6-K

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. (AMBO)

6-K 2021-04-08 For: 2021-04-08
View Original
Added on April 06, 2026

UNITED STATESSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUERPURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDERTHE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


For the month of April 2021


Commission File Number: 001-34824

Ambow Education Holding Ltd.


Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)


Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)


12th Floor, Tower 1, Financial Street Chang’AnCenter,

Shijingshan District, Beijing 100043

People’s Republic of China

Telephone: +86 (10) 6206-8000

(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 x 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): ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes ¨ No x

If “Yes” marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-___

Other Information

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 is a press release dated April 8, 2021, announcing the Company’s unaudited financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and audited financial and operating results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, respectively.

Exhibits


99.1 Press Release, dated April 8, 2021

SIGNATURE

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.

Ambow Education Holding Ltd.
By: /s/Jin Huang
Name: Dr. Jin Huang
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: April 8, 2021

Exhibit 99.1

Ambow Education Announces Fourth Quarter andFull Year 2020 Financial Results

BEIJING, April 8, 2021 -- Ambow Education Holding Ltd. (“Ambow” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: AMBO), a leading national provider of educational and career enhancement services in China, today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and audited financial and operating results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, respectively.

“In the fourth quarter of 2020, we remained focused and diligent in our efforts to help students achieve positive learning outcomes, especially as they navigate these challenging times,” noted Dr. Jin Huang, Ambow’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re pleased to report improved operating profitability in the fourth quarter, driven by healthy top-line performance and effective control over operating costs and expenses. Notably, gross margin increased 590 basis points year-over-year to 38.1%, reflecting the resilience of our business model in the wake of a weakened global economy due to COVID-19. With two decades of experience in education technology under our belt and powerful growth initiatives in place, we are confident in our ability to drive solid growth and further cement our leading position in China’s career enhancement market.”

“We recognize the increasingly pivotal role of advanced technologies and solutions as these uncertain times have reshaped the way education is delivered and received. The outbreak of COVID-19 further accelerated the integration of technology into classroom learning and significantly boosted the demand for online education from both students and education professionals. Through innovative solutions such as Huanyujun Education Hub, we are cultivating an online-to-offline education ecosystem that is built on cloud-based infrastructure to empower teaching and address both in-school and after-school learning needs. In December 2020, Ambow won approval to establish a postdoctoral scientific research workstation specialized in next-generation education tech research and development, a further testament to our strong capabilities in technology advancement and innovation. Heading into 2021, we look forward to executing our growth initiatives with the goal of consistently driving shareholder value," concluded Dr. Huang.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights


· Net revenues for the fourth quarter of<br>2020 remained flat at RMB173.5 million (US$26.6 million) compared to RMB173.3 million in the same period of 2019.
· Gross profit for the fourth quarter of<br>2020 increased by 18.7% to RMB66.1 million (US$10.1 million) from RMB55.7 million in the same period of 2019. Gross profit margin was<br>38.1%, compared with 32.1% for the fourth quarter of 2019. The increases in gross profit and gross profit margin were mainly attributable<br>to stringent cost management.
--- ---
· Operatingexpenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased by 11.7% to RMB62.8 million (US$9.6 million) from RMB71.1 million in the same period<br>of 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to stringent expense controls to improve operating efficiency, partially offset by operating<br>expenses related to NewSchool of Architecture and Design, LLC (“NewSchool”) which was acquired in the first quarter of 2020.
--- ---
· Operating income for the fourth quarter<br>of 2020 was RMB3.3 million (US$0.5 million), compared to operating loss of RMB15.4 million in the same period of 2019.
--- ---
· Net income attributable to ordinary shareholderswas RMB11.0 million (US$1.7 million), or RMB0.23 (US$0.04) per basic and diluted share, compared with a net loss of RMB12.2 million,<br>or RMB0.28 (US$0.04) per basic and diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2019.
--- ---
· As of December 31, 2020, Ambow maintained strong<br>cash resources of RMB282.5 million (US$43.3 million), comprised of cash and cash equivalents of RMB118.8 million (US$18.2 million), restricted<br>cash of RMB0.8 million (US$0.1 million) and short-term investments of RMB162.9 million (US$25.0 million).
--- ---

Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Highlights


· Net revenues for fiscal year 2020 decreased<br>by 8.9% to RMB532.0 million (US$81.5 million) from RMB583.9 million in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to fewer boarding and other<br>ancillary services provided for K-12 schools, and fewer services provided at the Company’s tutoring centers, training offices and<br>college campuses as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. This was partially offset by the revenues from NewSchool.

· Gross profit for fiscal year 2020 decreased<br>by 25.9% to RMB144.5 million (US$22.1 million) from RMB195.0 million in 2019. Gross profit margin was 27.2%, compared with 33.4% in 2019.<br>The decreases in gross profit and margin were mainly attributable to the decrease in revenue while keeping cost deployment to weather<br>the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
· Operatingexpenses for fiscal year 2020 decreased by 8.1% to RMB269.0 million (US$41.2 million) from RMB292.7 million in 2019. The decrease<br>was primarily attributable to lower expenditures due to the temporary suspension of operations at training offices and tutoring centers<br>during the period as part of the national pandemic containment efforts and stringent expense controls to improve operating efficiency.<br>The decrease was partially offset by NewSchool’s operating expenses.
--- ---
· Operatingloss for fiscal year 2020 was RMB124.6 million (US$19.1 million), compared to operating loss of RMB97.7 million in 2019.
--- ---
· Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholderswas RMB62.7 million (US$9.6 million), or RMB1.41 (US$0.22) per basic and diluted share, compared with a net loss of RMB99.9 million,<br>or RMB2.30 (US$0.33) per basic and diluted share, in 2019.
--- ---

The Company's fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020 financial and operating results can also be found on its Form 6-K and Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts translated from RMB to U.S. dollars for the fourth quarter and the twelve months of 2020 are based on the effective exchange rate of 6.5250 as of December 31, 2020; all amounts translated from RMB to U.S. dollars for the fourth quarter and the twelve months of 2019 are based on the effective exchange rate of 6.9618 as of December 31, 2019. The exchange rates were according to the middle rate as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.

About Ambow Education Holding Ltd.


Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a leading national provider of educational and career enhancement services in China, offering high-quality, individualized services and products. With its extensive network of regional service hubs complemented by a dynamic proprietary learning platform and distributors, Ambow provides its services and products to students in 15 out of the 34 provinces and autonomous regions within China.

Follow us on Twitter: @Ambow_Education


Safe Harbor Statement


This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Ambow’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Ambow may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goals and strategies, expansion plans, the expected growth of the content and application delivery services market, the Company’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with its customers, and the general economic and business conditions in the regions where the Company provides its solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Ambow undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

Tel: +86-10-6206-8000

Email: ir@ambow.com

The Piacente Group | Investor Relations

Tel: +1-212-481-2050 or +86-10-6508-0677

E-mail: ambow@tpg-ir.com

AMBOW EDUCATION HOLDING LTD.

AUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands,except for share and per share data)

As of December 31,
2019
RMB RMB
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 118,821 157,600
Restricted cash 824 -
Short term investments, available for sale 117,854 57,487
Short term investments, held to maturity 45,000 31,000
Accounts receivable, net 20,972 17,939
Amounts due from related parties 3,024 2,318
Prepaid and other current assets, net 117,634 133,296
Total current assets 424,129 399,640
Non-current assets:
Property and equipment, net 144,492 157,463
Land use rights, net 1,715 1,759
Intangible assets, net 54,808 56,607
Goodwill 25,710 60,353
Deferred tax assets, net 6,338 10,195
Operating lease right-of-use asset 247,608 257,361
Finance lease right-of-use asset 5,850 6,450
Other non-current assets, net 139,067 70,971
Total non-current assets 625,588 621,159
Total assets 1,049,717 1,020,799
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowing  * 10,000 -
Deferred revenue  * 163,699 165,111
Accounts payable  * 19,423 14,718
Accrued and other liabilities  * 209,590 192,957
Income taxes payable, current  * 184,638 180,715
Amounts due to related parties  * 2,543 1,971
Operating lease liability, current  * 53,702 53,512
Total current liabilities 643,595 608,984
Non-current liabilities:
Long-term borrowing 9,594 -
Other non-current liabilities  * 292 -
Income taxes payable, non-current  * 34,763 32,152
Operating lease liability, non-current  * 220,319 216,067
Total non-current liabilities 264,968 248,219
Total liabilities 908,563 857,203
EQUITY
Preferred shares
(US 0.003<br> par value;1,666,667 shares authorized, nil issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2020) - -
Class A Ordinary shares
(US0.003 par value; 66,666,667<br> and 66,666,667 shares authorized, 38,858,199 and 41,923,276 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2020,<br> respectively) 794 730
Class C Ordinary shares
(US0.003 par value; 8,333,333 and<br> 8,333,333 shares authorized, 4,708,415 and 4,708,415 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2020,<br> respectively) 90 90
Additional paid-in capital 3,545,073 3,508,745
Statutory reserve 4,210 20,185
Accumulated deficit ) (3,419,146 ) (3,371,815 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income 12,101 6,341
Total Ambow Education Holding Ltd.’s equity 143,122 164,276
Non-controlling interests ) (1,968 ) (680 )
Total equity 141,154 163,596
Total liabilities and equity 1,049,717 1,020,799

All values are in US Dollars.

*  All of the VIE's assets can be used to settle obligations of their primary beneficiary. Liabilities recognized as a result of consolidating these VIEs do not represent additional claims on the Company's general assets.

AMBOW EDUCATION HOLDING LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

For the years ended December 31, For the three months ended December 31,
2020 2020 2019 2020 2020 2019
US RMB RMB US RMB RMB
Audited Audited Audited Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited
NET REVENUES
Educational program and services 525,727 582,706 167,629 173,339
Intelligent program and services 6,253 1,203 5,901 10
Total net revenues 531,980 583,909 173,530 173,349
COST OF REVENUES
Educational program and services ) (379,571 ) (383,635 ) ) (101,888 ) (118,181 )
Intelligent program and services ) (7,919 ) (5,259 ) ) (5,579 ) 559
Total cost of revenues ) (387,490 ) (388,894 ) ) (107,467 ) (117,622 )
GROSS PROFIT 144,490 195,015 66,063 55,727
Operating expenses:
Selling and marketing ) (52,355 ) (55,721 ) ) (14,494 ) (14,943 )
General and administrative ) (174,283 ) (194,417 ) ) (47,053 ) (53,907 )
Research and development ) (5,703 ) (3,793 ) ) (1,247 ) (2,238 )
Impairment loss ) (36,699 ) (38,754 ) - -
Total operating expenses ) (269,040 ) (292,685 ) ) (62,794 ) (71,088 )
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME ) (124,550 ) (97,670 ) 3,269 (15,361 )
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES)
Interest income, net 9,501 5,379 2,351 2,036
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net 980 23 949 (23 )
Other (loss) income, net ) (1,244 ) 396 ) (2,084 ) 203
Gain from derecognition of liabilities 3,926 - 3,926 -
Gain from deregistration of subsidiaries 3,967 1,841 - -
Gain on disposal of subsidiaries 752 - - 562
Gain on the bargain purchase 40,273 - - -
Gain from fair value change of contingent consideration payable - 1,322 - 1,322
Gain on sale of investment available for sale 3,476 1,200 999 778
Total other income 61,631 10,161 6,141 4,878
(LOSS) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX AND NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST ) (62,919 ) (87,509 ) 9,410 (10,483 )
Income tax (expense) benefit ) (1,062 ) (12,917 ) 1,337 (1,885 )
NET (LOSS) INCOME ) (63,981 ) (100,426 ) 10,747 (12,368 )
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest ) (1,269 ) (485 ) ) (229 ) (216 )
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS ) (62,712 ) (99,941 ) 10,976 (12,152 )
NET (LOSS) INCOME ) (63,981 ) (100,426 ) 10,747 (12,368 )
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAX
Foreign currency translation adjustments 6,234 (2,924 ) ) (4,497 ) 343
Unrealized gains on short term investments
Unrealized holding gains arising during period 2,458 2,046 940 808
Less: reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income 2,932 1,086 771 597
Other comprehensive income (loss) 5,760 (1,964 ) ) (4,328 ) 554
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME ) (58,221 ) (102,390 ) 6,419 (11,814 )
Net (loss) income per share – basic and diluted ) (1.41 ) (2.30 ) 0.23 (0.28 )
Weighted average shares used in calculating basic and diluted net (loss) income per share 44,372,326 43,505,175 46,721,812 43,529,884

All values are in US Dollars.

AMBOW EDUCATION HOLDING LTD.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Attributable to Ambow Education Holding Ltd.’s Equity
Accumulated
Class A Ordinary Class C Ordinary Additional other Non-
shares shares paid-in Statutory Accumulated comprehensive controlling Total
Shares Amount Shares Amount capital reserves deficit income Interest Equity
RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB
Balance as of January 1, 2020 38,858,199 730 4,708,415 90 3,508,745 20,185 (3,371,815 ) 6,341 (680 ) 163,596
Share-based compensation - - - - 238 - - - - 238
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 12,500 0 - - (0 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - 433 - 433
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 154 - 154
Impact on adoption of ASC 326 - - - - - - (594 ) - - (594 )
Net income/(loss) - - - - - - 6,039 - (412 ) 5,627
Balance as of March 31, 2020 38,870,699 730 4,708,415 90 3,508,983 20,185 (3,366,370 ) 6,928 (1,092 ) 169,454
Share-based compensation - - - - 242 - - - - 242
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 12,500 1 - - (1 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - 7,895 - 7,895
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 118 - 118
Deregistration of subsidiaries - - - - - (15,473 ) 15,473 - - -
Net income/(loss) - - - - - - 4,807 - (296 ) 4,511
Balance as of June 30, 2020 38,883,199 731 4,708,415 90 3,509,224 4,712 (3,346,090 ) 14,941 (1,388 ) 182,220
Share-based compensation - - - - 239 - - - - 239
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 12,501 0 - - (0 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - 2,403 - 2,403
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - (915 ) - (915 )
Deregistration of subsidiary - - - - - - - - (16 ) (16 )
Disposal of subsidiaries - - - - (133 ) (502 ) 502 - - (133 )
Net loss - - - - - - (84,534 ) - (332 ) (84,866 )
Balance as of September 30, 2020 38,895,700 731 4,708,415 90 3,509,330 4,210 (3,430,122 ) 16,429 (1,736 ) 98,932
Share-based compensation - - - - 228 - - - - 228
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 12,500 0 - - (0 ) - - - - -
Issuance of ordinary shares in a registered direct offering 3,015,076 63 - - 35,515 - - - - 35,578
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - (4,497 ) - (4,497 )
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 169 - 169
Deregistration of subsidiary - - - - - - - - (3 ) (3 )
Net income/(loss) - - - - - - 10,976 - (229 ) 10,747
Balance as of December 31, 2020 41,923,276 794 4,708,415 90 3,545,073 4,210 (3,419,146 ) 12,101 (1,968 ) 141,154
Balance as of January 1, 2019 38,756,289 794 4,708,415 90 3,507,123 20,149 (3,271,838 ) 8,305 (1,786 ) 262,771
Share-based compensation - - - - 872 - - - - 872
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 28,646 1 - - (1 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - (2,428 ) - (2,428 )
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 75 - 75
Net loss - - - - - - (23,756 ) - (93 ) (23,849 )
Balance as of March 31, 2019 38,784,935 729 4,708,415 90 3,507,994 20,149 (3,295,594 ) 5,952 (1,879 ) 237,441
Share-based compensation - - - - 266 - - - - 266
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 19,097 0 - - (0 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - (746 ) - (746 )
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 173 - 173
Addition of noncontrolling interests resulting from new subsidiaries - - - - - - - - 502 502
Net income (loss) - - - - - - 8,778 - (180 ) 8,598
Balance as of June 30, 2019 38,804,032 729 4,708,415 90 3,508,260 20,149 (3,286,816 ) 5,379 (1,557 ) 246,234
Share-based compensation - - - - 244 - - - - 244
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - (93 ) - (93 )
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 501 - 501
Net (loss) / income - - - - - - (72,811 ) - 4 (72,807 )
Balance as of September 30, 2019 38,804,032 729 4,708,415 90 3,508,504 20,149 (3,359,627 ) 5,787 (1,553 ) 174,079
Share-based compensation - - - - 242 - - - - 242
Issuance of ordinary shares for restricted stock award 54,167 1 - - (1 ) - - - - -
Foreign currency translation adjustment - - - - - - - 343 - 343
Appropriation to statutory reserves - - - - - 36 (36 ) - - -
Unrealized gain on investment, net of income taxes - - - - - - - 211 - 211
Deregistration of subsidiaries - - - - - - - - 306 306
Noncontrolling interests from new subsidiaries - - - - - - - - 783 783
Net loss - - - - - - (12,152 ) - (216 ) (12,368 )
Balance as of December 31, 2019 38,858,199 730 4,708,415 90 3,508,745 20,185 (3,371,815 ) 6,341 (680 ) 163,596

Discussion of SegmentOperations

(All amounts in thousands)

For the years ended December 31, For the three months ended December 31,
2020 2020 2019 2020 2020 2019
US RMB RMB US RMB RMB
NET REVENUES
K-12 Schools 291,539 313,747 105,773 110,533
CP&CE Programs 240,441 270,162 67,757 62,816
Total net revenues 531,980 583,909 173,530 173,349
COST OF REVENUES
K-12 Schools ) (188,628 ) (197,064 ) ) (68,656 ) (68,177 )
CP&CE Programs ) (198,862 ) (191,830 ) ) (38,811 ) (49,445 )
Total cost of revenues ) (387,490 ) (388,894 ) ) (107,467 ) (117,622 )
GROSS PROFIT
K-12 Schools 102,911 116,683 37,117 42,356
CP&CE Programs 41,579 78,332 28,946 13,371
Total gross profit 144,490 195,015 66,063 55,727

All values are in US Dollars.