The company maintains structural margin compression with gross margins consistently hovering near 0.4%, which fails to cover SG&A expenses and results in recurring operating losses.
| Sales/Revenue | 514.41M | 467.06M | 446.34M | 402.27M | 459.24M | 591.32M | 452.1M | 257.7M | 215.2M | 189.74M | 14.21K |
| Revenue Growth % | 16.3% | 4.64% | 10.96% | -12.4% | -22.34% | 30.79% | 75.44% | 19.75% | 13.42% | 1335511.71% | - |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 512.15M | 464.1M | 442.94M | 397.83M | 452.38M | 580.06M | 436M | 243.6M | 205M | 181.07M | 8.2K |
| COGS % of Revenue | - | 99.37% | 99.24% | 98.9% | 98.51% | 98.1% | 96.44% | 94.53% | 95.26% | 95.43% | 57.72% |
| Gross Profit | 2.26M | 2.96M | 3.4M | 4.44M | 6.86M | 11.26M | 16.1M | 14.1M | 10.2M | 8.67M | 6.01K |
| Gross Margin % | 0.44% | 0.63% | 0.76% | 1.1% | 1.49% | 1.9% | 3.56% | 5.47% | 4.74% | 4.57% | 42.28% |
| Gross Profit Growth % | - | -12.88% | -23.42% | -35.24% | -39.1% | -30.08% | 14.18% | 38.24% | 17.62% | 144288.94% | - |
| Operating Expenses | 3.09M | 2.73M | 4.97M | 7.14M | 3.93M | 3.01M | 3.87M | 2.84M | 1.98M | 2.52M | 54.05K |
| OpEx % of Revenue | - | 0.58% | 1.11% | 1.77% | 0.85% | 0.51% | 0.86% | 1.1% | 0.92% | 1.33% | 380.44% |
| Selling, General & Admin | 2.99M | 2.63M | 4.98M | 7.03M | 4.15M | 3.52M | 3.5M | 1.12B | 631.37M | 2.52M | 48.05K |
| SG&A % of Revenue | - | 0.56% | 1.12% | 1.75% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.77% | 434.2% | 293.39% | 1.33% | 338.21% |
| Research & Development | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R&D % of Revenue | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Operating Expenses | 97.71K | 97.71K | -9.19K | 103.97K | -226K | -511K | 371.21K | -1.12B | -629.39M | 0 | 6K |
| Operating Income | -1.06M | 233.35K | -5.5M | -21.74M | 2.93M | 3.58M | 11.38M | 11.22M | 8.25M | 6.15M | -48.04K |
| Operating Margin % | -0.21% | 0.05% | -1.23% | -5.41% | 0.64% | 0.61% | 2.52% | 4.35% | 3.83% | 3.24% | -338.17% |
| Operating Income Growth % | - | 104.24% | 74.7% | -842.08% | -18.2% | -68.52% | 1.39% | 36% | 34.08% | 12910.16% | - |
| EBITDA | -969.07K | 314.06K | -3.12M | -19.12M | 3.24M | 3.92M | 11.87M | 11.48M | 8.46M | 6.35M | -42.04K |
| EBITDA Margin % | -0.19% | 0.07% | -0.7% | -4.75% | 0.71% | 0.66% | 2.63% | 4.45% | 3.93% | 3.35% | -295.93% |
| EBITDA Growth % | 85.2% | 110.07% | 83.69% | -689.34% | -17.32% | -66.94% | 3.39% | 35.65% | 33.17% | 15215.84% | - |
| D&A (Non-Cash Add-back) | 89.3K | 80.71K | 2.38M | 2.62M | 314.13K | 341.48K | 491.48K | 257.95K | 211.4K | 200.7K | 6K |
| EBIT | 758.43K | 2.23M | -2.65M | -27.27M | 2.68M | 4.19M | 11.54M | 155.54M | 206.41M | 6.24M | -48.04K |
| Net Interest Income | -1.8M | -2.32M | -6.33M | -89.46K | -16.09K | 214.28K | -80.52K | -144.38M | -198.29M | -209K | 0 |
| Interest Income | 360.99K | 541.07K | 327.66K | 909.9K | 515.21K | 230.92K | 63.92K | 58.71K | 10.78K | 85.1K | 0 |
| Interest Expense | 2.16M | 2.86M | 6.66M | 999.36K | 531.3K | 16.64K | 144.44K | 144.44M | 198.31M | 294.59K | 850 |
| Other Income/Expense | -340.36K | -863K | -3.81M | -6.53M | -779K | 594.52K | 22.91K | -121K | -151K | -209K | -850 |
| Pretax Income | -1.4M | -629K | -9.31M | -28.27M | 2.15M | 4.18M | 11.4M | 11.1M | 8.1M | 5.94M | -48.89K |
| Pretax Margin % | -0.27% | -0.13% | -2.08% | -7.03% | 0.47% | 0.71% | 2.52% | 4.31% | 3.76% | 3.13% | -344.15% |
| Income Tax | -74.64K | 113.16K | 249.99K | -1.39M | 1.64M | 1.6M | 3.3M | 3M | 2.1M | 1.53M | 0 |
| Effective Tax Rate % | 5.33% | -17.99% | -2.69% | 4.9% | 76.01% | 38.21% | 28.95% | 27.03% | 25.93% | 25.74% | 0% |
| Net Income | -1.36M | 3.98M | -12.02M | -26.86M | 524.26K | 2.57M | 8M | 8M | 5.5M | 3.99M | -48.89K |
| Net Margin % | -0.26% | 0.85% | -2.69% | -6.68% | 0.11% | 0.43% | 1.77% | 3.1% | 2.56% | 2.1% | -344.15% |
| Net Income Growth % | 69.83% | 133.16% | 55.27% | -5223.98% | -79.58% | -67.91% | 0% | 45.45% | 37.95% | 8255.04% | - |
| Net Income (Continuing) | -1.36M | 3.98M | -12.02M | -26.86M | 524.26K | 2.57M | 8M | 8M | 5.5M | 3.99M | -48.89K |
| Discontinued Operations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minority Interest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EPS (Diluted) | -0.33 | 0.99 | -2.98 | -6.66 | 0.14 | 0.69 | 2.33 | 2.63 | 1.82 | 1.89 | -0.30 |
| EPS Growth % | 70.45% | 133.22% | 55.26% | -4857.14% | -79.71% | -70.39% | -11.41% | 44.51% | -3.7% | 730% | - |
| EPS (Basic) | - | 0.99 | -2.98 | -6.66 | 0.14 | 0.69 | 2.33 | 2.63 | 1.82 | 1.89 | -0.30 |
| Diluted Shares Outstanding | 4.1M | 4.03M | 4.03M | 4.03M | 3.72M | 3.69M | 3.44M | 3.05M | 3.02M | 2.1M | 162.12K |
| Basic Shares Outstanding | 4.1M | 4.03M | 4.03M | 4.03M | 3.72M | 3.69M | 3.44M | 3.05M | 3.02M | 2.1M | 162.12K |
| Dividend Payout Ratio | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Regulatory and liquidity insolvency
As evidenced by quarterly data, CALI's revenue exhibits extreme volatility, swinging from a 62.6% growth spike in 2015Q3 to a 35.9% contraction by 2016Q3, suggesting that the company's top-line performance is highly susceptible to external trade cycles rather than internal operational scaling or market share gains.
The erratic revenue trajectory reflects the company's reliance on the parallel import market, which is inherently sensitive to shifting customs regulations and currency fluctuations. Investors should note that the lack of consistent growth suggests the business model struggles to maintain a stable throughput of vehicles, making revenue forecasting exceptionally difficult.
Based on historical income statements, CALI maintains a razor-thin gross margin that has consistently hovered near 0.6%, indicating that the firm operates as a low-value-add intermediary with virtually no pricing power over the imported vehicles it facilitates for its wholesale client base.
These microscopic margins leave almost no room for error, as even minor increases in port-related logistics costs or administrative overhead frequently push the company into operating losses. The inability to expand these margins suggests that the company's role in the automotive supply chain is commoditized and lacks a defensible competitive moat.
According to the provided financial data, CALI fails to demonstrate positive operating leverage, as SG&A expenses frequently exceed gross profit, resulting in recurring operating losses that highlight the company's inability to scale its administrative infrastructure efficiently relative to its high-volume, low-margin transactional revenue model.
The persistent inability to generate meaningful operating income suggests that the company's cost structure is too rigid for its volatile revenue base. Without a significant shift toward higher-margin service offerings, the current operating model appears to be structurally incapable of achieving sustained profitability.
While management attempts to build a digital ecosystem, the company's reliance on a $3M cash reserve against massive quarterly revenue suggests a precarious liquidity position that could be easily overwhelmed by a single regulatory shift or a minor disruption in the vehicle import cycle.
Short-sellers would likely focus on the company's inability to generate consistent net income and its extreme sensitivity to Chinese trade policy. The lack of a diversified revenue stream beyond parallel imports makes the company's long-term survival highly dependent on factors entirely outside of management's control.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CALI stock.
For fiscal year 2016, China Auto Logistics Inc. (CALI) reported total revenue of $467.1M. This represents a 3287672.8% increase compared to $0.0M in 2007.
China Auto Logistics Inc. (CALI) is profitable, generating $4.0M in net income for the fiscal year ending 2016 with a net profit margin of 0.9%.
China Auto Logistics Inc. (CALI) reported an operating income of $0.2M, resulting in an operating profit margin of 0.1%. This margin reflects the operational efficiency of the business before interest and taxes.
China Auto Logistics Inc. (CALI) generated $3.0M in gross profit for the year, representing a gross profit margin of 0.6%. This demonstrates the company's core pricing power and production efficiency.