Sale revenues rose 16 percent for the half year, to August 2021 $1.03 billion from $891 million but rose a mere 5.4 percent for the August quarter, to $486 million from $461 million in 2020 at ice cream maker Caribbean Cream. Management attributed the poorer second quarter performance to the several no movement days imposed by the government during the quarter.
Profit melted in the quarter by 85 percent to just $7 million from $47 million in 2020 and fell 17 percent for the six months to August, to $61 million from $74 million in 2020.
The company has not had a consistent and predictable profit outcome for some years, still, the trajectory has generally been up. In 2019 the company posted $89 million after tax that fell to $55 million in 2020 and $101 in 2021. The 2022 fiscal year profit is poised to beat that of 2021, notwithstanding the setback in the second quarter.
Caribbean Cream posted significant gains in profit in Q1.
Improvement in profit margin in the first half of the year was consistent at 41 percent, with the prior year’s six months but has increased over the 37 percent achieved for the fiscal year to February 2021. But it fell from 50 percent in the 2020 august quarter to 44 percent in 2021. The effect, operating profit fell 6 percent in the quarter to $215 million from $230 million but increased 15 percent for the year to date, to $423 million from $369 million in 2020.
Administrative expenses excluding depreciation rose 25.4 percent to $134 million in the quarter and increased 32 percent in the six months to $249 million, from $188 million in 2020. Sales and distribution expenses increased 8 percent to $30.5 million from $28 million in 2020 for the half year and were virtually flat at $15.5 million for the second quarter. Depreciation charge rose from $59 million in 2020 to $62 million in 2021 for the six months. Finance cost rose in the quarter to $6.7 million from $6 million in 2020 and $9 million to $12 million for the six months.
Gross cash flow brought in $151 million versus $160 million in 2020. Working capital growth used up all but $13 million in 2021 versus $81 million used up in 2020. Additions to fixed assets consumed $83 million for the 2021 half year versus $62 million in 2020. Loan repayment and paying $26 million dividends resulted in outflows of $114 million. At the end of December, shareholders’ equity stood at $869 million, with long term borrowings at $303 million and short term loans at $13 million. Current assets ended the period at $408 million, including trade and other receivables of $65 million, cash and bank balances of $103 million. Current liabilities ended the period at $173 million. Net current assets ended the period at $235 million.
The results in the past few years being inconsistent does not mean that the future will continue in that vein. One focus is on taking a more significant share of the market for ice cream and related products while finding avenues to cut costs. The company announced earlier this year that in collaboration with Power Factor Technologies, a power engineering services company, they embarked on a major project to install a 630 kilowatt capacity Combined Heat & Power plant fueled by LNG at the company’s premises. This project is scheduled to come on stream at the start of 2022 and is expected to generate considerable cost savings and should have a positive impact on results for 2022 onwards.
The stock closed 2021 at $5.70 with a PE ratio of 9 much lower than the average for the market around 15 and below many Junior Market stocks trading around 20 times earnings.
