The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange dipped 6.52 points to close at 3,606.63 on Friday with 31 securities changing hands compared to 29 on Thursday as prices of more stocks fell than rose.
At the close of trading, the prices of 12 rising, 14 declining while 5 closed unchanged as investors exchanged 2,580,654 units valued at $14,035,405 compared to 3,905,180 units valued at $19,166,140 on Thursday, from an exchange of 32 securities.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks closing with higher bids than the last selling prices and 4 ending with lower offers.
Trading ended with an average of 83,247 units for an average of $452,755 in contrast to 134,661 units for an average of $660,901 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 253,861 units at $1,125,085 and previously 313,545 units at $1,245,996 for each security traded. July ended with an average of 138,412 units at $563,215 for each security traded.
Stocks ending with price changes| Access Financial gained $1.20 to end at $43.20 with 10,000 stock units trading, AMG Packaging climbed 17 cents and exchanged 35,432 shares to end at $2.29, Blue Power declined 50 cents in trading of 37,213 units at $9.50. Caribbean Producers closed trading of 375,545 units with a gain of 5 cents to end at $4.65, Consolidated Bakeries dipped 8 cents in trading of 3,000 units at $1.92, Dolphin Cove exchanged 101,820 shares, after rising 5 cents to end at $12.05. Derrimon Trading closed 30 cents higher at $2.80, swapping 200 stock units, Express Catering ended market activity exchanging 205,935 shares to close at $6.45 after falling 5 cents. Everything Fresh ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.40 with 321,826 stock units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic lost 60 cents trading 67,600 shares to close at $6.40. Fosrich shed 40 cents in trading of 63,480 units to settle at $5.40, Fontana exchanged 194,084 shares, after rising 15 cents to end at $8.20. General Accident traded 150,889 units and gained 25 cents to close at a record high of $6.24, GWest Corporation dipped 7 cents in swapping 5,023 units at $1.38, Honey Bun closed with a loss of 5 cents at $6.90, in trading 47,871 units, iCreate rose 8 cents and exchanged 12,723 shares at 89 cents. Indies Pharma lost 25 cents in trading of 38,751 units to settle at $3.35, ISP Finance dived $4 in trading 16,509 units to settle at $16, Jamaican Teas lost 24 cents trading 94,057 shares to close at $5.61. Jetcon Corporation ended trading 100,500 shares, after rising 53 cents to end at $2.50, Knutsford Express rose 3 cents to end at $11.18 trading 1,506 shares, Limners & Bards closed 19 cents higher at $3.20, with 195,125 stock units changing hands. Lasco Financial lost 10 cents trading 236,244 shares to close at $5.45, Medical Disposables ended trading with 10,000 shares, after rising 10 cents to end at $7.40, Stationery and Office Supplies exchanged 20,687 shares to close at $13 after falling 50 cents and tTech closed with a loss of 34 cents at $7 while exchanging 12,740 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Drop again in TTSE trading – Friday
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange fell sharply on Friday from Thursday’s levels, with 13 active securities resulting in just 96,973 units valued at $2,004,702 crossing the exchange.
On Thursday 15 securities traded, leading to 822,366 units valued at $16,056,645. Market activity ended with the price of one stock advancing, 3 declining and 9 remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.15 points to 1,388.76. The All T&T Index gained 0.09 points to 1,762.35, while the Cross Listed Index added 0.03 points to close at 137.46.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 stocks closing with the bids higher than the last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Gains| Calypso Macro Index Fund gained 50 cents, to close at $15.50, with an exchange of 200 units.
Losses| Clico Investment Fund shares fell 5 cents and ended at $24.15, after exchanging 850 shares, Massy Holdings share fell 1 cent and ended at $54.94, with 11,435 stock units changing hands and One Caribbean Media lost 4 cents and completed trading of 35 units at $10.06.
Firm Trades| First Citizens Bank closed at $40.01, with 5,948 units crossing the exchange, Grace Kennedy ended at $3.62, with 30,000 stock units trading, Guardian Holdings completed trading of 28,398 shares at $18, National Enterprises ended at $6.02, with 5,000 stock units changing hands. National Flour completed trading at $1.67, swapping 900 shares, Republic Financial ended at $121.33, with investors exchanging 210 shares. Trinidad & Tobago NGL traded 12,923 units and rose 25 cents to close at $26., with crossing the exchange, Unilever Caribbean completed trading of 170 stock units trading at $24.50 and West Indian Tobacco completed trading 904 units at $107.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Drop in trading on TTSE – Thursday
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange fell sharply on Thursday from Wednesday’s levels, with 15 active securities resulting in 822,366 units valued at $16,056,645 crossing the exchange.
On Wednesday 18 securities traded, leading to 3,772,753 units valued at $32,527,719. Market activity ended with the prices of 4 stocks advancing, 4 declining and 7 remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index fell 3.85 points to 1,388.61. The All T&T Index lost 1.85 points to 1,762.26, while the Cross Listed Index fell 0.81 points to close at 137.43.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 stocks closing with the bids higher than the last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund rose 20 cents to close at $24.20, with an exchange of 448,960 units, Massy Holdings gained 1 cent to end at $54.95, with 1,484 units changing hands. Scotiabank Trinidad closed with an increase of 1 cent to close at $59.50, with 1,735 units crossing the exchange and Trinidad & Tobago NGL traded 14,654 units and rose 25 cents to close at $26.
Losses| Ansa Mcal fell 2 cents and completed trading with 695 units at $55.20, JMMB Group lost 10 cents and settled at $2.10, with 8,274 stock units changing hands, National Enterprises dropped 13 cents and concluded trading of 10 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $6.02 and Unilever Caribbean declined 48 cents and ended at $24.50, after exchanging 7,354 shares.
Firm Trades| First Citizens Bank settled at $40.01, in swapping of 1,000 shares, Guardian Holdings completed trading at $18 with 96,600 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial completed trading at $10.10, after exchanging 172 shares, Republic Financial ended at $121.33, with 2,194 stock units changing hands. Sagicor Financial ended at $10.45, with an exchange of 238,658 units, Trinidad Cement completed trading of 425 stock units at $2.35 and West Indian Tobacco traded 151 units at $107.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Sales up 24% in 2019 at Knutsford
For the nine months to February, revenues were up 24 percent, with the February quarter showing a healthy increase of 22 percent. Revenues rose 22 percent from $249 million in the 2018 May quarter to end at $304 million, while revenues for the February quarter rose from $232 million to $286 million and for the full year, it rose from $926 million to $1.15 billion.
Profit rose just 6 percent from $178 million for the full year to $188 million for earnings per share of 38 cents. Resulting from the losses in the foreign operations, profit in the final quarter fell from $50 million in the 2018 May quarter, to $30 million in the same period this year. The company generated income of J$21 million and incurred a loss of J$25 million in the Florida operation that commenced in the February quarter. According to Managing director Oliver Townsend, “the Florida operation is a long term investment which we believe will come into its own in the second year of operations.” Townsend was responding to a query by IC Insider.com as to when this operation would break even.
Knutsford does not break out direct operational expenses, making it difficult to determine the gross profit generated by the company.
In addition, the absence of that critical data makes it impossible for investors to measure the efficiency of the operations. Data extracted suggest it could be in the region of 40 percent. Overall expenses rose 28 percent to $963 million for the year with fuel rising 28 percent and labour cost 30 percent.
The company benefitted from the hub at Sangster Airport resulting in more foreign arrivals utilising the services, especially those journeying to and from Negril, the company reported.
Fixed assets grew to $733 million with additions of $406 million during the year, cash and short-term investments ended at $355 million with borrowings at $215 million and shareholders’ equity of $780 million.
Knutsford trades on the Junior Market and closed at $11.10 on Tuesday, with a PE of 29 based on historical earnings. IC Insider is forecasting profits in the current year to be in the region of 75 cents per share that would result in a PE of 15 and slightly above the Junior Market’s average of 13.
Big surge in trading on TTSE – Wednesday
The volume and value of shares trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange surged sharply on Wednesday over Tuesday’s levels and ending with 3,772,753 units valued at $32,527,719 from 18 securities crossing the exchange.
On Tuesday 16 securities traded, leading to 929,502 shares at a value of $9,159,390. Market activity ended with the prices of 4 stocks advancing, 6 declining and 9 remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index fell 0.98 points to 1,392.46. The All T&T Index declined 2.05 points to 1,764.11, while the Cross Listed Index gained 0.02 points to close at 138.24.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 3 stocks closing with the bids higher than the last selling prices and just one with a lower offer.
Gains| Agostini’s rose 1 cent to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $23.89 and trading of 21,722 shares, Angostura Holdings gained 7 cents and ended at $15.86, with 35,000 units crossing the exchange, Ansa McAl added at 2 cents to close at $55.22, with 11,199 stock units changing hands and Trinidad & Tobago NGL traded 567,600 units and rose 25 cents to close at $25.75.
Losses| Clico Investment Fund closed with a loss of 12 cents at $24, with 216,040 stock units changing hands, First Caribbean International Bank lost 3 cents and completed trading at $8.35, with investors exchanging 156,209 shares, Massy Holdings shed 1 cent and ended at $54.94, after trading 2,708 shares. Sagicor Financial declined 5 cents and settled at $10.45, with 52,158 units crossing the exchange, Scotiabank closed with a loss of 1 cent and ended at $59.49, with 39,704 stock units changing hands and West Indian Tobacco closed with a loss of 2 cents at $107, exchanging 257 stock units.
Firm Trades| Calypso Macro Index Fund traded 134 shares at $15, Guardian Holdings exchanged 3,000 stock units at $18, Guardian Media ended at $9.40, after exchanging 8,250 shares, JMMB Group settled at $2.20, after exchanging 2,587,663 units. National Flour completed trading at $1.67, with 512 stock units trading, NCB Financial ended at $10.10, with 65,600 units crossing the exchange, Prestige Holdings concluded trading of 22 units at $9 and Trinidad Cement ended trading at $2.35, after exchanging 4,975 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.