There has been rumors that Trinidad and Tobago’s Republic Financial is eyeing Jamaica to set up some form of operation. The name was initially mooted earlier this year, when the financial market was abuzz with an ownership change.
Boxed in by the tight economy in its own base of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic is on the prowl and Jamaica with the brightest economic prospects since the 1960s, cannot be off their radar. Keep a watch on this space.
In 2015, they bought the majority shares in HFC Bank in Ghana, they announced last week that as of the end of business on Friday, 12 October 2018, they received acceptances for a total of 22,934,246 ordinary shares of Cayman National, representing 54.15 percent of the ordinary shares, making them a subsidiary of the republic group.
In September, Republic made an offer to acquire a minimum of 51 percent and up to 74.99 percent of the ordinary shares of Cayman National to their shareholders at US$6.25 per share. The consummation of the acquisition remains subject to certain other conditions including, without limitation, receipt of necessary government and regulatory approvals. Republic stated that it is committed to purchase up to 74.99 percent of the ordinary shares of Cayman National. The Offer was scheduled to expire on Monday October 22 but is extended to Monday November 12, 2018, pursuant to the rules of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange, and to accommodate an Extraordinary General Meeting of the shareholders of Cayman National to be held on Wednesday, 7 November 2018 to amend the articles of the bank.
The Republic Financial has off shore operations in Cayman Islands since 1992. Republic Bank (Cayman) is a private bank offering a comprehensive wealth management service to its clients.
Republic reported profit of $343 million for the June Quarter up from $328 million in 2017 and for the nine months to June $993 million versus $959 million in 2017. Shareholders’ equity stood at $9 billion and total assets of $70 billion with loans advanced to customers of $36 billion. As of June this year, Cayman National Bank had CI$1.56 billion with shareholders equity of $114 million. Profit was $16.4 million up strongly from $11.7 million in 2017. Republic purchased the shares at a PE around 10 times 2017 earnings and that should translate to a higher stock price for republic that sells around a PE of 13 currently. Republic will be able to cut operating cost at the new subsidiary as they can share in certain services that are common to both entities.
Archives for October 2018
TTSE makes gains on Thursday
Stocks mostly fell in trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday, with trading in 15 securities against 13 on Wednesday, 4 advanced, 1 declined and 10 remained unchanged.
The market ended trading of 254,860 shares valued $1,543,091, compared to 190,234 shares valued $7,710,433 changing hands on Wednesday.
Trading closed, with the Composite Index gaining 1.62 points to 1,231.15. The All T&T Index fell 0.67 points to 1,697.12, while the Cross Listed Index gained 0.54 points to close at 102.92.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading closed with 3 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Stocks to Watch include, a number of companies that are exhibiting bullish tendencies and may be moving higher in the days ahead, the group includes, Agostini’s, Ansa McAl, Grace Kennedy, Republic Holdings, Point Lisas and West Indian Tobacco.
Stocks closing with gains| First Caribbean International Bank closed with a gain of 10 cents and completed trading at $8.50, with 575 units, First Citizens gained 5 cents and settled at $32.70, after exchanging 2,950 shares, JMMB Group finished trading with a gain of 2 cents at $1.63, after exchanging 100,000 shares and Republic Financial Holdings closed with an increase of 14 cents and ended at 52 weeks’ high of $106.50, after exchanging 4,383 shares.
Stocks closing with losses| Trinidad & Tobago NGL fell 20 cents to close at $29.30, in exchanging 750 shares.
Stocks trading with no price change| Clico Investments ended at $20.20, with 5,020 stock units changing hands, Grace Kennedy closed at $2.78, in swapping 26,950 stock units, Massy Holdings ended at $46.92, after exchanging 209 shares, National Enterprises closed at $8.96, with 7,611 stock units changing hands, National Flour completed trading of 47,679 units at $1.70, One Caribbean Media concluded activity at $12, after exchanging 200 shares, Prestige Holdings completed trading of 653 units at $7.50, Sagicor Financial ended at $7.52, with 57,500 stock units changing hands, Scotiabank completed trading at $64, with 130 units and Unilever Caribbean ended at $25.50, with 250 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Prices mostly down on TTSE – Wednesday
Stocks mostly fell in trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with trading in 13 securities against 12 on Tuesday, 1 advanced, 3 declined and 9 remained unchanged.
The market ended trading of 190,234 shares valued $7,710,433, compared to 54,899 shares at a value of $524,117 changing hands on Tuesday. Just two securities accounted for the bulk of trading. Trinidad and Tobago NGL traded 88,442 shares for a value of $2,608,967 and West Indian Tobacco closed with of 50,349 shares traded for $4,531,410.
Trading closed, with the Composite Index lost 3.40 points to 1,229.53, the All T&T Index fell 2.20 points to 1,697.79, while the Cross Listed Index shed 0.63 points to close at 102.38.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading closed with 4 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Stocks to Watch include, a number of companies that are exhibiting bullish tendencies and may be moving higher in the days ahead, the group includes, Agostini’s, Ansa McAl, Grace Kennedy, Republic Holdings,Point Lisas and West Indian Tobacco.
Stocks closing with gains|Republic Financial Holdings closed with a gain of 1 cent and ended at 52 weeks’ high of $106.36, after exchanging a mere 20 shares.
Stocks closing with losses| First Citizens ended trading 10 cents lower to end at $32.65, after exchanging 1,285 shares, NCB Financial Group concluded trading with a loss of 10 cents at $6, exchanging 605 shares and Scotiabank traded 115 units and closed with a loss of 75 cents at $64.
Stocks trading with no price change| Clico Investments completed trading at $20.20, with 7,821 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings settled at $16.90, trading 7,800 units, Massy Holdings ended at $46.92, after exchanging 300 shares, National Flour closed at $1.70, trading 3,400 units, Prestige Holdings traded 14,600 units in settling at $7.50, Sagicor Financial completed trading at $7.52, with 11,225 stock units changing hands, Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $29.50, after exchanging 88,442 shares, Trinidad Cement ended at $2.65, after exchanging 4,272 shares and West Indian Tobacco settled at $90, with 50,349 units changing hands.
EM>Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Trinidad economy mending
The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is exhibiting signs of economic recovery according to reports out of the country’s central bank.
According to the bank, “activity in the energy sector continued to pick up in the second quarter of 2018. Natural gas production benefitted from implementation of the Juniper project with positive spillovers to methanol output. Recent data show a reversal of the trend of falling cement sales, but it is too early to tell whether this represents the start of a recovery in construction and in the non-energy sector as a whole. Meanwhile, price pressures stayed well contained, with headline inflation registering 1.1 percent in August 2018.”
“Lending to the private sector continued to grow in 2018, reaching 7.1 percent in July (year on year), reflecting mainly loans for refinancing and debt consolidation, with credit to businesses rising by a more modest 2.7 percent. Over the first half of the year, there was a 1.2 percent decline in the interest spread of commercial banks, the result of a simultaneous decrease in the average lending rate alongside a rise in the average deposit rate.”
The central further stated that, “in the third quarter, following the increase in the Central Bank’s repo rate in June, there is initial evidence of transmission to other rates—with announcements by some banks, of increases in their prime lending rates as well as higher term deposit rates.”
“There was a temporary spike in excess reserves of commercial banks at the Central Bank in July-August in the context of widespread investor interest in a public sector bond arrangement. The Central Bank’s removal of the 2 per cent secondary reserve requirement on banks’ deposit liabilities in August also boosted liquidity. This action was in keeping with the Bank’s objective to progressively rely on more market-based policy measures, including open market operations.”
“In its deliberations, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) took note of the domestic situation, including the growth that remained concentrated in the energy sector, the low inflation numbers and the gradual transmission of the June 2018 repo rate increase. The Committee also observed the ongoing normalization of monetary policy in the US and wider trade and growth developments. Taking all factors into consideration, the MPC decided to maintain the repo rate at 5 percent.”