Wisynco Group was on a roll, with revenues up 27.5 percent in the nine months to March this year and 24 percent in the March quarter. Gross profit margin slipped in the March quarter while rising Administration and other expenses squeezed profits even more as the onset of the COVID-19 virus set in during March and upended business operations locally and overseas.
Wisynco headquarters.
Sales dipped slightly in the June and September quarters, but the September 2019 quarter includes sales of $503 million from a discontinued operation, resulting in flat sales from ongoing business. Net Profit Attributable to stockholders from continuing operations slipped 9 percent to end at $851 million for earnings of 23 cents per stock, compared to $932 million or 25 cents for the similar period of the prior year. Revenues for the quarter from continuing operations fell 6 percent from $8.6 billion to $8.1 billion in the 2019 quarter.
Gross Profit for the quarter of $2.9 billion was 5.9 percent less than the $3.1 billion achieved in the same quarter of the previous year, with a strong Gross Margin at 35.9 percent, the same as the prior year.
Selling and Distribution expenses dropped eight percent to $1.56 billion from $1.7 billion in 2019, but Administrative expenses rose 6 percent from $334 million to $354 million for the quarter for the corresponding quarter of the prior year. The charge for corporation taxes also declined 18 percent from $217 million to $177 million.
“We did see some pockets of improvement and were pleased that our exports rose 43 percent or approximately $56 million over the comparative quarter last year. We attribute this increase to higher demand in the US, Canada and other CARICOM countries for our brands and we continue to press the development of our exports as a means of getting exposure to new revenue channels,” William Mahfood, Chairman and Andrew Mahfood, Chief Executive Officer reported to shareholders in their commentary of the results.
Wisynco growing revenues and profit.
They went on further to state, “Management continues to implement measures to reduce expenses and were pleased that our expense to sales ratio held at 23.8 percent of sales even though our revenue base was lower than the prior year’s quarter. We are hopeful that the expense control measures will be more evident in future quarters.” The company expects to have lower energy costs with the successful commissioning of a cogeneration plant in July 2020, reducing energy costs.
Shareholders’ Equity rose to $13.87 billion from $11.91 billion in the 2019 September quarter. The group relied on loans to the tune of $2.66 billion, up from $2.6 billion in 2019. Cash flows from operations before changes in working capital amounts to $1.27 billion and after working capital changes, $1.8 billion compared to $1.74 billion in 2019 and build up cash and deposits to $6.6 billion with investments of $775 million. Current assets stood at $12.8 billion, with current liabilities at $5.2 billion.
ICInsider.com projects earnings per share for the fiscal year ending June 2021 to be $1.25, with a PE ratio of 13 compared to the market average for Main Market stocks of 16.6 based on the closing price on Friday of $16.43. The stock should be acquired as a medium to long-term investment, with the probability for the price to hit $30 by the end of 2021.
The principal activities of the group are the bottling and distribution of water and beverages and the distribution and retailing of food items.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared to three on Thursday and ended with the price of one stock rising, three declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, Productive Business Solutions shed 18 cents in ending at 66 US cents, in an exchange of 95,356 shares, Proven Investments dropped 0.01 of a cent in closing at 25.97 US cents after trading 50,809 stock units, Sterling Investments closed at 2.35 US cents, with 21,196 shares changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 1.20 cents to settle at 15.80 US cents, trading 58,948 shares and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.14 US cents to close at 0.94 US cents after exchanging 10 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Lumber Depot lost 2 cents in ending at $1.34, with 132,904 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group gained 25 cents to end at a record high of $2.60 trading 619,404 shares, Medical Disposables lost 2 cents to end at $4, after 5,102 units were traded. Paramount Trading rose 2 cents to $1.54, in exchanging 4,528 units, SSL Venture closed 7 cents lower at 59 cents trading 12,552 units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 95 cents to $4.55, with 1,470 units changing hands and Tropical Battery gained 4 cents to close at $1.17 after an exchange of 164,691 shares.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,581.20 points to 429,895.90, the Main Index advanced 1,446.63 points to 392,235.25 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.10 points to settle at 102.30.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
Scotia Group advanced by $5.09 to $46.50 after 6,231 stock units passed through the market, Seprod gained $2 to settle at $66, with an exchange of 10,394 stock units, Sterling Investments lost 34 cents to close at $2.56, as investors switched ownership of 1,076 units and Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1.16 to $15.94, with 429,283 shares changing hands.
At the close of the market, Blue Power lost 2 cents to end at $3.36, with 1,330 units passing through the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 8 cents to close at $1.88 after an exchange of 18,613 stock units, Caribbean Cream lost 1 cent in closing at $4.02, trading 29,376 stock units. Caribbean Producers rose 24 cents to $2.94, with an exchange of a mere 500 units, Consolidated Bakeries gained 28 cents, in ending at $1.40 trading 1,082 shares, Derrimon Trading shed 20 cents to settle at $2.30, after exchanging 10,000 stock units. Dolphin Cove dropped $1 to $6 in transferring 2,000 units, Everything Fresh lost 5 cents to close at 66 cents trading 40,151 shares, Express Catering gained 10 cents to finish at $3.50, with 3,350 units changing hands. Fontana picked up 5 cents in closing at $5.45, with an exchange of 124,807 shares, Fosrich lost 3 cents in ending at $3.96 and trading 6,579 units, General Accident gained 10 cents to $6.10, with 20,650 stock units crossing the market. Honey Bun rose 28 cents to end at $5.98, with 20,525 stock units changing hands, Indies Pharma lost 13 cents to close at $2.37, in transferring 27,616 stock units, ISP Finance climbed $2 to $19, after trading 4,759 units. Jamaican Teas gained 8 cents to settle at $1.88, exchanging 795,272 shares, Jetcon Corporation rose 4 cents to 79 cents trading 12,429 stock units, Lasco Distributors closed 25 cents higher at $3.45, with an exchange of 10,000 units. Lasco Financial slipped 10 cents to close at $2.55 after 80,500 shares passed through the market, Lasco Manufacturing gained 16 cents in closing at $3.85, with investors swapping 18,615 stock units, Limners and Bards gained 10 cents to close at $2.70 trading 8,691 units. 
Lumber Depot closed at $1.36, with gains of 18 cents as investors swapped 967,216 shares, Mailpac Group added 10 cents in closing at $2.35 trading 1,348,067 shares, SSL Venture gained 10 cents to settle at 66 cents, in exchanging 100,000 shares. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 50 cents to $3.60 after transferring 9,460 units and Tropical Battery lost 6 cents to close at $1.13, exchanging 366,394 shares.
The JSE USD equity index fell 0.43 points to 187.40 points as the average PE Ratio ended at 13.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment lost 0.2 of a cent to 8.8 US cents trading 3,000 shares, Proven Investments gained 0.11 of a cent to close at 25.98 US cents in exchanging 8,769 stock units and Transjamaican Highway shed 0.10 of a cent to close at 0.8 US cents, with 140,000 shares changing hands.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 4,980.27 points to 428,314.70, the Main Index climbed 4,490.67 points to 390,788.62 and the JSE Financial Index rose 2.00 points to settle at 102.20.
Trading for the day averaged 112,844 units at $992,173 for each security, compared to an average of 95,691 shares at $922,175 on Wednesday. The average month to date trade is 309,597 units at $4,431,412 for each security, in contrast to 339,174 units at $4,948,422 on Wednesday. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
138 Student Living gained 34 cents to end at $4.65, with 1,101 units trading, Palace Amusement dropped $100 in closing at $1,200, with 5 units passing through the market, Pan Jam Investment gained 39 cents to end at $64.39, with an exchange of 8,413 units. Sagicor Group fell by $2.49 to $47.01, with 32,983 shares crossing the exchange, Salada Foods shed 99 cents to close at $26.02 trading 500 units and Scotia Group declined by $2.59 to close at $41.41, in transferring 171,015 shares after the Group reported lower full-year profit than in 2019.
For the month to date, the average trade is 381,049 units at $858,170, compared to 367,408 units at $829,230 on Tuesday. November closed with an average traded of 193,331 units at $566,885.
Lumber Depot slipped 2 cents to $1.18 with a transfer of 86,618 stocks, Mailpac Group traded 14,262,739 shares and gained 6 cents to settle at $2.25, Main Event shed 25 cents to close at $3 with 6,366 units passing through the market. Medical Disposables fell 12 cents to $4.02 with an exchange of 29,098 stock units, Paramount Trading advanced 18 cents to $1.52 with 73,494 shares changing hands, SSL Venture rose 3 cents to 56 cents with a transfer of 500 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents to end at $4.10 with 2,954 units crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close of the market, Access Financial jumped $2.11 to $22.06 with an exchange of 10 shares, AMG Packaging slipped 9 cents to $1.60 with 1,597 stocks changing hands, Blue Power dropped 43 cents to $3 with owners switching 5,010 stock units. Cargo Handlers shed 88 cents and traded 2,000 units to close at $6.32, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 7 cents to finish at $1.80 with 13,146 shares passing through the market, Caribbean Flavours lost 5 cents to end at $1.70 with a transfer of 5,451 stocks. Derrimon Trading fell 24 cents to $2.31 with an exchange of 27,140 units, Dolphin Cove rose 76 cents to $7 with 6,740 stock units changing hands, Everything Fresh slipped 6 cents to 65 cents with 137,787 shares changing hands. Fontana rose 6 cents to $5.45 with 410,784 stocks traded Fosrich gained 39 cents to $3.99 with 50,004 units passing through the market, General Accident rose 4 cents to end at $6 with a transfer of 8,677 stock units. Honey Bun gained 20 cents to close at $5.70, in exchanging 54,932 shares, iCreate increased 5 cents to 67 cents with 1,736 units changing hands, Indies Pharma advanced 14 cents to $2.50, after trading 2,750 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance climbed 15 cents to $2.95 with 35,035 stocks passing through the market, ISP Finance jumped $6.05 to $23.05 with a transfer of 500 shares, Jamaican Teas traded 426,360 stock units and rose 8 cents to $1.88. Lasco Distributors slipped 1 cent to $3.17 with 25,684 stocks changing hands, Lasco Financial gained 6 cents to close at $2.71 with an exchange of 8,328 units, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 22 cents to $3.90 with investors switching ownership of 37,767 shares.
Lumber Depot rose 2 cents to $1.20 with 150,700 stock units passing through the market, Mailpac Group traded 44,229,960 shares in adding 1 cent to close at $2.19, Medical Disposables advanced 13 cents to $4.14 with a transfer of 24,644 units. SSL Venture slipped 2 cents to 53 cents exchanging 18,220 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies declined by 5 cents to $4 with 3,350 stock units changing hands, Tropical Battery gained 6 cents to finish at $1.19 with 41,500 units traded and Tech climbed 21 cents to $4.30 with 35 stocks crossing the exchange.
