Trading jumped sharply on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 147 percent, with 159 percent more value than on Monday after 43 securities traded, down from 47 on Monday and ended with 17 rising, 16 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
A total of 24,655,438 shares were exchanged for $89,978,978 compared to 9,973,506 units at $34,778,543 on Monday. Trading averaged 573,382 shares at $2,092,534 compared to 212,202 shares at $739,969 on Monday, with the month to date averaging 384,766 units at $1,386,195. September closed with an average of 470,099 units at $1,578,447.
Fosrich led trading with 16.04 million shares for 65.1 percent of total volume, followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 3.02 million units for 12.2 percent of the day’s trade, EduFocal ended with 1.84 million units for 7.5 percent market share and Dolla Financial, 1.56 million units for 6.3 percent if stocks traded.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 59.11 points to settle at 4,148.29. The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between November this year and August 2023
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cream climbed 19 cents to end at $4.20 after a transfer of 19,000 shares, Consolidated Bakeries fell 14 cents in closing at $2.96 after switching ownership of 53,096 stock units, Dolla Financial gained 11 cents to end at $3.20, with 1,557,227 stocks crossing the market. EduFocal increased 23 cents to $2.85 in an exchange of 1,836,984 units, Elite Diagnostic rose 16 cents to $3.54 with investors transferring 85,371 units, Fontana dropped 15 cents to close at $9.30 with the swapping of 49,776 shares. Fosrich rallied 11 cents to $4.40, with 16,039,262 stocks crossing the market, Honey Bun lost 10 cents in closing at $7.90 in exchanging 11,076 stock units, iCreate dipped 12 cents to $2.33 and closed with 244,961 stock units changing hands. ISP Finance declined $1.10 to end at $20 with a transfer of 218 units, KLE Group advanced 11 cents to close at $1.99 with 38 stocks clearing the market, Lasco Manufacturing shed 41 cents to close at a 52 weeks‘ low of $3.99 in trading 8,047 shares. Main Event popped 50 cents in closing at $9 in exchanging 6,781 stocks, Medical Disposables dropped 40 cents to end at $5.20, with 21,749 units crossing the exchange, MFS Capital Partners increased 77 cents to $2.95 while exchanging 144,456 stock units. Paramount Trading popped 19 cents in ending at $1.95 after trading 4,051 shares, Spur Tree Spices shed 18 cents to $3.42, with 299,892 shares changing hands, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $1.92 in closing at $17.95 after exchanging 10,067 units. Tropical Battery rallied 11 cents to close at $2.59 after trading 187,263 stock units and tTech climbed 17 cents to end at $2.97 with an exchange of 17,745 stocks.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 17 cents in ending at $1.18 as investors exchanged 101 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Access jumps ICTOP10 with 24% gains
Access Financial leaves the ICTOP10 this past week following the prior week’s 12 percent gain to $22.30 and a sizable 24 jump in the past week to close at $27.72, with 38,331 shares trading on Friday and leaving just nine lots being offered for sale at the close.
For the first time in weeks, Access had more bids at the close on Friday than offers, a positive sign for more gains ahead. With month end window dressing, it is unclear what the coming weeks may hold for this stock.
For the overall market, there are positive signs for the market. Despite Jamaica’s central bank having overdone interest rate increases, investors continue to pump more money into local stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange data show. Main and Junior market stocks closed September higher than August, with funds accompanying trading substantially higher in each case. These are positive signals for the months ahead for the markets, with the Main Market having the lowest monthly trade of less than $2 million in July, with January the next lowest with $2.7 million.
Action in IC TOP10 stocks had some strong gains in the Junior Market the past week, with Lasco Distributors gaining 9 percent this past week to $3.10, Elite Diagnostic climbing 6 percent to $3.50, Lasco Financial gaining 5 percent to $2.83 as Caribbean Cream dropped 8 percent to $4.12.
In the Main Market, Productive Business Solutions rose 5 percent to US$1.39, Key Insurance gained 4 percent to $3.50, but Berger Paints shed 9 percent to $10, followed by Caribbean Producers, with a 6 percent to $13.14.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6.2, well below the market average of 14.2, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 versus the market at 12.8, important indicators of the level of undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 246 percent and the Main Market TOP10 s projected to gain an average of 243 percent, by May 2023.
The Junior Market currently sells at an average PE of around 12.8 but already there are 13 stocks representing 25 percent of the market, with PEs from 16 to 36, averaging 22. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. The data shows the extent of potential gains that the TOP 10 stocks possess. The situation in the main market is similar, with the 15 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 16 to 100, averaging 27.5 and 22 excluding the highest valued one.
Currently, the Junior Market reflects a positive positioning and is poised to move higher in the weeks ahead. The recent negative clouds that hang over the main markets seem to be lifting with the market index slowly bouncing off a recent bottom.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. The list includes some of the best listed companies 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.
CAC 2000 ICTOP10 top performer
Junior Market IC TOP10 stocks had some strong gains in the past week and losses that were lower than the gains, but Main Market stocks were more stable, with minor price changes while Lasco Financial in the Junior Market replaced Iron Rock Insurance.
CAC 2000 was the star performer in the Junior Market during the week, jumping 20 percent to $8.30, after dropping 14 percent in the previous week to $6.90. Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 15 percent last week to $2.30, rebounded 13 percent to $2.60 and Access Financial recovered from a 9 percent decline last week, gaining 12 percent to $22.30. Elite Diagnostic climbed 8 percent to $3.58 last week, but fell 8 percent to $3.31, Lasco Distributors gained 5 percent last week to $3.10 but could not hold on and slipped 8 percent to $2.84 and Caribbean Cream jumped 18 percent last week to $4.70, fell 5 percent to close at $4.47.
In the Main Market Guardian Holdings rose 5 percent to $520, Berger Paints gained 4 percent to percent but Key Insurance fell 7 percent to $3.36 and Sygnus Credit Investments declined 5 percent to $13.08.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6.2, well below the market average of 13.9, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 versus the market at 12.8, important indicators of the level of undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 245 percent and the Main Market TOP10 s projected to gain an average of 239 percent, to May 2023.
The Junior Market currently sells at an average PE of around 12.8 but already there are 15 stocks or a third of the market, with PEs from 16 to 33, averaging 21. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. This data shows how much potential gains are in the top 10. The situation in the main market is similar, with the 15 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 84, averaging 25 and 21 excluding the highest valued one.
Currently, the Junior Market is slightly negative but is poised to move higher in the weeks ahead but the main market is under negative clouds that could send the market index lower as NCB Financial and other financial companies continue to trade with inadequate support.
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.