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Victoria Mutual Investments’ Q1 2020 A Very Challenging Period Due To Instability Of Local And Global Investment Markets Due To Covid-19 Resulting In Mixed Results – Burchenson

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Rezworth Burchenson, chief executive officer of Victoria Mutual Investments Limited (VMIL), is describing the company’s first quarter of 2020 as a very challenging period for VMIL, due to the instability of the local and global investment markets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has produced mixed results for the company.

The Group’s performance was adversely impacted by a reduction in net fees, commissions and
gains from investment activities, which was outlined in his report to shareholders in just released unaudited consolidated results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

VMIL recorded a consolidated net loss of JA$36.90 million, reflecting a decrease of JA$154.76 million over the corresponding 2019 quarter. Consolidated loss before tax for the three months ended March was JA$88.56 million, representing a reduction of JA$249.25 million when compared with the previous year. Earnings per share for the quarter was -$0.02 (March 31, 2019: $0.08).

Commenting further he noted that consolidated revenue for the three-month period was $268.37 million, reflecting a decrease of $169.67 million when compared with the corresponding period of 2019, highlighting the following:

• Capital Markets fee income was negatively impacted as transactions in execution paused due to the instability and weak forecasts for a Global recovery from COVID-19. Nonetheless, their guidance to corporates reinforces the need for capital to bolster balance sheets, weather the revenue downturn, and provide liquidity to capitalise on opportunities, which will materialise. Management he said was assiduously working on executing transactions in their pipeline while building new deal flows for the remainder of the year.

• Bond Trading performed exceptionally well as the strategies devised generated strong gains during the review period. While bond prices have stabilised in recent weeks, the recent downgrades coupled with projected weak economic data may impact upward price movement and consequently, revenue growth in the next quarter.

• Gains from Investment Activities were negatively impacted by the downturn in the investment markets during the month of March, attributable to the projected economic fallout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They anticipate a better performance in future reports based on the actions taken.

• The Asset Management business generated robust growth year over year, due to their strong investment performance in 2019, combined with the expansion and improved productivity of the sales team.

• Net Interest Income, despite the challenges of reduced interest rates and bond price volatility, generated growth of 6.21%, when compared to 2019.

He also reported that operating expenses for the period under review totaled $347.81 million, representing an increase of $70.46 million or 25.40% when compared to the prior-year period.

The increase in expenses, he remarked, was primarily attributable to impairment losses on Financial Assets of $40.73M, recognised in the context of current market conditions and may be reversed in upcoming periods based on projections from Expected Credit Loss (ECL) models.

Other expenses relate to people’s development, asset tax, and other support services required to grow the business. Nonetheless, he remarked, the review of their cost structure remains an ongoing exercise.

Total assets increased year over year by $3.14 billion or 14.52% to $24.74 billion as at March 31,
2020, partly attributable to increases of $1.10 billion and $1.21 billion in resale agreements and loans receivable, respectively.

Total liabilities were $21.44 billion as at March 31, 2020, an increase of $3.20 billion or 17.51%
from last year, driven mainly by an increase in repurchase agreement balances and borrowings.

Addressing Victoria Mutual Investments’ capital base, he reported that this continues to be strong with total shareholders’ equity standing at $3.30 billion as at March 31, 2020, decreasing by $60.00 million or 1.74% from $3.36 billion at the end of March 2019. This resulted in a book value per share of $2.20 (2019: $2.24).

This reduction in total equity, he said, was mainly attributable to:
• the year over year decrease of $175.08 million in the investment revaluation reserve, representing revaluation losses on investment securities and equity instruments;
• the net increase of $113.29 million in retained earnings, representing the undistributed portion of our 2019 earnings.

The wholly-owned subsidiary, Victoria Mutual Wealth Management Limited (VM Wealth), a licensed securities dealer, continues to be well capitalised, with a risk-weighted capital adequacy ratio of 14.58%, above the regulatory requirement of 10%. VM Wealth’s capital to total assets ratio of 13.33% as at March 31, 2020 exceeded the regulatory minimum of 6%.

Assets managed on behalf of clients on a non-recourse basis under management agreements grew by $2.92 billion or 11.76%, from $24.84 billion as of March 31, 2019, to $27.76 billion as at the end of the current period. The year over year growth was mainly fueled by strong net inflows of $2.41 billion into the Unit Trust portfolios.

During the review period they launched their first agile lab geared towards delivering more customer-centric solutions, noting that investments in digitising the business have allowed them to respond to clients’ needs during this difficult period. Further digitisation efforts will accelerate in the coming quarters. This initiative will pave the way for a stronger, more resilient, digitised and customer friendly business in the medium term, he reported.

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Jetcon Corporation Q1 Revenue And Profit Continues Downward Trend As Increases In Interest Rates Stifle Motor Vehicle Sales.

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Andrew Jackson Managing Director Of Jetcon Corporation Limited Has Released The Following Report To Shareholders For The First Quarter Ending March 2023

The board decided to release our first quarter results while we await the audit of the 2022 full year results which is not expected to deviate materially from the figures show for 2022 in the interim results.

The delay in releasing the audited 2022 results is regretted and it is expected that they will be released by June. In the meantime, the interim results should help investors to get a better picture of developments within the company.

Motor vehicle sales have slipped compared with the first quarter of 2022, and continues into April 2023 as well, however, we have seen positive development with monthly sales increasing month over month for 2023.

Revenues are however, down 29 percent compared to the first quarter in 2022. Gross profits fell by 35 percent, and net profits decreased from $10.2m to a small loss of $1.8m.

While prices of vehicles and shipping have stabilized somewhat, the increase in interest rates have stifled motor vehicle sales, however with the reduction of inflation and a fall in interest rates on Bank of Jamaica CDs and Government of Jamaica Treasury bill rates augur well for interest rates returning to more normal levels soon.

We expect sales to recover as the year progresses. We have sold the majority of our stock of electric vehicles (EVs) and expanded our range to include another brand of EV and have more developments in the pipeline which will be disclosed when they become more concrete.

For more information CLICK HERE

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Spur Tree Spices Jamaica Banking On Strategic Investments As It Transitions From A Sauces And Seasonings Provider To A Fully Equipped Food Company.

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Albert Bailey Chief Executive Officer Of Spur Tree Spices Jamaica Limited Has Released The Following Report To Shareholders For First Quarter Ended March 31, 2023.

The Company’s performance in the first quarter is very positive and sets the tone for a successful year ahead as we continue with our strategic plan of transitioning from a sauces and seasonings provider to a fully equipped food company.

Revenue
While the environment continues to be challenging in several ways, we had a remarkable performance for the period under consideration and are pleased to report a 62% increase in revenue over the previous year’s quarter which had also grown by an impressive 40% – a clear demonstration of the success of our aggressive and agile revenue growth strategy.

Another key element of our core strategy continues to be increasing our footprint by creating new customer segments and to capitalise on new and emerging opportunities in both the local and international markets which has also contributed to the additional revenue for the period.

In addition to revenue from our acquisition investments, we continue to build out our footprint into new territories and establish partnerships in key markets.

Cost of Sales
Cost of Sales for the period increased from 62.45% of sales for the similar period of 2022 to 67.6% of sales for the current period. The increase in Cost of Sales was driven by the consolidation of newly acquired subsidiaries and cost increases primarily in raw material inputs in the holding company.

While there has been a gradual reduction in freight rates on a global scale, we have continued to prioritize the sourcing of at least 90% of our raw materials from local suppliers. Due to the high inflationary climate, there has been an increase in costs of up to 30% of some local raw materials. As such we continue to strategize with our local partners to find ways to gain efficiencies and reduce costs over the medium-long term while leveraging economies of scale gained from business growth. We also continue to build capacity to store and process raw materials to be able to take advantage of any market excesses.

Gross Profit
Gross Profit increased from $89.9M Q1 of 2022 to $124.9M Q1 of 2023 which represents a 39% increase year on year. While our overall gross profit improved, the margins were lower than those achieved for the similar period 2022 due to the cost challenges highlighted above. We anticipate that our gross margins will gradually recover as cost gains are achieved through the
initiatives discussed above and the expansion of our product lines.

Net Profit Attributed to shareholders
The Company recorded a 62% increase in overall revenue. However, due to increased cost of sales and expenses, highlighted above, Net Profit dipped slightly to J$42m. Further context of these results should also consider that the performance in March 2022 yielded an outstanding net profit increase from J$17.5M to J$50.8M – a 194% improvement year on year.

Outlook
Based on all the strategic investments made, 2023 is poised to be a very successful year for Spur Tree Spices Jamaica. The first quarter provides a good indication of the foundation laid which we will build on for the solid growth and value creation for our valued shareholders.

For more information CLICK HERE

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PanJam Investment Negatively Impacted By Sagicor Group’s Implemented International Financial Reporting Standards – Insurance Contracts

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Stephen B. Facey, Chairman of PanJam Investment Limited (“PanJam”) has released the following Interim Report to Stockholders For the three months ended 31 March 2023.

Highlights
• In line with International Accounting Standards Board issued standards, effective 1 January 2023, Sagicor Group Jamaica (“Sagicor”) implemented International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) 17 – Insurance Contracts, which fundamentally changed the way it accounts for insurance contracts. The adoption of this new accounting standard has had a material impact on the presentation and calculation of Sagicor’s results, but not its underlying strategy or long-term value. It also required a restatement of Sagicor’s prior year’s financial statements. As a 30.2% shareholder of Sagicor, PanJam’s share of the effects of IFRS 17 are reflected in our 2023 financial statements and our restated 2022 financial statements.

• Net loss attributable to shareholders of $11.1 million for the quarter (restated 2022: net loss of $323.8 million)

• Loss per stock unit for the quarter of $0.01 (restated 2022 loss: $0.31)

• Book value per stock unit of $39.83 at 31 March 2023 (restated at 31 March 2022: $37.73)

• Ordinary dividend per stock unit declared/paid during the quarter of $0.225 (2022: $0.635)

Income Statement

Net loss attributable to owners for the three months ended 31 March 2023 amounted to $11.1 million, compared to the restated loss of $323.8 million recorded for the same period in 2022.

Loss per stock unit for the quarter was $0.01 compared to the restated 2022 loss per stock unit of $0.31.

Income from our core operations increased by 31.5 per cent when compared to the prior year, driven primarily by $448.1 million of income from the ROK Hotel Kingston, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Investments generated income of $10.1 million (restated 2022: $236.9 million) from interest income and foreign exchange gains, which were largely offset by unrealized losses on trading equities.

Property income continued its steady performance, increasing by 3.7 per cent to $522.1 million due to annual rental rate adjustments and revaluation gains.

Operating expenses totaled $1.4 billion, more than double the amount in the first quarter of 2022. While inflationary pressure on wages and direct property costs negatively impacted our performance, PanJam incurred one-off professional fees related to its amalgamation with Jamaica Producers Group Limited (“Jamaica Producers”).

Finance costs increased by 14.8 per cent to $277.1 million (restated 2022: $241.4 million) due to higher average interest rates and a marginal increase in debt principal.

Associated Companies
PanJam’s associated companies include our 30.2% investment in Sagicor. We also hold minority positions in a number of diverse private entities across the adventure tourism, business process outsourcing, hospitality, micro-lending and office rental sectors.

For the first three months of 2023, our share of results of associated companies amounted to $673.2 million, increasing by $905.0 million when compared to the same period in 2022 due to improved year-over-year performance from all of our associates, particularly Sagicor. However, it is important to note that PanJam’s share of results of associated companies for the first quarter of 2022 was restated in line with Sagicor’s adoption of IFRS 17, decreasing by $1.4 billion to a loss of $231.8 million.

As a significant shareholder in Sagicor, we welcome the greater transparency and comparability that IFRS 17 will bring to financial reporting throughout the insurance industry. We remain confident in the long-term prospects of Sagicor and its ability to create value for our shareholders, and will continue to monitor the impact of this new accounting standard.

Balance Sheet
Total assets at 31 March 2023 amounted to $58.4 billion compared to the restated $56.0 billion at 31 March 2022.

Stockholders’ equity as at 31 March 2023 totalled $42.3 billion, 5.7 per cent higher than the restated 31 March 2022 balance of $40.0 billion. This equates to a 31 March 2023 book value per stock unit of $39.83 (restated 31 March 2022: $37.73).

Outlook
Effective 1 April 2023, PanJam and Jamaica Producers successfully completed their amalgamation process, which was approved by the shareholders of both companies on 22 December 2022. Pursuant to the terms of the amalgamation agreement, Jamaica Producers transferred its material businesses to PanJam in exchange for Jamaica Producers receiving a 34.5% ownership stake in the amalgamated enterprise, renamed Pan Jamaica Group Limited (“Pan Jamaica Group”).

We are excited to welcome members of the Jamaica Producers team as we embark on a new journey together as the Pan Jamaica Group family. With the amalgamation complete, we look forward to blending our strengths, experiences, and passion to create unparalleled value and impact. Here’s to a future of collaborative success and continued growth!

Joanna Banks, President of Pan Jamaica Group, will be appointed Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development of Sagicor with effect from 17 July 2023, and will simultaneously demit the office of President of Pan Jamaica Group. We thank Joanna for her steadfast commitment and her leadership during this significant time, and wish her every success in this new role. We are confident that she will be an excellent addition to Sagicor’s senior leadership team and look forward to continuing to work with her in that capacity.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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Wisynco Recorded Net Profits Attributable To Stockholders Of $1.2B, Or 31cents Per Stock Unit For The 3rd Quarter.

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Andrew Mahfood, Chief Executive Officer For Wisynco Group Limited (Wisynco) Has Released The Following Interim Report To Stockholders For The Third Quarter Ended March 31, 2023.

Revenues for the quarter of $12.0 billion represent an increase of 23.4% above the $9.7 billion achieved in the corresponding quarter of the previous year and, notably, is the second continuous quarter that the company has recorded sales of $12.0 billion.

“We have resolved some of the production challenges faced in the 2nd quarter and are seeing increased production to meet the increasing demand.”

The capital program mentioned below will contribute to bringing stability and expansion to our production capacity as demand in all channels continues to be favorable.

While the Gross Profit of $4.1 billion of the current quarter is the same as the preceding quarter, this represents a 32.2% increase to the $3.1 billion of the prior year’s quarter.

Similarly, Gross Profit Margin at 34.6% this quarter is higher than the 32.3% for the
same quarter last year, but below our expectation due to production output being lower than projected which impacted our product mix.

Selling, Distribution & Administrative expenses (SD&A) for the quarter totaled $2.7 billion or 30.0% more than the $2.1 billion for the corresponding quarter of the prior year in line with increased growth and revenue. Our SD&A expense to sales ratio was 22.5% for the quarter, compared to 21.3% in the prior year. The increase can be attributed to additional Marketing and Promotional costs and inflationary increases in other variable expenses.

Profit before Taxation for the quarter was $1.57 billion, an increase of 43% over the $1.10 billion of the comparative quarter for the prior year.

After provision for taxes, Wisynco recorded Net Profits Attributable to Stockholders of $1.2 billion, or 31c per stock unit for the quarter, which was 38.6% greater than the $831 million or 22c per stock unit earned for the prior year.

Our Balance Sheet remains strong with a current ratio of 3.7 compared to 2.8 for last year’s quarter. This improvement is due to an injection of funds from our borrowing facilities, partly offset by increases in our inventories, reduction in our payables, and purchases of capital assets per our expansion plan. Inventories remain on the high side as production output was lower than projected in January and February. Management expects these inventories to normalize within the next few months.

Capital expansion activities are well underway, the benefits of which should be realized midway through Fiscal Year 2024. We are excited and optimistic to be embarking on the largest capital expansion ever undertaken by Wisynco. The flexibility and increased output resulting from this expansion program will ensure we meet the current demands of local and export markets and pave the way for additional capacity for growth and future innovations in our varied product lines.

From a sustainability point of view, we continue to be a primary contributor financially, and in the areas of strategy and governance, to Recycle Partners of Jamaica (RPJ), an organization responsible for polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) recycling nationally. We are seeing improvements to the RPJ average collection rate and will continue efforts to support this organization in its mission to reduce plastic in the environment. Additionally, we continue to focus on areas of water and energy conservation in our own production and operational processes, as a means to reducing our impact on our environs.

Socially, we launched our WATA Wednesdays School Tour during the quarter, which is a program aimed at educating our youth on the benefits of staying healthy and hydrated. We also participated, through our energy drink brand BOOM in conjunction with Food for the Poor in the latter’s “Build Back the Love for Jamaica” campaign as we continue to contribute to building homes for the homeless. The company has further committed to building an additional 10 homes for 2023 which brings our total from 2020 to 30 homes through Food for the Poor.

Internally, the company continued its staff engagement exercises by hosting a leadership forum for all Wisynco Leaders, as well as a Women’s Day Luncheon to celebrate the dedication and commitment of the women of Wisynco.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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We had a strong start to 2023. In Q1, Nights and Experiences Booked hit a record high with over 120 million….Chesky

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Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) Chief Executive Officer, Brian Chesky, has released the following Q1 2023 Shareholder Letter (edited)

Revenue of $1.8 billion grew 20% year-over-year (24% ex-FX). Net income was $117 million—our first profitable Q1 on a GAAP basis. Adjusted EBITDA was $262 million while Free Cash Flow was $1.6 billion, growing 32% year-over-year. We are now twice the size as we were before the pandemic on both a GBV and revenue basis—and with considerably higher profitability and cash flow.

Looking ahead, we remain focused on our three strategic priorities:

• Make hosting mainstream. Traveling on Airbnb is mainstream. We want hosting to be just as popular. To achieve this, we are raising awareness around hosting, making it easier to get started, and providing even better tools for Hosts. We have seen great results from our efforts. In every quarter over the last two years since we went public, we’ve seen acceleration in the year-over-year growth of our total active listings (excluding China). In Q1, total active listings grew 18% compared to the same prior year period, up from 16% in Q4 2022.

• Perfect the core service. We want people to love our service, and that means obsessing over every detail. Millions of people have given us feedback on how to improve Airbnb. Recently, we’ve received a lot of input about rising prices. In today’s economic environment, it’s more important than ever to provide affordable stays for guests. We’ve listened. Last week, we introduced over 50 new features and upgrades as part of our 2023 Summer Release—including Airbnb Rooms, an all-new take on the original Airbnb, improved pricing tools, transparent checkout instructions, and more.

• Expand beyond the core. We have some big ideas for where to take Airbnb next. This year, we’re building the foundation for new products and services that we plan to launch in 2024 and beyond. At the same time, while Airbnb is in over 220 countries and regions, we’re still under-penetrated in many markets. As a result, we’ve increased our focus and investments in less mature international markets and are seeing great results. Due to these efforts, Brazil and Germany have become two of our fastest growing markets and we’re excited to expand the playbook around the world.

Q1 2023 Financial Results
Here is a snapshot of our Q1 2023 results:

• Q1 revenue of $1.8 billion was our highest first quarter ever. Revenue grew 20% year-overyear (24% ex-FX) driven by solid growth in Nights and Experiences Booked and stable Average Daily Rates (“ADR”).

• Q1 net income of $117 million was our first profitable Q1. Net income was $117 million in Q1 2023 compared to a net loss of $19 million in Q1 2022. This increase was primarily due to our revenue growth, expense discipline and interest income. In Q1 2023, we delivered a net income margin of positive 6%, up from negative 1% in Q1 2022.

• Q1 Adjusted EBITDA of $262 million was a record first quarter. Adjusted EBITDA in Q1 2023 increased 14% compared to $229 million in Q1 2022. This improvement in Adjusted EBITDA demonstrates the continued strength of our business and discipline in managing our cost structure. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14% for Q1 2023, relatively stable from 15% in Q1 2022.

• Q1 Free Cash Flow of $1.6 billion was our highest ever. Q1 2023 net cash provided by operating activities was $1.6 billion, up from $1.2 billion in Q1 2022. The increase in cash flow was driven by revenue and bookings growth as well as net margin expansion. Our TTM FCF was $3.8 billion, representing a FCF margin of 44%.2

Our TTM Free Cash Flow generation enabled us to repurchase $2 billion of our common stock over the same time period. In total, our share repurchases since the start of our buyback program in August 2022 have helped to reduce our fully diluted share count from 706 million in Q1 2022 to 697 million at the end of Q1 2023. We’re announcing today that our Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $2.5 billion of our Class A common stock.

Business Highlights
Our strong quarter was driven by a number of positive business trends:

• More guests are traveling on Airbnb than ever before. Nights and Experiences Booked grew 19% in Q1 2023 compared to a year ago. Even with continued macroeconomic uncertainties, we have seen our highest number of active bookers, demonstrating both loyalty from our returning guests and a growing base of first-time bookers. Our current backlog of nights is approximately 25% stronger than a year ago.

• Guests are traveling overseas and returning to cities. Cross-border nights booked grew by 36% in Q1 2023 compared to a year ago. We were particularly encouraged by the continued recovery of Asia Pacific as nights booked in Q1 2023 increased over 40% year-over-year. We saw international travel from other regions to Asia Pacific increase 160% during the quarter compared to Q1 2022. In addition, cross-border nights booked to North America increased on a sequential basis, with 34% year-over-year growth in Q1 2023 relative to 31% a quarter ago. Cross-border nights booked to North America also increased on a sequential basis, with 34% year-over-year growth in Q1 2023 relative to 31% a quarter ago.

In addition to the strong cross-border growth, we saw more guests return to cities. High-density urban nights booked increased by 20% in Q1 2023 compared to the same prior year period.

• Guests are continuing to use Airbnb for longer stays. Nights from long-term stays (28 nights or longer) were 18% of total gross nights booked in Q1 2023. Over the past three years, we’ve seen new use cases emerge as guests across all regions and age groups use Airbnb for long-term stays.

• Supply growth continued to accelerate. We grew supply 18% compared to Q1 2022.3 We observed double-digit supply growth across all regions and market types, with the fastest growth in North America and Latin America. Urban and non-urban supply also grew 18% year-over-year.

For More Information CLICK HERE

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