$1.2 billion is the number for losses at the Gaming and Hospitality segment at Supreme Ventures Limited Revenues in three years. Losses worsened from $252 million in 2012 when it jumped to $553 million last year but was down to $376 million up to September this year from $440 million in 2013.
There were no noticeable improvements in the losses in the September quarter. The substantial losses amounting to 47 percent of profit in the lottery segment in 2013 and 31 percent in 2014, with no noticeable reduction in the losses, forced management hands to take action. The losses in this segment coupled with losses in sport betting, contributed significantly in negating the profits from the lottery segment.
On December 1, (SVL) advised that they will close operations at the Odyssey Gaming Lounge at Market Place in Kingston and Castle Gaming Lounge VLT operations, in Portmore on December 1. SVL advised that the Lottery and Sports Betting Unit at the facility in Portmore will remain open for normal business operations and that it will focus all its energies on the flagship gaming lounge – Acropolis Barbican, with enhancements to its offerings in these locations.
The company further advised, that it will focus its energies on the continued development, of what it says is its profitable Acropolis Gaming Lounge. Over the next two to three months SVL will be expand the gaming floor, along with greater focus on improving the customer experience through wider game options, increased payouts and improved food & beverage offerings. The consolidation will result in a re-allocation of staff and other resources to meet the expanded needs at Acropolis Barbican. However, approximately 20 positions will be made redundant, after a reallocation of staff resources to meet the new needs at Acropolis Barbican. Will those changes be enough to eliminate the more than $500 million loss in the segment is left to be seen? The move should reduce the losses going into 2015 with less rent and staff cost.
The company also has to deal with the Sports betting losses which worsened even as revenues climbed from $177 million in 2013 to $418 million in 2014. The sharp growth in sports betting is attributable to betting on world cup football games. The segment lost $87 million in 2013 and $148 million in 2014 so far.
Big profit recovery at Salada
Salada Foods lost money in the final quarter of their 2013 fiscal year to September, but enjoyed a major turn around this year in the same quarter, with profit rising to $60 million after tax, from a loss of $5 million.
On the pretax basis, the change was even more impressive, with a loss of $20 million last year to a profit of $62 million in the September 2014 quarter. The final quarterly results, helped to change the fortunes of the company from declining profit for the nine months ending June this year, versus 2013 to a 19 percent increase to $105 million for the year to September this year from $88 million in 2013. The operations for the Roberts brands, Mountain Peak Processors and Primora Company reduced the pretax profits with losses of $33 million for the year, from revenues of just $8.3 million and $4.4 in 2013. Salada ended with earnings per share of $1.01.
The impressive last quarter earnings, flowed from a doubling in sales moving it from $143 million in 2013 quarter to $297 million, this year. Sales revenues grew 16 percent for the year to $736 million up from $634 million in 2013. While sales rose, interest income fell in both the quarter and the full year. Administrative expenses climbed 92 percent in the quarter and 17 percent for the year to September, but sales and marketing cost fell in both periods.
Salada changed distributorship at the start of the year. Prior to the change, the company was concerned that the former distributor was holding high levels of inventories of their product. The falloff in sales earlier in the year, the sharp uptick in the September quarter could be attributable to excess supplies in the market for coffee, being removed. The sharp increase in sales in the September quarter, should lead to higher income in the December quarter and the rest of the 2015 financial year and should raise earnings to the $1.60 per share level.
Receivables climbed from $67 million in 2013 to $240 million of which $201 million is owed for 30 days or less. Inventories fell from $251 million in 2013, to $227 million in 2014 but the composition is vastly different. While raw materials in 2013 amounted to $162 million, is now down to $93 million at the same time finished goods and work in progress at $44 million and $67 million respectively compared to $28 million and $36 million at the end of the year. The increase in finished goods and work in progress, along with the healthy receivables position, suggest that the sales in the September quarter are sustainable.
At the year-end cash is at $75 million accounts payable at $99 million with no interest bearing debt.
Investors can expect to see some recovery in the stock price that is now at $6.50 having fallen from $10 earlier in the year with the lower profits up to June.
the company announced that the directors would be meeting on December 5, to consider the payment of a dividend.
This market is going much higher
Graph showing market breaking resistance at 82,000, yellow line on the way to 91,000 points brown line.
Technically, the market has broken through resistance at 82,000 points on the all Jamaica Index on the November 19, retreated a bit but seems to be moving away from that point now. The next target is 91,000 points, the level reached in December 2012, which could well be reached by year end. The latest break of the 82,000 is the first of three attempts that the market has made to break through the descending trendline going back to late 2011 that has been successful. Supporting the move upwards, is the crossover of the short-term moving average line over the medium term moving average, the shortage of supply of most stocks and the lowering on Treasury bill rates, starting earlier this year and continuing up to the latest auction in November.
In trading on Friday, Grace Kennedy was the leading stock trading on Friday with 2 million units with a value of $120.7 million this was followed by Scotia Group with 258,000 shares valued at $5.2 million and Carreras with 123,000 units with a value of $4.5 million.
Grace off
Gains| The stocks ending with gains on Friday are, Caribbean Cement ending with 1,164 units trading with a gain of 4 cents at $2.44. Carreras completed trading with 123,082 shares, the price rose 1 cent to $37, Desnoes & Geddes saw trading in 29,970 units and put on 9 cents to $4.69, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading with 11,700 shares changing hands with a gain of 5 cents to $4.05. Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded trading with 7,000 units, to close with a gain of 7 cents to $1.57, National Commercial Bank closed with 13,210 units and put on 4 cents to $18.20, Sagicor Group finished with 67,188 shares to end with an increase of 3 cents at $9.93. Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended with 750 shares as the price gained 44 cents to $7.25, a new 52 weeks high, Scotia Group finished trading with 257,719 shares, the price jumped 49 cents to $20.50, Seprod contributed 819 shares as the price climbed 1 cent to $12.01 and Supreme Ventures ended trading with 40,000 shares traded with a gain of 5 cents to $1.95.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in the last traded prices are, Grace Kennedy ended with 2,009,457 shares changing hands to close at $62 and Hardware & Lumber with only 500 shares trading, closed at $6.50.
Declines| Cable & Wireless was the only main market stock to fall with a 1 cents loss to 44 cents with1,363 units.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 4,000 shares trading at $2.
J$ slips vs US$ gains on others – Friday
The Jamaican dollar lost value against the US dollar, but gained on the British pound and the Canadian dollar, on Friday. Authorized dealers purchased the equivalent of US$32,044,623 versus US$27,640,306 on Thursday, and sold the equivalent of US$24,934,600 compared with US$27,319,898 on Thursday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$27,699,155 compared to US$23,030,965 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar gained 6 cents to $113.22 and US$22,601,816 was sold versus US$24,202,008 on Thursday. The selling rate rose 3 cents t0 $113.79. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 22 cents to $97.48 with dealers buying C$1,218,718 and selling C$582,108, at an average selling rate that erased 23 cents, to $99.55. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 34 cents to $176.22, for the purchase of £1,567,360, while £648,933 was sold, the rate lost 42 cents to $177.72. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$856,800 while the equivalent of US$810,034, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, closed at $114, unchanged at the end of trading, the lowest buying rate rose 17 cents to $93.52, the highest selling rate rose 21 cents $119.84, but the lowest selling rate was unchanged at $93.52. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar climbed 65 cents to end at $100.50. The lowest buying rate closed 17 cents higher, at $79.93. The highest selling rate climbed 89 cents to $103.04 and the lowest selling rate climbed 5 cents to $96.30. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, lost 50 cents to $178.50. The lowest buying rate slipped 29 cents to $143.67, the highest selling rate gained 18 cents to $181.98 and the lowest selling rate increased $1.45 to $173.10.
138 Student Living gets money
138 Student Living Jamaica received the full amount they sough from the capital market, when the initial public offer, was fully taken up at the close of the offer, on Thursday 4 December, JMMB Securities Ltd reported to the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
According to a release from the brokers “all of the Ordinary Shares and Preference Shares offered for subscription by the Company, valued at $500m in the aggregate were fully taken up. All Applicants will receive a full allotment of the amounts that they applied for.”
The Company offered 82,900,000 Ordinary Shares at $4 each and initially, 33,680,000 subject to an option to increase the amount up to 60,000,000 Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares at $5. In addition shareholders of the company offered for sale 15,716,667 ordinary shares at $4 each to raise $62.8 million and received $31.3m.
The Company will now apply to the Jamaica Stock Exchange for the listing of the Ordinary Shares and the Preference Shares on the Main Market of the JSE.
No stock fell on TTSE but 4 rose
Trading on the Trinidad Stock Exchange ended the week with 11 securities changing hands of which 4 advanced, none declined and 7 traded firm with a total of 30,771 units, valued at $556,267.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.47 points to close at 1,142.90, the All T&T Index rose 0.42 points to close at 1,971.00 and the Cross Listed Index increased by 0.07 points to end at 41.22.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Clico Investment Fund with of 4,159 shares valued at $95,699 advanced by 1 cents to end at $23.01, a new 52 weeks’ high. Guardian Media contributed 4,257 shares with a value of $84,161 to end at $19.77, up by 2 cents, for a 52 weeks’ high, while National Commercial Bank added 2,500 shares and closed at $1.05 up 1 cent and Scotiabank gained 11 cents to end the day at $59.33 with 200 shares traded.
Declines| There were no declining stocks at the close of trading.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Firstcaribbean International Bank with 1,500 shares ended trading at $5, First Citizens Bank ended trading with 7,864 shares changing hands, for a value of $289,159 at $36.77, Grace Kennedy traded 1,513 shares to close at $3.75. Guardian Holdings traded 1,268 units at $13.25, Massy Holdings traded 10 shares at $68.25, Sagicor Financial Corporation with a volume of 7,000 shares traded closed at $5.95 and L.J. Williams B shares traded 500 units at 90 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
8 Stocks trade on JSE junior market
General Accident stock rose 11 cents to $1.57 on Friday
At the close of the market, there were 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower. The junior market continues to exhibit weakness with 7 securities closing with no bids to buy. There were 4 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Access Financial traded 2,400 shares at $9, Caribbean Producers traded 76,978 units to end at $2.20, and lost 1 cents, Consolidated Bakeries with 105,314 shares closed at 82 cents, Dolphin Cove exchanged 5,300 shares and lost 30 cents to end at $8.50, General Accident closed up, by 11 cents, at $1.57 while 61,516 units were traded. Lasco Distributors ended up with a volume of 650,000 being traded for $1.49 and the price rose 5 cents to $1.49, Lasco Financial traded 721,560 shares to end at 94 cents after losing 2 cents and Lasco Manufacturing traded at 99 cents with 32,162 shares.
13 stocks gained Friday on JSE
Gleaner’s stock is poised to drop with the offer priced below the last selling price.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 stocks with offers that were lower. Included in the list of stocks closing with lower bids than the last selling price is the Gleaner Company with an offer to sell 47,850 shares at 95 cents, compared with the last traded price of 99 cents.
There were no bids to buy at the end of trading as the stock seems set to trade at a new 52 weeks’ low when it next trades.Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 597.83 points to 75,366.92, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 668.46 points to close at 82,982.00 and the JSE combined index gained 576.45 points to close at 77,152.08.
J$ slips against all on Thursday
The Jamaican dollar lost value against the US dollar, the British pound and the Canadian dollar, on Thursday. Authorized dealers purchased the equivalent of US$27,640,306 versus US$31,872,356 on Wednesday, and sold the equivalent of US$27,319,898 compared with US$33,727,145 on Wednesday.
The volume bought by dealers on Thursday, is slightly less than for the similar day in December last year, by with US$2.4 million but sales were $2.7 million higher in 2013 than this Thursday. For the week to Thursday purchases were more than in 2013 and sales much less than in 2013.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$23,030,965 compared to US$26,146,822 on Wednesday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 2 cents to $113.16 and US$24,202,008 was sold versus US$30,605,638 on Wednesday. The selling rate rose 7 cents at $113.76 The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 7 cents to $97.70 with dealers buying C$1,260,355 and selling C$783,450, at an average selling rate that increased 77 cents, to $99.78. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 24 cents to $176.56, for the purchase of £1,944,876, while £1,207,615 was sold, the rate rose 10 cents to $178.14. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$486,539 while the equivalent of US$539,650, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, closed 7 cents higher at $114, the lowest buying and the highest selling rates were unchanged at $93.35 and $119.63 respectively, but the lowest selling rate rose 42 cents to $93.52. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell 40 cents to end at $99.85. The lowest buying rate closed unchanged at $79.76. The highest selling rate dived 68 cents to $102.15 and the lowest selling rate climbed $1.95 to $96.25. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, gained 20 cents to $179. The lowest buying rate is up 49 cents to $143.96, the highest selling rate eased $3.15 to $181.80 and the lowest selling rate fell $1.20 to $171.65.
Remittances continue up in August
Gross remittance inflows for August this year, grew by 3.5 percent or US$6 million to US$184 million.
Total remittance out flows fell slightly from US$22.3 million to US$21.6 million and resulted in net inflows of US$162.3 million, an increase of US$6.8 million or 4.4 percent over August 2013. For the eight months to August total remittance inflows amounted to US$1.422 billion, an increase of US$54 million or 3.9 percent but outflows contracted by 14 million to $150 million and resulted in net inflows increasing by US$68 million or 5.6 percent over the similar period in 2013 to hit US$1.27 billion. The data released by Jamaica’s central bank showed.
