Starbucks

Express Catering profit up but concerns linger

September 12, 2018 by IC Insider.com

Ian Dear Chairman & CEO of Express Catering

Profit at Express Catering (ECL) jumped 290 percent to US$3.5 million on increased revenue of 10 percent to $15.7 million. A fall of $1.4 million in administrative cost to $6.6 million and a near $1 million rise in gross profit accounted for the bulk of the profit growth.
Earnings per share came in at 0.021 US cents. With the Starbucks franchise, which should be in full operation for the entire 2019 fiscal year and continued strong showing in tourist arrivals, revenues should climb much faster than the 10 percent experienced for 2018, helping to boost profit, which IC Insider.com is estimating at 0.035 US cents or Jamaica 45 cents.
Of grave concern is that while the company is incurring $333,000 in preference dividends on $3.5 million preference shares, amounts owing by related parties, rose from $3.6 million last year to $6 million to May, but ECL gets no income from it. That seems partially on the way to be corrected, based on information provided the company’s Chief Execuitive.
The preference shares issued is exactly the same amount due on debt owing to the company by a related party and reported in the financials for the first time in the 2017 fiscal year. While the amount owed by Margaritaville Limited increased by $2.3 million with no interest payable, Express pays dividends on the preference shares. No interest is paid to Margaritaville St. Lucia by Express for an amount due to the former, partially countering the position against the dividend payable. The preference shares, denominated in US dollar, is obligated to pay dividend at 9.5 percent per annum. That is high for a US dollar instrument now, as well as when it was contracted. These matters are clearly an untidy for a listed company with amounts owing to and from related entities, with some incurring a charge while others are not.
IC Insider.com spoke with Ian Dear who is Chairman of the company on this issue. Dear advises that the dividend to be paid shortly will result in Margaritaville Limited repaying US$4.8 million of the debt in September and it is not expected that the account will return to the above level in the future. Regardless of the above payment, the situation requires regularizing to ensure equity and transparency for the investing public.

Starbucks one of the brands Express Catering will sell at the Montego Bay Airport.

Dear went on to state, “The balance of US$5.99 million at May, due from Related Parties is made up of 3 separate Related Party accounts with amounts due from ECL as well as amounts due to ECL. This is a carry forward from the period when ECL was a fully owned subsidiary of MCL Group. The company will take steps to cancel the non-active balances by paying down the amounts due to Related Parties and collecting from Related Parties amounts due to ECL. The company declared recently a dividend of US$6 million that will result in a further substantial reduction of the existing balance.”
“The existing Preference Shares were entered into at a time of higher interest rates. Since then rates have trended downwards. ECL is currently engaging funding institutions with a view to refinancing this debt. Redemption costs as well as Arranger fees will be critical factors in this decision,” Dear, Chairman & CEO informed IC Insider.com.

Dear also confirmed that the annual results had very little revenues from the Starbucks store. He also indicated that there will be three stores initially, in the Sangster International Airport of which two opened around 2 months ago and the third was opened last week. Annual revenues should be in the order of $1 million per annum, IC Insider.com estimates.
Unless otherwise stated, all amounts are denoted in US dollars.

Profit drops 15% at Prestige

Prestige Holdings brand – TGIF

Profit after tax fell by a moderate 4 percent at the Trinidad based Prestige Holdings, for the first half 2016, to reach $23 million, from $23.9 million in the previous year. That disguises a much sharper fall in profits in the second quarter, with profit falling 14.5 percent from $12.25 million in 2015, to $10.7 million, from revenues that increased by a mere 1.6 percent to $240 million for the quarter to May 2016 while group revenue increased 2 percent to $478 million for the six months.
Gross profit hardly grew as is the case with sales, moving from $169 million in the 2015 six months period to $171 million in 2016 and in the May quarter, from $84.4 million to $84.7 million. Administrative expenses moved to $36.4 million from $32.2 million for the year to date and from $15.75 million in the May 2015 quarter, to $17.67 million, for 2016, but other operating restaurants expenses moved to $100 million from $99.9 million in 2015 six months period, while that for the May quarter, was up $1 million to $51.25 million.
Earnings per share ended at 37 cents, for the half-year and 17 cents for the latest quarter. Full year’s earnings should end at around 90 cents per share, the new restaurant being opened could change the end results.
“These results were generated from an average number of 113 restaurants. Performance in the 2nd Quarter was mixed with our KFC and Pizza Hut brands showing greater resilience to the economic headwinds, foreign exchange challenges and a persistently difficult labour environment; and our TGI Fridays and SUBWAY brands less so. Despite these macro-economic factors, we recognize that there are opportunities for improving the performance of these brands and we are focused on doing so,” Christian Mouttet, Chairman of the company reported to shareholders in the commentary accompanying the quarterly report.
The Six results came against the background of a sluggish Trinidad economy, but the future could be spiced with expansion plans.
“At the end of the quarter, we opened a new Pizza Hut restaurant at South Park in San Fernando, which has been well received. We expect to open our first Starbucks restaurant by the end of the 3rd Quarter and another two restaurants by the end of the financial year. Significant work is underway for the establishment of this brand in the Trinidad and Tobago market,” the report by the company to shareholder also stated.
The stock traded at $10.90 on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Friday at a PE of 12, based on this year’s projected earnings.