Stocks to watch

August 21, 2023 by IC Insider.com

There is currently low interest in buying Main Market stocks, even when the companies perform well and deliver positive results. One exception is Transjamaican Highway which has gained 86 percent for the year to date with more gains on the cards.

Dolphin Cove gained 31% for 2023 to date but should go higher.

The action is in the Junior Market, but even there, the interest is glacier-like, with a few stocks moving higher as buying demand is now overwhelming sellers.
A look behind the stock order book shows that a few merit watching over the next few weeks.
The list includes Carreras, Dolphin Cove, Fontana, Lasco Distributers, Lasco Manufacturing, ISP Finance, Mayberry Investments and Transjamaican Highway.
Carreras is enjoying consolidation of demand around the $8 level following a jump in earnings in the June quarter from rising sales. However, that is unlikely to change it from primarily one for high dividend yield rather than capital appreciation.
Dolphin Cove’s stock is up 31 percent for the year to date, but profit for the six months to June is up 48 percent over the year to June 2022. Investors may want to note the latest report on the court judgement on the sale of Mystic Mountain. There were indications that Dolphin Cove was an interested buyer and they may well be amongst the preferred bidders. If they succeed, expect the stock with limited offers posted on the JSE platform to jump.
Lasco Distributors‘ trend line shows an upward slopping momentum for the stock supported by earnings that increased 38 percent in the first quarter to June, following a 33 percent rise in full year profits to March this year. Buying interest is solid in the $4 and over region that is overwhelming supply on offer between $4.49 and $5 after that; there are currently less than 70,000 units on offer.

Lasco

Lasco Manufacturing‘s profit for the 2023 fiscal year jumped 37 percent after tax, followed by 27 percent for the June quarter. Still, the market was slow in responding positively to both sets of results, even as the price was less than ten times 2023 earnings of 50 cents per share. The stock in the past week jumped into the $5 region for the for time in months and closed the week at $5.35, with solid buying at that level and just below but with very limited selling with few stocks on offer from just nine offers for 180,000 shares.
Investors may not be ready to pounce on Fontana just yet. Still, there is limited selling in the stock ahead of the release of full year results that could come in around 80 cents per share, but with increased earnings in the current fiscal year, that will benefit from the opening of the Portmore store in a few months.
ISP Finance is an odd candidate, but there has been above average interest in this stock in recent months, with few offers in the stock currently. There are two critical factors to consider. One is that the majority shareholder must be close to retirement as such new owners cannot be far off. The recent addition of two new directors who operate in the financial market and have collaborated closely with them has increased speculation that a takeover of the majority shares will be forthcoming sooner than later. The other factor is the sharp jump in the loan portfolio to almost $1 billion after the credit loss provision. The near $200 million increase in loans over December last year and March this year is expected to swell revenues and profits in the future. The shares have to be high on the list for a split at the current price.

Fontana Waterloo Square Branch just after it was opened in October 2019.

Mayberry Investments may not have a lot of buying currently, but selling seems to be at a low level that could ignite a jump in price at any time that buying interest jumps.
Transjamaican Highway stock has almost doubled this year, encouraged by profit ballooning 338 percent for the June quarter to US$6 million and 442 percent to US$11 million for the six months to June. Supply has diminished on the sell side and could be overwhelmed by buyers. Investors have not bought into the sharp change in fortune for this stock and where it could head to. In addition, they should declare a considerable dividend payment in a few months.

Filed Under: Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: Carreras, Dolphin Cove, Emerging markets, Emerging Stock, Fontana, ISP Finance Services, Jamaica Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, junior market, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, Mayberry Investments, Transjamaican Highway

Solid gains for ICTOP10 stocks

July 31, 2023 by IC Insider.com

Junior Market stocks put in an outstanding performance ranging from 13 to 38 percent, with declines being far lower, with the top losers suffering a ten percent fall after five stocks slipped on the ICOP10 and three stocks recorded strong gains. The Main Market TOP10 was far less robust, with gainers hitting 13 percent at the top and losers 6 percent and less.

Margaritaville Turks could land big gains.

With the healthy price movements, three new additions to the TOP10 lists are added this week. Margaritaville is now topping the Main Market Top 10, with potential gains of 820 percent as the company made a major leap forward in fortunes, following the rebound in tourism traffic in the region and Caribbean Producers fell out of the TOP10 with a 4 percent price rise for the week. Image Plus Consultants and Iron Rock Insurance return to the Junior Market ICTOP10 as Dolla Financial and Elite Diagnostics enjoyed considerable price recoveries and dropped out.
For the week, five Junior Market TOP10 stocks rose and five declined, while the Main Market ended with four rising and only two falling.
In the Junior Market, Dolla Financial was the star performer as it recovered from a 9 percent drop last to $2.08 to post a stunning 38 percent jump to $2.88, following news that Supreme Ventures acquired 15 percent of the company, but before a report that the CEO Kadeen Mairs resigned. Elite Diagnostics jumped 29 percent to $2 after falling the previous week to $1.55 and Dolphin Cove rose 13 percent to $16.88, also rising are iCreate and OneonOne, with gains of 5 percent to $1.05, respectively. Falling stocks include Everything Fresh, down 10 percent to $1.37, Caribbean Cream, followed by shedding 8 percent to $4.15, General Accident, fell 6 percent to $4.70 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers, lost 4 percent to end at $2.99.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement climbed 13 percent to $57.60, but that was before the company released six months’ results, with profit ending at $2.87 following a blowout second quarter with earnings of $2.53 per share and now seems on target for $8 for the year. Sygnus Credit Investments rose nine percent to $12.12, but JMMB Group fell six percent to $27.20 and Guardian Holdings slipped 4 percent to $438.
Elsewhere in the market, Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing released first quarter results, with a rise in profits for both. Pretax profit at Lasco Distributors jumped a robust 57 percent to $602 million and post-tax climbed a solid 38 percent to $448 million and resulted in ICInsider.com upgrading earnings for the full year to 65 cents from 55 cents previously. Lasco Manufacturing’s performance was more subdued, with pretax profit rising 28 percent and aftertax 27 percent to $721 million and $526 million, respectively and are in line with ICInsider.com’s full year’s forecast of 70 cents per share. Both companies are just outside the ICTOP10 but are ICBUYRATED with good upside potential.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 326 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks representing 30 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 95, with an average of 30 and 21 excluding the highest PE ratios, with a PE of 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 39, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: 138 Student Living, Berger Paints, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Cement, Caribbean Producers, Daily Trading, Emerging markets, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Image Plus Consultants, Iron Rock Insurance, Jamaica Broilers, Jamaican Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, JMMB Group, junior market, Key Insurance, One on One, Scotia Group, Stocks to Watch, Sygnus Credit Investments, TOP 10 stocks, Trading Activity, Tropical Battery

Transjamaican out of ICTOP10

July 16, 2023 by IC Insider.com

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With a continually rising price, Transjamacian Highway rose 11 percent during the week to $2.78, up 57 percent since added to the Market Watch list in April and dropped out of the TOP10 this past week, while Everything Fresh closed at $1.60 and dropped out of the Junior Market TOP10.

Transjamaican Highway Gained 57% since the end of April, with more gains to come.

The Main Market continues to struggle and closed at its lowest level since the end of August 2018 based on the All Jamaica Composite Index that is down 10.7 percent for the year to date, to be highly oversold. The Junior Market fell sharply on Friday as the market pulled back from the 4,000 mark level with a modest fall year to date thus reversing last week’s positive outcome.
The Junior Market is still up 10 percent since the low in March and is currently on a big bull run over the coming months, signalled by two indicators. The Main Market is likely bottoming after the traditional sell off in May before settling off in the early summer ahead of a rebound later. The action is now with the Junior Market with more potential for growth.
For the week, 6 stocks declined and only one rose on the Junior Market and the Main Market ended with two rising and seven declining, with Caribbean Cement coming into the Main Market TOP10 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers returning to the Junior Market TOP10.
In the Junior Market, iCreate dropped 12 percent to $1.14, followed by a 10 percent decline in Caribbean Cream to $4.07, before the company released first quarter results showing marked improvements in some critical areas that lead to increased profit. Dolla Financial shed 6 percent to $2.28 after posting improved Q2 results over 2022, with profit almost doubling to $105 million and the half year climbing 92 percent to $227 million. Image Plus fell 5 percent to $2.09 following first quarter results that showed profit falling from $88 million pretax to $64 million as revenues were up 6.8 percent to $300 million. Administrative costs climbed 29 percent to $117 million.
Everything Fresh remained at $1.60, but that was all it needed to drop out of the TOP10 as Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped from $3.30 to close at $3.09 to return to the TOP10.
While Transjamaican was the highest mover in the Main Market with the most significant change during the week and had much more room to run, Guardian Holdings declined 10 percent to $377, while Caribbean Producers fell 9 percent to $10, with all other price changes being 3 percent or less.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6, well below the market average of 13.2. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 264 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 31 and 21 excluding the highest PE stocks, 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.6 compared with the market at 11.4. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 44, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 259 percent by May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
In the market generally, Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and, in the process, gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year, when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks will likely deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: 138 Student Living, Berger Paints, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Producers, Daily Trading, Emerging markets, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Image Plus Consultants, Iron Rock Insurance, Jamaica Broilers, Jamaican Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, JMMB Group, junior market, Key Insurance, One on One, Scotia Group, Stocks to Watch, Sygnus Credit Investments, TOP 10 stocks, Trading Activity, Transjamaican, Tropical Battery

Kremi tops ICTOP10 Lasco Manufacturing in

June 3, 2023 by IC Insider.com

Iron Rock Insurance ended the past week up 14 percent to $2.25 and Lasco Distributors climbed 11 percent to $2.77 after both jumped 34 percent and 21 percent, respectively, earlier in the week, with two new stocks entering the Junior Market ICTOP10. At the same time, the Main Market TOP10 delivered moderate up and down movements.
The Lasco Distributors price movement follows release of full year results with earnings of 38.5 cents per share, with ICInsider.com projecting earnings of 55 cents for the fiscal year ending March 2024, leaving much room for solid upside price movement in the months ahead.
Lasco Manufacturing (LasM) and Caribbean Cream (Kremi) released improved full year results over those for 2022. Importantly, ICInsider.com forecast for the 2024 fiscal year is 70 cents per share for LasM and 90 cents for Kremi, with both entering the TOP10 this week, with one at the top and one at the bottom. Iron Rock Insurance and Edufocal fell from the Junior Market TOP10 to make way for the two stocks.

The stock rising in the ICTOP10 Junior Market, apart from those mentioned in the opening paragraph, is Consolidated Bakeries, with an increase of 4 percent to $2.27. At the same time, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, iCreate and One on One dipped 4 percent to $2.40, $1.26 and $1.10 respectively.
The price of Main Market listed Caribbean Producers, popped 5 percent in closing at $10.06, Key Insurance fell 11 percent to $2.80 and 138 Student Living lost 8 percent in value to close at $5.15.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP10 is 5.9, well below the market average of 13.5. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 259 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 15 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 28 and 19 excluding the highest PE stocks and 18 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.3 compared with the market at 10.5. There are 10 stocks representing 21 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 24, averaging 19 are well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 15, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently. Junior Market is projected to rise by 295 percent to May 2024.

Lasco’s ICool drinks.

The differences between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
In the market generally, Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and, in the process, gradually reduce the supply of several stocks that are attractively priced as the market moves toward the summer months, the start of the stock market year.
A look behind the supply chain shows an ever decreasing number of stocks on offer. The list includes Caribbean Assurance Brokers with strong buying interest between $1.88 and $2.40, but limited selling above $2.50, Caribbean Cement, Caribbean Producers (CPJ), Fontana, Dolphin Cove, Honey Bun, Main Event, Massey Holdings, Seprod, Transjamaican and Wisynco have started to look positive. Supplies of some stocks are being quietly sucked out of the market, setting the stage for a sustained rally sometime down the road. ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: 138 Student Living, Berger Paints, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Producers, Daily Trading, Emerging markets, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Image Plus Consultants, Iron Rock Insurance, Jamaica Broilers, Jamaican Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, JMMB Group, junior market, Key Insurance, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, One on One, Scotia Group, Stocks to Watch, Sygnus Credit Investments, TOP 10 stocks, Trading Activity, Transjamaican Highway, Tropical Battery

Transjamaican in ICTOP10, CAB jumps 44%

May 13, 2023 by IC Insider.com

The release of company results and some sharp price movements shook up the ICTOP10 listing this week, resulting in several changes in the top 10. Caribbean Assurance Brokers (CAB) topped the week, reporting record first quarter profit cheered by investors who pushed the price up by 44 percent to $2.88 and cleared the market of just about all supplies under $3. The stock sits in the number 7 spot, with potential for gains of 250 percent over the next twelve months.
CAB has been at the top of the TOP10 for several weeks going back to mid-March and now sits at the number 6 spot in spite of the substantial price gains, with ICInsider.com raising EPS to 50 cents from 45 cents. Taking over the number one spot is baker Consolidated Bakeries with Image Plus, that is in demand at number 2.
At the same time, ICInsider.com’s projection for Transjamaican Highway puts the stock into the Main Market TOP10 with projected earnings of 31 cents and a targeted price in the $6 region by early 2024 and replaces NCB Financial that got an earnings downgrade following the release of half year results showing earnings falling behind that for 2022, with a sharp fall in foreign exchange trading gains and increase loan loss provision.
Transjamaican headed the Market Watch list on April 29 this year. Then the price was at $1.77, with ICInsider.com indicating projected earnings of 24 cents per share and a short term price target of $2.40 and now the stock price is $1.85. The company released first quarter results on Friday, with profit of US$6 million.

Caribbean Assurance Brokers selling at a PE of just 7 based on historical earnings.

ICInsider.com has since adjusted earnings to 0.02 US cents per share or 31 Jamaican cents.
While the ICTOP10 Junior Market stocks had solid gains at the end of the week, the Main Market suffered several losses, with seven stocks declining.
Iron Rock Insurance jumped 22 percent to $2.29, Jamaican Teas rebounded from the previous week’s low by climbing 11 percent to $2.19 and dropped out of the TOP10 along with Everything Fresh having posted robust gains in revenues and profit for the March quarter, with investors welcoming the positive development by driving the stock up 14 percent to $1.89, with more to come. The company reported a profit of $35 million compared to just $7 million for the 2022 March quarter. IC Insider.com has since revised EPS for 2023, down to 25 cents from 30 cents previously, the combination of both of the above moves resulted in the stock moving out of the TOP10, but it still has more room for gains ahead. Lasco Distributors, one of the most undervalued stocks on the market, rose 4 percent to $2.68 but is trading at less than 6.4 times 2023 earnings of 42 cents per share and much lower based on earnings of 70 cents for fiscal 2024 has already started. After the March 2023 results are out, the EPS will switch over to the figure for 2024 and that would result in the stock holding the number 1 spot with likely gains above 400 percent. Image Plus rallied 4 percent to $2.20 and holds the number 3 spot on the TOP10.

Tropical Battery is the third stock to move out of the TOP10 with an earnings downgrade to 20 cents per share, following the release of half year results, showing a profit of $50 million, up from $30 million in the March quarter and from $87 million to $94 million for the half year. Dolla Financial, Edufocal and Dolphin Cove are this week’s new entrants to the Junior Market IC TOP10. Dolphin sits at the number 2 spot, with projected earnings of $3, following the 2022 full year results of 0.76 US cents or J$1.17 and will benefit from a sharp rebound in cruise ship arrivals, with the first 10 months last year being a fraction of what it was 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. This is in addition to increased stopover arrivals that will be greater than last year for a large part of the year.
The price of Main Market listed Key Insurance rose 8 percent to $3.40 to be the only stock of notable gains while Caribbean Producers dropped 8 percent in closing at $9.71, following release of nine months’ results that suggest that full year earnings from ongoing operations should end up around J$1.30 per share. Jamaica Broilers slipped 5 percent to $33.95 and Berger Paints fell 4 percent to $8.
Stocks are being prepped to rally, with signals that interest rates will be declining across the board sooner. Interest rates fell below eight percent on BOJ CDs and Treasury bills this past week, paving the way for a cut in the Bank of Jamaica overnight rate. That will provide more invigoration for the Jamaica stock market, with the Junior Market posting gains for a third consecutive week, even as the Main Market suffered another week of a mild decline.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index in the previous week with more this past week, with the supply of some stocks continuing to fall sharply.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.8, well below the market average of 13.5. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 259 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 15 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 27 and 19 excluding the highest PE stocks and 19 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 10.8. There are nine stocks, or 19 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 26, averaging 19 are well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 15, suggesting that this may currently be the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks. Junior Market is projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The differences between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: 138 Student Living, AMG Packaging, Berger Paints, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Producers, Daily Trading, Emerging markets, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Image Plus Consultants, Iron Rock Insurance, Jamaica Broilers, Jamaican Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, JMMB Group, junior market, Key Insurance, Lasco Distributors, NCB Financial, One on One, Paramount Trading, Scotia Group, Stocks to Watch, Sygnus Credit Investments, TOP 10 stocks, Trading Activity, Transjamaican, Tropical Battery

ICTOP10 Image Plus price jump 9%

May 7, 2023 by IC Insider.com

With interest rates softening, some life has entered the Jamaica stock market, with the Junior Market posting gains for a second consecutive week, but the Main Market suffered a mild retreat following notable increases in the last week of April as several ICTOP10 stocks posted solid gains, including Image Plus that posted impressive full year results at the end of the previous week.

Dr. Karlene McDonnough – Chairman of Image Consultants Ltd.

The week ended with several sizable winners in the ICTOP10 and one big loser. Lasco Distributors rose 13 percent to lead the winning stocks, followed by Everything Fresh with a strong 11 percent climb to $1.66, Consolidated Bakeries rose 10 percent to $2.39, Image Plus rallied 9 percent and iCreate rose by 5 percent to $1.47 and fell out of the ICTOP10 and is replaced by Jamaican Teas. Iron Rock Insurance fell 18 percent to close at $1.88 and General Accident slipped 6 percent to $5.08, being the only two losers of significance.
The price of Main Market listed Berger Paints rose 10 percent to $8.30, Caribbean Producers gained 8 percent in closing at $10.56, with the stocks seemingly poised to get back to the $12 region sooner than later as the supply of stocks being sold below $13 has virtually dried up. 138 Student Living popped 6 percent to $5.35, JMMB Group fell 6 percent to $29.60, and Jamaica Broilers slipped 4 percent to $35.70.
Stocks are being prepped to rally, with signals that interest rates will be declining across the board sooner. This stems from the continued slide of BOJ CDs rates since March, which saw the rate falling by 25 percent to 8 percent this past week. Lower interest rates are around the corner, which will be positive for stocks and the signs are already showing.
At the previous week’s close, Image Plus released solid full year results showing profit after tax that jumped 125.6 percent to $213 million or 21 cents per share. Based on those numbers, ICInsider.com revised earnings for the current fiscal year to 35 cents from 30 cents previously. On Monday, the company reported revised results, with the profit being even higher at $252 million, with a reduction in the amount previously booked as professional fees. Based on the revision, projected earnings were raised by the publication to 40 cents per share for the current fiscal year. The stock sits at the number three spot in the ICTOP10. The revision raises some serious questions about how such matters escaped the directors, auditors and the financial controller before the audited financial statements were released.
Dolla Financial fell out of the TOP10 at the end of the previous week and this past week released impressive first quarter results that excited investors who responded well to them by driving the price to close the week at $2.89, with the price hitting a high of $2.99 on Friday. The company seems poised to deliver ICInsider.com forecasted earnings of 40 cents, provided they obtain loans on a timely basis to on lend.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index in the previous week with more this past week, with the supply of some stocks continuing to fall sharply.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.5, well below the market average of 13.5. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 273 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 16 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 28 and 19 excluding the highest PE stocks and 20 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.7 compared with the market at 11.5. There are 12 stocks, or 25 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 26, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, suggesting that this may currently be the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks. Junior Market is projected to rise by 258 percent to May 2024.
The differences between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks will likely deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: 138 Student Living, AMG Packaging, Berger Paints, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Producers, Daily Trading, Emerging markets, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Image Plus Consultants, Iron Rock Insurance, Jamaica Broilers, Jamaican Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, Jamaican Teas, JMMB Group, junior market, Key Insurance, Lasco Distributors, NCB Financial, One on One, Paramount Trading, Scotia Group, Stationery and Office Supplies, Stocks to Watch, Sygnus Credit Investments, TOP 10 stocks, Trading Activity, Tropical Battery

Transjamaican heads Stocks to Watch

April 29, 2023 by IC Insider.com

Some positive signs are emerging in the local stock market, with a few stocks in the Main Market making new highs repeatedly. Elsewhere, inflation is down and the fall in BOJ CD rates since early March from 10.54 percent to this week’s 8.11 percent, a 23 percent fall, are signs that interest rates locally have softened and set to fall across the board before long.
The above are positive signals for stocks. Some stocks are worth holding or watching as they possess the assets and earnings potential to deliver above average returns in stock value for patient investors but are not likely to gain as much as those in the ICTOP10 lists.
These stocks are Transjamaican Highway, Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Honey Bun, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing, Main Event, Stationery and Office Supplies and Wigton Windfarm.

In the stock market, there is a time to hold, a time to fold and be bold that is the case of investing in Transjamaican Highway. The stock that came to the market in 2020 at $1.41, which many touted as reasonably priced, lagged the IPO price until this year and is worth seriously considering.
Transjamaican Highway has moved away from the zone of the IPO price of $1.41 at the end of March and now sits at $1.77, with the stock trading in high volume. Why would a stock that the company reported a loss of US$7 million? First, acquiring the majority shares in Jamaica Infrastructure Operators resulted in a onetime loss of US$13.7 million, the only reason for the company to report a loss for the year. The transaction will result in future cost savings expected to significantly reduce Operating Expenses by more than 50 percent or US$12 million per annum and increase profitability in the future. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of 0.016 US cents or J$0.24. A technical indicator is pointing to a short term price around $2.40.

Staff members of Main Event

Main Event has been on a tear following impressive first quarter results of $118 million or 39 cents per share. The stock gained 64 percent for 2023 to date and 227 since the start of 2021. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of $1.70 for the current year and a stock price hitting $30 by the end of 2023. Interestingly, while revenues for the recent quarter were a record $626 million, marginally up on the $597 million generated in the 2019 first quarter, there is more room for growth as the economy returns to normal levels since the contraction over the past two years. it is noted that the company is involved in the staging of JMEA expo this year and that will bring in added revenues that were not there last year.
Honey Bun just dropped out of the ICInsider.com TOP10 but has room for more upside price movement, with revenues up 23 percent for the first quarter to December last year and profit surging 64 percent to 94 million before taxation. ICInsider.com projects a 25 percent rise in revenues for the current year, with earnings doubling to 90 cents per share over that of 2022. Those numbers should be enough to increase investors’ interest in the stock with an improved gross profit margin that slipped last year, helping boost profit.
With the first quarter results due out over the next three weeks for Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Stationery and Office Supplies and full year results for Lasco Financial and Lasco Manufacturing, investors will see that these stocks are seriously undervalued.
Wigton Windfarm has been quietly hitting new 52 weeks highs. It could go higher as investors buy up what has become limited supply in recent weeks as the company venture into additional business activities. Technically the stock has broken out of a long consolidation phase and the trend indicates a higher price of around 90 cents before it is stopped.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

Filed Under: Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: Access Financial Dolphin Cove, Honey Bun, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing, Main Event, Stationery and Office Supplies, Transjamaican Highway, Wigton Windfarm

Transjamaican breakout

April 24, 2023 by IC Insider.com

Transjamaican Highway (TJH) reported record revenues of $65 million for 2022, up 12.3 percent from $52.76 million generated in 2021, resulting in profit of $9.3 million before the one off cost, up a solid 74 percent above the $5.34 million generated in 2021.

The company reported a loss of US$7 million for 2022 after tax and, after factoring in a onetime loss of US$13.7 million resulting from the acquisition of the major share in Jamaica Infrastructure Operators, the loss compares with a profit of $4 million in the previous year.
The above acquisition “will result in future cost savings expected to significantly reduce Operating Expenses by more than 50 percent or US$12 million per annum and increase our profitability,” the directors informed shareholders in their commentary on the results. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of 0.016 US cents or J$0.24, giving it a PE of 7 and a target price of J$4.50.
In addition, it is worth noting that the vast majority of costs are more or less fixed, with Amortization of intangible assets amounting to $13.7 million, up from $12.3 in 2021, finance cost slipped slowly to $14.7 million in 2022 from $15.3 million in 2021. Operators fixed fees amounted to $17.7 million, up from $16.4 million but will drop in 2022, now that TJH owns the operating company. The company has been selected as the operator for the May Pen to Mandeville leg of Highway 2000, which will add to future revenues and profits.
In their commentary of the full year results, the company directors stated that “traffic since the advent of Covid19 has “fully recovered and was approximately 7 percent above our 2019 pre-covid levels and 13 percent above the 2021 traffic.
Gross cash flow brought in $10 million but with growth in receivables, inventories, addition to fixed assets offset by loan payment of $6.6 million inflows and increased payables and paying $7 million dividends, the company ended with a net outflow of $1.3 million and ended at $5.4 million in cash funds.
At the end of December, shareholders’ equity stood at $40 billion or $3.20 per share—long term borrowings at $224 million and short term at $10 million. Current assets ended the period at $6.3 million, which comprises mostly the above cash and bank balance. Current liabilities ended the period with $16.5 million. Net current assets ended the period with a negative amount of $10 million.
All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Filed Under: Company News, Company Results, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: Jamaica Stock Exchange, Jamaican stocks, stock to watch, Transjamaican Highway

Honey Bun rises 8% to exit ICTOP10

April 22, 2023 by IC Insider.com

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded solid gains during the past week as the Main Market declined, resulting in three solid gains for the ICTOP10 Junior Market stocks and just one notable move in the performance of the ICTOP10 Main Market as General Accident added 18 percent to its value to be the best performing stock for the week.

General Accident selling supply of stocks is down sharply.

The Junior Market had one change in the TOP10 as Honey Bun moved out for a second time in weeks with a rise of 8 percent, allowing Dolla Financial to come in at number 10. Dolla is likely to enjoy a doubling in profit for the current year, having expanded the loan portfolio dramatically since taking on the billion dollar loan. Investors in the stock can look forward to healthy gains in the stock price during the year.
Main Event, one of the previous week’s top performers that exited the Top 10 with a 6 percent gain to close at $12.95, keeps on rolling on and climbed another 13.5 percent this week to $14.70, up 63.5 percent for the year to date as investors continue to applaud the company’s performance by buying up the stocks as they see more profits to come this year, with the economy fully opened up for entertainment.
The other major price movements during the week were a 9 percent rise for Lasco Distributors, that ended at $2.36 and Honey Bun, up 8 percent to $6.57. There are only two stocks with losses of two percent or less.
In the Main Market, only three stocks recorded declines, but Berger Paints was the only stock with a meaningful move, gaining 8 percent to $8.30.
Interest rates on Bank of Jamaica CDs dipped again at this past week’s auction that, which saw the average rate slipping to 8.21 percent from 8.41 percent at the previous week’s auction. Over the past five months, inflation has been running at less than one percent per annum, which has set the stage for BOJ to act quickly to slash interest rates, a positive development for the market.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index this past week, with the supply of some stocks falling sharply.
Honey Bun’s fall from the TOP10 Junior Market list is not the end of the road for this outstanding performer with increased investors’ interest with an expected jump in revenues and profits for the first quarter with the Easter coming at the beginning of April versus the 17^th of April last year as well as improvement of gross profit margin that slipped previous year. ICInsider.com expects the price to increase by up to 200 percent this year.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.5, well below the market average of 13.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 246 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 273 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 13 stocks representing 27 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 27, averaging 19, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, suggesting this may be the current lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks.
The 16 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 114, with an average of 31 and 21 excluding the highest PE stocks and 20 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks will likely deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.