Massy Group traded at new 52 weeks high at the end of trading for the week as the stock continues to eke away at its severe undervaluation. Overall trading on the Trinidad stock market on Friday resulted in 14 securities changing hands of which 2 advanced, 3 declined and 9 traded firm with 256,628 stocks changing hands, with a value of $3,495,856.
The Composite Index lost 0.90 points to close at 1,164.59, the All T&T Index fell by just 0.54 points to close at 2,009.28 and the Cross Listed Index eased by a mere 0.17 points to end at 41.88 points.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Grace Kennedy which saw just 735 units changing hands, 4 cents higher, at $3.45 and Massy Group gained 18 cents to end the day at a new 52 weeks high of $69.25 but with only 300 units trading.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are Clico Investment Fund in posting 65,241 shares valued at $1,412,468, the price fell a cent to end at $21.65, National Commercial Bank contributed 35,633 shares with a value of $39,356 and dropped 3 cents in closing at $1.10, while Scotiabank suffered a loss of 25 cents to close at $69 with 100 units traded at a new 52 weeks low.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are ANSA Mcal with 9,352 units to close at $66.29, Firstcaribbean International Bank 4,403 shares to close at $5, First Citizens Bank 10,106 shares at $35, Guardian Holdings with 48,043 shares traded for $687,015, closed at $14.30 while National Enterprises with 5,905 units ended at $18.25, Republic Bank with 474 shares to close at $122, Scotia Investments added 21,266 shares valued at $32,962, to close at $1.55, Trinidad Cement had 54,853 shares changing hands for a value of $106,963 to close at $1.95 and West Indian Tobacco with 217 shares closed at $118
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
Massy Group at new high
Two new highs on T&TSE
Trading levels on the Trinidad stock market was moderate on Thursday. 14 securities traded of which 3 advanced, 2 declined and 9 traded firm with two new highs at the end of trading as 226,207 units changed hands, with a value of $4,965,200.The Composite Index lost 3.53 points to close at 1,165.49, the All T&T Index fell by 6.34 points to close at 2,009.82 points and the Cross Listed Index fell by 0.09 points to close at 42.05.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close, are Clico Investment Fund trading 79,033 shares valued at $1,710,341, the price advanced by 9 cents to end at $21.64, buy rated Massy Group, traded 618 units at $69.07 as the price gained 2 cents to land it at a new 52 weeks high and One Caribbean Media traded 394 shares to close $23.13 with a 2 cents gain at a new 52 weeks high.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are National Enterprises that suffered a loss of 51 cents to close at $18.25 while trading only 100 shares and Sagicor Financial Corporation with 52,420 shares trading for $343,129 and lost 11 cents to close at $6.55.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Agostini’s with 79 units in closing at $17.48, ANSA Mcal 20 shares to close at $66.29, First Citizens Bank 4,539 shares changing hands to close at $35, Guardian Holdings with 3,670 shares traded, to close at $14.30, Flavorite Foods 100 units at $5.75, Angostura Holdings with 100 shares at $13, Jamaica Money Market Brokers added 10,000 shares as the price closed at 45 cents followed by Republic Bank that contributed 20,837 shares with a value of $2,542,114 and closed at $122, while Trinidad Cement with 54,297 shares changing hands for a value of $105,880, closed at $1.95.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator showed 2 stocks with bids higher than the last selling price and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
Republic Bank up $1 on TTSE
Republic Bank closed with a gain of $1 to hit a new 52 weeks high in trading on the Trinidad stock market on Wednesday, on a day when there were three new 52 weeks highs and one low. 15 securities traded of which 4 advanced 2 declined and 9 traded firm with 93,307 stocks changing hands with a value of $3,580,961.
The Composite Index rose 2.12 points to close at 1,169.02, the All T&T Index added 3.33 points to close at 2,016.16 and the Cross Listed Index moved up by 0.12 points to end at 42.14 points.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close, are IC Insider’s buy rated Massy Group (formerly Neal & Massy Holdings) in contributing 7,755 shares with a value of $535,443, the price was up 10 cents to close at a new 52 weeks high of $69.05, while National Commercial Bank (NCB) closed at $1.13 while gaining 2 cents and trading 5,044 units, One Caribbean Media traded only 110 units to close with a gain of 9 cents at $23.11, a new 52 weeks high and IC Insider’s buy rated Republic Bank gained $1 to close at a new 52 weeks high of $122 with 21,000 shares traded for $2,562,000.
NCB in closing at $1.13 in Trinidad or J$19.60 equivalent, was trading well above the price in the Jamaican market at $17.60.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are Sagicor Financial with 300 shares to close with a 2 cent fall to $6.66 and Scotiabank with 1,000 shares traded, to close lower by 10 cents at $69.25 for a new 52 weeks low.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are ANSA McAL 22 units to close at $66.29, First Citizens Bank with 6,981 shares valued at $244,340 and closed at $35, Firstcaribbean International Bank 217 shares to close at $5, Guardian Holdings with 4,335 units to close at $14.30, Grace Kennedy 1,287 shares to close at $3.41, National Enterprises with 1,207 units to close at $18.76, National Flour Mills with 650 shares and closed at $1 and Praetorian Property Mutual Fund which traded just 102 shares to close at $3.55 and Scotia Investments with 43,297 shares changing hands for a value of $67,110 closed at $1.55.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
TTSE – 3 up 6 down & 2 new highs
Trading levels on the Trinidad stock market was moderate with 13 securities changing hands of which 3 advanced 6 declined and 4 traded firm with 118,765 stocks trading with a value of $2,455,859. The Composite Index lost 0.40 points to close at 1,180.44, the All T&T Index fell by just 0.65 points to close at 2,025.89 and the Cross Listed Index dipped by a mere 0.02 points to end at 43.89.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are Clico Investment Fund traded 23,520 shares valued at $506,680 and the price advanced by 10 cents to end at $21.60, Neal & Massy had 2,613 units changing hands to close with a 5 cents gain at $68.90 for a new 52 weeks high and Unilever Caribbean hit another 52 week high with the price increasing 19 cents to end the day at $62.20.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are Agostini’s with 100 shares, ended with a 1 cent loss at $17.48, First Citizens lost 4 cents in trading a mere 5 shares to end at $37.43, Prestige Holdings 2,000 shares at $9.40 with a 1 cent fall, Sagicor Financial with a volume of 25,000 shares being traded for $168,000, the price closed a cent lower, at $6.72, while Scotiabank had 4,014 shares valued at $278,774 units changing hand as the price dipped by 16 cents to end at $69.45 and West Indian Tobacco with 984 shares closed at $118.06 while giving up a cent.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are Angostura Holdings with 51,157 shares changing hands for a value of $652,252 closed at $12.75, followed by ANSA McAL contributed 6,000 shares with a value of $397,740 to end at $66.29, Guardian Media traded 2,513 units and closed at $9.75 and Republic Bank with 554 shares at $120.70.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
Trinidad’s sleepy market
Stock market activity in Trinidad on Tuesday, saw trading in 13 securities, of which 3 advanced, 2 declined and 8 traded firm as 603,335 shares changed hands, for $7,429,236. The Composite Index edged up by 0.41 points to 1,177.62, the All T&T Index declined by 0.14 points to close at 1,999.62 and the Cross Listed Index inched up by 0.13 points to 46.65.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund traded 70,814 shares valued at $1,540,905 and gained 6 cents, to end the day at $21.76. Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 230,942 shares changing hands for a value of $122,179, closed 3 cents higher at 53 cents, Republic Bank with 955 units at $120.05 up 2 cents, a new 52 weeks high.
Firm Trades| Stock trading unchanged are Agostini’s with 471 units at $17.75, ANSA McAL 10 shares at $66.49, Angostura Holdings 10 shares at $11, National Flour Mills with a volume of 172,504 shares traded for $215,574 to close at $1.25, Point Lisas Industrial Port Development 300 shares at $3.65, Sagicor Financial Corporation 13,200 shares to close at $7.05, Guardian Media 957 units at $19.75 and West Indian Tobacco which added 17,501 shares valued at $2,065,118 to close at $118.
Declines First Citizens Bank contributed 88,671 shares with a value of $3,223,211 to close 4 cents lower at $36.35, Grace Kennedy traded 7,000 units to close with a one cent fall at $3.63.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
Ansa McCal profit up but it’s a sell!
The Ansa McCal Group has delivered top line revenues of $1,439 million compared to $1,305 million in 2012, an increase of 10% and this translated to a 6% increase in pre-tax and after tax profit and a 6% increase in EPS over the prior year thanks to lower interest cost.
The real issue is that profit fell in the quarter before charging interest on loan funding. But for this, profit would have been down as the group reported operating profit of $211 million down from $222 million in 2011 first quarter. A $24 million reduction in interest cost based on a decision of the Group to reduce their exposure to the possibility of interest rates increases and paid down the level of indebtedness by reducing long term debt of $812 million in 2011 to just $13 million at the end of 2012, helped the Group to deliver the profit of $163.5 million after tax as opposed to $153.8 million in the 2011 period before non-controlling interest in subsidiary. Profit due to the Group’s shareholders amount to $142 million versus $132 million in 2012 or 82 cents per share. All this translate to cost rising faster than income. Not a great surprise as Trinidad has suffered from above normal inflation while the economy is essentially in a recession although 2012 showed moderate growth after three years of declines.
In 2012 the Group made profits of $634 million, in 2011 the profit was $597 million but that was down from the $621 million earned in 2010. However, the Group, looks to be on track to earn around $4 per share for 2013.
A report from the company’s management indicates that “the Group has seen improved performance in Manufacturing, Trading, Distribution, Automotive, Media and Services. The growth in Manufacturing is particularly strong in the construction sector, which indicates increased activity in the economy and this sector remains a key driver of national economic growth. The Group continues to be well positioned to deliver on key strategic initiatives which have been previously announced, inclusive of the new block plant and the ERP project. Based on these factors, we are confident that we are on track to meet our full year targets.”
Cash flow | It is not difficult to see why the loans were paid down in 2012 as the company is throwing off lots of cash with cash flow of more than $411 million for the first quarter helping to swell the cash to $1.78 billion at the end of March, up from December’s $1.366 billion. In 2012 the Group spent $409 million on fixed assets and in 2011, $387 million as they continue to invest for expansion and modernisation. The amount spent in 2012 includes the Group’s acquisition of a furniture manufacturing and retail of appliances and electronic and electrical equipment that operates in Trinidad and Barbados.
Financials | Interestingly, profits have been growing since 2008 but return on equity has fallen each year as the equity to debt ratio improves with the cost of debt being less than the return on equity. Only time will tell if management did the correct thing in paying down cheap debt instead of paying investors more in dividends. This is also a sign that the company is reaching or has reached a level of maturity in the market where its know-how is honed, hence investment opportunities have become limited to utilising its own funds and that of others.
Segments & results | Manufacturing, packaging & brewing enjoyed 10 percent increase in revenues and 34 percent in pre-tax profit, the Automotive, trading & distribution recorded a 12 percent increase in revenues and 41.6 percent growth in pre-tax profit, Insurance & financial services suffered a 1.3 percent decrease in revenues and 11.5 percent fall in pre-tax profit, Media including radio, television and newspaper, services & parent company, increased by 21 percent but generated a 15 percent drop in pre-tax profit.
Buy hold sell |The Group’s finances is strong with a well-diversified portfolio of businesses that can help it weather storms. Unless the Trinidad & Tobago economy springs back to life soon there is little hope for rapid growth in profits. The PE of the stock is around 17 this year’s earnings and the dividend yield is low with a dividend of $1.10 per annum, hence the stock would not be attractive to investors looking to invest for income purposes. The growth rate frankly does not warrant a PE of such heights for the stock. Investors should consider lightening up on this stock based on the above negatives.
The stock trades on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange.