Carreras advised the stock exchange that a dividend payment will be considered at a meeting to be held on July 30, 2014 by the board. This should be the regular quarterly dividend which is usually paid in August.
Carreras last declared a special capital cash distribution of $1.34 per stock unit to be paid on July 31, 2014 to stockholders on July 18, 2014 with the Ex-dividend date July 16, 2014. The funds are out of proceeds received from the liquidation of a subsidiary, pending the granting of a transfer tax exemption pursuant to the Transfer Tax Act the company said in a release to the Jamaica Stock Exchange. The special capital cash distribution will brings the total payments the company made to shareholders since August last year to $8.89.
A special capital cash distribution of $1.18 was paid in January this year, the company also paid an interim dividend of $1.75 per stock unit on June 26, $1.62 per share. On March 13 they paid a dollar per share as well as in August and November last year.
Carreras to consider another dividend payment
Jamaican dollar gains versus US & Canadian
In Tuesday’s forex trading, buying and selling volumes were more closely matched with funds bought by dealers being slightly above the amounts sold. Dealers bought just over US$13 million in all currencies than they sold.
On Tuesday, dealers bought the equivalent of $25,710,419 versus US$47,763,088 on Monday and sold the equivalent of US$24,985,551 compared to US$34,622,132 on Monday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$23,198,261compared to US$42,021,074 on Monday as the buying rate for the US dollar, slipped 6 cents to $112.08 and sold US$22,007,235 versus US$31,275,581 on Monday, as the rate eased 7 cents to $112.63.
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 13 cents, to $102.93 with dealers buying C$852,194 and selling C$750,104 as the rate fell 9 cents, to $105.21.
The Pound closed at $189.29, for the purchase of £962,129 down 93 cents, while only £896,565 was sold, with the rate climbing by 40 cents, to $192.68. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$104,562 while selling was the equivalent of US$992,469.
Highs & Lows| All the highs and lows at the end of trading that moved declined. The highest rate for buying the US dollar, closed with a loss of 10 cents at $113.10, the lowest buying rate and the highest selling rate remained unchanged at $91.85 and $117.70 respectively, while the lowest selling rate dropped back by 16 cents cents to $91.85.
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar declined by 30 cents, to $105.05 and the lowest buying rate and the highest selling rate and the lowest selling rate were unchanged at $83.21, $107.21 and $100.25 respectively.The highest buying rate for the British Pound, fell 30 cents to $193.30, while the lowest buying and selling rates were unchanged at $153.88 and $185.40 respectively, the highest selling rate fell $3.36 to $195.66.
Allan Lewis new chairman – Jamaica Stock Exchnage
Alan Lewis – Chairman JSE
Ian McNaughton, Managing Director, Barita Investments was elected Deputy Chairman. Donovan Perkins, the former Chairman had previously indicated to the shareholders that he was stepping down as the Chairman of the Company, due his appointment as the CEO of the newly acquired RBC Bank by Sagicor Group Jamaica.
Ian McNaughton
Grace acquires US$80M US food company
Jamaica’s Grace Kennedy continues its overseas expansion in what it says is a continuation of its strategy of becoming a Global Consumer Group. The company through one of its subsidiaries entered into an agreement to purchase the operating assets and business of La Fe Foods Inc., including its brand.
Grace Kennedy accounted for 82% of Monday’s volume.
La Fe is said to be the top Hispanic Brand in the frozen food category in Northeast USA. The company was established in 1968 and currently has revenues of approximately US$80 million. Grace expects the acquired business will be the platform for the growth of Grace Kennedy’s North American business going forward. The purchase price is US$26 million.
This acquisition is a major step in achieving our vision of being a Global Consumer Group,” said Grace Kennedy Group CEO, Don Wehby. “La Fe was attractive to us for several reasons, including its distribution channels across the East Coast USA and its strong relationships with blue-chip retailers across the US. The company has operations in Moonachie, New Jersey; Miami, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina, with brand and distribution presence in the New York/Tri-state area, Florida, Georgia and the East Coast. Our international business started with the Jamaican diaspora. We have served them proudly for a very long time, and we will now be able to serve them even better while catering to a new market for Grace Kennedy as well. We are very excited about this acquisition, which we anticipate will be a serious game-changer for our Food Distribution Network,” he said.
Grace Kennedy products
The La Fe transaction is the second major acquisition for Grace Kennedy outside of Jamaica for the Foods Division with the first being the acquisition of WT Foods (now Grace Foods UK) in the UK in 2007. Grace Foods UK has shown improved profits and revenue since the 2007 acquisition.
The acquisition comes on the heels of Grace finalising the divestment of a part of its financial arm, to Proven Investments for US$18.6 million or J$2.05 billion for
.
Lousy Monday trading on JSE
Monday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange was very moderate, as the prices of 3 stocks rose, 6 declined and 18 securities changed hands, resulting in 1,001,293 shares trading valued at a mere $4,627,847.
Main Market| By the close of trading the JSE Market Index inched up by 71.70 points to 70,259.21 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up 80.17 points to close at 77,270.76.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market, are Grace Kennedy with 7,725 units as the price gained 99 cents to $55, Pan Jamaican Investment traded only 1,558 shares but gained 25 cents, to land at $48.26 and Scotia Group with 94,278 units changing hands, gained a cent to close at $18.51.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price, are Carreras with 10,224 shares closing at $33.60. Mayberry Investments traded 3,943 units and closed at $1.55, Seprod traded 5,000 units and ended at $10.50 and Supreme Ventures traded 11,500 units to close at $1.95.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 2,000 units at $2.
Declines| The number of stocks declining in the main market, are Cable & Wireless with 502,916 shares, while losing 2 cents to end at 25 cents, Jamaica Broilers with 76,626 shares, lost 3 cents to close at $4.57, National Commercial Bank with 8,475 units, closed with a 2 cents loss at $18, Sagicor Group in trading 115,510 shares lost 5 cents to close at $9.05 and Sagicor Real Estate Fund, exchanged 4,500 units for 10 cents lower at $6.30.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 8.99 points to close at 679.40 as 5 securities traded, with none advancing and one declining.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before, are Caribbean Cream with 38,240 shares to close at 70 cents, Jamaican Teas with only 698 units at $3.25, Lasco Financial Services with 29,100 shares to close at $1 and Medical Disposables & Supplies with 86,000 shares at $2.
Declines| The only stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading is Lasco Distributors with 3,000 units to close down 10 cents at $1.20.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Is the real estate price right?
In the heady days when Olint, the forex trading company was around, and many clients of that entity were reaping 10 percent per month, persons were paying almost as much for used residential units as new ones.
Apartment complex at East Oakridge in Kingston 8
How can an investor get a good idea if the price is about right? Be like a valuator, do comparison pricing. A good place to start getting information on selling price per square foot are ads selling properties, especially new ones. Houses are of different sizes and make up, but by and large they have one thing in common, that is square footage. If the square footage is known, the value per square foot should be computed for all units, then prices can compared, because there is a common measuring rod. Without reducing values to a common measure, it becomes difficult to determine if one property is appropriately priced or not.
Interior of Model unit at East Oakridge apartment complex
Some advertisements and a news item in the newspapers, provide some useful information as to where values are in the local market currently. Location of course is an important element of pricing, this is not factored in here. The information gleaned have values per square foot, ranging form a low of $10,000 for lower income units to a high of $25,000 per square foot for a Montego Bay waterfront property. The typical upper income units seem to be price around $22,000 per square foot for units of 600-700 square feet to $16,000 to $20,000 on the upper end for larger units. Older units would normally be valued based on be discount from the current selling prices of new units for their age, at around 2 percent per annum.
According to a Sunday Gleaner publication on July 20, 2014 Real-estate developer Matalon Homes is investing in a residential project called Welwyn. Construction of the luxury townhouses and apartments at Millsborough in St Andrew is to last a year. The units are priced at US$210,000 for the apartments of 1,100 square feet and US$420,000 for the townhouses comprising 2,100 square feet or approximately $23.6 million and $47.3 million respectively. The selling price works at $21,570 and $22,250 per square foot respectively.
Apartment unit at Montego Freeport, priced at $25,000 per sq. Ft.
In East Oakridge, Kingston 8 area, there are 1 and 2 bedroom apartments of 986 and 1,486 square foot, priced at $19 to 24 million or $19,250 and $16,150 per square foot respectively.Over in Montego Bay, The Landings at the Spring Gardens, have studios of 872 square foot going for US$131,000 to US$137,000 or J$17,000 per square foot and 2 bedrooms of 1,575 square foot, going at US$219,000 t0 $229,000 or $15,700 per square foot. There is the requirement for 35 percent deposit in two tranches. Over at Montego Freeport, there are also units selling at $25,000 per square foot. While, properties in the main cities are going at the above prices for new units, out in rural Jamaica, smaller units of 800 square feet are priced around $10,000 per square foot. Many of these tend to be built on cheaper lands than say in Kingston, they are also benefit from the fact that the developers are building hundreds of them in one community thus enjoying economies of scale.
One Caribbean Media drops $1.74
The previous Buy Rated One Caribbean Media which was moved to the Market Watch, tumbled by $1.74 in Friday’s trading levels on the Trinidad Stock Exchange. The stock closed with a bid to buy 17,412 shares at the closing price, but there was no stock on offer for sale at the close.
Scotiabank closed at a new 52 weeks low. The price continues to adjust downwards, following the bank’s fall in second quarter results. At the close there was little demand for the stock, with the bid at $65 well off the last sale price.
There was activity in 12 securities, of which 3 advanced, 4 declined and 5 traded firm with 207,602 stocks changing hands, valued at $2,718,931. The market indices closed mixed, with the Composite Index losing 0.17 points to close at 1,164.85, the All T&T Index declined by 1.74 points to close at 2,008.78 and the Cross Listed Index inched up by 0.19 points to close at 42.02.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are Clico Investment Fund with 39,920 shares valued at $867,712, to advance by 15 cents to end at $21.85, First Citizens Bank traded 4,470 shares to close at $35.30, up 19 cents and Sagicor Financial Corporation contributed 27,883 shares with a value of $188,005, to close with a gain of 23 cents at $6.75.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading, are One Caribbean Media suffering a loss of $1.74 to close at $23.26 while trading 5,333 shares, valued at $124,662, Prestige Holdings with 77,131 shares changing hands for a value of $725,091, closed down a cent at $9.40, Republic Bank with 70 shares changing hands, closed with a decline of 5 cent to end at $122 and Scotiabank with only 14 shares, declined by 4 cents to close at $68.41.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are Angostura Holdings with a volume of 45,206 shares being traded for $576,377 to close at $12.75, Grace Kennedy with 2,505 shares to end at $3.45, Guardian Holdings contributed 4,056 with the price closed unchanged at $14.40, Massy Group traded 14 units to close at $69.50 and Trinidad Cement traded 1,000 to close at $1.95
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 1 stock with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
NCB & Paramount plan dividend payments
Times may be tough for many Jamaicans but the majority of listed companies continue to distribute dividends to their shareholders.
The latest announcement of plans for dividends are from National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Paramount Trading.
NCB advises that the Board of Directors will consider the payment of an interim dividend to stockholders at a meeting to be held on Thursday, July 24, 2014. National Commercial Bank approved an increase dividend payment of 35 cents per share paid on May 22 and a dividend of 32 cents per ordinary stock was paid on February 20 this year.
Paramount advised that Board Meeting to be held at 8 Bell Road East on Thursday, July 24, 2014 receive the audited financials and consider a dividend. Paramount paid an interim dividend of 13.5 cents per share payable on December 10, 2013.
Insiders buy more shares
Inside trades continue apace with the latest once more in Sagicor Group Jamaica who advised that an Executive purchased 571,696 shares under the group’s Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme on July 16, 2014.
Pan-Jamaican Investment that owns more than 30 percent of Sagicor also advised that a director purchased 5,000 shares on July 14, 2014.
Blue Power Group advised that a Director sold 687,285 ordinary shares to a connected party of Guardsman Group on July 11, 2014.
Grace Kennedy has advised that on June 26, 2014 GK Capital Management acquired by way of a trade across the floor of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), 10,200,000 ordinary stock units in the JSE from PWL Transition Ltd (formerly First Global Financial Services (FGFS)). The transfer of the stock units in the JSE was part of the larger transaction whereby all the shares in FGFS were sold by First Global Holdings a subsidiary of Grace to Proven Investments Limited and the price agreed took into account the overall deal.