Hailiang Education Group Inc. Reports Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results

HANGZHOU,China,Oct. 15,2020 -- Hailiang Education Group Inc. (Nasdaq:HLG) ("Hailiang Education",the "Company" or "we"),an education and management service provider of primary,middle,and high schools in the PRC,announced its financial results for the fiscal year endedJune 30,2020.

"Despite temporary disruptions and short-term impact on our business caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,our strong and stable performance has demonstrated our continued progress in executing and innovating our growth strategy and highlighted the resilience of our underlying business. For the fiscal year 2020,our revenue was RMB1,482.6 million (US$209.8 million),slightly decreased by 1.1% year-on-year from RMB1,499.0 million. However,our revenue from K-12 educational services was RMB1,308.2 million (US$185.2 million),increased from RMB1,217.0 million year-on-year. Our net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders was RMB370.8 million (US$52.5 million),increased by 26.4% year-on-year from RMB293.4 million. The increase of net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders was primarily due to the continued increase of tuition generated from our affiliated schools and the steady-improving cost control capability resulting from delicacy management. For the fiscal year 2020,our gross profit margin was 33.7% and net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders margin was 25.0%,increased from 31.5% and 19.6% respectively,compared to the same period last year" said Dr.Junwei Chen,our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Chen continued,"When the outbreak of COVID-19 first appeared,with careful and proactive arrangements and deployments,we regarded the safety and health of all our students and employees as top priority and made appropriate short-term adjustments to our business operations when needed. To reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on planned teaching progress of the Spring semester,we launched 'Hailiang VIP Cloud Virtual Classroom' in February 2020 to ensure that our students could continue their courses as planned before the outbreak of COVID-19 via online live classes. Benefiting from our abundant educational resources,outstanding facility capabilities,and technical advantages in IT infrastructure,our online education services and "Smart Campus" platform have thrived during the outbreak of COVID-19. As a result of above countermeasures,no material curriculum education service fees were refunded. We will continually monitor the development of the pandemic,assess and timely disclose the impact of COVID-19 on our financial position and financial performance."

For the year ended June 30,

(RMB millions,except per share data)

2020

2019

% Change

Revenue

1,482.6

1,499.0

-1.1%

K-12 educational services

1,308.2

1,217.0

7.5%

Basic educational program

859.2

805.7

6.6%

International program

449.0

411.3

9.2%

Educational training services

53.7

144.2

-62.8%

Study trip services

56.4

81.5

-30.8%

Education and management services

48.3

40.9

18.1%

Others

16.0

15.4

3.9%

Gross Profit

499.4

472.1

5.8%

Gross Margin

33.7%

31.5%

2.2pp*

Operating Profits

467.8

399.6

17.1%

Operating Margin

31.6%

26.7%

4.9pp*

Net Profit

366.6

315.8

16.1%

Net Profit Attributed to the Company's shareholders

370.8

293.4

26.4%

EPS

0.90

0.71

26.8%

*Notes: pp represents percentage points

Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Highlights

Revenue wasRMB1,482.6 million(US$209.8 million),a slight decrease of 1.1% fromRMB1,499.0 millionin fiscal year 2019. Revenue from K-12 educational services increased to RMB1,or by 7.5%,from RMB1,217.0 million infiscal year 2019.

Gross profit wasRMB499.4 million(US$70.7 million),an increase of 5.8% fromRMB472.1 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Gross margin was 33.7% compared with 31.5% in fiscal year 2019.

Net profit attributed to the Company's shareholders was RMB370.8 million (US$52.5 million),an increase of 26.4% from RMB293.4 million in fiscal year 2019.

Basic and diluted earnings per share wereRMB0.90(US$0.13)compared withRMB0.71in fiscal year 2019.

Fiscal Year 2020 Operational Highlights[1]

As of June 30,2020,the scale of the Company's school network has expanded to 37 schools,9 of which were affiliated schools that we sponsored and 28 of which were managed schools that we provided education and management services to.

As of the date of our annual report on 20-F filed on October 14,there were four new affiliated schools,including Lanzhou Hailiang Experimental School,Wuhu Hailiang Experimental School,Hailiang Overseas Chinese School,which we started operating in September 2020 and Jinhua Hailiang Foreign Language School,which we acquired in September 2020.

As of June 30,the aggregate number of students enrolled in both our affiliated and managed schools were 66,344,which included 23,716 students enrolled in our affiliated schools. The number of students enrolled in the basic educational programs of our affiliated schools was 18,857,and the number of students enrolled in the international programs of our affiliated schools was 4,859.

For the fall semester of fiscal year 2021,as of September 20,the aggregate number of students enrolled in our affiliated schools increased to 26,865,which included 2,542 students enrolled in the four new affiliated schools that started operation or was acquired in September 2020. The number of students enrolled in the basic educational programs of our affiliated schools was 20,864,and the number of students enrolled in the international programs of our affiliated schools was 6,001.

As of June 30,there was an aggregate of 2,153 teachers and educational staff in our affiliated schools,which included 16 golden Olympiad competition training coaches,9 exceptional teachers,and 139 senior teachers. Additionally,26 graduates from Tsinghua University and Peking University have been appointed to take leading positions as teachers or in management as of August 31,2020.

As of the date of our annual report on 20-F filed on October 14,we have facilitated the development and application of "Smart Campus" and "Smart Classroom" by establishing an experienced team composed of education professionals and IT developers,and cooperating with top Chinese universities and leading enterprises. With the integration of IoT,cloud and big data technology and the innovation of education and management experiences,we have launched a variety of applications and IT infrastructures,such as "iClass","Star Classroom","Star Teacher Training",and online registration system,to improve efficiency of management and quality of teaching and learning.

[1]Operational figures after June 30,2020 are approximate numbers based on the Company's internal statistics currently available and differences may arise between such figures and the disclosure in subsequent results announcements,financial reports and/or other relevant corporate materials of the Company. The Company wishes to remind the shareholders of the Company and potential investors not to unduly rely on such numbers and that they are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the Company.

Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results

Revenue

Revenue slightly decreased by 1.1% toRMB1,482.6 million(US$209.8 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB1,499.0 millionin fiscal year 2019. It was mainly due to the decrease in revenue from our educational training services and study trip services,which was largely impacted by COVID-19. However,our revenue from basic educational program and international program,as well as our education and management services during the same periods,increased in fiscal year 2020 comparing to fiscal year 2019.

Revenue from K-12 educational services increased by RMB91.2 million (US$12.9 million),or 7.5% to RMB1,308.2 million (US$185.2 million) in the 2020 fiscal year. Revenue from the basic educational programs increased by RMB53.5 million (US$7.6 million),or 6.6% toRMB859.2 million(US$121.6 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB805.7 millionin fiscal year 2019. Revenue from the international programs increased by RMB37.7 million (US$5.3 million),or 9.2%,toRMB449.0 million(US$63.6 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB411.3 millionin fiscal year 2019. The increase was mainly due to the increase in the number of students enrolled as well as the increase in the average tuition charged in both programs.

Revenue from educational training services decreased by RMB90.5 million (US$12.8 million),or 62.8%,to RMB53.7 million (US$7.6 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB144.2 millionin fiscal year 2019. This was mainly resulting from the liquidation of Jiangxi Haibo Education Management Co.,Ltd.

Revenue from study trip services decreased by RMB25.1 million (US$3.6 million),or 30.8%,to RMB56.4 million (US$8.0 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB81.5 millionin fiscal year 2019. This was mainly due to the restriction on travels because of COVID-19 which affected study trip services in second half of fiscal year 2020.

Revenue from education and management services increased by RMB7.4 million (US$1.0 million),or 18.1%,to RMB48.3 million (US$6.8 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB40.9 millionin fiscal year 2019. This was mainly due to the increase in the number of managed schools and management fees of 15 Baishu Schools in fiscal year 2020.

Other revenue mainly represented revenue derived from overseas study consulting services and hotel management services. Other revenue increased by RMB0.6 million (US$0.1 million),or 3.9%,to RMB16.0 million (US$2.3 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB15.4 millionin fiscal year 2019. This was resulted from the increase in revenue of overseas consulting services.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue decreased byRMB43.7 million(US$6.2 million) or 4.3%,toRMB983.2 million(US$139.2 million) in fiscal year 2020,026.9 millionin fiscal year 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a steep decrease in transportation costs related to K-12 educational services and study trip services resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19; and to a slight decrease in labor costs of our teachers and teaching staffs.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit increased by 5.8% toRMB499.4 million (US$70.7 million)in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB472.1 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Gross margin increased by 2.2 percentage points to 33.7% in fiscal year 2020,compared with 31.5% in fiscal year 2019.

Other Income,net

Other income consists of government grants and other miscellaneous income. Other income increased byRMB47.7 million (US$6.8 million),or 189.9%,toRMB72.8 million(US$10.3 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB25.1 millionin fiscal year 2019,primarily due to an increase in government grants of subsidies we received from the local government.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses increased byRMB6.7 million(US$0.9 million) or 6.9%,toRMB104.4 million (US$14.8 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB97.7 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Selling expenses increased byRMB1.9 million(US$0.3 million) or 7.6%,toRMB26.9 million (US$3.8 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB25.0 millionin fiscal year 2019. This increase was primarily due to increased student enrollment rewards on recruitment.

Administrative expenses increased byRMB4.8 million(US$0.7 million) or 6.7%,toRMB77.5 million (US$11.0 million) in fiscal year 2020fromRMB72.7 millionin fiscal year 2019. This increase was primarily due to the increase in professional fees and increase in labor cost of our office and administrative staffs.

Finance Income and Finance Costs

Finance income increased byRMB0.2 million(US$0.03 million),or 0.8%,toRMB25.1 million (US$3.6 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB24.9 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Finance costs was RMB4.4 million (US$0.6 million) in fiscal year 2020,which represent the interest on lease liabilities upon the adoption of IFRS 16 since July 1,2019,compared with nilin fiscal year 2019.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense increased by RMB13.2 million (US$1.9 million) or 12.1%,to RMB121.9 million (US$17.3 million) in fiscal year 2020,from RMB108.7 million in fiscal year 2019. The increase was mainly driven by the growth of taxable profits. Our effective tax rate in fiscal year 2020 was 25.0%,comparing to 25.6% in fiscal year 2019.

Net Profit and Net Profit Attributable to the Company's Shareholders

Net profit increased by 16.1% toRMB366.6 million (US$51.9 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB315.8 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders increased by 26.4% toRMB370.8 million (US$52.5 million) in fiscal year 2020,fromRMB293.4 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share wereRMB0.90(US$0.13)in fiscal year 2020,compared with basic and diluted earnings per share ofRMB0.71in fiscal year 2019.

Cash Flow

Net cash provided by operating activities wasRMB431.0 million(US$61.0 million) in fiscal year 2020,compared withRMB690.3 millionin fiscal year 2019. Net cash used in investing activities wasRMB127.8 million(US$18.1 million) in fiscal year 2020,compared withRMB1,234.2 millionin fiscal year 2019. Net cash used in financing activities wasRMB61.4 million(US$8.7 million) in fiscal year 2020,compared withRMB7.3 millionin fiscal year 2019.

Balance Sheet

As ofJune 30,the Company had cash and cash equivalents ofRMB503.0 million(US$71.2 million),compared withRMB260.7 millionas ofJune 30,2019.As ofJune 30,the Company had term deposits held at a related party finance entity ofRMB916.6 million(US$129.7 million),387.1 millionas ofJune 30,2019.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (RMB) amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted,the translation of RMB into US$ has been made atRMB7.0651 toUS$1.00,the noon buying rate in effect onJune 30,as set forth in the H.10 Statistical Release of the Federal Reserve Board.

The Company will host its fiscal year 2020 financial results conference call at9:00 am Eastern Time(6:00 am Pacific Time/9:00 pmBeijing Time) onOctober 15,2020. To attend the call,please use the information below for either dial-in access or webcast access. When prompted on dial-in,ask for "Hailiang Education Group/HLG".

Conference Call

Date:

October 15,2020

Time:

9:00am ET,U.S.

International Toll Free:

United States: +1 888-346-8982

Mainland China: +86 400-120-1203

Hong Kong: +852 800-905-945

International:

International: +1 412-902-4272

Conference ID:

Hailiang Education Group

Please dial in at least 15 minutes before the commencement of the call to ensure timely participation. For those unable to participate,an audio replay of the conference call will be available from approximately one hour after the end of the live call untilOctober 22,2020. The dial-in for the replay is +1-877-344-7529 within the United States or +1-412-317-0088 internationally. The replay access code is No. 10148525.

A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available at http://ir.hailiangedu.com.

About Hailiang Education Group Inc.

Hailiang Education (Nasdaq: HLG) is one of the largest primary,and high school educational service providers inChina. The Company primarily focuses on providing distinguished,specialized,and internationalized education. Hailiang Education is dedicated to providing students with high-quality primary,and high school,and international educational services and highly valuing the quality of students' life,study,and development. Hailiang Education adapts its education services based upon its students' individual aptitudes. Hailiang Education is devoted to improving its students' academic capabilities,cultural accomplishments,and international perspectives. Hailiang Education operates multilingual programs including Chinese,English,Spanish,Japanese,Korean,and French. In addition,Hailiang Education has launched various diversified high-quality courses,such as Mathematical Olympiad courses,A-level courses,Australia Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) courses,IELTS courses,TOEFL courses,as well as SAT courses. The Company has also formed extensive cooperative network with more than 200 educational institutions and universities globally. Hailiang Education is committed to making great effort to provide its students with greater opportunities to enroll in well-known domestic and international universities to further their education. For more information,please visithttp://ir.hailiangedu.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains information about Hailiang Education's view of its future expectations,plans,and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts in this announcement are forward-looking statements,including but not limited to the following: general economic conditions inChina,competition in the education industry inChina,the expected growth of the Chinese private education market,Chinese governmental policies relating to private educational services and providers of such services,health epidemics and other outbreaks inChina,the Company's business plans,the Company's future business development,results of operations,and financial condition,expected changes in the Company's revenue and certain cost or expense items,its ability to raise additional funding,its ability to maintain and grow its business,variability of operating results,its ability to maintain and enhance its brand,its development and introduction of new products and services,the number of students entrusted by schools,the successful integration of acquired companies,technologies and assets into its portfolio of software and services,marketing and other business development initiatives,dependence on key personnel,the ability to attract,hire,and retain personnel who possess the technical skills and experience necessary to meet the requirements of its clients,and its ability to protect its intellectual property,the outcome of ongoing,or any future,litigation or arbitration,including those relating to copyright and other intellectual property rights,and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Hailiang Education may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC,in its annual report to shareholders,in press releases and other written materials,and in oral statements made by its officers,directors,or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts,including statements about Hailiang Education's beliefs and expectations,are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties,whether known or unknown,and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition,business strategy,and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "will make," "will be," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "endeavor to," "is/are likely to," or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in our annual report on Form 20-F and other filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release,and Hailiang Education undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements,except as may be required under applicable law.

Contacts:

Mr. Litao Qiu

Board Secretary

Hailiang Education Group Inc.

Phone: +86-571-5812-1974

Email:ir@hailiangeducation.com

Ms.Tina Xiao

Ascent Investor Relations LLC

Phone: +1-917-609-0333

Email:tina.xiao@ascent-ir.com

HAILIANG EDUCATION GROUP INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE

YEARS ENDED JUNE 30,2018,2019 AND 2020

(Amounts in thousands except per share data)

2020

2019

2018

RMB

USD

RMB

RMB

Revenue

1,482,599

209,848

1,499,025

1,169,348

Cost of revenue

(983,175)

(139,159)

(1,026,903)

(804,674)

Gross profit

499,424

70,689

472,122

364,674

Other income,net

72,776

10,301

25,100

3,689

Selling expenses

(26,899)

(3,807)

(25,003)

(24,539)

Administrative expenses

(77,536)

(10,975)

(72,661)

(63,374)

Operating profit

467,765

66,208

399,558

280,450

Gain on disposal of affiliated entities

—

—

—

5,349

Finance income

25,120

3,556

24,935

11,391

Finance costs

(4,363)

(618)

—

—

Net finance income

20,757

2,938

24,935

11,391

Profit before tax

488,522

69,146

424,493

297,190

Income tax expenses

(121,924)

(17,257)

(108,713)

(66,288)

Net Profit

366,598

51,889

315,780

230,902

Profit attributable to:

Net (loss)/profit attributable to non-controlling interests

(4,234)

(599)

22,359

8,314

Net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders

370,832

52,488

293,421

222,588

366,902

Earnings per share

Basic and diluted earnings per share

0.90

0.13

0.71

0.54

Net Profit

366,902

Other comprehensive (loss)/income

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss

Exchange differences on translation of financial statements

of the Company

2,966

420

4,086

(3,016)

Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to profit or

loss

Exchange differences on translation of financial statements

of foreign operations other than the Company

(640)

(91)

(776)

474

Other comprehensive income/(loss),net of nil income tax

2,326

329

3,310

(2,542)

Total comprehensive income

368,924

52,218

319,090

228,360

Total comprehensive income attributable to:

Total comprehensive (loss) /income attributable to non-

controlling interests

(4,314

Total comprehensive income attributable to the Company's

shareholders

373,158

52,817

296,731

220,046

HAILIANG EDUCATION GROUP INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS OF JUNE 30,2019 AND 2020

(Amounts in thousands)

2020

2019

RMB

USD

RMB

Assets

Property and equipment,net

628,538

88,964

620,623

Intangible assets and goodwill,net

97,806

13,844

99,525

Right-of-use assets

517,609

73,263

—

Contract costs

10,766

1,523

9,899

Prepayments to third party suppliers

75

11

94

Deferred tax assets

568

80

—

Non-current assets

1,255,362

177,685

730,141

Other receivables due from related parties

76,646

10,849

91,674

Other current assets

36,723

5,198

31,706

Term deposits held at a related party finance entity

916,601

129,736

1,387,094

Restricted bank deposits

324

46

1,613

Cash and cash equivalents

503,021

71,198

260,684

Current assets

1,533,315

217,027

1,772,771

Total assets

2,788,677

394,712

2,502,912

Equity

Share capital

268

38

268

Share premium

134,583

19,049

134,583

Contributed capital

251,034

35,532

251,034

Reserves

394,865

55,890

360,914

Retained earnings

1,244,216

176,107

905,009

Total Hailiang Education Group Inc. shareholders' equity

2,024,966

286,616

1,651,808

Non-controlling interests

10,797

1,528

37,439

Total equity

2,035,763

288,144

1,689,247

Liabilities

Contract liabilities

3,159

447

2,579

Deferred tax liabilities

4,607

652

4,691

Lease liabilities

18,749

2,654

—

Non-current liabilities

26,515

3,753

7,270

Trade and other payables due to third parties

264,870

37,490

218,122

Other payables due to related parties

136,045

19,256

134,745

Contract liabilities

274,874

38,906

398,951

Income tax payable

48,857

6,915

54,577

Lease liabilities

1,753

248

—

Current liabilities

726,399

102,815

806,395

Total liabilities

752,914

106,568

813,665

Commitments and contingencies

—

—

—

Total equity and liabilities

2,912

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