TRADE AND FINANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 71, 23 March 1923, Page 6

TRADE AND FINANCE.

AUCKLAND SHAREMARKET. DfSINESS DONE. AT TIIK 3.13 r.M. CALL YESTERDAY— N Z. Homo Builders I*. '■> AT TIIK in A.M. CALL TO-DAY— AiK-klnml Gas (..1.1) £1 3, fl AT TIIK NOON CALL TO-DAY— Kniii. •<{ New Zealand £2/17.0

BANK AKD INSURANCE SHARES. APPRECIATION IN VATXES. The Wellington Stnck Exchange sharp list for March just circulated shows that the shares of hanks and insurance companies have appreciated in value very considerably when compared with the tjuotn--lions ruling a year ago. Gilt-edged securities hare .ilso improved to the extent of nbnnt £(i 1"' per ceut for the 44 per cents, whirh appear now to be set at £07 .", ', this being the limit buyers are prepared to crive just now. The improvement In bank shares Is shown in the table appended :■— Mar.. 1923, Mar., 1922. Banks — £ s. d. £ p. d. Australasia .. 13 8 0 It 13 6 National 6 8 0 5 17 0 N.S. Wales .... 37 12 (i 35 fi 0 New Zealand .. 2 17 0 2 8 3 I'nlon 14 0 0 1118 0 The movements in insurance shares arc shown below :— Mar.. 1923, Mar., 1922. £ s. d. £ s. d. National 3 13 0 2 19 0 New Zealand 18 0 17 3 South British 1 17 0 1 12 6 Standard 114 0 1 O 0 The advances here are comparatively small, for the returns are very small. The return on National Insurance shares is only £4 0/8 per cent on New Zealand Insurance, £4 14,4 on South British £4 4 0, and on Standard Insurance £4 0/11. In most cases these are lower than what can be earned on gilt-edged securities. HXTDDART-PARKER, LTD. Tho directors' report for presentation at the general meeting of shareholders of the Hmltlart Parker Co.. In Melbourne, to-day. March -.''.. shows: —lialance of profit and loss brought forward. £12.352 1«> O; net proflt on the year's trading, £118.388 63; total £145.741 23. In September, 1H22. an Interim dividend was paid for the half-year ending June 30, 1!>22, of 3 per cent on the preference, capital, and 5 per cent with a bonus of - per cent on the ordinary capital, which absorbed £50.000. A divldeud has now been declared of •» per cent un tue bonus, of 3 per cent on the ordinary capital, for the half-year ending December 31. 1!>22. this will absorb a further sum of £.v>.(h«>. Total dividends and bonuses. fl05.l>00; transferred to reserve fund, £12.523 13 Ti: Intnl. £117.523 13Ti, leaving a balance to carry forward. £28.217 8 10. The reserve fund now stands at £.~>o,ooo. The directors think it advisable to capitalise £250.000 of the "reserve fund" as at December 31. 1021. and *hat same should lie distributed in the form of fully paid up shares of £1 each among ordinary share-1 holders iv proportion to their holdings. The sanction of the shareholders is sought, as appears in notice of meeting, In order to comply with No. 101 of the Articles of the Company. The rorapnny's services have been maintained without serious interruption during tho year, tint the conditions of trade have Hot shown improvement, and do not warrant resumption of the full services existing prior to the war. This, together with the Mill considerable cost of new tonnage, has influenced the directors In not yet adding to the company's fleet. Mr. John I.nngley Webb retires from the board, and offers himself for reelection. Mr. A. H. Harwood offers himself for reelection as auditor. The balance sheet shows: Liabilities.—Preference share capital, issued. £300,000; ordinary share capital. CiiiO.OOO: reserve fund. £.ViO,000: insurance fund, £222.317 5/3: reserve fur contingencies, taxation, depreciation of property and investments, repairs and maintenance, boilers and renewals, superannuation fund, I •■tc, £358.318 0 10; shareholders' deposits I with accrued interest. £ii 2 IS>'B; sundry creditors, £312.01)5 fi 7; profit and loss «i-coiiut. £83.217 8 10; total, C 1.527.311 O !). Assets.—Steamships, tui-'s. lighters, plant furniture, freehold and leasehold properties, niid shnres in other companies at valuation, i>i-l.Mi i.i ft: (Jovernment and other debentures. Government stock, and other investments at cost. £1.:M3.oo« 17 4: coal stocks and stores at cost. £70.003 10 11; stiMdrv debtors i.ifter providing for bad and doubt'rul debts.) £206.0*7 i> Otf cash at bankers and in baud, £32.40r> 10 ; total. £2.527,311 0 i>.

FURTIXISEKS MARKET. oratr, extra charge made for booking: pSTK. An -" *sF Sulpa. ammonia ]' __ Jr.? In/ Bone meal (Sydney).... _ f" 10/ S« e «•:■•::: SSK & V. Nauru Ocean S T / e Phos. (fine ground)... _ „,.

HANKS— Sellers. Bayers. XwrMlnsln -- •• 1- "•>■« I-, inini-:-i-i:il 117 0 . . I 1.1,0 N;i'||..|,:ll t! Ill II . . — N,v. .-..uili \V:i!.-«.... :».'.">. 0 .. :t" •"•"• Now /.iMltinil - 1" II .■ - lo •' I :ii..i) ,,f Australia... H !», 0 ■ • 14 " (l i^: t ;;,^' ! - - .. !M4o N,.«- /.,., !.,,,d l'S/fl . ■ IS--' 1 bmi..^ , I/ - > ".: i~^° FINANCIAL — N 7. niul Itlver Plate. 12 0.. 113 Lom nnii Mercantile flO/n 0 •• SS'O/e I., all uml Merc, (pref.l — •■ 70.0/0 C"A!. - Iliki-.ninzi (or.l.) .... — ■• " ° larni-i 110 .. 10 0 ■i-llplri iVrVf.; - ■• !•}» W.iliin -- • • 1 ' , •' wUtporl 1.17'0 ■• 1 ]«.'" \\>.«tpurt stuck, (pri'fl — ■• β-i '■,\urk!.incl lolcli 1/fi/O .. 1/Vn AiL-klanil (new) 1/6/C. .. 1/3/8 !;isi. 0 rno - •• i:vn BHirnxu— l>,v... p .rt Fptv .... — ■• 1 'S/n HuiMiirt. l':irker lonl.i -- •■ .'! d 3 Niirthi'rn S(,>iim ip.n.) — .. H " Kurt hern sto.nn iront.) TO.. H fi Tninn Sipum ijiref.).. — •• 10 0 niirtliokinipw 1/0/6 .. 10/0 Kiniri Tiuihpr 1/7 0 1..I1-1! •• I I"' 0 I'lirk.T. liiiilj 1C 0 .. 14 3 woni.i.F.N— Kitltll'tii n>nl.l 1 :! 0 . . — K:\i:P.ni ll" I 11.11 ■■ — WplllnBlnn DUO .. S 1"'" Wellington Cprpf.) ... — .. SAT/0 MISfKI.LAXEOrS— Almibniii. Wl'.Ii.-ims.. 4 il'0 .. — A .] Kntrioaii. Ltd.. 1/2/G .. l!>/0 A-i.kl.-inl Trains .... — .. 1 "-i/3 Aiuki.-nul Trams (pn-ft - . . 13 0 Pyrnft, LI.l — .. 1 '". 0 I'lilnnlul SiiRiir (Aim.) — ■• 410 0 F.iriurrs- Auc — .. 2/1.".-" ilpnr Ment. Ltii — .. - , ' 1 n ITill anil riiimmer ... — .. 1/1/0 Theatre Arcade (prpf.) 1/0/0 .. Kemi-tliorne. ITosser — .. 2/lS'fl X'»n»illth«. Lr,l — .. 10/0 Milnp. Phoype «\eb.) 1/4/0 .. J/^/0 Nutinnal Pictures ... — .. !■"• 0 Newton Kinp. Ltd. .. — .. 17/0 S.7.. Kxpress 10 'ft .. 14.3 N.z. Ilonip Builders.. 15 B .. — N.A. Fnmiers R G .. - N.A. Farmers (A pref.) — .. 7 0 N.A. Farmers (B vrcf) — .. 7 0 N.Tthern llcmt — . . 1'2'0 I'hillinps ni-d Impey. — .. l'B'fl T-iknpnna Trnms — .. 17'0 Thames Tlipntrc — .. 18/B Tonkin r.arli.-k — .. o rnlon on 1/10 B .. 1 '!i o WMsnns rpment .... I'4'l ,. 1 4/0 N.Z. Milk Products.. 1/7/G .. — UIXINO STOCKS— .Moarr.it a [art 3/0 .. "2 W.iihi l/S/K .. 1,7/C W.-iihi Grand Junction 8.G .. S,0 DEBKNTIKKS AND BONDS— Anck. (Jas, 1032, 5 p.e. 03/0/0 .. — Auckland H.B.. 0 p.i\ liio 5 0 .. — Auckland II.B.. 4} p.c. 00/0/0 .. — City of Auck l'.MU. ,-,j — .. 07.0/0 X.Z. War. mm, 4J p.p. 07/o't) .. — N.Z. W.-ir, lil.vs. 4J p.c. (I7/0/O . . WJ/IB.'O N.Z. War. ini'7. r, p.c. — .. l>7 10 o Snl. Loan. 1!) 3. 5J p.c. 101/0/0 . . lon/0 l> N./C. Ins., I'.crr, Ti p.c. — .. i>7 ]0 u X.Z. Ins.. l!i:w. 4} p.c. 97/3/0 .. — Sol. Loan. 10S3. ".* 100 ion .. — UislMiriip Sheep ". 101.0 0 .. lnn'.vo Miu-ky. Lnean im/n o ..loi id o Rooth-Ma-donalil 101'10.0 .. — New Plymouth lias.. 10," 0/0 ..