The focus this week is the entire Junior Market that remains severely undervalued, notwithstanding that it made up much-lost grounds in the past week. The Lab is the first stock to watch from this sector.
NCB Financial third-quarter results were far from inspiring with operating profit being lower in the quarter than for the prior year’s results, at the close on Friday there was good selling on offer that seems likely to keep a lid on the price for a while. NCB reported Operating profit of $6.46 billion in the June 2019 quarter, down from $8.14 billion in 2018. A $700 million net gain in associated company results eased the difference somewhat.
Barita Investments is back at the record high of $83 it closed at the close on Friday, up from $72 at the end of the previous week. Importantly, supply has mostly dried up except for a block of 1 million units offered by Barita at $98 per share. Shareholders passed the resolution at last week’s extraordinary general meeting for a rights issue that will see 106 million shares or around one for every 15 shares of shares owned offered to shareholders, at an expected price in the $40 region.
Barita eyeing acquisition.
Results for Caribbean Cement are out by but reports indicate that the company reported increased sales for the June quarter but lower profit than in 2018, due mainly to $485 million incurred as foreign currency losses. The company reported 43 cents per share versus 79 cents in the similar quarter in 2018. For the half-year, Carib Cement reported earnings of $1,79 compared to $1.18 in 2018. The company looks like earning $5 per share for the full year with increased second-half sales. Do not look for the price of the stock to move up any time soon, with these results
Jamaica Broilers and Jamaica Producers may not break out just now but there is very limited selling and good news could push them higher at any time. Investors who thought that the sky was the limit for Wigton Windfarm may be having second thoughts with the company posting their full-year results, with earnings excluding foreign exchange gains or losses working out at 5 cents per share going forward. The stock seems poised to remain under $1 for a long time. More selling came for Radio Jamaica in the past week but with first-quarter results due mid-August, the stage could be set for a break beyond the $1.40 price level.
Sygnus Credit Investments is coming into its own with a limited supply of the stock for sale, the price closed at a record high at the close of the past week and may and could move higher this week. investors should continue to watch it. Wisynco Group traded close to $30 in the past week pushing the PE up considerably. It could settle just below the $30 range for a while.
Drax Hall branch of Elite.
The Junior Market finally found its footing in moving solidly higher during the past week to within less than 100 points from the previous record high in 2018. With the entire market severely undervalued, just about all stocks are to be watched. Some are more attractive than others and should enjoy a greater focus.
Blue Power closed on Friday with strong buying interest that suggests higher price ahead arising from a proposed split-up of the company into two separate ones. Caribbean Flavours has a limited supply of stocks for sale and is worth watching. Fontana pulled out of the fall to $7.41, in the previous week as demand pushed the price over $8. The branch in Kingston could influence investors to add the stock to their portfolio. Elite Diagnostic with rising demand and slowing supplies could bounce, having traded at $5. The company’s new Drax Hall branch in St Ann is set to open in August and will add to revenues and profit at a later stage. Elite has more than 387,000 units on offer at $5 and that could constrain upward price movement for some time. Jamaican Teas reported nine months results of 32 cents per share compared with 20 cents last year. Investors reacted positively to the results pushing the stock up to $5, but supply on sale is limited and could encourage more price movement this week. Lasco Financial price bounces around $4.50. The stock is undervalued and should see increased buying interest, with release of June quarter results, due out shortly. 
In 2018, first-quarter results were released on the 17 of July. Lasco Manufacturing released first-quarter numbers on the 31 of July last year and Lasco Distributors released theirs on the 19. The results could move the price of the stocks higher. Limners and Bards climbed 30 cents to settle at a record high of $1.30 with just 100 shares changing hands on the first day of trading, the stock closed with the bid at $1.65 and looks poised to hit $2, the stock was on offer at $2.95 at the close on Friday. Medical Disposables looks poised to move higher and first-quarter numbers will play an important role in further gains and Stationery and Office Supplies hit a record of $12 during the past week and should move higher with little supply offered for sale.
Mayberry Investments climbed 48 cents in exchanging 4,159 shares to close at $8.60. NCB Financial traded at a record of $249, shortly after the market opened but the price drifted down and lost $1 from the previous day’s close with 144,913 units changing hands to close $219. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed trading of 18,805 units and gained 50 cents to end at $11.50, Salada Foods traded 1,229 shares after falling by $2 to $36, Seprod lost 60 cents in trading 42,258 units to close at $48.40. Scotia Group declined 50 cents in trading of 3,983,856 shares at $55 Sygnus Credit Investments closed trading of 15,100 units and gained 40 cents to end at a record high of $16.90 and Sterling Investments traded 452,602 and gained 40 cents to end at $3.95. 
The Jamaica Stock Exchange All Jamaican Composite Index ended at another record close on Thursday, the 35th record close for the year, as the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index surged 7,402.24 points to close at 561,755.34.
Portland JSX climbed 40 cents in exchanging 3,940 shares at $8, at $ 8, Proven Investments jumped $3.90 to $40, in trading 1,000 shares, Salada Foods climbed $5 to settle at $38 with 1,437 shares changing hands, Sagicor Real Fund closed trading of 33,134 units and gained 38 cents to end at $11. Sygnus Credit Investments closed trading of 59,223 units and gained 50 cents to end at record high of $16.50, Seprod lost 50 cents in trading 19,570 units to close at $49, Scotia Group declined 25 cents in trading of 2,028,890 units at $55.50 and Wisynco Group gained $2 to end at record closing high of $28, trading 642,312 shares after it traded at a record high of $29.88..
Kingston Wharves exchanged 5,961 shares but fell $1.50 to close at $68.50, Mayberry Investments ended trading with 28,839 shares, after declining 60 cents to close at $8, NCB Financial gained $4 to end at a record close of $220, while trading 4,752,835 shares. PanJam Investment jumped $5 in trading of 4,357 units to close at $100. Salada Foods dived $4 to end at $33, trading a mere 501 shares, Sagicor Group gained $1.69, to end at trading 37,347 shares $57.69, Sagicor XFund traded 1,436,659 shares but lost 38 cents in closing at $10.62, Seprod gained 95 cents to end at $49.50 with 32,107 stock units trading. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in trading of 49,279 units at $55.75 and Wisynco Group climbed $1.50 to settle at a record close of $26 with 334,450 shares changing hands.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange All Jamaican Composite Index closed on Tuesday above 550,000 points for the first time and gained 32 percent for 2019, in recording the 33rd record close for the year. 
Salada Foods gained $1 to end at $37, trading a mere 100 shares, Sagicor Group gained $1.50, to end at trading 505,581 shares $56, Seprod gained $1.55 to end at $48.55 with 10,673 stock units trading. Scotia Group lost 70 cents in trading of 13,881 units at $ 56.25, Sterling Investments closed 38 cents higher at $3.58, with 70,700 stock units trading, Sygnus Credit Investments jumped $1.40 to end at $15.90 trading 47,602 shares and Wisynco Group climbed $1.49 to settle at a record close of $24.50 with 203,282 shares changing hands.
NCB Financial fell $1 in exchanging 86,395 shares to close at $214, PanJam Investment rose $4 in trading 28,065 stock units at $99. Sagicor Group traded 12,978 shares after rising $1 in closing at $54.50, Scotia Group exchanged 8,603 shares with a gain of 93 cents to end at $56.95. Seprod rose $1 in trading 4,234,220 to close at $47, Sterling exchanged 78,341 with a fall of 38 cents to close at $3.20, Supreme Ventures lost 90 cents in trading 61,281 in closing at $27 Sygnus Credit Investments traded 38,090 shares and lost 50 cents in closing at $14.50 and Wisynco Group climbed $2.01 in trading 174,156 shares to end at record close of $23.01.
PanJam Investment rose 49 cents in trading 576,609 stock units at $95. Portland JSX lost 75 cents, trading 7,800 shares to close at $7.60, Sagicor Group traded 126,854 shares after rising $1.50 in closing at $53.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1 trading 22,921 stock units to end at $11, 
The average volume and value for the month to date is 1,201,668 shares amounting to $14,989,839 changing hands, compared to 1,247,788 shares valued at $15,618,666 for each security traded. June closed with an average of 1,608,485 units valued at $19,605,318 for each security traded.
Kingston Wharves traded 23,121 shares but fell $3.08 to $66.90, NCB Financial rose with a gain of $2 in exchanging 40,509 shares and ended trading at a an all-time closing high of $212, PanJam Investment lost 59 cents in trading 297,401 stock units at $94.51, Proven Investments dropped $4.98, trading 22,508 shares to close at $36.02. Sagicor Real Estate Fund dropped $1.80 trading 432,330 stock units to end at $10, Scotia Group exchanged 1,021,874 shares to add 35 cents and ended at $57.50, Seprod rose 90 cents to close at $46 while trading 12,835 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 50 cents to $15, in trading 31,183 units and Wisynco Group traded 350,290 shares to gain 45 cents and ended at $20.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with just 4.3 million shares for 40 percent of total main market volume, well down on the usually large volume, the stock traded at for most of the days since it listed in April. 1834 Investments followed with 1.7 million stock units for 16 percent of total volume and Supreme Ventures with 1.2 million shares for 11 percent of the day’s volume.
Jamaica Producers exchanged 105,258 stock units but lost 85 cents to close at $26.65, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost $1.50 in trading 81,966 units to end at $33, JMMB Group lost $1.50 to end at $52 with an exchange of 86,345 shares. PanJam Investment rose 59 cents in trading 164,175 stock units at $95.10, Proven Investments jumped $4.95, trading 23,895 shares to close at a record high of $41, Sagicor Group dropped $2.49 trading 137,078 stock units to end at $52. Seprod rose 90 cents to close at $46 while trading 12,835 shares and Supreme Ventures added $1.85 to close at $27.85 in trading with 1,209,059 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 62 cents to $14.50, in trading 10,000 units.
