Slippage for Junior Market – Tuesday

April 3, 2018 by

Honey Bun traded over 9.4m units.

The Junior Market slipped on Tuesday by 2.57 points to close at 2,955.94 as advancing stocks were just edged out by declining ones.
At the close of market activities, 21 securities changing hands, the prices of 5 securities advanced, 6 declined and 6 remained unchanged, compared 25 securities changing hands on Thursday.
Trading ended with an exchange of 10,265,565 units valued at $46,309,587, compared with 1,499,141 units valued at $6,471,380.
Market activity ended with an average of 488,836 units for an average of $2,205,218 compared to an average of 59,966 units for an average of $258,855 on Thursday. March closed with an average of 149,999 units valued at $623,819, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows just 6 stocks ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and 4 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 17 cents at $2, with 162,028 stock units, Cargo Handlers settled at $10, with 2,347 shares, Caribbean Producers finished trading at $5, with 53,540 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed 2 cents higher at $2.02, with 40,000 shares, Dolphin Cove finished at $17.10, with 350 stock units. Elite Diagnostic settled at $3.25, with 244,041 units, FosRich Group finished trading with a loss of 10 cents at $2.50, with 4,287 shares, General Accident closed with a loss of 10 cents at $3, with 89,649 stock units, GWest Corporation ended at $3.20, with 12,254 units. Honey Bun concluded trading at $4.65, with 9,434,940 shares, ISP Finance settled at $15, with 5,000 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading at $4.78, with 11,842 stock units, Jetcon Corporation traded with a loss of 10 cents at $4.05, with 23,588 units. Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 8 cents at $14.40, with 543 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading at $4.05, with 2,000 stock units, Lasco Financial finished 10 cents higher at $5, with 94,008 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled at $4.12, with 700 shares. Main Event ended trading 10 cents higher at $6, with 36,317 shares, Paramount Trading finished trading with a loss of 1 cent at $3.09, with 44,524 stock units, Stationery and Office closed 2 cents higher at $5.52, with 3,507 units and tTech concluded trading 82 cents higher at $5.97, with 100 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

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New high for JSE with more to come

April 3, 2018 by

The JSE main market closed at a new high on Tuesday with indicators pointing to more gains ahead as the market moves gradually upwards.

Jamaica Stock Exchange main market stocks continued on their upward climb as bullish sentiments exert upward pressure and steering the market higher, landed it at new closing high on Tuesday with more gains to come.
The main market closed with moderate trading of 2,989,332 units valued at $34,924,721, flowing from 27 securities changing hands, with 9 rising, 10 falling and 7 trading firm. At the end, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,341.98 points to end at a record closing high of 324,609.33 and the JSE Index advanced by 1,222.70 points to a new closing record high of 295,755.80.
In market activity, Barita Investments closed at $9.50, with 1,317 shares trading, Cable & Wireless concluded trading with a loss of 10 cents at $1.20, with 143,146 units, Carreras finished 10 cents higher at $10.70, with 102,432 shares, Caribbean Cement settled $1 higher at $36, with 112,607 shares, Grace Kennedy traded 1,496 stock units in rising $1 to end at $49. Jamaica Broilers finished trading with a loss of 50 cents at $20.50, in exchanging 198,187 units, Jamaica Producers closed with a loss of 88 cents at $15.12, with 6,207 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended 25 cents higher at $6.95, with 6,248 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 40 cents at $25.60, as 5,739 shares changed hands. Kingston Properties finished 15 cents higher at $6.40, with 5,000 stock units, Mayberry Investments ended trading 88 cents higher at $6.42, with 36,780 shares, NCB Financial Group fell by $1.51 to $97.49, with 21,004 shares trading, 1834 Investments rose 1 cent to $1.20, with 37,871 shares. 138 Student Living ended at $5.50, with 8,500 shares, changing hands. Palace Amusement rose $100 and closed at $1,100, with 100 stock units trading, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of 35 cents at $42.65, with 1,351 units, Radio Jamaica settled 8 cents higher at $1.09, with 102,002 shares, Sagicor Group lost 35 cents to end at $36.15, with 75,366 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading at $15.49, with 300 shares. Scotia Group finished at $53.99, with 1,985 shares changing hands, Seprod closed at $33, with 30,103 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 20 cents at $11.70, after 83,750 stock units were exchanged, Victoria Mutual Investments finished with a loss of 44 cents at $4.05, with 474,525 units and Wisynco Group settled with a loss of 34 cents at $10.50, with 1,520,527 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% traded at $1.99, with 1,193 stock units, JMMB Group 7.5% closed at $1.02, with 11,396 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “Record close for JSE majors on Tuesday.”

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Stocks marking time on TTSE

April 3, 2018 by

Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters

Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange ended Tuesday, trading in 14 securities, with modest price changes, against 9 on Thursday, with 2 stocks advancing, 4 declining and 8 remaining unchanged.
Trading resulted in 117,881 shares valued at $1,542,037 changing hands, compared to 264,376 shares valued at $2,045,015 on Thursday.
At close, the Composite Index gained 0.21 points on Tuesday to 1,264.14, the All T&T Index rose 0.41 points to 1,699.32, while the Cross Listed Index remained unchanged to close at 111.83.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, on Tuesday, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 3 stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
Gains| Angostura Holdings gained 2 cents and settled at $15.72, with 25 stock units changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings advanced 3 cents and closed at $101.58, with 173 stock units changing hands.
Losses| Clico Investments fell 1 cent and closed at $20.15, with 11,200 units trading, Prestige Holdings closed with a loss of 4 cents and ended at $10.01, after exchanging 50 shares. Scotiabank fell 9 cents to $62.56, after exchanging 50 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL concluded trading with a fall of 50 cents at $27.25, after exchanging 8,905 shares.
Firm Trades| First Caribbean International Bank ended at $9.50, after exchanging 32,499 shares, First Citizens closed at $32.5 after exchanging 20,465 shares, Guardian Holdings ended at $16.00, after 16 shares were exchanged, LJ Williams B share added completed trading at 70 cents, after trading 10,000 shares. National Enterprises closed at $9.79, with 900 units, National Flour ended at $1.68, after 28,571 shares changed hands, Trinidad Cement concluded trading at $2.60, with 5,000 stock units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean concluded trading at $32, with 27 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

 

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Record close for JSE majors on Tuesday

April 3, 2018 by

The main market Jamaica Stock Exchange enjoyed a second consecutive day of gains on Tuesday, with the market indices ending at new record closing highs.
At the end of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,341.98 points to end at a record closing high of 324,609.33 and the JSE Index advanced by 1,222.70 points to finish at a record closing high of 295,755.80.
Trading resulted in, flowing from the exchanging of 29 securities, with 10 rising, 10 falling and 9 trading firm, in the main and US dollar markets.
Securities closing with sizable price changes include, including a rise of $1 in the price of Caribbean Cement to $35, Grace Kennedy gained of $1 to $49, Mayberry Investments rose 88 cents to $6.42,

Palace share price climbed $100 to $1,100

Palace Amusement added $100 to $1,100 and NCB Financial lost $1.51 to end at $97.49.
Main market activity ended with 2,989,332 units valued at $34,924,721 changing hands compared to 11,248,457 units valued at over $130,109,783 on Thursday. Wisynco Group with 1,520,527 units that accounted or 50.87 percent of the overall market volume and Victoria Mutual Investments closed trading with 474,525 units and 15.87 percent of traded volume were the two dominant trades.
Trading resulted in an average of 110,716 shares valued at $1,293,508, for each security traded, compared to 387,878 shares valued at $4,486,544 on Thursday. In contrast, March closed with an average of 626,526 units with an average value at $20,492,207 for each security traded.
The US dollar market closed on Tuesday with 144,650 units valued at US$30,130. JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 1,500 units with rise of a fraction of a cent, to close at US$1 after rising by 5 US cents and Proven Investments closed trading with 143,150 units at 20 US cents. The market index closed unchanged at 161.45 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with a lower offers.
For more details of market activities see – New high for JSE with more to come

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KLE profit rise from ongoing operation

April 3, 2018 by

KLE Group reports profit for 2017.

Profit at KLE Group fell 95 percent for 2017 to $9 million from $162 million in 2016 but the 2016 result was boosted by a one off gain from sale of shares in a subsidiary, amounting to $164 million.
Without the one gain profit would have increased sharply from just under $2 million in 2016. Earnings per share ended at 6 cents. The company actually suffered a loss in the order of $12 million in the December quarter. Sale revenues that rose 10 percent for the year, to $215.4 million from $196 million in 2016.
Gross profit margin remained at 68 percent in both years while gross profit rose by 9 percent over 2016. Other income closed the year at $17 million, remaining constant with 2016 excluding one off gains.
Other operating and administrative expenses rose just 6 percent to $152.5 million while Finance cost declined to $2.4 million from $2.76 million in 2016.
Importantly, gross cash flow brought in $22 million but growth in receivables and reduction in payables reduced the net cash for the year and investments activities left cash at the $7 million level.
At the end of December, shareholders’ equity stood at $140 million with borrowings at just $14 million. Net current assets ended the period $64 million and current liabilities at $57 million.
The stock traded at $2.50 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a PE ratio of 12.5 times 2018 IC Insider.com forecasted earnings of 20 cents.

Filed Under: Company News, Company Results Tagged With: , ,

Jamaica’s company taxes jump 23%

April 3, 2018 by

Corporate taxes continue to be a star performer for Jamaica government revenues, having increased their input by a strong 23 percent over forecast, to February.
According to the government fiscal report, businesses paid $34 billion in corporate taxes to February or just over $6 billion more than projected. In spite of that level of performance, PAYE contributed more in taxes, at $48 billion even as government raised the threshold to $1.5 billion for individuals and cutting around $25 billion in the individual tax bill.
Corporations will be making big payments in March that should hike the amount they will pay for the fiscal year to be well ahead of the February figure. The forecast at the start of the fiscal year, was for a total take of $50.6 billion compared to $46 billion for 2016. The forecast for 2018/19 is for an intake of $63.9 billion or an increase of 26 percent over the 2018 forecast. If the trend for the just concluded fiscal year holds to March, the projected increase for the new fiscal would be just around $3 billion.

Scotia Group to contribute most to 2017/18 corporate taxes

Other areas performing well above budget projections include, Travel taxes up by 12.5% to $17.5 billion, GCT on local goods and services 4.8 percent to $83 billion, Education taxes up 6 percent to $24 billion and special consumption taxes on local goods up 10 percent to $26 billion.
Listed companies will contribute around $21 billion to the corporate tax take for the just concluded fiscal year according to data taken from financial statements. The bulk of the listed companies’ contribution will come from Scotia Group with $5.7 billion, NCB Financial $5 billion, Sagicor Group $2.9 billion, Carreras just over $1 billion, Grace Kennedy around $1 billion, JPSCo and JMMB Group just under $1 billion. Other billion dollar contributors should include Desnoes and Geddes and Wray and Nephew.

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tTech is back Carib Producers exits TOP 10

April 3, 2018 by

tTech is a new entrant to the Junior Market TOP 10 stocks and replaces Caribbean Producers that has been in the TOP 10 for several months.
Caribbean Producers closed at a 52 weeks high of $5 at the end of last week and fell out of the TOP 10. PanJam Investment price moved to $43 and just held on in the main market TOP 10. The price of Palace Amusement fell during the week to end at $1,000 and moved up on the top ten list as a result. Caribbean Cement price dropped sharply from $42 in the previous week to $35, but closed with the bid at $37.95 and moved into the number 5 spot as a result.
Cable & Wireless is unofficially the number one rated stock in the main market list based on IC Insider.com forecast, of profit for the current year, flowing from increased revenues and a sharp fall in interest cost. Uncertainty surrounding continued listing keeps it off the official list.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks ended at 6.5 compared to an average PE for the overall main market is 10 based on 2018 estimated earnings. The main market PE is 6.6 for the top stocks compared to a market average of 12.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 36 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be, 20 times earnings and main market stocks traded at a discount of 46 percent to the market.

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Trinidad recession bites Guardian Media hard

April 1, 2018 by

Guardian Media profit falls sharply since 2014.

A sharp fall in sale revenues in 2017, at Trinidad’s Guardian Media left the company hugging a small loss for the year ending December, according to an abridged quarterly report.
Profit dropped 94 percent in the 2017, to TT$488,000, for the December quarter before tax, from $8.5 million in 2016, but rose to $1.9 million after a tax credit of $1.4 million from a net profit of just $400,000 in 2016. For the year, the media house recorded a loss of TT$3 million after tax, from a profit after tax of $6.3 million in 2016, resulting in negative earnings per share of 8 cents.
Revenues fell 20.6 percent in the December 2017 quarter to TT$36 from $45 million and 16 percent to TTS$138 million from $164 million for the year.
The 2017 results is in stark contrast to 2015 when the company posted $35 million after tax and TT$34 million in 2014 from revenues in excess of $195 million for both years.
Cash flow brought in amounted to TT$20 million but capital payments and investments activities including paying $24 million in dividends used up $27 million, leaving cash at $72 million. Shareholders’ equity at the end of December, stood at TT$278 million, down from $305 million in 2016. Current assets ended the year at TT$131 million well ahead of current liabilities of TT$49 million.
According to the company’s chairman Peter Clarke, in his report included with the results, “2017 was a year of transition for Guardian Media as it implemented a number of planned structural changes. These changes included: (1) print automation systems to improve efficiency; (2) internal restructuring to lower the cost base and further improve the efficiency and quality of content creation and (3) re-alignment of teams to better serve our customers and fully equip the company for the digital media landscape. The one-time costs of these changes are reflected in these results. Parallel to this, the country’s economic slowdown has had a considerable impact on advertising spend across all sectors.”
The stock last traded at TT$17.98 in November on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE), but now has an offer at $16.38. Net asset value is TT$6.66 per stock, with the stock offered for sale at 2.46 times book value. The company is a subsidiary of Ansa McAl which is also listed on the TTSE.

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Angostura Holdings 2017 profit drops 9%

April 1, 2018 by

Angostura Holdings aged rum.

Profit at Trinidad’s Angostura Holdings dropped 8 percent in the 2017, to TT$154 million before tax on profit and was down 9 percent to TT$111 million after tax.
The 2017 out turn, resulted in earnings per share of 54 cents, with profit coming from a 7 percent fall in sale revenues, to TT$575 million. Profit declined sharply from 2015 when the company posted $164 million after tax, compared to TT$153 million in 2014 and TT$122 in 2016.
Despite the fall in sales gross profit margin rose to 64 percent from 60 percent in the 2016, as operating cost fell 18 percent. Other income declined to a loss of TT$6 million from a loss of TT$1 million while interest income rose to TT$2.3 million from TT$642,000 in 2016.
Marketing and sales expenses declined by 4 percent to TT$131 million while administrative expenses rose a hefty 24 percent to TT$82 million from TT$66 million in 2016. Finance cost declined to TT$844,000 from TT$1 million in 2016.
Cash flow brought in TT$161 million but capital payments and receipts included put aside in net new investments of TT$118 million resulted in net outflows of TT$30 after paying TT$56 million in dividends.  Shareholders’ equity stands at TT$982 million at the end of December, with borrowings at just TT$20 million. Current assets ended the period TT$765 million well ahead of current liabilities of TT$98 million and cash and investment rose to TT$369 million from TT$281 million in 2016.
The stock traded at TT$15.70 on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange with a PE ratio of 29 times 2017 earnings. The company paid a dividend of 27 cents down from 32 cents in 2016. Net asset value is TT$4.78 with the stock selling at 3.28 book value.
In spite of the fall in profit since 2015, the stock price have remained around the $16 range from then resulting in the PE ratio rising sharply by nearly 50 percent.

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Paramount’s lubricant plant in operation

March 31, 2018 by

New Lubricant plant at Walton Park Road

Profit at Paramount Trading, jumped 137 percent to $34 in the first quarter to August last year, but declined by 35 percent in the November quarter, to $24 million from $37 million in 2016.
For the six months to November, profit rose only 13 percent to $58 million from $51 million in 2016. Sale revenues rose 28 percent for the November quarter, to $257 million from $200 million in 2016 and increased 31 percent for the year to date, to $487 million from $370 million in 2016.
The board of directors in their report to shareholders accompanying the quarterly, stated that “our lubricant business line produced strong sales during the quarter when compared to the last year growing $28 million or 261 percent and by $41.6 million with a 248 percent increase year to date. Technical grade product sales grew by $47 million or 137 on quarterly basis and $83 million or 133 percent year over the period year. We expect this trend to continue into the last two quarters.”

Processing and storage tanks inside factory.

Profit margin declined in the November quarter to 28 percent from 30 percent in the 2016, and slipped to 29 percent from 31 percent for the year to date period. The effect, gross profit rose 15 percent in the quarter to $99 million from $86 million and 19 percent for the year to date, to $200 million from $169 million in 2016.
While revenues rose solidly, so did administrative expenses that jumped 47 percent to $72 million in the quarter and increased 13 percent in the six months period to $121 million. Finance cost declined in the quarter, to a negative $2 million from $4 million in 2016 and from $7 million to $1.5 million for the half year.
Earnings per share came out at 1.5 cents for the quarter and 3.7 cents for the six months and should end the fiscal year ending to March around 25 cents with four months production and sales from the lubricant plant and the expanded chlorine and bleach operations.
Gross cash flow, brought in $72 million but growth in receivables, inventories, addition to fixed assets offset by loan inflows and reduced Payables wiped out the gains.

Another view inside of the factory.

Shareholders’ equity stands at $739 million with borrowings at just $77 million. Net current assets ended the period at $486 million, well over payables of $237 million. Inventories rose to $394 million from $320 million at the end of November 2016 and receivables climbed to $321 million from $238 million with cash and investments ending at $78 million.
The company commenced operation of the joint venture lubricant plant from around a month ago as well as production of bleach, an addition of a new product line. When the lubricant plant was announced in 2015, the estimate for revenues was in the US$5 million range but now that Alpart is reopened, the amount should rise.
The stock traded at $3.10 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a PE ratio of 5.6 times IC Insider.com, 2019 earnings of around 55 cents per share.

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