Profit doubles at Palace

Palace Multiplex in Montego Bay.

Movie house, Palace Amusement doubled profit after tax for the year to June 2017 from an 11 percent rise in revenues for the year and profits could well double again in the 2018 fiscal year, IC Insider.com’s forecast shows.
After accounting for $9 million in taxation, the company ended with nearly $33 million in profit or $22.97 per share. The operation generated $72 million in cash for the year, an improvement from $48 million in 2016.
Revenues from box office, rose by 7.5 percent at the Carib cinema, 8.3 percent at Cineplex and 10 percent at Montego Bay Multiplex. Overall revenues from box office, confectionaries sales, screen advertising and others rose a strong 14.5 percent at Carib, 9 percent in Montego Bay and 7.2 percent at Cineplex, all ahead of inflation of 4.4 percent for the period. Based on the trend in revenue growth, fiscal year 2018 should see $100 million increase and profit per share rising to $50, assuming good quality box office offerings during the period. Pickup in economic activity is great for the company, as its patrons will have more disposable income from increased employment and the recent reduction of taxation on their income and relatively low inflation.
Depreciation remained relatively steady at $33 million while administrative cost grew a mere $3 million to $171 million.
At end of June, Palace had cash funds of $141 million and quoted equity of $16 million, up from $100 million and $15 million respectively in 2016. Only $29 million is in borrowed funds while working capital stood at $122 million, a great improvement over the $76 million at June 2016.
The stock is listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and last traded at $550, earlier this year and now boast a price earnings ratio based on the above forecast of 11.

Junior market suffers big fall – Friday

Starbucks one of the brands Express Catering will sell at the Montego Bay Airport.

The Junior Market Index suffered a big fall of 52.63 points on Friday to close at 2,906.77 and down 192.13 points or 6 percent for September due mainly to a fall of 42 cent in the price of Express Catering.
Trading ended on Friday with 21 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 1,889,929 units valued at $9,948,506 compared to 538,080 units valued at $2,509,546 on Thursday.
At the close of market activities, at of 8 securities advanced with the last price, 6 declined and 7 remained with prices unchanged.
Trading ended with an average of 89,997 units for an average of $473,738 in contrast to 29,893 units for an average of $139,419 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 116,176 units valued at $538,652 compared to $117,485 valued at $541,898 previously. In contrast, August closed with average of 234,437 units valued at $1,295,260 for each security traded.
Trading ended with the market sentiments looking positive for Monday trading activity as 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with lower offers.
At the close of the market the volume of stocks units changing hands and their last traded price are: Access Financial trading at $42, with 3,068 shares, AMG Packaging falling 30 cents to $3.20, with 69,088 units. Elsewhere, CAC 2000 finished at $7, with 96,192 stocks units, Caribbean Cream ended trading 10 cents higher at $6, with 49,816 shares, Caribbean Flavours ended 40 cents higher at $12, with 20,800 shares, Caribbean Producers gained 15 cents to $3.75, with 70,025 units, Dolphin Cove traded 49 cents higher at $17.49, with 5,144 stocks units, Eppley 10% preference share ended with a loss of 5 cents at $6.55, trading 396,000 units. Express Catering closed with a loss of 42 cents at $4, with 15,440 stock units, General Accident traded 14 cents higher at $2.74, with 76,990 shares, Jamaican Teas finished with a loss of 10 cents at $3.90, with 14,003 stocks units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4.50, with 176,657 units, Key Insurance concluded trading at $4.25, with 36,935 stocks shares, Knutsford Express rose 9 cents to $14.89, with 300 shares, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 8 cents at $6.30, with 237,602 units, Lasco Financial traded 2 cents higher at $4.02, with 58,760 stocks units. Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading at $3.80, with 216,256 shares, Main Event closed 25 cents higher at $5.25, with 22,653 units, Paramount Trading ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2.70, exchanging 1,000 shares, Stationery and Office finished at $4.80, with 323,000 stocks units and tTech finished with a loss of 50 cents at $7.05, with 200 stocks changing hands.
The bid and offer volumes for some securities have not been updated and are reported as they were at the close on Thursday, these are mostly Main Event except Medical Disposables down to Eppley preference shares.

JSE stocks up 37% for 2017

The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange made strong gains in the indices at the close of the week and for September, leading to gains of 37 percent for the year to date.
Trading on Friday was dominated by Berger Paints, jumping $3.57 to $15 at the close and Scotia Group rising $2.89 to end at $48, while Jamaica Producers traded 1.57 million units to be the leading trade.
Market activity ended with 21 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 8 declined and 2 traded firm at the last prices of the day, while 1 traded in the US dollar market.
In the main activity, Berger Paints closed $3.57 higher at $15, with 27,167 units, Cable & Wireless ended 9 cents higher at $1.10, with 558,054 stock units, Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of $1.20 at $27.30, with 126,250 stock units, Carreras closed with a loss of 35 cents at $12.15, with 376,643 shares, Grace Kennedy ended 40 cents higher at $43, with 88,357 units, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading 60 cents higher at $18.60, with 64,504 units, Jamaica Producers ended 40 cents higher at $15.50, with 1,574,959 stock units changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a rise of 50 cents at $7.50, with 115,657 shares, JMMB Group traded with a loss of 11 cents at $22.25, with 495,589 stock units trading, Kingston Properties gained 40 cents to $7.40, with 5,000 units, Kingston Wharves concluded trading with a loss of 1 cent at $32, with 19,250 stock units, Mayberry Investments settled 70 cents higher at $4.80, with 204,020 shares, NCB Financial Group had 542,955 shares changing hands after rising $1.20 to end at $88. 138 Student Living settled 5 cents higher at $4.80, with 200 stock units, PanJam Investment finished at $41, with 34,989 shares, Portland JSX traded 5 cents higher at $9.30, with 6,385 shares, Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.11, with 421,563 stock units. Sagicor Group ended 48 cents higher at $34.53, with 233,535 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed with a loss of 30 cents at $13.50, with 43,815 units, Salada Foods concluded trading at $8.50, with 7,400 shares, Scotia Group jumped $2.89 to $48, with 46,200 stock units, Seprod settled with a loss of $1 at $30, with 3,000 stock units and Supreme Ventures closed with a loss of 30 cents at $10.51, with 9,900 shares trading.
There was no trading in the main market preference segment, on Friday.
In the US dollar market, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 23.99 US cents, while exchanging 30,490 units.

JSE stocks jump again

Scotia Group climbed $2.89 on Friday to help push market indices.

Prices at the close of Friday on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange surged higher leading to big gains in the market indices as 23 securities changed hands with 13 rising, 8 declined and 2 traded firm.
Berger Paints jumped $3.57 to $15 at the close and Scotia Group moved up by $2.89 to end at $48, while Jamaica Producers traded 1.57 million units to be the leading trade.
Main market activity led to 5,005,392 units valued at $111,349,381 trading compared to 11,263,035 units valued at $348,817,467 on Thursday. In the US dollar market trading accounted 30,490 units valued at US$7,315 from just one security, bringing the total trades in both markets to $112,292,958.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index surged 3,477.64 points to 288,360.63.The JSE Index jumped 3,168.52 points to 262,729.14. The JSE US dollar Equities Index eked out a 0.05 points rise to close at 184.96.
Trading ended with an average of 217,626 units for an average of $4,841,277 in contrast to 536,335 units for an average of $16,610,356 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 283,480 units valued at $3,630,990 and previously 286,773 units for an average of $3,573,357. In contrast, August closed with average of 536,395 units at $1,905,441 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows a very strong 14 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, up from 10 on Thursday and 4 with lower offers, the same as Thursday.

Big jump for JSE on Thursday

C&W traded over 2 million shares on Thursday.

The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange was dominated by Grace and Cable & Wireless with largest volumes traded on Thursday and by big gains in the indices.
Market activity ended with 21 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 4 declined and 2 traded firm at the last prices of the day, while 3 traded in the US dollar market and 1 traded in the bond market.
In the main activity, Berger Paints concluded trading, 3 cents higher at $11.43, with 218,203 shares changing hands, Cable & Wireless finished with a loss of 4 cents at $1.01, with 2,029,588 stock units trading, Caribbean Cement ended $1 higher at $28.50, with 120,165 shares, Carreras finished 50 cents higher at $12.50, with 663,846 stock units, Grace Kennedy added 10 cents at $42.60, with 5,877,213 units valued $249 million. Jamaica Broilers gained 70 cents to end at $18, with 120,816 stock units, Jamaica Producers rose 10 cents higher to $15.10, with 189,307 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 55 cents higher at $7, with 40,135 shares, JMMB Group ended with a loss of 53 cents at $22.36, with 8,567 stock units, Kingston Wharves jumped $2.01 trading at $33, with 2,600 units, 1834 Investments ended trading at $1.40, with 9,167 stock units, PanJam Investment traded $5.09 higher at $41, with 38,430 shares, Radio Jamaica ended at $1.12, with 319,721 stock units, Sagicor Group ended with a loss of 20 cents at $34.05, trading 35,641 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading $1.75 higher at $13.80, with 57,493 shares, Salada Foods traded 50 cents higher at $8.50, with 10,250 units. Scotia Group rose 10 cents to $45.11, with 1,117,306 shares, Seprod closed $1 higher at $31, with 23,889 shares and Supreme Ventures ended trading with a loss of 29 cents at $10.81, with 7,384 units.
In the main market preference segment, Proven preference share finished at $.2, with 111,300 units trading.
In the US dollar market, Productive Business Solution US ordinary share lost 7.5 US cents and closed at 57.5 US cents while trading 325,433 units, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 23.99 US cents, exchanging 228,420 units while Money Market Brokers US dollar 6% preference share lost 2 US cents to end at US$1.10 trading 41,300 units.

Grace, C&W in big trades

Grace Kennedy had the largest trade – 5.9 m units on Thursday.

Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday was dominated by Grace Kennedy with just under 5.9 million units valued $249 million and Cable & Wireless with 2 million shares.
The market closed with 21 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 4 declined and 2 traded firm and 3 trading in the US dollar market. Trading in the main market ended with 11,263,035 units valued at $348,817,467 compared to 4,718,872 units valued at 99,127,989 on Wednesday, while in the US dollar market 595,153 units changed hands carrying a value of US$287,330. Overall trading in both markets came to J$386,170,423, in addition, the NCB Financial 6 percent bond traded 27 million units for a value of $3,542,985,900.
Trading ended with an average of 536,335 units for an average of $16,610,356 in contrast to 188,755 units for an average of $3,965,120 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 286,773 units valued at $3,573,357 and previously 273,638 units valued at an average of $2,921,507. In contrast, August closed with average of 536,395 units at $1,905,441 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Friday is the last trading day of the month when fund managers usually push the prices of selected stocks to influence the performance of their funds, as such investors should be on the lookout for such action.

Junior stocks falter again

Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange traded on Thursday with 18 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of just 538,080 units valued at $2,509,546 compared to 2,043,273 units valued at $10,429,058 on Wednesday.
At the close of market activities, the prices of 4 securities advanced, 7 declined and 7 remained with prices unchanged leading to the Junior Market Index declining by 22.92 points to close at 2,959.40.
Trading ended with an average of 29,893 units for an average of $139,419 in contrast to 97,299 units for an average of $496,622 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 117,485 units valued at $ $541,898 and 122,095 units at an average of $563,081, previously. In contrast, August closed with average of 234,437 units valued at $1,295,260 for each security traded.
Trading ended with the market sentiments looking mixed for Friday’s trading as 4 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the close of the market the volume of stocks units changing hands and their last traded price are: Caribbean Cream finishing with a loss of 20 cents at $5.90, with 24,714 stock units, Caribbean Producers trading with a loss of 15 cents at $3.60, with 104,000 shares, Dolphin Cove ended at $17, with 1,000 units changing hands. Elsewhere, Express Catering ended with a loss of 8 cents at $4.42, with 69,009 stock units, General Accident traded at $2.60, with 5,607 shares, Honey Bun finished 10 cents higher at $4.30, with 5,723 units, Jamaican Teas finished 22 cents higher at $4, with 48,600 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended trading at $4.50, with 2,500 shares. Key Insurance settled at $4.25, with 200 stock units, Knutsford Express settled with a loss of 9 cents at $14.80, with 10,859 units, Lasco Distributors ended trading 8 cents higher at $6.38, with 52,465 shares trading, Lasco Financial traded with a loss of 6 cents at $4, with 86,227 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 20 cents to $3.80, with 43,243 shares, Main Event settled at $5, with 33,302 units, Medical Disposables traded at $5.30, with 2,000 shares, Paramount Trading finished 1 cent higher at $2.71, with 200 stock units changing hands, Stationery and Office closed at $4.80, with 48,070 units and tTech ended with a loss of 4 cents at $7.55, with a mere 361 shares.

TOP 10 – SOS & Barita back in

The recently listed Stationery and Office Supplies is back in the Junior Market Top 10 stocks along with CAC 2000 with the price falling to $6.50 while Barita Investments with a fall in price to $8 is back in the Main market list.
Barita Investments has come in for increased selling and limited buying as investors await details of offer from Cornerstone for the majority of the company’ shares.
Investors should keep an eye on Berger Paints this week, as investors could push this one higher as they sense the continuation of listing for the stock and a bounce when offer by Ansa Coatings closes early in October. JMMB Group is itching to rise with limited supply and guarded buying.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.7 and the PE for the main market TOP 10, ends the week at 6.8. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.1 and 13.4 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 48 percent for the main market.

JSE main stocks eke out gains – Wednesday

Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday with 25 securities changing hands, the same as on Tuesday and 2 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 11 advancing, 8 declining and 8 traded firm.
The market recorded modest gains in the two main indices, with the All Jamaica Composite Index rose 106.77 points to close at 282,019.56, the JSE Market Index inched 97.28 points to 256,951.71. The JSE US dollar market index slipped 0.73 points to 187.26.
Trading ended with 4,718,872 units valued at 99,127,989 with an average of 188,755 units for an average of $3,965,120 compared to 4,433,242 units valued at 88,443,093 on Tuesday, with an average of 177,330 units at an average of $3,537,724. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to $273,638 units valued at $2,921,507 compared to 278,353 units valued at $2,866,580, previously. In contrast, August closed with average of 184,094 units with an average of $4,336,090, for each security traded. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 85,233 units at a value of US$21,022 and brought total trades in both markets to JS$101,860,817.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
NCB Financial listed a US dollar bond with a coupon rate of 6 percent, but no trades were executed.

50% of trade goes to JMMB

JMMB Group accounted for half of the shares that traded on Wednesday.

The narrow difference between winners and losers continued on Wednesday with 11 securities rising an 8 declining out of 27 that traded, leading the market indices to record small gains around 100 points. JMMB Group traded 2.4 million units out of a total of 4.8 million units traded on Wednesday.
In the market activity, securities trading and volume exchanged at the last price trades took place at are, Berger Paints that closed with a loss of 10 cents at $11.40, trading 67,562 units, elsewhere, Cable & Wireless closed 5 cents higher at $1.05, with 149,655 units, Caribbean Cement settled $2 higher at $27.50, with just 100 stocks, Carreras closed with a loss of 50 cents at $12, with 347,667 stocks changing hands, Ciboney traded with a loss of 1 cents at a 52 weeks’ low of 15 cents, with 4,400 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy finished with a loss of 20 cents at $42.50, with 18,567 units, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 20 cents at $17.30, with 4,738 stock units, Jamaica Producers settled 50 cents higher at $15, with 810,000 shares trading. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded with a loss of 1 cent at $6.45, with 50,000 units, JMMB Group concluded trading with a gain of 39 cents to $22.89, with 2,406,969 stocks trading, Kingston Properties traded 20 cents higher at $7, with 4,758 stocks changing hands, Kingston Wharves finished 25 cents higher at $30.99, with 220,309 units. Mayberry Investments ended at $4.10, with 63,200 units, NCB Financial had a 145,037 shares trading with a rise of 50 cents to close at $88, 1834 Investments finished at $1.40, with 240 units, PanJam Investment ended 91 cents higher at $35.91, with 10,620 shares changing hands, Pulse Investments traded with a loss of 10 cents at $1.70, trading 55,000 units, Radio Jamaica finished at $1.12, with 23,555 shares, Sagicor Group traded at $34.25, with 106,100 units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded at $12.05, with 8,938 shares, Scotia Group settled 91 cents higher at $45.01 trading 44,431 units and closed with the bid at $48 to buy500 units. Scotia Investments concluded trading at $35.50, with 6,160 stock units, Seprod lost $3 to close at $30, with 32,196 shares and Supreme Ventures settled 10 cents higher at $11.10, with 55,577 units changing hands.
In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers finished at $2.08, with 83,093 units trading.
In the US dollar market, Productive Business Solution US ordinary share closed at 65 US cents while trading 1,595 units, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 23.99 US cents, after rising 0.99 US cent, exchanging 83,638 units, while NCB Financial had a new listing of a US dollar bond, carrying a coupon rate of 6 percent, but no trades were executed.