Friday, August 20, 2010

Michael Hill International Ltd: 2010 Full Year Profit Analysis

Michael Hill International Ltd [MHI.NZX] delivered a strong 2010 full year profit today.

Underlying net profit of $26. 5 million was up by approx 60% on the 2009 full year profit of approx $16.5 million (excluding the one-off tax gain from 2009 for comparison to the 2010 figure) Significantly though the 2010 profit was just 0.7 million short of the 2008 full year net profit of $25.2 million.

Revenue was up 7.6% to $443,710 million on 2009 revenue of $411.999 million . Significantly half of this increase was from US stores which sales for were not included in 2009 sales figures.

Key Points

- Operating revenue of $443.331m up 7.6% on same period last year
- Same store sales 5.2% up on same period last year
- Net profit after tax of $26.509m. Last year's net profit of $66.788m included a deferred tax credit of $50.197m.
- Net debt of $45.437m at 30 June 2010
- 5 new stores opened during the twelve months and 12 closed including 8 in the US
- Final dividend of 2.5 cents per share up 66.7%


New Zealand and Australian stores did exceptionally well while Canada and the North American units continued to drag on the whole group.

Big losses were incurred in the United States while the Canadian stores increased losses from 2009.

Net debt increased by nearly $10 million to $45.4 million indicating costs involved in the North American market were still making a negative impact on the bottomline.

All important retail margins were under pressure but significantly same stores sales were up by over 5% which in this economic and retail climate is exceptional.

Management at MHI seem a little vague about the coming year for the company - just like most NZX listed companies have been over the reporting season - but what they have indicated is that they are "confident in the continued growth and profitability of the Group".

I am positive too but the reality is that 2011 is going to be just as tough as 2010 (and maybe even tougher) and their North American operations are going to continue to lose money in an otherwise solid Australasian business.

Disc I own MHI shares in the Share Investor Portfolio


Michael Hill International @ Share Investor


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c Share Investor 2010

Financial Adviser Alert: Murray Weatherstone

The loss of money in general for people investing in finance companies that have collapsed over the last 3 years pisses me off, especially when those people have been advised by supposed experts to invest in such rubbish.

When you know people who have been put in this situation - and I think most people do - then the vitriol that I feel starts to unsettle my stomach, make my heart tighten and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

It gets bloody personal.

I have such a case to relay to you dear reader about a "financial adviser" and friend of mine who has lost a considerable sum of his or her life savings thanks to this persons advice.

I gave this person an opportunity to redeem himself before outing him but he wanted to hide behind the privacy act.

The advisers name is Murray Weatherston from Financial Focus (NZ) Ltd.

He advised my friend who is in his/her 70s to invest in dodgy companies (and they have always been dodgy) Hanover, St Lawerence, Dominion Finance and a couple of other finance companies.

All have gone bust.

We are talking about $50,000 per finance company and my friend has lost most of it.

He even advised him/her not to sell his/her Allied Farmers Ltd [ALF.NZX] shares when Hanover was subsumed into that company and the shares were trading at about 15c. He/She would have got back $20000.00 of his/her money then but the shareholding is now worth about $3500 and ALF is likely to go belly up before year end.

I warn anyone who is looking at investing money to do their own research and if they are looking for an adviser try and get a reputable reference from a friend and do your own checking on them.

Mr Weathersone should be avoided at all costs for his track record lacks credibility. My friend is not the only person that he has given similar advice.

You have been warned.


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c Share Investor 2010

Mainfreight Ltd: 2011 1st quarter profit Analysis

2011 1st quarter results for Mainfreight Ltd [MFT.NZX] out yesterday were significantly higher than the comparable 2009 figures.

Excluding abnormals the result was a net profit of $6.82 million for the first three months of the 2011 financial year; an increase of 148.2% on the previous year’s result of $2.75 million (excluding abnormals the increase was 69.5%).


Key Points

* Net profit of $6.82 million for the first three months of the 2011. An increase of 148.2% on the previous year’s result of $2.75 million (excluding abnormals the increase was 69.5%).

*Revenue increased by 20.5% to $315.25 million, from $261.67 million in the comparative period last year (excluding foreign exchange, this represents an increase of 27.8%).

* With the exception of Australasia Mainfreight has experienced growth momentum for all their business operations.

* Large profit upswing for first quarter of 2011 financial year are compared to 2009 figures which were well down on 2008.


This must be put in perspective though that the comparable 2009 figure was down more than 50% on the 2008 results. Having said that the 2010 first quarter shows a nearly 20% increase in net profit on the more relevant 2008 figures.

All important revenue figures were up by 20.5% to $315.25 million, from $261.67 million in the comparative period last year (excluding foreign exchange, this represents an increase of 27.8%).

The comparable 2009 revenue figures were down 17.2% on 2008 figures (after foreign exchange adjustments) so the company has lifted revenue back to around where it was in 2008.

Much of this quarters profit rise then came from cost savings.

All their divisions; New Zealand, Australia, China and The United States showed an improvement in operating performance.

July and August management say has also continued an upward trend.

Once again the outlook for the company is cautious and management expect to see a continuation of the current upward trend with a continuation of their focus on the costs savings that have made management of their business over the last 2 years of recession one of the best on the New Zealand stock exchange.

As the global economy is in quite a fragile state, this quarter must be put in the context of the next 3 quarters for the company and then we can give a true judgement of the 2011 performance of the company.

10 out of 10.


Disc I own MFT shares in the Share Investor Portfolio 

Mainfreight @ Share Investor



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c Share Investor 2010




Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sky City Entertainment Group: Australian Acquisition on the Cards?

In a discussion I had today with a reader I mentioned that Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd [SKC.NZX] was on the lookout for casino assets in Australia and that jogged my memory about a conversation I had with CEO Nigel Morrison on a Convention Centre proposal back in June when Nigel indicated with some animation that the company was kicking the tyres of casino assets across the ditch:

"Off the topic of convention centres Nigel indicated that the Australian casino sector was likely to consolidate over the next couple of years with Tabcorp Ltd [TAH.ASX] a company under a fair amount of pressure as its Victorian gaming/wagering licenses expire.

Mr Morrison indicated that the Sydney casino Star City was the jewel in the crown in terms of gaming in Australia and while well run, its potential was not being fully exploited.

SKC has paid down a considerable amount of debt over the last year or so, with a capital raising in 2009 so far contributing the bulk of that. Mr Morrison indicated that his company has a balance sheet and credit resources that would make it open to any opportunity to purchase the right gaming assets at the right price should a shake up in the Australian gaming sector arise and he seems confident that this will happen in the next few years".

In the same conversation and reiterated in the market this week at the 2010 full year profit release presentation Nigel indicated he was looking at a double digit increase in profit for 2011 and also the aforementioned asset buying. They were in fact "actively looking at acquisitions."

I don't see the company squeezing out 10% more from current operations so putting two and two together in my overactive little brain I see the two public statements as mutually inclusive.

Is Nigel going to acheive his optimistic growth rate through an Australian acquisition?

On balance I think this is on the cards over the 2010 - 2011 calendar year.

Now that I have sown those seeds, you will be the first to know, what is going to be bought and for how much and what I think of it if that matters to you.

You will only find this out of course if you read this blog and do so frequently.

Stay tuned for more dear reader.


Disclosure: I own SKC shares in the Share Investor Portfolio


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c Share Investor 2010