Activity on the Junior Market was moderate and closed with 11 securities trading and ended with only 347,331 units changing hands valued at $1,016,457. The JSE Junior Market Index advanced 15.05 points close at 914.77. The market ended with the prices of 4 stocks advancing, 5 declining with Cargo Handlers closing at 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the junior market was flashing weak signals for Wednesday with 4 stocks having bids higher than their last selling prices, 5 with lower offers and 5 securities closing with no bids to buy while only 3 had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial Services closing with 5,951 shares trading 2 cents up at $11.02, AMG Packaging ending with just 200 units changing hands to close 1 cent lower at $3.19 but had an offer at $3.15 at the end to sell 27,775 shares. Cargo Handlers recorded yet another all-time high in trading 9,342 units $1.50 higher to close at $30, Caribbean Cream traded 1,000 units at $1.60, Caribbean Flavours trading 16,581 shares to close at $2.53 after losing 2 cents, 
Caribbean Producers traded 5,000 shares and lost 20 cents to $2.80, Dolphin Cove trading only 811 units at $13 for a new high, after gaining 40 cents. At the close Knutsford Express sold 920 shares at $6.10. Lasco Financial Services traded 218,100 shares and gained 12 cents to end at $1.93, Lasco Manufacturing had 26,937 shares changing hands at $1.45 to again 14 cents at the end, Medical Disposables ended at $2.25 with 10,000 shares changing hands with a loss of 5 cents and Derrimon Trading 11.75% preference share closed with a 10 cents loss at $2.40.
Cargo Handlers keep on sailing away
Paramount a new high of $6
Paramount traded at a new all-time high of $6.
At the close of the market, there were 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 4 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 8 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial Services closing with 21,233 shares trading $1 lower, at $11, Caribbean Flavours trading 20,496 shares to close at $2.55, Dolphin Cove trading only 811 units at $13 for a new high, after gaining 40 cents.
KLE with a small volume of 1,364 shares, lost 5 cents to close at 65 cents, the lowest price it has traded at to date. At the close KLE was offered for sale at 60 cents and had no bids posted to buy. Lasco Distributors traded 47,500 shares and gained 4 cents to end at $1.69, Lasco Financial Services 19,800 shares at $1.81 after losing 12 cents and Paramount Trading closing at a new 52 weeks high of $6, after adding 89 cents. Caribbean Cream did not traded but closed with an offer to sell 30,000 units at $1.55 with the last price the stock traded at being $1.60, the bid is someway off at $1.25.
LascoMan profit jumps 78% in Q4
Lasco’s new I Cool drink where demand is resulting in an increase in the plant size.
For the financial year, revenues climbed 19.4 percent to $4.8 billion from $4.03 billion and profit of $669 million is up from $584 million. Gross profit climbed 34.7 percent well above the growth in revenues, a very positive development. Gross profit for the quarter jumped a huge 86 percent helping to deliver the stunning increase in profit for the quarter and augurs well for results for the coming fiscal year, and is a result of new products now being produced by the new plant.
Administrative expenses climbed 44 percent to $555 while finance cost moved from $73 million to $125 million. The average number of persons employed by the company during the year was fifty-one up from forty-two in 2014 helping to push labour cost from $147 million to $209 million. With the new factory facilities operational, depreciation ended at $67 million up from $27 million in 2014 but is set to jump in 2016 with only a Borrowingfraction of the annual charge booked in 2015, additionally, there are more assets to be transferred to fixed assets that will give rise to even higher depreciation charges.
Borrowing climbed to $1.64 Million from $1.49 billion at the end of March 2014, the increase helped to fund capital expenditure of $523 million during the year. A total of $329 million was paid back on loans during the year.
The last quarter numbers suggest that profit could end around $1.2 billion for the year or around 30 cents per share. While the company becomes taxable this year capital allowances coupled with tax payable at 12.5 percent, will result in little or no taxes being paid on profit for the year.
The net book value of property, plant and equipment includes assets under construction amounting to $1.34 billion. The cost will be depreciated once the property is complete and available for use. The estimated additional cost of completion of the facility is $373 million.
The company is listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and last traded at $1.31 for an historical PE of just over 8 and around 4 based on IC Insider’s projected earnings. The stock should deliver a healthy increase in price during the fiscal year.
Cargo Handlers new high of $28.50
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 9 securities trading and ended with 227,627 units changing hands valued at $719,458. The JSE Junior Market Index advanced 5.56 close at 899.90. The market ended with the prices of 5 stocks advancing, 2 declining with 2 closing at 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the market, there were 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 4 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 5 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with just 100 units changing hands to close 4 cents higher at $3.20 but had an offer at $3.15 at the end. Cargo Handlers recorded yet another all-time high in trading 2,170 units $2.50 higher to close at $28.50 and record a strong gain of 78 percent since the start of the year. Caribbean Cream with 8,757 shares traded at $1.60, Caribbean Producers traded 200,000 shares to gain 20 cents to $3, Consolidate Bakeries landed just 1,000 units but ended at
a 52 weeks’ high of $1.25 after posting a gain of 8 cents. Dolphin Cove traded 200 shares to close at $12.60 by shedding 18 cents, Jamaican Teas ended at $4 with 5,000 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors traded 2,000 shares and declined by 3 cents to end at $1.65 and Lasco Financial traded 8,400 shares but rose 3 cents in closing at $1.93. At the close there was an offer to sell 11,241 units of Lasco Financial at $1.85.
Juniors below 900 points
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 8 securities trading and ended with 294,026 units changing hands valued at $954,783. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 14.05 on top of a fall of 15.87 points on Wednesday to close at 894.34, the first time it closed below 900 points since crossing over this level on June 3.
At the close of the market, the prices of 2 stocks advanced, 3 declined with 2 closing at 52 weeks’ high and there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 4 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 5 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial ending with 17,562 units changing hands to close with a loss of $1.50 at $12 Cargo Handlers finished with 10,000 units to close at $26,Caribbean Cream with 3,357 shares traded higher by 1 cent to $1.60,
Caribbean Producers traded 6,000 shares and lost 8 cents to $2.80, Dolphin Cove trading 200 shares to close at $12.78 but ended with an offer to sell just 200 shares at $12.60. Honey Bun ended at $2.88 with 20,038 shares changing hands, Lasco Financial traded 152,759 shares but fell 5 cents in closing at $1.90 and Lasco Manufacturing traded 84,000 shares but gained 1 cent to end at $1.31.
LascoMan trades 3m units
Lasco’s new I Cool drink. 3 million units of the stock traded
The JSE Junior Market Index declined 15.87 points to close at 908.39, with the price of 6 stocks advancing, 3 declining with 2 closing at 52 weeks’ high. At the close, there were 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 5 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 5 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial ending with 1,000 shares changing hands to close with a loss of $2 at $13.50. Cargo Handlers finished with 36,551 units to close with a gain of $1, to a new all-time high of $26, Caribbean Cream with 9,800 shares traded lower by 1 cent to $1.59, Dolphin Cove trading 97,462 shares to close higher by 20 cents at a new high of $12.78.
General Accident closed with 8,333 shares trading 5 cents higher at $1.72, Honey Bun ended with a gain of 3 cents to close at $2.88 with 100,000 shares changing hands. Jamaican Teas ended with 100,000 shares changing hands, to close at $4, Knutsford Express closed at $6.10 while 4,899 shares changed hands. Lasco Distributors traded only 4,400 shares to close at $1.68, for a gain of 3 cents, Lasco Financial traded only 2,385 shares but added 15 cents in closing at $1.95 and Lasco Manufacturing was the big trade for the day with 3 million shares but lost 10 cents to end at $1.30.
2 new junior market highs
Dolphin Cove closed at a new high on Tuesday
At the close of the market, there were 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 2 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 6 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with 7,852 shares changing hands to close at $3.16. Blue Power closed with 1,141 shares trading $1.01 lower at $9.50, Cargo Handlers finished with 76,100 units to close with a gain of $1, to a new all-time high of $25,
Caribbean Cream with 24,200 shares traded lower by 10 cents to $1.60, Dolphin Cove trading 10,971 shares to closed higher by 8 cents at a new high of $12.58. Jamaican Teas ended with 52,591 shares changing hands, to close at $4, Knutsford Express closed at $6.10 while 1,697 shares changed hands. Lasco Distributors traded 107,536 shares to close at $1.65, there was dealing in 14,440 Lasco Manufacturing’s shares at $1.40, Medical Disposables contributed 7,031 shares with the price ending at $2.30 and Eppley 2019 preference share exchanged 24,310 units at $6.
3 new highs for junior market
Knutsford Express closed at a new all time high of $6.10 on Monday.
At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 2 with lower offers and 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 6 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Blue Power closing with 659 shares trading at $10.51, after being as high as $11.60 for a new 52 weeks’ high. Caribbean Cream finishing with 60,000 units to close with a gain of 10 cents at $1.70, Caribbean Flavours trading 200,000 shares and ended 25 cents higher at $2.55,
Dolphin Cove finishing trading with only 400 shares to gain 50 cents to end at a new 52 weeks’ high of $12.50. Knutsford Express closing with 829 shares changing hands, 5 cents higher at $6.10 for a new 52 weeks’ high, Lasco Financial Services finishing trading with 662,171 units. The price slipped 15 cents to $1.80 after trading as high as $2, Lasco Manufacturing had 38,773 shares changing hands at $1.40, Medical Disposables contributed 11,240 shares with the price rising 5 cents, to $2.30 and Derrimon Trading 11.75% preference ended trading with 120,000 units at $2.50.
Trading picked up on junior market
Jamaican Teas is one of 3 stocks closing at 52 weeks’ high on Friday.
At the close of the market, there were 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, 2 with lower offers and 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 6 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial lost 35 cents to close at $15.50 while trading 100 shares, AMG Packaging ending with 1,233 shares changing hands to close unchanged at $3.16, Caribbean Flavours closed with16,581 shares trading at $2.30, while gaining 21 cents. Caribbean Producers with 76,978 shares trading, ended lower by 12 cents to $2.88, Consolidated Bakeries finishing trading with 33,200 shares, the price inched up 1 cent to a 52 weeks’ high of $1.18 at the end.
Dolphin Cove closed trading with 11,167 shares at a new high of $12 after gaining 50 cents, General Accident Insurance concluded trading with 10,590 shares changing hands to close 11 cents higher at $1.67. Jamaican Teas closed trading with 47,930 shares and gained 48 cents for a 52 weeks’ high of $4. Lasco Distributors traded 18,564 shares, 3 cents lower at $1.65, Lasco Financial Services in trading with 432,000 units, gained 5 cents to end at $1.95, Lasco Manufacturing in trading 14,349 shares, ended 8 cents higher at $1.40, but closed with an offer to sell at $1.37 and Paramount Trading ended with 123,959 shares changing hands with an increase of 11 cents to $5.11.
Little profit in Q4 for Lasco Financial
Lasco Financial Services reported profit of $191 million or EPS of 15.5 cents for the March 2015 year, an improvement of 8 percent over the $177 million made in 2014. The last quarter was poor with only $10 million in profit, down sharply from $41 million made in 2014, due to a combination of developments.
Revenue for the last quarter hardly grew, ending at $148 million versus $145 million in the 2014 quarter while expenses grew by $28 million due mainly to increased spend on marketing and selling expenses. Jacinth Hall-Tracey, Managing director indicated that the period suffered from squeezed margins on foreign exchange trading and foreign exchange losses in the quarter, resulting from the revaluation of the Jamaican dollar and greater stability of the exchange rate. Loan disbursements slowed as credit rating data used in assessing potential clients resulted in lower loan approvals.
The PE ratio of the stock is 13 based on the last reported earnings, normally the ratio would not be that high. Mayberry’s acquisition of 20 percent of the company’s shares has changed the dynamics and remove some supply from the market.
The company has cash of $500 million and is generating over $200 million per year. If the company can find the formula to ramp up good quality lending successfully, the profit outlook can be transformed considerably with high profit margins for lending. “We are working on a number of initiatives that will help in the transition from lower income in foreign exchange activity” Hall-Tracey said. The area of credit approval is one that they is being revisited as the use of credit rating information is stymying lending. But Hall-Tracey expects profit for this year that ends March 2016 to be higher than for the year just ended, subject to taxes on profit which the company will start bearing at fifty percent of the official tax rate of 25 percent.
The equity capital of Lasco is $812 million and is well below that of its two siblings who have equity in equity of more than $2.4 billion each. The company has done well from the money remittance and cambio operations but it is in the lending that the future growth prospects seems to rest. Hence the connection between Mayberry with the know-how having been exposed at Access Financial. The company has the free capital to increase lending with only $147 million in loans at March.