Lasco Financial profit dropped for 2017 Q3.
The acquisition of company operating CrediScotia, renamed LASCO Microfinance Limited cost Lasco Financial around $1.5 billion, data disclosed in the company’s December quarterly report shows.
The acquisition was funded primarily from related party advances which stands on the books at $1.27 billion. The amount will be repaid in full from a long term instrument being arranged to raise $1.5 billion at an interest rate of 9.5% and also to provide working capital to allow for expansion of the loan portfolio.
The acquisition was the main contributor for a $1.5 billion surge in the assets of the enlarged Group, taking it to $3.26 billion at the end of December.
Scotia Jamaica Microfinance Company, name was changed, effective at the start of December, following the acquisition by LASCO Financial Services in November 2017.
LASCO Microfinance now, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lasco Financial, is the ”fourth largest contender in the local microfinance market behind Jamaica National Small Business Loans, Access Financial Services and Worldnet Investment,” a release from Lasco disclosed.
The group “aims to continue a seamless transition to merge its networks, systems and processes over the next few months to effectively organize its operations under two main business lines – money services and loans through the
Jacinth Hall-Tracey, Managing Director of Lasco Financial.
At the end of March 2017 loans advanced to borrowers on the books was $282 million and seemed to have climbed to approximately $650 million by September last year. The acquisition has increased the group’s loan portfolio to $1.3 billion, Managing Director of Lasco, Jacinth Hall-Tracey confirms. The merger has also almost tripled the loan team to just under 90 persons, spread over 13 loan offices island-wide.
Interestingly, while the acquisition of CrediScotia took place in November, the results for Lasco show no increase in income for the December quarter. For the September quarter total revenues reached $396 million up from $272 million in 2016, but the December quarterly, reports trading income of $407 million compared to the revenue in September, but it was well ahead of the $298 million generated in the December quarter of 2016. The December quarter is usually the period of highest revenues exceeding all other quarters by a good margin. “There was reduced fX spread compared with September quarter which impacted income; it also led to a revaluation loss,” Hall-Tracey informed IC Insider.com. Profit fell in the quarter to $55 million from $100 million in September an unusual development as profit would normally be greater than the amount reported in the September quarter, after recognizing some direct expenses for the acquisition and normal seasonal operational increases,” Hall-Tracey stated. There was short term debt which attracted legal & professional fees for the short term loan and there was finance cost as well as transaction fees for the short term borrowings to settle the sale price on Hall-Tracey informed IC Insider.com.
Adjusted for the above one off cost and set back earnings from ongoing operation is well ahead of the $55 million reported for the period in 2017 and augurs well for improved results for the March 2019 results.
