TVJ one of RJR’s subsidaries
The major improvement should be great news to shareholders who have seen the price of the stock tumble to a low of $1 per share last year, as profit melted away with sluggish revenues growth. The final quarter based on history, is likely to be a small profit at best, hence investors should not be looking at too much more in profits when the financial year ends. Earnings per share ended at 29 cents for the quarter and 32 cents for the nine months.
Gross profit margin improved in both the quarter and year to date, versus the prior year as sales grew 16 percent to $590 million in the quarter and 10 percent in the nine months, to reach $1.4 billion. Other revenue jumped sharply in the quarter due to foreign exchange gains, management states. Gross profit also increased at a faster pace than sales revenues. Cost increases were kept to 8 percent in the December quarter and 11 percent for the nine months.RJR is in a healthy financial state with cash funds amounting to $130 million, loans of $2036 million, working capital of $565 million and equity capital of $1.3 billion.
The stock last traded at $1.10 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday.
[…] Radio Jamaica increased profits for the quarter to June this year over that of 2014 by 44 percent after taxation, to reach $22 million from a 6 percent increase in sales revenues that hit $516 million. Other revenues contributed $25 million versus $20.7 million in 2014 to income. RJR said that the provision of news services such as “Over the Top” (OTT) which relates to video, television and other services provided over the internet generated added revenues for them as well as added cost. Administrative expenses jumped 15.4 percent to $126 million and selling expenses rose to $84.5 or 16.4 percent over the same period in 2014, the cost increase was partially due to the introduction of the OTT service, but wage increase and commission payments also contributed to the increase RJR said. Other operating expenses declined by $20 million to $79 million helped by lower energy and fuel cost. The company reported earnings of 6 cents per share for the quarter and 32 cents for 2015 fiscal year and seems headed to earn 40 cents for the fiscal year ending March 2016. There is talk of general elections being held soon although that is just talk, with no concrete evidence to support it and with several developments in the country suggesting it may be later in 2016, that is will be held. Whenever it is held, RJR will benefit from added revenues as well as increased cost covering the event. RJR entered into an agreement with the Gleaner to merge the two media operations which will involve RJR splitting the number of existing issued shares into approximately three and for the Gleaner shareholders to get 1 of the new RJR shares for each Gleaner share. If successful the expanded RJR should see reduction in cost as certain areas are combined thus reducing cost and should result in an improved profit per share going forward. It probably won’t be until the 2017 fiscal year that full effect of the merger will be seen. RJR last traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $3.08 but had a bid at $3.50. […]