Wigton IC TOP 10 stock sets to double

Wigton stock could double soon.

Wigton Windfarm is the third highest ranked IC Insider.com TOP 10 main market stock for this coming week, with the potential to double in price before too long, after listing.
The stock lists on Wednesday on main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. The IPO was priced at 50 cents per share, with a PE of 8.3 times, normalized earnings for the year to March 2019. With the heavy oversubscription, the top investors will get just a fraction of what they applied for and will push the price higher to get a reasonable volume.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 for the coming week has five new listings as some company results encouraged increased buying and reduced selling in a number of cases in the past week.
The Junior Market list has two new listings, Jetcon Corporation and tTech that rejoin the group with falling prices while Elite Diagnostic jumped to $4 and ISP Finance climbed to $16, both on the back of good March quarter results and gave way to the two new listings.
JMMB Group surged in price and move out the TOP 10, following an announcement that the group will invest a minimum of US$200 million in Alignvest Acquisition ll Corporation, a Toronto Stock Exchange traded Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation. Also moving on are Sygnus Credit Investments with a rising price and Grace Kennedy that was edged out by Sagicor Group. Caribbean Cement fell in price to $69 and Scotia Group squeezed into the top list.
The three leading Junior Market stocks for the coming week are, Caribbean Producers with projected gains of 233 percent, Lasco Financial with likely gains of 210 percent, followed by Iron Rock with potential gains of 208 percent.  Of the three on Lasco Financial seems likely to break out after they release full year results later this month.
Radio Jamaica with potential gains of 180 percent leads main market stocks, followed by Sterling Investments with 151 percent likely gain and Wigton Windfarms in third spot with the potential to gain 140 percent within twelve months.
The main market, closed the week with the overall PE at 14.4 and the Junior Market at just 11.1, with the latter having moved up from 10.4 and the end of the prior week. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages 6.8 and the main market PE is now 8.6. These levels, point to the huge upside for TOP 10 stocks over the next 12 months and Junior Market stocks in particular.
The TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 39 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks and main market stocks trade at a discount of 41 percent to the overall market.
TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns within a 12 months period. Projected earnings, for each company’s current fiscal year, are used in determining, the selected stocks. The PE for and projected earnings for each stock are computed to show potential gains for the year, which are ranked in descending order. Potential values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis as new information is received that can result in changes in and out of the list.

This report is compiled by persons who may have interest in the securities commented on.

Jamaican government screwing savers

The Government of Jamaica is screwing savers and making real estate and stock market investors rich, the exact opposite of what the PNP government did in the 1990s managed by Dr. Omar Davies.
Davies who managed the finance portfolio for the government led by his party, created a paradise for the moneyed class, by having a prolonged period of excessive high interest rates that slaughtered the private sector and killed off many viable financial institutions. Jamaicans to this day continue to suffer for the ill-advised and protracted policy.
The JLP led government has moved in the direct opposite direction, by severely hurting savers. People with money are getting paltry returns by putting funds in banks and not much more if they get into riskier bonds, while savvy investors who understand the stock market are making a killing investing their money in stocks. Added to that, many of the savers are pensioners and must pay tax on the interest earned, thus further reducing the return on investment. At the same time, government sells shares in Wigton Windfarm to a select group of more than 31,000 Jamaicans who are likely to benefit in two ways from the current policy.

Stock market investors making a killing while savers get caned.


The current valuation of local stocks will result in the stock price jumping and handing many a handy profit. The latest move by the central bank in chopping the overnight rate to 0.75 percent is going to increase the valuation of stocks above present levels as investors find the dividend yield of many stocks more attractive than money market instruments.
While the central bank lowers the rate to stimulate the economy, the government has artificially helped in keeping bank lending rates much higher than needed by taxing bank customers with high bank taxes that results in interest rates being around 3 percent points higher than they should. This is where the focus needs to be and not on lowering on savings rate to stimulate the economy. The time for removing the distortion in taxes on banks is long gone. The situation is that banks do not pay the high levels of taxes consumers do, as banks pass on the cost to the end user. Lowering the high bank taxes will do far more to cut lending rates and stimulate the economy than the foolish cutting of the savings rate.

Sharp slash to interest rates

Bank of Jamaica slashed their overnight policy interest rate by a hefty 50 basis points to 0.75 percent per annum, effective 20 May 2019.
This decision reflects Bank of Jamaica’s assessment that inflation will remain low for until the end of 2020 as well as provide added stimulant for faster economic growth.
The reality is that there is a huge disparity between the move by the central bank and government policy. While the central bank lowers the rate to stimulate the economy, the government has artificially helped in keeping bank lending rates much higher than needed by taxing customers of banks by high taxes on banks that is resulting in interest rates being around 3 percent points higher than they should. This is where the focus needs to be and not on lowering on savings rate.
Low inflation is here to stay, despite the central bank’s continued focus on an excessively high 4 to 6 percent range. The lowering of interest rates is hurting savers particularly pensioners who have to rely on savings.
According to Bank of Jamaica, the decision is intended to stimulate an even faster expansion in private sector credit which should lead to higher economic activity, consistent with the inflation target. The move also comes at the same time that the bank announced the lowering of the cash reserves that commercial banks need to keep with the central.
What are the implications, investors looking for yields on local bonds will be getting less on the dollar for savings. Stocks will become more attractive as dividends in a number of cases are paying more than Treasury bill rates that sits at 2 percent per annum. Real estate will benefit from more demand as an alternate form of investing.

Heavy trading in JSE main market

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The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market pulled back from the record close on Friday, with heavy trading of 61,016,873 units for $1,233,540,286.
Trading on Thursday amounted to 8,832,435 units valued $286,901,142.
Stanley Motta led trading on friday with 25 million shares accounting for 41 percent of total main market volume, followed by Sagicor Group with 15.1 million units and 25 percent of the day’s trades and Wisynco Group with 7.2 million units for 12 percent of volume traded. Also trading in large numbers were Carreras with 5 million units, Kingston Properties with 3.9 stock units and JMMB Group with 2.3 million shares.
Trading ended with an average of 1,906,777 units at $38,548,134 for each security traded, in contrast to 276,014 shares valued at $8,965,661 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 283,444 units valued $12,405,469 and previously, 151,264 units valued $10,107,212. Trading for April resulted in an average of 157,923 shares at $3,718,919, for each security traded.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index lost 3,086.58 points to 452,491.13 and the JSE Index shed 2,804.87 points to 412,184.29 as declining stocks beat out those gaining.
At the close market activity, the main and US markets traded 34 securities, compared to 35 on Thursday leading to 9 advancing, 13 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with a weak signal for the coming day with 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Berger Paints lost 35 cents and ended at $18.50, with 29,501 stock units traded, Caribbean Cement dipped $2 to close at $69, trading 26,173 shares, JMMB Group lost $1.50 to end at $37.50 while trading 2,279,409 shares, Kingston Properties rose $1 to end at $7, with an exchange of 100 stock units. Kingston Wharves jumped $3 trading 2,007 shares in closing at $68, NCB Financial Group added $2.40 with 896,238 shares changing hands, to close at $150, Proven Investments closed trading of 8,883 shares and gained of 50 cents to end at $32. Sagicor Group  dropped $3.49 to end at $45 in trading 15,159,344 stock units, Scotia Group  lost $1 trading 90,712 shares to close at $50 and Stanley Motta  concluded trading 25,031,916 stock units after gaining 64 cents to close at $5.39.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 1,267,250 shares valued US$260,425. Proven Investments gained 1.5 cents and closed trading of 955,000 units at 24 US cents and Sygnus Investments ended trading of 312,250 shares at 10 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index closed with a rise of 0.76 points at 183.07.

Junior Market running streak snaps – Friday

Elite Diagnostics closed at a new high of $4 on the Junior Market on Friday.

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index fell, for the second day in 9 trading sessions, by 33.01 points to close at 3,072.57 on Friday, but the IC bid-offer Indicator points to positive trading on Monday.
The day’s gain brings to 7 the number of times the index gained out of the last 9 trading sessions.
At the close of market activities, 25 securities changed hands, compared to 26 on Thursday and resulted in prices of 8 securities rising, 11 declining and 2 remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Market activity led to an exchange of 1,770,415 units valued at $8,192,998 compared to 1,481,572 units valued at $6,322,070 on Thursday. The average traded for the day is 70,817 units at $327,720 for each security, in contrast to 56,984 units for an average of $243,157 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 78,752 units valued at $300,739 and previously, 79,372 units valued at $298,631. In contrast, April closed with an average of 87,963 units valued $317,267 for each security traded.
At the close of the market, Access Financial closed $3 higher at $48, with an exchange of 3,010 shares, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 5 cents at $2.10, with 7,200 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Flavours traded 9,579 stock units and rose 50 cents to close at $17. Caribbean Producers finished trading 243,930 units with a loss of 10 cents to end at $4.80, Derrimon Trading ended 15 cents higher at $3, with an exchange of 88,950 shares, Dolphin Cove concluded trading of 101,844 shares and rose by 5 cents to close at $12.05, Everything Fresh settled at $1.53, with 78,014 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic ended trading 154,178 shares and gained 50 cents to close at  but only after peaking at an all-time high of $5.01a 52 weeks’ high of $4. Express Catering traded 76,434 shares and rose by 10 cents to $7, FosRich Group finished trading 58,012 shares at $5, Fontana closed at $4.55, with an exchange of 106,972 stock units, General Accident ended with a loss of 10 cents at $4, with 168,823 units changing hands. Honey Bun finished 99 cents higher at $4.99, with an exchange of 39,250 shares, iCreate settled at $0.85, with an exchange of 39,000 shares, Indies Pharma ended trading 388,224 stock units, with a loss of 12 cents to end at $3.18, ISP Finance jumped $3.50 to $16, in trading 1,000 shares. Jamaican Teas  closed with a loss of 55 cents at $3.65, with an exchange of 17,000 shares, Jetcon Corporation  ended with a loss of 60 cents at 52 weeks’ low of $1.80, with 5,300 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors  ended trading of 62,004 shares with a loss of 10 cents to close at $3.80. Lasco Financial  fell 9 cents to close at $4.51, with 35,492 shares traded, Lasco Manufacturing  finished trading 6,826 stock units with a loss of 16 cents to close at $3.34, Medical Disposables  ended at $6.85, with 1,400 shares crossing through the exchange. Paramount Trading  concluded trading at $2.10, with 3,750 shares, Stationery and Office  settled with a loss of 21 cents at $9.49, with 70,523 stock units changing hands and tTech traded with a loss of 60 cents at $5.30, with an exchange of 3,700 shares.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Trading in just 11 TTSE stocks – Friday

Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange ended on Friday with 11 securities trading against 14 on Thursday, leading to 5 advancing, 3 declining and 4 remaining unchanged.
At close of the market, the Composite Index fell 0.31 points to 1,352.80. The All T&T Index lost 0.18 points to 1,799.03, while the Cross Listed Index shed 0.06 points to close at 122.31 as trading ended with 349,640 shares for $4,836,075, compared to 1,098,161 shares on Thursday valued at $8,401,452.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with no stock with higher bids or offer higher or lower than their last selling prices.
Stocks ending with gains| At the close of the market, Calypso Macro Index Fund jumped $2 and ended at $17, with 2,127 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings gained 5 cents and settled at $18.50, after exchanging 46,291 shares. Republic Financial Holdings rose 12 cents and ended at $121.12, with 4,682 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Financial increased 15 cents with 259,150 units trading to close at $9.15 and West Indian Tobacco climbed 57 cents and settled at $112, after exchanging 2,000 shares.
Stocks closing with losses| One Caribbean Media closed with a loss of 5 cents at $10.25, in trading with 500 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 50 cents to $27, after exchanging 20,539 shares and Trinidad Cement lost 1 cent and ended at $2.74, with 2,000 stock units changing hands.
Stocks closing firm| Clico Investments completed trading of 550 units at $23.06, First Citizens ended at $38.50, after exchanging 811 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $8.41, with 6,440 stock units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean completed trading of 4,550 units at $26.30.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

JMMB pushes JSE to record close

JMMB Group traded at a record high on Thursday.


The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended at a new record close on Thursday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 6,867.07 points to  a record close of 455,577.71.
The JSE Index Index climbed a sharp 6,240.31 points to end at all all-time closing high of 414,989.16. Thursday’s big move was sparked by a $5.06 jump in the price of JMMB Group, following an announcement that the group will invest a minimum of US$200 million in Alignvest Acquisition ll Corporation, a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Also contributing to the sharp rise in the indices are movement in the prices of NCB Financial, PanJam Investment, Sagicor Group, Scotia Group and Seprod.
At the close market activity, the main and US markets traded 35 securities, compared to 35 on Wednesday leading to 17 advancing, 10 declining and 8 closing unchanged.
Trading ended with 8,832,435 units valued $286,901,142 changing hands, compared to 4,960,274 units valued at $377,862,768 trading on Wednesday.
Trading ended with an average of 276,014 units valued at an average of $8,965,661 for each security traded. In contrast to 155,009 units for an average of $11,808,211 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date, amounts to 151,264 units valued $10,107,212 and previously, 140,206 units valued at $10,217,241. Trading for April resulted in an average of 157,923 shares at $3,718,919, for each security traded.
JMMB Group led trading with 5.08 million shares accounting for 57.5 percent of total main market volume, followed by Jamaica with 1.02 million units and 12 percent of the day’s trades and Proven Investment closed with 626,638 shares for 7 percent of volume traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with a weak signal for the coming day with 5 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Barita Investments lost 50 cents to close at $44.50, with 27,535 shares Caribbean Cement recovered $1 in trading of 18,510 shares to close at $71, Eppley rose $1.20 and ended trading 24,757 shares at $12.50, Grace Kennedy gained 80 cents trading 236,269 stock units to close at $60.80. Jamaica Broilers rose 73 cents while trading 4,331 units to end at $31.33, Jamaica Producers climbed $2.49, in trading 1,024,941 shares to close at $25. JMMB Group jumped $5.06 end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $39 in trading 5,078,196 shares, Kingston Properties rose $1 to end at $7, with an exchange of 100 stock units. Kingston Wharves dropped $2.99 trading 5,886 shares in closing at $65, NCB Financial Group added $1.10 with 64,092 shares changing hands to close at $147.60. Proven Investments  closed trading of 626,638 shares with a gain of 50 cents to end at $31.50,  Pulse Investments  fell 53 cents and settled at $2.45, trading 100,000 shares.  Sagicor Group  jumped $2.94 to end at $48.49 in trading 50,313 stock units,  Scotia Group  added 60 cent in trading 34,208 shares to close at $51. Seprod  rose 99 cent to close $45, with 27,825 shares changing hands and  Sygnus Investments  ended trading of 116,610 shares with a rise of 80 cents to end at $13.
Trading in the  US dollar  market ended with 721,125 units valued $188,394. JMMB Group 6% preference share rose by 3 cents and closed at US$1.05 with an exchange of 20,810 units, Proven Investments lost 0.05 cent and closed trading of 699,615 units at 22.5 US cents and Sygnus Investments ended trading of 700 shares at 10 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index closed up 3.02 points at 182.31.

Trading picks up on TTSE – Thursday

Activity picked up with a big improvement in trading resulting in one of the larger volume and value exchanged on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange in recent times but prices softened.
The market closed on Thursday with 1,098,161 units with a value of $8,401,452 changing hands compared to just 210,097 valued at $2,252,807 changing hands on Wednesday.
Trading took place in 14 securities against 12 on Wednesday, with 3 advancing, 8 declining and 3 remaining unchanged and resulting in the Composite Index declining 1.79 points to end at 1,353.11. The All T&T Index fell 4.06 points to 1,799.21 and the Cross Listed Index edged 0.07 points higher to close at 122.37.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investors Choice bid-offer ended at stock with the bid higher than the last selling price and none closing with a lower offer.
Stocks ending with gains| At the close of the market, JMMB Group gained 20 cents and completed trading of 284,342 stock units at $1.90 after the group reported that they intend to invest in the new Sagicor company that plans on trading over the existing Sagiocr Financial. Clico Investments added 1 cent and settled at $23.06, after exchanging with 10,176 units and Republic Holdings gained 89 cents and completed trading 677 shares in closing at $121.
Stocks closing with losses| First Caribbean International Bank closed with a loss of 3 cents at $8.31, after exchanging 5,799 shares, First Citizens shed 75 cents and ended at $38.50, after trading 646 shares, Grace Kennedy lost 5 cents and settled at $3.30, with 4,800 units changing hands. Guardian Holdings ended trading 5 cents lower to close at $18.45, after exchanging 74,388 shares, Massy Holdings dropped $1.50 and completed trading of 2,792 shares at $55.50, NCB Financial Group lost 4 cents to close at $8.41 in trading 10,623 shares. Sagicor Financial closed with a loss of 10 cents at $9, trading of 573,786 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 50 cents and ended with 6,376 shares traded, at $27.50.
Stocks closing firm| National Flour completed trading of 114,542 shares at $1.75, Scotiabank traded 567 shares to close at $62.56 and Unilever Caribbean traded 8,647 shares at $26.30.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Junior Market bounces – Thursday

Junior Market stock trading.

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index bounced for a second day with a rise of 16.36 points to 3,105.58 on Thursday.
The day’s gain brings to 7 the number of times the index gain out of the last 8 trading days
At the close of market activities, 26 securities changed hands, compared to 28 on Wednesday and resulted in prices of 11 securities rising, 8 declining and 7 remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Market activity led to an exchange of 1,481,572 shares at $6,322,070 compared to 1,527,469 units valued at $5,859,798 on Wednesday. The average traded for the day is 56,984 units for an at $243,157 each, in contrast to 54,552 units for an average of $209,278 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 79,372 units valued at $298,631 and previously, 81,351 units valued at $303,536. In contrast, April closed with an average of 87,963 units valued $317,267 for each security traded.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended 30 cents higher at $2.15,with 1,000 stock units traded, Cargo Handlers settled at $10, with an exchange of 5,819 shares, Caribbean Flavours traded 33,650 stock units, at $16.50, Caribbean Producers closed trading with 47,875 shares and rose 15 cents to end at $4.90. Derrimon Trading ended 4 cents higher at $2.85, with 12,921 shares changing hands. Everything Fresh settled at $1.53, with an exchange of 98,588 units, Elite Diagnostic ended trading with 366,435 shares and climbed 34 cents higher to end at $3.50, Express Catering traded 22,427 shares with a loss of 10 cents at $6.90. FosRich Group ended the trading of 59,176 shares, at $5, Fontana closed with a loss of 5 cents at $4.55, in exchanging 96,454 stock units, General Accident ended with a loss of 39 cents at $4.10, with 9,800 units traded, GWest Corporation concluded trading of 42,971 shares at $1.39. Honey Bun finished 20 cents higher at $4, with 114,649 shares changing hands, iCreate settled with a loss of 5 cents at $0.85, with an exchange of 41,886 shares, Indies Pharma ended trading of 42,723 stock units, with a loss of 5 cents in closing at $3.30, ISP Finance jumped $1.30 to close at $12.50 after trading 430 shares. Jamaican Teas closed 10 cents higher at $4.20, after trading 106,203 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 10 cents at $2.40, with an exchange of 76,185 shares, KLE Group  finished trading 12,059 units at $2.40,  Knutsford Express  settled at $12.50, with 13,621 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors  ended trading with 111,463 shares and rose 1 cent higher to $3.90.  Lasco Financial  traded 41,105 shares, with a loss of 10 cents to close at $4.60,  Lasco Manufacturing  closed 16 cents higher at $3.50, with 29,767 stock units changing hands, Main Event  closed 6 cents higher at $5.06, with 16,165 units changing hands, Stationery and Office climbed $1.20 higher to $9.70, with an exchange of 73,200 stock units and tTech traded 5,000 shares with a loss of 29 cents to close at $5.90.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

New record close for JSE

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended at a new record close on Thursday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 6,867.07 points to  a record close of 455,577.71 and the JSE Index climbing  6,240.31 points to end at all all-time closing high of 414,989.16.
Today’s close bettered the records reached on 8h of this when the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index ended at 454,946.71 and the JSE Index closed at 414,415.74.
Thursday’s big move was fueled by a near $5 jump in the price of JMMB Group following an announcement that the group will invest a minimum of US$200 million in Alignvest Acquisition ll Corporation, a publicly-traded Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation that is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. AQY is currently seeking to acquire 100% of the ordinary shares of Sagicor Financial Corporation a Barbados based life assurance company. According to the release from JMMB upon the completion of het acquisition of SFC. AQY and SFC will then collapse into a new single entity (New Sagicor). Following the completion of the investment transaction, JMMBGL will own no less than 20 percent of the shareholdings of New Sagicor.
Also contributing to the sharp rise in the indices are movement in the prices of NCB Financial, PanJam Investment, Sagicor Group, Scotia Group and Seprod.