Junior Market rise but sentiment negative

September 27, 2018 by

Caribbean Flavours traded on the Junior Market at a record high of $21.

The Junior Market Index advanced by 12.92 points to close at 3,429.60 at the close of trading closed with 23 securities changing hands, resulting in the prices of 4 securities rising, 7 declining and 9 remaining unchanged.
Market sentiment closed negative on Wednesday and remains negative at the close of trading on Thursday as shown by the IC bid-offer Indicator with more stocks seeming poised to decline than rise by a good margin.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 5 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, 7 closed with lower offers.
Market activities, resulted in an exchange of 2,433,731 units valued at $8,326,070, compared to 28,223,468 units valued at $66,146,106 trading on Wednesday.
Trading closed with an average of 105,814 units for an average of $362,003 in contrast to 1,045,314 units for an average of $2,449,856 on Wednesday. Trading for the month to date averages 502,180 units for an average of $2,737,706 and on the prior trading day, an average of 521,373 units for an average of $2,852,740. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging ended with the exchanging of 372,400 stock units, and rising 4 cents higher to close at $1.94, Blue Power fell 5 cents to end at $6.50, trading 22,662 units, CAC2000 finished with the trading of 29,525 shares at $15, Caribbean Flavours traded 3,000 stock units to close $1 higher at $19, after hitting an all-time high of $21. Derrimon Trading ended with a loss of 9 cents at $2.85, with 160,500 shares changing hands. Elite Diagnostic finished with a loss of 9 cents at $3.02, after exchanging 37,358 stock units, Everything Fresh closed trading with 108,150 shares changing hands at $2.10. Express Catering ended trading 82,267 shares at $8.20, FosRich Group traded with a loss of 10 cents at $3.60, with 8,726 shares, GWest Corporation closed 10 cents higher at $2.10, in the exchange of 10,000 stock units. Honey Bun ended at $4, with 10,927 units being exchanged, Indies Pharma lost 1 cent with 834,773 shares changing hands to close at $3.39. Iron Rock concluded trading of 210,000 shares, at $4.50, Jamaican Teas settled with a loss of 15 cents at $4.85, with 10,977 shares traded, Jetcon Corporation ended trading 13,860 stock units and lost 30 cents to end at $3.80. KLE Group finished trading at $4, with 300 shares, Knutsford Express closed at $12.50, in the swapping of 1,600 shares, Lasco Distributors ended at $4, exchanging 56,900 shares, Lasco Financial concluded trading 51,530 stock units and rose 2 cents higher to $5.50. Lasco Manufacturing finished at $4, exchanging 5,875 units, Main Event settled with a loss of 30 cents at $6.10, after 3,063 shares traded and Stationery and Office finished trading at $9, with 37,276 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Junior Market drops points Wednesday

September 26, 2018 by

KLE Group traded at a 52 weeks’ high on Wednesday.

The Junior Market Index slipped 11.52 points to close at 3,416.68, as 7 securities rose, 11 declined and 9 remained unchanged as 27 securities changed hands compared to 28 on Wednesday.
At the close of trading, leading to an exchanged 28,223,468 units valued at $66,146,106, compared to 1,705,030 shares valued at $6,168,727 on Tuesday.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 2 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, 5 closed with lower offers.
Trading closed with an average of 1,045,314 units for an average of $2,449,856 in contrast to 60,894 units for an average of $220,312 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date averages 521,373 units for an average of $2,852,740 and on the prior trading day, an average of 489,796 units for an average of $2,877,021. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
At the close of trading AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 4 cents at $1.90, trading 172,224 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading 24,326 units and gained 5 cents to end at $6.55, CAC2000 closed at $15, trading 42,500 shares, Cargo Handlers settled at $15, with 1,969 shares, Caribbean Cream ended trading of 3,000 shares with a loss of 60 cents at $7.30. Caribbean Flavours traded just 218 stock units, to close at $18, Derrimon Trading ended 4 cents higher at $2.94, exchanging 596,207 shares, Elite Diagnostic finished with a loss of 4 cents at $3.11, with 398,534 stock units changing hands, Eppley settled with 3,850 units changing hands with a loss of $1.01 at $8, Everything Fresh closed trading with 62,506 shares changing hands at $2.10. Express Catering ended trading of 52,045 shares with a loss of 1 cent at $8.20, FosRich Group traded 45 cents higher at $3.70, with 200 shares, GWest Corporation closed with a loss of 6 cents at $2, in exchanging 24,744,890 stock units, Honey Bun ended with a loss of 20 cents at $4, with 52,867 units. Indies Pharma gained 30 cents with 369,580 shares changing hands to close at $3.40. ISP Finance finished at $22, in exchanging 2,000 shares, Jamaican Teas settled with a loss of 30 cents at $5, with 6,850 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation ended trading 10 cents higher at $4.10, with 87,875 stock units, KLE Group finished trading of 1,010,000 shares and rose 25 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high at $4. Knutsford Express closed at $12.50, trading 882 shares, Lasco Distributors ended at $4, trading 44,462 shares, Lasco Financial concluded trading of 237,886 stock units with a loss of 2 cents to close at $5.48, Lasco Manufacturing finished at $4, in exchanging 1,226 units. Main Event settled 80 cents higher at $6.40, with 3,200 shares, Medical Disposables ended trading with a loss of 5 cents at $7.90, in exchanging 82,386 shares and Stationery and Office finished trading at $9, with 76,847 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JSE main market gains – Wednesday

September 26, 2018 by

Prices of 14 securities rose and 15 declined and just 5 held firm when the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday from 34 securities trading in the main and US dollar markets compared to 33 trading on Tuesday.
At the close of trading, the All Jamaica Composite Index advanced by 1,658.37 points to 382,756.89 and the JSE Index gained 1,510.97 points to close at 348,734.83.
Sterling Investments ended at a 52 weeks’ closing high at $18.50, PanJam Investment traded at an intraday high of $60 while Sagicor Real Estate Fund trading at a 52 weeks’ low of $10.68.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading is very strong for continuation of the market’s rally and shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 closing with a lower offer.
The main market ended with 117,820,162 units valued at $2,898,097,993 compared to 24,501,665 units valued at $302,847,453 changing hands on Tuesday.
The day’s volume was led by, JMMB Group dominated trading 102,542,622 units and 87.03 percent of the day’s volume, followed by Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 10,177,834 shares accounting for 8.64 percent of main market volume and 138 Student Living with 3,333,334 units and just 2.83 percent of the day’s volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 3,681,880 units valued at over $90,565,562, in contrast to 844,885 shares valued at $10,443,016 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 579,751 shares valued $9,695,343, compared to 387,743 shares valued $4,414,023 traded on the immediately preceding trading day. August closed, with an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments climbed 84 cents and closed at $18 with 205,636 shares changing hands, Berger Paints rose 32 cents to $22.43, in exchanging 1,500 stock units, Caribbean Cement shed $1.51 to finish at $47.99, in the trading of 15,599 shares, Grace Kennedy rose $1 and finished trading 57,180 shares at $59, Jamaica Broilers jumped $2.75 in trading 73,741 stock units, to close at $28.75, Jamaica Producers rose 50 cents and finished trading 146,786 units at $27, Kingston Wharves dropped $3.70 to $70.30, with 10,470 stock units changing hands, Mayberry Investments lost 25 cents and settled at $8.25, exchanging 13,000 units, NCB Financial Group lost $2 and ended trading of 76,697 shares at $118, PanJam Investment climbed $2.74 and closed at $56.24, while exchanging 53,945 stock units, after it hit a 52 weeks’ high of $60, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 99 cents to settle at $12, trading 10,177,834 shares, Scotia Group lost $2 in trading 118,566 units at $60, Seprod lost $1.60 and finished trading 3,791 shares at $45.20, Sterling Investments jumped $1.98 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high at $18.50, with 66,444 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 268,098 units valued at $69,579 as JMMB Group 6% preference share rose 6 cents completed trading of 18015 at $1.06 and Proven Investments traded 250,083 shares at 20 US cents after falling by 2 cents The JSE USD Equities Index declined 7.13 points to close at 159.31.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Large drop for JSE main market index – Tuesday

September 25, 2018 by

Scotia Group closed with the offer at $58, well below the last traded price.

Prices of 20 securities rose and 9 declined when the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday but a sharp fall during the day by Scotia Group, sank the main market indices by more than 2,800 points.
At the close of trading, the All Jamaica Composite Index diving 3,116.64 points to 381,098.52 and the JSE Index dropping 2,839.61 points to close at 347,223.86.
Market activities resulted in 33 securities trading, including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 32 securities trading on Monday. Sterling Investments jumped to a record close following an announcement of a proposed stock split and rights issue.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading is very strong for continuation of the market’s rally and shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 7 closing with lower offers.
The main market ended with 24,501,665 units valued at $302,847,453 compared to 2,957,550 units valued at over $67,644,851 changing hands on Monday.
The day’s volume was led by, JMMB Group 7.50% preference dominated traded with 12,856,800 units and 52.47 percent of the day’s volume, followed by Sagicor Group with 3,109,728 shares accounting for 12.7 percent of main market volume and Wisynco Group with 2,530,222 units and just 10.3 percent of the day’s volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 844,885 units valued at over $10,443,016, in contrast to 101,984 shares valued at $2,332,581 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 387,743 shares valued $4,414,023, compared to 360,577 shares valued $4,034,759 traded on the immediately preceding trading day. August closed, with an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Caribbean Cement climbed $1.50 to finish at $49.50, trading 10,500 shares, Grace Kennedy rose 83 and finished trading 412,044 shares at $58, Jamaica Broilers dropped $1.05 in trading 90,832 stock units, to close at $26, Jamaica Producers lost 50 cents and finished trading 1,102,131 units at $26.50, Kingston Wharves jumped $5 and finished at $74, with 3,626 stock units changing hands, Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents and settled at $8.50, exchanging 4,700 units, NCB Financial Group climbed $4.98 and ended trading of 132,380 shares at $120, PanJam Investment fell $3.46 and closed at $53.50, while exchanging 129,129 stock units, Sagicor Group gained 50 cent to settle at $39, in the exchange of 3,109,728 shares, Salada Foods ended trading 100 stock units and rose $1 to end at $19. Scotia Group lost $1 in trading 243,253 units at $62.01, Sterling Investments jumped $2.02 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high at $16.52, with 28,864 shares changing hands,Sygnus Credit Investments traded 2,361,804 shares and jumped $1.67 to close at $13.72, Stanley Motta gained 46 cents to $5.31 trading 170,600 shares, Supreme Ventures added 50 cents and ended at $16.50 with an exchange of 25,610 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments lost 19 cents and concluded trading 168,538 stock units at $3.70 and Wisynco Group rose 25 cents and finished at $9.10, with 2,530,222 units.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 110,523 units valued at $34,145 as JMMB Group 5.75% preference share declined by 1 cents completed trading of 10,845 at $2, JMMB Group 6% preference share lost 5 cents completed trading of 10,845 at $1.01, Proven Investments traded 66,878 shares at 22 US cents after falling by 1 cent and Sygnus Credit Investments USD Ordinary share traded 30,300 units losing 1 cent at 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index advanced 4.42 points to close at 166.44.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Junior Market recovers 128 points in 2 days

September 25, 2018 by

The Junior Market Index having recovered 71.51 points of the 136.58 points lost on Friday, regained another 56.96 points on Tuesday to close at 3,428.20, as 17 securities rose to 6 that declined and 5 remained unchanged.
At the close of trading 28 securities changed hands, including 3 that closed at 52 weeks’ high, compared to 23 securities trading on Monday, leading to an exchanged 1,705,030 shares valued at $6,168,727, compared to 2,563,014 units valued at $10,430,621 on Monday.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 4 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, 3 closed with lower offers.
Trading closed with an average of 60,894 units for an average of $220,312 in contrast to 111,435 units for an average of $453,505 on Monday. Trading for the month to date averages 489,796 units for an average of $2,877,021 and on the prior trading day, an average of 518,389 units for an average of $3,054,135. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, Access Financial closed at $48, with 100 shares trading, AMG Packaging ended at $1.94, with an exchange of 50,000 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading with a loss of 49 cents at $6.50, with 28,132 units changing hands, CAC 2000 jumped $2.50 to an all-time high of $15, with 4,785 shares trading, Caribbean Cream ended trading of 15,300 shares at $7.90. Caribbean Flavours traded 5,359 stock units and rose $1.10 to $18, Caribbean Producers finished trading 25 cents higher at $6.35, with 27,102 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed with a loss of 1 cent at $2.45, with 14,200 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading ended 10 cents higher at $2.90, with 334,164 shares. Elite Diagnostic rose 3 cents to $3.15, trading 169,251 stock units, Everything Fresh closed trading with 152,436 shares changing hands at $2.10, Express Catering ended trading of 29,398 shares and rose 21 cents at $8.21, FosRich Group traded 298,283 shares and gained 4 cents to $3.25, General Accident finished trading with a loss of 20 cents at $3.80, with 2,823 shares. GWest Corporation closed with a loss of 9 cents at $2.06, trading 10,433 stock units, Honey Bun ended 20 cents higher at $4.20, trading 100 units, Indies Pharma lost 40 cents and closed with 370,098 shares changing hands  at $3.50, ISP Finance jumped $2 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $22, trading 6,334 shares, Jamaican Teas settled 30 cents higher at $5.30, with 13,106 shares trading. Jetcon Corporation ended trading 2,400 stock units and rose 2 cents to $4, KLE Group finished trading 45 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.75, with 31,795 shares, Knutsford Express closed 50 cents higher at $12.50, with 500 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 5 cents at $4, in exchanging 3,200 shares. Lasco Financial concluded trading of 101,878 stock units and rose 10 cents to $5.50, Lasco Manufacturing finished 15 cents higher at $4, switching 1,100 units, Main Event gained 50 cents to $5.60, with 25,000 shares, Medical Disposables ended trading 5,000 shares and rose $1.35 higher to $7.95 and Stationery and Office finished trading at $9, with 2,753 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Junior Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JSE main market retreats on Monday

September 24, 2018 by

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market closed, with the All Jamaica Composite Index losing 2,368.58 points to 384,215.16 and the JSE Index dipping 2,158.04 points to 350,063.47.
Market activities resulted in 32 securities trading, including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 31 securities trading on Friday. The prices of 10 stocks rose, 11 declined and 11 closed, unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading is very strong for continuation of the market’s rally and shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 closing with a lower offer.
The main market ended with 2,957,550 units valued at over $67,644,851 compared to 10,467,731 units valued at $82,276,433 changing hands on Friday.
The day’s volume was led by, Wisynco Group with 1,164,093 units and 39.4 percent of the day’s volume and Scotia Group with 243,253 units.
Trading resulted in an average of 101,984 units valued at over $2,332,581, in contrast to 348,924 shares valued at $2,742,548 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 360,577 shares valued $4,034,759, compared to 376,915 shares valued $4,149,025 traded on the immediately preceding trading day. August closed, with an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments lost $1.50 to close at $17 trading 23,551 shares, Grace Kennedy lost 83 and finished trading 94,795 shares at $57.17, Jamaica Broilers dived $5.44 in trading 68,512 stock units, to close at $27.05, Jamaica Producers gained $2.45 and finished trading 23,000 units at $27, Kingston Wharves declined $3.50 and finished at $69, with 7,519 stock units changing hands, Mayberry Investments gained 80 cents and settled at $8.80, exchanging 5,632 units, NCB Financial Group climbed $4.92 and ended trading of 157,027 shares at $115.02, Sagicor Group gained 50 cents to settle at $38.50, in the exchange of 162,322 shares, Salada Foods ended trading 100 stock units and rose $1 to end at $19. Scotia Group lost $1 in trading 243,253 units at $62.01, Sygnus Credit Investments traded just 2,350 shares but lost 95 cents to close at $12.05, Supreme Ventures fell 45 cents and ended at $16 with an exchange of 81,842 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments rose 25 cents and concluded trading 101,842 stock units at $3.89.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 39,200 units valued at $14,546 as JMMB Group 6% preference share rose 1 cents completed trading of 10,000 at $1.06, Proven Investments traded 7,500 at 22 US cents after falling by 1 cent and Sygnus Credit Investments USD Ordinary share traded 21,700 units losing 1 cent at 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index lost 4.92 points to close at 162.02.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Junior Market recovers 71 points on – Monday

September 24, 2018 by

The Junior Market Index recovered 71.51 of the 136.58 points lost on Friday, to close at 33,371.24, on Monday as 7 securities rose to a decline of 9.
At the close of trading 9 securities ended the prices closing unchanged from 23 securities changing hands, compared to 29 on Friday. Investors exchanged 2,563,014 units valued at $10,430,621, compared to 27,838,500 units valued at $164,750,850 on Friday.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 7 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, 5 closed with lower offers.
Trading closed with an average of 111,435 units for an average of $453,505 in contrast to 959,948 units for an average of $5,681,064 on Friday. Trading for the month to date averages 518,389 units for an average of $3,054,135 and on the prior trading day, an average of 541,966 units for an average of $3,204,801. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.94, in exchanging 117,200 stock units, Blue Power climbed 59 cents to $6.99, with 70,243 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers settled at $15, trading 12,189 shares, Caribbean Flavours with a loss of $1.10 in trading 3,757 stock units at $16.90, Caribbean Producers finished trading 13,662 units and rose 10 cents to $6.10. Derrimon Trading ended at $2.80, with 75,428 shares, Dolphin Cove concluded trading with a loss of 50 cents at $16.50, with 500 shares, Elite Diagnostic finished with a loss of 4 cents at $3.12, with 66,264 stock units, Everything Fresh closed trading of 163,250 changing hands shares at $2.10, Express Catering lost 21 cents to close at $8, trading 65,806 shares. General Accident finished trading 10 cents higher at $4, with 1,989 shares changing hands, Honey Bun ended at $4, in exchanging 15,000 units, Indies Pharma lost 39 cents and closed with 1,269,841 shares changing hands to close at $3.50, Jamaican Teas settled trading of 25,350 shares at $5, Jetcon Corporation ended trading 94,876 stock units with a loss of 2 cents at $3.98. KLE Group finished trading 30 cents higher at $3.30, with 196,224 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express closed 50 cents higher at $12, with an exchange of 16,106 shares, Lasco Distributors rose 55 cents to $4.05, with 11,320 shares trading, Lasco Financial concluded trading 15 cents higher at $5.40, with 118,389 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing finished with a loss of 5 cents at $3.85, trading 7,000 units, Paramount Trading closed at $3, in exchanging 17,120 shares and Stationery and Office finished trading of 30,000 stock units with a loss of 25 cents at $9. In the Junior Market preference segment, Eppley 8.25% concluded trading at $6, with 171,500 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Everything Fresh down but not out

September 24, 2018 by

Everything Fresh is one of a hand full of initial public stock offers to be selling below the IPO price months after the issue. The stock that was over priced has only been partially helped by a big jump in 2018 half year profit.
The fall in the price was due to over pricing the initial offer and failure to provide more up to date information on the 2018 performance to the time of the IPO and to address developments with the margins. Even with improved results, the stock remains one of the higher priced units on the Junior Market, at a PE of 14 times this year’s pretax earnings and is in line with the market’s average.
Boosted by a big jump in profit margins, earnings after tax jumped 180 percent in the June quarter, to $26.5 million from $9.5 million in 2017. For the six months to June, profit climbed 99 percent to $38.6 million from $19.4 million in 2017. For the next five years, profit will be free of corporate taxes and in the second five years will pay taxes at half the regular rate.
Sales revenue rose 9.7 percent for the quarter, to $494 million from $451 million and increased 6 percent for the half year, to $969 million from $915 million in 2017.
Improvement in profit margin in the first half of the year that grew from 8 percent to 11 percent, increased further to 13 percent in the June quarter and was the major contributor for the sharp increase in profit. The Chairman, Gregory Pullen informed IC Insider.com, that the company took a deliberate decision in 2017 to go after certain clients with an introduction of low margins, with the expectation that they would be able to enjoy higher margins in 2018 onwards.

Everything Fresh two major owners and directors, Mr. & Mrs. Pullen.

The effect of the changes, operating profit rose 84 percent in the quarter, to $66 million from $36 million and increased 49 percent for the year to date, to $108 million from $72 million in 2017.
Sharp increase in administrative expenses by 38 percent to $28 million in the quarter and by 30 percent in the six months period to $54 million, kept the growth in the top line from filtering fully into profit. Marketing expenses associated the public of share issue added to cost in the period. Finance cost rose in the quarter, to $5 million from $4.3 million in 2017 and from $8.7 million to $9.3 million for the six months.
Earnings per share before tax came out at 5 cents for the quarter and 8 cents for the six months and should end the year at 15 cents for PE of 14 times 2018 earnings and 10 times 2019 projected earnings of 20 cents per share. The stock traded at $2.10 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday.
Gross cash flow brought in $48 million but changes in working capital and inflows from the issue of shares, resulted in $213 million of cash funds as of June. A large portion of the share issue proceeds was received after the end of the quarter, the chairman’s report to shareholders stated.
At the end of June, shareholders’ equity climbed to $651 million from $225 million in 2017. Borrowings stood at just $107 million. Net current assets ended the period at $614 million inclusive of trade and other receivables of $503 million and cash and bank balances of $213 million. Current liabilities ended the period at $207 million.
The company is looking at three meat processing facility locally with a view to acquiring one and expects that discussions will conclude by the end of this year or early in 2019. The plan is to enable the manufacturing of products by them to sell directly to its clients at more competitive prices.

Filed Under: Company News, Company Results Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sales jump sharply at Main Event

September 23, 2018 by

Main Event backed with IC BUY RATED status

Growth in revenues while not an exact proxy for increased profits, is often a very good indicator of greater gains ahead. That may be exactly what is happening at the Junior market listed Main Event.
The results for the nine months to July show strong sales growth but flat profits. Revenues for the July quarter surged nearly 26 percent to $364 million, but profit fell 7 percent to $24.5 million from $26.3 million in 2017. For the nine months to July, profit was up just 4 percent to $105.5 million that flowed from a 13 percent rise in revenues to $1.07 billion, compared to net income of $101 million in 2017.
The company incurred increased cost as it seeks to expand its service offerings. The results to date suggest that the full year earnings will not vary much from the 2017 full year results of 37 cents. But 2019 could be a blow out year for them, if revenue growth seen so far for this year, continues into 2019.
Profit margin in the first half of the year, was held to the same level as in 2017, at 48 percent and declined in the July quarter to 45 percent from 49 percent in the 2017, the impact, operating profit rose just 15 percent in the quarter to $164 million from $143 million but fell to 14 percent for the year to date, to $512 million from $447 million in 2017.
Administrative expenses rose 20 percent to $111 million in the quarter and increased 15 percent in the nine months period to $311 million. Marketing and sales expenses increased by 44 percent to $15 million for the nine months. Depreciation rose 49 percent to $24 million in the quarter and increased 29 percent in the nine months to $69 million, an indication of increased capital spend to accommodate expansion and increased income. Finance cost was flat in the quarter, at $5.2 million and rose just 5 percent to $13.6 million for the nine months.
Earnings per share came out at 9 cents for the quarter and 37 cents for the nine months and should end the fiscal year around 40 cents. For 2019 earnings should be in the order of a string increase to 75 cents.
“Performance has been negatively impacted by write downs on trade receivables to align to reporting standard, IFRS 9, continued start up expenditure for new service offerings and cost with higher head counts and incentive compensation,” the Chairman Ian Blair and Chief Executive Officer reported to shareholders in their commentary accompanying the quarterly.
Gross cash flow brought in $175 million but growth in receivables, inventories, addition to fixed assets of $160 million, offset by net loan inflows and increased payables resulted in net cash flow ended at a negative $63 million and leaving $29 million in cash at the end of July. Shareholders’ equity stood at $551 million with borrowings at just $185 million, including amounts due to related parties. Net current assets ended the period at $141 million, inclusive of trade and other receivables of $304 million, cash and bank balances of $29 million. Current liabilities amounted to $209 million inclusive of short term borrowings.
The stock traded at $5.50 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a relatively low PE ratio of 7.3 times 2018 earnings and is elevated to BUY RATED status.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Company News, Company Results Tagged With: , , , ,

Wisynco adds $2.5B in sugar & rum sales

September 22, 2018 by

Wisynco brand Wata to benefit from 3 new production that is now in operation.

Wisynco Group, is set to lose revenues and profit with the ban on single use plastic straws and Styrofoam but the contract to distribute sugar and rum manufactured by Worthy Park should add $2.5 billion to revenues.
The sugar and rum revenues will more than make up for the cut in revenues of approximately $1 billion per year and profits by an insignificant $70 million information released by the company to Jamaica Stock Exchange suggests.
Investors in the company’s stock could not get enough after it listed in December last year, driving it to a high of $13.81 for a then rich PE of more than 20. With the PE below 10 times the current year’s earnings and set to go to 20 by 2019, investors are dumping the stock at a PE of 8. But now they should be holding and buying more, as the stock has few that are likely to deliver better returns in the next twelve months.
According to the company, plastic straws represent less than 0.1 percent of the Company’s revenue and Styrofoam represents 4 percent of the company’s revenue and approximately 3 percent of the company’s net income. Investors seem to be concerned about the impact of the ban on the company’s operations and profit. With earnings of 62 cents for the 2018 fiscal year and 15 cents in the June quarter, investors may not be seeing a boost in profit to come to warrant holding the stock.

Wisynco Group

IC Insider.com spoke with the company’s CEO William Mahfood, advises of a number of positive developments that bode well for the future fortunes of the group. The company on Friday released information on a new distribution agreement with Worthy Park Estate (WPEL) for the distribution of WPEL’s spirits and sugar. Wisynco advised that the distribution of WPEL’s spirits will commence on November 1 and will include the ‘Rum-Bar’ and Worthy Park Estate brands of spirits. The distribution of WPEL’s sugar will commence on January 1, 2019, the start of the new sugar crop.

The new products could add around $750 million to gross profit. According to Mahfood the company has just added three new production lines to alleviate production capacity constraint and is expected to help increase sales around 20 percent. The expanded capacity will facilitate expanded production of Wata, carbonated products and juices. “New process has cut the production cost of plastics by more than 50 percent and this will result in significant cost savings,” Mahfood said. Importantly, Mahfood expects revenues from existing product lines to be up 20 percent for the fiscal year. Add to that, revenues from the new contract resulting in revenues probably increasing 30 percent in the period ahead.
IC Insider.com projects profit of approximately $4 billion or earnings per share of $1.10 and that should push the stock to $20 in 2019. IC Insider.com is placing the BUY RATED stamp on the stock.

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