The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market bounced back from a brief break in the record run it has been enjoying, on Thursday with the market indices rising just under nine hundred points.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index gained 881.18 points at 584,697.71, the JSE Index rose 800.76 points to 532,325.41 and the JSE Financial Index added 1.11 points to end at 144.28.
Market activity, resulted in 39 securities trading in the main and US dollar markets, leading to 15 securities advancing, 17 declining and 6 trading firm, compared to 39 securities trading on Wednesday. A total of 17,809,196 units, valued at $536,050,805 traded, compared to 11,378,883 units valued at over $167,438,830 changing hands on Wednesday.
At the close of trading, Jamaica Broilers ended at 52 weeks’ high of $39.50, Palace Amusement hit a 52 weeks’ high of $1,500, Radio Jamaica ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.70, after hitting $1.90 earlier in the day. Sagicor Group closed at a record high of $79.99, after hitting an intraday high of $84.98 and Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 52 weeks’ closing high of $24 after trading at a record high of $26.75.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 7.8 million units for 44 percent of total volume, Caribbean Cement traded 3.77 million for 21 percent of total main market volume, Victoria Mutual Investments followed with 1.3 million shares for 7.4 percent of the day’s volume and Grace Kennedy closed trading with 1.1 million shares and 6 percent of the day’s volume.
The market closed with an average of 494,700 units valued at an average of $14,890,300 for each security traded, in contrast to 316,080 units valued $4,651,079 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts 939,424 shares with an average value of $7,772,521, compared to 1,091,901 units at $5,332,139 on the previous trading session. July closed with an average of 1,297,718 shares valued at $17,985,644 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks ending with bids higher than the last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments lost $1.90 to end at $88 in trading 38,611 shares, Berger Paints traded 5,240 shares and lost 50 cents to close at $18, Grace Kennedy gave back $2 in trading 1,112,834 units to close at $70, Jamaica Broilers exchanged 98,957 shares and rose 48 cents to close at record high of $39.50. JMMB Group shed 80 cents trading 75,788 shares to close at $52.20, Kingston Properties rose 40 cents trading 9,697 shares in closing at $7. NCB Financial rose $5 in exchanging 233,517 units to close $215, Proven Investments exchanged 23,031 shares after falling $4 to close at $36, Sagicor Group jumped $4.99 in trading 300,239 shares to end at record closing high of $79.99. Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost $1 in trading 20,720 shares to end at $11, Scotia Group jumped $4 to close at $57 in trading 328,201 shares and Seprod shed $3 in trading 13,926 shares at $55. Supreme Ventures traded 239,481 shares and lost $1 to end at $28 and Wisynco Group exchanged 391,428 units after falling $1.68 to close at $24.31.
Trading in the US securities market resulted in 241,493 units valued at US$57,196 changing hands. JMMB Group 6% preference share settled at 99 cents with 14,211 stock units trading, Proven Investments lost one cent and closed at 24.01 US cents with an exchange of 126,278 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments traded 101,004 shares to end at 12 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index fell 1.63 points to close at 186.67.
SOS & tTech head IC MarketWatch
Second-quarter results are coming out but still, a number of them are due out over the next few days. Results released today throws up a few strong numbers and the stocks of these companies are worth watching.
First, out the block today was tTech an IC TOP 10 BUY RATED selection with possible gains of 167 percent. The company reported a 20 percent increase in revenues in the second quarter of $91 million and a 62 percent rise in profit to $16 million and 15 cents per share with flat profit of $17 million or 16 cents per share for the half-year. The stock climbed to $6.50 at the close on Thursday and seems headed higher.
Stationery and Office Supplies reported a strong 195 percent rise in profit fro the second quarter to reach $34 million compared to just $12 million in 2018 from a 23 percent rise in sales to $295 million. for the half-year profit rose 63 percent to $92 million from $56 million from a 23 percent revenue increase to $639 million. The company is on target to meet IC Insider.com’s forecast of 75 cents for the full year. Radio Jamaica is yet to release its first-quarter results but investors have sent to stock to a high of $1.90 on Thursday. Demand has built and supplies shrank sharply and that should help move the price higher.
Caribbean cement traded 3,770,741shares up to $85 and is worth watching with supply falling. Sagicor Select ETF Fund was listed on Thursday but demand resulted in the price exceeding the 30 percent limit permitted by the JSE with investors attempting to trade the stock as high as $1.90 but the stock closed with no trading and closed with bids amounting 12 million shares at $1.30 and 324,520 were the lowest offers at $1.85. Lasco Manufacturing could be moving higher in coming trading days as supply declines and demand rises.
Market watch remains on Junior Market
Focus on the entire Junior Market was the advised investors got last week, as the market remained severely undervalued with technical indicators pointing to a breakout.
The advice remains for the second week as investors switch their focus decidedly on the market that lagged the main market for most of 2019 to date. The market reversed the near 10 percent loss in the first half of the year and moved solidly into the black with a rise of 9 percent to the end of last week. Technical indicators suggest a huge rise in the market as it moves to close the valuation gap with the main market.
In the process, the market rose 152.80 points during the week and ended at a record close of 3,537.21 after breaking the old mark of 3,436.54 points set in September last year.
The main market also contributed its fair share of excitement with a new record close and a number of stocks hitting new highs. A number of main market stocks could be coming to a short-term peak as is evident in the pullback of NCB Financial and Caribbean Cement during the past week with the latest quarterly results not lending much fuel to the stock prices.
It will be interesting to see how investors react to announced terms of the rights issue for Barita Investments with the offer of 11 for every 100 units at $45 each.
Jamaica Broilers has just 2 offers to sell, suggesting that the price has a far way to go. Some buying came for Radio Jamaica in the past week but with the price closing at $1.35 on Friday. It is worth noting that supply is drying up with only four offers totaling 115,000 shares posted at the close on Friday.
Sygnus Credit Investments is coming into its own with a limited supply of the stock for sale, the price closed at a record high at the close of the past week and may move higher this week. Jamaica Stock Exchange stock could fall some more with the stock facing increased selling and reduced buying.
Some selling came into the market for Blue Power but buying interest remains at the close on Friday with buying interest around the $12 but with some selling just above. Caribbean Flavours has a limited supply of stocks for sale and is worth watching. Elite Diagnostic with rising demand and virtually no supplies could bounce again this week following last weeks’ rise. General Accident moved away from the $4.50 level to close at $4.95 on Friday against declining supplies for sale with just two offers posted on Friday. Jamaican Teas hit new records during the week with investors trying to buy at $8.40, a level over the 30 percent limitation set by the market. The stock last traded at $7.26. Lasco Financial price bounced above $5 last week. The stock remains undervalued and should see increased buying interest, with the release of June quarter results, due out shortly. Lasco Manufacturing released first-quarter numbers at the close of the week with net profit rising 19 percent to $282 million, enough to move the price higher. Lasco Distributors should release quarterly results this week and could move prices of the stocks higher. Limners and Bards climbed to a record high of $3.99 but closed at $3.75 on Friday. Buying interest remains strong but some investors are taking profits, it will be interesting to see which has the upper hand, this week. Medical Disposables looks poised to move higher with the first-quarter numbers, set to play an important role in further gains. Investors await the second-quarter results for Stationery and Office Supplies to determine if higher prices are on the cards anytime soon, but the supply of the stock remains low with only 43,000 units offered for sale at the close on Friday.
Carib Cement 2019 profit mixed
Caribbean Cement revenues climbed 5.6 percent in the June quarter to $4.68 billion and 4 percent year to June, with $9.13 billion booked.
The company reported lower profit the June quarter than in 2018, due mainly to $485 million incurred as foreign currency losses and ended up with profit after tax at $368 million versus $674 million in 2018. Or the half-year profit after tax grew 48.6 percent to $15 billion. The company reported earnings per share of 43 cents versus 79 cents in the similar quarter in 2018 and $1.76 compared to $1.18 in the 2018 six months period.
Expenses excluding depreciation and finance grew 2.7 percent for the quarter to $2.94 billion and fell 21 percent for the half-year to $5.47 billion. The sharp reduction in cost results from the termination of an equipment lease agreement with the parent company and the purchase of those assets. The acquisition of the assets drove depreciation charge for the quarter to $405 million from $340 million in 2018 and $796 million from $467 million for the six months periods. Finance cost including foreign exchange losses rose to $688 million from $412 million for the quarter and $856 million versus $386 million for the half-year.
The results boosted shareholders’ equity to $7.9 billion from $6.4 billion at the end of December last year as the company wiped out accumulated losses of $994 million at the end of 2018 leaving a surplus of $493 million. Borrowing amounts to $9.8 billion while cash funds amount to $394 million and net current assets stood at negative $759 million.
The stock trades at $80 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market. IC Insider.com projects earnings for the full year to December at $5 per share that would place the PE ratio at 16, just around the markets PE of 17. With the economy doing well and increased construction activities, investors should have their eyes focused on increased future earnings.