I am of the view that a Jamaican investor looking to get in to SGJ would be best served by purchasing either Pan Jam or Sagicor Financial Corporation (SFC) or both.
Pan Jam because it is trading at a discount to equity as well as being very heavily invested in Jamaican real estate with excellent levels of occupation and with large minority positions in mostly export oriented companies. The vast bulk of its revenue is derived from SGJ as a result of the 31+% shareholding. Sagicor Group (SJ) has also recently gone in to Central America in addition to their Cayman subsidiary which acts as a hedge against further devaluation of the JA$.
SFC because it trades at a significant discount to equity as well as having most of its asset base (about 66%) outside of Jamaica and most of that in currencies which are fixed against the US$ also therefore acting as a hedge against JA$ devaluation. Further, in my view, the T&T and Barbados markets are discounting almost entirely the value of SJ which allows for better value for a Jamaican investor in SFC.
SJ itself is also trading below equity. In my view, the first attached article supports my argument for purchase of either company to get the benefit of SGJ. The second analysis done by myself in May 2011 using the approach identified in the first article attempts to identify the “true” value of SFC.
At close of trading today (Friday 10/10/2014) the market capitalisation of SJ exceeds that of SFC on a constant currency basis by TT$210,939,023 (J$3,743,302,723). I suspect that it was the recognition of this problem which caused SFC to delist from the JSE.
I am a shareholder in SFC and I live in T&T.
Roland Bynoe
Archives for March 2015
Pan Jam & Sagicor Financial better buys
4 up 3 down on TTSE Friday
Trading on the Trinidad Stock Exchange ended Friday with 12 securities changing hands, of which 4 advanced, 3 declined and 5 traded firm, with a total of 894,010 units, valued at $5,484,135.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index lost 0.15 points to close at 1,154.71, the All T&T Index rose fell by just 0.50 points to close at 1,971.88 and the Cross Listed Index increased by a mere 0.02 points to end at 44.25.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Clico Investment Fund trading 45,830 shares valued at $1,035,550 and advanced by 10 cents to end at $22.60, Grace Kennedy trading 301 shares to close with a gain of 1 cent, at $3.55. Massy Holdings in trading 35 shares, gained 1 cents to $63.01 and Sagicor Financial Corporation trading 303 shares to close with a gain of 5 cents at $5.60.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, ANSA McAL with 2,755 shares trading, closed 1 cent lower at $6.91. Trinidad Cement with 767,623 shares changing hands, for a value of $1,919,632 and declining 4 cents to close at $2.55 and West Indian Tobacco adding 10,000 shares valued at $1,250,500 and ended 1 cent lower at $125.05.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Angostura Holdings contributing 10,548 shares with a value of $147,672 and closed at $14, First Citizens Bank trading 1,911 shares in closing at $35.35, Guardian Holdings with 51,604 shares trading for $748,258 and closing at $14.50. National Flour Mills contributing 1,100 shares to close at $1.50 and Scotiabank with 2,000 shares trading to end at $62.01.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator showed 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 with offers that were lower.
JSE ends week moderately
Carerras traded up to $41 on Friday from $39.95, but on small volume.
Main Market| At the close, the JSE Market Index gained 223.17 points to 83,397.97, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 249.52 points to close at 91,961.10 and the JSE combined index increased by 228.52 points to close at 85,032.63.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with offers that were lower. The indicator is stronger for junior market stocks than the main market ones.
Gains| Stocks gaining with last traded prices, at the end of trading in the main market are, Carreras finishing with 853 units trading, to close with a gain of $1.05 at $41, Grace Kennedy closing with 2,390 shares, trading with a gain of 50 cents to $61.50. Jamaica Money Market Brokers finishing trading with 186,452 ordinary shares to end with an increase of 3 cents at $7.05, Mayberry Investments contributing 3,943 shares while gaining 8 cents to $2.08 and Radio Jamaica ending trading with 9,500 shares as the price rose 1 cent, to $1.39, a new 52 weeks high.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in the last traded prices are, Desnoes & Geddes closed with 16,849 shares changing hands at $5.45, Proven Investments closing with 3,287 shares at 18 US cents, Scotia Group concluding trading with 91,792 shares at $21.50, units closed at with shares at.
Declines| The last traded prices of stocks with losses at the end of trading in the main market are, Gleaner finishing with 65,500 units, the price slipped 9 cents to 86 cents, Sagicor Group trading 172,728 units to close lower by 12 cents, at $10.48 and Supreme Ventures while exchanging 200,000 units, closed 1 cent down to $2.29.Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.50% preference shares concluding trading with 15,628 units at $3.50 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference shares finished with 41,965 units changing hands at $3.04.
8 junior bids more than last sale
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 7 securities traded, ending with 123,044 units changing hands valued at a mere $321,011. The JSE Junior Market Index gained 2 points to close at 707.57, with the price of 2 stocks advancing and 2 declining.
At the close of the market, there were 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower, a strong indicator of rising prices ahead. The junior market ended with 6 securities closing with no bids to buy and 8 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial finishing trading with 10,310 units as the price gained 29 cents to $10, 
Lasco Financial with 49,804 shares changing hands, 2 cents higher to $1.07, Consolidated Bakeries concluding trading with 2,000 shares changing hands at 82 cents, Eppley 9.5% preference shares trading 11,694 units at $6. General Accident finishing trading with 22,470 shares at $1.67, AMG Packaging closing with 12,260 units trading lower by 24 cents at $2.25, and Honey Bun dealing in 14,506 units with a loss of 4 cents to $1.91.
Derrimon Trading 11.75% preference share, was listed on Friday but there were no trades, nor interest to buy or sell during the day.
JSE closes with moderate gains Friday
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday was moderate, having gotten off to a slow start up to 11 in the morning. The market closed with triple digit gains in the main indices resulting from only 810,887 units trading in 13 securities.
At the close the JSE Market Index gaining 223.17 points to 83,397.97, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 249.52 points to close at 91,961.10 and the JSE combined index increasing by 228.52 points to close at 85,032.63.
Major price movements were recorded by Carreras, having shrugged off the initial negative reaction to increased taxation on cigarettes to gain $1.05 to close at $41 and Grace Kennedy up 50 cents to $61.50, both on small volumes.
Scotia only stock traded
Sagicor & JMMB active insider trades
A number of insider trades in JMMB shares occurred in March
A series of listed companies released information to the Jamaica Stock Exchange about each trade that took place in 2015 recently. Connected parties at Jamaica Broilers sold a total of 10,236,510 shares on January 28 and February 12. Sagicor Group had a senior manager purchasing 246,944 shares on March 18 and two senior managers purchased a total of 2,061,715 shares under during the period March 11 and March 16. The trades were done under the Executive Long Term Incentive of the group.
Insiders are buying into Sagicor Group’s vision of the future.
Pan-Jamaican Investment saw a related party purchasing 24,401,900 shares on March 6.
There were only a few sales by insiders for the various companies reporting, with Jamaica Money Market Brokers’ connected party selling 778,362 shares on March 17 and a related party selling 20,219 shares on March 16 and 211,249 on March 11. On February 24 and 25 a related party purchased 5,533,174 of the company’s shares but between March 19 and 24 a related party to a director sold 4,000,000 shares.
Scotia Group had two senior managers disposing of 53,926 shares held under the Employee Share Ownership Plan.
Is end of quarter JSE rally on?
Jcakie Sharp CEO of Scotia Group that gained 45 cents on Thursday
Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 865.46 points to 83,174.80, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 967.61 points to close at 91,711.58 and the JSE combined index increased 800.44 points to 84,804.11.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 14 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 stocks with offers that were lower. The increased numbers, is suggestive of month end and end of quarter moves, by some investors or fund managers to get prices or values of certain stocks up to influence portfolio valuation, rather than a sustained higher interest in the market. Admittedly, the reading since March 18, has been strong with the number of higher bids ranging between 10 and 12.
Carreras gained 95 cents and is heading back above $40
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in the last traded prices are, Berger Paints trading with 7,496 shares at $1.61, Cable & Wireless dealing in 333,413 units and closing at 50 cents. Caribbean Cement had 30,000 shares changing hands at $2.25, Desnoes & Geddes ending trading with 7,728 units at $5.45 and while exchanging 2,320 units, closed at $6.40.
Declines|The last traded prices of stocks with losses, at the end of trading in the main market are, Jamaica Money Market Brokers, closing with 223,767 units, finishing 24 cents lower at $7.02, Mayberry Investments concluding trading with 11,829 units, 36 cents lower to $2 and Scotia Investments in trading 9,000 units, the price slipped $1 to $22.Preference| Proven Investments 8% preference share and closing with 1,000 shares traded with a gain of 45 cents to $5.50.
Another large sell off of US$
Dealers sold off a net of US$24 million on Thursday, with purchases of all currencies by dealers amounting to US$28,077,038 equivalent, compared with US$37,292,575, on Wednesday and selling of the equivalent of US$52,045,055 versus US$38,096,238 on the previous trading day.
Thursday’s sale is the second day for the week that dealers offloaded much more than they purchased, with net selling of $28.5 million on Tuesday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$25,814,004 compared to US$35,114,776 on Wednesday. The buying rate for the US dollar slipped 10 cents to $114.51 and US$50,855,849 was sold versus US$36,632,413 on Wednesday, the selling rate edged up 1 cent to end at $115.11. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 39 cents to $90.17 with dealers buying C$1,066,606 and selling C$586,764, at an average rate that fell 14 cents to $91.93. The rate for buying the British Pound declined 57 cents to $168.74 for the purchase of £878,391, while £380,175 was sold, at an average rate of $171.39, for an 81 cents increase. At the end of trading it took J$126.47 to purchase the Euro, 90 cents more than on Wednesday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$124.04 for a rise of 87 cents on Wednesday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$128,765 while the equivalent of US$154,544, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, fell 5 cents to $115.35. The lowest buying and the highest selling rates remained at $93.94 and $120.37 respectively and the lowest selling fell $1.85 to $93.94. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar dropped 50 cents to $92.70, the lowest buying rate remained at $72.46, but the highest selling rate rose 28 cents to $94.56 and the lowest selling rate climbed $2.10 to $89.40. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, gained 70 cents to $172, the lowest buying rate remained unchanged at $137.20 but highest selling rate climbed $1.73 to $176.87, while the lowest selling rate gained $1.40 to $166.70.
9 stocks with higher bids than last sale.
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 4 securities traded ending with 278,501 units changing hands valued at $770,977. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 1.48 points to close at 705.57, with the price of 2 stocks advancing and 1 declining.
At the close of the market, there was a clear indication of a fairly board rally in junior market stocks with 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with the offer that was lower. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy compared 8 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, General Accident Insurance had 57076 shares changing hands, to close at 2 cents higher at $1.67, Medical Disposables & Supplies trading 134,000 shares to gain 2 cents and end at $1.72. Dolphin Cove closing unchanged at $9 while trading 44,000 shares and Lasco Manufacturing having 43425 shares changing hands, with a loss of 2 cents at $1.13.
