Businessuite Markets
Guardian Holdings Earnings Per Share Increased To TT$4.55 Versus The Comparative Period Of TT$1.97. For The Nine-Months Ended 30th September 2022
Patrick Hylton Chairman Guardian Holdings Limited Has Released The Following Report To Shareholders For The Nine-Months Ended 30th September 2022
Your Group continues to demonstrate resilience and produce excellent performance.
Global financial markets remain volatile, in part due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the related sanctions and economic fallout as well as global economic weakness. The outlook for financial markets over the short and medium-term remains uncertain and vulnerable to continued geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, we remain focused on enhancing our operating performance to counter these numerous disruptions.
For the nine-months ended 30th September 2022, profit attributable to equity shareholders was $1.056 billion and represented a 131% increase over the corresponding period last year of $457 million.
Earnings per share increased to $4.55 versus the comparative period of $1.97.
As we have communicated on many occasions, the Group has been on a transformation journey centered on technology, people and processes. We have invested heavily in technology to bring world-class customer service to our markets, leverage the scale of our Group and reduce our operating costs. While in recent years we have reaped some of the benefits, we are now at a resultant juncture where the payback on this investment is rapidly accelerating. In 2022 the Group implemented many of these initiatives for our Life, Health and Pensions (LHP) segment with the alignment of our Trinidad and Jamaica operations bringing to reality operational synergies, cost savings and centers of excellence. These activities result in long-term cost savings which have the effect of creating favourable reserve movements contributing to the exceptional performance recorded for the year to date.
Gross Written Premiums for the LHP segment increased by 6.5% from $2.915 billion to $3.105 billion. Investment income and fees were also up by 10%, an $82 million increase. In addition, net insurance benefits and claims (inclusive of favourable reserve movements) were lower than prior year by 19%, $429 million. All these factors contributed to a healthy uplift in LHP profit after tax of 1 16%, $597 million over prior year.
Results from Property and Casualty and Brokerage segments of the business also reported growth year over year of 42%, $43 million, whilst Asset Management declined by 42%, $13 million.
The Group’s net income from investing activities fell from $1.153 billion to $942 million, a reduction of 18%. This decrease was principally due to net fair value losses of $153 million reflecting the difficulties in global financial markets in the current period, compared to net fair value gains in the prior period of $133 million, resulting in an unfavourable movement of $286 million. The unfavourable fair value movement was partially offset by an increase in investment income of $70 million, arising from portfolio growth.
Operating expenses were $1 .147 billion, representing a 7% increase over the $ 1.074 billion reported for the same period prior year. These primarily relate to costs associated with the implementation of IFRS 17 as well as with the group-wide transformation initiatives.
The Board is pleased with this quarter’s performance and remains confident about the Group’s future financial performance.
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Businessuite Markets
Higher Operating Costs And Margin Pressures Impacted Main Event’s Overall Q1 Profitability.
Entering 2025 with a strategic focus on expanding revenue streams, strengthening client relationships, and maintaining financial discipline, the Company achieved revenue growth.
However, higher operating costs and margin pressures impacted overall profitability.
The Company reported revenues of $585.03M, representing a 3% or $17.28M increase over the $567.75M recorded in Q1 2024. This growth was primarily driven by a significant increase in revenue contribution from a previously underperforming segment, reflecting the success of targeted expansion efforts. While revenue remains below prior peak levels, the Company continues to recalibrate and drive demand through expanded service offerings and strengthened client engagements.
Gross profit for the quarter stood at $301.67M, reflecting a 4% decline from $315.82M in Q1 2024. This decline resulted from higher direct costs associated with event execution, infrastructure upgrades, additional non-recurring costs incurred during the period, and increased labour costs related to service delivery. Consequently, the gross margin contracted to 51.56% from 55.63% in the prior year. The Company remains focused on managing costs effectively to support long-term profitability.
Operating expenses increased to $218.72M, up 7.5% from $206.35M in Q1 2024. This rise was attributed to planned administrative enhancements, a significant one-off expenditure for the Company’s 20th Anniversary celebration, higher personnel costs, increased security and fuel expenses, and a 51% increase in amortisation expenses to $11.36M due to renegotiated lease agreements and the addition of a new lease.
Operating profit stood at $87.48M, a 24% decline from $115.28M in Q1 2024. Increased finance costs, stemming from renegotiated lease agreements and new lease additions, also impacted results.
Net profit for the quarter amounted to $73.67M, a 27% decrease from $100.25M in Q1 2024, influenced by lower gross margins, increased operational costs, and higher impairment charges. As a result, earnings per share (EPS) fell from $0.33 in Q1 2024 to $0.25 in Q1 2025.
Total assets grew by 6.4%, reaching $1,306.01M, up from $1,227.37M in Q1 2024. This increase was primarily driven by a 53% rise in receivables, reflecting expanded customer engagements, with several balances stemming from events executed near the period’s end. Short-term deposits increased to $250.24M from $236.50M, while cash and bank balances declined by 30% to $131.74M from $188.91M due to timing differences in collections and reinvestments.
Shareholders’ equity strengthened to $956.17M, reflecting a 5% increase over $912.66M in Q1 2024. This growth was primarily supported by retained earnings, demonstrating the Company’s ability to generate and reinvest profits efficiently.
Payables increased by 47%, rising to $229.58M from $156.38M in Q1 2024, mainly due to the timing of event executions towards the end of the quarter, resulting in higher accrued expenses related to supplier payments.
While the macroeconomic environment remains uncertain, the Company remains optimistic about the upcoming quarters. The focus will be on enhancing operational efficiencies to manage cost structures effectively and strengthening revenue streams through deeper market penetration and strategic partnerships. Additionally, the Company intends to use owned-events as a driver of revenue growth.
Our continued success is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and resilience of our exceptional team. Their ability to adapt and innovate in a dynamic industry ensures that we consistently exceed expectations and deliver outstanding experiences. Their dedication was especially evident during the holiday period, where they worked tirelessly to execute high-quality events, ensuring continued excellence in service delivery. We also recognise and appreciate the unwavering guidance of our Board; whose strategic leadership continues to drive our company’s growth and long-term vision.
Solomon Sharpe Chief Executive Officer
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