The world cup finals are making a mockery out of FIFA ranking system for its members. For years FIFA has been using a system of moving nations up and down the ranking ladder based on results of games played. Unless there are regular interchange of teams globally so that there is a good comparison that can be done internationally, the ranking system is likely to be flawed which is exactly what the June rankings and the world cup outcomes indicate. Commentators have been caught out as well as they have in many cases limited information to compare one team with another. The results many have been confounded by the results of world cup 2014.
FIFA number 1 team Spain won just one match but only after they were eliminated from this year’s world cup finals, the number 10 team England never even won a match, their no 9 ranked team managed just one win and bowed out of the tournament at the end of the preliminary round. The number 4th ranked team Portugal is in with a chance of staying in the top 16 but may well not make it.
The 28th team Costa Rica won all their matches against the 7th, 9th and 10th ranked teams, the team that was ranked at 44 is in the top 16. Korea Republic that was ranked at 57 did better than many ranked above them and so is the case with Iran that was ranked at 43, Ghana was ranked at 37 and is close to being in the top 16.
Something must be terrible wrong with a system that gets the ranking so wrong. FIFA needs to revisit this system if it to have credibility as the present system has little. But this is not the only thing that FIFA a body of mostly well aged men control. Cricket has moved to let technology help in determining the accuracy of developments during a cricket match, tennis has done so for years but FIFA has refused to move into the modern era except belated for goal post technology. The present series and past ones have had so many bad calls that the time has long gone for football to move fully into the modern world and let technology assists the referees on the field.
More Sagicor insider trades
A Director of Sagicor Group purchased 197,184 of the group’s shares on June 17, 2014 a release to the stock exchange stated. On June 18, an Executive sold 1,200,000 of the group’s shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme and on June 17, a senior manager sold 1,820,000 shares of Sagicor Group under the group’s Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme.
An executive purchased 400,000 shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme on June 16, 2014 and on June 9 and another purchased 239,106 shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme. 
Supreme Ventures advised that a director traded 2,600,000 of the company’s stock on June 20, 2014, the release did not state whether the transaction was a purchase or sale but details of trading on that day suggest that the director bought the shares as Mayberry Investments as broker sold all of the Supreme Ventures shares to trade on that day, amounting to 3,051,100 units. Of the amount sold 51,100 shares were bought JMMB Securities, 400,000 Shares were bought and sold by Mayberry Investments with 2,548,900 and 51,100 Shares amounting to 2.6 million units were sold by Mayberry Investments and bought by Barita Investments at $1.90.
More Insider trades
A senior manager of Scotia Group Jamaica acquired 9,284 of he group's shares under the group’s Employee Share Ownership Plan on February 19, 2014 and an Executive of Sagicor Group purchased 400,000 shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme on June 16, the companies informed the Jamaica Stock Exchange recently.
Trinidad’s Neal & Massy Holdings informed the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange that on June 6, 2014 a Director sold 13,563 of the company’s shares.
Republic Bank seeks dismissal of court action
Republic Bank is seeking dismissal of court action brought against it by some disgruntled shareholders of the bank to prevent it from proceeding with a mandatory offer to acquire the majority of the banks shares.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, has been named as a co-defendant in proceedings brought on behalf of HFC Bank in the High Court of Ghana. These proceedings seek an injunction to prevent Republic Bank from continuing the process for a mandatory offer to all shareholders of HFC Bank Ghana to acquire the majority of the shares under the securities regulations having acquired 40 percent of the Bank in 2013.
In a release to the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on which the bank’s shares are listed, Republic stated that on June 16, in a hearing of Republic Bank’s application to dismiss the action, before his Lordship Justice Koomson at Commercial Court B, Accra, Ghana, the matter was adjourned for parties to file written submissions and set down for ruling on Monday, June 23.
Republic Bank said it is disappointed that these legal proceedings have been resorted to, as they have delayed the mandatory takeover process. Republic Bank is confident, however, that the matter will be successfully resolved, thereby allowing shareholders to exercise their rights to consider whether to sell their shares or not.
Dividend stable at Blue Power
Blue Power Group has declared a dividend of 15 cents per share payable on August 15, the record date is set for July 31, 2014 and the X dividend date July 29, 2014. The company last paid a dividend of 15 cents per share on August 16, last year. A dividend of 10.5 cents per share was paid on September 6, 2012.
The company reported slightly lower profits in 2014 versus last year, with profit falling to $93 million compared to $104 million in 2013. Earnings per stock unit moved down from $1.84 to $1.65.
Sagicor and NCB inside trades
Inside trades continue for companies on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the latest such trades are in two of the country’s largest companies and may well be indicative of the short term fortunes of both entities, with six months results for NCB suggesting a good year for them while Sagicor Group could get hit with the acquisition of loss making RBC Royal Bank Jamaican operation that could negatively affect the groups results for the second half of 2014.AIC (Barbados) Limited purchased 2,400,000 National Commercial Bank shares on June 18, this year and an Executive of Sagicor Group sold 1,200,000 of the group’s shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme during on June 18, 2014 a release from the companies to the Jamaican Stock Exchange stated.
On June 17, a senior manager also sold 1,820,000 shares of Sagicor Group under the group’s Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme.
JSE gets Canadian tax exemption
Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) has obtained approval as a Designated Stock Exchange under the Income Tax Act of Canada. The approval was authourised by Canada’s Finance Minister Joe Oliver. A Designated Exchange provides that persons in Canada who purchase stocks on the Main JSE market will be exempt from taxes on income derived from these purchases in that country. The stocks on the JSE’s Main Market will become more attractive to Canadian Pension Fund, Investment Managers and Investors on a whole as a result of the tax exemption. If Jamaican Diaspora Bonds are listed on the JSE Main Market it will now be more attractive to the Jamaicans in Canada as they will not be required to pay income tax when trading these bond, a release from the Jamaica Stock Exchange suggest.
The JSE had to meet certain standards to have been recognized as a Designated Exchange, including adherence to rules and regulations, maintain a reasonable level of liquidity and offer a range of product on the Exchange.
“This is a significant milestone in our history, when the Canadian Government recognized the JSE as a Designated Exchange. This seeks to further solidify the relationship between Jamaica and Canada, a country which was instrumental in assisting the JSE with its first sets of Rules and the JSE’s Securities Course” Marlene Street Forrest, General Manager of the JSE, stated.
WI closing in on with a win
the West Indies now need to take 2 more wickets to claim victory in the second test against New Zealand in Port of Spain, Trinidad. New Zealand trail by 18 runs with 8 second innings wicket down. Scores in the match New Zealand 221 and 221 for 8 in their second innings and WI 460 all out in their first innings. New Zealand lead the series 1 nil at this stage.
Inside trades at Sagicor & General Accident
Dividend at Kingston Wharves
Kingston Wharves approved the an interim dividend of 10 cents per stock unit payable on July 30, 2014, to shareholders on record at July 16 and the ex dividend date is July 14.
The company paid an interim dividend of 8 cents per share payable on December 20, last year. The company also paid a final dividend of 2 cents per share in respect of the financial year ended December 2012 and an interim dividend of 8 cents per share in respect of the 2013, on March 28 last year.
