AS Bryden’s CPJ holdings now over 75%

December 6, 2024 by
AS Bryden and Sons Holdings acquired another 30.4 percent amounting to 334.3 million shares of Caribbean Producers with the trade taking place on Friday over the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market. The acquisition takes the group’s holding to 75.3 percent a release from the Trinidad company confirmed to the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

The selling shareholders are Sportswear Producers Limited with 168,722,866 shares or 15.3384 percent of the CPJ issued capital, Thomas Tyler with 82,830,563 with 7.5301 percent and Wave Trading Limited with 82,755,239 shares with 7.5232 percent. ASB swapped 94.87 million of their shares to the CPJ sellers.

In Main Market activity on Friday, Caribbean Producers led trading with 334.34 million shares valued at $2.6914 billion, which includes the above shares at a value of $2.691 billion.
The acquisition now triggers a mandatory takeover offer that will be made within 30 days, , but they intend to keep the company listed, AS Bryden and Sons Holdings stated in the release.
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Upped capital spend for Caribbean Producers

June 21, 2023 by

Capital spend is set to expand at Caribbean Producers (CPJ) following approval of the Board, the company stated in a recent release with plans for “three major projects that will positively impact the growth and further development of the Company both locally and offshore” the release from the company stated.

Caribbean Producers

The plans include a U$1 million solar expansion project, with installation to commence in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year that starts in July, US$2.3 million modernization of the Meat Processing Plant, with work to commence in the first quarter of 2024, both projects will reduce operating cost. CPJ will be expanding its Operation in St. Lucia with a new store, with Operations to begin in the second quarter of the financial year 2024.
The proposed capital spend comes on the heels of a profitable nine months for the company recovering from fallout in revenues and profit during the covid-19 pandemic. For the three months to March, revenues rose 28 percent to US$35.7 million versus US$28 million in 2022 and climbed 24 percent to US$107 million for the year to March, over US$86.4 million for the similar period in 2022.
The March quarter saw cost of sales rising slightly faster than revenues, with an increase of 30 percent to US$25.3 million from $19.5 million, with a gross profit margin of 29 percent, down from 31.2 percent in 2022. For the nine months, it also rose faster than sales with an increase of 28 percent to US$75.3 million from US$58.8 million and resulted in a gross profit margin of 29.7 percent, down from 31.5 percent in 2022, negatively impacting profits.
According to  management, “We expect growth in revenue and margins going forward will translate to improved company performance.”

Caribbean Producers

Profit before tax declined sharply for the March quarter by 65 percent from US$$1.8 million to US$636,974 after accounting for a one-time charge of US$1.45 million in the third quarter relating to GCT assessment, dragging profit down to a mere US$226,000 after tax, attributable to the company’s shareholders of and down 49 percent to US$3.6 million for the nine months compared to US$6.8 million earned in 2022. For the nine months, profit before tax declined 34 percent to US$5.2 million in the current year, from US$7.9 million for the similar period in 2022, but it declined a smaller 16 percent, excluding the one-time charge for GCT. Selling and administrative expenses rose sharply by 24.7 percent in the March quarter from US$5.2 million in 2022 to $6.5 million in what management stated was due to increased staffing to position for further growth, the increase negated the improvement in the gross profit. For the nine months, the cost in this category increased 33.6 percent to US$19.6 million from US$14.7 million in 2022. That was the area of significant cost increase that depressed profits for 2023. But profit before tax would have increased to US$2.8 million when the charge for GCT is excluded compared with US$2.6 million in March 2022 quarter and US$9 million versus US$10 million.

At the end of March, shareholders’ equity stood at US$26.7 million, up from US$22.4 million at the end of March 2022 and US$23.2 million at the end of the June 2022 fiscal year. The company continues to be heavily leveraged with borrowings of US$40.5 million, of which US$9.8 million is short term and due to be repaid within twelve months.
Current assets stood at US$62 million at the end of March versus US$62.5 million at the end of June 2022 and just US$25.3 million as of March 2022. Cash and equivalents were US$4.9 million, up from US$3.9 million at the end of the 2022 fiscal year, with receivables at $18 million, virtually flat with the fiscal year end. Still, inventories slipped to US$39 million from US$40 million at the end of the fiscal year but are up over March 2022 at $30 million.
Current liabilities stood at US$25.4 million at the end of March versus US$46.75 million at the end of June 2022 and US$25.3 million as of March 2022.
CPJ is the dominant company within the hospitality sector. The expected continued expansion in the hotel rooms should be fertile ground for continued growth in revenues and profitability over the next few years. The company is highly leveraged, which is a huge negative, especially when business declined, as it did during the height of the COVID epidemic, curtailing sales in 2021 and 2022.
The company reported 0.02 US cents in earnings per share for the March quarter compared to 0.14 cents in 2022 and 0.33 US cents for the half year to March 2023 versus 0.62 cents in the prior year. As indicated above, ongoing earnings per share are better than the numbers suggest. The US$1.5 million written off for general consumption tax assessment is not an ongoing expense. As such, it should be excluded from earnings in valuing the company’s shares to assess ongoing earnings capabilities better. In addition, the tourism trade did not return to normal capacity compared to 2019 until the start of 2023, as such, the first two quarters of this fiscal year are based on lower business levels than is the norm and the 2024 fiscal year should reflect a better outcome as a result.
IC insider.com forecast earnings of J$1.35 per share for the June 2023 fiscal year and J$2.50 in the next fiscal year, with the stock currently at $9.46 on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a value of 7 times the current years’ earnings. Investors can expect a period of continuing growth in the share price over the next 12 months as a result of continued improvement in profitability and lower interest rates in the coming months.

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Profit jumps at CPJ but watch 2023

October 22, 2022 by

Two Fridays ago, investors snapped up 1,258,697 shares, 12 times the average Caribbean Producers shares traded since mid-September, but the price pulled back to $12.50 at the close of the first Friday’s trading in response to the company reporting record earnings of US$7.5 million after corporation tax of $1.744 million in delivering J$1.05 per share for the year to June, more than 50 percent over the US$5.24 million made in 2018, with no tax then payable, the previous best year.

Caribbean Producers traded 52 weeks’ high during the week following a near US$2 quarterly profit.

The company reported a loss of US$2.3 million in 2021, resulting in lower revenues as the hotel sector they sell to primarily operated at low levels after closure in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Sale revenues climbed 209 percent for the year, to $120 million from just $57 billion in 2021. The 2022 final quarter produced revenues that were 58 percent higher than in 2021, coming out at US$33.5 million and delivering a pretax profit of US$1.5 million, with the gross margin down to just 22 percent in the quarter. Inventory written down accounted for US$1.1 million in the June quarter, down from US$1.37 million in 2021, with the company posting revenues of US$21 million and profit of US$1.3 million.
The 2022 results were delivered, with tourism traffic at just 78 percent of 2019 for the 12 months to June this year, with the final quarter benefiting from tourist traffic just 3 percent less than in 2019.
Profit margins increased from a low of 24 percent in 2019 to 30 percent in 2022 and are up from 25 percent in 2021 and 27 percent in 2020, leading to gross profit rising to $34.8 million in 2022 from $14.74 million in 2021 and $20.7 in 2020.
Segment results show the Jamaican operation enjoying a 96 percent increase in revenues to third parties of $97.5 million, up from $46.9 million in 2021 and contributed segment results of $7.4 million, up from a loss of $2 million in the previous year, while profit for the St Lucian operations increased to $436,000 million from a loss of $522,000 in 2021, with revenues rising 103 percent to $23.45 million, from $11.56 million in the prior year.
Selling and administrative expenses rose 50 percent to $18.2 million for the year from $12.1 million in 2021, but depreciation remained nearly flat at $4.2 million from $4.19 million in 2021. Finance cost jumped 34 percent to $2.95 million from $2.2 million in 2021.
Gross cash flow brought in $13.5 million, but growth in receivables, inventories and addition to fixed assets offset by increased payables more than wiped out the inflows leaving a deficit of $3 million that was funded by net borrowings of $3.5 million.
At the end of June, shareholders’ equity stood at $23 million, Long term borrowings ended at $15.7 million and short term at $26.7 million. Current assets accounted for $62.6 million, including trade and other receivables of $8.4 million, inventories at $40 million, almost twice the level in 2021 and cash and bank balances of $4 million. Current liabilities amounted to $46.8 million. Net current assets ended the period at $16 million.
At the end of July this year, the company issued $13 million of Unsecured Fixed Rate US$ notes, with a tenor of five (5) years and during the continuance of an Event of Default bear interest at 10% per annum and at all other times 7% per annum. The monies received were used to repay existing related party loans at varying interest rates.
ICInsider.com forecasts J$2.75 per share for the fiscal year ending June 2023, with a PE of 5 times the current year’s earnings based on the price of $13.93 the stock traded at on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with a price target of more than $40 in 2023.

Not mentioned in comments from the company is the outcome of discussions they were to have regarding an acquisition in the Easter Caribbean and the raising of fresh equity capital to help fund the acquisition and reduce the heavy debt load.

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Improved tourist arrivals boost CPJ earnings

June 27, 2022 by

Caribbean Producers transformed itself following the pressures posed by the closure of the hotel sector it primarily serves in 2020 and the relatively prolonged period taken to get back to normal levels.

Caribbean Producers

Notably, revenues are rising again and delivering record profits even for a period when tourism numbers were 28 percent down for the March 2022 quarter from 2019. The June quarter could see 30 percent higher arrivals than the March quarter resulting in more revenues for the June quarter compared with that for the March quarter.
The above data portends more positive revenue growth for the coming fiscal year that starts in July. There will be a significant revenue hike in the first three quarters of the 2023 fiscal year, compared to the current fiscal year, with the tourism sector back to normal as indicated by preliminary June quarter arrivals. There should also be improved performance in the June quarter of 2023 compared to 2022, which enjoyed much recovery but was still not at full capacity.
According to Mark Hart and Tom Tyler, directors of the company, “the group remains optimistic for the fourth quarter of the financial year due to strong hotel bookings reported by our customers.”
The group is diversifying their revenue stream, making more investments in stores and adding new product lines for local consumption.
Revenues for the March quarter surged 123 percent to US$28.36 million over 2021 with just $12.7 million with the nine months to March delivering revenues of $86.44 million, up 133 percent above the $37.11 million generated in 2021. Interest and other income generated $89,700 for the quarter, down from $182,000 in 2021 and $652,000 for the nine months to date, up 93 percent over 339,000 in 2021. Profit margin slipped to 31 percent in the quarter but rose to 32 percent for the year to date, with gross profit of $8.9 million from $3.5 million in 2021 and $27.6 million for the nine months to March versus $9.9 million in 2021.
Depreciation cost was steady at just over 1 million for the quarter in both years and $3.2 million for the year to date but Administrative and selling expenses jumped 63 percent in the quarter to $5.2 million from $3.19 million in 2021 and rose 57 percent to $14.7 million for the nine months from $9.4 million in 2021. Finance cost rose 80 percent to $794,810 from $441,626 for the quarter and 71 percent to $2,290,676 from $1,336,016 for the nine months.
Gross cash flow brought in $10.2 million, but growth in receivables, inventories and addition to fixed assets resulted in outflows of $2.4 million, but net loan inflows amounting to $2.4 million resulted in a slight dip in cash funds on hand at the end of the quarter. At the end of March, Current assets amounted to $53.5 million, including Inventories of $30 million, receivables of $19.3 million and cash and bank balances of $4.2million. Current liabilities ended at $25.3 million, resulting in net current assets of $28.2 million. Heavy debt is a major concern at US$43 million in borrowings with equity of just $22 million.
Earnings per share came out at 0.14 of one US cent for the quarter and 0.62 of a US cent for the nine months. IC Insider.com forecasts J$1.65 per share for the fiscal year ending June 2022, with a PE of 8.55 times the current year’s earnings based on the price of $14.11, the stock traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market and EPS of $2.60 for 2023 with a PE of a mere 5.4 and putting the stock price in the $50 range by 2023. Net asset value is $3.14, with the stock selling at 3.5 times book value.
All currency is the US dollar unless otherwise stated.

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