IPOs

Why accountants cant compute earnings per share?

January 28, 2023 by IC Insider.com

The latest company to get the computation of earnings per share wrong is the last to list on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, but it is not the only one that has accountants and auditors that cannot compute earnings per share properly. The other most recent listing got it terribly wrong, not only did this happen for the interim accounts, most likely produced internally but the audited report had the wrong computation as well.

Dr. Karlene McDonnough – Chairman of Image Consultants Ltd.

The correct computation of earnings per share is so critical, with investors using it to value shares of companies. A wrong calculation can result in distorted valuation by investors placed on a stock and it only needs to be in the marketplace for a few days for enormous potential damage to be done.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange in publishing reports with woefully inaccurate earnings per share figures should place a bold note with the release of the results that there is an error in the EPS so that all investors can be aware of it upfront. This approach is recommended rather than waiting for the company to re-compute it as the release of profits is also of much import to the market. this will require a different approach by the JSE than the current practice.
Image Plus Consultants which was listed just over a week ago reported a strong increase in revenues and profits but spoilt it by reporting excessively overstated earnings per share as they used the incorrect number of shares in the computation. Rather than 29 cents per share for the quarter and $1.84, it reported the computation is 2.3 cents and 15 cents for the nine months. One on One Education did the same thing for both their audited accounts and the first quarter results, both of which were corrected this past week after it was in the public domain for several days before the revision. This publication has been critical of the boards of both companies. The latest error shows the lack of experience on behalf of the board members as well as their accountant and the stock exchange must share the blame as well.

Ricardo Allen CEO of One to One

It is one thing for a company to get the computation wrong, it is an entirely different issue for auditors to do the same. The problem is that on too many occasions this error is cropping up and the situation seems to get worse as the Junior Market listings grow.
Stock splits or stock bonuses do not result in averaging shares issued. All that is needed in such cases is to use the new number of shares in computing EPS and all past periods are to be adjusted likewise. Only when new shares are issued for a consideration of value that the time weighted average number of shares would be used.
We have written on more than one occasion that investors in Jamaica are not properly protected, the above errors are just some of the matters that need to be addressed, but like the Stocks and Securities issue and others similar, those in authority fail to move with alacrity in correcting the fault.

Filed Under: Initial Public Offers, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: Emerging markets, Emerging Stock, Image Plus Consultants, IPOs, Jamaica Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, junior market, One on One, Stocks and Securities

Heavy IPO first day trading bad for stock

January 23, 2023 by IC Insider.com

Investors seem to accept that shares of Junior Market companies offered to the public will be oversubscribed and would go on to hit the circuit breaker of the first day of trading and take a few trading days before liquidity starts to emerge and deliver significant gains. The latest listing on the market that was oversubscribed was not greeted with the euphoria usually associated with IPOs and struggled on debut, with heavy trading in the stock.
Since 2019, the Junior Market added 13 new listings, with Image Plus Consultants being the last with its listing on Friday. Trading was unusually heavy on the first day with an exchange of 12.4 million units, accounting for 61.3 percent of the day’s trade with the price moving 10 percent to $2.20 from a listed price of $2. Image Plus although significant for a first trade is not the largest volume for an opening day.
The biggest volume on debut belongs to Future Energy that rose 32.5 percent after trading 19.68 million shares and never got a second leg in April when it listed and remained around the closing price for all of month. JFP rose 31 percent on the first day with 10.19 shares trading. Tropical Battery rose 29 percent on the first day with 5.76 million shares traded, with all of the others trading less than 356,000 units, with the lowest being a mere 100 shares for Limners and Bards, with a first day price gain of 30 percent.
The worst performing stock since 2019 is iCreate with a rise of 8 percent on the first day. All other stocks gained between 30 percent and 32.5 percent on the first trading day.

Filed Under: Initial Public Offers, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: Emerging markets, FESCO, Future Energy, iCreate, Image Plus Consultants, IPOs, Jamaica Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, JFP Limited, junior market, Limners and Bards, Tropical Battery

Earnings projections wanted for all IPOs

February 21, 2021 by IC Insider.com

FESCO may have computed the projection of income and profit to 2025 incorrectly by overstating some expenses but they are on the right track and must be commended for including the forecast in their prospectus, a very useful addition.
This publication has been rightly calling for all prospectuses to include forecasts of income and profits for three years at a minimum, but prior to the FESCO issue only new companies have been doing so. The lack of forecast is a disservice to the investing public.
The Alliance Financial Services prospectus released to the public in December does not contain any forecast of revenues and profit so was the case for Tropical Battery in late 2020 as such, FESCO decision to include a forecast maybe just a voluntary exercise rather than a standard for the industry that investors can look forward to.
Management who are responsible for the contents of prospectuses has much more information about a company’s future than the investing public. Since markets depend on good and timely information to thrive, the lack of forecast in all prospectuses is a disservice to the capital market and investors. To ask new starts up companies to provide a forecast of the future and not more mature companies who are in a better position to do so defiles logic.
Stockbrokers taking companies public should help to raise the standard by putting forecast in all prospectuses for the benefit of the market development and the Jamaica Stock Exchange should insist on it and so raise the standard of information going to the public.