Ian Dear, Managing Director of Express Catering
Profit for Express Catering jumped 105 percent in the February quarter, to US$1.14 million from US$558,267 in 2017. For the nine months to February, profit surged 166 percent to US$2.52 million from US$947,989 in 2017.
Sale revenues rose 9.7 percent for the quarter, to US$4.39 million from US$4 million and rose 12.44 percent for the year to date, to US$11.27 million from US$10 million in 2017. Revenues benefited from strong increase in visitor arrivals during the period around 10 percent.
Gross profit margin remained stable at 74 percent in the quarter and 73 percent for the nine months with gross profit of $3.25 million for the quarter up 10 percent from $2.96 million in 2017 and $8.28 million for the year to date 11 percent more than $7.46 million in 2017.
Depreciation fell 8 percent in the quarter to US$128,754 million and was 4 percent lower for the year to date, to US$400,475.
Starbucks one of the brands Express Catering will sell at the Montego Bay Airport.
Administrative expenses fell 14 percent to US$1.87 million in the quarter and fell 13 percent in the nine months period to US$5.05 million. Finance cost rose 18 percent in the quarter, to US$112,418 and moved just 1 percent for the nine months period to US$287,176 from US$283,625.
Earnings per share came out at 0.07 US cents for the quarter and 0.154 US cents for the nine months and should end the fiscal year ending to May around 0.24 cents or 30 cents Jamaican.
Gross cash flow brought in US$3 million but growth of $1.49 million in amounts owing by related companies, additions to fixed assets of US$303,103 and paying US$1.5 million in dividends, reduced cash to just US$34,145 at the end of the period.
At the end of February, shareholders’ equity stands at US$5.56 million with preference shares of US$3.5 million. Current assets ended the period US$5.68 million of which amounts due from related parties amounts to $5.3 million and I up from US$3.6 million in the prior year. Current liabilities amounted to US$1.5 million.
The company will be rolling out the Starbucks Coffee stores in the final quarter and that should boost revenues and profit in the new fiscal year.
The stock traded at J$4.50 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a PE ratio of 15 times 2018 earnings. The company will go into a new year, come June, that should result in a lowering of the PE with IC Insider.com forecasting 48 cents per share for PE of 9 times earnings.
