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Jamaica Producers Group Delivers Strong First Quarter Performance

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C.J. Johnston Chairman of Jamaica Producers Group Limited (“JP”) has released the following report on the company’s first quarter ended April 2, 2022

The First Quarter delivered a strong performance, which say JP earning consolidated net profits of $811 million from revenues of $6.9 billion. JP increased revenues by 26% over the prior year, with sales growth in both our business segments – Logistics & Infrastructure (“L&I”) and Food &Drink (“F&D”).

Net profit attributable to shareholders was $406 million, an increase of 58% over the prior year.

JP Logistics & Infrastructure

The L&I Division accounts for the major share of the Group’s net assets and, in turn, its profits. In addition to Kingston Wharves Limited, the Group’s largest subsidiary (which operates a multipurpose port and logistics hub), the L&I Division also includes JP Shipping Services Limited (which operates logistics and shipping services between Caribbean ports and the United Kingdom) and, since the acquisition in April 2021, our Geest Line Limited (“Geest”) joint venture.

Geest has been in business for over 60 years and operates a fleet of ships that move refrigerated cargo as well as industrial and consumer goods and vehicles between the Caribbean, South America and Europe. As of January 2022, the L&I Division also includes Miami Freight & Shipping Company which consolidates cargo in South Florida for shipment to the Caribbean.

The L&I Division generated First Quarter profit before finance cost and taxation of $1.0 billion, a 43% increase over the prior year. Divisional revenues of $2.8 billion were up 30% over the same period in the prior year.

The Division continues to benefit from a series of initiatives to develop Kingston Wharves as a leading regional multipurpose and multi-user terminal, and Newport West as a warehousing and logistics hub. During the quarter, Kingston Wharves benefited from growing volumes of containerised cargo and automotive shipments to Jamaica and the region.

The quarterly improvements also reflect our strategy to build a diversified Caribbean logistics platform, through business development initiatives and through acquisitions.

Our UK-based freight forwarding and logistics business and our recently acquired shipping line and Miami based logistics business all contributed to the improved profitability of the Division.

JP Food & Drink

JP’s F&D Division is the largest contributor to the revenues of the Group. The Division earned First Quarter profits before finance cost and taxation of $80 million on revenues of $4.1 billion. This represents an increase of 24% compared to revenues of $3.3 billion in the same period last year. The F&D Division now comprises our portfolio of subsidiaries that are engaged in farming, food processing, distribution and retailing of food and drink. The Division has production facilities in Europe and the Caribbean (Jamaica and the Dominican Republic) and operates a distribution centre in the United States.

Our JP Farms business continues to lead in banana and pineapple production in Jamaica. Our range of specialty food and drink products includes fresh juices, tropical snacks, frozen foods, fresh fruit and Caribbean rum-based baked goods.

A.L. Hoogesteger Fresh Specialist B.V. (“Hoogesteger”) is the largest contributor to the revenues and profits of the Division. This business is a market leader in fresh juice in Northern Europe and serves as a co-packer of juice for major supermarket and food service entities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia and Switzerland. The Division also includes our joint
venture manufacturing and bottling businesses in Spain (fresh juice) and the Dominican Republic (water and ice).

During the First Quarter, the Division experienced material increases in costs associated with raw material commodities and logistics. These cost increases will need to be recovered through an increase in selling prices over the course of the year.

The initiative to adjust prices to align with market conditions is now well underway but during the First Quarter we did face some margin compression where we delayed price increases to balance any uncertainty in demand arising from restrictions on economic activity due to COVID.

Our markets are continuing to normalise at a steady pace, and with the overall strong recovery in employment, we are optimistic about the prospects for the F&D Division once consumer routines around work, school and leisure are re-established.

Outlook

Jamaica Producers Group Limited has been organised to generate revenues from a diverse range of business lines and, importantly, a diverse range of markets. Our food and drink business includes premium and travel retail products, as well as everyday snacks and basic food items. These businesses are aligned to general consumer trends such as the focus on health, convenience and provenance, and they serve markets as diverse as the Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora, Northern Europe, North America and Caribbean travel retail and hospitality.

Our logistics businesses, also operating in Europe, the USA and the Caribbean, handle a wide range of commodities and service a large number of origin and destination markets. Services provided range from shipping and freight forwarding to stevedoring, terminal operations, cold storage and logistics.

We view the diversity of our business as a strength. We are of the view, however, that inflation, supply chain shocks, disruptions to business confidence and trading arising out of the war in Ukraine, and some economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic will all present general business challenges in the short term.

We have seriously considered the current trading conditions and have positively decided to maintain an aggressive investment programme. Our strategy is to build on our core business capabilities in food and drink and logistics and infrastructure with selective capital investment projects and acquisitions.

Core capital investments in our terminal, cranes and warehousing at Kingston Wharves are designed to expand capacity, gain market share and drive efficiency in our logistics businesses.

Investment in food grade packaging lines, information technology systems, efficiency and hygiene, and health and safety are all expected to bolster the F&D Division in the months ahead.

Our acquisition strategy will continue to see us identifying other logistics services that support trade with the Caribbean, as well as food and drink businesses in markets that present new growth opportunities for the Group.

With shareholders’ equity of $18.3 billion (an increase of 12% relative to the prior year) and cash and investments of $11.5 billion, we believe that the JP Group has the balance sheet strength to support its strategy.

C.J. Johnston Chairman of Jamaica Producers Group Limited

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ANSA McAL Group Announces Formation Of Joint Venture Company, Globus ANSA Private Limited, With Globus Spirits Limited In India.

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A. Norman Sabga Executive Chairman of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies has announced the formation of the joint venture company, Globus ANSA Private Limited, with Globus Spirits Limited in India.

In a release posted on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange ANSA McAL confirmed that with effect from 4th April 2024, ANSA McAL Limited (“ANSA McAL”) entered into a joint venture agreement with Globus Spirits Limited (“GSL”) to establish Globus ANSA Private Limited (“GAPL”).

Each party will hold fifty percent (50%) of the issued and allotted ordinary share capital of GAPL.

“This collaboration signifies a new era in the Indian alcoholic beverages industry, driving innovation and growth, ‘

“Globus ANSA Private Limited will specialise in manufacturing and distributing alcoholic beverages across the Indian subcontinent, leveraging the strength of both ANSA McAL and Globus Spirits Limited,” said Mr. Shekhar Swarup, Managing Director for Globus Spirits Limited. “This collaboration signifies a new era in the Indian alcoholic beverages industry, driving innovation and growth, ‘he stated

 

 

 

Globus Spirits Ltd is one of the leading players in the Alcohol industry in North India distributing brands in the Consumer Segment including:
• GR8 Times.
• Rajputana.
• Globus Spirits Dry Gin.
• White. Lace.
• Governors’ Reserve Red.
• Governors’ Reserve Blue.
• Oakton.
• Laffaire. Napoleon.

Trinidad and Tobago conglomerate ANSA McAL Group has over 142 years of rich history representing many world-renowned brands, including some of their own home-grown successes. The partnership marks a significant milestone in ANSA McAL Group’s journey, merging cultures and expertise to revolutionise the beer industry in India, with their icon Carib brand and leading the charge.

Norman Sabga Executive Chairman of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, highlighted the immense opportunities in India and their commitment to delivering unparalleled value through this partnership.

“We are confident that our collaboration will allow us to seize the growing demand for high quality beverages by captivating palates with our distinctive products” he said

ANSA McAL is now poised to be an equal Shareholder of GAPL, an Indian company which
would produce, market, sell, distribute and retail beer and other beverages.

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Jamaica Broilers Group Reporting Strong Top and Bottom Line Performance for January 2024 Quarter

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Christopher E. Levy Group President & CEO of Jamaica Broilers Group Limited now release the following unaudited financial results for the quarter ended January 27, 2024, which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The Group produced a net profit attributable to shareholders of $1.3 billion, for the quarter ended January 27, 2024. The operations of the Group continue to be strong, and our gross margins are consistent with expectations.

Quarterly Group revenues amounted to $23.6 billion, a 4% increase above the $22.7 billion achieved in the corresponding quarter.

Our gross profit for the quarter was $5.9 billion, a 7% increase above the $5.5 billion achieved in the corresponding quarter in the prior year.

Jamaica Operations reported a segment result of $5.9 billion which was $448 million or 8% above last year’s segment result. Total revenue for our Jamaica Operations showed an increase of 2% over the prior year nine-month period. This increase was primarily driven by the growth in the sale and export of poultry and implementation of cost containment efforts.

Our US Operations reported a segment result of $3 billion which was $226 million or 8% above last year’s segment result. This increase was driven by increased volumes of poultry meat and eggs, as well as the implementation of cost management initiatives.
Total revenue for the US Operations increased by 3% over the prior year nine-month period.

We have begun to realise additional volumes through the US operations, which has resulted in increased financing requirements primarily around working capital.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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Main Event Reporting Net Profit Of JA$100M For Quarter Ended January 2024

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Solomon Sharpe Chief Executive Officer of Main Event Entertainment Group Limited has released the following unaudited financial statements for the quarter ended January 31, 2024 (Q1).

The company continues to have solid results in an increasingly competitive and largely difficult environment. The company’s performance was anchored by diversifying our client base through strategic targeting and efficient management of our operations.

The company reported net profit of $100.254M for the quarter ended January 31, 2024, representing a decline of 15% or $17.695M relative to the corresponding period of 2023. Consequently, earnings per share decreased by 15% to $0.33 per share.

Total revenues for the quarter ended January 31, 2024 declined by $59.235M to $567.752M, reflecting a decrease of 9% over the corresponding period. This was mainly due to a one-off event for one of our major clients which is not likely to reoccur in subsequent periods.

The company was strategic in its efforts to protect the margins and the gross profit for the quarter was $315.822M compared to the $312.611M earned in 2023. This demonstrates the company’s ability to be alert and responsive to market conditions. Gross margins improved to 56%, up from 50% in the corresponding period.

The company continues to generate revenues from activities requiring reduced external support.

For more information CLICK HERE

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The LAB Reporting Higher Net Profits Based On Strong Focus On Agency Segment

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Kimala Bennett Chief Executive Officer for Limners and Bards Limited (The LAB) has released the following unaudited financial statements for the three months ended January 31, 2024, which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The consolidated results include the subsidiary Scope Caribbean Limited (Scope) whose principal business is the scouting, placement and management of talent while expanding and maintaining a database of quality talent.

The LAB achieved higher net profits when compared to the corresponding period last year. This was based on the strong focus on the Agency Segment of the business for this quarter, as the company continued to build brands. The Agency Segment provides the highest profit margin and as such bolstered the results for the period. The company also implemented cost containment measures, which resulted in a 19.2% reduction in administrative expenses when compared to prior period. We continue to maintain a strong balance sheet and our cash position grew stronger over the period. Our asset base increased, as we reinvested in the business through further upgrading film studio facilities.

Revenue for the three months ended January 31, 2023, was $219.4 million, down 11.4% relative to the prior period. This decline was primarily attributable to a reduction in production during the period due to its cyclical nature. Notwithstanding this, the Agency segment outperformed the comparable period. The revenue achieved was derived from the company’s core business lines: Media totalling $118.3 million, followed by Production with $29.3 million and Agency with $71.6 million.

The company remains fully focused on executing its strategy of diversifying its income, through engaging new clients and the introduction of new service lines. These strategic endeavours are aligned with our company’s expansion strategy into emerging markets, all aimed at fostering sustainable growth, increased revenues, enhanced profitability; while proactively anticipating the evolving needs of our valued clients and enhancing shareholders’ value.

Gross Profit for the three months was $88.9 million, down 3.3% when compared to the corresponding period. Net Profit achieved was $26.2 million, up 295.7% relative to the comparable period. due to higher gross profits from the agency segment and lower administrative expenses. Administrative expenses decreased by $16.3 million or 19.2% in comparison to the corresponding period last year. These decreases are primarily due to reduction in contractor and staff cost.

The consolidated Balance Sheet saw total assets increasing by $119 million or 15.1% to $909.3 million compared to $790.2 million in the corresponding period. This increase in assets is driven by building and film studio facilities improvement and purchases of new production equipment to facilitate future growth.

Current Assets amounted to $731.7 million, increasing by $107.6 million over the prior year, primarily due to a 43.6% increase in cash and cash equivalent. Management continues to maintain tight monitoring and control over receivables. Cash and cash equivalent increased by $142.4 million over the corresponding period last year. Shareholders’ equity grew to $624 million, up from $548.1 million or 13.9% over the corresponding period last year.

The LAB is pleased to report significant progress in our strategic initiatives. We have successfully completed the pilots for two TV/web series, “SEEN” and “Jenna In Law,” as outlined at our last Annual General Meeting (AGM). Additionally, Pre-production for our first feature film, “Love Offside,” is currently underway, with production scheduled to commence in June 2024.

In line with our strategic objectives, we are actively engaging with international networks and digital streaming platforms to secure distribution opportunities for our content upon production completion. This proactive approach ensures that our creative endeavours have a suitable platform to reach global audiences.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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Maximum Participating Voting Share Capital Of Companies Listed On The Junior Stock Exchange Moving From JA$500 Million To JA$750 Million

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“Utilizing equity capital is an effective avenue to stimulate innovation and reduce operating costs thereby allowing companies to drive growth, improve productivity and increase their chances of sustainability. We commend the Government for this decision and encourage small and medium sized companies to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has announced that they have increased the participating share capital limit from $500 million to $750 million for companies on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

“This is very exciting news for the Exchange,” commented Dr. Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. “This is an exceptionally good move by the Government as this will allow small and medium sized companies to come to market to raise additional capital for business expansion and assist new companies to raise capital and to consider this capital raising option as viable. She stated that “Utilizing equity capital is an effective avenue to stimulate innovation and reduce operating costs thereby allowing companies to drive growth, improve productivity and increase their chances of sustainability. We commend the Government for this decision and encourage small and medium sized companies to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Junior Market was established in 2009 to allow small and medium sized companies (SMEs) to raise a maximum of $500 million dollars during an initial public offering (IPO). The Government’s new initiative towards companies listed on the Junior Market now allows them to raise up to $750 million dollars, an increase of $250 million dollars.

Source Jamaica Stock Exchange

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