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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Stock News 2012: Citibank eyes 8-10% growth in number of credit cardholders

CitibankCitibank (Photo credit: petekraynak)
Citibank Philippines is looking at an eight- to 10-percent growth in its credit cards-in-force with the introduction of new variants.

“We want to protect our leadership, and we also want to increase our share in the target market by the end of the year,” said Bea Tan, heads of Citibank Credit Payment Products.

Citibank is the recognized leader in the local credit card business. It counts nearly a million cards-in-force or roughly 20-percent market share of the business.

Citibank has introduced a new credit card, and in the pipeline this year includes a debit card. It has a total of 15 credit cards, either co-branded or stand-alone.

The newest member of the Citibank card family is the Citibank Rewards Card, which offers a year-round exclusive rewards offer, including free movie passes, shopping rebates and annual fee waivers.

Cardholders get a free P100 movie pass for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P2,500 anywhere, including online and international transactions. They are also entitled to a generous five-percent rebate whenever they shop at Citibank partner merchants including Aldo, Aldo Accessories, Celio, Charles & Keith, Giordano, Marks & Spencer, Nike Park, Pedro, Runnr, Toby’s, Topshop, Topman, Urban Athletics and Zara.  

The card offers three percent rebates at The Landmark Department Store, Metro Department Store, Rustan’s Department Store and SM Department Store. It also includes a one percent rebate for all other department stores.

Card members can use the rebates in denominations of P100 to pay for their next purchase at the participating shops and department stores. And to make sure the rewards never end, these rebates do not expire.

Tan said that the Citibank Rewards Card also waives annual fees for primary cardholders who spend at least P20,000 per month, or P240,000 within their year of membership. Supplementary cardmembers can also enjoy waived fees – the first three get waivers when they each make at least six purchases every membership year.


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Stock News 2012: Puregold finalizes S&R deal

Front of Puregold Dau taken from an angle.Front of Puregold Dau taken from an angle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Puregold Price Club Inc. has completed the acquisition of 100 percent of S&R Membership Shopping club through a P16.5-billion share swap, effectively making the upscale retailer a wholly-owned Puregold subsidiary.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Puregold said Kareila Management Inc., the operator of S&R, has already issued the stock certificates in the name of Puregold.

Under the deal, Puregold acquired 1.7 million shares of Kareilla in exchange for 766.4 million shares of Puregold. Both firms are controlled by Chinese-Filipino businessman Lucio Co.

The Co family now owns 77 percent of Puregold’s outstanding shares.

The acquisition has allowed Co to consolidate his retailing businesses into a publicly-listed vehicle targeting all market segments and further strengthened the group’s leading position in the industry.

Puregold caters to the lower-income segment with a market share of 16 percent. On the other hand, S&R, which caters to the middle and upper class consumers, has a market share of 3.3 percent.

S&R has a total membership base of over 214,700 across the country. It operates six stores located in Bonifacio Global City, Congressional Ave. in Quezon City; Alabang, Muntinlupa; Aseana business park in Baclaran; San Fernando in Pampanga; and Mandaue City in Cebu.

Established in 2000 in partnership with Price Smart of the US, S&R was eventually acquired by the Co family in 2006.

To capitalize on the growing consumer needs of the mass market, Puregold recently acquired the Parco supermarket chain in a deal valued at around P760 million. The deal involved the purchse of 100 percent of the Gant Group of Companies, the holding company of the Ong family for the six subsidiaries operating the 19 branches of Parco supermarkets.

Of Parco’s total store network, 12 are located in Metro Manila, three in Bulacan and four in Rizal.

The purchase was in line with the Co family’s goal to double the number of its stores by 2015 as it expands into the untapped markets Metro Manila as well as in Visayas and Mindanao.

Puregold, which is now the country’s second biggest retailer next to the SM Group, intends to open 25 stores in 2012 and 2013.


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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Stock News 2012: Alliance Select acquires 80% of NZ-based salmon producer

akaroaakaroa (Photo credit: sandwichgirl)
Alliance Select Foods International Inc. is taking over Akaroa Salmon NZ. Ltd., a New Zealand-based producer of fresh and smoked salmon, in line with its goal to be a leading exporter in key high-end markets globally.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, Alliance Select said it approved the purchase of 80 percent of Akaroa for NZ$3.5 million (roughly $2.184 million).

Alliance Select said it would invest another $100,000 for Akaroa’s working capital needs as it aims to more than double the New Zealand firm’s existing production capacity.

Jonathan Y. Dee, president of Alliance Select, said the company intends to undertake a private placement of shares to fund the acquisition of Akaroa. It will issue 60.667 million shares, constituting 5.67 percent of its expanded capital, at P1.60 each, which is a 14.57-percent premium on the 30-day volume weighted average price covering May 17 to July 2.

Dee said Akaroa’s founder, the Bates family, will keep the remaining 20 percent, with Duncan Bates retaining his post as general manager.

Akaroa was set up in 1985 and over the years has established the Akaroa Salmon brand as the premium quality brand in the country. Akaroa has been the recipient of various awards and accolades from New Zealand’s food industry, the latest being the Cuisine Artisan Awards 2011.

Akaroa also holds a 20 percent stake in Salmon Smolt NZ Ltd., a modern hatchery guaranteeing high quality and consistent supply of smolts (juvenile salmon) for Akaroa’s farms.

The company is only one of the three companies in New Zealand that can supply fresh salmon to its customers throughout the year. The firm’s supply chain process enables it to deliver fish to its clients within six to 24 hours of receipt of their order.

Dee said the group’s investment in Akaroa will further strengthen Alliance Select’s salmon portfolio. Akaroa is a fully integrated company which will give Alliance Select direct access to raw materials.

In addition, it will allow Alliance Select to target an additional market segment by offering Akaroa’s fresh portion cuts to institutional and retail buyers like hotels and restaurants in markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Korea and Japan.

Dee said Alliance Select remains committed to growing its salmon business. Since its first foray in the product, the company has grown its salmon business about five fold from $4.2 million in 2009 to an expected turnover of $23 million this year.


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Stock News 2012: GMA Network sustains streak of TV ratings win

GMA Network, Inc.GMA Network, Inc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Broadcast company GMA Network delivered a consistent streak of winning television ratings performance in the first semester of 2012.

Based on January to June 2012 data from ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, GMA led competitors ABS-CBN and TV5 in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with an average total day (6 a.m. to 12 mn) household audience share points of 35.5, higher than ABS-CBN’s 30.5 and TV5’s 14.6.

Relative to the first semester of 2011, GMA was the only television station that posted improvements in total day household audience shares. GMA’s share points improved by 2.4 points while ABS-CBN and TV5 dropped respectively by 1.6 points and 0.6 point.

At the period’s close this June, GMA maintained its number one rank in total day household audience shares with 34.4 points versus ABS-CBN’s 32.7 and TV5’s 13.7.

GMA’s lead in nationwide audience shares is mainly driven by its strong performance in the afternoon block (12 noon to 6 p.m.), where its programs averaged low to high 40s in household audience shares in NUTAM and in the strategically important areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively comprise 77 percent and 59.5 percent of total urban television households nationwide.

On primetime, GMA maintained its single-digit margins over ABS-CBN and low 20s margins over TV5 in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila.

GMA’s lead across all timeblocks, including the heavily watched primetime TV, in the viewer-rich areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila and its dominance in nationwide TV ratings bring the station to the best position of being the advertisers’ top-of-mind media partner.

This June, GMA had 19 and 20 programs in the respective lists of overall top 30 programs in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila respectively.

GMA also dominated the lists of top 10 overall programs in both areas with seven entries in Luzon and eight entries in Mega Manila. Among the programs that made it to the top 10 in both lists were the Pacquiao-Bradley boxing match special, Legacy, The Good Daughter, Eat Bulaga, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and 24 Oras.

GMA’s dominance in television ratings rakes in more company income. In fact, GMA finished the first quarter of 2012 as the most profitable and cost-effective broadcast company with P388 million in bottom line.


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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Stock News 2012: Top property developers remain keen on FTI

Official seal of City of TaguigOfficial seal of City of Taguig (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Top property developers Robinsons Land Corp., Empire East Land & Holdings Inc. and Century Properties Group remain interested in bidding for the 103-hectare Food Terminal Inc. property in Taguig City, which is among the big-ticket items that will be privatized by the Aquino administration this year.

In separate text messages, RLC, Century Properties and Empire East confirmed their interest in vying for one of the biggest industrial complexes in Metro Manila.

Yes, definitely. We have always expressed our interest in it since the beginning,” said RLC president Frederick D. Go.

Century Properties chairman and founder Jose E.B. Antonio said: We earlier gave an unsolicited proposal. We’ll revisit it once we see the terms of reference.”

Empire East president Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu said the company remains open to bidding for the property, which is suitable for mixed-use development. “We’re waiting for guidelines and terms of reference to be released,” he said.

The Aquino government has put the FTI property back on the auction block after three failed biddings and three years of delay.

The government will release this week the invitation to bid which will include the parameters of sale such as the minimum target selling price and pre-qualified requirements. The transaction would be in cash payment.

Other major property developers like Ayala Land, SM Group and Filinvest Land have expessed interest in the FTI land, which is home to more than 300 companies.

The FTI property provides industrial and commercial lots for medium-to-long-term leases and industrial buildings with standard-sized stalls for office, warehouse or small scale processing operations.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=823383&publicationSubCategoryId=66

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Stock News 2012: Aboitiz unit inks $546-M Davao power plant deal

Cilacap's coal-fired power plantCilacap's coal-fired power plant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A unit of Aboitiz Power Corp. has signed a $546-million deal with contractors and suppliers for the construction of a clean coal-fired power plant in Southern Mindanao.

In a disclosure, Aboitiz Power said its subsidiary Therma South Inc. (TSI) “entered into construction, supply and coordination contracts with local and foreign contractors for the construction of TSI’s 300-megawatt (MW) circulating fluidized-bed coal-fired power generation facility.”

“The aggregate value of the construction, supply and coordination contracts for the Davao coal project is around $546 million,” it added.

The coal-fired power plant will be located in Toril District, Davao City and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur.

In June last year, the Davao City Council endorsed TSI’s power plant project. TSI will use clean coal technology, which seeks to reduce harmful emissions.

TSI already secured an environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Environmental Management Bureau.

As of end-March, Aboitiz Power’s attributable capacity was at 2,350 MW, up by 15 percent from last year.  It owns and operates the 747-MW Tiwi-Makban geothermal plants in Albay, two 100-MW bunker-fired power barges, the 105-MW Ambuklao hydroelectric plant in Benguet and the 100-MW Binga hydroelectric plant in Benguet.

It also holds the independent power Producer administrator contract for the 700-MW Pagbilao coal-fired plant in Quezon and owns a 232-MW coal-fired power plant located in Misamis Oriental.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=823391&publicationSubCategoryId=66

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Monday, July 2, 2012

Stock News 2012: SM eyes FTI property

SM Prime HoldingsSM Prime Holdings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The SM conglomerate of mall and banking tycoon Henry Sy is keen on joining the auction for a large block in state-owned Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) in Taguig.

Bagging the 74-hectare property, which was subject to numerous delays, will allow the company to pursue more mixed-use developments, an executive said.

In a chance interview, Henry Sy Jr., vice-chairman and chief executive of SM Development Corp., told The STAR that the SM group will join the bidding for the FTI property.

“Of course,” Sy said when asked if the SM group is interested to bid for the property.

“I will be interested,” Sy said, adding that the conglomerate is just waiting for the bidding terms.

Early this month, the Department of Finance’s Privatization Management Office announced that 74 hectares of the 103-hectare FTI agro-industrial complex is up for sale anew following three years of delay and three failed biddings.

The government will retain the rest of the property for various purposes. FTI is one of the largest industrial complexes in Metro Manila and is currently home to more than 300 companies.

“That will be perfect for mixed-use (development),” Sy said.

Sy said SM Development, for its part, will build high-end but affordable condominium projects in the area.

Holding firm SM Investments Corp. has five core businesses -- retail (SM Retail Inc.), malls (SM Prime Holdings Inc.), banking (BDO Unibank Inc. and China Banking Corp.), property (SM Development) and hotel and entertainment (SM Hotels and Conventions Corp.).

“The 70-hectare lot is large enough for landbanking. This would give them more available lots to develop, thus opening opportunities for additional revenue streams,” said Freya B. Natividad, investment analyst at brokerage firm 2Trade-Asia.com.

However, the SM group could end up competing with Ayala Land Inc. of the Zobels, Empire East Land Holdings Inc. of property tycoon Andrew L. Tan, Filinvest Land Inc. of the Gotianuns and Robinsons Land Corp. of the Gokongweis who were reportedly interested for the prime property.

The government last year scrapped its plan to sell the property for at least P13 billion as it reappraised the property.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=823009&publicationSubCategoryId=66

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