Ascent Solar Announces Further Improvement in Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: ASTI), a developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art, lightweight, and flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, reported results for the quarter ended September 30, 2017.
Q3 2017 Financial Results:
The Company posted net revenue of $242K for Q3 2017, a sharp increase of approximately 868%, or $217K, quarter-on-quarter growth. This is largely due to the successful shipments to our newly established OEM client for the development of the Energizer® PowerKeep™ line of solar products (see announcement dated September 13, 2017). As noted in previous announcements, the Company has streamlined its consumer business strategy to include only e-commerce, OEM, and private labeling; focusing more on the specialty PV markets such as defense, drones, aerospace, and satellite markets.
In addition to reporting improved revenue, the loss from operations continued to maintain at about the same level as last quarter at ($3.26M) but improved significantly, by about 41%, as compared to the loss during the same period last year of ($5.54M). The sharp improvement was a result of continuous cost reduction initiatives in both R&D and manufacturing operations, reduction in expenses resulting from the Company’s exit from the brick and mortar consumer channels, as well as lower depreciation and amortization. The Company will continue to seek improvement and streamline its operations further to achieve better operational efficiency and further cost reduction.
The net loss for the quarter also narrowed to approximately ($2.35M), another sharp improvement of about 80% from ($11.79M) in corresponding quarter in 2016. The substantial reduction in net loss was due in part to improved operational loss indicated above, as well as a positive swing of $6.65M to a non-cash gain of $2.2M, from a non-cash loss of ($4.5M) in the same period in 2016, on extinguishment of liabilities associated with the outstanding convertible notes and convertible preferred stock.
Current liabilities were also reduced from $19.45M as of period ended December 31, 2016 to about $11.01M, as of the quarter ended September 30, 2017, as the Company continues to improve its cash flow and the accounts payable and creditors are being paid down. Cash in hand stood at about $1.08M as of September 30, 2017 as compared to $0.13M on December 31, 2017.