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.
Access exits TOP 10 at record $47
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, two main market closed at record highs on Friday and there are some changes to the TOP 10 listings. Since IC Insider last reported on the lists, on April 21, Access Financial and Caribbean Cream are out of the list for Junior Market while Berger Paints exited the top 10 for the main market.
In the Junior Market, Lasco Distributors returned to the top list and CAC 2000 entered for the first time and Berger was replaced in the main market by Salada Foods with the price having fallen to $6.50.
Access jumped to a new high of $47 during the week and Caribbean Cream earnings has been downgraded to 70 cents per share for 2018 fiscal year while Berger rose to $16 on the announcement of an increased dividend of 50 cents per share.
The average PE ratio of the Junior Market and the Main Market are currently at an average of 13, on this year’s estimated earnings. At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks continue to trade at an average discount of just under 37 percent to the Junior Market average, those in the main market are trading at a 53 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving several stocks with room for growth for the rest of the year.
The coming week should be dominated by the release of 2017 first quarter results for the majority of stocks that could result in major changes to the TOP lists.
During the week Pulse Investments announced 2 for 1 stock split.
Blue Power back in TOP stocks
In another shortened trading week on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, there was only one new entry to the TOP 10 listings. Lasco Distributors rose to $7.29 at the end of the week and was replaced by former top tenner Blue Power that remains a prime candidate for s stock split.
NCB Financial Group which IC Insider.com said last week was worth watching, hit an all-time high of $75 but did not hold at that level and ended the week at $65 as some supply come to the market. Berger Paints is another stock that IC Insider.com said was worth watching pulled back during the week to make it more attractive.
The average PE ratio of the Junior Market are currently at an average of 12 and the main market at 13 based on this year’s estimated. At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks continue to trade at an average discount of just under 35 percent to the Junior Market average, those in the main market are trading at a 52 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving several stocks with good room for growth for the rest of the year.
The coming week should be dominated by the release of 2017 second quarter results for NCB Financial Group and the announcement of a dividend payment. IC Insider.com projects an increase in the payment based on increased profits.
Overall, bid volumes for junior market stocks remained low excepting for Caribbean Cream, with 181,732 units on the bid at $7.50, Key Insurance with 72,023 units at $3.05, Jamaican Teas with 68,000 shares with a bid of $4.60, and the next highest being Lasco Financial with 22,352 units at $4. Offers are buoyant with 2.7 million units being offered for Eppley at $12, over 400,000 for C2W Music at 50 cents, 200,000 for Jamaican Teas at $4.99, Knutsford Express with a bid of $41 for 229,236 shares and 140,000 shares of Lasco Manufacturing at $6.
Brokerage house, Barita Investments ended the week with 90,004 units offered at $7.10 and only 100 units on the bid of $7, Berger Paints ended the week with an offer of 24,070 units at $14.15 while 3,850 units are on the bid at $13.52. Caribbean Cement continues to trade with a heavy sell bias notwithstanding evidence of increased building activity and that this year’s first quarter results could be out at any time to provide direction for the stock. The cement producer had a bid to buy 27,600 units at $31 and offers of 67,879 shares at $32. JMMB Group’s buying interest picked up his past week and now has a bid at $19 to buy 256,195 units with an offer to sell 50,000 shares at $19.50, NCB Financial Group closed the week with a bid to buy only 1,400 shares at $65, with 261,390 units on offer at $65. Pulse Investments has offers to sell 98,000 units at $8.05 with buying at $7 for 1,000 shares. Radio Jamaica bid is at $1.75 to buy 26,159 units with 85,791 units on offer at $1.79 while investment banker and Scotia Group’s subsidiary, Scotia Investments, closed the week with only 10,000 units on the bid to buy at $37.01 and ended with 4,180 units offered at $39.40.