Better than expected reported profits compared with the prior period has been the driver of local stock prices since last year into the current year. Late last year, Transjamaican Highway and Scotia Group reported a surge in profits over the previous year and investors rewarded them with a jump in their price and they did that for Caribbean Cement that released results early last week.
Last week, investors drove up General Accident shares to a new 52 weeks’ high and so too Caribbean Cement. The above are clear messages that profit growth outweighs interest rates as the driver of stock prices.
Three companies reported above average profits that should help lift prices over the coming days or weeks and are worth watching.
Caribbean Cement rose from $58 last week to trade as high as a new 52 weeks’ high of $69.90 in response to profits in the first quarter to March this year, from an increase of nearly 12 percent in revenues to $7.6 billion from $6.8 billion in 2023 with profits jumping 546 percent to $1.9 billion compared to a mere $289 million in last year first quarter.
Based on closing quotes buying interest is at the $60 level with a few shares at $61 but offers are at $69 to $70 levels and above. The gap could result in a standoff for a few days, with the stock popped strongly already.
General Accident reported earnings of $0.39 per share in its interim financial report for 2023 but released audited accounts with $0.52 per share earnings instead. The audited accounts show profit revised to $0.71 from $0.53 previously reported in 2022, based on the new accounting standard – IAS17 which requires insurance companies to report income and expenses dramatically differently from the previously used format.
ICInsider.com forecast earnings of $1.10 for the 2024 fiscal year. In the past two months, there was heavy buying in the stock, with 223,053 traded on Friday with the price closing at $6.50. A total of 1,026,154 units were traded during the week. In April, trading amounted to 19.77 million units and 23.8 million shares in March. These numbers suggest that Mayberry Investment disposed of the majority of shares they previously owned. At the close on Friday, there were only 8 offers on the board, amounting to less than 20,000 shares, up to a price of $9.57. There are 300,000 units on the bid over $5.95.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers selling at a PE of just 3 based on current year’s earnings.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers reported solid gains in profit for 2023 compared to 2022. The latest audited results show the company earning $0.47 per share, in line with ICInsdier.com’s projection before the release of the third quarter results that showed a fall in revenues and profit. The company reported earnings of $0.30 per share in the previous year. ICInsdier.com projects earnings of $0.65, for 2024.
Buying is strong at the $2-2.20 level but with the results, many of these bids will move up to meet supply, mostly at $2.55 and above. With the latest results, released after trading on Friday, there should be major adjustments to bid and offer prices at the start of trading on Monday.
Dolphin Cove closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $20.03 and seems to be grudgingly moving higher, with bids mostly under $20 for small amounts. Offers are drying up with just 14 on the board, between $21 and $25, amounting to 144,000 shares. The trendline indicates the price slowly moving towards $23 in the weeks ahead. With the first quarter results due in days, the trajectory could accelerate with tourist traffic and the recently increased dividend payment suggests that profit should be seeing a bounce.
Also to be watched is Caribbean Producers with just 4 bids at the close on Friday, but sellers are overwhelming buyers at the close. The price looks set to fall below $8, before too long.
JMMB Group is another stock under pressure with more sellers than buyers. NCB Financial releases results on Thursday and is expected to declare an interim dividend.
The main market top 10 saw Margaritaville falling 15 percent to $14.25 during the week followed by JMMB Group down 7 percent to $23.60, while Palace Amusement rose 6 percent to $1.08. Junior Market ICTOP10 witnessed an 8 percent gain in Edufocal to close at $0.96, with losses in Iron Rock Insurance of 12 percent to close at $2.20 and a 6 percent contraction in the price of AMG Packaging to $3.40.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but this is not always so. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
The market closed with trading of 2,755,767 shares valued $7,072,014 compared with 5,795,105 units at $14,286,428 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Dolphin Cove increased 13 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $20.03 after 1,171 stock units crossed the market, Everything Fresh skidded 11 cents in closing at $1.88 in trading 522,652 shares. Future Energy rallied 23 cents and ended at $3.54 with 21,519 stocks crossing the exchange, Indies Pharma sank 8 cents to end at $2.62 after a transfer of 1,164 units, Lasco Financial slipped 9 cents to finish at $1.60 with investors swapping 91,239 stock units. Lumber Depot lost 6 cents to end at $2.70 after an exchange of 147,822 shares, Medical Disposables advanced 53 cents in closing at $2.28 with investors transferring 820 units, Spur Tree Spices dipped 6 cents to close at $2.43, with 22,457 stocks changing hands and tTech rose 11 cents to end at $2.20 in trading 8 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with trading of 107,250 shares for US$8,800 versus 98,700 stock units at US$20,672 on Thursday.
Margaritaville rallied 0.03 of a cent and ended at 10.03 US cents with 659 stocks crossing the market. Proven Investments slipped 0.43 of one cent to finish at 13.57 US cents with investors dealing in 11,324 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 7.6 US cents with a transfer of 3,555 shares and Transjamaican Highway slipped 0.05 of a cent to end at 2.11 US cents with 67,875 units crossing the market.
The market closed with 4,656,593 shares being traded for $66,077,872 compared with 11,013,773 units at $54,506,302 on Thursday.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
NCB Financial dipped 25 cents to $61.75 in switching ownership of 152,589 stocks, Sagicor Group popped $1.59 to finish at $41.60 with investors trading 2,445 stocks, Salada Foods advanced 25 cents and ended at $3.95 in an exchange of 4,638 shares. Scotia Group sank $2.70 to close at $41, with 21,477 units changing hands, Stanley Motta rose 30 cents in closing at $7.50 after an exchange of 72,781 stocks, Supreme Ventures gained 25 cents to end at $25 and closed with an exchange of 182,302 stock units. Sygnus Real Estate Finance climbed $1.05 in closing at $11.55 in an exchange of just one share and Wisynco Group popped 95 cents to $21.45 with 51,527 stock units crossing the market before the company released their third quarte results with flat earnings in the third quarter after tax .
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index dropped 1,966.60 points to 334,026, the All Jamaican Composite Index dived 2,933.34 points to 358,098.21. The JSE Main Index declined 2,094.43 points to 320,793.99. The Junior Market Index advanced 5.91 points to finish at 3,803.31 and the JSE USD Market Index shed 1.43 points to close at 236.44.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 19.9 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.6 times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
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.
Trading ended on the Main Market with 11,013,773 shares with value of $54,506,302 from 17,557,651 units at $62,870,817 on Wednesday.
At the close, Caribbean Cement shed $2.02 to finish at $60.98, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of 65.90 and ending with 24,310 stock units crossing the market, with supply being meagre at the close and suggesting the price is set to jump sharply the days ahead, following blow out first quarter results. Eppley sank $1.62 to $37 with an exchange of 658 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund popped $2.79 to end at $39.99 and closed with an exchange of 298 stocks. First Rock Real Estate skidded 58 cents in closing at $10.02 with investors trading 2,219 units, General Accident increased 98 cents and ended at 52 weeks’ high $7.13 after hitting an intraday high of $8.01 with a transfer of 8,471 shares, leaving just five offers on the board at the close with prices between $7.13 and $9. Guardian Holdings climbed $9.79 to close at $369.99 after investors ended trading a mere four stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 95 cents to $11.47 with investors dealing in 1,059 stocks, JMMB Group lost 36 cents to end at 52 weeks’ low of $23.64 in an exchange of 37,485 units, Massy Holdings rallied $1.39 in closing at $90 with traders dealing in 64,327 shares. 
Mayberry Group dropped 89 cents to finish at $8 in an exchange of 624 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities gained 30 cents and ended at $10.80, with 300 stocks clearing the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $14 to close at $81 with a transfer of 102 stock units. NCB Financial slipped 50 cents to $62 after an exchange of 112,237 shares, Pan Jamaica advanced $1.07 to finish at $51.06 in trading 17 stocks, Sagicor Group dipped $1.96 and ended at $40.01 after 52,159 units crossed the market. Scotia Group rose 70 cents in closing at $43.70 in switching ownership of 77,686 stock units, Seprod rallied $1.40 to close at $83.50 as investors exchanged 6,274 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 30 cents to end at $10.50 after 84,675 stock units passed through the market. Sygnus Real Estate Finance shed $1.39 to $10.50, with 6,000 units crossing the exchange and Wisynco Group fell $1.30 to end at $20.50 with investors swapping 105,554 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share popped $1.10 in closing at $20 after an exchange of just one share. Eppley 7.50% preference share dipped 63 cents and ended at $5.50, with 201 stocks changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% gained $1.50 to close at $110 with investors transferring 7,737 units.
The market closed with an exchange of 98,700 shares for US$20,672 down from 148,890 units at US$30,599 on Wednesday.
Proven Investments remained at 14 US cents after 12,071 shares crossed the market. Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 7.6 US cents as investors exchanged 886 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share popped 0.2 of a cent to finish at 9 US cents with 300 shares clearing the market and Transjamaican Highway increased 0.06 of a cent and ended at 2.16 US cents with investors dealing in 23,080 stock units.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 324.91 points to 335,992.60, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 335.71 points to end trading at 361,031.55, the JSE Main Index climbed 439.55 points to end trading at 322,888.42. The Junior Market Index fell 13.84 points to close at 3,797.40 and the JSE USD Market Index rallied 3.15 points to conclude trading at 237.87.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share popped $1.10 to $20, Eppley 7.50% preference share dipped 63 cents to end at $5.50 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% gained $1.50 to close at $110.
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 market closed with 5,795,105 shares being traded for $14,286,428 up from 4,063,270 units at $8,160,284 on Wednesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Fosrich lost 10 cents to close at $2.19 after an exchange of 1,084,637 units, Future Energy dipped 14 cents to finish at $3.31 after 150,142 stocks passed through the market, GWest Corporation dropped 5 cents and ended at 95 cents in switching ownership of 2,534 stock units. Jamaican Teas shed 6 cents to end at $2.54 with 784,702 shares crossing the market, Jetcon Corporation rallied 13 cents and ended at 99 cents in an exchange of 123 stock units, Main Event increased 66 cents to close at $13.68 with investors swapping 3,585 units. Medical Disposables fell 53 cents to finish at $1.75 after an exchange of 3,975 stocks, Paramount Trading advanced 19 cents to end at $1.50 in trading 14,392 shares, Regency Petroleum slipped 12 cents in closing at $2.16 after a transfer of 26,188 units. Spur Tree Spices popped 11 cents to $2.49, with 810,468 stocks crossing the exchange and tTech lost 17 cents to end at $2.09 with a transfer of 2,264 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
