SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of February 2020

 

Commission File Number 001-38490

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

(Translation of Registrant’s Name Into English)

 

Suite 1801, Level 18

Landmark North

39 Lung Sum Avenue

Sheung Shui

New Territories, Hong Kong

 

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ___

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ___

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Leases

 

Highway Holdings Limited’s (the “Company”) principal manufacturing facilities currently consist of approximately 24,400 square meters of factory space and dormitories located in Shenzhen, China.  The Shenzhen facilities are leased pursuant to a lease that expires on February 28, 2020. The Company entered into a new three-year lease for a portion of the existing Shenzhen facilities.  Under the new lease, which becomes effective on March 1, 2020 and continues until February 28, 2023, the Company will lease approximately 15,200 square meters of space.  Because the Company has relocated most of its labor intensive manufacturing and assembly operations to its facility in Yangon, Myanmar, the Company will no longer need the same amount of space in Shenzhen as it currently leases. Under the new lease, the Company will pay approximately $65,000 per month for rent (at the current RMB to U.S. dollar exchange rate), which rent will increase by 5% per year in the second and third year of the lease.

 

The Company leases its executive and administrative offices, located at Suite 1801, and Suites 1823-1823A, Level 18, Landmark North, 39 Lung Sum Avenue, Sheung Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong, under two leases that expire in March 2020. The Company has entered into two new, three-year leases that expire in March 2023 for these offices. The new leases have substantially the same terms as the current leases (the aggregate monthly rental cost of these offices will remain at approximately $11,000 per month, based on the exchange rate in affect as of the date of this report).

 

Earnings Press Release

 

On February 18, 2020, the Company issued the attached press release announcing the results for its fiscal third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2019.

 

Exhibits

 

99.1 Press release issued on February 18, 2020.

 

1

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

  HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED
     
Date:  February 18, 2020 By /s/ ROLAND W. KOHL
    Roland W. Kohl
    Chief Executive Officer

 

 

2

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

CONTACT:Gary S. Maier

Maier & Company, Inc.

(310) 471-1288

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS REPORTS FISCAL 2020 THIRD QUARTER

AND NINE-MONTH RESULTS

 

HONG KONG — February 18, 2020 — Highway Holdings Limited (Nasdaq:HIHO) today reported results for its fiscal third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2019 -- reflecting increased sales and profitability.

 

Net sales for the fiscal 2020 third quarter increased 22 percent to $3.6 million from $2.9 million a year ago. For the same period, net income increased sharply to $318,000, or $0.08 per share, from a loss of $305,000, or $0.08 per share, in the same quarter a year earlier.

 

For the nine months, net sales were $9.6 million compared with $10.5 million a year ago. For the same period, the company reported net income of $123,000, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $444,000, or $0.12 per share, a year earlier.

 

“Results for the quarter benefited from the company’s multi-year investments in Myanmar, and management’s strategic focus on reducing the company’s higher manufacturing costs. As a result, these lower manufacturing costs allowed us to maintain our margin targets and create favorable economics for our customers to attract business, which contributed, we believe, to our customers’ increased sales activity and our increased orders for the quarter,” said Roland Kohl, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Highway Holdings.

 

Kohl noted that the recent coronavirus outbreak and the country-wide shut down of factories across China to contain the spread of the virus will impact the company’s manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China, as well as its supply chain. “Operations at our facilities in Shenzhen are currently halted, and we aren’t sure when we will be able to resume full operations. It is difficult to predict the long-term impact, though a short-term impact to our company and customers is to be expected. Fortunately, the company’s increasing reliance on our operations in Myanmar, which already produces more than half of our monthly sales volume, is a strategic benefit and we remain optimistic about the company’s long-term prospects,” Kohl said.

 

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Gross margin as a percentage of sales for the three months ended December 31, 2019 increased to 33.7 percent from 28.7 percent a year earlier, and gross margin as a percentage of sales for the nine months increased to 29.1 percent from 26.2 percent last year.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased for the quarter by $287,000, and also declined by $477,000 for the nine months on a year-over-year basis, despite the company’s continued additional expenses to support its Myanmar operation with technical and managerial personnel from the company’s Hong Kong and Chinese operations.

 

“The continued relocation of much of our business to Myanmar is resulting in lower-work load requirements for our operations in China. Consequently, we anticipate redundancies in our work force in China, which will lead to substantial severance expense, which has been accrued. While we do not expect these severance expenses to impact our bottom-line results, these payments will somewhat reduce our cash position,” Kohl said.

 

Net income for the fiscal third quarter reflects a currency exchange gain of $17,000 compared with a currency exchange loss of $56,000 a year ago. The company reported a $112,000 currency exchange gain for the fiscal 2020 nine months compared with a $21,000 currency exchange loss a year earlier -- mainly due to the weakening of the RMB and Kyat. The company does not engage in currency exchange rate hedging, and the fluctuations in the exchange rate of the RMB and Kyat are expected to affect the company’s future results.

 

Kohl noted the company’s balance sheet remains strong, despite a decrease in cash. The company’s total cash position at December 31, 2019 decreased to approximately $8.5 million, or approximately $2.2 per diluted share, from $8.8 million at March 31, 2019 -- reflecting an increase in inventory levels during the transition of operations from China to Myanmar, while maintaining order fills to customers.

 

The company’s current ratio was 2.5:1 at December 31, 2019, and the company's total cash exceeded all current and long-term liabilities combined by $2.6 million.

 

Separately, the company reported that it has entered into a new three-year lease for a portion of the existing Shenzhen, China facilities.  Under the new lease, which becomes effective on March 1, 2020 and continues until February 28, 2023, the company will lease a total of approximately 15,200 square meters of space compared with its current lease of approximately 24,400 square meters of factory space and dormitories located in Shenzhen. The reduced space requirements reflect the company’s relocation of most of its labor-intensive manufacturing and assembly operations to its facility in Yangon, Myanmar. The company also reported that it has renewed the leases of its executive offices in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong office leases, which will expire in March 2020, have been extended for three years on terms substantially similar to the existing lease terms.

 

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About Highway Holdings

 

Highway Holdings produces a wide variety of high-quality products for blue chip original equipment manufacturers -- from simple parts and components to sub-assemblies and finished products. Highway Holdings’ administrative office is located in Hong Kong and its manufacturing facilities are located in Shenzhen in the People’s Republic of China and Yangon, Myanmar.

 

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, political and technological factors affecting the company's revenues, operations, markets, products and prices, and other factors discussed in the company’s various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, the company’s annual reports on Form 20-F.

 

(Financial Tables Follow)

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HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statement of Income

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

  

Three Months Ended
December 31,

  

Nine Months Ended

December 31,

 
   2019   2018   2019   2018 
                 
Net sales  $3,590   $2,950   $9,630   $10,495 
Cost of sales   2,379    2,104    6,828    7,741 
Gross profit   1,211    846    2,802    2,754 
                     
Selling, general and administrative expenses   875    1,162    2,801    3,278 
Operating income/(loss)   336    (316)   1    (524)
                     
Non-operating items                    
                     
Exchange gain /(loss), net   17    (56)   112    (21)
Interest income   12    10    42    17 
Gain on disposal of asset   14    -    17    28 
Other income   0    2    1    8 
Total non-operating income/ (expenses)   43    (44)   172    32 
                     
                     
Net income/(loss) before income tax and non-controlling interests   379    (360)   173    (492)
Income taxes   (60)   -    (60)   - 
Net income/(loss) before non-controlling interests   319    (360)   113    (492)
Less: net gain/(loss) attributable to non-controlling interests   1    (55)   (10)   (48)
Net income/(loss) attributable to Highway Holdings Limited’s shareholders  $318   ($305)  $123   ($444)
                     
Net income/(loss) per share - basic and diluted  $0.08   ($0.08)  $0.03   ($0.12)
                     
Weighted average number of shares outstanding                     
Basic   3,977    3,801    3,895    3,801 
Diluted   3,977    3,801    3,895    3,801 

 

 

 

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheet

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

   (Unaudited)     
   December 31   March 31 
   2019   2019 
         
Current assets:        
         
Cash and cash equivalents  $8,542   $8,827 
Accounts receivable, net of doubtful accounts   2,483    2,264 
Inventories   2,327    1,539 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   502    722 
Operating leases   199    - 
Total current assets   14,053    13,352 
           
Property, plant and equipment, (net)   890    886 
Operating Lease   1,157    - 
Long-term deposits   54    66 
Long-term loan receivable   95    75 
Long-term prepayment   299    - 
Long-term rental prepayment   -    871 
Total assets  $16,548   $15,250 
           
Current liabilities:          
Accounts payable  $1,211   $1,161 
Other liabilities and accrued expenses   3,273    2,989 
Lease liability   193    - 
Income tax payable   625    602 
Dividend payable   329    329 
Total current liabilities   5,631    5,081 
Long term liabilities :          
           
Lease liability   249    - 
Deferred income taxes   32    32 
Total liabilities   5,912    5,113 
           
Shareholders’ equity:          
Common shares, $0.01 par value   39    38 
Additional paid-in capital   11,712    11,370 
Retained earnings/( Deficit)   (1,111)   (1,233)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income   (29)   (35)
Treasury shares, at cost – 5,049 shares as of December 31, 2019; and March 31, 2019 respectively   (14)   (14)
Non-controlling interest   39    11 
Total Highway Holdings Limited shareholders’ equity   10,636    10,137 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity  $16,548   $15,250