Profit climbed in 2023 at Stationery and Office Supplies an under the radar company until listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange transformed it into one of the leading companies peddling office supplies in Jamaica. For the quarter ending September this year, profit after tax climbed 22 percent to $96 million from $79 million last year and for the nine months $294 million up 14 percent from $252.5 million.
Stationary & Office Supplies – Montego Bay office.
The year-to-date figures include a gain on the sale of assets amounting to $7.1 million and $30 million in 2022 as such this year’s ongoing profit performance is greater than the net figures suggest.
Year to date, the operating profit before finance charges and gains or loss on the sale of fixed assets is up a solid 38 percent for the nine months and 12 percent for the quarter.
For the September quarter, revenues inched up from $473 million to $488 million. A fair bit of the slowdown is due to price discounts granted based on originally listed prices following falling input costs. For the year to date, revenues climbed 16 percent to $1.53 billion from $1.32 billion in 2022.
Administrative and general expenses rose 23.5 percent to $138 million from $112 million in the September quarter of 2022 and for the year to date, it climbed 20 percent to $378 million from $314 million. Selling and promotional costs fell to $29 million for the September 2023 quarter from $35.8 million last year, with the year to date figures being almost flat at $97 million in 2023 versus $96 million in 2022. Depreciation charges were slightly down from $8.7 million in the September quarter of last year to $8.4 million this year and year to date the numbers are flat at $26.4 million.
Earnings per share for the third Quarter was 4 cents compared to 3 cents in 2022 and for the nine months end September this year, 13 cents per share, up from 11.33 cents.
ICInsider.com projects 19 cents per share for the year, from revenues of just over $2 billion and 30 cents for 2024. The stock last traded at $1.72, with a PE of 8.9 times current year’s earnings, well below the market average of 12.
Operations produced cash inflows of $356 million, up from $259 million in 2022 and at the end of the period with a surplus of $189 million that brought the total to $320.8 million up from just $99 million at the end of September. The 2023 growth in Cash inflows is after spending $72 million on acquiring property, plant and equipment, $50 million in dividend payments and $40 million used in repaying loans. Some of the amount on hand is earmarked to fund the acquisition of properties to be used for storage to allow for continued expansion of the business.
Current assets closed the period at $1 billion, with Receivables rising from $194 million to $317 million and inventories at $349 million compared with $356 million in 2022. Current liabilities rose to $305 million from $148 million in 2022.
Shareholders’ equity stands at $1.35 billion which is up from $884 million from a year ago and borrowed funds used in its operations is only $65 million.
Going forward, the Seek manufacturing division is to get new machines to help meet growing demand as the current facility is said to be at its peak. The distribution of 3M stationery products has been added to the company’s line in the latter months of 2023 and will boost revenues in 2024, with a full year of sales.
The day closed with rising stocks beating out those declining, with trading in 57 securities, a similar number compared with Thursday and resulted in prices of 23 rising, 19 declining and 15 ending unchanged as the volume of stocks traded rose 52 percent but with a marginally higher value.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index popped 1,420.45 points to close at 328.954.78, 
Kingston Wharves lost $1.21 to finish at $17.58, with 3,029,633 stock units crossing the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy jumped $12.13 to $93 after an exchange of 102 shares, Margaritaville popped $1.57 in closing at $17.58 after 284 stocks passed through the market. NCB Financial popped $1.99 and ended at $66.99 in switching ownership of 35,941 units, Pan Jamaica shed $2.50 to close at $47 with shareholders swapping 1,057 stocks, Seprod slipped $1 to $77 in an exchange of 12,345 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments gained 60 cents in closing at $11.90 after investors traded 3000 shares, Sygnus Real Estate Fund dropped $0.87 in closing at $11.00 with just 24 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group ended with investors trading 55,638 shares and lost 55 cents in closing at $20.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% climbed $8 to close at $50, with investors dealing in 1,495 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share popped $10.20 to end at $112.20, with 231 stocks changing hands.
Investors traded 1,727,434 shares for $4,084,376 down from 3,568,081 units at $12,531,088 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
KLE Group climbed 35 cents to close at $1.45 with an exchange of 3,382 shares, Knutsford Express gained 9 cents to end at $12.29 with an exchange of 10 stocks, Lasco Distributors shed 21 cents to close at $4.34 with 6,272 stocks clearing the market. Lumber Depot climbed 13 cents to $2.63 after an exchange of 122,625 stock units, MailPac fell 15 cents to $2.02 after 117,076 shares were exchanged by investors, MFS Capital saw trading in 74,688 shares but the stock fell 15 cents to close at $2. Regency Petroleum gained 7 cents in closing at $2.25 after investors exchanged 87,412 shares, Spur Tree Spices had 140,115 shares being traded by investors the price climbing 17 cents to close at $2.20 and 
Stationery and Office Supplies added 10 cents and ended at $1.72 with investors transferring just 2,698 shares.
Overall, 126,524 shares were traded for US$3,325 compared to 308,440 units at US$5,303 on Wednesday.
At the close of trading, Productive Business Solutions ended at US1.50 with 48 stocks crossing the market, Sterling Investments popped 0.3 of a cent to close at 1.78 US cents while exchanging 358 units, Sygnus Credit Investments inched 0.28 of a cent higher in closing at 7.23 US cents after 3,000 shares passed through the market and Transjamaican Highway dipped 0.01 of a cent to end at 1.62 US cents after trading 1112,820 stock units.
Investors exchanged 335.666 shares for $2,934,595 compared to 329,768 stock units at $9,971,076 on Wednesday.
At the close, Agostini’s climbed 50 cents to close at $67.50 as investors exchanged 23,845 units, Angostura Holdings had an exchange of 100 shares at $20.51, Ansa Merchant Bank rose 87 cents to $43.50 in switching ownership of 3,000 stocks, Ansa McAl closed trading of 300 shares after the price rose 5 cents to $54.05, First Citizens Group ended trading at $49.25 in an exchange of 10,697 stock units, FirstCaribbean International Bank ended at $7 after closing with an exchange of 174 shares, GraceKennedy popped 31 cents to $3.66 in trading 219 units. Guardian Holdings rallied by 10 cents to $1910, with 8,590 stocks crossing the market, JMMB Group ended at $1.41 with stakeholders exchanging 125,026 stock units, Massy Holdings added 2 cents to close at $4.49 after a transfer of 1,819 shares. National Enterprises remained at $3.55 after 2,503 stock units crossed the exchange, 
NCB Financial fell by 16 cents to $2.84 with a transfer of 5,640 units, National Flour ended at $1.63 after rising by 11 cents, with 147,325 stocks crossing the market. Prestige Holdings closed at $11.50 after an exchange of 350 shares, Republic Financial ended at $126 after 8,4625 stocks passed through the market, Scotiabank shed 23 cents to close at $72.52 with an exchange of 2,839 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $12.50 after 14,198 stock units changed hands and Unilever Caribbean rose 1 cent and ended at $10.51 in an exchange of 1,920 shares.
Overall, 308,440 shares were traded for US$5,303 compared with 443,134 units at US$59,410 on Wednesday.
At the close, Margaritaville ended at 12 US cents with 54 stocks crossing the market, Sterling Investments lost 0.1 of a cent to close at 1.75 US cents while exchanging 25 units, Sygnus Credit Investments inched 0.1 of a cent higher in closing at 9.1 US cents after 336 shares passed through the market and Transjamaican Highway rose 0.02 of a cent to end at 1.72 US cents after trading 308,025 stock units.
A total of 7,516,087 shares were traded for $111,267,823 versus 12,287,636 units at $53,452,673 on Wednesday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index lost 930.59 points to settle at 349,141.60, the JSE Main Index skidded 521.94 points to close at 313,565.25 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.43 points to end at 68.84.
Mayberry Investments advanced 80 cents to end at $7.90 with an exchange of 52,843 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy popped $7.36 in closing at $80.87 after 24 stocks passed through the market, NCB Financial dipped $1.99 and ended at $65 in switching ownership of 16,490 units. Pan Jamaica skidded 95 cents to close at $49.50 with shareholders swapping 72,815 stocks and Seprod rallied $3 to $78 in an exchange of 928,228 shares.
JMMB Group 7% preference share increased 45 cents to $2.45 with investors transferring 59 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share popped $1 to end at $102, with three stocks changing hands.
Profit attributable to stockholders hit $6 billion, a 15.3 percent increase over the corresponding period last year. Earnings per stock unit for the period were $6.02, compared to $5.23 in 2022.
Investors traded 3,568,081 shares for $12,531,088 compared with 5,519,040 units at $16,710,818 on Wednesday.
At the close, Access Financial shed 50 cents and ended at $29 with traders dealing in 19 units, AMG Packaging dropped 57 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.95, with 747 stocks changing hands, Cargo Handlers rallied 9 cents to end at $14.49 with investors dealing in 1,000 shares. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 17 cents in closing at $2.83 while 4,778 stock were trading, Caribbean Flavours skidded 9 cents to close at $1.31 in switching ownership of 8,044 shares, Derrimon Trading fell 8 cents to $1.92 after an exchange of 7,121 stock units. Dolla Financial increased 8 cents to close at $2.48 with a transfer of 157,601 units, Dolphin Cove climbed 97 cents to end at $16.50 with stakeholders exchanging 55,373 stocks, Express Catering dipped 65 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.75, as 124,899 shares passed through the market.
Fontana declined 38 cents and ended at $11 in an exchange of 374,039 stock units, Honey Bun rose 20 cents to $6.65 and closed with an exchange of 1,464 units, Iron Rock Insurance lost 19 cents and ended at $2 as investors traded 100,000 stocks. ISP Finance fell $2.79 to close at $28, with 500 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express dropped 10 cents to end at $12.20 with an exchange of 1,014 shares, Lasco Distributors gained 40 cents in closing at $4.55 with 279,413 stock units clearing the market and significantly sucked out most of the supply of stocks and leaving ten offers on the board at the close with prices from $4.55 to $15.90. Lumber Depot shed 17 cents to $2.50 after an exchange of 380,300 stocks, 
Stationery and Office Supplies declined 8 cents and ended at $1.62 with investors transferring 457,050 shares and Tropical Battery popped 8 cents to close at $1.90, with 9,899 units crossing the market.
