Access Financial dominates JSE USD trading

Access Financial accounted for 67,861,430 shares at $1,676,177,320 at the close of the trading on the Junior Market as Proven Investments shift ownership within the group for nearly 68 million it owns as the trade dominated market activity on Wednesday but the market index slipped marginally as was the case of the Main Market slipped modestly but the JSE USD market popped slightly higher at the close on Wednesday.
Trading ended with the JSE Combined Market Index dipping by 1,154.39 points to 341,927.86. The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,088.91 points to 369,166.27, the JSE Main Index lost 1,159.46 points to end at 330,217.61, while the Junior Market slipped 8.01 points to close at 3,693.19 and the JSE USD Market Index rose 0.44 points to end at 210.34.   
In the preference section of the Main Market that is not reflected in the TOP10 graphs, JPS 7 percent dropped $14 to $84.
At the close, investors exchanged 85,549,341 shares in all three markets, compared with 13,602,402 units on Monday, with the value of trading on Wednesday amounting to just $1.73 billion, down sharply from $36.96 million on the previous trading day. Trading on the JSE USD market resulted in investors exchanging shares for US$35,767 down from 303,705 units at US$18,904 on Tuesday.
The market’s PE ratio ended at 18.4 on 2021-22 earnings and 12 times those for 2022-23 at the close of trading.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and put in on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The ICInsider.com PE Ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped on an industry basis, allowing easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts that also show the closing volume pertaining to the bids and offers for each company.
The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2021 and 2022 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items. The PE Ratio is the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks.

Junior Market rises JSE USD market plunged

The Junior Market recovered some of Monday’s loss and the Main Market slipped modestly but the JSE USD market dropped sharply at the close of Tuesday’s market activity after the volume and value of stocks trading on the market dropped sharply from that on Monday.
Trading ended with the JSE Combined Market Index dropping a mere 40.64 points to 343,082.25, the All Jamaican Composite Index declining 494.93 points to end at 371,255.18, the JSE Main Index dipping 390.22 points to settle at 331,377.07, while the Junior Market gained 34.69, to close at 3,701.20 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 19.77 points to end at 209.90.   
In the preference section of the Main Market that is not reflected in the TOP10 graphs, JPS 7 percent dropped $30.99 to $98 and PBS 9.75% jumped $16.05 to $107.
At the close, investors exchanged 13,602,402 shares in all three markets, compared with 30,620,034 units on Monday, with the value of trading on Monday amounting to just $36.96 million, down sharply from $137.2 million on the previous trading day. Trading on the JSE USD market resulted in investors exchanging 303,705 shares for US$18,904 down from 929,408 units at US$15,231 on Monday.
The market’s PE ratio ended at 18.5 on 2021-22 earnings and 12.1 times those for 2022-23 at the close of trading.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and put in on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The ICInsider.com PE Ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped on an industry basis, allowing easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts that also show the closing volume pertaining to the bids and offers for each company.
The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2021 and 2022 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items. The PE Ratio is the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks.

Trading surges on Jamaica Stock Exchange

Trading surged on Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with both volume and value jumping but sharply over that on Tuesday as the first quarter for the year, is only a few days away.
Movements in the preference section of the market that is not reflected in the TOP10 graphs, JPS 7 percent dropped $41.61 to $263.39 and JPS 9.5 percent jumped $98 to $2,998.
At the close, investors exchanged 71,333,661 shares in all three markets, compared with 25,677,581 units on Tuesday, with the value of trading on Wednesday amounting to $318.78 million, up sharply from $109.6 million on the previous trading day. Trading on the JSE USD market resulted in investors exchanging 1,034,991 shares for US$21,566 compared to 339,743 units at US$36,245 on Tuesday.
The JSE Combined Market Index rose 760.40 points to 337,774.41, the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 3,756.40 points to 368,992.59, the JSE Main Index advanced 976.04 points to 326,722.53, the Junior Market shed 15.98 points to close at 3,678.38 and the JSE USD Market Index rose 1.13 points to close at 192.61.   
The market’s PE ratio ended at 18.3 based on 2021-22 earnings and 12 times those for 2022-23 at the close of trading.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and put in on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The ICInsider.com PE Ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped on an industry basis, allowing easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts that also show the closing volume pertaining to the bids and offers for each company.
The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2021 and 2022 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items. The PE Ratio is the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks.

JPS slackness

Many Jamaicans have been paying their JPS bills through the MYJPS web portal for years, but the company does not have the decency to advise persons making payments by that method that they are making changes to the system. 
In August, the site was not operational for days, but JPS still charged persons using that system, late fee, although it was not the customers’ fault. In September, the site was operational, but now the site is gone. A call to JPS confirms that they have migrated to a new system; as such, the old information will have to be inputted allover. This is awful customer service.
This is not the approach that the company should take. Clearly, the customers are not important, if they were, they would have been informed and efforts would have been taken to migrate to information over to the new system.

Wigton pulls 11,772 new investors

Popular new stock issues have a way of electrifying stock markets and empower new stock market investors to increase their wealth.
It happen when National Commercial Bank went public in 1987 and again with the Wigton IPO.
“While the overall number of applications was 31,200, we are pleased to report that 11,772 or 38 percent are new investors to the market. This represents an increase in the number of account holders in the JCSD of 7.6 percent,” Marlene Street Forrest managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange stated in addressing the observers at the listing ceremony of Wigton Windfarm listing on Wednesday.
Street Forrest went on to say, over 64 percent of those who invested were under 50 years of age with approximately 50 percent under 40 years old.” According to Street Forrest, females comprised 56 percent of the applicants for shares compared to 44 percent males. “The average spend for new investors was approximately $124,000 with the offer oversubscribed by 158.8 percent.”

Wigton stock could double soon.

Wigton is the largest IPO the list on the JSE since the listing of NCB, Telecommunication of Jamaica in the latter part of 1980s. In recent times, it is ahead of Wisynco Group with 7,769 applicants. “We have made tremendous strides as Wigton with total applications of 31,200 and four times the size of that offer has taken 21 days from the close of the offer to listing today” Street Fporrest stated that,
Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, stated that he wanted not only for Jamaicans to own assets but to share in the profitability of the company and this was achieved with the Wigton issue. He noted also that shares the company own in Jamaica Public Service and Jamaica Mortgage Bank will be divested in the short to medium term.
The stock closed with the price rising by a maximum of 30 percent at 65 cents trading 8,351,000 but ended with the bid at 66 cents which will allow it to trade as high as 85 cents on Friday.

The Lab, coming to a broker near you

NCB Capital Markets is readying a number of new public share issues to come to market by the summer this year.
Numbered amongst them are, The Lab that styles itself as a fully integrated 100 percent Jamaican born and bred advertising agency with global reach and an island swagger. “We are a strategic, creative, passionate solutions oriented and no nonsense group with a heavy emphasis on getting stuff done.” Kimala Bennett is the company’s Managing Director. Clients include National Commercial Bank, JPS, Wendy’s, Dominos, Supreme Ventures, Wray and Nephew, Grace Kennedy, Caribbean Broiler and Digicel. Persons in the know say this is one of those IPOs to plan for, it unique and profitable. QWI Investments is another that NCB Capital Markets is readying to take to the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market by early summer.

Kimala Bennett, Managing Director of The Lab.

Another that will be coming to market is Sagicor Select Funds Limited an Exchange Traded Fund. According to a note in the Sagicor Group audited financial statements, “It is the intention of the company to apply to the Board of the Jamaica Stock Exchange for admission of the shares to trading on the main market if subscriptions of at least $5 billion are raised.”
The above will come on top of the current public offer of Wigton Windfarm that opens next week to raise $5.5 billion, earmarked to be paid over to the government after expenses associated with the offer.

Early Xmas present for Jamaicans

Imports of fuel fell in 2016

Consumers are set to get early Christmas present thanks to a sharply appreciating local dollars and a big drop in the price of oil.
The price of West Texas Crude oil is now down to 55.73 per barrel for the first time in almost a year. The price was at US$55.33 at the start of November last year and started to climb sharply after December to hit US$71 by mid-May this year and just over US$76.40 at the beginning of October before it started a steep decent to today’s level. The technical chart suggest that it could go lower still with excess supplies on the world market and slowing demand.
The cut in price has several implications for Jamaica that is a big importer of the product. It could mean savings in Foreign exchange around US$40 million per month at the current price. It will ease consumers cost as prices of petrol and electricity fall, but government will collect less taxes from petrol and GCT from JPS bills.
The fall also has implications for Bank of Jamaica with their inflation targeting, pitched extremely high originally at more than 4 percent and revised recently down to 3.5 percent on the low end for the fiscal year to March 2019. Those targets seem off as the fall in the price of oil coupled with the sharp revaluation of the local dollar is set to push the country through another round of deflation once more.

Main market pulls back on Wednesday

The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 2,335.17 points to close at 319,134.35 on Wednesday as the JSE Index declined by 2,127.60 points to close at 290,767.49 and the JSE US dollar Index rose 0.43 points to 185.70.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed with 22 securities changing hands, 10 advanced, 6 declined and 4 traded firm with 1 rising in the US dollar market. A total of 2,932,638 units valued at $60,248,652 traded compared to 7,565,517 units valued at $85,572,923 on Tuesday.
Trading ended with an average of 133,302 units for an average of $2,738,575 in contrast to 328,936 units for an average of $3,720,562 on Tuesday. In contrast, October closed with average of 1,185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the main and US dollar market shows 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
In the main activity, Berger Paints concluded trading with a loss of 2 cents at $16, with 6,952 shares, Cable & Wireless ended 3 cents higher at $1.10, with 518,300 units, Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of $4.59 to $31.51, with 22,377 units, Carreras concluded trading 10 cents higher at $11.50, with 108,200 stock units, Grace Kennedy ended trading $2 higher at $42, with 110,784 units, Jamaica Broilers traded at $18.60, with 32,449 shares, Jamaica Producers finished with a loss of 10 cents at $15.90, with 560 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a loss of 14 cents at $6.76, with 18,180 stock units, JMMB Group traded $1.95 higher to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $29.70, with 11,000 units, Mayberry Investments concluded trading at $4.30, with 4,000 shares, NCB Financial Group lost 99 cents and ended at $106.01, with 317,087 shares, 138 Student Living ended trading 10 cents higher at $5.50, with 1,400,000 stock units, PanJam Investment settled 40 cents higher at $42, with 173,919 stock units, Pulse Investments settled with a loss of 1 cent at $1.96, with 6,500 shares, Radio Jamaica settled at $1.15, with 21,330 units, Sagicor Group concluded trading 5 cents higher at $38.05, with 57,923 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading 6 cents higher at $14.20, with 6,544 shares, Scotia Group closed 1 cent higher at $50.51, with 4,000 units and Supreme Ventures finished at $11.80, with 42,564 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded at $1.85, with 67,869 units, JMMB Group ended at $1.15, with 2,000 stock units and in the US dollar market Productivity Business Solutions traded 598 units and rose 0.50 cent to 58 US cents.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

8 stocks rise 8 fall

The main market closed with 8 securities rising, 8 falling and 7 traded firm with 3,975,709 units valued at $69,965,883 compared to 10,920,273 units valued at $178,163,037 on Tuesday.
In the main activity, Berger Paints finished trading at $16, with 75,396 stock units, Cable & Wireless lost 8 cents at $1.01, with 213,894 shares trading, Caribbean Cement ended 41 cents higher at $29.01, with 11,923 units, Carreras concluded trading at $11.50, with 749,555 stock units, Grace Kennedy finished trading with a loss of 24 cents at $42.76, with 18,410 shares. Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $18, with 318,870 units changing hands, Jamaica Producers settled with a loss of 40 cents at $15.60, in exchanging 24,091 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 3 cents at $6.97, with 220 units, JMMB Group ended 60 cents higher at $27.60, with 157,825 stock units, Kingston Wharves settled $1.49 higher at $32.99, with 1,950 shares trading. Mayberry Investments concluded trading at $4.20, with 20,194 stock units, 1834 Investments finished at $1.40, with 2,079 units, PanJam Investment settled $1.50 higher at $41.50, with 285,310 units, Portland JSX ended trading at $9.15, with 2,000 shares, Pulse Investments concluded trading 1 cent higher at $1.61, with 47,439 units. Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.14, with 36,167 shares trading, Sagicor Group finished with a loss of $1.99 at $38, with 33,719 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading 35 cents higher at $14.50, with 1,209 units, Scotia Group finished trading $1 higher at $52, with 478,019 shares, Seprod finished trading with a loss of $1.25 at $28.75 as 626 stock units traded. Supreme Ventures rose 1 cent and concluded trading at $11.99, with 366,286 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% settled at $1.11, with 1,087,990 units In the US dollar market segment, Proven Investments closed with 11,330 units trading at 23.5 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

13 stock prices rose on Tuesday

The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange continues its bullish mood as trading closed with the 8 consecutive record on Tuesday, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 1,582.36 points to a record 316,696.32 and the JSE Index advancing 1,441.71 points to a record 288,546.16.
In the main activity, NCB Financial climbed back by $4 to close at $107 with 72,595 trading and Productivity Business traded 400 preference shares for a gain of $5 to close at a record high $105.
Berger Paints jumped 97 cents to close at $16, with 263,833 shares, this compares with the price of $10.88 that company’s majority shareholder offered, to buy out the minority shares and the company’s directors recommended as a fair value. Cable & Wireless traded 2 cents higher at $1.09, with 124,962 units, Caribbean Cement ended 50 cents higher at $28.60, with 82,419 shares, Carreras concluded trading 1 cent higher at $11.50, with 505,010 shares, Grace Kennedy settled 20 cents higher at $43, with 3,036 stock units, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 49 cents at $18, after trading 13,309 units, Jamaica Producers finished at $16, with 5,905 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 30 cents higher at $7, with 12,934 shares, JMMB Group closed with a loss of 50 cents at $27, trading 264,989 units, Kingston Wharves ended at $31.50, with 8,255 shares, Mayberry Investments closed with a loss of 40 cents at $4.20, with 73,720 stock units trading, 138 Student Living ended trading 9,581 shares at $5.40. PanJam Investment settled with a loss of $1.99 at $40, exchanging 925 units, Portland JSX gained 15 cents to end at $9.15, with 1,800 stock units, Pulse Investments concluded trading with a loss of 40 cents at $1.60, with 2,750 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica settled at $1.15, with 50,837 stock units, Sagicor Group jumped 99 cents higher to $39.99, with 18,676 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund settled 15 cents higher at $14.15, with 580,923 stock units, Scotia Group closed 50 cents higher at $51, with 2,453,400 units trading, Seprod closed at $30, with 38,390 shares and Supreme Ventures finished 9 cents higher at $11.99, with 763,256 stock units. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group finished trading with a loss of 1 cent at $1.10, with 5,568,368 units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.