Winston Boothe – Chairman Medical Disposables & Supplies
Profit after tax is up 55 percent as there was no tax charge in the June 2014 quarter, but tax ate up $4 million of the 2013 profit. “The main reason for the growth in revenue is the strategic focus on new and wider product offerings and greater market penetration”, Kurt Boothe, General Manager stated in his report to shareholders.
Gross profit grew 27 percent to $65.6 million from $51.66 million and gross margin moved to 36.24 percent in the quarter, from 33.78 percent in the 2013 June quarter but down from 42.15 percent in the March 2014 quarter. “This improvement was due to the product sales mix, increases in sales of products with higher margins and consistent review of our pricing structure to maintain the gross margin efficiency” Boothe stated. The audited accounts showed Gross profit margin of 35 percent for 2013-14 fiscal year.
Operating expenses climbed 49.7 percent in the June quarter over the 2013 quarter and “was driven mainly by staff related expenses, professional fees and special bank charges. Staff related expenses, in particular, were driven by the strategic decision to realign the staff complement and compensation to sustain the current growth, development and expansion of the business,” the general manager stated.
Earnings per share for the June quarter was 6 cents per share with the full year set to come in around 25 to 30 cents per share based on existing operations. At a stock price around $2 there is not much room for the price to make any major moves in the short term, unless the stock market becomes bullish.
Medical Disposables was listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in December 2013, when it sold 63,157,895 Shares at $1.83 each and raised $113.7 million in its IPO.
Year over year current assets climbed from $370 million to $514 million due mainly to the IPO funds raised, while current liabilities stood almost static at $221 million. Shareholders’ equity jumped to $369 million from $163 million in March 2013 while borrowed funds are down from $147 million to $128 million, or just under two years’ cash flow.
[…] Disposables & Supplies declared their first dividend, since listing in December, last year. Medical Disposables will be paying an interim dividend of 4 cents per share on November 19, to shareholders on record as […]