Trading jumped on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday, with rising a 372 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded, with 396 percent more value than Friday following trading in 45 securities compared with 44 on Friday and ending with prices of only eight stocks rising, 22 declining and 15 closing unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 7,528,822 shares for $16,904,689, up from 1,594,451 units at $3,409,014 on Friday.
Trading averaged 167,307 shares at $375,660, compared with 36,238 units at $77,478 on Friday with a month to date, average of 213,954 units at $478,434 compared to 217,407 stock units at $486,040 on the previous day and March with an average of 221,659 units at $464,382.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 4.60 million shares for 61.1 percent of total volume followed by KLE Group with 567,507 units for 7.5 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas with 363,876 units for 4.8 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index sank 17.69 points to 3,776.45.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.6, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, CAC 2000 fell 5 cents to end at $4.40 after a transfer of 242 units, Dolla Financial lost 12 cents in closing at $2.67, with 187,664 stocks crossing the market, Dolphin Cove rallied 26 cents to $19.76 after investors exchanged 2,492 shares. Everything Fresh popped 14 cents and ended at $1.70 after trading 20,993 stock units, Express Catering declined 8 cents to close at $4.01, with 5,603 shares crossing the exchange, Image Plus shed 5 cents to finish at $1.88 with investors swapping 57,859 units. Indies Pharma dipped 7 cents and ended at $2.65, with 42,640 stocks crossing the market, Jamaican Teas sank 32 cents to $2.18 with an exchange of 363,876 stock units, Knutsford Express gained 49 cents to end at $11.90 after 22,824 shares passed through the market. Lumber Depot dipped 10 cents in closing at $2.55 with investors dealing in 46,316 stock units, MFS Capital Partners slipped 21 cents to close at $1.53 with a transfer of 1,928 stocks and tTech rose 5 cents to finish at $2.25 and closed with an exchange of 996 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Profits continue to send mixed signals
Early profit results for the first 2024 quarter show some positives, with the Montego Bay-based Knutsford Express reporting b revenue growth and profit for the quarter and the nine months to February, followed by positive results for AMG Packaging and Express Catering, but there were also some disappointing ones.
The directors of Knutsford Express stated that “strong and steady demand for our courier services complemented our passenger services have combined in delivering year to date profit of $268 million, up 27.1 percent from $211 million at the end of February 2023. We, therefore, recorded a 20.9 percent growth in our total revenue in this quarter moving to $565 million from $468 million in the comparative period in 2023. Similarly, our nine-month year-to-date revenue has increased by 19.5 percent from $1,281 million in 2023 to $1,530 million in 2024.”
Innovative Energy, formerly Ciboney reported no revenues in the February quarter and a loss of $4.4 million with the year to date, ending with $500,000 in income and a loss of $7.8 million.
AMG Packaging grew profit by 79 percent to $32 million from $18 million in 2023, better than the 72 percent rise in the first quarter. For the six months to February, profit was up by 79 percent to $84 million from $47 million in 2023.
Revenues climbed from US$6 million to US$7 million at Express Catering, up 17.6 percent in the quarter and increased by 23 percent from US$15 million to US$18.7 million, delivering a profit of US$2 million for the year to date and US$1 million for the latest quarter, compared with US$1.9 million for the nine months in 2023 and $1.15 million in the February 2023 quarter. Ian Dear, the company’s CEO confirmed that added cost in the third quarter would have been associated with new restaurants opened close to the quarter as such, some of the cost would not be fully covered by revenues.
The revenue at Margaritaville (Turks) rose just 5 percent to US$5.25 million for the current year, compared to US$4.98 million for the same period last year, with a net profit of US$521,909, earnings per share of 0.773 US cents compared with the similar period of 2023, with a net profit of US$1.18 million which includes non-recurring gains of US$658,000 for EPS of 1.749 US cents.
For the third quarter, revenues fell to US$1.9 million from US$2.2 million in 2023, delivering a profit of US$222,174 versus US$725,000 in 2023 including one time income of US$340,000.
Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell by 43 percent in the February quarter from $67 million in 2023 to $44 million in 2024. For six months revenues reached $88 million down 38 percent from $142 million in the prior year. The company incurred a loss of $187 million in the 2024 second quarter 45 percent worse than the $129 million and for the six months, a loss of $320 million was incurred marginally more than $302 million in 2023.
Paramount Trading reported reduced revenues and profit for the third quarter and the nine months. Revenues in the February quarter declined 8.5 percent from $438 million in 2023 to $401 million in 2024. For the nine months, revenues fell 23 percent from $1.63 billion down to $1.266 billion with profits coming in at 40 percent lower at $18 million for the quarter from $30 million in 2023 and 44 percent to $100 million for the nine months of February this year from $179 million in the previous year.
One On One Educational Services reported revenues of $57 million in the February quarter down 12 percent from $73 million in 2023 and fell 27 percent to $111 million for the six months to February from $153 million in 2023.
A loss of $20 million million was incurred in the February quarter down from a profit of $6 million in 2023 and a loss of $41 million for the six months, down from a profit of $17 million in 2023 for the 6 months.
Big trading jump on the JSE USD Market
Trading jumped sharply on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market ended on Friday, with a huge 1,233 percent rise in the volume of stocks exchanged, with 794 percent greater value than on Thursday, resulting in trading in eight securities, down from 11 on Thursday with prices of four rising, two declining and two ending unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 880,808 shares for US$49,826 up sharply from 66,053 stock units at US$5,573 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 110,101 units at US$6,228 versus 6,005 shares at US$507 on Thursday, with a month to date average of 38,941 shares at US$2,417 compared with 33,620 units at US$2,132 on the previous day and March that ended with an average of 49,394 units for US$3,593.
The US Denominated Equities Index declined 3.05 points to wrap-up trading at 237.70.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.4. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending and or around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share rose 0.52 of one cent in closing at 4.55 US cents as investors exchanged 14 stocks, Productive Business Solutions ended at US$1.59 and closed with an exchange of 4 units, Proven Investments ended at 14 US cents as investors traded 113,267 shares. Sterling Investments climbed 0.19 of a cent and ended at 1.7 US cents after 25,375 stock units passed through the market, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 0.02 of a cent to end at 7.97 US cents after a transfer of 4,488 shares and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.18 of a cent to close at 2 US cents, with 726,047 stocks crossing the market.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group US8.5% preference share popped 1 cent to US$1.20 with a transfer of 11,224 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.25% preference share gained 20 cents and ended at US$11.20, with 389 stock units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading spreads on JSE USD Market
Investors participated in a wide selection of stocks in trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market on Thursday, resulting in trading in 11 securities, compared to 10 on Wednesday with prices of three rising, four declining and four ending unchanged, with the volume of stocks traded declining 93 percent with an 89 percent lower value than on Wednesday.
The market closed with an exchange of 66,053 shares for US$5,574 compared to 1,005,394 units at US$50,711 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 6,005 units at US$507 versus 100,539 shares at US$5,071 on Wednesday, with a month to date average of 33,620 shares at US$2,132 compared with 36,785 units at US$2,318 on the previous day and March that ended with an average of 49,394 units for US$3,593.
The US Denominated Equities Index popped 1.69 points to culminate at 240.75.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.3. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending and or around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, AS Bryden lost 0.51 of one cent to 22.49 US cents after a transfer of 1,800 shares, First Rock Real Estate USD share gained 0.01 of a cent to close at 4.03 US cents in trading 9,001 units, Margaritaville remained at 10 US cents in switching ownership of 850 shares. Proven Investments rose 0.98 of one cent in closing at 14 US cents with investors trading 2,023 stock units, Sterling Investments dipped 0.19 of a cent to end at 1.51 US cents with 13,127 shares clearing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 0.04 cent to finish at 7.99 US cents after an exchange of 6,396 stock units. Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share ended at 9 US cents after 221 stocks crossed the market and Transjamaican Highway fell 0.01 of a cent to end at 2.18 US cents as investors exchanged 30,867 units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group US8.5% preference share ended at US$1.19 with 1,663 stocks crossing the market. JMMB Group 5.75% skidded 10 cents to US$2 with investors swapping 9 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments E8.5% ended at US$10.70 as 96 units passed through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.