Pat McKeough recently responded to a Member of his Inner Circle who requested his advice about a growing Niagara winery.
Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits has expanded from its Ontario base with the acquisition of a winery in British Columbia. A record harvest in 2017 has also helped it place more products in Ontario’s liquor stores. Plus, the company is pursuing marketing initiatives in China, where Canadian sales may be aided by tariffs on U.S. wine. There are distinct growth possibilities in both Ontario and China, notes Pat, but this expanding winery faces the ongoing risk of poor harvests and stiff competition from domestic and international firms.
Q: Dear Pat: Please give me your comments regarding Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. (DWS). Thank you.
Ask Your Investing Questions, Get Expert Answers
Pat McKeough's Inner Circle Pro Has the Answers
Get every investment service we offer plus unparalleled Q&A access
to Pat's personal advice, answers and guidance
A: DIAMOND ESTATES WINES & SPIRITS (symbol DWS on the Toronto Venture Exchange; www.lakeviewwineco.com) produces, markets, and distributes wine and alcohol products. The company operates one winery in Toronto and two in the Niagara region of Ontario (where it is also based).
Diamond Estates produces both VQA wines (wines made of 100% Ontario grapes) and blended wines under several brand names. They include 20 Bees, EastDell, Lakeview Cellars, FRESH, Dan Aykroyd, and Seasons. Through its Kirkwood Diamond Canada (KDC) business, the company also acts as the sales agent for a portfolio of international wines and spirits. While the sale of wine under Diamond Estates’ own labels contributes about 53% of its revenue, its agency unit contributes 47%.
The company’s overall revenue fell 12.0%, from $23.4 million in 2013 (fiscal years end March 31) to $20.6 million in 2014. It then recovered to $24.3 million in 2015 and $29.2 million in 2016. Powered by a 31.7% increase in revenue for its winery business, revenue rose a further 17.5%, to $34.3 million in 2017. In fiscal 2018, it was flat at $34.3 million.
Diamond Estates recorded annual losses from 2013 to 2016 before returning to profitability in 2017. Losses during that earlier time were $2.4 million ($0.17 per share) in 2013, $4.1 million ($0.09 on more shares outstanding) in 2014, and $1.7 million ($0.02) for both 2015 and 2016.
After two years of refinancing and restructuring under new management, the company returned to profitability in fiscal 2017. It earned $534,732 ($0.01) for the year. It was profitable again for fiscal 2018, although earnings fell to $27,177, or nil per share.
Penny stocks: Drop in wine sales at home and abroad lowers revenue and earnings
On June 20, 2018, Diamond Estates acquired Backyard Vineyards Inc., a winery in British Columbia, for $2.8 million. The company believes that this transaction transforms it into a national producer of VQA wines and positions it to build a new winery in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
For the three months ended June 30, 2018, overall revenue fell 16.9%, to $8.0 million from $9.6 million a year earlier. Earnings dropped to $110,358, or nil per share, from $884,402, or $0.01 a share. The lower profit was due to a drop in wine sales through exports and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). In addition, Diamond Estates’ agency division lost a supplier.
The company, like all Canadian wine producers, faces the ongoing risk of poor harvests and even crop failure. It also faces competitive pressures from both domestic and international producers. Diamond Estates must also continue to contend with market regulation in Canada, and any further changes.
However, there are still growth opportunities in the Ontario wine market where VQA wines have only a 6.1% share of the market. This compares to the more than 70% share that local producers hold in other domestic markets. With a record harvest in 2017, Diamond Estates was able to reintroduce several products to the LCBO that had been temporarily de-listed because of limited supply. It expects a return to full distribution shortly.
As well, China represents an opportunity for the company as demand for imported wine there continues to grow. The imposition of Chinese tariffs on American wine imports—in retaliation for “Trump tariffs’ on Chinese goods—could also lift sales for Canadian wine producers selling to the Asian country. Diamond Estates is actively exploring and developing this market opportunity. This includes selling to stores in China through a distributor.
The company now has $19.7 million in long-term debt. That’s down from $30.6 million in 2015, but it still represents a high 48.4% of Diamond Estates’ market cap.
The stock trades at 24.0 times this year’s forecast earnings of $0.01 a share. The company does not pay a dividend.
Inner Circle recommendation: Diamond Estates is okay to hold, but only for highly aggressive investors.
In Ontario, all VQA wines are domestic, but not all domestic wines sold in Ontario are VQA, so the market share comparison above is flawed, although I suspect the overall point is sound.
At this stage of early growth having already seen a very small profit but a decent decline of debt DWS could represent a great opportunity. I am sorry that I did not buy Peller back when I visited it for then it was only Five dollars a share. The same opportunity is possible for DWS
Learn everything you need to know in 'Buried Treasure: Canada's Penny Stock Guide' FREE Special Report from The Successful Investor.
Canadian Penny Stock Guide:
Find where to find Penny Stocks that pay well.
Get Your FREE Report Now:
Buried Treasure: Canada's Penny Stock Guide
X No, I don’t want to make big money in the stock market.
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
The Successful Investor Inc. and its affiliate Successful Investor Wealth Management (referred to hereafter as TSI Network) know that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly. This notice describes our privacy policy. By visiting websites owned by or associated with TSI Network, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
This privacy policy is applicable to all TSI Network Visitors, Clients, Employees, Suppliers, Web sites, Management, and all other interested parties. Any links to or from our site are not covered by this policy. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of every site that you visit.
The privacy of the site/store visitor is very important to TSI Network, and is respected at all times. The information we receive from customers helps us to personalize and continually improve your online experience at TSI Network.
We do not collect or disclose personal information, except when it is provided to us voluntarily by the site/store visitor with their consent.
We store subscriber and password files containing personal information securely. These files are stored in secure areas that are not accessible to the general public. We are always working to ensure the security of your personal information.
We are continuously in the process of improving our sites and services. If any new features or policies require a change to this current policy, we will post a clear notice of this change on pages of our site where the privacy policy appears. The principle behind this privacy policy is to collect information with your knowledge and consent.
What personal information do we collect?
The information we receive from customers helps us personalize and continually improve your online experience at TSI Network. TSI Network may collect personal information online for all legal purposes, which include, but are not limited to:
Information You Give Us: We receive and store any information you enter on our website or give us in any other way through sign-up forms or ordering forms for publications and services. You can choose not to provide certain information, but then you might not be able to take advantage of many of our services and features. We use the information that you provide for such purposes as responding to your requests, customizing your web browsing experience for you, improving our website, and communicating with you.
Automatic Information: We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us. For example, like many websites, we use "cookies," and we obtain certain types of information when your web browser accesses TSI Network.
Information from Other Sources: For reasons such as improving personalization of our service (for example, providing better product recommendations or special offers that we think will interest you), we might receive information about you from other sources and add it to our account information. We also sometimes receive updated delivery and address information from our shippers or other sources so that we can correct our records and deliver your next purchase or communication more easily.
We do reserve the right, however, to collect and perform statistical analyses of the internet traffic to our website for our internal use. However, information collected does not allow us to identify any individual, and will not collect any personal information of the visitor. Furthermore, we do not sell, rent or loan to any outside parties the information collected and analyzed.
Although you may be able to access some of our websites without being required to register or provide personal information, certain websites and sections of our websites may require registration. In addition, if you choose to contact us to ask a question, we will collect your personal information so that we can respond to your question.
To make the visitor’s experience on our website easier, we may use per-session “cookies” (session identifiers) to track the state of the visitor session. This “cookie” is destroyed when your session with our website is over.
Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer's hard drive through your web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser and to provide features like "Remember Me" for our paying subscribers. Cookies are also used during the ordering process to help ensure your order is handled correctly. We do not extract any information about individual users or their computers as a part of this process.
The "Help" portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. However, cookies allow you to take full advantage of some of TSI Network's most useful features, and may be required to access certain areas of our website.
Internet Protocol (or IP) addresses are collected for all visitors to this site. This information is used for the purposes of traffic analysis.
Does TSI Network Use the Information It Receives?
"Contact Us" and Comment Features: TSI Network encourages visitors to its websites to contact us with questions and comments. Email addresses and other information of persons using these features may be collected in order to facilitate our responses to those inquiries.
Purchases of Merchandise: TSI Network websites may offer individuals the opportunity to purchase branded or other merchandise online. In connection with those purchases, customers may be asked to submit personal information, such as shipping addresses and credit card information, which is required to complete the transaction. TSI Network may also offer a Membership program, through which purchasers of its products may receive discounts on their online purchases. Membership registration may involve the submission of personal information to TSI Network and assignment of a user ID and password.
Agents: We employ other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include fulfilling orders, delivering packages, sending postal mail and email, removing repetitive information from customer lists, analyzing data, providing marketing assistance, processing credit card payments and providing customer service. They have access to personal information needed to perform their functions, but may not use it for other purposes.
Promotional Offers: We may make our postal mailing list available to organizations offering products or services that might interest you. If you prefer NOT to receive these offers, please send an email with your name and address to service@tsinetwork.ca with "Do Not Rent Name" in the subject line. We do NOT make our email list available outside our organization.
Protection of TSI Network and Others: We release account and other personal information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with law; enforce the terms of the Legal notices that accompany this policy; or protect the rights, property or safety of TSI Network, our users or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
In addition to these limited disclosures of personal information, TSI Network may provide its affiliates or unaffiliated third parties with aggregate information about visitors to our sites. For example, we might disclose the median ages of visitors to our websites, or the numbers of visitors to our websites that come from different geographic areas. Such aggregate information will not include information of any individual visitors to our websites.
TSI Network may provide personal and other information to a purchaser or successor entity in connection with the sale of TSI Network, a subsidiary or line of business associated with TSI Network, or substantially all of the assets of TSI Network or one of its subsidiaries, affiliates or lines of business.
With Your Consent: Other than as set out above, you will receive notice when information about you might go to third parties, and you will have an opportunity to choose not to share the information.
Except as provided herein, TSI Network will not sell or rent personal information about you to unaffiliated third parties.
We may disclose personal information you have provided through our websites, for the above purposes, to persons or companies that we retain to carry out and other activities for which you have registered or in which you have otherwise asked to participate. In particular, we may for these purposes transfer information to any country (including the USA and other countries which may not offer the same level of data protection as Canada). We also will disclose personal information if required by law, including compliance with warrants, subpoenas or other legal processes.
TSI Network requires persons and companies to which it discloses personal information to restrict their use of such information to the purposes for which it has been provided by TSI Network, to adequately protect the information, and not to disclose that information to others. TSI Network cannot be responsible, however, for any damages caused by the failure of unaffiliated third parties to honour their privacy obligations to TSI Network. Similarly, TSI Network is not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other websites that are linked to our websites.
COMMENTS: TERMS OF USE
We’re always happy to receive feedback, comments and ideas from TSI Network visitors, and we encourage you to add your perspective to any issue by leaving your comments on the site.
To make sure users get the most out of the site’s comments function, we’ve provided a few guidelines:
Do not post threatening, harassing, defamatory, or libelous material.
Do not intentionally make false or misleading statements.
Do not offer to sell or buy any product or service.
Do not post material that infringes copyright.
Do not post information that you know to be confidential or sensitive or otherwise in breach of the law.
TSI Network will not accept responsibility for information posted in the comments.
Please note that we reserve the right to delete or edit all comments. As well, we may close posts to further comments at our discretion. If a user repeatedly abuses our comment policy, we may also revoke that user’s access to our comments section.
By commenting on TSI Network, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post on the site, and that you will relieve us from any and all liability that may result from those postings.
Special Note for Parents
TSI Network does not sell products for purchase by children. If you are under 18, you may use TSI Network's site only with involvement of a parent or guardian
How do we protect your personal information?
TSI Network does everything possible to prevent unauthorized intrusion to its websites and the alteration, acquisition or misuse of personal information by unauthorized persons. Notably passwords submitted by users of our websites are encrypted using encryption mechanisms. However, TSI Network cautions visitors to its websites that no network, including the Internet, is entirely secure. Accordingly, we cannot be responsible for loss, corruption or unauthorized acquisition of personal information provided to our websites, or for any damages resulting from such loss, corruption or unauthorized acquisition.
How do we maintain the integrity of your personal information?
TSI Network has procedures in place to keep your personal information accurate, complete and current for the purposes for which it is collected and used. You may review the information that you have provided to us and where appropriate you may request that it be corrected. If you wish to review your personal information please send a request to: service@tsinetwork.ca.
How do I withdraw my consent to use Personal Information? Access, Correction, Inquiries and Complaints
If you wish to request access to, or correction of, your personal information in our custody or control, or find out how we've used or disclosed that information, please make your request in writing to us. We may need to verify your identity before searching for or providing you with personal information. In some circumstances, we may not be able to provide access to your personal information, for example if it contains the personal information of other persons, if it constitutes confidential commercial information, or if it is protected by solicitor-client privilege. If we deny your request for access to, or refuse a request to correct, your personal information, we will advise you of the reasons for this refusal.
If you do not want to receive promotional offers, please notify TSI Network by sending an email to service@tsinetwork.ca.
How can you ask questions about our Privacy Policy and access your personal information?
The provision of information by you is entirely voluntary and you have the right not to provide information. Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to receive certain information as to whether or not personal information relating to you is held by TSI Network and to obtain a copy of such information that is sought. You may also have the right to require information, where appropriate, to be erased, blocked or made anonymous or to have data updated or corrected. If you do not wish TSI Network to hold information about you or if you wish to have access to information, modify information, or object to any processing of information or if you have questions please contact us.
What Choices Do I Have?
As discussed, you can always choose not to provide information even though it might be needed to make a purchase or to take advantage of TSI Network features.
You can add or update certain information as explained in the section "How Can I Change My Information?"
If you do not want to receive email or other mail from us, please notify TSI Network by sending an email to service@tsinetwork.ca.
The "Help" portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. However, you will not be able to use important features of TSI Network sites if you do not use cookies.
Changes to this Policy
This Policy is the sole authorized statement of TSI Network's practices with respect to the collection of personal information through TSI Network's websites and the subsequent use and disclosure of such information. Any summaries of this Policy generated by third party software or otherwise (for example, in connection with the "Platform for Privacy Preferences" or "P3P") shall have no legal effect, are in no way binding upon TSI Network, shall not be relied upon in substitute for this Policy, and neither supersede nor modify this Policy.
TSI Network may revise this Policy from time to time.
Legal Notices and Disclaimers
The contents of this web site and our publications are based upon sources of information believed to be reliable, but no warranty or representation, expressed or implied, is given as to their accuracy or completeness. Any opinion reflects the Successful Investor’s judgment at the date of publication and neither the Successful Investor, nor any of its affiliated companies, nor any of their officers, directors or employees, accepts any responsibility in respect of the information or recommendations contained in the publications or on this web site. Moreover, the information or recommendations are subject to change without notice.
Information presented on this web site or contained in our publications is not an offer, nor a solicitation, to buy or sell any securities referred to on the web site or in the publications. The material is general information intended for recipients who understand the risks associated with an investment in any securities referred to in the publications or on this web site. The Successful Investor has made no determination regarding whether an investment, course of action, or associated risks are suitable for the recipient.
In Ontario, all VQA wines are domestic, but not all domestic wines sold in Ontario are VQA, so the market share comparison above is flawed, although I suspect the overall point is sound.
Thanks for your feedback.
At this stage of early growth having already seen a very small profit but a decent decline of debt DWS could represent a great opportunity. I am sorry that I did not buy Peller back when I visited it for then it was only Five dollars a share. The same opportunity is possible for DWS