Elite Diagnostics fresh from a recent initial Public Issue that was heavily oversubscribed failed to record a trade at the close of the market on Tuesday but investors put through trades in the market up to $3.30 with 391,447 shares which were canceled at the close.
Elite can trade up to $3.38 on Wednesday. At the end of trading, the stock close with bids to buy 2.95 million shares at $2.60, 30 percent higher than the IPO price of $2. Elsewhere, Caribbean Producers traded 20 million shares at $4.30 and Iron Rock Insurance traded 3.9 million units at $3 on a day of heightened volume.
The Junior Market index advanced 11.92 points to close at 2,883.68 on Tuesday, as the prices of 5 securities advanced, 8 declined and 5 remained unchanged.
The market closed with 18 securities changing hands, resulting in 24,250,087 shares valued at $100,904,262 trading, compared to 20 securities trading on Monday with 6,699,330 shares valued at $22,327,925 securities changing hands.
Trading ended with an average of 1,347,227 units for an average of $5,605,792 in contrast to an average of 334,967 units averaging $1,116,396 on Monday. An average of 806,402 units at an average value of $1,779,476 traded, and previously 211,318 units at an average value of $1,500,635. 
In contrast, January closed with an average of 122,386 shares, valued at $489,704 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power concluded trading 84 cents higher at $33.85, with 140 units, Caribbean Cream ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $4.90, with 711,797 shares, Caribbean Flavours traded with a loss of 1 cent at $10.89, with 2,700 stock units, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 10 cents at $4.30, with 20,002,400 units, Dolphin Cove finished 85 cents higher at $16.85, with 3,868 stock units. FosRich Group traded 1 cent higher at $2.51, with 19,710 shares, General Accident finished trading at $2.80, with 10,450 shares, 
GWest Corporation closed at $2.74, with 1,540 stock units, Honey Bun ended at $5.25, with 9,227 units. Iron Rock concluded trading at $3, with 3,192,000 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended trading at $4.60, with 300 stock units, Knutsford Express closed with a loss of 1.90 cents at $13.10, with 3,330 shares, Lasco Distributors ended 15 cents higher at $4.50, with 39,144 shares. Lasco Financial concluded trading with a loss of 5 cents at $5.20, with 39,231 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing finished 75 cents higher at $4.45, with 76,794 units, Main Event settled with a loss of 4 cents at $5.76, with 42,810 shares, Stationery and Office finished trading with a loss of 11 cents at $5.40, with 56,198 stock units and tTech ended with a loss of 60 cents at a 52 weeks’ low at $5, with 38,448 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Elite shares start trading on Tuesday
The latest initial public offer to hit the capital market, Elite Diagnostic,will be listed on Tuesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and will bring the number of listed companies to 35.
The issue that was heavily oversubscribed could see trading taking place at the maximum allowable on the first day which is 30 percent above the IPO price of $2 up to $2.60.
On Wednesday, the price could surged above 30 percent if the bid were to close above $2.60 on Tuesday but not exceeding $3.38 which could result in the price hitting $4.39.
The company offered 70,680,000 Ordinary Shares to the public which were aggressively taken up by investors with applications for 614,190,600 units were received from 3,346 investors with a value of J$1,228,381,200.
The public offer was oversubscribed by more than 10.5 times.
A total of 3,257 Application for Shares were received from the general public who will receive the first 15,000 units with the balance in excess, allocated 3.383 percent.
IC Insider.com forecasts profit of 22 cents per share for the current year to June and 35 cents for 2019. With the heavy demand for the stock and the sharp fall in Treasury bill rates the prospects of the price reaching $4 should not be ruled out.
Sagicor Investments and NCB Capital Markets were the brokers to the issue.
$1.22 billion chased 71M Elite shares
Elite Diagnostics could be in the Junior Market TOP 10 by the end of 2018.
Elite Diagnostic initial public offer of 70,680,000 ordinary shares were aggressively taken up by the General Public and place the issue as the one to have attracted the largest number of subscribers.
Applications for 614,190,600 units were received from 3,346 investors value of J$1,228,381,200.
The public offer was oversubscribed by more than 10.5 times and only one category of reserved shares was fully subscribed to, with 6,160,000 shares reserved for Medical Practitioners, receiving 54 applications. Applications from this group covered 19.046 million shares valued at $38,092,600, the first 70,000 units were allotted in full with balance getting 10.062 percent.
A total of 3,257 applications for shares were received from the general public who will receive the first 15,000 units with the balance in excess, receiving 3.383 percent.
A total of 12 applications for shares valued at approximately 1.555 million shares were received from Directors and Employees of the Company for the 4,060,000 shares reserved.
Five Affiliated Doctors applied for 142,000 out of the 700,000 shares reserved for them, two Affiliated Entities applied for just 56,000 of 420,000 shares reserved for them. Eight Referring Doctors Tier 1 applied for 2,240,000 of the 6,160,000 shares reserved. Applications from Referring Doctors Tier 2 applied for 1.011 million shares from the 1,900,000 shares reserved for them.
Sagicor Investments and NCB Capital Markets were the brokers to the issue.
Elite IPO is now closed
Elite Diagnostics initial Public offering of 70.68 million shares to raise just over $141 million, is said to have been closed at midday on Monday, the new opening date.
The level of subscription is unknown presently as the brokers have to be collecting applications from various locations throughout the country. The issue was delayed due to errors in the prospectus that had to be amended before it could reopen. The shares which were priced at $2 each are expected to list on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and will enjoy 10 years of tax concession that will result in no corporate taxes in the first 5 years and then for the next 5 years at 50 percent of the normal tax rate. the listing will bring to 35 the number of ordinary share listings on the Junior Market.
IC insider.com projects earnings to just over 25 cents for the current year to June and 35 cents for the next fiscal year.
Elite IPO fully subscribed
Elite Diagnostics could be in the Junior Market TOP 10 by the end of 2018.
Word reaching IC Insider.com from usually reliable sources, is that the much delayed Initial Public Offer for Elite Diagnostics was oversubscribed before the revised prospectus was posted on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday.
The company is issuing just over 70 million shares at a price of $2 each and a PE ratio around 9 times estimated 2018 earnings and just under 6 times 2019 estimated earnings. The shares were to have officially opened on Monday January 22, but was put off until Wednesday 24, following amendment to include depreciation that was omitted from interim results to September, and then was pulled to correct errors in the interim results balance sheet and cash flow statement. The issue will now officially open on Monday February 5 and is expected to list on the Junior Market of the stock exchange that will see profit being tax free for 5 years and at half the regular rate for the second 5 years. Brokers for the issue are NCB Capital Markets and Sagicor Investments.
Elite IPO put off for now
The initial public offer of 71 million shares in Elite Diagnostic that was to have opened to the public on Monday January 22 but put back to Wednesday January 24 has been put off once again.
The prospectus that was originally planned for release in early December included results for the first quarter of the current fiscal year to September with errors that lead to an understating of expenses and over stating of profit as well as errors in the amounts relating to fixed assets in the cash flow and balance sheet.
According to a recent release from the company, “Elite, after consulting with its Financial Advisors, has decided to update certain statements made in its prospectus dated December 11, 2017 and Addendum dated January 17, 2018. The revised statements and the new Opening and Closing Dates will be published on the JSE’s website as soon as possible.”
IC Insider.com who first brought the errors in the report to the public had written after the addendum was released that the company needed to withdraw the prospectus and have the figures properly checked and audited before releasing it again to the public.
Junior stocks set for strong 2018
IC Insider.com Junior Market TOP 10 stocks for 2018
The Junior Market rose just 5.3 percent at the end of the year, down from a high of 31 percent in May.
The pull back of the index from its peak pushed the market into very negative technical readings. The first negative is a head and shoulder pattern, then the deadly cross where the short and medium term moving averages have fallen below the long term moving average and to that is an examination of the potential gains for individual stocks show that more two third of them are valued around or above the market average for 2017 earnings. That means that there is not much ammunition left to seriously push this market much higher based on 2017 profit out turn. Weighting down on the juniors is a series of company results that are not reflected positive price driven data.
General Accident could be a leader in the Junior Market in 2018 as they benefit from higher premium rates.
The reports include, Paramount Trading with strong rise in revenues for the November quarter but lower profits as administrative cost rise Caribbean Cream enjoyed a strong 18 percent increase in revenues but that could not overcome a rise in administrative and direct cost in the November quarter, resulting in profit falling from $19 million in 2016 to less than $1 million in 2017 and helped to push six months profit to $71 million versus $137 million in 2016. AMG Packaging revenues jumped 24 percent in the quarter to November but increased cost wipe the sales gains away and more to leave a profit of $10 million versus $18 in the prior year period.
Express Catering is continuing to deliver strong increased earnings but the stock is already well priced and so too is Knutsford Express at which revenues rose by 18 percent in the November quarter but at a slower pace than in the prior year. For the August quarter and profit grew by just 15 percent, with half year earnings per share coming in at 19 cents, full year earnings should come close to 50 cents but the stock is already a high price relative to the overall market.
The positives in the market is that the 45 days moving average is now over stretched and should enjoy some rebound sooner than later. Looking fully at 2018 thinks appear brighter with IC Insider.com pointing to 14 stocks including the IPO, Elite Diagnostics that could double in price and around 8 that could gain over 50 percent.
Elite Diagnostics could be in the Junior Market TOP 10 by the end of 2018.
Based on projected earnings for 2018, the average PE ratio suggests that Junior Market stock prices should grow by 36 percent. Technical readings have the junior market moving to 3,900 points, 43 percent higher than the end of 2017, before major resistance sets in.
The Top 10 Junior market stocks are taken from those listed at the start of 2018. The list therefore excludes Elite Diagnostics which should end in the top of 2018 best Junior Market stocks at the end of the year.
The list comprise some 2017 under performers, insurance companies that should benefit from increased premium income and in the case of Key Insurance reduced administrative cost. Paramount Trading is adding new product lines that should not only boost top line but with bottom-line growth, while Caribbean Producers and Dolphin Cove will benefit from the strong growth in tourism.
Elite interim figures lack credibility
Elite Diagnostics interim figures are wrong and need auditing.
Elite Diagnostic issued an addendum to the prospectus for the public issue of shares. They should withdraw the issue, until they have the interim figures audited and fixed. For even after they amended them to correct for errors, $15 million is still unaccounted for.
The interim results, initially included in the prospectus and in the addendum to them, send a shocking picture of the amateurish approach to the company’s financial stewardship.
The company reported first quarter numbers without the significant cost of depreciation, which when included, reduced the profit by approximately 40 percent. To compound the matter, the figures are presented in cents which is shown is no other place in the prospectus, no experienced accountant would provide public results with cents included. The presentation tells a sorry story as to the errors that are in the report and are still there.
In a report of a missing $11 million, IC Insider.com pointed out the error re depreciation and fixed assets. In the addendum, fixed assets are up by $3 million but the figure is still short of what the data in the report suggests it to be.
At the end of June last year, fixed assets amounted to $187 million, with the cash flow to September showing $74 million being added and would bring the total amount to $262 million, before depreciation of $9 million for the first quarter and would result in net fixed assets of $253 million. The interim results have the figure at $238 million, a huge difference of $15 million.
Deferred tax liability of $9.5 million reported in the June year end audited report disappears in the interim figures and may actually be a part of the error in the report. Without a proper checking of the data along with documentations of large transaction is difficult to say where the error may be and that is why the figures should audited at this stage to ensure integrity of the numbers.
Elite Diagnostics IPO a buy
Elite Diagnostics is the first 2018 IPO out of 9, that is expected this year.
The initial public offer for Elite Diagnostics will open on January 22 at $2 per share and is scheduled to close on January 29, the prospectus which is now out states.
A total of 70.68 million shares are offered to raise $141 million. The shares to be listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, if the issue is successful and will bring the total company listings on the Junior Market to 35 and the total listings to 39 and the total listings on the entire exchange to 96. Elite will be the second medical related company expected to list on the market and the second within two months.
Based on interim first quarter results to September last year the stock is attractively price and seems set to be heavily oversubscribed to be followed by a big bounce after listing. Elite has done well in just 5 years and seems set to expand at a nice pace going forward.
The company operates from Holburn Road in Kingston and now have a new office on 164½ Old Hope Road. The 4 year old company provides imaging and Diagnostic Medical Facility offers services such as MRI, CT Scan, X-Ray, Ultrasound & Fluoroscopy.
Of the shares available for subscription in the IPO, 18 million units are reserved for subscription at $2 each. The company has 282 million issued shares. The proceeds of the IPO will put the company in a position to repay a substantial part of the debt due lenders amounting to $202 million.
A number of Imaging diagnostic service providers operate in Kingston and Saint Andrew. These providers compete with the company for the provision of services in the Kingston and Saint Andrew market.
For the September quarter 2017, the company had net profits of $23 million on revenues of $69.8 million compared to revenues of $56.9 million in 2016 and profits of $14.4 million. Annualised, net profits would be $92 million or an increase of 108 percent over the previous financial year, if the current trend continues and would result in earnings per share of 30 cents for a PE ratio of 6.7 times earnings.
In the first year of operations in 2014 a loss of J$48.7 million was realized on revenues of $58.3 million. For 2015, revenues increased 127 percent and profit of $498,079 was realised. For the financial year ended June last year, revenues increased to J$263 million and net profits moved to J$44.2 million from $29 million in 2016. Gross Profit margin is very high at 67 percent for the 2017 fiscal year with administrative expenses at 31 percent of revenues, excluding depreciation.
In 2017, a new office was set up at 164½ Old Hope Road, opening in November 2017 and is expected to generate additional income for the benefit of the company commencing the current financial year, the company says.
Directors are, Steven Gooden, B.Sc., M.Sc., CFA, Chairman, Warren Chung, B.Sc. Executive Director, Dr. Neil Fong, B.Sc., M.B.B.S Executive Director, Andre Ho Lung, FCCA, M.Sc. Non-executive Directors are Kevin Donaldson, B.Sc., M.B.A, Paula Kerr-Jarrett, B.A., LL.M., Quentin Hugh Sam, B.Sc., Peter D. Chin, B.Sc., M.B.A., William Mahfood, B.Sc.
The company believes that its principal competitive advantage lies in using state of the art diagnostic equipment. “It 64-Slice or Multi-Slice CT Scanner is one example. It produces clearer images compared to older models by allowing technicians and radiologist to acquire thinner slices and 3D images at lower doses of radiation leading to a more detailed view of the patients’ anatomy. This leads to faster and more accurate diagnosis. 10.20 The Company has recently acquired a 3 Tesla (3T) MRI scanner – to the company’s knowledge only one of two in the Caribbean, the other being located in the Cayman Islands. The strength of the magnetic field generated by a 3T MRI scanner is twice that of the current industry standard 1.5T MRI scanners. The image quality of an MRI scanner is generally dependent on the strength of the magnetic field it is able to generate, the higher the magnetic field the better the image clarity. This increased image clarity aids Radiologists in their interpretations of diagnostic images. In certain circumstances the more powerful scanner is also capable of reducing scan times thereby reducing patient turnaround time.”
NCB Capital Markets and Sagicor Investments are brokers for the issue.
Investors not properly protected in Jamaica
C&W should release to shareholders December 2017 results and 5 years forecast that was given to the valuators.
All concerned should be pleased that good sense has prevailed and the Elite IPO has been put off for now the IPO while they correct the errors in the prospectus, in keeping with this publication’s recommendation.
The matter brings to the fore once again, the inadequacy of capital market monitoring leaving investors’ with a false sense of security that they are being lead to believe.
What are some of the facts? The rules for takeover on paper is meant to protect minority shareholders, in fact they hardly do. Minority shareholders in many cases are not in a strong position to assess if they should or should not surrender their shares in a takeover bid. Worse the directors’ recommendations are fraught with problems. Most directors are not serious stock market investors and are not equipped to make a proper assessment of the company’s value, in order to make a proper recommendation to shareholders.
A good example of this, is the takeover attempts for all the shares of Berger Paints last year which was accompanied by directors’ report recommending acceptance of the offer and contained false information which was used to try and convince shareholders that they should surrender their shares. No one in authority seems to have called for proof of the information included in the circular to support their view or asked for correction of the error. Nor were the company required to provide shareholders with up to date financial information, which is not now a requirement but ought to be.
Berger Paints
Cable & Wireless directors are recommending the sale of the shares to the majority owner but have not provided shareholders with results to December, last year or forecast earnings. There is no rationale for this critical information to be provided to valuators but not to the persons who count – shareholders. So Why have the shareholders not be given such information?
The C&W offer is being made at a time when the company’s fortunes have improved considerably and could end with a profit or small loss in 2017. From IC Insider.com assessment, the company is in a very good position to report a good level of profit in 2018 with interest cost set to fall by around $1 billion per year and revenues set to rise. Investor should get more information as to the 2017 results and forecast for two or so years to enable them to make an informed decision.
The market place has dealers who blatantly breach agreements with clients but no regulator in the sector does anything about. So while the Minister of Finance is proud of the success of the Junior Market, he is unaware of the tsunami that lies just below in the system that he is minster over and one day could explode.