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There Is Still An Appetite For Good Companies In Which To Invest

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“Spur Tree Spices Jamaica is listing on a vibrant market which closed the year with an index up by nearly 30%. The offer which was oversubscribed confirms that there is still an appetite, for good companies in which to invest, despite that fact that we are still in a pandemic. The market has also signaled that there is a definite appreciation for this company, that there is liquidity in the market and that there is still confidence in the market. Including the $335 million raised by Spur Tree, the total capital raised by the companies listed on the Junior Market now amounts to $12.95 billion since inception of this market, fulfilling the objective of the Junior Market, which is to enable access to equity capital.” Dr. Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the JSE

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ANSA Merchant Bank Posts Lower Q1 Earnings Amid 37% EPS Decline

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A. Norman Sabga Chairman ANSA Merchant Bank Limited Has Released The Following Unaudited Interim Financial Statements For The Quarter Ended March 31st, 2025

ANSA Merchant Bank Group earned net operating income of $114 million in the first quarter to March 2025, 4.2% lower than the prior year’s comparative $119 million. Earnings per share decreased by 37% from $0.46 in 2024 to $0.29 for the three months ended 31st March 2025. Total assets increased by 2.6% over the prior year end to $10.2 billion, while satisfying all regulatory capital requirements.

The Banking Segment, comprising ANSA Merchant Bank Limited, ANSA Merchant Bank (Barbados) Limited, ANSA Bank Limited and ANSA Wealth Management Limited, earned net operating income of $68 million (Q1 2024: $84 million) and profit before tax of $4.6 million (Q1 2024: $36.1 million). The results were negatively affected by volatility in the international investment markets. Notwithstanding this, the Banking Segment continues to see growth in both our Retail and Merchant banking businesses. We continue to focus on investing, integrating and streamlining our businesses to be more efficient to better serve our customers in both our retail and commercial banking divisions.

The Insurance Segment, comprising TATIL, TATIL Life, COLFIRE and Trident, earned net operating income of $61.3 million (Q1 2024: $60.0 million) for the first quarter and profit before taxes of $21.6 million (Q1 2024 $14.6 million), an improvement of 48%, notwithstanding the Reinsurance subsidiary (TATIL RE) being affected by volatility in the international investment markets. Year-on-year, this segment has experienced growth in its core business across both P&C and Life Insurance lines and continues to show improvements in underwriting profitability in both P&C and Life businesses. This improved performance has been achieved notwithstanding the competitive environment of the businesses together with claims inflation, particularly in the cost of replacement parts in the motor line of business.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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ANSA McAL Strengthens Sector Leadership with Growth-Focused Investment Strategy

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A. Norman Sabga Chairman ANSA McAL Limited Has Released The Following unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements For The Quarter Ended March 31st, 2025

In Q1 2025, the Group delivered strong top-line growth, with revenue increasing by 10% year-over-year to TT$1,808 million. Net cash flows from operating activities also increased significantly—by 81% to TT$244 million—underscoring the strong operational health of our business and our ability to generate cash efficiently. Group Profit Before Tax (PBT) stood at TT$93 million, a 46% decline compared to the prior year. Earnings Per Share (EPS) decreased by 49% to TT$0.31. Adjusted EBITDA declined modestly by 6% to TT$278 million.

These reductions are largely attributable to increased interest expenses, as well as amortisation and depreciation related to the BLEACHTECH LLC acquisition—charges not present in the prior year. Our gearing ratio improved to 27.7%, down from 28.4% as at December 2024.

Operationally, a historically harsh North American winter impacted the demand for bleach for water treatment. It also led to frozen pipes at the bleach plant which affected plant uptime. We decided to seize the opportunity to undertake strategic and significant capacity-building upgrades to BLEACHTECH LLC’s facilities, ahead of the peak summer demand. Consistent with the Group’s decision to reinvest earnings in future growth, these enhancements are expected to significantly strengthen our U.S. market position and drive meaningful growth through the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

Our Financial Services Sector was affected by non-cash mark-to-market losses on investment portfolios and a soft investment banking climate. Despite these headwinds, our Banking division remains focused on redefining the retail and commercial experience through innovation and disciplined growth. Meanwhile, the Insurance segment recorded growth across Life, Property and Casualty portfolios, achieving improved underwriting profitability despite competitive pressures and claims inflation.

As we plan for the remainder of the year, we are confident in the Group’s long-term growth trajectory. Our pipeline of inorganic opportunities—diverse in scale, scope, and geography—remains robust. Our growth-oriented investment strategy will further reinforce our leadership in core sectors such as Beverage, Bleach, and Banking. We are poised to deliver our 2X strategy, which will position the Group for high-quality sustained growth for the benefit of all our stakeholders.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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Unilever Caribbean’s New Distribution Model Marks Key Strategic Recalibration Amid Market Challenges

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Daniela Bucaro Chairman Unilever Caribbean Limited Has Released The Following Unaudited Financial Statements For The Quarter Ended March 31st, 2025

Unilever Caribbean Limited (UCL) has achieved a Profit after tax for the first quarter 2025 of $16.2m when compared to $6m in the prior year.

Revenue closed at $81.2m, representing an increase of $24m for the period compared to the prior year, but also includes significant one-off transactions relating to its new distribution model. This change in distribution model is a strategic recalibration and a critical element in ensuring sustainable growth while navigating the challenging and dynamic economic environment. Revenue this quarter included stock transfers to our two appointed national distributors as the UCL operated warehouse was closed. Excluding these stock transfers, total Revenue declined by approximately 2.2%, driven mainly by the Home Care segment.

A net restructuring cost of $0.4m is directly attributed to the adoption of the new route-to-market model. The Beauty and Personal Care division is growing and continues to perform well and now accounts for 53% of total turnover.

The Home Care category, faced some challenges in the local market with intense pricing competition resulting in demand constraints for powdered detergents. Locally, the brands Cif and Quix, reported marginal growth and in the export markets, there was revenue growth in the fabric cleaning category.

The Foods and Refreshments category closed the quarter relatively flat versus the prior year, maintaining its 11% share of the total company revenue. Cost containment was achieved across all parameters within the profit and loss statement, contributing to a healthy operating profit of $23.8m before restructuring.

The Company results provided earnings per share for the quarter of $0.62, indicating a noteworthy increase from $0.23 per share in the corresponding period of 2024. While we do not underestimate potential challenges in the economic environment, our commitment remains steadfast: to deliver long-term value to our shareholders, customers and stakeholders.

The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly interim dividend of $0.16 per share, amounting to $4.2m, based on the company’s financial performance. These financial statements do not yet reflect this dividend.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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CINE1 Group Ramps Up Operational Efficiencies Ahead of Anticipated Summer Blockbuster Season

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Brian Jahra Chairman CinemaOne Limited has released the following Report For The Six Month Period Ended March 31, 2025

Overview The 2025 Global Box Office at the end March reached US $8.5 Billion for the first three months of the year. As a result of the comparatively strong performance of China and its local releases, the current year Global Box Office recorded growth of 7% over the 2024 January-March period. However, the tepid audience demand for titles such as Captain America: Brave New World suppressed box office results in the domestic market (US and Canada) to -13% below 2024 while the international market, excluding China, started the year with a decline of -7% behind the same period in 2024.

Despite the slow start to the new year, some of which was expected due to the lingering impact of the Hollywood strikes, the recovery trajectory resumed in April with the first blockbuster of 2025 in The Minecraft Movie and the Ryan Coogler breakout hit Sinners. These titles set an upbeat tone for the upcoming summer holiday season and beyond.

Financial Performance

The CinemaONE Group’s (the “CINE1 Group”) performance for the period was in line with the domestic and international cinema exhibition market results. The consolidated results for the six (6) month period ended March 31, 2025 were as follows:

  • Gross Revenue was down -7% to TT $8.6M (FY 2024: TT $9.2M).
  • Gross Profit was on par with the previous period at TT $5.7M (FY 2024: TT $5.7M) given tighter procurement policies.
  • The CINE1 Group maintained its positive Operating Profit with $.2M, versus the Prior Year Operating Loss (FY 2024: -$.1M).
  • EBITDA increased 9% to $3.4M vs. the Prior Year (FY 2024: 1 $3.0M).
  • The CINE1 Group also narrowed its Net Loss for the period to -$2.0M versus the Prior Year (FY 2024: -$2.7M).

Future Outlook

The CINE1 Group is continuing to enhance operational efficiencies earmarked to reduce costs as the Company positions itself for what the industry expects will be a robust summer blockbuster period. For the first time in a few years the upcoming holiday season, which starts in May, will benefit from multiple major wide movie releases from all major studios. The silver screens will be graced with highly anticipated titles such as Paramounts’ Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning, Sony’s John Wick Ballerina, Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth, Disney’s Lilo and Stitch and its Fantastic Four as well as Warner Brothers Superman.

For More information CLICK HERE

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GraceKennedy Delivers Resilient Q1 Performance Amid Global Headwinds

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GraceKennedy Limited (GK), one of the Caribbean’s most diversified conglomerates, has reported a strong and steady financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, continuing to deliver value to shareholders despite a challenging global environment.

For the three-month period ended March 31, 2025, GK posted revenues of J$44.22 billion, marking a 4.4% increase or J$1.87 billion over the corresponding period in 2024. The Group’s profit before tax (PBT) rose marginally by 0.4% to J$3.16 billion, while net profit attributable to shareholders climbed by 3.0% to J$2.22 billion. Earnings per stock unit improved to J$2.25, up from J$2.18 in the previous year.

Foods Division Powers Growth
The Food segment remains GK’s cornerstone, showing notable resilience with both revenue and profit before tax exceeding Q1 2024 figures. In Jamaica, Grace Foods & Services and Hi-Lo Food Stores demonstrated robust revenue and profitability, underpinned by cost containment and margin optimization strategies. Strong performances were also recorded by manufacturing entities such as Grace Foods Processors (Meats) and Grace Foods Processors (NALCAN).

Internationally, GK’s food brands continue to resonate with consumers. GraceKennedy Foods USA LLC reported impressive growth in both Grace and La Fe brands, while subsidiaries in Canada and the UK also posted improved results. GK also finalized the acquisition of the remaining 30% of Catherine’s Peak Bottling Company, securing full ownership and reinforcing its position in Jamaica’s bottled water market.

Financial Services: Mixed Results, Promising Outlook
GraceKennedy Financial Group (GKFG) registered revenue growth and increased profitability in both its Insurance and Banking & Investments segments. Notably, First Global Bank’s loan portfolio expansion significantly boosted the Banking segment’s results. The Insurance arm also saw gains, driven by motor and property portfolios. A strategic bid to acquire the remaining 27% of Key Insurance Company Limited is poised to strengthen GK’s footprint in the general insurance space.

However, the Money Services segment faced headwinds, with profits down due to lower remittance flows in Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago. Despite these short-term pressures, GKFG is banking on the long-term scalability of its digital wallet, GK One, which continues to lead the Jamaican market in digital remittances. New app features and regional expansion plans are expected to unlock future growth.

Commitment to Community and Sustainability
Staying true to its “We Care” ethos, GraceKennedy invested over J$185 million in the 2025 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships (Champs), its largest annual sponsorship. This year’s Champs also honored former CEO Don Wehby with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to youth and sports.

Looking Ahead
As GK continues to implement its strategic priorities—expanding digital financial services, enhancing supply chain efficiency, and deepening market penetration—it remains committed to unlocking value and unleashing greatness. With a declared dividend of J$0.52 per stock unit to be paid on June 20, 2025, the Group underscores its commitment to shareholder returns.

GraceKennedy’s performance in Q1 2025 reflects its strength, adaptability, and focus on sustainable growth—affirming its vision to become the number one Caribbean brand in the world.

Frank James Group Chief Executive Officer

For More Information CLICK HERE

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