Rising and falling JSE Main Market stocks were almost equal in number on the first trading day on the new-year when market activity closed on Thursday.
The market’s move resulted in a big bounce in the market index, bringing the gains in the last four days to 9,573.73 points. Trading closed with 38 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar market, with 13 advancing, 12 declining and the prices of 13 stocks remaining unchanged. The JSE Main Market activity ended, with 34 securities accounting for 39,225,030 units valued $114,615,971 in contrast to 29,187,937 units valued at $201,537,949, from 43 securities on Tuesday.
At the close, JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,368.77 points to close at 563,222.03. The JSE Market Index climbed 2,949.65 points to 512,866.09 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.78 points to close at 138.33.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading, with 25.9 million shares and 66 percent of the units traded, followed by Sagicor Select – Financial Fund with 5.5 million units for 14 percent of the day’s trade and Carreras rounding out the top three with 3.34 million shares for 8.5 percent of market share.
The market closed, with an average of 1,153,677 units valued at an average of $3,371,058 for each security traded, in contrast to 788,863 units valued at an average of $5,446,972 on Tuesday. The market closed out December, with an average of 595,143 units for $9,344,514 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending, with bids higher than their last selling prices and two closing, with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.7, with the Main Market ending at 19.1 times the current year’s earnings.
In the prime market activity, Barita Investments dropped $1.48 to $73.51, with 38,799 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement lost 50 cents to end at $84 in trading of 11,559 stock units. Eppley gained 90 cents to close at $15 while exchanging 1,153 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dipped $2 to close at $40 with an exchange of 7,939 units. Jamaica Producers declined by $1.50 to end at $27, with 31,783 stock units changing hands. JMMB Group fell 55 cents to end at $46.95, with an exchange of 35,221 units. Mayberry Investments lost 55 cents to end at $9, in trading 10,795 stock units Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 86 cents to end at $13.15, trading 51,577 shares, 
PanJam Investment gained $1 to end at $102, with 239,379 units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments gained $1.89 in exchanging 4,211 units to close at $49.89, Pulse Investments climbed $2.25 with 65,000 shares changing hands, to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $7.50, after trading at an all-time high of $6.20. Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 25 cents in trading 3,150 shares at $10.25 and Scotia Group rose 50 cents to close at $56 with an exchange of 185,416 stock units.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 83,015 units valued at $26,886. The market index advanced 0.92 points to close at 227.15. Proven Investments fell 2.9 cents in exchanging 64,466 units to close at 31.9 US cents, Sterling Investments rose 0.04 cent in trading 1,600 units to close at 2.9 US cents. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.01 cent in exchanging 4,500 stock units to close at a 52 weeks’ high of 15.1 US cents and in the preference segment, JMMB Group 6.0% preference share traded 2,190 units at US$1.01.
Archives for January 2020
Modest Junior Market gains start 2020
The Junior Market Index advanced 15.19 points to 3,364.15, with the prices of 11 securities rising against 13 that fell, leaving five stocks trading with unchanged prices.
The average PE of the market ended at 14.4.
Market activity ended with 29 securities trading, resulting in 5,086,049 units valued at $10,583,733 compared to 3,973,357 units valued at $16,004,427 from 35 securities on Tuesday.
Trading ended with an average of 175,381 units $at 364,956 for each stock traded, in contrast to 113,524 shares, for an average of $457,269 on Tuesday. December closed with an average of 521,319 shares at $1,344,719 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investors Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
By the close of trading, AMG Packaging added 1 cent to settle at $2.10 with 26,700 shares changing hands, Blue Power traded 17,588 units with a rise of 50 cents to close at $5, 
Caribbean Producers lost 10 cents to end at $5.20 with 16,686 stock units crossing the exchange. Consolidated Bakeries rose 14 cents to settle at $1.80 with 12,000 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading lost 1 cent to close at $2.59 with 37,262 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic fell 9 cents to end at $4.90 while trading 15,473 shares, Everything Fresh lost 7 cents to end at $1.15 in trading 12,500 stock units. Express Catering fell 6 cents to close at $6.60, with an exchange of 24,736 stock units, Fontana shed 29 cents to end at $7.01, after trading 67,069 shares, FosRich exchanged 82,276 stock units and rose 13 cents to close at $4.45, General Accident fell 10 cents to end at $7, with 2,763 units crossing the market. Honey Bun climbed 10 cents to settle at $8, after trading 3,500 shares, iCreate rose by a cent to 71 cents with 24,391shares changing hands, Indies Pharma lost 35 cents and closed at $3.15 with 62,440 stock units crossing the exchange. Iron Rock Insurance gained 7 cents to end at $3.59 with just one stock unit changing hands, 
Jamaican Teas exchanged 165,465 shares and rose 30 cents to end at $6.60. Lasco Distributors gained 4 cents trading 16,930 shares to end at $3.25, Lasco Financial swapped 11,200 stock units after falling 16 cents to end at $4.33. Lasco Manufacturing lost 1 cent to settle at $4.68, with 4,036 shares changing hands. Lumber Depot lost 1 cent to end at $1.60 with a transfer of 3,793,154 stock units, MailPac slipped 2 cents trading 511,531 shares to settle at $2.09, Medical Disposables jumped 75 cents to end at $7.55 with 6,400 stock units trading and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 10 cents to end at $11, in transferring 1,000 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
TTSE stocks start 2020 with some gains
Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters
The Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange started trading in 2020 with modest gains in all three major indices but with just two stocks rising while three slipped and eight closed with prices unchanged.
At the close of trading on Tuesday, the Composite Index rose 2.28 points on Thursday to 1,470.69. The All T&T Index added 0.14 points to 1,869.11, while the Cross Listed Index gained 0.61 points to close at 145.26.
Trading ended with just 13 securities changing hands, similar to the number trading on Tuesday as 187,409 shares traded at $2,716,885 compared to 229,238 shares changing hands at $3,637,335. The market had two stocks hitting 52 weeks’ high at the close of trading.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with the bids of four stocks higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Gains| First Caribbean International Bank gained 10 cents completed trading at $8, with ten stock units changing hands and Guardian Holdings advanced 35 cents and ended at $22, with investors exchanging 72,946 shares.
Losses| Point Lisas declined 5 cents and completed trading of 500 stock units at $3.55, Republic 
Financial fell 9 cents to close at $131.01, with investors exchanging 640 shares and West Indian Tobacco lost just 1 cent to finish at $41.24, with ten units changing hands.
Firm Trades| First Citizens Bank settled at $44.50, with 5,136 stock units trading, Grace Kennedy closed at $3.95, with 6,484 stock units trading, JMMB Group concluded trading with 27,149 stock units at $2.60, National Enterprises exchanged 35,000 shares and ended at $5.76. NCB Financial closed at $10.86, with 4,686 units crossing the exchange, One Caribbean Media exchanged 28,904 units at $8.50, Scotiabank traded 1,640 stock units at $61 and Trinidad & Tobago NGL close trading of 4,304 shares at $24.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Lousy 2019 for Junior Market stocks
Junior Market trades
Junior Market did not end 2019 with glory splashed all over it with the market for small and medium-size companies, gaining just 3.1 percent in 2019, down from 18.8 percent in 2018 and 24.3 percent in 2017.
While the premier stocks rose appreciably in 2019, stocks on the Junior Market faltered in its performance in 2019, with the price of only one stock listed on the market at the end of 2018 doubling in value in 2019 and another coming close, with a rise of 97 percent. The Junior Market that saw a half of its listings declining in the year had just four stocks gaining over 100 percent. Three new listings in the Junior Market occupied the top three positions. Fontana, pharmacy operators, was the top performer and closed the year at $7.30 with a rise of 288 percent on the expectation that the new store at Waterloo Road that opened in the December quarter, will boost income and profit in the 2020 fiscal year. The second-best performer, the advertising and production company – Limners and Bards, was listed in summer and delivered a 200 percent increase for investors who bought the stock at the IPO stage. The recently listed MailPac Group, with gains of 111 percent from the IPO price of $1 took up the number three position.
Honey Bun fresh from the expansion of its bakery operations and a 20.4 percent growth in revenues in the September quarter and profit after tax rising 67 percent for the full 2019 fiscal year, doubled in price with a 103 percent increase.
Elite Diagnostic is the sole Junior Market stock from the 2018 TOP 10 to remain in the TOP 10 in 2019. tTech 6th worse performer in 2018, made it to the 2019 Top 10 in the eight position. Jetcon Corporation, the number 9 worse performer and GWest Corporation at number 10 in 2018 again ended in the worse ten performing stocks in 2019, in fourth for GWest and 10th position for Jetcon.
One major reason for the divergence for the performances of the Main Market and the Junior Market is to be found it the valuation multiple for both markets.
While both markets close 2018, with PE ratios around 16 times 2018 earnings the market moved decidedly in different paths with Main Market stocks approaching PE ratio around 20 leaving the Junior Market at just over 14.
Gains fin the Junior Market peaked at 12.8% on August 14 and drifted down since.
9 JSE Main Market stocks double in 2019
Last year was a mixed one for investors in the Jamaican stock market. On the one hand, Investors in Main Market stock enjoyed gains of more than 30 percent for the second year in a row, but Investors in Junior Market Stocks had far less to cheer about with a market rise of 3 percent.
Ten JSE Main Market stocks doubled in price in 2019 with the Jamaica Stock Exchange ordinary share leading the group with a gain of 177 percent with the Main market rising 34.3 percent for the year, upon the 31.7 percent rise in 2018.
VM Investments rose 120 percent to hold down the number two spot followed by Sygnus Credit Investments, Wisynco Group and Radio Jamaica. All three ended up on the worse 10 performing stocks in 2018 along with Proven Investments, the 10th best performer in 2019, with a 93 percent gain. Palace Amusement stock gained 100 percent, in 2019 and is the only 2018 TOP 10 stock to reappear in the top 10, in 2019. In 2018, it came in at number 3 best performing stock, compared to eight position in 2019. Palace has a remarkable record of more than doubling in each year, from 2016 to end in the TOP 10 for all of them
