tTech a company most investors would hardly have heard about, will be going to the capital market this month, to raise approximately $50,263,900, by the issuing for subscription 25,652,000 ordinary shares to the general public and special persons related to the company at $2.50 each.
In reality only 16.4 million are allocated for the general public, a relatively small number. The Company that was formed in 2006 currently provides outsourced IT solutions to businesses currently in Jamaica. IC Insider’s preliminary assessment indicates earnings per share around 40 cents before taxation for a PE of 6.3 and would make the stock a buy.
The purpose of the offer is to provide working capital support to its operations and in order to allow the Company to augment its productive capacity and thereby to take advantage of new business opportunities as well as benefit from listing on the stock exchange and improve staff compensation by allowing them to buy the shares that are bound to increase sharply in price after listing.
The Company estimates that the expenses in the Invitation will not exceed $10 million. Subscription opens at 9 am on December 16th, 2015 and closes at 4:30 p.m. on the December 18th, 2015, subject to the right of the Company to shorten or extend the time for closing. If the Invitation is fully subscribed and is successful in raising $50,263,900, the Company will make an application to the JSE for the Shares to be admitted to the Junior Market. The company has been profitable with revenues growing at an attractive rate. The Company has adopted a dividend policy of paying 25 percent of profits each year.
All completed Application Forms must be delivered to NCB Capital Markets.
IC Insider will have a fuller report at a later date.
tTech offer seems a buy
Eppley’s stock scarce & undervalued
Eppley’s profit after tax increased 5 percent for the first nine months of the year to $41.7 million compared to $39.7 million in 2014. For the September quarter, profit jumped sharply by 91 percent to $19.3 million versus $10 million in 2014.
Earnings per share of $52.47 was achieved for the nine months and $24.17 for the quarter. A dividend of $9 per share will be paid on November 30 to ordinary shareholders on record at November 20.
Revenues grew 93 percent for the quarter to $63 million and 60 percent for the nine months period, to $171 million. Net interest income increased from 39.56 percent in the nine months to 43.9 percent in the quarter. Operating expenses climbed 16 percent for the quarter and 15 percent for the nine months.
As of September, Eppley had a $1.38 billion portfolio consisting mainly of loans, leases and receivables. The average income yield of the portfolio was 14 percent, the company stated.
Equity capital at the end of the quarter stood at $341 million and borrowing at $1 billion with average cost of debt being 10 percent. We ended the quarter with $237 million of cash and short-term investments, the company also stated.
Eppley provides loan and insurance premium financing. At the end of the quarter, the stock that is listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange last traded at $380 much lower than the net asset value was $429 per share.
Juniors close 3 points shy of 1,600 points
The junior market rose 32.86 to just 3 points away from the 1,600 point mark at 1,597.17 points on Tuesday as 16 securities were active with 10 stocks advancing and one declined. A total of 1,088,460 units, valued at $4,588,567 changed hands. The market ended with 7 stocks closing at new 52 weeks’ high.
Only 2 securities ended with no bids to buy and 10 had no stocks being offered for sale, an indication of chronic supply shortage of junior market stocks. A total of 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 3 closed with lower offers.
In trading, Blue Power gained 80 cents in closing at $13.80, with 4,200 units trading. Caribbean Cream ended with 20,000 shares changing hands, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $4.60, to gain 10 cents, Caribbean Flavours traded 87,075 units to end at a new 52 weeks’ high of $4.85, after rising 5 cents, Caribbean Producers traded 79,902 units at $3.05. Consolidated Bakeries rose 10 cents to end at $1.90, with 40,742 units changing hands. Derrimon Trading gained 20 cents, to end with 5,000 shares changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.20, Dolphin Cove had 26,300 shares changing hands at $13.50, for a rise of 50 cents at a 52 weeks’ high. General Accident Insurance traded only 200 units at $2. The stock ended with an offer at $1.97, to sell 20,000 shares, Honey Bun closed with a mere 454 shares changing hands, to end 8 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high $5.28, Jamaican Teas rose 5 cents with 33,810 shares trading, to close at $3.90.
KLE Group ended with 1,515 units trading at 45 cents, Lasco Distributors closed with 367,050 shares changing hands with a loss of 43 cents to $4.07, Lasco Financial closed with an increase of 20 cents at a new 52 weeks’ closing high of $3.20 with a total of 219,943 shares changing hands after trading as high as $3.40, Lasco Manufacturing rose 6 cents to end at $3.96 with 196,769 shares changing hands at a new 52 weeks’ high and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 400 shares changing hands at $2.20.
Profit gains 12% at Medical Disposables
Profit after tax for the six months of the financial year to September for Medical Disposables of $42.7 million rose 11.5 percent over the similar period last year. For the September quarter, profit after tax came in at $23.4 million, an increase of only $1.9 million or 9.2 percent.
“The increase in profit was as a direct result of the improved performance in sales revenue for the period ended September, 2015”, Kurt Boothe, General Manager stated in the report to shareholders accompanying the interim financials.
Operating profit rose more impressively than net profit, with a rise to $30 million from $22.5 million, an increase of 33.6 percent and for the half year, 29.6 percent to $53.8 million from $41.5 million in 2014. Increases in finance cost, foreign exchange loss and provision for taxation helped to reduce the final numbers to a moderate increase. Cash flows for the six months before interest cost rose to $57 million from $45 million in 2014.
Earnings per share rose to 9 cents per share in the quarter and 16 cents for the six months and should end around 35 cents for the year ending March 2015.
Sales revenue rose to $599 million, increasing by $59 million or 10.9 percent for the six months to September compared to the same period last year. Revenue for the six months rose 8.9 percent to $308 million from $283 million.
Gross profit for the six months ended at $166.7 million and increased by $30.6 million or 22.5 percent compared to last 2015. “This improvement was due to increased sales in all product categories, changes in the product mix and maintaining gross margin efficiency the company said,” Boothe stated. For the quarter gross profit rose 17 percent to $82.6 million from $70.46. Gross profit margin increased to 26.8 percent in the September quarter from 24.9 percent last year for the similar quarter and for the six months period 27.8 percent versus 25.2 percent.
“Total operating expenses of $113 million reflected an increase of $18.4 million or 19.4 percent over the same period last year. The increase in expenses was driven mainly by staff related costs, insurance, utilities, professional fees, information technology services and expenses related to the new property purchased earlier in the year. Staff related expenses, in particular, increased because of the strategic decision to realign the staff complement and compensation to sustain the current growth, development and expansion of the business,” Boothe further stated in his report.
Current assets amounts $587 million inclusive cash funds of $77 million and current liabilities of $253 million, including short term borrowings of $74 million. Shareholders’ equity increased to $435 million with total borrowings of $324 million.
The main activity of the company is the sale of medical disposables and supplies. The company’s shares are listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange since December 2013. The stock last traded at $3.50 and is up 43 percent for the year to date. it is now priced at a PE of 10, based on IC Insider full year estimated earnings.
Q4 Profit jumps 215% at AMG
AMG Packaging enjoyed a great year to August, with 74 percent jump in profits to $79 million over 2014 and 86 percent before expenses incurred for the new toilet tissue operation. For the last quarter of the fiscal year things were even better with a 215 percent jump to $27 million.
AMG Packaging report big gains in profit for 2015
A sharp $4.5 million fall in fuel cost and repairs and maintenance respectively, a 50 percent cut in selling and distribution expenses amounting to $7 million, and lesser declines in wages, electricity along with an increase in revenues helped to improve gross profit, margins and the results for the year.
Gross cash flow generated from operations came in at $92 million, up from $58 million in 2014. Going forward its unclear what impact the new operations will have, barring any major losses IC Insider is forecasting $1.05 per share after tax for 2016, the first year of reduced taxation will be payable. The company paid dividends of $18.4 million during the fiscal year and in the prior year $20.5 million.
Looks like a greater stability in raw material cost and attention paid to cost in a number of areas, paid rich dividend in the past four quarters and in particular the final quarter. Cost of sales fell from $491 million in 2014 to $484 million and gross profit jumped to $149.4 million from $116 million, an increase of 28.6 percent. Revenues rose moderately by 3 percent for the quarter to $172 million and 4 percent increase for the full year to hit $633 million. While the growth in revenues may not appear electric closer look indicates a growth of around 7 percent on a quarter over quarter basis for the last 4 quarters.
Administrative expenses rose from $48.5 million to $51.4 million in 2015 and finance cost declined form $10 million to $8.7 million.
Borrowings grew to $151.6 million while cash funds rose $64 million from $22 million in 2014. The balance sheet shows $59 million deposited to purchase equipment for the new tissue operation. Current assets stood at $335 million and current liabilities at $60 million. Equity capital grew to $377 million from $316 million.
AMG Packaging is in the business of manufacturing paper based boxes for the packaging and its shares are listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and last traded at $4.80 with a gain of 82 percent for the year to date.
Lasco Distributors blow out profits
Lasco Distributors with responsibility to distribute “I Cool” drink.
The Gross profit for the period was S1.1 billion, an increase of $299 million or 36 percent over the prior year. The Gross Profit margin for the quarter was $628 million, or 32 percent over the same period last year. Gross profit margin for the august 2015 quarter is 17.26 percent versus 17.5 percent in 2014 and year to date 16.2 percent in 2015 and 16.28 percent in 2014.
The huge gain came from increased revenues of 34 percent for the quarter, amounting to $6.95 billion and 36 percent for the six months of $3.64 billion.
“This growth was driven mainly by contributions from our iCool and Unilever lines of business, both of which have been doing very well”, Peter Chin, Managing Director reported to shareholders in the directors’ report accompanying the financial data.
An interesting element of the results is the 10 percent growth in revenue over the June quarter a continuation of the quarter over quarter growth evident from late in 2014 with an average of 8 percent for the last three quarters.
Earnings per stock for the six months amount to 11 cents and 7 cents for the quarter. IC Insider projects profit of 34 cents for the current year and 50 cents for the year to March 2017.
Cost were held well below the growth in revenues with Operating Expenses in the latest quarter rising to $396 million from $377 in 2014 and for the six months this year the company incurred $779 million versus $658 million in 2014 for a rise of 18 percent.
Cash flow from operations increased by 94 percent to $391 million from $202 million for the similar period to September 2014 swelling Cash and Equivalents at the end of the Period to $904,043 compared with $191,277.
The company’s shares are listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. Its principal activity is the distribution of pharmaceutical and consumable items, ii distributes all of Lasco Manufacturing’s products locally.
The stock may be considered fully priced currently with a PE of 10 being one of the higher priced junior market stocks, but with strong growth expected and lower interest rates to come, investors with a long term time horizon may want to accumulate from now, bearing in mind the limited supply available.
Another new record close for juniors
Caribbean Flavours traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.50.
The junior market ended at a new record high at the close, with 13 securities traded and the junior market index rising by 23.09 points to 1,285.78 with 1,356,689 units, valued at $3,717,777 changing hands while 7 stocks advanced and 3 declined.
The market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy, while 4 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 8 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 1 closed with a lower offer.
In trading, AMG Packaging closed with a loss of 8 cents with 26,909 units changing hands at $3.80 at the end of trading, Cargo Handlers ended with 712 shares changing hands, for a gain of $1 and closed at a new all-time high of $32, Caribbean Cream price slipped 7 cents and closed at $3.23 with 75,719 shares changing hands. Caribbean Flavours traded at a new 52 weeks’ high of $3.50 with 23,708 shares as the price rose 20 cents, Caribbean Producers traded 7,100 units to end at $3, Consolidated Bakeries rose 2 cents in traded 173,007 shares, to end at $1.20. Derrimon Trading ended with 335 shares changing hands to gain 3 cents and end at $2.33, Honey Bun had 10,222 units changing hands at $4, for an increase of 35 cents. Jamaican Teas had just 7,175 shares changing hands at $3.35, Knutsford Express traded 5,000 shares at $6.15 after adding 15 cents for a new all-time high, Lasco Distributors with 66,215 shares changing hands, closed at $2.83. Lasco Financial closed at a new all-time high of $2.50 while 549,875 shares changed hands with the price rising 24 cents and Lasco Manufacturing traded 410,712 shares to end at $3.35 after trading shedding 10 cents.
Knutsford doubles profit
Knutsford Express more than doubled its profit for the first quarter to August, with a jump of 109 percent to $35.7 million, from $17 million in 2014 and revenues that climbed 38.5 percent to $143 million. The increased revenue “was due to growth in passenger travel” the company stated in its report to shareholders.
Administrative and general operating expenses grew by a much slower 23 percent to $104 million than revenue. Depreciation climbed from $5.4 million to $7.55 million and finance amounts to $3.9 million and is up from $2.3 million in 2014.
Unfortunately the company has not provided information on the composition of administrative and general operating expenses. Based on the last audited financials, the largest cost items are fuel, accounting for around 19 percent of cost, labour for 34 percent and repairs around 10 percent for a total of 43 percent or thereabout.
Earnings per share is 36 cents for the 2015 quarter, putting full year earnings in the $1.60 region.
The company provides a popular coach bus service that plies between Kingston and the North and South coasts of Jamaica. Service was extended to Port Antonio from Ocho Rios earlier in 2015 but will take time to build as more persons become familiar with it. Going forward it is unsure what the opening of the highway to Ocho Rios from Kingston will mean for growth. What is sure it will take less time to cover the route with less operating cost per trip and will allow them to better compete with air travel as the time factor to and from Montego Bay and Kingston will be reduced.
The stock is listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and has been trading around $6.10, for some time. These results should give the price a lift as the value is very low compared to others on the market, but management needs to improve on the inadequate manner of reporting the results, if not investors will be skeptical about the financial performance and shy away from the stock.
At the end of the quarter, shareholders equity stands at $250 million and liabilities of just $91 million and current assets of $157 million which includes cash and investments of $79 million and other assets of $61 million that rose from $21 million in May this year.
The company paid a dividend of 15 cents per share on September 15.
Juniors up on Thursday with 5 gains
Caribbean Flavours traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.30.
The market ended with 5 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 3 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
In trading, AMG Packaging gained 8 cents to close at $3.88, with 1,072,687 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream fell 8 cents to $3.30 with 2,000 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours added 22 cents in trading 10,000 units at an all-time high of $3.30,
Caribbean Producers traded 51,678 units and gained of 20 cents to end at $3. Consolidated Bakeries had 169,000 units changing hands at $1.18, Derrimon Trading had 635,700 shares changing hands at $2.30, KLE Group traded 10,000 units at 43 cents. Lasco Distributors rose 29 cents with 20,000 shares changing hands and closed at $2.80, Lasco Financial closed at $2.25 while 156,219 shares changed hands and Lasco Manufacturing traded 100018 shares to end at $3.29 after trading gaining 28 cents.
Kremi’s big surge forward
Sharp reduction in cost of sales and a 7 percent increase in revenues that ended at $271 million swelled profit in the August quarter for Caribbean Cream by more than 4,000 percent to $45.5 million and for the six months by 375 percent to $84.7 million from an 11 percent increase in sales to $560 million.
Cost of sales dropped 18 percent from $195.4 million to $161 million for the August quarter due mainly to a fall in the price or raw material input and from $378 million incurred for the half year in 2014, cost dropped to $339.4 million, lifting gross profit by 88 percent for the quarter to $110 million and by 73 percent for the six months versus that of 2014, to $221 million.
Administrative expenses climbed 37.8 percent to $102 million due mainly to implementation of sanitation measures that had to be implemented while selling and distribution expenses grew from $23.5 million to $25 million for the six months period, compared to that of 2014 and for the quarter, administrative expenses climbed by a more sedate 13.6 percent to $46 million while selling and distribution expenses grew from $12 million to $14 million.
Earnings per share amounted to 22 cents for the half year and 12 cents for the quarter. IC Insider is now forecasting earnings of 65 cents per share for the full year ending February 2016, due to the lower increase in sales in the August quarter than the 15 percent increase in the first quarter. The stock ended at a record close of $2.55 on Tuesday and has gained 240 percent for the year to date. IC Insider expects it to make further gains, as it is priced well below other stocks on the junior market that are selling above 7.6 times this year’s earnings with an average of 8.4.
A lot of the gains in profit came from the decline in raw material input, helping to push gross profit margin from 27 percent to 43 percent. Going forward increased input cost can place pressure on margins unless investment measures plan by Caribbean Cream to lower cost and create a more efficient operation are able to improve revenues and cut cost to compensate for any potential raw material cost increase that may arise. Cost increase in the medium term seems unlikely with downward pressure on input cost, the company has cash that it could be used to build up inventory at low prices if they sense the potential for prices to rise and thus mitigate against sharp price increases for the rest of the fiscal year.
