of both companies’ strengths and specialized know-how, we aim to cost down hydrogen, strengthen hydrogen supply chain competitiveness, and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon society.”

Both companies will use their specialized know-how to provide infrastructure that will enable commercial-scale international LH2 supply chains in order to help achieve carbon-neutrality. By leveraging our combined expertise to deliver large-scale LH2 infrastructure solutions, CB&I and Kawasaki are removing barriers, driving down costs and enhancing scalability across the entire supply chain.

“This strategic partnership represents a significant advancement in liquid hydrogen storage capabilities,” said Mark Butts, Senior Vice President of CB&I. “Our technical expertise and extensive experience in liquid hydrogen storage position us at the forefront of the energy transition, delivering reliable storage solutions and executing projects worldwide with proven success.”

Under this agreement, the companies will provide infrastructure to advance the global realization of a sustainable energy economy and meet decarbonization targets. This collaboration will reduce LH2 infrastructure costs and contribute to more widespread use of this clean and efficient energy source.

About CB&I
CB&I is the world’s leading designer and builder of storage facilities, tanks, and terminals. With more than 60,000 structures completed throughout its 130-year history, CB&I has the global expertise and strategically located operations to provide its customers world-class storage solutions for even the most complex energy infrastructure projects. CB&I is a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott. To learn more, visit www.cbi.com.

About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott’s innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott’s locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.

About Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. is general engineering manufacturer with over 125 years of experience manufacturing products spanning land, sea and air. Kawasaki established the Kawasaki Group’s new vision statement, “Group Vision 2030: Trustworthy Solutions for the Future,” and is focusing on three fields, “A Safe and Secure Remotely-Connected Society,” “Near-Future Mobility,” and “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in order to provide solutions for social issues. For “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in particular, by securing the technology necessary for the entire supply chain (for production, transportation, storage and utilization) ahead of the rest of the world, Kawasaki aims to bring about a society that utilizes hydrogen, the ultimate clean energy that emits no carbon dioxide when used. To learn more, visit https://global.kawasaki.com/en.

Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected benefits from the collaboration agreement discussed in this press release.  Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott’s management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

For media inquiries, please use the contact information below:

Reba Reid
Global Media Relations
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com

Kristi Krupala-Grove
CB&I Media Relations
+1 346 313 9636
KKrupala2@mcdermott.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kawasaki-and-cbi-sign-strategic-collaborative-agreement-for-promoting-commercial-use-liquefied-hydrogen-supply-chain-302253698.html

SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd

Continue Reading

Technology

Halal Route Application – Eat, Travel around Thailand, Safe and Sound Halal Style

Published

on

By

BANGKOK, Thailand, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University has developed Halal Route, an application that lists restaurants, lodging, mosques, prayer directions, and tourist attractions in Thailand under Islamic tourism principles. It hopes to help Muslim tourists travel in Thailand with peace of mind, and supports tourism industry operators to grow and welcome a growing number of Muslim tourists.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts that in 2024 there will be around 168 million Islamic tourists worldwide.  According to the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI 2024), Thailand is the 32nd most popular destination for Muslim tourists.  However, the major problem Muslim tourists encounter in Thailand is finding Halal-accredited restaurants, hotels, accommodations, or tourist attractions with service areas (such as prayer rooms) that are compliant with the Islamic way.

Halal Route” is a travel aggregator app that collects searchable information on Halal restaurants, mosques, prayer locations, times, and directions for prayers (the qibla), tourist attractions, Muslim villages or communities, hotels, accommodations, etc.  This app is linked to Google Maps for navigation with precision. It also supports 3 languages, Thai, English, and Arabic, so that Muslim tourists can live and travel more comfortably and with peace of mind,” said Mr.Erfun Weahama, Science Service Officer, Halal Route App development team.

Dr. Anat Denyingyot, Assistant Director of the Halal Science Center, emphasized that the Halal Route application has the most reliable and comprehensive information on halal tourism in Thailand today. “All restaurants and locations have had on-site visits and are audited according to standards approved by a trusted authority or organization, such as certifications from religious organizations or halal food-related entities, as well as management systems to guarantee and be responsible for halal conditions (the HAL-Q system),” Dr. Anat assured.

Currently, the application has more than 1,100 restaurants in its database, and new locations and services are being updated, covering more than 40 provinces from north to south of Thailand that are popular among tourists.

Halal Route is not only for navigation, but a platform that connects Muslim communities from around the world who have the opportunity to visit Thailand,” Associate Professor Dr.Winai Dahlan, Director of the Halal Science Center concluded.

The Halal Route application is free to download on both iOS and Android systems.

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/185916/  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/halal-route-application—eat-travel-around-thailand-safe-and-sound-halal-style-302251312.html

SOURCE Chulalongkorn University

Continue Reading

Trending