JSE USD market now below 2020 close

Transjamaican Highway drags JSE USD market down.

The volume of stocks trading on Thursday after investors exchanged 373 percent more shares valued 22 percent less than on Wednesday and ending more slippage in the index stocks ending unchanged on the USD market.
Trading ended with four securities changing hands, the same number as on Wednesday, and with the prices of one stock declining, none rising and three remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equity Index fell 4.23 points to end at 184.31, with the market now more than one percent lower than the December close after Transjamaican Highway sank to the lowest point in twelve months. The PE Ratio, a measure that computes an appropriate value of a stock, averaged 11.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Overall, 1,203,958 shares traded for US$22,523 compared to 254,770 units at US$28,741 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 300,990 units at US$5,631, compared to 63,693 shares at US$7,185 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 118,832 units at US$10,317 in contrast to 104,820 units at US$10,677 on Wednesday. June ended with an average of 87,444 units for US$6,162.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with a higher bid than their last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, First Rock Capital settled at 8 US cents with investors switching ownership of 11,506 shares, Proven Investments remained at 24 US cents with a transfer of 29,711 units and Transjamaican Highway dropped 0.11 of a cent to end at a 52 weeks’ low of 0.70 US cents, with 1,159,741 stocks crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 5.75% closed at US$2.10 with 3,000 units changing hands.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Junior Market rallies to 19 months high

The Junior Market jumped 45.32 points on Thursday to close at 3,421.90, the highest close since December 6, 2019 and is now within a 7 percent reach of the all-time high in 2019. The volume of stocks traded fell 76 percent from Wednesday’s level, with a value that is 61 percent less.
A total of 34 securities traded on Thursday, compared to 35 on Wednesday and ended, with 15 stocks rising, 11 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing an appropriate value for a stock averages  13.2 using ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
at the close, 3,577,660 shares traded for $10,453,518 versus 14,960,503 units at $26,802,592 on Wednesday.
Lumber Depot led trading with 38 percent of total volume after an exchange of 1.36 million shares, followed by Future Energy Source 27.1 percent, with 970,553 units and Mailpac Group 13.5 percent, with an exchange of 482,660 units.
Trading averaged 105,225 units at $307,456 in contrast to 427,443 at $765,788 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averages 169,018 units at  strong>$461,407, compared to 175,027 units at $475,907 on Wednesday. June closed with an average of 225,705 units at $644,459.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers. Following the close of trading Caribbean Cream released first quarter results with revenues up a solid 28 percent and profit doubling to 14 cents per share and AMG Packaging posted nine months results, with flat revenues for the latest quarter after the year to date recorded lower income but a strong 26 percent increase in profit to $21 million for the May quarter that pushed year to date results to $42 million over $38 million in 2020.
At the close, Blue Power declined by 7 cents to $3.53 with an exchange of 219 shares, Everything Fresh rose 5 cents to $1.05 with 1,143 units changing hands, Express Catering fell 19 cents to $6.05 with a transfer of 400 stocks. Fosrich slipped 5 cents to $8.20 with 18,344 shares passing through the market, Future Energy Source dropped 9 cents to $1.56 with an exchange of 970,553 units, Indies Pharma added 10 cents to close at $3.56 with 30,491 stocks changing hands. KLE Group popped 20 cents to $1.30 with a transfer of 31,569 shares, Knutsford Express climbed 30 cents to $8 with 3,300 units traded, Lasco Distributors rose 15 cents to $4.05 with investors switching ownership of 170 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing slipped 5 cents to $5.35 with an exchange of 7,146 shares, Lumber Depot gained 14 cents to finish at $3.50 with 1,360,707 units changing hands after the company released full year’s results with a big rise in profit. Main Event spiked 57 cents to $5.40 with a transfer of 4,266 stocks, Paramount Trading rose 9 cents to $1.25 with 2,500 shares passing through the market and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 30 cents to $7.60 with 3,569 shares changing hands.

 Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Lumber Depot profit bolted higher

Lumber Depot profit surges

Profits at Lumber Depot bolted 555 percent from $22 million for the nine months in 2020 to $145 million for the year ended April 2021, as it grew revenues 14.7 percent to $1.43 billion from $921 million in 2020 nine months period.
The company operates a hardware store in Papine, St Andrew, for more than two decades and generated revenues that rose 7 percent in the April quarter over the January 2021 quarter to $377 million from $353 million and 21 percent over the April 2020 quarter of $311 million. Gross profit margin for the full year was 21 percent, an improvement on the 18 percent for the 2020 nine months period. Administrative costs rose 42 percent to $154 million from $108 million in the nine months to March 2020, but it would be up by 7 percent if the comparative periods were the same number of months.
Cash inflows for the year pulled in $157 million, but after working capital adjustments the amount climbed to $186 million and ended the year with a net gain of $114 million after dividend payment of $14 million and loan repaymentof $33 million. The company has cash funds of $143 million and investments of $117 million at the end of April, with the latter shown as a noncurrent asset.
Current assets stood at $317 million and current liabilities at $139 million, resulting in net current assets of $178 million. Shareholders’ equity grew 68 percent to $523 million and pushed cash and investments to $360 million from $129 million in 2020.
The company reports earnings per share of 21 cents, up from just 3 cents in 2020.
The stock traded 580,827 units up to $3.65 in early trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, but the price dropped back to close at $3.50  at a PE of 16.7 times 2021 earnings and 13 times ICInsider.com’s projection of 27 cents for 2022.

Major stocks struggled on Wednesday

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Stocks trading struggled to keep ahead of the opening levels on Wednesday and ended with 47 securities trading a decline from 49 on Tuesday after 16 stocks rose, 22 declined and nine remained unchanged, leaving the market with a modest rise, with the volume traded up 35 percent but with values down 43 percent compared to Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,181.64 points to 460,450.18, the JSE Main Index rose 759.06 points to end at 422,022.33 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.05 points to end at 103.91.
Trading ended with. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 16.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 7,526,686 shares trading for $52,205,562 versus 5,572,104 units at $90,965,287 on Tuesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 37.4 percent of total volume for 2.81 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway 14.7 percent for 1.11 million units and JMMB Group 7.50%, 12.6 percent, with 950,263 units.
Trading averaged 160,142 units at $1,110,757, compared to 113,716 shares at $1,856,434 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 343,472 units at $30,518,104, in contrast to 362,662 units at $33,596,379 on Tuesday. June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments rallied $1.18 to $84 with a transfer of 6,045 shares, Caribbean Cement popped 85 cents to $92 in trading 132,354 stock units, Caribbean Producers gained 21 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $5.19 with 259,401 shares changing hands, after hitting a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $6. Carreras lost 23 cents to close at $9.07 with an exchange of 402,107 stocks, Eppley shed 27 cents to settle at $43.63 in switching ownership of 2 units. First Rock Capital declined $1 to $14.50 with the swapping of 30,573 stocks, Grace Kennedy rose 73 cents to $99.01 after 16,832 shares crossed the exchange. Guardian Holdings jumped $24 to $674 in trading 382 units, Jamaica Broilers popped 33 cents to $36.33 with 44,887 stock units changing hands, Jamaica Producers rose 70 cents to $22.90 with 4,060 shares crossing the market. JMMB Group rallied 50 cents to end at $38.50 after an exchange of 169,493 stock units, Kingston Properties popped $2.24 to $10.25 in trading 97 units. Kingston Wharves rallied $2 to end at $50 after 10,960 stocks crossed the market, Mayberry Investments lost 36 cents to finish at $6.15 in switching ownership of 1,300 stock units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dived $17.35 to $117.20 with the swapping of 360 units. NCB Financial rose $1 to $140 in an exchange of 29,883 stock units, Palace Amusement dropped $60 to $1,190 in transferring 133 stocks, PanJam Investment rose $1.49 to $67.50 in exchanging 3,355 shares. Sagicor Group fell $2 to $53 in clearing the market of 118,645 stock units. Salada Foods shed 55 cents to close at $8.20 in an exchange of 46,065 stocks and Seprod fell $1.31 to $69.69 after trading 13,042 shares.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

FESCO IPO price doubles

Trading dominance belonged to Future Energy Source on Wednesday after accounting for 84.5 percent of the total market volume after an exchange of 12.64 million shares, with the price closing at a record closing high of $1.65 after 15 cents to be up 106 percent since listing in April this year, but after hitting an intraday record of $1.87 on the Junior Market.
Trading closed with the index falling 19.75 points to 3,376.58 as investors exchanged 352 percent more shares than on Tuesday at 161 percent greater value after 35 securities traded, compared to 37 on Tuesday and ending with 12 rising, 16 declining and seven closing unchanged.
At the close, the PE Ratio, one measure used to compute an appropriate value, for a stock averages 13.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 14,960,503 shares changing hands for $26,802,592, up from 3,308,374 units at $10,279,533 on Tuesday. Lumber Depot accounted for 4.5 percent of the day’s traded volume, with 679,182 units and Jamaican Teas chipped in with 2.2 percent market share with an exchange of 331,837 units.
Trading averaged 427,443 units at $765,788 in contrast to 89,416 at $277,825 on Tuesday. Month to date trades averaged 175,027 units at $475,907, compared to 147,927 units at $444,785 on Tuesday. June closed with an average of 225,705 units at $644,459.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial spiked $2.23 to $22.87 with 890 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging slipped 5 cents to $1.52, trading 46,000 stock units, Blue Power rose 7 cents to $3.60 in switching ownership of 50,766 units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 20 cents to close at $1.98 with an exchange of 750 stocks, Caribbean Cream advanced 20 cents to $5.70 with a transfer of 434 shares, Everything Fresh fell 6 cents to $1 with 61,313 stock units changing hands. Express Catering rallied 24 cents to $6.24 with 52,479 units traded, Fosrich spiked 65 cents to $8.25 with 2,180 stocks passing through the market. GWest Corporation dropped 13 cents to $1.05 with a transfer of 150 stock units, Honey Bun rallied 23 cents to $6.76 with 1,800 stocks changing hands, Indies Pharma shed 44 cents to $3.46, with 69,587 units traded. KLE Group fell 20 cents to $1.10 in switching ownership of 28,301 shares, Knutsford Express jumped 55 cents to $7.70 with an exchange of 11,632 stock units, Lasco Distributors dropped 19 cents to $3.90, with a transfer of 7,352 units. Lasco Manufacturing popped 5 cents to $5.40 with 99,156 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards slipped 5 cents to $3.16, with 26,896 shares traded, Mailpac Group added 5 cents to finish at $3.88 with an exchange of 302,756 stock units. Main Event dipped 60 cents to $4.83 with 2,000 units through the market, Paramount Trading fell 21 cents to $1.16 with a transfer of 74,993 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies slipped 10 cents to $7.90, with 26,930 stock units changing hands and Tropical Battery dipped 5 cents to $1.38 with 154,925 shares crossing the exchange.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Slippage for JSE USD Market – Wednesday

Trading on the JSE USD market closed Wednesday with the index slipping 081 points to close at 188.54, declining after an exchange of 55 percent fewer shares with 78 percent less the value than on Tuesday, resulting in more stocks ending unchanged than those with changes.
Trading ended with four securities changing hands, compared to six on Tuesday, with the prices of one stock declining, none rising and three remaining unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure that computes an appropriate stock value, averaged 12.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
At the close of trading, 254,770 shares changed hands for US$28,741, down from 566,829 units at US$130,805 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 63,693 units at US$7,185 compared to 94,472 shares at US$21,801 on Tuesday. Month to date trading averages 104,820 units at US$10,677 in contrast to 108,247 units at US$10,968 on Tuesday. June ended with an average of 87,444 units for US$6,162.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close, First Rock Capital settled at 8 US cents with an exchange of 5,175 shares, Proven Investments ended at 24 US cents after trading 110,221 units, Sygnus Credit Investments fell 0.45 of a cent to 14 US cents with the transfer of 5,827 stock units and Transjamaican Highway closed at 0.81 US cents with 133,547 shares crossing the exchange.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Stocks in retreat on Tuesday

Trading returned to more normal levels following Monday when 95 million shares of NCB Financial crossed the exchange following what the company states flowed from a director and a Senior Officer have surrendered the shares in the group under a new compensation arrangement.
Elsewhere, activity continued on Tuesday with the market declining with an exchange of 94 percent fewer shares valued 99 percent less than on Monday at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The main indices wiped out gains made over the past three trading days at the close, with the All Jamaican Composite Index plunging 8,432.60 points to 459,268.54, the JSE Main Index dived 7,836.94 points to end at 421,263.27 and the JSE Financial Index shed 2.12 points to 103.86.
Trading ended with 49 securities, as was the case on Monday, with 18 stocks rising, 19 declining and 12 remaining unchanged. The market commenced trading in Caribbean Producers shares previously listed on the Junior Market and investors exchanged 275,415 units at the close after a slow start to trading in the stock, well above the 58,282 traded on Monday 34,319 shares exchanged on Friday.
The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 5,572,104 shares trading for $90,965,287 versus 102,643,964 units at $13,868,036,024 on Monday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 35.7 percent of total volume for an exchange of 1.99 million shares, Sagicor Select Financial Fund 13.3 percent with 738,402 units and Grace Kennedy 9.2 percent with 513,821 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 113,716 units at $1,856,434, compared to 2,094,775 shares at $283,021,143 on Monday. Trading month to date averaged 362,662 units at $33,596,379, in contrast to 393,158 units at $37,484,522 on Monday. June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell $2.18 to $82.82 in exchanging 766 shares, Berger Paints shed 96 cents to close at $13.89 with an exchange of 28,360 shares, Eppley spiked $4.40 to $43.90 in trading 3,991 stock units. First Rock Capital rallied $2 to $15.50 with the swapping of 5,093 units, GraceKennedy dropped $4.92 to $98.28 in transferring 513,821 shares, Guardian Holdings plunged $35 to $650 in switching ownership of 3,966 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange popped 42 cents to $17.67 with 23,050 shares crossing the market, Kingston Properties lost 39 cents to close at $8.01 with 99,707 shares changing hands, Kingston Wharves gained 50 cents in closing at $48 trading 10,313 stocks. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy shed $12.45 to settle at $134.55, with 84 units clearing the market, Palace Amusement rallied $60 to $1,250 with 7 stocks changing hands, Pan Jam Investment shed $1.49 to $66.01, with 11,233 stock units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments rose 45 cents to $34.60 in switching ownership of 4,506 stocks, Sagicor Group fell $2.94 to $55 in exchanging 23,431 stock units, Seprod fell $1 to $71 in transferring 14,512 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 20 cents to $14.80 in trading 33,382 shares and Wisynco Group spiked 40 cents to $15.90 with the swapping of 17,180 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.25% rose 92 cents to $6.98 in trading 5,007 stock units.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Stocks climbed higher on Tuesday

Stocks ended with a bounce on Tuesday, with the market. Index spiked 32.96 points higher to settle at 3,396.33 after hitting a high of 3,405.06 points in early trading and closed, with the volume of stocks traded falling 39 percent and the value down 27 percent compared to Monday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
A total of 37 securities traded up from 36 on Monday and ended with 17 rising, 13 declining and seven closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute an appropriate value of a stock, averages 13.1 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 3,308,374 shares changing hands for $10,279,533 compared to 5,457,462 units at $14,101,487 on Monday.
Future Energy Source led trading with 22 percent of total volume after trading 728,575 shares followed by Lumber Depot 14.4 percent, with 475,642 units and Jamaican Teas 10.7 percent after an exchange of 355,026 units.
Trading averaged 89,416 units at $277,825, in contrast to 151,596 at $391,708 on Monday. Month to date trades average 147,927 units at $444,785, compared to 155,418 units at $466,160 on Monday. June closed with an average of 225,705 units at $644,459.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging shed 11 cents to close at $1.57 in exchanging 7,966 shares, Blue Power fell 7 cents to $3.53 after trading 35,000 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 13 cents to $1.78 with 4,259 units crossing the market. Caribbean Cream shed 20 cents to end at $5.50 in an exchange of 16,175 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries rallied 21 cents to a 52 weeks’ close of $1.89 with a transfer of 900 units, Elite Diagnostic advanced 48 cents to $3.58 with 107,088 shares crossing the exchange. Everything Fresh picked up 6 cents to close at $1.06 with 5,906 stocks changing hands, Express Catering lost 5 cents to finish at $6 in transferring 30,510 stock units, Fontana fell 6 cents to $6 after exchanging 113,332 shares. Fosrich dropped 67 cents to $7.60 with the swapping of 58,741 units, Future Energy Source popped 6 cents to close at a record closing high of $1.50 in switching ownership of 728,575 stocks, Honey Bun shed 24 cents in closing at $6.53 and exchanging 40,633 stock units, Indies Pharma climbed 40 cents to $3.90 in trading 62,826 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance spiked 81 cents to $4.20 in trading 58,957 shares, Jetcon Corporation lost 5 cents in closing at $1.35 with 7,155 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express rallied 7 cents to $7.15 after an exchange of 5,613 stocks, Lasco Distributors rose 21 cents to $4.09 with 6,182 stock units changing hands. Lasco Financial gained 17 cents to end at $3.32 in switching ownership of 6,510 shares, Lasco Manufacturing picked up 9 cents in closing at $5.35 with a transfer of 6,025 stock units, Mailpac Group fell 11 cents to $3.83 with the swapping of 347,242 shares, Medical Disposables dipped 15 cents to $5 with an exchange of 40,174 units. Paramount Trading rallied 21 cents to settle at $1.37 in exchanging 687 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies popped 25 cents to $8 in trading 29,956 shares.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Stocks back above water

Trading ended with the market rising after trading 36 percent more shares with a value that was 1,820 percent higher on Tuesday, than on Monday, at the close of the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as the market closed back above the 2020 closing index.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared to five on Monday with prices of one stock rising, one declining and four remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equity Index popped 4.34 points to end at 189.35. The PE Ratio, a measure that computes an appropriate value of a stock, averages 12.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Overall, 566,829 shares traded for US$130,805, up from 417,802 units at US$6,812 on Monday.
Trading averaged 94,472 units at US$21,801, compared to 83,560 shares at US$1,362 on Monday. Trading averaged 108,247 units, month to date at US$10,968 in contrast to 110,215 units at US$9,421 on Monday. June ended with an average of 87,444 units for US$6,162.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close, First Rock Capital closed at 8 US cents while trading 925 shares, Margaritaville closed at 9.2 US cents after exchanging 30,890 units, Productive Business Solutions dipped 0.01 of a cent to end at 80 US cents in switching ownership of 54 stocks. Proven Investments remained at 24 US cents, with 530,672 units crossing the market and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.11 of a cent to end at 0.81 US cents with the swapping of 3,802 stock units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 6% settled at US$1.0995 in trading 486 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Caribbean Producers shifts to Main Market

Caribbean Producers is set to shifts to Jamaica Stock Exchange Main market at the start of trading on Tuesday, having completed ten years on the Junior Market.

Caribbean Producers traded 52 weeks’ high on Monday.

The switch now reflects no bids and offers for the stock that lasts, traded at $4.95 on Monday, with the highest bid being $4.86 to purchase 10,764 shares and the lowest offer at $4.94 to sell 142,428 shares. The stock traded 58,282 units on Monday at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.05.
The shift to the main market could open up new buying opportunities for the stock as some investors see stocks listed on the main market as better investment options for them than Junior Market stocks.
CPJ, a major supplier to the hotel trade, is benefiting currently from a strong rebound in tourist traffic into the country, with 39 percent more passenger arrivals coming into the country in June compared to May this year on top of a 44 percent spike in passenger arrivals through the airport for the second city of the country May over April.
The indication is that visitor arrivals should hit 105,000 in May, up from 82,702 in April. June arrivals through the airport topped 142,000 for the first time since the industry opened up for foreign visitors in June last year. June this year ended with 142,727 arrivals for the month, amounting to 61 percent of the June 2019 numbers of 239,000.
The stock is up 78 percent for the year from $2.80 to $4.98. CPJ is the third Junior Market to move to the Main Market and follows Eppley and Key Insurance.