GOLDEN BRIA Holdings, Inc. nearly doubled its net income in the second quarter of 2018, as the company continues to expand its presence in the country.

In a regulatory filing, the Villar-led firm said net income climbed to P357 million from April to June, 92% higher than the P185 million it generated in the same period a year ago. This followed a 62% increase in revenues to P1.44 billion.

This brought Golden Bria’s net income 87% higher to P596 million in the first half of 2018, as revenues likewise jumped 55% to P2.6 billion.

Golden Bria — whose businesses include death care through Golden Haven, Inc. and mass housing through Bria Homes, Inc., saw real estate sales account for 97% of the company’s total revenues. This was due to the 55% uptick in sales of both residential units and memorial lots for the period.

Interment income grew 25% to P15.8 million due to the increase in the number of services rendered during the six-month period.

“Growing the nationwide presence of both Golden Haven and Bria Homes is our focus for this year,” Golden Bria Chairman Manuel B. Villar, Jr. was quoted as saying in a statement.

Mr. Villar noted the company expanded to more than 50 locations last year. Bria Homes has a total of 40 residential projects across more than 550 hectares in 37 cities and municipalities. Meanwhile, Golden Haven has 18 memorial park developments covering over 130 hectares.

Golden Bria remains bullish on its prospects for the remaining half of the year.

“The company is looking to focus mainly on the development and aggressive expansion of current projects done in parallel with continued efforts in active land acquisition for both Golden Haven and Bria Homes,” Golden Bria said.

Shares in Golden Bria ended flat at P327 each at the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.

THE Villar family’s cemetery business arm Golden Haven Memorial Park has set its initial public offering (IPO) price at P10.50 per share, firming up its stock debut size at P778.23 million.

Based on a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Friday, Golden Haven’s price per share for the IPO had been slashed from the earlier maximum price of P10.62 per share.

The PSE approved the IPO earlier in the week. Asian Alliance Investment Corp. is mandated as the issue manager and sole underwriter for this offering, which will run from June 16 to 22.

Golden Haven was given the authority to sell up to 74.117 million new common shares.

Proceeds from the IPO will be used to develop the company’s landbank in Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Bulacan, and San Ezekiel as well as for the acquisition of new land in Iloilo, Bambang (Nueva Vizcaya) and San Fernando, Pampanga.

Golden Haven plans to undertake land and site development of underdeveloped areas in existing memorial parks, pursue more land acquisition as well as construct new memorial chapels and crematory facilities within the Golden Haven Las Pinas Park.

This capital-raising exercise will bring to public hands about 15 percent of Golden Haven’s outstanding stocks after the IPO, during which there will be 494.12 million common shares outstanding.

Golden Haven will be listed on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange on June 29.

Golden Haven Memorial Park Inc. (HVN), the first initial public offering on the Philippine Stock Exchange this year, surprised the market on its listing day by keeping to an uptrend.

HVN closed at P15.74 per share on Wednesday, up 49.90 percent from its IPO price of P10.50. It opened at P11 apiece.

The company raised P778 million from the IPO, which will be used to fund its land acquisition, land development, construction and completion of Las Piñas chapel and crematorium and for general corporate purposes.

“The fresh capital raised will help us with our strategy of having a 'Park In Every Hometown,' targeting to achieve our vision of becoming the nationally-recognized brand in the deathcare products and services industry, providing premier private memorial parks and services to all Filipinos," said Golden Haven chairman Jerry M. Navarrete.

HVN was trading at P14.30 apiece as of 10:59 a.m. – up P3.80 or 36.19 percent from its IPO price.

"The first IPO of the year has been well received today based on the price and trading volume and with good reason, said Luis Limlingan, business development head at Regina Capital Development Corp.

"Golden Haven is the leading developer of memorial parks in the country, in terms of projects development and its 30 years of operations," Limlingan noted.

"Regina Capital is surprised that we have come to see such an unusual business to finally come to the exchange. To be honest, the business of the dead is as constant as taxes and traffic, so it is no surprise that the industry is stable and profitable," Limlingan said.

"Low supply due to low free float pushed the demand higher and pushed HVN's price higher," Alexander Tiu, senior equity analyst at AB Capital Securities Inc., said in a separate text message.

“Today, Golden Haven marks another milestone as the first memorial park or death care business to list on the PSE’s main board," PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo said in his welcome remarks during the listing ceremony.

"The utmost concern and care we provide for our dearly departed are unique values Filipinos continue to uphold. A good memorial park and death care provider allows us to continue this tradition,” he added.

Roel Refran, COO of PSE, told the GMA News Online that the strong showing of HVN on its maiden day of trading bodes well for the upcoming IPOs for the remainder of the year.

LISTED memorial parks developer Golden Haven Memorial Park, Inc. (HVN) announced on Monday its Board of Directors had approved a move to change its corporate name and core business function during a special meeting held on the same day.

HVN said it was changing its corporate name to Golden Haven, Inc. It is also changing certain functions, such as providing funeral plans and services, among others, to investing in real or personal property.

The company plans “to invest in, purchase, or otherwise acquire and own, hold, use, sell, assign, transfer, lease, mortgage, exchange, develop or otherwise dispose of real or personal property of every kind and description, including shares of stock, bonds, debentures, notes, evidences of indebtedness, and other securities or obligations of any corporation or corporations, associations, domestic or foreign,” the company said in a filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“And to possess and exercise in respect thereof all the rights, powers and privileges of ownership, including all voting powers of any stock so owned and to assume or undertake or guarantee or secure loans, whether as solitary obligor, surety, guarantor or in any other capacity either on its general credit or on the mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, assignment and/or other security arrangement of any of its direct and indirect subsidiaries or investee companies, without engaging in the business of a financing company or lending investor,” it added.

The company said that at the same meeting, its board also approved the issuance, by way of private placement, of up to 150 million shares of the company.

“The final terms and conditions of any issuance shall be determined and approved by the Board of Directors,” HVN said.

Golden Haven is one of the largest memorial park developers in the country and operates eight memorial parks in eight locations nationwide—namely Las Piñas, Bulacan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, and Zamboanga.

It is the first death care and services company to have listed on the PSE, debuting on the local stock market in June 2016.

Shares of HVN closed at P17.52 apiece on Monday, down slightly from its previous close of P17.78.

Villar family-led memorial park developer Golden Haven Memorial Park Inc. grew net profit last year by 19 percent to reach P180.22 million, a record high for the company.

Golden Haven’s total revenues also hit a record level of P814.59 million, up by 18 percent from the previous year.

“Fueled by a successful initial public offering (IPO) in June 2016, the company delivered its highest numbers in terms of its memorial lot and columbarium vault sales which resulted into record-breaking revenues and net income”, Golden Haven president Jerry Navarrete said in a press statement.

“With a significant part of the IPO proceeds going into investments for expansion projects and the completion of our memorial chapels and crematorium, that we are planning to fully utilize in the coming year, we are confident with the company’s prospect for 2017”, Navarrete added.

Golden Haven boosted its assets to P2.88 billion in 2016, marking a 61 percent growth. A significant part of this growth was the parallel increase in its property and equipment assets, recorded at P 141.97 million alongside its investment properties, recorded at P 267.31 million. These numbers represent the equipment purchased for the Golden Haven Chapels and Crematorium, as well as the new properties acquired by the company, including land in Nueva Vizcaya and Pampanga.

“With the opening of the memorial chapels and crematorium in the first quarter of 2017, coupled with the upcoming launches of new parks in Bambang and San Fernando in the second quarter, we are expecting even better results for 2017 due to the recognition of returns from the investments made with the IPO proceeds”, said Golden Haven chief operating officer Maribeth Tolentino.

“Beyond improved sales efforts and strategies, the expansion plans put into action this year gives the company an avenue for a solid pipeline for the coming years, along with new opportunities in previously untapped, high potential markets”, she stated.

Golden Haven ended 2016 with eight memorial park projects, covering a total area of more than 66 hectares spread across various parts of the Philippines, including Las Piñas, Bulacan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, and Zamboanga. The company has also entered into agreements to acquire properties in various new areas in the country.

The company debuted on the Philippine Stock Exchange last year under the stock symbol “HVN”, and is the first deathcare solutions company in the local bourse.

Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/226990/golden-haven-posts-record-high-profit#ixzz5xsWSFcc0

If you are the kind of investor who does not have the time to monitor the stock market, investing in speculative stocks is not for you. Speculative stocks can be very risky because they don’t have the fundamentals to sustain share price appreciation for the long term. Market players speculate on these stocks based on tips or rumors that significant changes happening in the company may soon trigger share prices to go up.

What makes trading speculative stocks very risky is that the stock can go up very fast as much as it can fall in just a few days or weeks. Investing in speculative stocks without doing your homework is no different from gambling your money in the casino. While speculative stocks can be attractive because of the high reward that it promises, you have to consider that you also need to manage your risk carefully. So before you get into speculation, you must make sure that you have the right skills. You need to research and know the company behind the stock with the risk-taking approach of a gambler. You must have the patience and time to monitor the volatility of your investments. 

The PSE Index opened the year on a strong note but started to correct at the start of February this year, wiping out all the gains it made for the year so far. Local funds flow, however, seemed to have shifted to the speculative stocks as the general market consolidates. Here are the top five best performing speculative stocks in the Philippine Stock Exchange for the first two months of the year. Because of the high volatility of these stocks, extreme caution is advised before making any decision to buy.

1. Golden Bria Holdings, Inc. (HVN)

Year-to-date gain: +1,327 percent

HVN is engaged in the development and sale of memorial lots covering a gross area of 58.46 hectares across various parts of the country. The company, which is majority-owned by the Villar Group of Companies led by former Senator Manuel Villar, also develops, constructs and operates columbarium facilities. Last December, HVN announced that it will acquire a real estate company called Bria Homes, Inc. in exchange for new shares to be issued in January. The amount of the transaction was valued at Php3 billion or Php20.09 per share of HVN. The stock of HVN started to increase by 49 percent in the middle of January from Php21.80 to Php32.50. The stock from there on zoomed to as high as Php380 per share in February before it corrected to Php322 per share.

HVN recently announced that it will be changing its corporate name from Golden Haven, Inc. to Golden Bria Holdings to reflect its business focus from memorial development to real estate. HVN’s nine-month net income last year was Php164 million. In 2016, HVN reported a net income of Php180 million, 19 percent higher than the previous year’s income of Php151 million. The current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of HVN at Php322 stands at 657x. Changes in the corporate fundamentals of HVN should justify the valuation of the stock to keep the share price at the current level. 

2. Now Corporation (NOW)

Year-to-date gain: +358.95 percent

NOW is in the business of providing telecommunications, media, and information technology products and services. Some of the services that it offers include broadband telecom services, IT infrastructure, content distribution, digital marketing, and managed services outsourcing. NOW recently announced that it plans to raise as much as Php1.0 billion from the follow-on offering of its preferred shares this year. The preferred shares will allow holders to convert their preferred to common after three years at strike price of Php20 per share. The stock of NOW started to go up in the middle of January, gaining 46 percent from Php2.87 to Php4.19 when it confirmed that it was joining the government bidding for a third telecom player. Speculations about the company entering into talks with potential foreign telecom partner fueled the stock price to rise to a high of Php20 in February before it corrected on profit-taking to Php12.80 per share yesterday. NOW’s nine-month net income last year was only Php84,762. In 2016, the company reported a net income of Php2.5 million, which was 52 percent lower than Php5.2 million from the previous year. The current P/E ratio of NOW stands at 768x.

3. Easycall Communications Phils (ECP)

Year-to-date gain: +166.8 percent

ECP used to be the number one paging company in the country before the entry of new SMS technology in the early 2000s. ECP today is in the business of providing outsourced customer service through its investment in ePerformax, corporate DSL resellership and IP broadband managed services. Trading of ECP shares started to be active as early as December last year but it was only in January that the stock price uptrend became more sustainable. The stock rose by 45 percent from Php15.60 to Php22.70 by mid-January and it continued to go up to as high as Php76.50. ECP is probably the most volatile in the group as the share price lost as much as 60 percent in a few days to a low of Php46.50 before recovering wildly back to Php74.50. The same pattern happened again when the stock lost by 57 percent to a low of Php31.50 before recovering back to a high of Php64.50 recently. ECP has so far lost by 34 percent at its current price of Php42.50 and it looks like it’s going to make another low soon. ECP’s nine-month net income last year was Php6 million. In 2016, ECP reported a net income of Php7.7 million, 49 percent lower than the previous year’s income of Php13 million. The P/E ratio of ECP currently stands at 740x. 

4. MRC Allied, Inc. ( MRC)

Year-to-date gain: +126.4 percent

The company has not been generating revenues for the past three years. Management has previously disclosed that it plans to enter into the solar power business by developing a 60-megawatt solar power plant in Cebu to supply electricity to the Visayas grid or to power consumers within and around Naga City, Cebu. The company has two land banks consisting of a 160‐hectare industrial estate in Naga City, Cebu known as the NCTO, and 700 hectares of raw land in San Isidro Municipality, Leyte known as Amihan Woodlands Township (AWT), which have a combined fair market value of Php1.6 billion. Active trading of MRC shares started only recently in February when the share price broke out of Php0.38, gaining 52.6 percent to close at Php0.58 per share. The stock continued to increase from there on to as high as Php0.90 per share before correcting to Php0.74. MRC has been losing consistently since 2014. Last year, it reported a nine-month net loss of Php18 million. In 2016, the company also reported a net loss of Php65 million, 58.5 percent higher than the net loss of Php41 million reported in 2015.

5. PXP Energy Corp (PXP)

Year-to-date gain: +80.77 percent

PXP is in the business of exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, through interests in petroleum contracts and holdings in resource development companies. Crude oil and natural gas are fossil fuels that are derived from organic material deposited and buried in the earth’s crust millions of years ago. Fossil fuels currently account for more than half of the primary energy mix in the Philippines. PXP has been losing annually since 2012 though its losses have significantly declined from Php876 million to Php22 million in 2016. Last year, PXP reported a nine-month net loss of Php34 million. PXP shares started to be actively traded when the stock rose by 49 percent in February from Php8.82 to Php13.22. The stock continued to rise up to Php19.42 in a few days before it gave in to profit-taking. PXP has recently recovered from a low of Php14.46 and traded back to Php17 level.

To honor the memory of the Sendong victims, Senator Manny Villar and Cynthia Villar of the Villar Foundation led the blessing and dedication ceremony of the Sendong Memorial at Golden Haven Memorial Park, Bulua, October 25.

The 716-square meter Sendong Memorial is made up of travertine and black granite base and features an ascending circular marker in the middle, accented with a water fountain.

It has 13 pillars carved with names of confirmed dead people and identified casualties caused by typhoon Sendong.

“Through the Sendong Memorial, may we be able to help you pay homage to the memory of your departed ones. The memorial will stand there as a lasting tribute, not to the death, but to the lives of those whom we have lost, to the people who helped Cagayan de Oro recover and to remind us that we should take care of our environment to prevent disasters in the future”, Cynthia Villar, Chairman and Managing Director of Villar Foundation said.

Villar adds that typhoon Sendong is a result of climate change and deforestation, which shows a pressing need for Filipinos to protect the environment. “The memorial also serves as a reminder of the bitter lessons learned from the tragedy, particularly those concerning environmental protection.”

Villar also recognized the efforts of the local government for its immediate actions and preventive measures done including the dredging of the Cagayan de Oro River.

Local officials, rescuers, survivors, donors and benefactors who have helped the victims both from public and private sectors, members of the religious groups, people from different academic institutions, and families and relatives of the Sendong victims were present to witness the event. 

“It behaves just like a real estate investment at a fraction of the cost. But it also appreciates in value at a faster rate. The nicest part about a memorial investment is the flexibility between letting it appreciate in value but can be easily utilized if something happens to you or your loved ones,” Villar said.

And true enough, James was able to sell a lot for almost thrice its original price to an at-need case, a family urgently needing one, in the past.

A matter of location

Location played a huge role in the three’s decision in purchasing memorial lots.

James prefers lots near their area of residence, a common case for most buyers, though others opt to be buried in their hometowns or provinces. He also looks for something accessible, easily located and near the main road.

The same goes for Marie. Despite having lots in their hometown in Bulacan and in Manila, she chose the memorial park near their current residence in Cavite.

“It’s near so, in case, we would be able to visit her more often. In fact, I’m able to visit her every month. Accessibility also because it’s just along the highway,” she said.

Most also choose memorial parks where their relatives are already buried, like Cell and Marie, who bought lots in the parks where their parents are lain.

James also considers the overall appearance, ensuring it has adequate amenities for visiting loved ones and is well-maintained. Similarly, Cell checked in with her agent regarding the maintenance of the lots before purchase.

Most memorial parks have a perpetual care fund, which sustains the maintenance of the memorial lots for a long period of time.

Types of memorial lots

James invests in lawn lots, a common type of memorial lot alongside garden, mausoleum and family estate.

The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, the regulator of cemeteries and memorials parks in the country, defines lawn areas as underground interment gardens with kept grass and flat marble niches.

Garden lots are similar but are distinguished by raised niche, while mausoleums are “large stately tombs,” which can carry multiple remains.

Some families choose to have their departed loved ones in one place and purchase family estates, private areas meant for family mausoleums.

Marie initially planned to buy a family patio, but other families beat her to it. Instead, she purchased the two adjacent lots beside her mom’s.

“Because I thought, if ever, [our relatives] would just go in one place, no need to be separated,” she said.

The position of the memorial lots also depends on the type and size. Those in prime locations, like near the roads, trees, and rivers, are preferred by buyers but may cost more.

Budget considerations

Memorial lots can be costly.

Lawn lots alone go anywhere from P40,000 to P330,000, while garden lots go as high as P2,800,000. Family estates and mausoleums range from P1,000,000 to P20,160,000 and up.

The location of the memorial park also plays a role in the lot’s value. James shared that those within Metro Manila cost more than those in provincial areas. Golden Haven, for example, offers lawn lots in provinces from P40,000 and P300,000 in the city.

Prices also depend on the lot’s placement, as those near the roads are sold higher than the ones in the middle.

They can be expensive, but most developers allow for a year up to five years of installment payment, as in the case of Golden Haven.

“We make sure to offer payment terms that would fit all financial capabilities from paying in cash to spreading it over five years,” Maribeth Tolentino, president of Golden Haven, explained.

Choosing the ‘one’

Tolentino said the park’s track record should also be taken into consideration when investing in a memorial lot.

“How long have they been in the business? The perpetuity involved in buying a memorial lot requires a company to remain in operation for a very long time,” she added.

There are a couple of renowned memorials parks in the country. The pioneer Manila Memorial Park opened in 1964 and has parks in Sucat, Novaliches, Cavite, Cebu and Davao. It offers lawn lots, garden units and family estates across its 342 hectares of accumulated land.

In 1984, Golden Haven opened in Las Piñas City. It is the first “themed” memorial park and the only one listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. It offers lawn lots for P40,000 (provincial) to P300,000 (city) and mausoleums and family estates from P1,000,000 onward.

It has parks in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Metro Manila, Batangas, Quezon, Bicol, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Zamboanga and General Santos City.

Read the full article through this link https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/11/01/news/top-stories/getting-ready-for-the-inevitable/652573/