Business has been great for Stationery and Office Supplies (SOS) over the past two years, with sales rising 55 percent over 2021 last year and 16 percent over the covid-19 affected 2020 in 2021 and is up 22 percent for the first quarter to March this year.
The surge in sales drove pretax profit excluding one-time income, up 34 over last year on top of a 151 surge in 2022 over 2021. While the company has started 2023 positively, reports are that its first shipment of goods to Cayman Island, which is expected to be an ongoing trade, has been sent off and that, in addition to its connection with Trinidad and Tobago that started in the latter part of 2022 and reports indicate that arrangement is in place for regular shipments to a third Caribbean country.
The stock had nearly two million units on offer up to June 5 at just under $16, but investors aggressively bought 1.5 million on that day and the stock has since seen limited supply on offer. The $20 price level is believed to be the trigger point for the directors to seriously consider recommending splitting the stock to shareholders. The stock price hit a 52 weeks’ high on Monday when it traded a small quantity at $21 and closed there again on Tuesday after 10,230 shares were traded. The stock price is up 22 percent this year and trades at a PE of 11 times 2023 earnings, but has more room to grow, with a PE of 15 putting the price within reach of $30.
More than 91 percent of the issued share are in the hands of the top 10 shareholders, thus reducing the potential supply that can come to the market with only 250 million shares issued. At the close of Tuesday’s trade, stocks on offer below $25 amount to 7,200 units, with 80,000 on offer at $25. After that, the bids start at $35.
Stock splits are popular among investors in Jamaica, with each announcement accompanied by a hike in the price of the relevant stock.
The door is left open for a resolution to be put to the company’s upcoming AGM for a stock split, as the annual report filed with the JSE stated that the date of the AGM was to be determined.