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Couchbase Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Couchbase, Inc. (NASDAQ: BASE), the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world, today announced financial results for its third quarter ended October 31, 2024.

“I’m pleased with the continued operational progress of the entire Couchbase team,” said Matt Cain, Chair, President and CEO of Couchbase. “We delivered top- and bottom-line results that exceeded our outlook, and we achieved another significant milestone with Capella, which now represents 15.1% of our ARR and one third of our customer base. I remain highly confident in our outlook and ability to achieve our objectives in fiscal 2025.”

Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights

Revenue: Total revenue for the quarter was $51.6 million, an increase of 13% year-over-year. Subscription revenue for the quarter was $49.3 million, an increase of 12% year-over-year.Annual recurring revenue (ARR): Total ARR as of October 31, 2024 was $220.3 million, an increase of 17% year-over-year, or 16% on a constant currency basis. See the section titled “Key Business Metrics” below for details.Gross margin: Gross margin for the quarter was 87.3%, compared to 88.8% for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Non-GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 88.2%, compared to 89.5% for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. See the section titled “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the tables titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results” below for details.Loss from operations: Loss from operations for the quarter was $19.2 million, compared to $17.5 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Non-GAAP operating loss for the quarter was $3.5 million, compared to $5.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2024.Cash flow: Cash flow used in operating activities for the quarter was $16.9 million, compared to cash flow used in operating activities of $12.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Capital expenditures were $0.6 million during the quarter, leading to negative free cash flow of $17.5 million, compared to negative free cash flow of $13.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024.Remaining performance obligations (RPO): RPO as of October 31, 2024 was $211.3 million, an increase of 29% year-over-year.

Recent Business Highlights

Announced Capella AI Services to provide the critical capabilities and tools required for our customers to streamline the development of agentic AI applications. The new AI Services include model hosting, automated vectorization, unstructured data preprocessing and AI agent catalog services, allowing organizations to prototype, build, test and deploy AI agents while keeping models and data close together on one unified platform. Couchbase’s innovation and newest features with AI Services are on display at AWS re:Invent this week.Continued to advance the Couchbase platform with three major releases: Capella Columnar which converges operational and real-time analytics; Mobile with vector search which makes it possible for businesses to offer similarity and hybrid search in their applications on mobile and at the edge; and Capella Free Tier, a workspace which empowers developers to work faster.Expanded Couchbase’s AI partner ecosystem through new and recently introduced integrations with industry leaders including Amazon Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Google Vertex AI, Haystack, LangChain, LlamaIndex, NVIDIA NIM/NeMo, Unstructured.io, Vectorize and others. These integrations help empower our customers to more easily develop enterprise-class, RAG-based solutions and meet their specific deployment needs.Recognized innovative Couchbase customer achievements through the 2024 Customer Impact Awards, demonstrating how leading companies are leveraging Couchbase’s technology to transform their operations. For one of the award recipients – a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers – Couchbase will enable a distributed, always-on transactional system. Couchbase handles hundreds of thousands of read transactions and more than 1,000 updates per second for this customer.

Financial Outlook

For the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2025, Couchbase expects:

Q4 FY2025 Outlook

FY2025 Outlook

Total Revenue

$52.7-53.5 million

$207.2-208.0 million

Total ARR

$236.5-239.5 million

$236.5-239.5 million

Non-GAAP Operating Loss

$5.7-4.7 million

$20.0-19.0 million

The guidance provided above is based on several assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside our control. If actual results vary from these assumptions, our expectations may change. There can be no assurance that we will achieve these results.

Couchbase is not able, at this time, to provide GAAP targets for operating loss for the fourth quarter or full year of fiscal 2025 because of the difficulty of estimating certain items excluded from non-GAAP operating loss that cannot be reasonably predicted, such as charges related to stock-based compensation expense. The effect of these excluded items may be significant.

Conference Call Information

Couchbase will host a live webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (or 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to discuss its financial results and business highlights. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 877-407-8029 from the United States, or +1 201-689-8029 from international locations. The live webcast and a webcast replay can be accessed from the investor relations page of Couchbase’s website at investors.couchbase.com.

About Couchbase

As industries race to embrace AI, traditional database solutions fall short of rising demands for versatility, performance and affordability. Couchbase is seizing the opportunity to lead with Capella, the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world. By uniting transactional, analytical, mobile and AI workloads into a seamless, fully-managed solution, Couchbase empowers developers and enterprises to build and scale applications with complete flexibility – delivering exceptional performance, scalability and cost-efficiency from cloud to edge and everything in between. Trusted by over 30% of the Fortune 100, Couchbase enables organizations to unlock innovation, accelerate AI transformation and redefine customer experiences wherever they happen. Discover why Couchbase is the foundation of critical everyday applications by visiting www.couchbase.com and following us on LinkedIn and X.

Couchbase has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations website and the corporate blog at blog.couchbase.com to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the corporate blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, we believe certain non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance. We use certain non-GAAP financial measures, collectively, to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, may be helpful to investors because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance and meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only, have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures (provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release), and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net loss per share: We define these non-GAAP financial measures as their respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, restructuring charges and impairment of capitalized internal-use software. We use these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures to assess our performance, including in the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our board of directors concerning our financial performance.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we excluded the impairment of capitalized internal-use software, a non-cash operating expense, from our non-GAAP results as it is not reflective of ongoing operating results. This impairment charge related to certain previously capitalized internal-use software that we determined would no longer be placed into service. Prior period non-GAAP financial measures have not been adjusted to reflect this change as we did not incur impairment of capitalized internal-use software in any prior period presented.

Free cash flow: We define free cash flow as cash used in operating activities less additions to property and equipment, which includes capitalized internal-use software costs. We believe free cash flow is a useful indicator of liquidity that provides our management, board of directors and investors with information about our future ability to generate or use cash to enhance the strength of our balance sheet and further invest in our business and pursue potential strategic initiatives. 

Please see the reconciliation tables at the end of this press release for the reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP results.

Key Business Metrics

We review a number of operating and financial metrics, including ARR, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions.

We define ARR as of a given date as the annualized recurring revenue that we would contractually receive from our customers in the month ending 12 months following such date. Based on historical experience with customers, we assume all contracts will be renewed at the same levels unless we receive notification of non-renewal and are no longer in negotiations prior to the measurement date. For Capella products, ARR in a customer’s initial year is calculated as the greater of: (i) initial year contract revenue as described above or (ii) annualized prior 90 days of actual consumption; and ARR for subsequent years is calculated with method (ii). ARR excludes services revenue.

Prior to fiscal 2025, ARR excluded on-demand revenue and, for Capella products in a customer’s initial year, ARR was calculated solely on the basis of initial year contract revenue. The reason for these changes is to better reflect ARR where usage rates or timing of purchases may be uneven and to better align with how ARR is used to measure the performance of the business. ARR for prior periods has not been adjusted to reflect this change as it is not material to any period previously presented.

ARR should be viewed independently of revenue, and does not represent our revenue under GAAP on an annualized basis, as it is an operating metric that can be impacted by contract start and end dates and renewal dates. ARR is not intended to be a replacement for forecasts of revenue. Although we seek to increase ARR as part of our strategy of targeting large enterprise customers, this metric may fluctuate from period to period based on our ability to acquire new customers, expand within our existing customers and consumption dynamics. We believe that ARR is an important indicator of the growth and performance of our business.

We also attempt to represent the changes in the underlying business operations by eliminating fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates within the current period. We calculate constant currency growth rates by applying the applicable prior period exchange rates to current period results.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, quotations of management, the section titled “Financial Outlook” above and statements about the expected client demand for and benefits of our offerings, the impact of our recently-released and planned products and services and our market position, strategies and potential market opportunities. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “potential,” “remain,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including factors beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: our history of net losses and ability to achieve or maintain profitability in the future; our ability to continue to grow on pace with historical rates; our ability to manage our growth effectively; intense competition and our ability to compete effectively; cost-effectively acquiring new customers or obtaining renewals, upgrades or expansions from our existing customers; the market for our products and services being highly competitive and evolving, and our future success depending on the growth and expansion of this market; our ability to innovate in response to changing customer needs, new technologies or other market requirements, including new capabilities, programs and partnerships and their impact on our customers and our business; our limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations; the significant fluctuation of our future results of operations and ability to meet the expectations of analysts or investors; our significant reliance on revenue from subscriptions, which may decline and, the recognition of a significant portion of revenue from subscriptions over the term of the relevant subscription period, which means downturns or upturns in sales are not immediately reflected in full in our results of operations; and the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic factors. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results are included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that we may file from time to time, including those more fully described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024. Additional information will be made available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be read in conjunction with this press release and the financial results included herein. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

 

Couchbase, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue:

License

$                  4,343

$                  4,577

$                16,444

$                14,318

Support and other

44,955

39,420

131,185

109,175

Total subscription revenue

49,298

43,997

147,629

123,493

Services

2,330

1,816

6,915

6,455

Total revenue

51,628

45,813

154,544

129,948

Cost of revenue:

Subscription(1)

4,866

3,549

13,278

11,067

Services(1)

1,690

1,562

5,423

5,875

Total cost of revenue

6,556

5,111

18,701

16,942

Gross profit

45,072

40,702

135,843

113,006

Operating expenses:

Research and development(1)

17,486

15,903

52,703

47,578

Sales and marketing(1)

34,196

31,602

108,119

96,503

General and administrative(1)

12,624

10,739

37,843

30,823

Restructuring(1)

—

—

—

46

Total operating expenses

64,306

58,244

198,665

174,950

Loss from operations

(19,234)

(17,542)

(62,822)

(61,944)

Interest expense

(17)

—

(46)

(43)

Other income, net

1,790

1,298

5,062

3,986

Loss before income taxes

(17,461)

(16,244)

(57,806)

(58,001)

Provision for income taxes

691

11

1,236

780

Net loss

$              (18,152)

$              (16,255)

$              (59,042)

$              (58,781)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

$                  (0.35)

$                  (0.34)

$                  (1.16)

$                  (1.26)

Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted

51,831

47,586

50,821

46,724

(1)

Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Cost of revenue—subscription

$                     318

$                     130

$                     885

$                     559

Cost of revenue—services

104

119

354

413

Research and development

4,497

3,116

12,704

9,498

Sales and marketing

5,242

4,188

16,627

11,461

General and administrative

5,127

4,202

15,501

11,216

Restructuring

—

—

—

1

Total stock-based compensation expense

$                15,288

$                11,755

$                46,071

$                33,148

 

Couchbase, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

As of October
31, 2024

As of January
31, 2024

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$                33,031

$                41,351

Short-term investments

108,908

112,281

Accounts receivable, net

28,514

44,848

Deferred commissions

13,297

15,421

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

10,551

10,385

Total current assets

194,301

224,286

Property and equipment, net

7,000

5,327

Operating lease right-of-use assets

5,497

4,848

Deferred commissions, noncurrent

14,485

11,400

Other assets

1,176

1,891

Total assets

$              222,459

$              247,752

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$                  4,724

$                  4,865

Accrued compensation and benefits

12,323

18,116

Other accrued expenses

3,981

4,581

Operating lease liabilities

2,150

3,208

Deferred revenue

67,996

81,736

Total current liabilities

91,174

112,506

Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent

3,678

2,078

Deferred revenue, noncurrent

829

2,747

Total liabilities

95,681

117,331

Stockholders’ equity

Preferred stock

—

—

Common stock

—

—

Additional paid-in capital

676,360

621,024

Accumulated other comprehensive income

119

56

Accumulated deficit

(549,701)

(490,659)

Total stockholders’ equity

126,778

130,421

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$              222,459

$              247,752

 

Couchbase, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Cash flows from operating activities

Net loss

$              (18,152)

$              (16,255)

$              (59,042)

$              (58,781)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities

Depreciation and amortization

757

399

1,520

2,034

Stock-based compensation, net of amounts capitalized

15,288

11,755

46,071

33,148

Amortization of deferred commissions

4,375

4,500

12,655

13,742

Non-cash lease expense

863

765

2,393

2,313

Foreign currency transaction losses (gains)

(60)

484

231

649

Other

(456)

(804)

(1,869)

(2,580)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

Accounts receivable

2,912

1,577

16,207

9,114

Deferred commissions

(5,367)

(4,746)

(13,616)

(13,892)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

(606)

955

(163)

837

Accounts payable

(295)

(10)

(149)

1,735

Accrued compensation and benefits

(1,799)

(1,763)

(5,790)

(3,517)

Other Accrued Expenses

632

(1,126)

(475)

(2,997)

Operating lease liabilities

(876)

(838)

(2,501)

(2,561)

Deferred revenue

(14,111)

(7,636)

(15,658)

313

Net cash used in operating activities

(16,895)

(12,743)

(20,186)

(20,443)

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchases of short-term investments

(37,809)

(26,141)

(75,614)

(90,456)

Maturities of short-term investments

23,000

41,854

81,144

111,974

Additions to property and equipment

(583)

(1,066)

(2,645)

(3,425)

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

(15,392)

14,647

2,885

18,093

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

1,115

2,703

5,251

7,353

Proceeds from issuance of common stock under ESPP

1,720

1,153

3,515

2,000

Net cash provided by financing activities

2,835

3,856

8,766

9,353

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(124)

(290)

(328)

(542)

Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(29,576)

5,470

(8,863)

6,461

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period

62,607

41,980

41,894

40,989

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period

$                33,031

$                47,450

$                33,031

$                47,450

Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash within the consolidated balance sheets to the amounts shown above:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                33,031

$                46,907

$                33,031

$                46,907

Restricted cash included in other assets

—

543

—

543

Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$                33,031

$                47,450

$                33,031

$                47,450

 

Couchbase, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Reconciliation of GAAP gross profit to
non-GAAP gross profit:

Total revenue

$               51,628

$               45,813

$            154,544

$            129,948

Gross profit

$               45,072

$               40,702

$            135,843

$            113,006

Add: Stock-based compensation expense

422

249

1,239

972

Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

22

55

120

86

Non-GAAP gross profit

$               45,516

$               41,006

$            137,202

$            114,064

Gross margin

87.3 %

88.8 %

87.9 %

87.0 %

Non-GAAP gross margin

88.2 %

89.5 %

88.8 %

87.8 %

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Reconciliation of GAAP operating
expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses:

GAAP research and development

$                17,486

$                15,903

$                52,703

$                47,578

Less: Stock-based compensation expense

(4,497)

(3,116)

(12,704)

(9,498)

Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

(106)

(199)

(585)

(430)

Non-GAAP research and development

$                12,883

$                12,588

$                39,414

$                37,650

GAAP sales and marketing

$                34,196

$                31,602

$              108,119

$                96,503

Less: Stock-based compensation expense

(5,242)

(4,188)

(16,627)

(11,461)

Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

(275)

(327)

(1,378)

(777)

Non-GAAP sales and marketing

$                28,679

$                27,087

$                90,114

$                84,265

GAAP general and administrative

$                12,624

$                10,739

$                37,843

$                30,823

Less: Stock-based compensation expense

(5,127)

(4,202)

(15,501)

(11,216)

Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

(64)

(176)

(391)

(264)

Non-GAAP general and administrative

$                  7,433

$                  6,361

$                21,951

$                19,343

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Reconciliation of GAAP operating loss to
non-GAAP operating loss:

Total revenue

$               51,628

$               45,813

$             154,544

$            129,948

Loss from operations

$              (19,234)

$              (17,542)

$              (62,822)

$             (61,944)

Add: Stock-based compensation expense

15,288

11,755

46,071

33,147

Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

467

757

2,474

1,557

Add: Restructuring(2)

—

—

—

46

Non-GAAP operating loss

$                (3,479)

$                (5,030)

$              (14,277)

$              (27,194)

Operating margin

(37) %

(38) %

(41) %

(48) %

Non-GAAP operating margin

(7) %

(11) %

(9) %

(21) %

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Reconciliation of GAAP net loss to
non-GAAP net loss:

Net loss

$              (18,152)

$              (16,255)

$              (59,042)

$              (58,781)

Add: Stock-based compensation expense

15,288

11,755

46,071

33,147

Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions

467

757

2,474

1,557

Add: Restructuring(2)

—

—

—

46

Non-GAAP net loss

$                (2,397)

$                (3,743)

$              (10,497)

$              (24,031)

GAAP net loss per share

$                  (0.35)

$                  (0.34)

$                  (1.16)

$                  (1.26)

Non-GAAP net loss per share

$                  (0.05)

$                  (0.08)

$                  (0.21)

$                  (0.51)

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

51,831

47,586

50,821

46,724

(2)

For the nine months ended October 31, 2023, an immaterial amount of stock-based compensation expense related to restructuring charges was included in the restructuring expense line.

The following table presents a reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for each of the periods indicated (in thousands, unaudited):

Three Months Ended October 31,

Nine Months Ended October 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Net cash used in operating activities

$              (16,895)

$              (12,743)

$              (20,186)

$              (20,443)

Less: Additions to property and equipment

(583)

(1,066)

(2,645)

(3,425)

Free cash flow

$              (17,478)

$              (13,809)

$              (22,831)

$              (23,868)

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

$              (15,392)

$                14,647

$                  2,885

$                18,093

Net cash provided by financing activities

$                  2,835

$                  3,856

$                  8,766

$                  9,353

 

Couchbase, Inc.
Key Business Metrics
(in millions)
(unaudited)

As of

Jan. 31,

April 30,

July 31,

Oct. 31,

Jan. 31,

April 30,

July 31,

Oct. 31,

2023

2023

2023

2023

2024

2024

2024

2024

Annual Recurring Revenue

$     163.7

$     172.2

$     180.7

$     188.7

$     204.2

$     207.7

$     214.0

$     220.3

 

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SOURCE Couchbase, Inc.

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JinkoSolar Announces Results of 2026 Annual General Meeting

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SHANGRAO, China, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), today announced that all shareholders resolutions proposed at the Company’s 2026 annual general meeting held today were duly passed.

Specifically, the Company’s shareholders passed the following ordinary resolutions approving:

1. The re-election of Mr. Gang Chu as an independent director of the Company;
2. The re-election of Mr. Steven Markscheid as an independent director of the Company;
3. The ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP as auditors of the Company for the fiscal year of 2026;
4. The authorization of the directors of the Company to determine the remuneration of the auditors of the Company; and
5. The authorization of each of the directors of the Company to take any and all action that might be necessary to effect the foregoing resolutions 1 to 4 and resolutions 6 to 7 set out below as such director, in his or her absolute discretion, thinks fit.

The Company’s shareholders also passed the following special resolutions approving:

6. The change of the English name of the Company from “JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.” to “Jinko Holdings Limited”; and
7. The adoption of “晶科控股有限公司” as the dual foreign name of the Company.

 About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a holding company combining clean energy industrial operations and strategic investment in emerging technologies. Its industrial foundation is a controlling interest in Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. (SSE: 688223), a global leader in clean energy technology. The Company makes disciplined strategic investments in renewable energy, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, commercial space and other frontier technologies, drawing on its industrial experience and its ability to identify emerging technologies and bring them to commercial scale.

Through Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., the Company distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.

JinkoSolar has over 10 production facilities globally, over 20 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, and other countries, and a global sales network with sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2026.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Ms. Stella Wang
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806
Email: ir@jinkosolar.com 

Mr. Christian Arnell
Christensen
Tel: +852 2117 0861
Email: christian.arnell@christensencomms.com 

In the U.S.:

Email: jinko@christensencomms.com 

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SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

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Price still dominates car buying in US and Europe, while China puts technology first–Bain & Company survey

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Dealers stay important: More than 80% of car buyers globally now combine online and offline channels, yet nine in 10 still complete their purchase at dealersAI is reshaping car-buying journey in all markets – more than 60% of younger buyers use AI when deciding on their next carConsumers who have test-driven a battery electric vehicle are up to 2.2 times as willing to consider buying oneCustomer loyalty is decreasing – more than a third of customers in Western markets are open to new brands entering the market Autonomous-driving technology could challenge traditional brand loyalty, with consumers willing to switch brands for better functionality

BOSTON and MUNICH, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New technologies, including AI, are changing how consumers research and choose cars around the globe. Brand loyalty is decreasing and price continues to play a powerful role in purchasing decisions in the US and Europe, but less so for Chinese buyers, as new research released today by Bain & Company finds.

Bain’s new Global Automotive Consumer Survey, based on responses from more than 12,000 car buyers worldwide*, finds price remains the top consideration when buying a car in the US and Europe, cited by 68% and 62% of consumers respectively, while technology and features (58%) rank ahead of price in China. Loyalty to established automakers also varies considerably: US buyers remain the most committed, while newer Chinese brands are entering consideration in Europe.

The findings come as legacy automakers face weak industry growth and continued pressure on profitability, alongside rapid advances in electrification, artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

“The car-buying journey is changing quickly, but what stands out is how differently consumers across the globe are responding to that change,” said Klaus Stricker, leader of Bain’s Global Automotive & Mobility practice. “Technology can be a powerful differentiator for some buyers, while for others, price and brand remain decisive. We find that car buyers are increasingly using AI to compare brands, models and options.”

Digital car buying accelerates, but dealerships remain critical

The way consumers choose cars has become increasingly digital. Bain finds that more than 80% of respondents globally now combine online and offline interactions during the purchase journey, while more than six in 10 start the buying process online. China is further ahead, with 95% using both online and physical channels and more than eight in 10 willing to consider completing their purchase online.

But greater use of digital channels has not diminished the importance of the physical dealership. Nine in 10 consumers globally still complete their purchase offline, and more than half of buyers in Europe, the US and China have at least two interactions with dealers along the way.

Artificial intelligence is also reshaping how consumers research and compare cars. AI is already widely used by car buyers across several Asian markets and UAE, reaching more than 90% in Indonesia and close to 80% across age groups in China. In Japan, Europe and the US, adoption is more concentrated among younger buyers, with 52%, 61% and 55% respectively using AI, more than twice the share of older consumers.

Younger consumers drive BEV interest, but barriers to wider adoption remain

Consumer interest in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is strong, particularly among younger buyers, the survey finds. Younger consumers (Generations Y and Z) in general are more likely to buy BEVs, but in China, willingness to buy BEVs is high across both younger and older generations.

For consumers still reluctant to buy a BEV, cost and charging remain the biggest sticking points. In the US and Europe, around six in 10 are unwilling to pay more for a BEV than for a comparable combustion-engine car, while almost half cite charging times as a concern. Bain concludes that closing the price gap and making charging more convenient will be critical to persuading more consumers to make the switch.

Bain cites an example in Germany where BEV-buying decisions shifted once price parity narrowed. In August 2026, BEV registrations jumped 75% year-on-year to reach around 32% of new car sales. New government incentives and rising fuel prices drove the change – in addition to new strong BEV models entering the market.

Getting more buyers behind the wheel provides another lever. Consumers who have already test-driven a BEV are up to 2.2 times more willing to consider purchasing one than those who have not. Yet mass-market buyers in Europe and the US are less likely to have tried a BEV, compared to premium buyers. With many potential buyers yet to try one, making test-drives easier to access could be one of the most effective ways for automakers and dealers to encourage wider BEV adoption.

Autonomous driving could challenge traditional brand loyalty

Appetite for autonomous-driving technology is substantially stronger in China and several Asian and Middle Eastern markets than in Europe and the US, Bain finds. Some 84% of Chinese consumers would consider buying a vehicle offering at least Level 3 (L3) autonomy, compared with 47% in Europe and 40% in the US. L3 allows a car to drive itself under certain conditions but requires the driver to take over when prompted. Interest is even higher in the UAE, India and Indonesia.

Greater interest in autonomous driving could also weaken traditional brand loyalty. Consumers most interested in the technology are more willing to switch manufacturers for better functionality, with premium buyers in Europe and the US particularly open to changing brands. In China, willingness to switch is more widespread. For automakers, better autonomous-driving functionality could therefore become an increasingly important way to attract customers from competitors.

“Technology is now part of the reason customers choose one manufacturer over another,” Stricker added. “That raises the stakes for automakers. Brands need to understand where customers are willing to pay for innovation, where affordability remains the overriding consideration, and where better technology could be enough to persuade a customer to switch. That requires a much more precise understanding of what different customers value.”

*Markets included in the survey: Canada, US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, UAE, China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. 

Media contacts:
Ann Lee (Singapore) — ann.lee@bain.com
Gary Duncan (London) — gary.duncan@bain.com
Dan Pinkney (Boston) — dan.pinkney@bain.com 

About Bain & Company

Bain & Company works with leaders worldwide to solve their toughest challenges and deliver enduring results. Since 1973, we’ve partnered with clients, including private equity and portfolio companies, to build the capabilities they need to stay ahead of change and help them redefine their industries. We measure our success by our clients’ success, and we proudly hold the highest levels of client advocacy in our field.

Bain is consistently recognized globally as one of the best places to work. We operate as one global team, uniting strategists, industry and functional experts, technologists, and advisors with a vibrant ecosystem of technology partners.

Notes to Editors 

Bain & Company was founded in 1973 and today has 19,000 employees across 67 cities in 40 countries. We have worked with more than two-thirds of the Global 500 and more than 9,000 companies worldwide. Bain has pledged to deliver $2 billion in pro bono consulting to nonprofit, public sector, and charitable organizations by 2035. The firm is consistently recognized as a Leader in major analyst rankings across multiple areas, including digital business, innovation, strategy, experience design, customer experience, and carbon-zero transformation.

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HiTHIUM enters Canada with first 8-hour BESS and sodium-ion solutions adapted to extreme cold

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TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2026 /CNW/ — HiTHIUM, an integrated full-scenario energy storage solutions provider, has announced its entry into the Canadian market. Ranked in the top two globally for energy storage component, the manufacturer has surpassed 200 GWh in cumulative delivered capacity, focusing exclusively on stationary energy storage technologies.

Canada’s energy storage expansion requires reliable large-scale suppliers and local presence

Mizhi Zhang, HiTHIUM President of Global Business, commented: “We are committed to delivering Canadian customers advanced, robust solutions, from 8-hour long duration energy storage to extreme-weather-ready sodium-ion BESS. But this also means being present for customers wherever they are, able to serve them quickly and locally. While Toronto serves as the main hub for our Canadian operations, we have subsidiary offices in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as operating sites in Quebec, Yellowknife, and Fort Smith.” 

HiTHIUM has introduced 4-hour and 8-hour BESS solutions to serve the market’s rapid buildout of utility-scale energy storage. With installed Canadian storage expected to double between 2025 and 2027, and the country’s total wind, solar, and energy storage capacity on track to reach 50 GW by 2035, HiTHIUM is positioned to fill the growing demand for BESS on a large scale. The company has also revealed a new 4 MWh sodium-ion storage solution, which is designed for an extra-long service life, supports storage durations from 2 to 8 hours, and is perfect for extremely cold climates, like Northern Canada.

“Canada’s ambitious clean energy targets, as well as its high safety and regulatory standards, require partners who can deliver advanced technology that’s also tested and compliance-ready. At the same time, project developers have to consider the tough climate. As a vertically integrated, global solutions provider, HiTHIUM is structured to meet exactly this nexus of challenges. Our strategy of advancing both lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage is designed to offer customers in markets like Canada the benefits of flexibility, since we see these technologies as highly complementary,” continued Zhang.

“Our partners, whether major energy developers, public utilities, or industrial enterprises, rely on our readiness for local certification and our long-term bankability to support them, from permitting through project commissioning,” added Jordan Hebbert, HiTHIUM Senior Manager of Canada. “Likewise, they depend on the proven durability of HiTHIUM technology–including performance even in extreme weather conditions. In fact, long-term operational data from North American and European projects has recently demonstrated systems outperforming even our guarantees. And we offer customers a wider range of durations and choice of chemistries because we understand that they’re coming to us with a very diverse range of energy storage needs.”

4-hour or 8-hour BESS: Matching duration to project specifications

The manufacturer’s 4-hour BESS solution consists of its “∞Power” 6.25 MWh container, built on HiTHIUM’s own 1175 Ah cell. Most Canadian projects are currently designed around the 4-hour unit. This enables them to shift wind, solar, and baseload output to later peak times, strengthen grid reliability, and drive the consumption of more renewables, particularly as electrification increases demand. The ∞Power system design fits more capacity into the typical 20-foot container but also reduces a project’s overall footprint, because the containers can be placed back-to-back and side-to-side.

In a groundbreaking step for long duration energy storage, HiTHIUM also developed the first ever native 8-hour solution based on lithium-ion technology. Its 6.9 MWh 8-hour BESS, built with HiTHIUM’s own 1300 Ah cells, fewer components overall, and a 25-year lifespan, is designed to address issues like curtailments and to fill key gaps for zero-downtime industrial segments like AI data centers. For wind project developers and data center operators alike, 8-hour BESS offers risk reduction and greater revenue reliability.  

Extreme fire test validates safety architecture

HiTHIUM additionally worked with UL Solutions at the start of 2026 on an independently conducted, extreme fire test of its 6.25 MWh block’s intrinsic safety systems. A container was subjected to 24 hours of extreme combustion conditions, with its doors opened for maximum thermal spread, while neighboring containers were placed just 15 cm away. Only the containers’ passive safety systems were enabled. The results validated HiTHIUM’s multi-layer safety architecture, with the tested container structurally intact after the test, no thermal propagation across the containers, and the temperatures of cells in adjacent containers remaining below safety thresholds.

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SOURCE HiTHIUM

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