Revenues at Lasco Distributors rose just 3.5 percent for the June quarter, to $4.28 billion from $4.13 billion in 2017 but profit before taxation climbed a much stronger 17 percent in the quarter to $254 million from $217 million in 2017.
The improved profit out turn was helped by modest improvement in gross profit of $50 million and improvement in other income from $18.4 million to $42.7 million. The improvement comes off a strong period in the last fiscal year with profit rising 65 percent to $1 billion from $610 million in 2017. the 2017 profit slipped below the $717 million for 2016.
Administrative and other expenses rose faster than revenues at 5 percent, to $630 million and depreciation increased 31 percent to $30 million.
Peter Chin – Lasco Distributors’ Managing Director
Taxation was flat at $20 million, leaving net profit for the quarter rising 19 percent to $234 million. Earnings per share rose to 7 cents, from 6 cents in 2017.
Gross cash flow brought in $263 million but growth in receivables, offset by reduced inventories and reduction in amount owed to creditors, resulted in negative cash flows of $222 million and left cash and equivalent with at reduced $1.33 billion.
At the end of December, shareholders’ equity stands at $4.8 billion with borrowings at just $233 million. Net current assets ended the period $3.3 billion almost equal to Payables of $3.4 billion.
The stock traded at $4 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a PE ratio of 11 times 2019 estimated earnings. In April the company paid out $408 million in dividends.
