Kisha Anderson CEO Of Image Plus Consultants Limited, Has Released The Following Report And Results For The First Quarter Of The Financial Year Ending February 28, 2025.

Summary Financials

• Revenues of J$293.46M (YOY decline of J$6.73M or 2.24%)
• Gross Profit flat at J$190M
• Profit before Tax of J$31.7M (YOY decline of J$32.46M or 50.63%)
• 14,528 scans versus 14,793 in prior year
• EPS of $0.03 cents

Revenues

Revenues for the first three months of the financial year totalled J$293.46M. This result is J$6.73M or 2.24% below that for the same period in the prior year. There is a direct relationship between scan count and revenue. Total scan count for the first quarter was 265 or 1.8% less than the 14,793 scans completed at the end of the first three months in FY2024. The decline was due to;
1. The reduction in after-hour “On Call” services
2. A slower than anticipated growth in our new modalities of Mammography and MRI
3. A three (3) week downtime of our Ocho Rios CT unit, starting on May 22, 2024, which would have impacted earnings for the last eight (8) days of the quarter.

We continue to implement strategies to grow the scan count of our new modalities so as to improve revenue performance.

Expenses and Profit before Tax

Direct Costs for Q1 FY2025 were $103.46M, representing a decrease of 4.57% or J$4.95M over Q1 FY2024.

Gross Profit Margin for the quarter was 64.75%, a marginal increase when compared to the 63.89% outturn for the same period prior year.

Our Administrative and Other Expenses grew by J$20.19M or 15.31% when compared to the same period in the prior year, reducing our Operating Profit to J$37.96M when compared to the J$59.92M earned in the prior year’s quarter. This resulted in a 7% decline in Operating Profit Margin, demonstrating that we have not yet derived the revenue potential from the new modalities to absorb the growth in these expenses that had to be front-loaded to facilitate the build-out of the new modalities. The team is focused on improving this result.

Consequent to the reduction in revenue and the increase in operating expenses, our Profit Before Tax for this first quarter declined by 50.6% to 31.65M when compared to the same period in prior year.

Balance Sheet Growth

At the end of the first quarter, total assets stood at J$1.62B when compared to the J$1.61B at the end of FY 2024 and J$1.23B for Q1 FY2024. The growth of 31.42% or J$387.8M over Q1 2024 was due to increases in Property Plant and Equipment (“PPE”). As we have previously reported, growth in PPE is due to:
• the acquisition of land at 33 Lady Musgrave Road (“33 LMR”) for the relocated Winchester Road branch and future headquarters of the Company,
• the acquisition of new bio-medical equipment, namely two (2) Ultrasound Units, two (2)
Mammography Units and their accompanying UPS systems,
• the acquisition of one (1) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system and its accompanying UPS system and
• the increase in Right of Use Asset associated with the leases for our Ocho Rios and 3a Winchester Road locations.

There has been a year-over-year decrease of J$158.25M or 32.46% in Trade and Other Receivables resulting from capitalization of the prepayments associated with the acquisition of bio-medical equipment. This is offset by the J$33.16M or 12.73% increase in trade receivables from J$260.42M to J$293.58M. Important to note there has been an improvement in the aged receivables portfolio when compared to prior year.

Total equity for Q1 FY2025 decreased by J$5.53M reflecting the net position resulting from the accrual of the dividend J$37.18M to be paid on July 11, 2024.

Total Liabilities grew by J$18.77M to J$552.08M when compared to total liabilities as at the financial year end Feb2024 and by 80.08% or J$245.51M when compared to the prior year’s quarter. This increase results from the increase in Borrowings associated with the acquisition of bio-medical equipment, increased utilization of our bank overdraft and growth in our trade payables.

Outlook for Remainder of FY 2024 and beyond

Having achieved the desired build out of modalities, it is now critical that the IPCL team ensures that we grow revenue from our diversified revenue streams. Our targeted organic profit growth will be dependent on our ability to achieve the desired mix of scans by modality and source (private versus public patients). In growing we remain committed to constantly enhancing our patient experience, maintaining the quality of our reporting and improving our efficiency. We continue to scan the market for any inorganic growth opportunities that would add value to our performance.

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Ricardo Allen, founder and CEO For One On One Educational Services Limited (ONE) Has Released The Following Unaudited Financial Statements For The Third Quarter Ended May 31, 2024

Revenue for the 3rd quarter increased to J$94.9 million, resulting in a 37.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This substantial revenue growth was primarily driven by the expansion of our One Academy solution, as we secured agreements to implement the solution in one hundred high schools across Jamaica. This increase in revenue directly contributed to a significant improvement in the company’s performance for the quarter.

Direct costs for the 3rd quarter amounted to J$16.4 million, reflecting a J$4.6 million increase over the prior year. Despite this rise in costs, the gross profit increased to J$78.5 million, up by 37.5% due to the increased revenue.

The nine-month period also saw a 25.2% increase in direct costs due to an increase in our hosting infrastructure services, crucial for our Business to Government (B2G) division and implementation costs for the One Academy solution.

Administrative and selling expenses for the nine months decreased by J$9.9 million or 6.0%, while the 3rd quarter experienced a 21.8% decrease, reflecting the net benefit from cost-control measures implemented from the second quarter.

A taxation charge of J$7.4 million for the current quarter was due to deferred taxation, resulting in an overall tax charge of J$8.3 million at the end of the nine months.

The quarter ended with a net profit of J$24.2 million, a substantial increase of 520% compared to the J$3.9 million net profit for the 2023 quarter.

The company revenue for the nine months ended 31 May 2024 was J$206.1 million, down from J$222.3 million for the nine months ended May 2023. This decline was primarily due to the completion of some short-term project related contracts. Nevertheless, we have successfully retained our core annual recurring business from existing contracts, some of which have even expanded through new acquisitions.

The company ended the nine-month period with a net loss of J$17.3 million, compared to a net profit of J$21.4 million for the previous year and a reduction in the year to date loss from J$41.4M reported for the six months ended February 2024. Despite this, the significant growth in quarterly revenue and profitability sets a positive trajectory for the future.

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John Jackson Chairman For QWI Investments (QWI) Limited Has Released The Following Report For The Third Quarter Ended June 2024

QWl’s Jamaican investments, representing 65 percent of the Company’s portfolio, produced unrealised gains of $45.1 million (Q3 2023- $99.9 million) and realised losses of $2.6 million in the quarter. The year ago, quarter was strongly influenced by a sharp upturn in the price of our shares in Stationery and Office Supplies ahead of its stock split in 2023. These gains were not repeated this quarter. Accordingly, the 2024 results are based on the performance of companies that appear more sustainable going forward.

For the year to date there was an $84 million improvement in the Jamaican portfolio from unrealised losses of $42 million in 2023 to an unrealised gain this year of $42 million.

During the quarter we transitioned into some stocks with better short-term outlook and disposed of others which we considered to have limited upside potential. We reinvested some of the sales proceeds in stocks considered to have potential for above average growth prospects and utilised the rest to reduce the Company’s borrowings.

The Net Asset Value (NAV) of the Company’s shares increased 2.3 percent from $1.29 in March 2024 to $1.32 at the end of June 2024. In addition to capital gains in our stock holdings we enjoyed unrealised exchange gains of $15.1 million compared with $1.4 million a year ago.

Administration costs decreased to almost $25.3 million for the year to date compared with $28.6 million in 2023 while interest expense decreased from $8.6 million in the year ago quarter to $7.6 million this year reflecting lower borrowings.

Third Quarter Results: Statement of Financial Position

QWI ended the period with equity capital of $1.797 billion up from $1.685 billion in September 2023, boosted by the gains mentioned above.
Total Investments amounted to $2.2 billion, with 65 percent represented by Jamaican listed stocks and the majority of the balance invested in the USA market.

At June 2024, the Company held US$4.8 million in equities listed in the USA and Trinidad and Tobago. The portfolio includes positions in several leading companies involved in information technology, health insurance and housing and construction.

Non-current margin loan borrowings at the end of June 2024 were $149 million while current margin loans secured on the USA portfolio totalled J$55 million.

Our holdings in Access remained steady throughout the period and we expect that as the Company recovers from the COVID-19 fallout, profits during this year will reach levels to spur demand for the stock and drive the value higher.

Year to date, we enjoyed gains in Dolphin, Caribbean Producers, Carib Cement, both Lasco companies, General Accident and Scotia Group.

The Company’s Investment Committee actively monitors the investment portfolio and the markets in which we operate. In the Jamaican market, QWI’s earnings continue to be mixed but the indications from the market are that investors have rewarded companies with healthy profits by driving prices upwards.

We note that local interest rates, particularly for 30-day Bank of Jamaica CDs have decreased from a high of nearly 12 percent in April to under 9 percent currently, with the clearing rate in the BOJ’s 30-day CD auction of 10 July 2024 averaging 9.45 percent. This is encouraging and if sustained should encourage more funds to be invested in the local stock market.

In the USA the outlook for future interest rate cuts has strengthened with the publication of the June 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report which showed a monthly decline in the USA inflation rate.

Strong earnings growth has continued at some companies and there has been strong investor interest in, and demand for, the stocks of companies building out the infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications. This is continuing to present opportunities for investors and QWI has greatly benefitted from some of these trends in its USA portfolio.

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Albert Bailey CEO of Spur Tree Spices Jamaica Limited has released the following report for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024, including the presentation of unaudited financial statements, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Performance Review

Revenue for the quarter moved from $383.6M to $394.5M, an increase of 2.8% over the same quarter for 2023. Projected revenue growth was negatively impacted by raw material shortages experienced in the Agro processing sector since the 2nd quarter of 2023. These shortages impacted the Company’s ability to fulfil customer orders during the quarter.

The Company sustained far higher raw material input costs this quarter, relative to the similar quarter of the previous year due to the impact of raw material shortages. Therefore, Cost of Sales for the quarter rose from $259.5M to $287.6M, an increase of 10.8%.

There are positive signs that raw material supplies are gradually returning to normal levels, and associated costs are also coming down. We expect to see a continued movement in this direction, and a full return to normal raw material prices in the coming months.

The rollout of a wide range of new products to market, that do not use these primary raw material inputs, is a part of the company’s strategic initiatives to reduce the risk and vulnerability associated with this area of our business. The Company’s venture into farming also aligns with our strategy to achieve greater raw material stability and therefore lessen any future negative impact on performance.

Gross Profit for the period was $106.9M, down from $124.2M for the same period in 2024. This represents a 13.9 % decline year over year for the same period. The fall in gross profit resulted from the increase in raw material input costs sustained during the period.

With the initiatives being implemented to reduce costs, and the general downward trend in the price of raw materials inputs, the Company anticipates a full recovery of gross profit margins in the coming quarters.

Administrative Expenses for the 1st quarter was 71.4M, up from $66.8M for the corresponding period in 2023. This is an increase of 6.9%, which is commendable given the current circumstances. This means, administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue ticked up slightly from 17.4 % of sales in the first quarter of 2023, to 18.09% for the similar quarter in 2024.

The company will continue to tightly monitor this area of expenditure while working to get our revenue and gross margin back to targeted levels.

Finance Costs for the 1st quarter were $9.5M, down from $10.4M in 2023. This represents an 8.2% reduction for the quarter.

Net Profit attributable to the owners of the company for the quarter was $31M, down from $47.8M for the same quarter in 2023. While net profit is down compared to the same quarter last year, the company’s profit has improved over the last quarter (4th quarter), in which similar raw material challenges were faced.

The performance for the quarter, while not at the level projected, was commendable given the many challenges faced.

Outlook

The Company’s outlook remains very bright and positive. Spur Tree Spice is strategically positioned for substantial growth and expansion in 2024. The leadership has undertaken several important initiatives to ensure the continued success of the Company as we expand the reach and strength of the brand across all markets.

Some of the initiatives are:

• Spur Tree Spices Farming Initiative: Raw Materials supplies sourced directly from the farm made a significant contribution to the Company’s ability to fulfil orders during the first quarter. There are currently 13 acres of Scotch Bonnet Pepper under cultivation and 12 acres of West Red Pepper. In addition, there are enough seedlings at our nursery to plant another 18 acres of Scotch Bonnet Pepper in the coming weeks. This will bring the total acreage of pepper under cultivation to 43, with an expected output of over 650,000 lbs. This level of output, supplemented by supplies from our farming partners, will guarantee adequate quantities of pepper for the remainder of 2024. The next phase of the plan is to put into production, other raw material inputs to supplement current supplies from our farming partners.
• Launch of New Products: Spur Tree Spices has just launched 37 new SKUs across several product lines to include, Dry Seasonings, Fried Chicken Mix, BBQ Sauces, and a range of condiments including dips. Many of these formulations are first to market and based on market research and customer engagement, it is expected that these new items will gain significant traction in all current markets, locally and internationally. Along with these launches, the Company used the opportunity to refresh our brand’s aesthetic to reflect our creativity and to create a compelling brand identity that resonates with both local and global audiences.
• Additional Upcoming Launches: The company is working to bring to market even more new products by July 2024. These are high demand/high usage items that should have a very positive impact on revenue and profit and generate strong brand response.
• Improved Ackee Production: Capacity at both Ackee factories is being upgraded to drive production and output of ackee during the next crop which is expected to begin in June 2024. Both entities will be in a much-improved position to maximize its production of ackee moving forward.
• Diversification of Linstead Market Brand: We are currently working on several new products to be launched under the Linstead Market brand. These items will be introduced to market by August 2024. This will be the first rollout of many items being considered to diversify the offerings under this brand.

We are confident that with these initiatives and others to come, the Company is well on its way to becoming an internationally recognized food brand known for creativity, quality and being ironically Jamaican. The Board of Directors and the Executive Management Team are committed to ensuring the Company remains on track to maximize shareholders’ value while building a strong, sustainable, and profitable brand.