Prices remained under pressure on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange, Friday. Trading activity resulted in 17 securities changing hands compared to 18 on Thursday and declining stocks had the upper-hand over advancers by a 3 to 1 margin.
At the close, 2 stocks advanced, 6 declined and 9 were unchanged with a total of 255,656 shares changing hands at a value of $5,727,353 compared to Thursday’s 687,180 shares valued at $7,029,562.
The Composite Index fell 2.57 points to 1,218.77, the All T&T Index gained 0.07 points to 1,798.63 and the Cross Listed Index lost 0.71 points to close at 85.65
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 3 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
Gains| Angostura Holdings closed at $15.01, with a 1 cent gain in exchanging 60 shares and Guardian Holdings gained 20 cents to close at $16, trading 81,234 shares valued at $1,299,354.
Losses| Ansa McAL closed at $66.39, with a loss of 11 cents trading 4,156 shares, First Citizens lost 14 cents, closing at $31.85 with 81,000 shares exchanged at a value of $2,579,850. First Caribbean International closed at $7.76, after losing 24 cents with 50,051 shares valued at $388,396 trading. Sagicor Financial traded 1 cent lower to close at $9.01, with an exchange of 5,176 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 1 cent to close at $21.99, with an exchange of 306 shares and 
West Indian Tobacco closed at $126.48, with a loss of 1 cent trading 1,257 shares.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment traded 12,011 shares at $22.50, JMMB Group closed at $1.30, with an exchange of 1,500 shares and Massy Holdings remained at $51.48, with an exchange of 1,950 shares. L.J. Williams 8% preference share exchanged 12 shares at $3.30, NCB Financial Group traded 1,000 shares at $4 and Point Lisas closed at $4 trading 1,000 shares. Prestige Holdings exchanged 2,359 shares at $10.90, Scotiabank held firm at $58, with trades of 9,584 shares valued at $556,142 and Scotia Investments was unchanged at $2.69, with 3,000 changing hands.
Falling prices dominate TTSE – Friday
Sagicor hammers JSE index – Thursday
Sagicor Group traded 2.2 million shares on Thursday & fell $3.49 in early trading.
Sagicor Group traded 2.275 million shares and fell $3.49 to $30.01 by mid-morning on Thursday and was the main contributor to the more than 3,600 points fall in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed in the morning session. The price recovered to close back at the closing price of the previous day but the market closed with more losses with Mayberry Investments trading more than 10 million shares with a loss of 57 cents.
The market closed on Thursday with 29 securities changing hands with 3 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 10 declined. Trading levels in the main market ended at 14,040,895 units valued at $147,385,397 compared to 2,068,486 units valued at $25,621,686 at the close on Wednesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 12,880 units valued at US$3,794.
The All Jamaica Composite Index dived 4,312.28 points to close at 259,935.85 and the JSE Market Index sank 3,928.98 points to finish at 236,830.99. The JSE US dollar market index added 2.34 points to close at 221.11.
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 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 540,034 units valued at $5,668,669 per security traded, compared to an average of 86,187 units valued at $1,067,570 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 557,915 units with an average value of $7,436,562 compared with an average of 559,541 units with an average value of $7,597,279 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
In market activity, Berger Paints tumbled $4.16 to close at $19.34 in exchanging 32,091 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.40, with 286,674 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 15 cents higher to close at $29.65 with 2,529 units traded, Carreras lost 20 cents, closing at $82.80 with an exchange of 100 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with trades of 44,917 units. Jamaica Broilers fell $1 and closed at $19, with 38,394 shares changing owners, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.99, with an exchange of 234,241 shares and Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 30 cents to close at $7.80 trading 11,187 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.50, gaining 49 cents with trades of 8,300 units, Kingston Properties added $1.10 to close at $16.60 exchanging 4,650 shares, as the stock is set to start trading ex split on Friday.Kingston Wharves traded 1 cent higher to close at $31.50, with an exchange of 30,958 units, Mayberry Investments lost 57 cents to close at $4.18, with 10,252,750 shares changing hands, NCB Financial Group closed at $72, after trading 35,485 shares, PanJam Investment closed at $35.61, gaining 6 cents with trades of 411,523 shares. 
Portland JSX traded 20 cents lower to close at $10.10 with 725 shares changing hands, Pulse Investments closed at $14.40 exchanging 1,000 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.69 after gaining 3 cents and trading 193,574 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.50 after recovering from $30.01 earlier in the day with trades of 2,292,158 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $10.99, losing 6 cents while exchanging 13,883 units, Salada Foods lost 15 cents in closing at $7.85 with 9,000 shares being exchanged, Scotia Group closed at $41.51, losing 49 cents with 28,375 units changing hands, Scotia Investments traded 1,500 shares at $37.85, Seprod closed at $34.50, with a loss of 50 cents exchanging 5,630 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 9 cents to close at $7.40 trading of 64,251 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 37 US cents, gaining 3 US cents with 730 units traded, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 12,150 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.5% preference share gained 23 cents and closed at $2.05, while exchanging 2,000 units and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share gained 1 cent to close at $1.31 with trades of 35,000 units.
Juniors retreat in resistance zone
Junior Market stocks closed lower on Thursday.
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange broke the record run on Thursday by falling 42.14 points to close at 3,326.84. Trading levels were slightly above Wednesday’s, with both volume and values being higher.
At the close of the market, the number of securities trading, ended at 24 compared to 22 on Wednesday with 6 advancing and 9 declining. Overall, 2,279,741 units valued at $11,894,079 changed hands, compared to 1,425,514 units valued at $10,043,460 on Wednesday. Trading ended with 8 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 94,989 units for an average value of $495,587, compared to of 64,796 units for an average value of $456,521, on the previous trading day.
The average volume and value for the month to date are 89,129 units and $593,116 while at the close of the prior day, 88,678 units and $600,619. The average volume and value for April ended at 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging lost 15 cents and ended at $5 with 9,307 units changing hands, Blue Power jumped $6 to close at $45 with 1,000 units changing hands, CAC 2000 had 2,700 shares changing hands, to close with a rise of 20 cents at $7.50, Caribbean Cream closed trading with 2,200 units and gained $1.19 to end at $8.49, Cargo Handlers ended trading with 4,850 shares changing hands at $20, Caribbean Flavours fell $1.54 in trading 20,517 shares at $12.01, Caribbean Producers ended at $3.85 with 1,300,064 shares trading, C2W Music had 5,501 units changing hands to close at 45 cents, Consolidated Bakeries lost 3 cents in trading 60,000 shares to close at $2.47, Derrimon Trading ended at $8.50 with 9,762 shares changing hands, General Accident closed trading with 7,315 shares at $3.05, Honey Bun ended with a loss of 20 cents as 14,564 shares changed hands at $7.80, ISP Finance shed $5 to end $30 with 6,230 units changing hands. 
Jamaican Teasfell 25 cents and closed trading with 56,292 shares, at $4.70. Jetcon Corporation ended at $15 with 176,803 shares trading, KLE Group rose 25 cents and ended at $3 with 1,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express closed with 980 shares trading at $68. Lasco Distributors ended with 1,620 units trading with a rise of 70 cents to $7.70, Lasco Financial fell 65 cents and ended with 51,310 shares changing hands at $4.25, Lasco Manufacturing closed at $5.25 while trading 67,904, shares, Main Event ended trading of 217,826 shares at $6.85, Medical Disposables lost 10 cents and ended at $5.70 with 32,900 units trading,Paramount Trading rose 7 cents and ended with 219,523 shares changing hands at $3.05 and tTech ended with 9,573 units changing hands at $7.45 after falling 5 cents.
TTSE trading up prices mostly down
Trading levels rose on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday with 18 securities changing hands but with 3 trading 3 shares or less. Trading levels on Thursday compares to 11 securities on Wednesday.
Ansa McAL and NCB Financial Group were the leading trades as 2 stocks advanced, 6 declined and 10 were unchanged. Trading closed with 687,180 shares trading at a value of $7,029,562 in contrast to Wednesday’s 40,355 shares valued at $222,744.
The Composite Index fell 2.13 points to 1,221.34, the All T&T Index declined 4.17 points to 1,798.56 and the Cross Listed Index lost 0.01 points to close at 86.36.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 5 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Gains| NCB Financial Group gained 5 cents to close at $4 trading 537,154 shares valued at $2,123,908 and Prestige Holdings closed at $10.90, with gains of 9 cents in exchanging 1,400 shares.
Losses| Ansa McAL traded $1 lower to close at $66.50, with 50,493 shares valued at $3,357,787, changing owners, Clico Investment traded 1 cent lower to close at $22.50 exchanging 1,800 shares and First Citizens lost 1 cent, closing at $31.99 with only 3 shares traded. National Flour Mills closed at $2.40, losing 7 cents with trades of 18,210 shares, Scotia Investments was down 1 cent to close at $2.69, with an exchange of 350 shares, and Unilever Caribbean closed at $53, with a loss of 51 cents trading 479 shares.
Firm Trades| Ansa Merchant Bank traded 8,000 shares at $40, Guardian Holdings closed at $15.80, with an exchange of 34,915 shares valued at $551,048 and JMMB Group exchanged 11,489 shares at $1.30. Massy Holdings traded 5,102 shares at $51.48, National Enterprises closed at $10.50 trading 350 shares, Point Lisas remained at $4, with an exchange of 6,954 shares, Readymix closed at $11, with trades of 7,794 shares. Republic Financial Holdings traded a mere 2 shares at $101.85, Scotiabank held firm at $58 exchanging 2,682 shares and West Indian Tobacco exchange only 3 shares at $126.49.
Jamaican stock in big mid-morning drop
Sagicor Group traded 2.2 million shares on Thursday but the price fell $3.49.
Prices mostly retreated in mid-morning trading on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange main and Junior Market in early trading on Thursday.
The main market all Jamaica Composite index dropped by 3,661.69 points, at 10:45 AM the index hit 260,586.44 points and the main market index dived 3,336.22 to 237,423.75, the composite index fell 3,614.82 points to 254295.16 and the junior market Index dived 50.59 points to trade at 3,318.39.
In the Junior Market, Blue Power climbed to $45 from $39 with 1,000 shares but ISP Finance fell back to $30 from $35 with 3,476 shares trading. Caribbean Producers traded 1,300,064 units at $3.85 while Jetcon Corporation traded 152,103 units at $15 and Paramount Trading had 219,523 units changing hands at $3.05.
In the main market, Berger fell to $20 from $23.50, Jamaica Broilers traded down to $18, while Sagicor Group traded 2,274,978 shares down to $30.01 from $33.50.
Jamaica’s exports surged 31%
Jamaican Teas CEO, John Mahfood, telling shareholders about a strong increase in exports for the March Quarter.
Jamaica’s exports earnings grew by a strong 31 percent or US$27 million to US$114 million in January this year at a faster pace than 25 percent jump in imports as the country’s trade deficit increasing by US61 million or 23.3 percent to US$323 million.
Imports rose US$88 million to US$437 million compared to US$349 million in January last year. For the period, imports of Mineral Fuels, increased of US$41.8 million or 76.6 percent to US$96 million, due to higher imports of Petroleum, Oils, Bunker C fuel, Automotive Diesel Oil, Motor Spirit, Propane and Butane. Imports of Machinery and Transport Equipment rose by 46.7 percent or US$40 million to US$125 million due to higher imports of motor vehicles. Manufactured Goods increased by US$11 million to US$53 million, mainly due to more iron and steel being imports. Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles increased by US$6 million to US$42 million. Beverages & Tobacco imports grew 41 percent increased to US$7 million.
Traditional Domestic Exports climbed 20.3 percent or US$10 million to US$61 million, above the comparable 2016 period, as all commodity groups recorded increases. Traditional Domestic Exports accounted for 56.2 percent of total Domestic Exports during the 2016 review period. Non– Traditional Domestic Exports jumped 56.4 percent by US$17 million to US$47 million.
Taxes push Jamaica’s April inflation
Increased taxes pushed inflation in April.
Increased taxation on fuel, cigarettes and pure alcohol and increase motor vehicle license were mostly responsible for the 0.3 percent increase in Jamaica’s inflation for April as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
The calendar year-to-date inflation amounts 1.3 percent, while inflation rate since April 2016 is 4.8 percent.
This upward movement was mainly due to the divisions, Transport recording an increase of 1.7 percent and the highest weighted division Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages moving up by 0.1 percent. The upward movement in the Transport division was due mainly to the increase in the Special Consumption Tax levied on petrol. While increased consumption tax pushed inflation by of 0.9 percent in the Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco division.
The overall inflation rate was tempered by the decline of 0.2 percent in the division Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, due to lower rates for electricity, resulting in a fall of 0.5 percent for the group Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels.
6 consecutive records for Jamaican stocks
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market hit a new close on Wednesday.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at another record close on Wednesday with the all Jamaica composite Index rising 776 points to 6 consecutive days of record close.
The market closed with 27 securities changing hands, including 3 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 9 stocks advanced and 8 declined.
Trading levels in the main market ended at 2,091,191 units valued at $25,621,686 compared to 4,295,095 units valued at $1,350,559,147 on Friday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 22,705 units valued at US$10,242.
The All Jamaica Composite Index rose 776.19 points to close at 264,248.13, still below the 265,287.63 points reached during the morning session on Tuesday. The JSE Market Index climbed 707.19 points to finish at 240,759.97 and the JSE US dollar market index remained at 218.77 points.
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 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 86,187 units valued at $1,067,570 per security traded, compared to an average of 4,295,095 units valued at $50,020,709 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 559,541 units with an average value of $7,597,279, compare with an average of 606,876 units and $8,250,250 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
In market activity, Barita Investments traded 83,620 shares at $7, Berger Paints lost 10 cents to close at $23.50, with an exchange of 18,764 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.40, with 792,421 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 50 cents higher to close at $29.50 while exchanging 8,389 units. Carreras added $1 to close at $83 trading 17,981 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with gains of 60 cents exchanging 16,088 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $20, with trades of 34,502 shares, Jamaica Producers closed 41 cents lower to $15.99, with 68,329 shares changing owners, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 45 cents to close at $7.50 trading 74,702 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.01, losing 99 cents, trading of 88,264 units, Kingston Wharves traded 48 cents higher to close at $31.49, with an exchange of 107,651 units, 
NCB Financial Group closed at $72, with a 1 cent gain after trading 130,222 shares, 1834 Investments traded 4 cents lower to close at $1.80, with an exchange of 2,089 shares, 138 Student Living traded 15,685 shares at $4.49, PanJam Investment closed at $35.55, with trades of 5,346 shares. Pulse Investments closed at $14.40, with gains of 40 cents as 11,463 shares were exchanged, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.66, losing 4 cents trading 132,912 shares, Sagicor Group gained 50 cents to close at $33.50, with trades of 17,041 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $11.05 and lost 14 cents exchanging 6,683 units, Scotia Group closed at $42, with 14,663 units changing hands, Seprod traded 25,000 shares at $35, Sterling Investments lost 15 cents to close at $16.75 with an exchange of 1,000 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 1 cent to close at $7.49, with trades of 151,466 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents with 10,821 units traded, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 8,084 ordinary shares, JMMB Group 6% US preference share closed at US$1.10 with trades of 3,800 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10, with 244,205 units changing hands.
Another record close for Juniors -Wednesday
I$P Finance hits a new high of $35 on Wednesday up 1,650% since listing last year March.
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange logged another record close on Wednesday but with a modest rise of just 9.84 points to a record close of 3,368.98 with gains of 29.9 percent for 2017 to date. Trading levels were down sharply again compared to Tuesday’s levels.
At the close of the market, the number of securities trading, ended at 22 compared to 23 on Tuesday with 7 advancing and 10 declining. Overall, 1,425,514 units valued at $10,043,460 changed hands, compared to 3,285,925 units valued at $19,269,876 on Tuesday. Trading ended with 7 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 6 with lower offers. Just one stocks ended trading at new closing high at the end of trading.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 64,796 units for an average value of $456,521, compared to 142,866 units for an average value of $837,821, on the previous trading day.
The average volume and value for the month to date are 88,678 units and $600,619 while at the close of the prior day, 90,668 units and $612,627. The average volume and value for April ended at 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended at $5.15 with 20,440 units changing hands, CAC 2000 had 7,000 changing hands, to close with a rise of 30 cents at $7.30, Cargo Handlers ended trading with 7,140 shares changing hands at $20, Caribbean Flavours jumped $2.55 in trading 2,000 shares at $13.55, Caribbean Producers lost 15 cents and ended at $3.85 with 133,000, shares trading, C2W Music had 11,819 units changing hands to close at 45 cents, Derrimon Trading climbed $1 and ended at $8.50 with 25,238 shares changing hands, General Accident fell 4 cents and closed trading with 224,750 shares at $3.05, Honey Bun ended with 182,930 shares changing hands at $8, after rising 25 cents, Iron Rock Insurance traded 10,000 shares to end at $3.15, after falling by 25 cents, ISP Finance climbed $5 to end at fresh new high of $35 with 28,000 units changing hands, the stock was offered at $30 at the close to sell 25,000 units. 
Jamaican Teasclosed trading with 23,550 shares, at $4.95. Jetcon Corporation ended at $15 with 66,619 shares trading, Key Insurance traded 60,624 units to close at $2.80 after falling 25 cents, KLE Group rose 5 cents and ended at $2.75 with 3,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express jumped $2.95 and closed with 14,922 shares trading at $68. Lasco Distributors ended with 205,484 units trading with a fall of 49 cents at $7, Lasco Financial fell 10 cents and ended with 16,326 shares changing hands at $4.90, Lasco Manufacturing fell 55 cents and closed at $5.25 while trading 93,330, shares, Main Event lost 15 cents and ended trading 63,583 shares at $6.85, Medical Disposables lost 20 cents and ended at $5.80 with 147,855 units trading,Paramount Trading lost 27 cents and ended with 77,904 shares changing hands at $2.98, after trading at a low for the day of $2.50.
Knutsford Express riding high
Knutsford Express last traded at $68.
Knutsford Express last traded in 2016 at $20, today its up 240 percent to $68, thanks to a combination of factors, chief amongst them is a scarcity of supply and a proposed 5 for 1 stock split.
A 33 percent rise in revenues to $203 million in the February quarter and a 63 percent rise in operating profit show the company in a pretty strong growth path.
Earnings per share closed the nine months period at $1.20 after the third quarter delivered 54 cents.
“We had a strong third quarter”, Oliver Townsend told IC Insider.com, in response to the question, “can this growth continue,” Townsend answered in the affirmative. With our Montego Bay transport hub coming on stream by June this year, we should see continued growth as the company expect increased business as a result of having the hub located at the Sangster International Airport. The convenience of persons flying in and out of the airport being able to have easy and ready access to the Knutsford facility will see more persons patronizing the service, Townsend advised this publication. Ocho Rios is to have a new hub in which meals and drinks will be sold and thus enhance customers’ experience.
“We are also going directly from Kingston to Port Antonio using smaller buses via the Junction Road, the company’s Chief Executive said.
New buses added to replace older ones will reduce operating cost. The February results got a boost of $8.5 million realized from sales of buses, helping to push net profit up 94 percent to $53.7 million. For the nine months, revenues climbed 28.5 percent to $429.7 million while net profit moved higher by 35 percent to $120 million.
Knutsford does not break out its cost into direct operating expenses, marketing and administrative and other expenses so that readers can fully glean how the company is really doing, from an operational standpoint. Data compiled by IC Insider.com show an improving level of efficiency as business expands. Net profit as a percentage of revenues climbed to 24.7 percent and is up from 20 percent in the third quarter of 2016 and ended at 22.34 percent for the nine months compared to 23.2 percent in 2016.
Depreciation charges rose 54 percent to $39 million well ahead of the growth in revenues, but the newer buses should reduce repairs and maintenance as well as the possibility that there could be fuel savings.
Knutsford generated gross cash flows of $159 million To February, up from $114 million in 2016, dividends of $24 million paid and $87 million spent of acquiring fixed assets left the company with $103 million in funds at bank or in cash. Shareholders’ Equity stands at $432 million with borrowings of just $68 million and cash and short term investments of $123 million. Current assets amounted to $180 million and current liabilities at a low $35 million.
The Company is listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and last traded at $68 for a PE of 25 based on estimated earnings for 2018 fiscal year’s estimated earnings of $2.75. The stock could be considered a bit pricey, with the market average at 13 times this year earning. With a 5 to 1 stock split days away, who knows what investors may do in light of the limited supply of the stock. At least profit seems to be on the rise at an attractive pace, as such investors with a long term time horizon may well enjoy gains sometime in the future, based on the growth path that the company is enjoying.
