Trading picked up on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday with a 35 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded valued 17 percent more than on Thursday after 45 securities changed hands compared with 43 on Thursday, ending with 17 rising, 22 declining and 6 closing unchanged.
A total of 12,468,915 shares were exchanged for $30,380,321 compared with 9,243,451 units at $25,870,454 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 277,087 shares at $675,118 compared to 214,964 units at $601,638 on Thursday with the month to date averaging 214,527 shares at $544,555 compared to 183,247 stock units at $479,277 on the previous day. February closed with an average of 318,024 units at $782,332.
Derrimon Trading led market activity with 7.9 million shares for 63.4 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 1.15 million units for 9.2 percent of the day’s trade and Regency Petroleum with 842,292 units for 6.8 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index gained 15.76 points to end at 3,892.56.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Cargo Handlers advanced $1.98 to $14.98 with the swapping of 500 shares, Caribbean Flavours shed 23 cents in closing at $1.47 after trading 11,631 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries popped 24 cents to end at $2.42 with investors transferring 40 units. Dolphin Cove gained 17 cents in ending at $15.15 with 18,515 stocks changing hands, Elite Diagnostic gained 31 cents to settle at $3.03 after a transfer of 3 shares, Express Catering fell 50 cents to $5 as investors traded 108,251 stocks.
Honey Bun lost 9 cents in ending at $7.20 with a transfer of 1,649 units, Indies Pharma shed 29 cents in closing at $2.75 with the swapping of 295,573 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance dipped 30 cents to $2 after 10,340 shares passed through the market. ISP Finance climbed $5.35 to $26.35 in switching ownership of 2 stocks, JFP Ltd rallied 10 cents in closing at $1.70 after 20,001 units were traded, Main Event rose 39 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $12.39 in exchanging 66,710 stock units. MFS Capital Partners popped 10 cents to close at $3.60 with a transfer of 19,024 units, Paramount Trading rallied 16 cents to $2.35 after an exchange of 6,451 stocks, Spur Tree Spices lost 10 cents to end at $2.65 with 40,398 stock units changing hands. Stationery and Office Supplies rose 97 cents to $14.95 in switching ownership of 1,904 shares and
Tropical Battery dipped 16 cents to end at $2.20 trading 126,960 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Elite out Tropical back in ICTOP10
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed the past week with gains in the indices. Still, the Junior Market suffered a significant loss on Friday to close the week with a loss following a sizable fall in the price of Fosrich. This most heavily weighted Junior Market stock fell from an average price of $3.20 at the previous week’s close down to $2.63.
ICTOP10 has only one new addition this week, in the Junior Market TOP10 and none in the Main Market, following major volatility in price movements in the listings.
In closing out the week, Iron Rock Insurance led stocks rising, with a gain of 13 percent to $2.30, followed by General Accident, that rose 6 percent to $4.99, while Main Event put on 4 percent to land at $10.80. Elite Diagnostic fell 21 percent to $2.45 as demand vanished for the stock following release of poor second quarter results. Paramount Trading fell 9 per cent to $2, Image Plus and Lasco Distributors dipped 5 percent to $1.90 and $2.60, respectively.
Five stocks rose in the Main MarketTOP10, with the price of Key Insurance rising 7 percent to $3.20, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 5 percent to $12.57, while 138 Student Living and Scotia Group popped 4 percent higher to $5.01 and $34.20, respectively. Berger Paints dropped 8 percent to $9.25, Caribbean Producers, Guardian Holdings and Jamaica Broilers lost 3 percent.
Earnings per share for Elite Diagnostic was revised down to 28 cents per share for the current year, following a small loss of $7 million in the December quarter, even as revenues rose a solid 20 percent or $30 million over the same quarter in 2021, resulting in the stock dropping out of the ICTOP10, to be replaced by Tropical Battery that is returning after a short absence.
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 13.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 213 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 288 percent to May this year, assuming the market gets back to last year’s valuation. 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 get to the summer months before the full interest of investors is visible.
The Junior Market has 13 stocks representing 27 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 27 averaging 19 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 109, with an average of 32 and 23 excluding the highest valued stocks and 21 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.
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.
A total of 9,243,451 shares were exchanged for $25,870,454 compared with 7,248,801 units at $17,264,479 on Wednesday.
The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Future Energy Source fell 15 cents to end at $4.60 in switching ownership of 553,438 shares. Honey Bun lost 11 cents to end at $7.29 with the swapping of 4,888 units, Iron Rock Insurance rose 30 cents to $2.30 with 5 stock units changing hands, JFP Ltd lost 10 cents to close at $1.60 trading 645,983 stock units. Lasco Distributors gained 9 cents in closing at $2.79 with a transfer of 1,200 shares, Lumber Depot popped 18 cents to end at $2.43 after 79,209 units passed through the market, MFS Capital Partners dipped 31 cents to $3.50 in switching ownership of 544,484 stocks. Paramount Trading advanced 14 cents to $2.19 in transferring 2,009 units,
Stationery and Office Supplies gained 20 cents to close at $13.98 with an exchange of 13,011 stocks and tTech rose 10 cents to $2.65 after 5 shares cleared the market.
A total of 7,248,801 shares were traded for $17,264,479 compared to 15,831,268 units at $44,907,966 on Tuesday.
At the close, Access Financial fell 36 cents to close at $25.59 with 5,228 shares being traded, Cargo Handlers popped 49 cents in closing at $15 after 2,048 stock units cleared the market, Caribbean Cream gained 18 cents to finish at $3.49 following investors trading 76 units. Caribbean Flavours rallied 25 cents to $1.70 with 78 stocks changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries lost 24 cents to end at $2.18 in switching ownership of 5,065 stock units, Dolla Financial shed 11 cents to end at $2.85 in an exchange of 105,206 stocks. Fosrich lost 11 cents ending at $2.99 with the swapping of 882,264 units, General Accident rose 39 cents in closing at $4.99 with 8,097 shares changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance fell 30 cents to $2 after a transfer of 50 shares. ISP Finance gained 51 cents to settle at $21 after switching ownership of 1,500 stocks, JFP Ltd dipped 25 cents to $1.70 in trading 487,595 units, Knutsford Express declined $1.13 to $11.87 after exchanging 7,445 stock units.
Lasco Distributors lost 9 cents to finish at $2.70 with investors transferring 31,250 stock units, Lasco Financial advanced 28 cents to end at $2.74 in exchanging 750 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 25 cents in closing at $4.22, with investors transferring 16,549 shares. Limners and Bards popped 10 cents to end at $2.75 with the swapping of 5,417 units, Lumber Depot dipped 15 cents to $2.25 after 54,162 stock units were traded, Main Event rose 75 cents to close at $11.95 with an exchange of 51,844 units. Medical Disposables shed 29 cents in closing at $4.85, with 5,300 shares changing hands, Regency Petroleum fell 52 cents to end at $1.91 after investors traded 2,970,829 stocks, following release of full year results, showing higher administrative costs that wiped out increased gross profit and Spur Tree Spices shed 23 cents in closing at $2.75 exchanging 348,494 shares.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 8 cents to end at $1.08 with a transfer of 294 units.
A total of 9,033,630 shares were traded for $24,644,140, down from 32,804,091 units at $91,381,630 on Friday.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Elite Diagnostic gained 26 cents to settle at $2.71 after 27,851 units passed through the market, Fosrich rose 10 cents to $3.09 as investors traded 3,395,464 stocks. General Accident shed 38 cents to end at $4.61 with a transfer of 6,100 shares, Honey Bun gained 27 cents to finish at $7.37 in exchanging 878 stock units, iCreate lost 8 cents to close at $1.71 in switching ownership of 66,005 stocks. Indies Pharma rallied 11 cents in closing at $2.90 with the swapping of 20,635 units, JFP Ltd gained 12 cents to close at $1.72 in an exchange of 554,074 stock units, Knutsford Express declined $1 to $10.10 in trading just 505 shares. Lasco Distributors popped 10 cents in ending at $2.70 with an exchange of 216,724 stock units, Lasco Financial lost 29 cents in closing at $2.46 with investors transferring 95,902 stocks, Main Event advanced $1.04 to $11.84 with 1,558 shares changing hands.
Regency Petroleum gained 24 cents in ending at a record $2.19 after 1,116,676 units passed through the market, Stationery and Office Supplies dipped 30 cents to end at $13.70 in switching ownership of 1,093 stocks and Tropical Battery lost 8 cents in closing at $2.22 while trading 132,449 stock units.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 60.43 points to 3,801.46.
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.
A total of 9,069,058 shares were traded for $25,793,774 compared to 7,929,253 units at $24,724,504 on Tuesday.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rallied 17.71 points to end at 3,861.89.
Fontana fell 10 cents to $8.79 in transferring 57,625 shares. GWest Corporation slipped 12 cents to 92 cents after an exchange of 57,562 units, Knutsford Express declined 30 cents to $10.80 with investors transferring 2,271 stocks, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents in closing at $2.60 with 41,568 stocks changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing lost 7 cents in closing at $4 after an exchange of 31,913 shares, Lumber Depot climbed 7 cents to $2.19 after 49,469 stock units changed hands, Main Event gained 25 cents to end at $10.80 with 174,381 stock units crossing the market. Medical Disposables dipped 35 cents to $4.80 in trading 2,128 shares, Paramount Trading shed 20 cents in ending at $2 in switching ownership of 33,560 units,
Regency Petroleum popped I cent higher in closing at a record of $2 trading 385,688 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 10 cents to close at $14.90 after 51,537 units cleared the market.
A total of 7,929,253 shares were traded for $24,724,504 compared to 6,142,842 units at $16,297,687 on Monday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price and ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Dolphin Cove rallied 13 cents to $14.58 as investors exchanged 2,297 shares, EduFocal dropped 33 cents to $1.87 with 226,226 stocks clearing the market. Elite Diagnostic rose 30 cents to $3.10 in switching ownership of 1,000 stock units, Express Catering lost 8 cents after ending at $5 with 5,500 units changing hands, Fosrich fell 28 cents to close at $3.06 with 1,343,496 shares crossing the market. iCreate dipped 10 cents to end at $1.80 with investors transferring 103,487 stocks, Image Plus Consultants lost 8 cents to finish at $1.90 in exchanging 1,360,944 stock units, Limners and Bards advanced 30 cents to $2.70 in trading 152,493 units. Lumber Depot fell 20 cents in closing at $2.12 in an exchange of 24,150 stocks and
Main Event climbed $1.35 to $10.55 with a transfer of 612,570 shares.
A total of 6,142,842 shares were exchanged for $16,297,687, down from 10,473,528 units at $25,758,434 on Friday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded prices in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Elite Diagnostic shed 30 cents to end at $2.80 with a transfer of 6,682 shares, Fosrich popped 13 cents to settle at $3.34 after 640,039 stocks were traded, Future Energy Source gained 9 cents to close at $4.69 after an exchange of 383,036 shares. General Accident rallied 25 cents to end at $4.95 after 34,920 stocks crossed the market. Indies Pharma lost 21 cents to finish at $2.58 with 108,294 stock units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance gained 27 cents in closing at $2.30 with investors transferring 83,263 units. Lasco Manufacturing advanced 10 cents in ending at $4.10 after 11,665 units were traded, Limners and Bards declined 28 cents to close at $2.40 after 293,713 stocks passed through the market, Main Event dropped $1.20 to end at $9.20 while exchanging 330 shares. Medical Disposables popped 35 cents to close at $5.15 in switching ownership of 851 stock units,
Spur Tree Spices declined 15 cents in closing at $2.74 in transferring 54,347 units, Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents after ending at $15 with the swapping of 4,345 stocks and Tropical Battery shed 20 cents to settle at $2.20 with an exchange of 542,594 stock units.