Sagicor Financial, the Toronto Stock Exchange listed parent of Sagicor Group Jamaica announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 2023 with rising revenues and profit.
Net profit attributable to shareholders amounts to $532 million for 2023 and includes a $448.3 million gain on the acquisition of the ivari operations up from a loss of $164 in 2022. All figures are in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
Net income to shareholders, excluding the one time gain and transaction costs of the above acquisition, amounts to $99 million for 2023
New business CSM brough in $137 million for 2023, down from $187 million in 2022. Contractual service margin (“CSM”): CSM represents an estimate of unearned future profits. For new business issued under IFRS 4, the estimated profit or loss over the term of the contract is recognized in income at the date of issue. Expected future profits on new business under IFRS 17 are deferred and recorded in the CSM and amortized into income as insurance services are provided over the contract term. Under IFRS 17, expected losses on new business are recognized at the date of issue.
Andre Mousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer, in commenting on the results, stated: “2023 was a monumental year for Sagicor. Our team worked tirelessly to complete the conversion to IFRS 17, bring ivari into our corporate structure, and regain our investment grade status while driving forward on other initiatives that will drive value in the years to come.”
Mousseau continued, “We are pleased to set forth our more precise guidance for 2024 of $90 million to $105 million of core net income to shareholders”.
The group comprises four major subsidiaries. Sagicor Canada this segment came into being during the December quarter and delivered revenues of $1.13 billion in the quarter and for the year, with net income to shareholders of $122 million. Sagicor Life USA generated revenues of $253 million in the quarter and $578 for the year, with a loss of $23 million in the quarter and a profit of $41 million for the year versus $15 million in the December 2022 quarter and a loss of $122 million for the year.
Sagicor Jamaica produced revenues in the final quarter of $283 million and a profit of $17 million versus $31 million in 2022 and revenues of $958 million for the year and profit of $50 million compared with $29 million in 2022. Sagicor Life generated revenues in the December quarter of $202 million and $751 million for the year, compared with $162 million for the final quarter of 2022 and $655 for the full year. In the December 2023 quarter, the Eastern Caribbean subsidiary reported a loss of $31 million compared with a profit of $47 million in 2022 and for the full year, a loss of $13 million for 2023 and a profit of $37 million in 2022.
The profit results for 2023 along with the gains from the acquisition of ivari pushed Shareholders’ equity to $971 million, up 119 percent over the $443 million at the end of 2022, with a book value per share of US$6.88 or C$9.10.
Profit rise at Sagicor Financial
Jamaica’s FX inflows surpass 2020 flows
There is a sharp surge in the earnings of foreign exchange in the first two months of this year and the first week of March for Jamaica over the similar period despite the impact that the Covid pandemic has had on business in the country and, in particular the tourism industry.
Data out of Bank of Jamaica shows purchasing by Authorized dealers and Cambios for the year to March 4 amounts to $777 million US$103 million more than in 2020, while selling was just $33 million more in 2021 than in 2020. This development is a huge revelation with the tourism sector, a large foreign exchange sector operating around a third of capacity compared to a full capacity for the similar period last year.
Trading for last week’s Friday resulted in purchases of US$38.5 million and selling of US$60 million against 2020 purchases on the same day of $34.5 million and sales at $47.7 million in all currencies. On Thursday, purchases totalled US$63,861,970 and sales US$59,145,237, well ahead of the same day in 2020.
On Wednesday, purchases amounted to US$54,236,293 and sales US$63,794,632, with the amounts purchased being well ahead of last year’s figure but with sales just $2 million less than last year. Tuesday’s purchases amounted to US$62,667,923, with sales of US$71,359,269, both being much higher than for the similar day in 2020. On Monday, US$67,469,686 were purchased while US$61,868,091 were sold, falling below the 2020 trades.
Last year, trading on the first Monday in March brought in US$73,900,712 while selling amounted to US$73,904,949. Tuesday’s purchases amounted to US$44,971,292 and selling US$65,382,991, while on Wednesday purchases were US$55,679,393 and sales US$79,738,789 and on Thursday, March 5 last year, dealers purchased US$53,369,689 from the system and sold US$47,373,166.
Financial institutions have been selling US dollar short as demand weakens and the rate is appreciating. Monday last week saw just US$2.5 million sold in excess of purchases, but National Commercial Bank went short by nearly US$7 million and JMMB Bank by $3 million. Traders went short on Tuesday to the tune of US$15 million with NCB, the major short seller with US$9 million and BNS, FCIB, JMMB Bank, Sagicor and VMBS, making up the bulk of the rest.
NCB is a big player in the FX market.
On Wednesday, net selling amounted to just over US$12 million, with the big net sellers being First Caribbean International Bank, First Global Bank, JMMB Bank, NCB and Sagicor Bank.
On Thursday, there were no overall net sales as purchases exceeded sales, but Scotia Bank, JN Bank and Sagicor Bank sold more than they bought on that day.
One usually reliable and knowledgeable source indicates that from where he sits, “increased inflows are coming from remittances, entities selling US dollars to pay taxes, increased BPO flows and from some exporters”. The high level of short selling is based on demand being soft currently as financial institutions take advantage of the higher rate that the Jamaican dollar sits at.
Others are confirming increased flows from the BPO sector that has grown over 2020, increased remittances and exports. Additional flows may be coming from entities or individuals who bought last year in anticipation of the local dollar running away but may have decided to cash in with the price peaking around the $150 million mark.
On Monday, March 8, dealers bought a total of US$43.3 million in all currencies and sold US$59 million, with short selling of US dollars amounting to $20 million and the selling rate for the US dollar ending at J$148.97. The major short-sellers are BNS, US$3 million, Citibank, US$7.6 million, JMMB Bank, US$2.5 million, JN Bank US$US$2.3 million and Victoria Mutual, US$1.8 million.
NCB leads JSE to 8,028.94 points rise
NCB Financial closed at a record $107 on Friday, pushing a stock split one step closer.
NCB Financial surged to a new record of high of $107 and along with 9 other stocks and pushed the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index by 8,028.94 points to a record close of 313,990.54 for a 49 percent gain in 2017.
The JSE Index to jumped 7,315.27 points to a record close of 286,080.89 on a day when two new record close was achieved by two securities. Trading picked up from Thursday’s low levels with 5,159,785 units valued at $78,990,902 trading compared to 3,438,708 units valued at $30,094,508 on Thursday.
Trading on the Main Market settled with 21 securities changing hands, of which 10 advanced, 6 declined and 5 traded firm. The US dollar market had 3 securities trading with one suffering a decline. Volume traded in this market was 141,361 units valued at US$80,724 and the US dollar Index fell 2.29 points to 183.01.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at a new high of $15 after rising 99 cents, trading 3,630,842 units while Berger Paints closed at $14, but attempts were made to trade it as high as $17.50 but the price exceeded the 30 percent limit it could trade at for the day. 
Trading closed with bids to buy Berger ranging from a low of $11.02 to a high of $14 to purchase 259,773 shares, 204,458 units are on sale from a low of $16.75 for 41,583 units to most at $22 for 89,388 shares.
Trading ended with an average of 245,704 units for an average of $3,761,472 in contrast to 132,258 units for an average of $1,157,481 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 1,667,082 units valued at $22,952,418 and 1,765,920 units valued at $24,286,888, previously. In contrast, September closed with average of 536,395 units at $1,905,441 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows a strong reading of 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower offer.
JSE majors rise 25.6% to record close for 2016
Prices surged 3,760 points for local companies on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, to close at an all-time high on the final trading day of 2016. The market ended with the All Jamaica Composite Index climbing 25.6 percent for the year to date, the JSE market index gaining 28 percent and the Combined index that includes all listed ordinary shares, rising 30 percent.
The All Jamaica Composite Index surged 3,760.52 points, to close at 210,139.49. The JSE Market Index climbed 3,362.57 points to finish at 192,276.64. The JSE combined index jumped 3,106.50 points to close at 204,960.10.
Market activity ended with 41 securities changing hands. At the close, the prices of 21 stocks gained while 12 declined in the overall market, including 10 stocks rising and 3 falling, in the junior market.
At the close with 24,274,905 units valued at $227,761,009 changed hands, compared to 4,537,612 units valued at $81,171,835 changing hands on Thursday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 1,632,612 units changing hands, valued at $8,675,126.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 905,692 shares compared to an average of 149,740 units traded on Thursday. The average for the month to date stands at 549,379 shares compared to an average of 233,393 units for the month up to Thursday. November ended with an average of 208,466 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 19 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Some notable stocks with bids above the last sale price are Kingston Wharves with a bid of $24 versus the last price of $20.01, National Commercial Bank with a bid of $51.75 compared to the last sale of $50, Pan Jam with a bid of $27.50 versus the last price of $27, Sagicor Group with a bid at $29.90 versus a last sale of $29, Sagicor X Fund with a bid of $12.95 versus the last sale of $11.81 and Salada Foods that last traded at $8.50, with a bid of $9.50.
In market activity, Barita Investments traded 13,000 shares to end at $6, Berger Paints ended with 136,018 units changing hands at $5.60, Cable & Wireless closed at 80 cents with 7,620,572 units trading, Caribbean Cement ended with loss of 55 cents while trading 6,300 shares at $33.95, Carreras climbed 74 cents in exchanging 1,450 shares to close at $66.75. Investors traded 101,446 shares of 1834 Investments to close at $1.20 after falling by 8 cents, Grace Kennedy gained 1 cent to close at $41 with 1,528,227 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers shed 15 cents and closed at $14.90 with 3,247,986 shares changing hands, 
Jamaica Producers gained 20 cents to end at $9.25 with 769,449 units trading, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 10 cents in trading 29,673 shares, to end at $5.50. JMMB Group traded 103,865 units and dropped 49 cents to end at $14.50, Mayberry Investments rose 50 cents to end at $5.50 with 3,692,948 shares changing hands, National Commercial Bank rose 24 cents ended at $50 with 2,630 shares changing hands, PANJAM Investment traded 655,404 shares and shed $2 to close at $30. Radio Jamaica gained 7 cents to close at $1.30 after 898,560 shares changed hands, Sagicor Group closed with 84,109 shares changing hands at $29, Sagicor X Fund ended with 3,136,659 units trading, with a loss of 19 cents to close at $11.81, Scotia Group with 179,939 shares changing hands, closed with a gain of $1.74 at $36.75. Scotia Investments gained $2.40 with 16,000 units trading to end at $33.40, Seprod jumped lost 30 cents to end at $29.50 with 181,944 units changing hands, Supreme Ventures traded 214,996 shares and gained 23 cents to $5.30 and Proven Investments closed at 21.95 US cents, with 12,640 units changing hands.
JSE Majors jump past 204,000 pts
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, main market gained with the all Jamaica Composite Index clearing 204,000 points but the junior market slipped back in the Wednesday morning session.
Trading saw sizable transaction in Sagicor Real Estate X Fund with 159,673 shares at $11.
Market activity has been moderate resulting in 22 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 37 on Tuesday at 11:15 am. A total of 7 securities advanced and 9 declined, resulting in a volume of a mere 488,203 shares changing hands carrying a value of $11,897,071, compared 9,217,455 shares changing hands carrying a value of $88,961,404. The average number of shares traded, amount to 22,191 units versus mere 256,036 units on Tuesday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index rose 1,352.03 points to 204,535.05, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index gained 1,208.96 points to 187,265.27, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index climbed 834.01 points to be at 199,544.85 and the junior market index pulled back 27.93 to 2,518.98.
BUY RATED Jetcon & Paramount jump 52%
Paramount Trading gained 52% in September and is up 622% since BUY RATED.
Jetcon Corporation and Paramount Trading were the top performing BUY RATED stocks in September, jumping 52% in the month, followed by Medical Disposables up by 39 percent. In the main market, Barita Investments with a gain of 35 percent leads the majors.
JMMB Group is the second best main market performer with a rise of 31 percent, following IC Insider listing the stock as one of the Top 5 selection on September 9 and recent announcement of it getting a commercial banking license.
Berger Paints is now IC Insider’s BUY RATED listed, with the company benefiting from an improving environment that will keep cost down and encourage increased revenues and profit. IC Insider’s forecast is for earnings of $1 per share for the current year ending March 2017. For the full year to March 2016, revenues grew by 11 percent and material cost input fell as a percentage of sales to 46 percent versus 48 percent in 2015 while profit climbed 82 percent from 31 cents per share to 57 cents.
Performance to date. Jamaica Stock Exchange with gains of 1,250 percent since entering the BUY RATED list, is the top performing stock, followed by Caribbean Cement with gains of 1,067 percent. JSE will be splitting the stock into 5 shares and that could move the price up a bit in the short term, buying at these levels could be risky in the short term, not so for Caribbean Cement, that could easily double in a few months. The next highest main market selection is Jamaica Broilers Group with 186 percent gain and is now expected to market perform. Sagicor Group gained 163 percent and seems heading higher with no supply to sell now visible in the market that now has just one offer to sell.
For top all round gains, the junior market that is up 33.4 percent in 2016 to date is the place to have been, with 15 of the 18 selections gaining over 100 percent and one with 77 percent.
The top performer is Caribbean Cream with gains of 793 percent overall and 28 percent in September and seems heading higher with $15 seems a likely target over the next few months. Paramount Trading gained 622 percent, with expansion taking place and a stock split to be approved at the October AGM, there is much more room for growth. AMG Packaging is up 472 percent and will head higher with expansion into tissue paper production. The company is adding more brands to its tissue operations and plans on adding more tissue production machines as well upgrading carton box machines, to improve efficiency. In the junior market, recent additions ISP Finance and Jetcon have gained 166 percent and 100 percent respectively, both have room for more growth. Knutsford Express Hold rating, has been lifted with prospects of long-term growth baked into its profit performance.Prices are consolidating on the Trinidad & Tobago Market with few compelling buys currently.
NCB gains from Palmyra sale
National Commercial Bank is set to benefit from the sale of Palmyra Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St James Jamaica and an adjoining power plant, owned by Caribbean Green Power Systems Limited that were in receivership, to Sagicor Managed Funds.
Richard Byles, President and CEO, Sagicor Group, announced recently, that the Sagicor Group through their managed funds, acquired the property and assets.
The sale means that NCB will recover monies that were lent to Palmyra, but was classified as non performing loans.
The announcement by Byles did not state the amount paid for the acquisition. With this acquisition the total amount invested over the last four years by Sagicor and its managed funds, amounts to approximately US$200 million in the acquisition and refurbishing of resort properties and attractions, namely, Hilton Rose Hall Hotel, Runaway Bay Golf Club, Jewel Runaway Bay, The Jewel Lagoon Waterpark, Jewel Paradise Cove, Jewel Dunn’s River and Double Tree by Hilton at the entrance to Universal in Orlando.
NCB to benefit from sale of Palmyra..
According to Byles, the company ‘now has J$41 billion invested in hotel properties, making us the 3rd largest hotel owner in Jamaica, earning on behalf of our clients, US$100 million each year. The Montego Bay property is only partly complete, with the design originally meant to have more apartments built out, but slow sales and inadequate capital led to financiers pulling the plug on increased lending.
National Commercial Bank had set aside over J$3 billion for a large client, a few years ago, was incurring cost relating to the receivership, will be a big winner with the sale, as they will recoup much of what they provided for, if not more, cut the cost of receivership and importantly, have more funds to generate added income.
6 TTSE stocks rose on Monday
T&TNGL – 1 of 6 stocks gaining on the TTSE on Monday.
The Composite Index gained 3.32 points to close at 1,133.54, the All T&T Index rose 6.54 points to close at 1,814.06 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.01 point to end at 60.17.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 4 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 8 with offers that were lower.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund ended at $22.60 after rising by 9 cents with 118,717 shares valued at $2,682,938 changing hands, National Enterprises closed with 1,050 shares changing hands at $10.50 after rising 44 cents, National Flour gained 5 cents and closed with a mere 7 shares changing hands at $2.30. Prestige Holdings with 100 units changing hands ended at $11.30 to record a gain of 5 cents for a 52 weeks’ high, Sagicor Financial closed at $7.01 with 7,580 units changing hands after rising 1 cent while Trinidad and Tobago NGL gained 55 cents to close at $21.10 with 119,868 units worth $2,518,270 traded.
Losses| Massy Holdings ended with 7,124 shares changing hands to close with a loss of 5 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $54.68 and Republic Financial Holdings closed at a new 52 weeks’ low of $110.98 with 337 shares changing hands with a loss of 2 cents.Firm Trades| Angostura Holdings ended with 225 shares changing hands to close at $13.20, Firstcaribbean International Bank closed at $6.50 with 102,000 units valued at $663,000 changing hands, First Citizens closed at of $33.50 with 2,975 shares trading, Guardian Holdings had 10,000 shares changing hands to end at $13.25 and National Commercial Bank traded 8,195 shares at $2.40.
Big drop again for TTSE – Friday
Scotiabank at a new 52 weeks’ low on TTSE.
The market closed with the Composite Index declined by 10.05 points to close at 1,142.63, the All T&T Index fell by 19.89 points to close at 1,831.46 and is down by 6.3 percent since the start of the year and the Cross Listed Index declined by 0.01 points to 60.25.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 6 with offers that were lower. More telling is the fact that about a third of the listings have no bids to buy.
Gains|Prestige Holdings with 2,812 units changing hands ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $11.21 to record a gain of 5 cents.
Losses| ANSA McAL contributed 39,272 shares valued at $2,485,487 but lost 33 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $63.35, First Citizens lost 24 cent in closing at $34.74 with only 287 units changing hands. LJ Williams B share lost 2 cents in closing at 97 cents with 250 units changing hands, Massy Holdings ended with a loss of 71 cents with 5,000 shares changing hands at a new 52 weeks’ low of $55.99, National Enterprises closed with 11,640 shares changing hands at to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $10.50 after falling by $1, Sagicor Financial Corporation traded 100 units at $6.98
after slipping by 1 cent, Scotiabank traded 2,173 shares but dropped by $1.97 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $57.49.Firm Trades| Clico Investments Fund ended with a volume of 70,873 shares valued at $1,598,142 to end at $22.55, Grace Kennedy traded 100 shares to end at $5.20, LJ Williams 8% preference share traded 200 units at $3.30. Trinidad and Tobago NGL ended trading 21,157 shares with a value of $403,041 at $19.05 and Unilever Caribbean had 395 shares trading at $65.99.
Advancers overpower decliners on TTSE – Wednesday
Grace Kennedy closed at a 52 weeks’ high of TT$5 on Wednesday or J$94
The Composite Index advanced by 1.64 points to close at 1,169.27, the All T&T Index gained 0.06 points to close at 1,898.07 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.43 points to close at 58.36.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator has turned negative with 5 stocks with bids higher than the last selling price and 10 with offers that were lower.
Gains|Grace Kennedy jumped 10 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $5, while trading 2,481 shares. Grace closed at the equivalent of J$94 much higher than the $83 the stock traded at in Kingston on Wednesday. National Commercial Bank gained 5 cents in trading 16,096 shares, to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.45, Prestige Holdings traded 500 shares as the price rose of 1 cent to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $11.02 and Republic Financial Holdings gained 1 cent to close at $112.15 with 275 shares changing hands.
Losses| West Indian Tobacco traded 1,018 shares to close at $126.28 after slipping 1 cent.Firm Trades|Ansa Merchant Bank traded 1,400 units at $38.95, Clico Investments lost 1 cents in trading 11,760 shares to close at $22.50, First Citizens traded 10,000 shares at $35, Guardian Media ended trading with 2,152 shares changing hands at $19.75, JMMB group traded 100,000 shares at 60 cent. Point Lisas closed with 570 shares trading to close at $4, Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with 15,000 shares changing hands at $7 and Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed at $19 with 4,700 units trading.