Rong Luo
Analyst · Goldman Sachs. Please ask your question
Thank you, Mei. And thank you all for joining us on our earnings conference call for the first fiscal quarter of 2016. The first quarter revenue exceeding our expectation, due to the very strong growth in the cities other than Beijing, where we expect the outstanding growths to continue in the second quarter. Net revenue increased 45.3% year-over-year to $129.4 million. Revenue growth was primarily driven by a robust 47.6% increase in enrollments. We also achieved solid operating income growth for the first quarter of 43.4% and net income growth of 42%, only back off with strong business momentum, even though we opened 14 new learning centers on a net basis in the first fiscal quarter. Today, I will review our operational progress and highlights of our first fiscal quarter. After that, I will provide some further analysis of the financials and our business outlook. Let me first update you on our learning center network. On a net basis we added 14 new centers to our learning center network to a total of 303 centers. With net addition of 13 luxury small-class learning centers and one one-on-one learning center, which bring us to a total of 215 small-class learning centers, including four learning centers for Mobby and 88 for one-on-one. We added most learning centers in cities with high utilization rates, for example, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang and Chendgu, of particular know is that we added a net four learning centers in Nanjing, which is now in the top five cities in terms of revenue contribution. In Beijing, meanwhile as we continue to consolidate capacity, we opened two new and closed five small-class centers, leading to a net addition of 57 classrooms. We added a net of 517 Peiyou small-class classrooms in the first quarter, representing a 42% year-over-year increase. We start to add capacity from winter earlier than last year and we are accelerating the expansion pace in cities outside Beijing, where the utilization is good, where we're on track with our plan to add more learning capacity before summer term. Let me now provide more detail on each of the three business segments. In the first quarter, our core small-class offering continued to perform well, up by 54% in the quarter with very strong revenue growth across the board. Enrollment growth for small-class in the first quarter was 44%. ASP for small-class was up by 6.5% year-over-year in the quarter. The combined cities up outside Beijing grew by high double-digit percentages and seven of them achieved triple-digit revenue growth. These cities are Nanjing, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Suzhou, Chongqing, Shenyang and Jinan. The revenue contribution from small-class in cities outside Beijing, Shanghai was 54% of all small-class revenue, up from 44% in the same year ago period. Combined small-class revenue from Beijing and Shanghai also be aware with solid double-digit year-over-year growth. Overall retention rate also improved from last year’s spring term with less small-class refunds than we have expected. When we look at revenue contribution from the top cities, we see how our revenue base from Peiyou small-class is becoming more broadly spread over wider number of cities. In the first quarter, cities ranking below the top five, which are Tianjin, Xi`an, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Suzhou, Chongqing, Shenyang, Taiyuan, and the four new cities we added Q2 last year in total contributed 28% of Peiyou small-class revenue. In the same period last year, the cities below top five contributed 20%. The ASP increase of 6.5% was a result of the last price increase mostly in summer term last year. Last year, we raised the pricing in eight cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Suzhou, Zhengzhou, and Taiyuan. This year our plan is to increase pricing in five cities including, Tianjin, Nanjing, Suzhou, Zhengzhou, and Chongqing. Let me briefly update you on Beijing. Revenue growth in the quarter was supported by ASP growth were expected the enrollment of new students [ph] in summer term will be back on our growth track based on the registrations as of today. Changsha achieved year-over-year growth of over 20% again and representing 9% after spring enrollments in Beijing, [indiscernible] by strong growth in Changsha will continue in the summer. As I explained in last quarter, we have converted initiatives ongoing to reignite growth in Beijing. This involves consolidation of learning centers to improve utilization and at a new capacity in less penetrated area. That’s why, as I already mentioned, we closed five small-class learning centers and opened two new ones in Beijing. On a net basis, we added 57 small-class classrooms in Beijing in the quarter. In addition, we have promotions ongoing for Beijing to grow the new center enrollments and increase retention among the new students, specifically for the first grade junior high students and for summer class only. We estimate the revenue impact will be approximately US$2 million to US$3 million in Q2 based on last year's enrollment in price. We are very pleased that in the spring term, the retention rate has improved year-over-year and [indiscernible] which turned to continue in the summer term and also lead to higher enrollment in fall and winter terms. Shanghai recorded high double digit growth again in the quarter as expected. We opened two new small-class learning centers to meet a healthy demand for our tutoring services reflected by improved utilization and reduced refunds. We expect the robust enrollment growth will continue in the summer term. In the first quarter, Nanjing joined the top five cities in terms of revenue contribution with triple digit year-over-year growth. We added four small-class learning centers on net basis. Given the healthy bid development reflected by higher retention rates, we expect Nanjing to continue its rapid growth in the coming quarters. Let me now turn to the second big segment, our One-on-One business, as you know for quite some time now we have managed growth of One-on-One as a complementary services to our core small-class offerings. In the first quarter, One-on-One revenue grew by 14% year-over-year to 18.2% of total revenue. Enrollments were up by 18% year-on-year, ASP for One-on-One declined by 2.8% year-over-year. Our online course is a big segment remains one of our fastest growing segments with 70% year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter as expected. Online courses xueersi.com contributed 4.5% of total revenue this quarter, compared to 3.8% in the same year ago period. Raised by revenue contribution from online courses continue to increase going forward. Online enrollments also increased 75% year-over-year to an all time high of 20% of total enrollment this quarter, versus 17% in the same year ago period. Online ASPD climbed by 3% year-over-year mainly because of more, low price course you saw in the quarter. Since late March, we have been offering a comeback experience of teaching, examination, practice and lab communication. We believe that fundamentally, the intensifying interactions between students and teachers, improve the student outcomes and helps both students and their parents understand this new learning process. Deferred revenue of online costs by the end of May increased 82% year-over-year, as we used this pilot program to shape and improve the untested mode of online tutoring and teaching. This approach we believe will stimulate other students to enroll. Let me give you a quick update on other O2O progress up now. As we have said before, we aim to drive our core business through integration of our online and offline efforts and get back to operating leverage from online to offline. We’re pleased to know that rapid adoption of the online registration and payment for our tutoring services. In the first quarter, we have spent approximately US$4 million, out of the US$20 million to US$22 million full year margin on O2O investment. Let me now go through some financial highlights for the first fiscal quarter, adding some detail and insight on the numbers and finally discuss our guidance. Let me now go over the financials in detail with you. We delivered US$129.4 million in net revenue in the quarter, representing revenue growth of 45.3% versus the same period in the previous year. Driving the quarter’s revenue growth was an increase in total student enrollments. Total student enrollments increased to approximately 412,000 and 120 from approximately 279,000 and 200 in the same period one year ago. The increase in total student enrollments was supported by ongoing solid momentum in our course small-class and rapid and rapid growth in online courses. On the ASP side, year-over-year ASP decrease of 1.5% to US$314 for the first fiscal quarter from US$319 in the first quarter of the previous year. The decrease in ASP was mainly because of the increase in the hourly rate of the small-class course offerings were offset by more enrollment contribution from the online courses. While first quarter’s ASP for the total business decrease year-over-year in U.S. dollar terms, importantly, the ASP growth of our core small-class offering continued to be over 6.5% in the quarter, despite the fact that a greater portion of small-class revenue now accounts for cities outside Beijing and Shanghai, where the ASPs are lower than in these two major markets. This decrease spend in ASP in fact reflects a very positive shift in our business, which I have mentioned in previous quarters. Also, we continue to manage the gross of our one-on-one business, and its contribution to our total revenues decrease over time. Our two other healthy and high gross business segments, the online courses and small-class are taking more share. Cost of revenues increased by 46.2% to US$61 million from US$41.7 million in the same year ago quarter. The increase in the cost of revenues was mainly due to an increase in teachers’ compensation, rental costs and other staff costs associated primarily with an expansion of learning center capacity, as well as increases in wages and teacher fees versus the year ago period. Non-GAAP cost of revenue, which excluded share-based compensation expenses increased by 46.2% to $61 million from $41.7 million in the first fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2015. GAAP and non-GAAP gross profit for the first quarter were both US$68.4 million as compared to both being US$47.3 million for same year-ago period. GAAP and non-GAAP gross margin for the first fiscal quarter were both 52.9%, as compared to both 53.2% for the same period of last year. Selling and marketing expenses increased by 34.1% to US$15.3 million up from US$11.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. Non-GAAP selling and marketing expenses excluded share based compensation expenses increased by 35.5% to US$14.8 million up from US$10.9 million in the same period of last year. The increase of selling and marketing expenses in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 was primarily a result of an increase in compensation to sales and marketing staff to support a greater number of programs and service offerings versus the year ago period. General and administrative expenses increased by 49.8% to US$33.6 million up from US$22.4 million in the first fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2015. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in the number of our general and administrative personnel compared to a year ago period, an increase in compensation to our general and administrative personnel, in particular such personnel supporting our online education initiative among other new programs and service offerings. Non-GAAP, general and administrative expenses, which excluded share-based compensation expenses increased by 53.8% to US$29 million, up from US$18.9 million in the first quarter of 2015. The above factors combined to give us operating income of US$19.6 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 43.4%, non-GAAP operating income increased by 39.3% year-over-year to US$24.7 million. Operating margin in the first quarter was 15.1%, as compared to 15.4% in the same period of the previous year. Non-GAAP operating margin was 19.1% as compared to 19.9% in the same period a year ago. Income tax expense was US$4.8 million, as compared to US$2.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. The increase was mainly due to an increase in income before tax and effective tax rate. The increase of the effective income tax rate was mainly because one of TAL’s subsidiaries was entitled to a two-year exemption from enterprise income tax for calendar years 2013 and 2014 as a Newly Established Software Enterprise, and enjoys preferential tax rate of 12.5% from calendar years 2015 through 2017. Our net income for the quarter was US$19 million, an increase by 42% year-over-year. Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter was US$24 million, up by 38.1% year-over-year. These keep us a net profit margin of 14.6% as compared to 15% in the same period of last year. Non-GAAP profit margin was 18.6% versus 19.5% in the same period of last year. Basic and diluted net income per ADS were US$0.24 and US$0.23 respectively for the quarter. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS, which excluded share-based compensation expenses were US$0.30 and US$0.28. From the balance sheet as of May 31, 2015, the company had US$582.2 million of cash and cash equivalents and US$49.3 million of term deposits compared to US$470.2 million of cash and cash equivalents and US$21.2 million of term deposits as of February 28, 2015. Capital expenditures for the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 was US$6.3 million, representing an increase of US$1.9 million, up from US$4.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. The increase was mainly due to the leasehold improvement and the purchase of servers, computers, software systems and other hardware for the company’s teaching and mobile network R&D facilities. As of May 31, 2015, the company’s deferred revenue balance was US$331.3 million as compared to US$255.8 million as of May 31, 2014, representing a year-over-year increase of 40.5%. The increase was primarily contributed by the tuition revenue collected in advance for Xueersi Peiyou small-class summer and fall semesters. Let’s move to our Q2 guidance, based on the company’s current estimates, total net revenue for the second quarter of fiscal year 2015 expected to be between US$161.5 million and US$165.2 million, representing an increase of 32% to 35% on a year-on-year basis, assuming no material change in the exchange rate. These estimates reflect the Company’s current expectations, which is subject to change. Our guidance for the second quarter is based on the usual areas used as analysis in Q2 associated with the timing of Chinese New Year among other factors and incorporates the expected negative impact of Beijing small class summer promotion. This year, the expected positive impact in Q2 due to area seasonality is offset by the impact of summer promotions in Beijing, specifically for the first grade junior high students, which is estimated to be approximately $2 million to $3 million in U.S. dollar. If we achieve the guidance of 32% to 35% revenue growth in Q2, then we will have achieved 37% to 39% year-over-year top-line growth for the first half of the year. We have strong business momentum, and maintain our positive outlook for the year. This estimate reflects the Company’s current expectation which is subject to change. That concludes my prepared remarks. Operator I’m now ready to take questions.