Archives for June 2017

Scotia Equity Fund tops at 39%

June 26, 2017 by

Scotia Investments Capital growth Fund tops in last 12 months.

Getting the best out of one’s investment requires regular reviews and sometimes changes to what we may consider prime holdings. A look at some of the high flying Jamaica Stock Exchange listings this year, tells the story pretty well.
The prices of many rose to exceedingly high valuations, on the back of strong buying, only to see prices fall back later with selling exceeding buying, as investors who bought low, offloaded their holdings, booking profit in the process.
That many may go on to recover losses incurred as a result of buying close to or near the top. In a number of cases, it may take quite some time to recover fully, while other opportunities to profit may go by. The Jamaica Stock Exchange share traded at $13.50 but now trades at $7 or Cargo Handlers trading at a high of $30, and is now at $16 and could fall some more with the price still seeming to be about 50 percent too high. Getting back to the top for these two will be challenging in the short term.
What then is happening to securities that move in a more mild-mannered than stocks but better than money market instruments? Unit trusts are a pooled investment vehicle that are managed by experienced persons.
Many persons only want to know that their investment grow at a reasonable pace and not so much on the rate of return, that will not be good stewardship of their resources. Investors should review their portfolio at least once per year and make changes where needed.
A close look at the Unit Trust bi weekly report that are published in the Jamaica Observer and Jamaica’s Daily Gleaner is revealing. Not all stocks are alike so it is with the pooled Unit Trust investment funds.
The performance of the Unit Trust funds vary from one to another. The equity based growth funds varied from 39 percent growth in case of Scotia Investments Premium Growth Fund, to a low of 28.47 percent for Sagicor Sigma Equity Fund for the last 12 months to date. Coming second, is Barita Investments Capital Growth with 34.55 percent. For 2017 to June 22, NCB Capital Markets equity fund delivered 29 percent for the last 12 months, but is the leading equity linked Unit Trust funds with gains of 21 percent, Scotia Investments Premium Growth Fund, is just behind, at 20.4 percent, edging out Barita Investments with 19.7 percent. JMMB Fund Managers landed 31 percent for the last 12 months and 18.9 percent since January with their Income and Growth Fund.
Sagicor and VM Unit Trust lag in the equity category, while Barita Investments FX Growth Portfolio fell 10 percent for the last 12 months and 5.7 percent since 2017 and the real estate fund, slipped 3 percent for the last 12 months and 5.7 percent for 2017 to date.
Returns on money market funds have been much more competitive with returns mostly around 5 percent annualized.

Filed Under: Company News, General Business News, Investment Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

AMG eases Dolphin Cove out of TOP 10

June 26, 2017 by

AMG Packaging back in IC TOP 10.

Only one change occurred in the TOP 10 list for the past week with AMG Packaging reentering the list and Dolphin Cove moving out, as the price of the latter moved back to $20 from $18, the week before.
In the main market Berger Paints jumps to third position from 7 with the price tumbling from $17.31 to $12.50 during the week after trading at a low of $12.05.
The other news worthy development of the week was the increase in the price of former TOP 10 Junior Market listing, Jetcon Corporation that drop out of the top list last week. The stock closed at a new high during the past week but ended at $5.90 after 3 for 1 stock split took effect on Thursday, with attempts to trade at $7.40 on Friday thwarted by the circuit breaker rules. The trade was cancelled after the market closed.
Market movement continues to be constrained by near term resistance levels but it does not prevent stocks from moving in either direction, but it will tend to keep prices overall from big movements upwards.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is 7.3 and 6.9 in the main market, these compare favourably with 13.5 for the overall main market and 13 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings. Several stocks are trading below these averages, and have potential for more gains in the months ahead, barring major negative developments.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the Junior Market average, while those in the main market are trading at a 49 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving stocks with room for growth in the months ahead. At the end of April the reading was 35 percent discount for the juniors and 53 percent for the majors.

Filed Under: Buy Rated Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big gains for 2016 IPOS

June 26, 2017 by

I$P Finance is up 1,100% since listing in March 2016 but hit an all time high of $35 earlier this year to be up 1,650% at that time.

Initial Public listings have been very popular in the Jamaican stock market. Most of them enjoyed strong gains within a few years of issue.
Investors have bought heavily into most of the issues resulting in most closing on the first day of the issue.
No doubt investors will be avidly awaiting issues to come in the second half of this year. Expecting this week is Productivity Business Solution IPO should be available of subscription in the first week of July and Express Catering should be coming pretty soon as well.
A series of others should be following later in 2017 and in 2018 with Stationery and Supplies expected to follow shortly after the above two, as they iron out a few issues before coming to market, while UCC Online still has issues to resolve. Others that have been recently mentioned publicly and a few that have not yet made public statements, should add to the excitement when they do make it and swell the choices available in the market for ongoing investment.
How have recent IPOS done since listing? Stocks sold to the publish and listed since the start of 2016 had mixed fortunes, with startup entities delivering little gains with one trading lower than the IPO price but four have gained 200 percent or more including one with more than 1,000 percent, one rising 64 percent and one with 34 percent, up to last Friday.
Little known micro finance company, ISP Finance gained a stunning 1,100 percent, since listing in March 2016. Pre-owned car dealer, Jetcon Corporation is up with gains of 687 percent since March last year with information technology, company tTech coming in with gains of 220 percent.
Portland JSX Fund lost 18 percent, while start up general insurance company, Iron Rock is up just 7 percent. All stocks traded at higher prices than the closing ones on Friday.

Filed Under: Company News, General Business News, Initial Public Offers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ansa’s Berger T&T holdings to hit 81%

June 26, 2017 by
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Carib Beer brewed in Trinidad by Ansa McAl Group

Trinidad based conglomerate, ANSA McAL is set to acquire an additional 9.7 percent of Berger Paints in Trinidad. The acquisition if concluded, will give the group just under 81 percent of the company.
The group through subsidiary, ANSA Coatings International, through an International Business Company established in St Lucia, entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Chan Ramlal Limited for the acquisition of 500,000 shares in Berger T&T, a release to the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange stated. The ANSA McAL group already holds, 60,606 ordinary shares representing 1.17 percent in Berger.
On 16th June, 2017, ANSA McAL entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Berger International Private for the acquisition of all of the 1,869,805 ordinary shares in Lewis Berger (Overseas Holdings). Lewis Berger owns 3,613,011 ordinary shares in Berger Trinidad, representing 70 percent of the shareholding, 100 percent of the 376,000 equity shares, of Berger Paints Barbados and 109,332,222 ordinary shares, representing 51 percent of the shareholding of Berger Paints Jamaica.

Filed Under: Company News, General Business News Tagged With: , , , , ,

97% of The Hampshire units sold

June 24, 2017 by

The Hampshire in Kingston, Jamaica.

‘The Hampshire’, in less than a week of its official ground-breaking, saw approximately 97% of the units sold.
According to veteran RE/MAX Elite Realtor, Anya Levy, this is not only an indication of the thriving Jamaican real estate market but the quality of the product and the strength of the location, developers, builders and pricing point which she described as the “sweet spot”. Buyers of ‘The Hampshire’ comprised mostly first time home owners and investors. ‘The Hampshire’ located at 9 Musgrave Avenue, in the Golden Triangle, one of Kingston’s prime residential areas. ‘The complex is strategically set in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica’s thriving commercial hub. Such a location promises superb dining, comfortable shopping, easy, hassle-free commuting and world-class entertainment.

Anya Levy of RE/Max elite

“Now is the time to plan out not just traffic flow, not just water and sewage infrastructure but let us have a plan for the security of the New Kingston area because with the regeneration of the area we can now build with security in mind,” Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness stressed, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the developemnt. Holness further urged private investors to tap into the development of underutilized assets across Jamaica in a bid to foster economic growth by increasing the productivity of unused lands and infrastructures. He commended Guardian Life Limited on their bold move to develop the idle land. President of Guardian Life, Eric Hosin, who was present at the ground-breaking ceremony said the decision to venture into real estate development has been “well considered and well timed”. The eco- friendly apartment complex will sit on 1.23 acres of land.
“You can’t beat real estate, you can’t go wrong with this product,” Anya Levy said in an interview with ICInsider.com, as she explained that investors bought into ‘The Hampshire’ because the risk is nominal and that she has a lot of confidence in the development.
Completion of the development is scheduled for November 2018, comprises 66 units ranging from ‘super studios’ to single bedroom units with double bathrooms with sizes ranging from 706 to 1,020 square feet spanning across 6 floors. Some amenities the apartment complex will house include a rooftop recreational area with a pool and gym, 24- hour security, a coded main entrance, elevators, a standby generator, generous parking, a back-up water supply system and provision for air conditioner installations. The average property price in the area ‘The Hampshire’ is being developed, ranges between US$122,149 and US$220,000. The selling price for units start at US$144,950 (J$18.8 million) just under J$26,500 per square foot.
Developers of the complex are Guardian Life with architectural works by Michael Lake & Associates, contractors Matalon Homes.

 

Filed Under: Feature Stories, Real Estate Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Palace leaps $108 on Friday

June 23, 2017 by

Palace Amusement hit a record of $498 on Friday.


Cinema owners and movie promoters, Palace Amusement Company’s share price jumped $108 or just under 27 percent to close at an all-time high of $498 with just 888 shares trading on Friday. The movement in the price of the stock contributed in the market indices rising close to 1,000 points.
The stock traded with a gain of $50 to close at $390 on Tuesday in trading 200 shares. Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday with a number of stocks rising being outnumbered by those declining. The volume and value of stocks traded declined compared to the prior day. At the close of the market, the All Jamaica Composite Index gained 982.15 points to close at 258,619.66, the JSE Market Index rose 894.85 points to 235,631.79 and the JSE US dollar market index fell 3.32 points to close at 184.01.
Trading ended with 28 securities changing hands in the main market with 1 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 9 stocks advancing and 12 declining. Trading ended with 2,161,083 units valued at $46,263,769 changing hands in the main market, compared to 39,788,577 units valued at $130,153,064 at the close on Thursday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 489,884 units valued at US$115,026.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 77,182 units valued at a mere $5,040,005 for every security traded compared to an average of 1,473,651 units valued at a mere $4,820,484 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 263,096 units with an average value of $4,517,103 compared with an average of 274,715 units with an average value of $4,484,422 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Barita Investments traded 1,372 shares at $7, Berger Paints lost $2.95 to end at $12.05, with an exchange of 5,077 shares, Cable and Wireless gained 2 cents to close at $1.12, with 241,397 stock units changing owners, Caribbean Cement closed at $26 trading 227,723 shares, Carreras traded $3 higher to close at $85 in exchanging 48,412 units, Grace Kennedy closed at $41.50, losing 50 cents with 2,487 units changing hands, Jamaica Broilers closed at $18, with gains of 50 cents in trading 14,948 shares, Jamaica Producers traded $1 higher to $16, with 18,695 units being exchanged. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7 trading 20,747 shares, JMMB Group closed at $20, with 1,803 units changing hands, Kingston Wharves traded 98 cents higher to $26, with an exchange of 29,851 shares. NCB Financial Group closed at $71.50, gaining 50 cents after exchanging 21,399 shares, 1834 Investments closed at $1.50, losing 2 cents with 68,095 units changing hands, PanJam Investment lost 50 cents to close at $34, as 21,843 shares were traded. Portland JSX lost 95 cents to close at $9, with just 500 units changing hands, Proven Investments traded 51 cents lower to close at 52 weeks’ low of $19 exchanging 800,415 shares, more than $11 less than the stock traded at in the US dollar market, Pulse Investments closed at $18, with an exchange of 7,389 shares, Radio Jamaica lost 15 cents, closing at $1.50 with 44,371 shares switching owners, Sagicor Group closed at $34.19, losing 32 cents trading 6,890 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund added 10 cents to close at $11.60, with 1,663 units trading, Scotia Group closed at $44.70, with gains of 70 cents exchanging 315,901 shares while Supreme Ventures closed at $7.50, losing 29 cents with 170,957 shares changing hands. Proven Investments US dollar listed ordinary share, exchanged 489,884 ordinary shares at 24 US cents, Proven Investments 8.25% preference share lost 3 cents, closing at $5.17, with 29,600 units traded, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share closed at $1.90, with 44,650 units changing hands, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.12, with an exchange of 10,000 units and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 1 cent to close at $1.49 with trades of 1,010 units.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jamaican$ gains strenght

June 23, 2017 by

The Jamaican dollar regain more lost grounds against the United States dollar on Friday, with the selling rate ending at $129.01, down from $129.15 on Thursday as authorized dealers sold US$26.36 million against purchase of US$38.4 million at an average rate of $128.15.
Dealers bought a total of US$44.89 million in all currencies and sold the equivalent of US$30.6 million. For the week $216.84 was purchased by dealers, up from $209 million, the week before and they sold $182 million, down from $200 million sold in the prior week, resulting in a surplus of $35 million for the week and US$64 million for the month since June 5. In United States dollars trading, dealers purchased US$200 million and sold $164 million during the week, for a net surplus of $36 million, compared to US$180 million bought and US$174 million sold the previous week, a net of just $5 million. For the month since June 5, net inflows of US$55 million came into the system.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, FX Market Tagged With: , , , , ,

4 Junior Market stocks up 11 down – Friday

June 23, 2017 by

Volume traded on the Junior Market rose on Friday with 7 million units of Jamaican Teas changing ownership, as a connected party sold off some of their holdings. At the close 8,427,903 units valued at $36,346,358 traded in the overall market, compared with the 820,866 units valued at $4,017,595 passing  on Thursday.
Trading ended with 21 securities versus 16 on Thursday leading to just 4 stocks rising and 11 declining.. The market index shot 26.38 points to end at 3,210.24.
The market closed with 4 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 401,329 units for an average value of $1,730,779 compared to of 51,304 units for an average value of $251,100 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date is 481,066 units valued at $2,102,149 compared with 486,049 units valued at $2,125,360, previously, in contrast, May closed with averages of just 89,339 units at $596,722.
At the close of the market, stocks trading and their last traded price are: Blue Power fell $5 and closed at $50 with 3,537 units changing hands, CAC 2000 rose 50 cents and closed at $8 with a mere 100 shares trading, Cargo Handlers traded 3,665 shares at $16, Caribbean Cream lost 15 cents in trading 7,000 units to end at $7.25, Caribbean Producers lost 10 cents in trading 431,702 units to end at $3.30. Dolphin Cove gained 90 cents to end at $20 with 242 shares trading, Eppley had 8,835 units changing hands to close of $12. General Accident had 502,293 units changing hands to close at $3 after climbing 30 cents. ISP Finance ended at $24 with 1,434 units changing hands Jamaican Teas traded 7,003,641 shares but lost 45 cents to end at $4.30, Jetcon Corporation fell 49 cents and ended at $5.90 with 286,000 shares trading, Knutsford Express traded 14,287 shares but fell 10 cents to end at $15.90, Lasco Distributors ended at $7, trading 81,100 units, Lasco Financial fell 1 cent with 5,000 shares changing hands to end at $3.80, Lasco Manufacturing ended with 500 shares trading and closed at $4.90 after rising 20 cents. Main Event shed 45 cents and ended trading 29,044 shares at $6, Medical Disposables lost 50 cents and ended at $5.50 with 12,484 units trading, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents and ended with 31,206 shares changing hands at $2.70, Sweet River fell 31 cents, ended with 5,506 units changing hands at $3.55 and tTech ended with 227 units changing hands to end at $8 and Eppley 10% preference share, ended with 100 units changing hands at $6.60.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, JSE Junior Market, Stock Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

3 stocks dominate TTSE trading on Friday

June 23, 2017 by

Witco was one of the 3 stocks that had dominant trades on Friday

Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Friday resulted in only 8 securities being exchanged compared to 11 on Thursday. The volume traded swung upward to 507,698 with a value of $10,611,513 in contrast to Thursday’s trades of 78,795 valued at $1,350,632.
At the close, 1 stock advanced, 2 declined and 5 were unchanged. Clico Investment was the dominant trade with close to 50 percent of the volume traded and 53 percent of the market’s value, followed by Guardian Holdings and West Indian Tobacco each with just over 20 percent of the value.
The Composite Index lost 0.30 points to 1,211.06, the All T&T Index was down 0.60 points to 1,790.06 and the Cross Listed Index closed unperturbed at 84.71.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 8 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investment gained 1 cent to close at $22.51 while trading 247,575 shares valued at $5,572,669.
Losses| Massy Holdings closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $50, losing 10 cents in exchanging 6,130 shares valued at $306,916 and West Indian Tobacco traded 35 cents lower to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $126, with 17,000 units changing hands at a value of $2,142,000.
Firm Trades| Grace Kennedy exchanged 64,890 shares at $2.70, Guardian Holdings held firm at $16.20 trading 147,000 shares valued at $2,381,400, JMMB Group closed at $1.26, with trades of 25,000 units. One Caribbean Media traded 100 units at $15.01 and Republic Financial Holdings exchanged a mere 3 units at $101.90.

Filed Under: Stock Market, TTSE Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One ECCU Insurance & pension regulator

June 23, 2017 by

Eleanor Astaphan, Project Manager of the Single Market Insurance and Pension in the Eastern Caribbean Union

The Caribbean English speaking countries are spread across the region with most having duplication of institutions that could be more efficiently operated as one or two units to benefit from economies of scale.
We cooperate in a number of areas, most noted is in cricket where we have one team. From an economic point, the ECCU based countries have been cooperating on a number of fronts,  the most noted being The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and one common currency. The countries are now working on setting up one body to regulate the insurance and pension industry as a single market.
According to Eleanor Astaphan, the Project Manager of the Single Market Insurance and Pension in the Eastern Caribbean Union the countries in the grouping have signed an agreement to establish the regulatory body which is likely to be operational in 2018. Revenues for the body is proposed to come from fees to be levied on industry, but this is the subject of discussion with industry players.
Under the new arrangement, when effected will require businesses to register in one territory to be able to operate in any country within the union.
Eleanor Astaphan was addressing a workshop for the Caribbean Association of Insurance Regulators hosted by the Financial Securities Commission of Jamaica and held at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston earlier this week.
Other presentors included John Jackson who gave the key note address and spoke of the need for financial regulars to be more proactive to ensure proper protection of investors. Jackson pointed to a number of issues that are occurring that are inimical to the sector and if not addressed could lead to major problems. Jackson also suggested the need for merging of a number of regulatory bodies across the region and creation of a single capital market.
The conference was addressed by Stuart Wason of the IMF, who resented papers on capital adequacy and assessing systemic risk in the insurance industry and Meg Mulry of AM Best spoke on strengthening insurance regulation and data collection in the Caribbean.

Filed Under: General News Tagged With: , , , , ,