PAYE collections, outperformed forecast for September, by $620 million and $677 million, for the six months to September, this year, but that was inadequate to cover the $2.5 billion drop in corporate taxes, in the latest month, for government of Jamaica revenues.
At the end of August, corporations paid over $6.63 billion versus a projection for $8.8 billion, resulting in a shortfall of $2.18 billion, by the end of September, what should have been collections of $15.3 billion turned up to be only $10.65 billion, $4.7 billion short, resulting in a $2.5 billion shortfall, in the latest month alone. The underperformance for company tax collection, was the main reason why the revenue forecast of $156.5 billion for the six months period, suffered an increased shortage of $1.4 billion in tax revenues, bringing the year to date shortfall, to $7.33 billion. Overall revenue shortage, amounted to $7.13 billion, as grants fell short by $337 million in September, but non tax revenues outperformed forecast, by $400 million for the month.
Expenditure| Payment for expenses is well below target, as capital expenditure almost crawled to a halt in September, with only $590 million spent, raising the underspending for the year to date to $7.8 billion, up from $5.38 billion at the end of August. Programmes saw savings in payments of nearly $900 million, in the month, and wages and salaries was $350 million more, in the month, than planned, but there is still a reduction year to date, in this area.
At the end of September, the fiscal deficit of $18.95 billion was ahead of target by $6.3 billion, as the capital programmes have once more taken the bulk of the hit, as revenues fall short of target.
Archives for November 2014
Dividend for JPSCO shareholders
Jamaica Public Service Company has a series of preference shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The company announced a dividend for one of its recent listings, a US dollar based preference share. The company, the sole distributor of power through the national grid, approved a dividend payment of the Class F9.5% Preference Share of US$0.236849313 per share to be paid on October 31, to shareholders on record as at October 29, 2014.
Jamaica Public Service Company previously paid a dividend for these preference share amounting to a total of US$1,137,652.66 or US$0.463287757 per share on August 15, 2014.
Dividend by Medical Disposables
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Medical Disposables will be paying an interim dividend of 4 cents per share on November 19, to shareholders on record at November 14, 2014. The stock which is listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, will start trading ex-dividend, on November 12, 2014.
The company is enjoying good times, with improved results for the September quarter, with profit after tax rising 66 percent for the quarter, versus the 2013 quarter. For the six months, profit after tax rose 60.6 percent, to $38.7 million, from $24 million.
Scotiabank bottoms looking up on TTSE
Scotiabank seems to have hit bottom, with good buying coming into the market on the first trading day of November, pushing the price up by a small amount. IC insider has elevated the stock to BUY RATED status. At the close, there was 18,922 units on the bid to buy at $58 and a small volume to sell, at $59.50.
Trading on the Trinidad Stock Exchange ended with 15 securities changing hands, of which 5 advanced, 2 declined and 8 traded firm, ending with a total of 666,624 units, valued at $6,731,903.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.73 points to close at 1,146.77, the All T&T Index gained 0.91 points to close at 1,963.23 and the Cross Listed Index fell / increased by 0.07 points to end at 43.29.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Guardian Holdings added 53,950 shares valued at $733,720 to end 9 cents higher at $13.60, Massy Holdings traded 43,706 shares valued at $2,996,483 to close with a gain of 2 cents to end at $68.56, Sagicor Financial Corporation traded 60 shares valued at $6.19 to close with a gain of 14 cents Scotiabank gained 2 cents to $58 while trading 13,544 units valued at $785,552 and seems to have clearly bottomed and West Indian Tobacco gained 23 cents to end the day at $119 while trading 2,425 units.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, One Caribbean Media with 367 shares ended at $25.12 after losing a cent and Trinidad Cement with 144,893 shares traded for $289,858 closed at $2 after dropping 3 cents
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, ANSA McAL with 685 shares closed unchanged at $66.17, Clico Investment Fund with 13,280 shares valued at $293,488 remained at $22.10, First Citizens Bank traded 13,331 shares to close at $36.75, Grace Kennedy contributed 128,489 shares with a value of $494,680 to end at $3.85, Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded firm at 45 cents after trading 1,038 units, National Commercial Bank with 200,000 shares changing hands for a value of $200,000 and closed at $1, National Enterprises traded 2,056 shares to close unchanged at $17.50 and Scotia Investments closed at $1.40 with 48,800 units changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 1 stock with the offer that was lower.
D&G increases dividend
Desnoes & Geddes will be paying an interim dividend of 27 cents per share on December 15, to shareholders on record at November 13.
The stock will trade ex-dividend on November 11. The company paid an interim dividend of 20 cents per share and a special dividend of 5 cents per share on December 20, last year.
They also paid interim dividend of 10 cents per share and a special dividend of 15 cents per share on May 16, 2014.
Drop in export pushes up Jamaica’s trade deficit
Jamaica’s trade deficit during the first seven months of 2014, deteriorated compared to the same period last year. The worsening position occurred as a result of a sharp fall in non-traditional exports, rather than increased imports.
The deficit ended at US$2.613 billion, compared to US$2.573 billion in the comparable period for 2013. The deterioration flowed from merchandise imports during the 7 months, valued at US$3.47 billion, decreasing by 2.4 percent or US$86 million, compared to the $3.55 billion recorded in the similar 2013 period. On the other hand, exports for the 2014 period, amounted to US$852 million, a decline of 12.9 percent or US$127 million below the US$979 million earned in the similar 2013 period.
Imports| According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin), the decline in imports was largely influenced by lower spending on importation of Mineral Fuels, Chemicals, Beverages & Tobacco.
Exports fall| During the first seven months to July, traditional exports earned US$453 million, falling by 5.3 percent or US$25.6 million below the exports earnings during the 2013 period. Non-traditional export earnings from January to July 2014, fell by US$91 million or 20.2 percent, to US$360 million.
