Micro lender Access Financial (AFS) on 27 May 2016, entered into an agreement to purchase the business of Damark Limited as a going concern comprising mainly the loan portfolio, fixed assets, trademark and customer relationship for a consideration $180 million, notes to the 2017 audited financial statements show.
The principal activities of Damark Limited at the time of the acquisition of the assets was retail lending. Net assets acquired include, Customer relationships $21.8 million, Trademark and Trade name, $2.7 million, Loan portfolio of $148.7 million, Fixed assets of $2.17 million and Goodwill of $4.6 million.
Damark Limited previously operated out of Suite 13 at 11 1/2 Swallowfield Road in Kingston, Jamaica.
In 2015, Access acquired the loan portfolios of Asset Management Company Ltd formerly operated by Scotia Investments which was sold and ultimately purchased by Proven Investments before being sold to Access and Appliance Traders for just over $500 million. The acquisition helped in growing the net loan book at AFS above $1.5 billion or 35 per cent year-on-year.
Access which enjoyed strong growth in the 2017 fiscal year from ongoing business is not relying on geometric growth alone as information reaching IC Insider.com indicates that the micro lender is currently working on another acquisition. Our sources inform us that it is about the same size as the Damark acquisition and should be completed by the end of June.
The company made profit of $678 million from revenues of $1.5 billion dollars and had loans outstanding of $2.6 billion at the end of March. The stocks traded on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $50.
Access growing by acquisition
47% surge in Access profit
Looking at the Access Financial results to March without dissecting it would lead to a conclusion that things have slowed with earnings per share of $2.49 versus $2.19 as the comparative reported in the audited financial statements for 2107.
Those numbers disguise the full impact of the 2017 fiscal performance that is up nearly 47 percent after tax, compared to the previous twelve months period. The company that made its name lending workers supported by employers making payroll deductions for repaying the loans, made profit after tax of $678 million versus $463 million when the 15 month period is adjusted for the extra 3 months. The growth continues the strong growth of the company as loans keeps on growing year after year and being up $514 million in the last twelve months to $$2.6 billion. Access has shareholders’ equity of $1.7 billion and should exceed the $2 billion mark during the current fiscal year as profit for the current fiscal year.
IC Insider.com is forecasting profit for the year to March 2018 to exceed $1 billion with earnings per share of $4 with $6 for the 2019 fiscal year.
Dividends paid during the year to March 2017 amounted to $178,431,396 or 26 percent of profit. The stock traded at a record high of $50 on Tuesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Juniors recover sharply on Tuesday
The Junior Market index jumped 60.41 points on Tuesday, 3,344.67 as 22 securities traded of which 10 advanced and only 4 declined as 2,377,774 units valued $14,077,973 traded compared to 903,666 units valued at $5,900,159 changing hands on Monday.
At the close of trading, 6 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 2 with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 108,081 units for an average value of $639,908 compared to 47,561 units for an average value of $310,535, on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date are 90,467 units and $607,211 while at the close of the prior trading day it was 89,667 units and $605,576, well below the levels for April with averages of 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
At the close of the market, Access Financial jumped $6 and closed at an all-time high of $50 with 2,500 units changing hands, AMG Packaging rose 19 cents and ended at $4.99 with 21,148 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream closed trading with 300 units to end at $8.40, after gaining 40 cents, Caribbean Flavours lost 5 cents in trading 2,700 units to end at $12, Caribbean Producers had 32,513 units changing hands and remained at $3.50, Consolidated Bakeries dropped 7 cents trading 19,500 shares to close at $2.45, Eppley had 19,015 units changing hands to close of $12, General Accident closed trading with 19,600 shares to end at $2.90, had 13,586 shares changing hands and closed at $7.50 after gaining 50 cents,ISP Finance ended at $28 with 343 units changing hands. Jamaican Teas rose 4 cents and closed trading with 234,436 shares, at $4.69. Jetcon Corporation dropped $1.40 to end at $13.40 with 11,900 shares trading, Key Insurance traded 2,415 units to close at $3.05 after rising 25 cents, Knutsford Express that will start trading with the 5 for 1 stock split on Wednesday, closed with 13,295 shares trading at $68. Lasco Distributors lost 14 cents and ended with 505,170 units trading at $6.96, Lasco Financial gained 35 cents to end with 63,888 shares changing hands at $4.40, Lasco Manufacturing rose 20 cents to close at $5.20 while trading 1,378,624 shares, Main Event ended trading of 9,107 shares at $7.20, Medical Disposables gained 15 cents and ended at $5.80 with 1,000 units trading, Paramount Trading ended with a rise of 50 cents as 17,234 shares changed hands at $3.30 and tTech had 8,700 units changing hands at $7.50 and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 800 units changing hands to close at $2.20.