Stationery and Office Supplies that issued shares to the public on the 19th of July should be listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on August 9, after the public holidays, subject to the listing committee meeting to approve same, IC Insider.com has been informed by a person close to the issue.
JN Fund Managers announced the method of allocation of the 52 million shares that were offered to the public. The issue attracted 1,216 applications for 241.722 million shares.
Shares allocated to SOS’ staff members were not applied for in full and resulted in 4,061,000 units being added to the general public pool with the staff picking up 8.439 million units.
The general public were all allotted the minimum of 5,000 units with the balance allocated on a pro rata basis taking into account the number of units applied for as a percentage of the total application pool in this category. JN Fund Managers’ clients were allotted up to 77,585 units of the shares applied for. Cheques for refunds should start going out as of Thursday, IC Insider.com was reliably informed.
Stationery Company to list early August
Junior Market gains on Monday
Trading on the Junior Market dropped sharply on Monday to 1,438.180 shares valued at $7,648,204.78, from 8,428,003 shares valued at $32,387,101 on Friday. At the close, the market index rose 32.62 points to 2,988.90.
Trading ended with 17 securities changing hands, down from 20 on Friday with 5 gaining and 11 declining and with 6 stocks having a higher bids than the last traded price and 5 closing with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 84,599 units for an average value of $449,894 compared to 421,400 units for an average value of $1,619,355 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 74,820 units valued at $371,129 compared 74,208 units valued at $366,206 previously. In contrast, June closed with averages of 395,969 units valued at $1,799,200 for each security traded.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging closed at $3.50 with 7,486 units changing hands, Blue Power dived $4 to close at $45 with 143 units, CAC 2000 lost 31 cents with 500 shares trading to end at $6.40, Caribbean Cream jumped by $1 and closed trading with 3,205 units at $6, Caribbean Producers lost 23 cents to close trading with 700 units, at $3.07, General Accident lost 20 cents and closed trading with 14,242 shares at $2.50, ISP Finance slipped $2 and closed with 23,500 units changing hands at $12, Jetcon Corporation traded 142,419 shares to end at $4.50, after slipping 4 cents, KLE Group ended at $2 with 31,325 shares changing hands, Knutsford Expressclimbed $1 in trading 591 shares to end at $15, Lasco Distributors closed 59 cents higher at $6.90 after trading 552,000 units, Lasco Financial lost 5 cents and ended with 235,000 shares changing hands at $3.50, Lasco Manufacturing shed 30 cents and ended with 418,482 shares trading at $4.50, Main Event lost 30 cents to close with 689 shares trading at $5.30, Medical Disposables rose 1 cent, ending at $5.51 with 250 units trading, Paramount Trading gained 20 cents and ended with 1,000 units changing hands at $2.95 and tTech traded 33,400 units, falling 40 cents to close at $9.60.
Lasco Financial setting for profit explosion
Revenues at Lasco Financial Services jumped 22.4 percent for first quarter over the similar 2016 period to reach $319 million for an increase of $58.5 million, but importantly trading income climbed 31 percent to $303 million.
According to Managing Director, Jacinth Hall-Tracey “this result represents year over year growth of and is being driven by our strategy of expansion which began in the previous financial year”.
Profit before taxation, moved from $69.7 million in 2016 to $81 million, a 16.5 percent increase with profit after tax increasing 15.8 percent to $66.9 million, compared with the corresponding financial period and resulting in earnings per share of 5.4 cents.
Total Expenses grew 24.6 percent over the 2016 quarter to $238 million with Selling and Promotion cost rising by 31 percent. The increase was “largely driven by increases in Selling and Promotion as we continue to push the LASCO Money consumer facing brand name. This brand has resonated well with our customers and has enabled us to fully explain all our services. Previously, most customers were only aware of our Cambio and MoneyGram services. This brand awareness has been paying off in the increased transactions in all our locations as our customers embrace our more friendly community brand,” Hall-Tracey advised shareholders in a release accompanying the financials.
In the previous financial year, Lasco began the implementation of a strategy to expand the Loans Division by adding a Business Loans Unit. This expansion gave rise to several new loan offices as well as an increase in administrative and sales staff. Increased focus on lending, resulted in 70 percent growth in the loan portfolio that should move the portfolio in the region of $340 million. At the end of March loans amounted to $282 million up 43 percent over the $197 million due at the end of March 2016, no figures for loan is disclosed in the quarterly.
The balance sheet shows assets of $1.54 billion, cash funds of $574 million and stockholder’s equity of $1.22 billion.
IC insider.com is forecasting earnings per share of 30 cents for 2018 and should go on to about double in 2019. Lasco Financial last traded on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $3.55.
Express Catering up 50c to $2
Express Catering started trading today with 102,100 shares trading at $2 to record a 33.33 percent gain of 50 cents over the initial public issue price of $1.50, if the price is allowed to stand.
The opening price for the stock is $1.75, under the stock exchange rules, the maximum price change increase for the day is limited to 30 percent from the issue price of $1.50 or 45 cents.
On the bid are 2.33 million units ranging in price from $1.50 to $2.15 with only one offer of 26,661 units posted on the stock exchange trading platform at a price of $2.75.
The company’s shareholders sold 327.5 million shares valued at $491,250,000 just over a week ago to the public.
The stock price movement has helped the Junior Market index in adding 21.56 points to trade at 2,962.79 at 11.40am.