Trading activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 36 percent and the value 48 percent more than on Tuesday, after trading 57 securities compared to 55 on Tuesday, and close with 19 rising, 25 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
A total of 12,992,157 shares were traded for $42,746,105 compared to 9,556,783 units at $28,842,985 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 227,933 shares at $749,932, up from 173,760 shares at $524,388 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 241,174 units at $1,045,735 compared with 247,913 units at $1,196,263 on the previous day. March closed with an average of 356,137 units at $3,015,416.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.15 million shares for 31.9 percent of total volume followed by JMMB Group 7.5% with 2.37 million units for 18.3 percent of the day’s trade, Wigton Windfarm ended with 2.27 million units for 17.5 percent market share and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.56 million units for 12 percent of total volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,088.91 points to 369,166.27, the JSE Main Index shed 1,159.46 points to end at 330,217.61 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.01 points to close at 76.30.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.4 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments lost $1.53 after ending at $78.97 while exchanging 31,055 shares, Berger Paints dropped 69 cents to close at $8, with 1,698 stock units crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cement popped $2.94 to end at $59.94 with 2,830 units changing hands. Caribbean Producers dipped 56 cents in closing at $9.20 with a transfer of 46,610 stocks, Eppley fell $4.98 to $32.51, with 726 stock units changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rallied $3.60 to close at $44 after trading 235 shares. Guardian Holdings rose $5 to $495 in trading 198 units, Jamaica Broilers increased $1.50 to end at $36.50 after exchanging 17,292 stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange declined 90 cents in closing at $13.05 in switching ownership of 2,448 shares. JMMB Group shed $2.79 after ending at $29 as investors exchanged 113,841 stocks, Key Insurance advanced 48 cents in closing at $3.48 after a transfer of 300 stock units, Kingston Wharves declined $3.46 to $30.54 and closing with 5,626 units being traded. Margaritaville climbed $1.49 to $16.46 after an exchange of 239 shares, Massy Holdings gained $1 to $90, with 5,741 units crossing the market, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 60 cents to close at $11.60 with an exchange of 11,691 stock units. NCB Financial rose $1.48 to end at $74.48 as 31,311 stocks passed through the market, Sagicor Group dipped 50 cents in closing at $47 in an exchange of 16,886 stock units, Seprod dropped $2.98 to close at $67.01 with the swapping of 1,602 stocks. Sterling Investments fell 42 cents to $2.54 in an exchange of 57,819 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments fell 49 cents after ending at $11.60 with investors transferring 12,879 units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance popped $1.43 to end at $11.63, with 1,342 units clearing the market.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $14 in closing at $84 with the swapping of 785 stock units, 138 Student Living preference share dipped 42 cents to $77.08, with 150 stocks crossing the market and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share shed $1 in ending at $106 with 16 shares clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
ICTOP10 rides big weekly JSE rally
While the Main and Junior Markets rebounded sharply during last week, ICTOP10 stocks ended with varying movements, with gains and losses in both markets hitting 16 percent. It was an interesting week in which the main market gained over 18,000 points for the week with all days closing with gains including the Friday of the previous week, but it sits at a resistance level and is a signal worth watching.
The Junior Market put on 200 points since Thursday, March 23 and had one minor negative trading day during the period, however, the last day accounted for nearly half of the above gains.
While Bank of Jamaica held their overnight rates at 7 percent, their CD rate that fell 16 percent in the previous week to an average of 8.85 percent from over 10 percent where it stood for several months, BOJ offered a huge $35 billion this past week, but the average rate fell to 8.49 percent after $70 billion chased the amount offered. Importantly, the central bank cut the stock of CDS it holds from a peak of $109.5 billion on March 3, but at the latest auction, it amounted to $88.85 billion, marginally up from $82 billion on the 17th.
At the end of the past week, in the Junior Market TOP10 four stocks gained and five declined. KLE Group jumped 16 percent to $1.69 and Tropical Battery rose 7 percent to close at $2.08. General Accident dropped 16 percent to $5 and Everything Fresh fell 6 percent to close at $1.45.
The Main Market TOP10 JMMB Group climbed 15 percent to $33.25, Jamaica Broilers gained 12 percent to $37.10, Caribbean Producers popped 7 percent to $9.70 and NCB Financial with a rise of 6 percent to $75. Berger Paints fell 10 percent to $8.20 and 138 Student Living with a fall of 6 percent to $5.05.
The Junior Market has a long term pattern, with the market starting to rise around a month before quarterly results are due and declining shortly after results are released. This is a pattern worth noting that can be built into investment decisions that can improve returns.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 14.2, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11.4. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 248 percent and the Main MarketTOP10 by an average of 267 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 28, averaging 20.4, well above the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, suggesting that this may be a logical value for junior market stocks currently.
The Main Market 19 highest valued stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 115, with an average of 29 and 21 excluding the most valued stocks and 20.5 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 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 and result 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.
Key Insurance highest ICTOP10 jumps 37%
Stocks dropped to their lowest levels this past week after falling even lower than they did to close of the previous week as investors continue to shun the market, but the time is not far off that Bank of Jamaica will begin lowering interest rates and fuel a market resurgence as they sent the clearest signal that interest rates have not only peaked but will be headed downwards this past week.
The first signs of an easing of rate came this past week with BOJ CDs rates plunging 16 percent to an average of 8.85 percent from over 10 percent where it stood for several months. Importantly, the central bank cut the stock of CDS it holds from a peak of $109.5 billion on March 3, down to $82 billion at the latest auction, far less than from mid-January to the end of February, as more than $58 billion chasing after the $18 billion that was offered last week. While this happened the foreign exchange market looks very liquid with the rate falling under $152 to one US dollar from $155 earlier in February.
Performance in the past week for the Junior Market TOP10 saw only two stocks rising and seven falling, the majority of the declining stocks registering fell by 3 percent or less. General Accident jumped 20 percent to $5.98, but the bids are not there at the close, to support the price, but selling has abated for this stock currently. Everything Fresh rose 9 percent to close at $1.55 and actually traded at $1.65 during the week. Iron Rock Insurance fell 13 percent to $2 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 percent to $1.90.
The Main Market TOP10 saw the highest gaining stock rising just 34 percent, after Key Insurance jumped to $3.50 and was followed by 138 Student Living with an 8 percent rise to $5.40, but Caribbean Producers dropped 8 percent to $9.07. All other movements were 3 percent or less.
The Junior Market has a long term pattern, with the market starting to rise around a month before quarterly results are due and declining shortly after results are released. This is a pattern worth noting that can be built into investment decisions that can improve returns.
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 13.2, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 10.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 248 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average of 274 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 9 stocks representing 19 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 24, averaging 19, well above the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 15, suggesting that this may be a logical value for junior market stocks currently.
The Main Market 16 most valued stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 100, with an average of 29 and 19 excluding the highest valued stocks and 18 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 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 and result 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.