Fosrich dominated trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday with more than 26 million shares changing hands and played a major role in the market dropping 60 points after it opened up above 3,900 points in the morning session. Information gleaned is that Stocks and Securities offloaded 22 million units at around $2.60.
The block of Fosrich shares pushed up the volume of stocks traded by 262 percent and the value 254 per cent more than on Thursday, with 48 securities trading up from 45 on Thursday and ended with prices of 17 stocks rising, 19 declining and 12 unchanged.
A total of 32,804,091 shares were exchanged for $91,381,630 up from 9,069,058 units at $25,793,774 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 683,419 shares at $1,903,784 up from 201,535 units at $573,195 on Thursday with the month to date averaging 322,180 units at $781,477 versus 297,515 stock units at $704,847 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
Fosrich led trading with 26.09 million shares for 79.5 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Financial with 995,363 units for 3 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 754,563 units for 2.3 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 60.43 points to 3,801.46.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are based on the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial lost 90 cents in closing at $22 with a transfer of 3,332 shares, AMG Packaging popped 20 cents to $2.70 in trading 38,207 stock units, Blue Power rallied 15 cents to $2.43 in switching ownership of 2,160 stocks. Cargo Handlers declined $1.68 to $13.27 with an exchange of 6,951 units, Caribbean Cream shed 19 cents to close at $3.30 after transferring a mere 400 stocks, Consolidated Bakeries dipped 29 cents to close at $2.20 after trading 1,540 stock units. EduFocal lost 8 cents to end at $2.12 with 332,545 units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic shed 65 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $2.45 with investors swapping 67,561 shares, Fontana fell 16 cents to end at $8.63 with an exchange of 16,122 shares. Fosrich lost 11 cents in closing at $2.99 with the swapping of 26,088,566 stock units, with the price hitting an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $2.50, Future Energy Source dipped 17 cents to $4.53 with 678,920 units changing hands, GWest Corporation gained 10 cents in ending at $1.02 in transferring 186 stocks. Honey Bun declined 32 cents to end at $7.10 trading 11,435 units, Indies Pharma advanced 19 cents to $2.79 in switching ownership of 615,619 shares, ISP Finance dropped $7.45 to settle at $20.49 after an exchange of 3,200 stock units. Knutsford Express rose 30 cents to end at $11.10, with 503,687 stocks clearing the market, Lasco Financial gained 30 cents to close at $2.75 as investors exchanged 995,363 stock units, Limners and Bards shed 20 cents in closing at $2.50 in an exchange of 2,700 shares. Lumber Depot popped 8 cents to end at $2.27 after a transfer of 18,960 stocks, Mailpac Group rallied 15 cents to $2.05 with the swapping of 86,536 units, MFS Capital Partners lost 13 cents to close at $3.78 trading 389,770 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 90 cents to $14 after 23,543 units passed through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
More ICTOP10 additions
ICTOP10 has two new additions this week, all are Junior Market stocks, following modest price changes in the listings this past week, but the Main Market had mostly significant losses as that market hit a new low for the year during the week.
In closing out the week, Lasco Distributors rose 6 percent to $2.75, while Tropical Battery gained just 4 percent to $2.40. Iron Rock Insurance fell 15 percent to $2.03, the only declining stock above one percent.
Four stocks rose in the Main Market TOP10, with NCB Financial and Jamaica Broilers increasing 4 percent to $77.99 and $33.90, respectively. Caribbean Producers plunged 10 percent to $9.72 as investors reacted negatively to a near US$2m negative swing in second quarter profit on higher revenues that were up 16 percent in the period, JMMB Group lost 8 percent to close at $30.80, Key Insurance fell 7 percent to $3, but 138 Student Living and Scotia Group dropped 4 percent to $4.80 and $32.95 respectively.
Honey Bun rose modestly for the week and, along with Tropical Battery, climbed out of the Junior Market ICTOP10, allowing Lasco Manufacturing and Paramount Trading to return to the ICTOP10.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.4, well below the market average of 13.6, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.3 compared with the market at 12, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 220 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 288 percent to May this year. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before the full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 14 stocks representing 29 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 28, averaging 20 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 17. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 17 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 90, with an average of 33 and 25 excluding the highest valued stocks and 25 for the top half excluding the highest valued stocks.
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 will likely 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, resulting 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.
Four new ICTOP10 stocks
ICTOP10 has four new additions this week. The changes followed release of new company results that saw upward and downward movements in earnings per share, while the price of one stock rose to exit the list.
At the end of the week, Paramount Trading jumped 17 percent to $2.58 after the supply of stocks in the market fell sharply during the week as the stock hit a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $2.95 before pulling back by the end of the week and Honey Bun rose 4 percent to $7.35. Lasco Manufacturing fell 8 percent to close at $4.33, General Accident slipped 6 percent to $4.70, Lasco Distributors lost 5 percent to end at $2.60 and Iron Rock Insurance fell 4 percent to $2.39.
Stocks rising in the Main Market TOP10 were hard to come by as losers outgunned winners. Jamaica Broilers jumped 8 percent to close at 52 weeks’ high of $32.50, but 138 Student Living dropped 10 percent to $5.00, as investors reacted negatively to a board decision to raise added capital by issuing more shares to the public. Radio Jamaica fell 7 percent to $1.90 after reporting poor results to December, while Caribbean Producers and Sygnus Investments fell 6 percent to $10.80 and $12.25, respectively, followed by a 5 percent decline for Guardian Holdings to close at $505.70.
Tropical Battery returns to ICTOP10 after a one week absence, Main Event posted better than expected full year results and moved into the TOP10 with projected earnings of $1.45 for the 2023 fiscal year and One on One Education moved into the TOP10, while Lasco Manufacturing moved out followed by Lasco Financial and Paramount Trading. In the Main Market, Radio Jamaica slipped out of the TOP10 and Scotia Group reentered after a brief respite.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 14.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.6 compared with the market at 12.3, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 207 percent and the Main Market TOP10, an average of 280 percent, to May this year. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before the total interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 15 stocks representing 31 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 30, averaging 20 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 90, with an average of 27 and 22 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stocks.
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 will likely 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, resulting 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.