With its best performance in the last five years with a 92 percent jump in profit to $1 billion in 2019 financial year, Lasco Manufacturing went on to increase profit a mere 5.5 percent in the September quarter from weak sales growth.
The improvement in profit emanated from increased efficiency than from increased sales.
Sale revenues fell slightly for the quarter to $2.06 billion from $2.066 billion in the 2018 period and rose 1.3 percent for the six months to $3.85 billion from $3.80 billion in 2018.
Profit grew to $280 million from $265 million in the quarter and 12 percent for the six months to September to $563 million from $503 million in 2018. Second-quarter profit declined compared to the June quarter when the company posted $283 million after-tax.
Improvements in operations led to gross profit margin in half the year rising to 37 percent from 35 percent in 2018 as the cost of sales fell 3 percent in the quarter and 2 percent for the year to date. Operating profit slipped slightly in the quarter, to $359 million from $364 million but jumped 7 percent for the year to date, to $714 million from $667 million in 2018, as Administrative expenses rose much faster than sales and gross profit. Administrative expenses increased 14 percent to $392 million in the quarter and 11 percent in the half-year to $722 million. Finance cost declined in the quarter to $ 22 million from $32 million in 2018 and from $64 million to $54 million for the six months. Provision for profit tax fell from $66 million to $57 million in the quarter, with the half-year ending at $98 million versus $100 million in 2018.
Lasco Manufacturing products
Gross cash flow brought in $791 million, but receivables and reduction in trade payables used up $697 million, $250 million went to pay dividends and $214 million as repayment of loans. Lasco invested $275 million in what is stated to be a long term investment in stocks these and other payments left cash generated at a negative $517 million, leaving liquid funds on hand at $401 million. At the end of September, shareholders’ equity stood at $6 billion, with the current portion of long-term loans at $484 million and long-term liability at $807 million. Current assets ended the period at $3.6 billion inclusive of trade and other receivables of $2 billion, cash and bank balances of $401 million and current liabilities ended the period at $1.4 billion.
With limited growth in sales from existing products, the company is expanding factory and warehousing facilities. “Capital investments being undertaken in a new warehouse facility and build-out of the expansion of the Dry Blend plant at White Marl,” Managing Director, James Rawle reported to shareholders in his commentary on the quarterly.
The company paid a dividend of 6.1 cents on June 28, amounting to $250 million, 61 percent greater than dividends paid out in 2018. The dividend yield was just 1.5 percent, with the stock price just over $4 on the record date in June.
Earnings per share came out at 7 cents for the quarter and 14 cents for the six months and should be in the 30-35 cents region for the full year. The stock last traded at $5.25 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday with a PE of 14.
