National Gas dips again on TTSE
Activity on the Stock Exchange, ended with 10 securities trading with 3 stocks closing higher, 1 declined and 6 remained unchanged as a total of 149,046 units, valued at $$1,812,299 changed hands.
At the close the Composite Index ending with a gain of 0.06 points at 1,147.93, the All T&T Index advanced by 0.13 points to 1,950.97 and the Cross Listed Index remained at 45.24.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund closed 1 cent higher with 8,330 shares to end trading at $22.51, National Flour Mills with 8,078 shares trading, gained 4 cents in closing at $2 and Trinidad Cement closed 1 cent higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.41 with 445 shares changing hands.
Firm Trades| First Citizens Bank traded 7,811 shares and closed at $35, Guardian Holdings closed with 20 shares changing hands at $12.80, National Enterprises with 11,402 shares changing hands, closed at $16.50, Republic Bank traded 9,936 shares valued at $ 1,112,832 and closed at $112. Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with 50 shares changing hands at $5.75 and Scotiabank traded 21,041 shares for a value of $1,315,062 and closed at $62.50.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Lasco Distributors blow out profits
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.
Dolphin Cove Q3 profit gains 17%
Cash flow from operations increased by 26 percent to $486 million, compared to $385 million for the similar period to September 2014.
Earnings per stock unit for the nine months amounts to $1.05 and 32.6 cents for the quarter and could end around $1.40 for the year, for the full 2014 year earnings was $1.12.
“The improved results were largely reflective of a 10 percent growth in ancillary revenue and better receivables collections in 2015. There was also noticeable growth in the number of customers who visited our Hanover and Half Moon Parks and the Group also benefited from the devaluation in the Jamaican dollar in the third quarter, 2015 as most of our income is earned in United States dollars”.
“Overall revenue grew by 5 percent although, as anticipated, there was a reduction in the number of hotel guests who visited the Ocho Rios Park given the temporary closure (for expansion) of one of the major hotels in this region. The resulting reduction in revenue and profit in this area was however surpassed by strong growth in the other operating segments and an increase in local business on account of our summer promotion which was introduced in September quarter, 2015”.
“Increase in operating expenses was restricted to 7 percent, for the year to date and 6 percent for the third quarter and was primarily due to additional depreciation, which resulted from the revaluation of buildings. The staff benefited from salary increments, which came into effect in the latter quarter of 2014”, Stafford Burrowes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and William McConnell, Chairman of Audit Committee stated in a report accompanying the interim financials.
An interim dividend of 15 cents per share will be paid in December quarter. This brings the total dividend declared to date to 45 cents and equals the same level of dividend which was declared as at September quarter, 2014.
Property, plant and equipment jumped to $2.19 billion at the end of September from $1.11 billion at the end of September last year as revaluation surplus added $930 million. Revaluation and retained profits helped to swell equity to $2.7 billion while borrowed funds stood at $240 million.
The company’s stock is traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and closed on Wednesday at $10 but with these results should be heading back upwards to the $13 range before long.
Jam $ lost value all round Wednesday
The local currency lost value against the US dollar, the Pound sterling and Canadian dollar on Wednesday. At the close of trading, the equivalent of US$34,040,455 was bought by dealers, compared with US$32,817,588 on Tuesday, while they sold the equivalent of US$41,709,262 versus US$40,013,573 on the previous trading day.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$31,509,182 compared to US$29,941,222 on Tuesday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 10 cents to $119.06 and US$40,398,527 was sold versus US$38,224,150 on Tuesday, the selling rate rose 7 cents to end at $119.71. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 19 cents to end at $87.32, with dealers buying C$862,611 and selling C$599,125, at an average rate that rose 4 cents to $89.64. The rate for buying the British Pound increased by 45 cents to $180.70 for the purchase of £1,197,625, while £513,151 was sold, at an average rate that climbed 18 cents to $181.72. At the end of trading, it took J$132.20 to purchase the Euro, a rise of 2 cents from Tuesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$129.69 for a gain of 13 cents from Tuesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$81,011 being bought, while US$83,138 was sold.
Highs & Lows| On Wednesday, the highest buying rate for the US dollar, the lowest buying and the highest selling rates remained unchanged at $119.90, $98.28 and $125.94 respectively and lowest selling rate fell $3.89 to end at $98.28. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar climbed 85 cents to $91.10, the lowest buying rate dropped 25 cents to $71.96, the highest selling rate rose $1.30 to end at $94.39 and the lowest selling rate dipped 50 cents, to $84. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, climbed 20 cents to end at $183.35. The lowest buying rate fell 42 cents to $147.49, the highest selling rate fell $2.99 to $187.47 and the lowest selling rate rose $1.80 to end at $175.
Election spend pushes One Caribbean Profit
Spending on election advertising in Trinidad & Tobago and new technology employed by helped One Caribbean Media to post strong profit for the September quarter with an increase in revenues of 9.4 percent to TT$147.4 million in the September quarter and with an increase of 60 percent in after tax profits of $30 million.
Earnings per stock unit for the nine months to September, is 93 cents and 43 cents for the quarter and could end around $1.30 for the year.
For the nine months, profits rose to $64.4 million from $57.8 million, in 2014 from nine months revenues of $385 million, that is down on the $402 million generated in 2014. The highest income generated period is the final quarter for the year, with increased demand during the Christmas period.
For the 12 months to December last year, revenues came in at $548 million with profit of $85 million. Helping the performance is a drop in Direct cost from $88 million in the 2014 quarter to $83 million for the 2015 period and for the nine months for 2015 to $234 million versus $260 million in 2014, administrative cost were held tightly with a small increase.
The company’s stock is traded on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange and closed on Wednesday at $22.50. the company operates radio, TV stations in Trinidad and Tobago and operates in the print media as well.
Access sheds 22% in 2 days
A total of 3,241,986 units, valued at $12,588,381 changed hands as 3 stocks advanced and 8 declined. The market ended with 1 stock closing at a 52 weeks’ high while 3 securities ended with no bids to buy and 6 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 5 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and none closed with a lower offer.
In trading, Access Financial closed with a loss of $2 to $10.50 with 170,271 units changing hands, AMG Packaging lost 1 cent to close at $4.99 with 200 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream fell 15 cents and closed at $3.20 with 19,195 shares changing hands. Caribbean Flavours closed at $4 with 145,904 shares changing hands, Caribbean Producers traded 557,978 units for a loss of 2 cents to end at $3.08, Consolidated Bakeries traded 17,444 shares to end at $1.65, Derrimon Trading ended with 1,400 shares changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $3. Dolphin Cove lost $1.20 with 295,515 units changing hands to end at $10, after trading, the company reported a 4 percent increase in profit after tax for the nine months to September, of $412 million over the outturn for the 2014 and a 17 percent increase in the September quarter, to $128 million. General Accident ended with 400,882 shares changing hands and fell 15 cents to $1.90, Lasco Distributors with 442,302 shares changing hands, closed 5 cents higher at $3.06 after hitting $3.40 during trading. Lasco Financial lost ground with results that were flat, but with promise of improvement later, fell 18 cents to $2.45, after trading earlier at $2.65, with 841,230 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing traded 270,065 shares to end at $3.25 while gaining 14 cents and Medical Disposables ended with 80,000 units changing hands for 5 cents lower to end at $2.50.