Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Tuesday with 26 securities changing hands with 11 advancing, 9 declining and 6 trading unchanged. The market index inched higher by 3.19 points to 3,093.37.
The volume traded amounted to 2,320,590 units valued at $10,336,084, compared to 1,303,888 units valued at $6,225,235 on Monday.
Trading ended with an average of 89,253 units for an average of $397,542 in contrast to 65,194 units for an average of $311,262 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 249,420 units valued at $1,528,275, in contrast to 258,319 units at an average of $1,591,093 previously. In contrast, July closed with average of 536,395 units at $1,905,441 for each security traded.
Trading ended with the market sentiments looking mixed for Wednesday’s activity as 4 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are: Access Financial settled at $47 with 2,250 shares, Blue Power traded at $40 with 1,300 shares, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 9 cents, at $7.86 with 4,068 stocks trading, Caribbean Cream traded at $6.50 with 56,600 stocks, Caribbean Producers finished 15 cents higher at $3.80 with 15,000 stock units exchanged. Consolidated Bakeries traded 29 cents higher at $2.30 with 4,500 stocks, Derrimon Trading closed 80 cents higher at $7.90 with 4,000 units, Dolphin Cove concluded trading with a loss of 20 cents, at $17.30 with 2,050 stocks, Express Catering settled 15 cents higher at $4.15 with 436,106 units, General Accident finished 22 cents higher at $2.82 with 67,500 stocks, Honey Bun closed 20 cents higher at $5 with 22,869 shares. ISP Finance settled with a loss of $1, at $19 with 400 units, Jamaican Teas concluded with a loss of 10 cents, at $4.90 with 90,678 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 21 cents, at $5 with 69,256 units, KLE Group closed 1 cent higher at $3.01 with 40,899 stocks, Knutsford Express concluded trading 34 cents higher at $14.40 with 6,770 stocks. Lasco Distributors traded at $7 with 186,808 shares, Lasco Financial settled with a loss of 20 cents, at $3.60 with 204,349 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing concluded market activity with a loss of 15 cents, at $4.45 with 45,888 shares, Main Event closed at $4.50 with 343,513 shares, Medical Disposables closed with a loss of $1.25, at $4.25 with 42,000 shares. Paramount Trading ended 10 cents higher at $2.70 with 10,500 stocks, Stationery and Office finished with a loss of 10 cents, at $4 with 655,536 stocks after trading at a low for the day of $3.50, Derrimon Trading preference share concluded trading 3 cents higher at $2.03 with 7,000 stocks, Eppley 9.5% preference share finished 5 cents higher at $7.25 with 500 units and Eppley 10% preference share traded at $6.60 with 250 stock units changing hands.
Trading jumps from Monday’s levels
Is trading IPO issues a good idea?
The question of the week comes from one of IC Insider.com’s readers. “ I’m trying to understand more about investing and would like to know about buying stocks at the IPO price, selling when they go up and then buying when the prices settles lower? Does it make sense to do so?
The answer to the question is yes and no. it can be done but understanding where the stock may top out initially, is going to be the key. You have to determine the price to sell at and then identify when to get back in, as well as where the price may go after reentry. Those targets are not always easy to assess. A good example is Main Event, it went to $5 early after listing and then pulled back a bit and went over $8 and pulled back to $4.85 last Week. Express Catering went over $5 initially and pulled back to $3.80, traded recently at $5.60 and pulling back again. Trading fees can cost up to 5% to get in and out that needs to be factored into the equation of potential trades as well.
Knowing the PE and how the stock compares to others in the market, will help a great deal to determine the likely top for a stock. The use of PE ratio and comparing them with other stocks gives a good indication which stock has a better valuation, but it may not tell when that difference will be eliminated. Currently, just below 20 times current earnings, seems to be a good exit point as the target for IPOs and say 20% or so below could be a good reentry point.
Picking tops and bottoms in markets is not always easy, unless historical records are used in the assessments. This technique is better known as technical analysis where markets or products, in this case stocks, establish set price patterns over time, often trading within what’s called a channel. Channels allow investors to better pick tops and bottoms, while the items is trading within the channel.