IC Insider Buy Rated stocks have chalked up 3 winners with gains in excess of 100 percent and two over 200 percent and one at 99 percent. 8 stocks have declined so far with losses between 7 percent and 27 percent but that should change as the year rolls on. There are no additions to the list, a few have been removed or put on hold.
Blue Power is now removed based on flat sales for the year to April and no immediate signs of a pickup. Dolphin Cove that was added in May last year and gained 48 percent is being moved to hold as revenues in the other half of the year to December is unlikely to grow to justify market out performance. The company had only a 6 percent increase in first quarter revenues down from 13 percent in 2014 and profit fell 10 percent to $133 million. Hardware and Lumber with buy out talks to acquire majority ownership with a maximum price of $18.50 and Scotia Investments are shifted to hold while JMM Group is moved from Buy Rated to Watch or accumulate based on the current price of $7.50.
As much as stocks with high gains may be view as already providing rich returns, there are much more gains left to be made. Carib Cement should report earnings in the $1 region this year with reduced cost, increased sales and the future should be even brighter as the local economy moves slowly into growth and lower interest rates will help boost building construction. Caribbean Cream has more than doubled this year in price but with lower input cost and increased sales should earn around 60 cents per share this year, at the present price of $1.60, there is room for growth. Jamaica Stock Exchange has had a phenomenal run this year with increased revenues and profit. Profit this year could reach $1.20 which should lift the stock some more and 2016 could be an even bigger year for it. Paramount Trading at $6 is still about 50 percent undervalued based on 2015 earnings and even more based on 2016 projected earnings. Lasco Manufacturing is yet to deliver in price movement but the 78 percent jump in the March quarter profits is a development that investors should be paying attention to.
Over in Trinidad, investors keep on ignoring Trinidad Cement but they should not, even with the 190 percent gain in the stock price. IC Insider sees higher profits flowing from increased sales, cost reduction including interest cost on loans. National Flour which we added in May is now up 21 percent still has more room to grow. The Trinidad market is likely to experience slow growth this year as such, many of the listings may not deliver much in the short term but investors should keep their eyes on Scotiabank that produced a nice lift in second quarter profits.