Stocks closed higher on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in trading on Wednesday, with the market squeezing a third consecutive day of gains and helping the market to close 1.26 percent higher than in April as investors traded 77 percent more shares valued at 135 percent more than on Tuesday with trading in 44 securities compared with 45 on Tuesday and ended with 24 rising, 15 declining and five closing unchanged.
Investors traded 17,037,616 shares for $59,386,219 up from 9,615,167 units at $25,289,603 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 387,219 shares at $1,349,687 compared with 213,670 shares at $561,991 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 239,954 units at $648,811 compared to 232,896 stock units at $615,218 on the previous day. April closed with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Future Energy Source led trading with 5.02 million shares for 29.5 percent of total volume followed by Fosrich with 2.89 million units for 17 percent of the day’s trade, Indies Pharma with 1.85 million units for 10.9 percent market share and Jamaican Teas with 1.49 million units for 8.7 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rallied 22.41 points to end at 3,785.03.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are based on last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rallied $2.80 to close at $25.80 after an exchange of 60,697 shares, CAC 2000 shed 48 cents to close at $6.62 after 23,435 units changed hands, Cargo Handlers fell $2.50 to $15 with 1,000 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours popped 30 cents to end at $1.78 with shareholders swapping 5,000 stock units. Dolphin Cove declined 70 cents in closing at $14.75 after shareholders traded 10,293 shares, EduFocal increased 19 cents to end at $1.91 after an exchange of 105,179 stock units, Elite Diagnostic gained 18 cents and ended at $2.38 after a transfer of 51,123 units, Express Catering dropped 16 cents to close at $4.88 with an exchange of 12,665 stocks. Fontana advanced 12 cents to $9.52 with investors exchanging 386,065 stock units, Fosrich lost 11 cents to close at $2.29, with 2,892,733 stocks crossing the market, Future Energy Source climbed 23 cents to $4.15 with an exchange of 5,021,509 shares, Honey Bun rose 17 cents to $6.80 with 13,402 units clearing the market. Indies Pharma popped 15 cents to close at $3.45 in trading 1,851,361 units, Iron Rock Insurance gained 32 cents to end at $2.48 with 200 stocks changing hands, ISP Finance climbed $1.42 to $25.40 as investors exchanged 45,182 stock units, KLE Group dipped 11 cents in closing at $1.51 in switching ownership of 31 shares. Knutsford Express popped 26 cents to close at $11.78 in an exchange of 293,186 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 14 cents at $2.95 in an exchange of 60,245 units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 10 cents to $4.25 after 390 stock units passed through the market, Limners and Bards increased 18 cents to $2.48 with a transfer of 122,433 stocks. Main Event dropped 40 cents in closing at $14.25 with investors transferring 4,584 stocks, Paramount Trading rallied 9 cents to $2.18, with 22,936 stock units clearing the market, Regency Petroleum rose 8 cents to end at $2.95 after 501,313 units passed through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies increased 63 cents and ended at $15.79, with 60,146 shares crossing the market and Tropical Battery gained 10 cents to close at $2 after 75,936 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Lasco Financial EPS hides profit plunge
Net profit declined by 30 percent to $214 million for the fiscal year to March 2023 from $306 million in 2022 for Lasco Financial Services. Still, the earnings per share barely fell, according to the recently released audited report. The earning per share is actually 16.7 cents rather than the 23.94 cents reported in the audited Financial Statement, compared with 24.05 cents in 2022.
The company did not have a good year, with revenues falling from $2.5 billion in 2022 to $2.27 billion even as loan income grew during the latest year. Revenues in the fourth dropped sharply to only $410 million versus $662 million in the 2022 fourth quarter. Fourth quarter profit came in slightly below the December quarter’s $31 million at $27 million on far lower revenues than the $572 million in the December quarter.
Loans payable include two with ten year tenure amounting to $1.095 billion due to JMMB with interest rates at 8.25 and 8.75 percent per annum and 2 percent per annum loans amounting to $143 million from the Development Bank of Jamaica for on lending.
Loans advanced to borrowers ended at $1.039 billion for the fiscal year, up from $1.013 before provisions, and after provisions, loans are up nearly 11 percent to $900 million from $813 million in 2022. Quality improved in 2023, with amounts set aside for impairment dropping to $138 million, or 1.3 percent of the loan portfolio, from $201 million or 2 percent in 2022, as $60 million was recovered from impaired loans during the 2023 fiscal year. Loans that are current have a provision of $24 million compared with $13 million in 2022.
Administrative and other expenses rose 6.8 percent to $1.18 billion from $1,105 billion in 2022, but Selling and promotion expenses fell 13 percent to $647 million from $745 million, partially as Commission and fees fell seven percent from $653 million to $609 million. Overall, non-financial expenses declined from $1.85 billion to $1.83 billion. However, staff cost jumped 18 percent to $654 million, with staffing at the end of the year jumping 23 percent to 201 employees from 164 in 2022. Finance costs fell to $117 million from $167 million in 2022 and Taxation fell from $187 million to $115 million.
At the close of the financial year, cash and short term deposits amount to $1.7 billion, giving it much dry powder to increase lending if viable opportunities arise. Shareholders’ equity increased to $2.11 billion at the end of March from $1.96 billion in 2022.
The company is a work in progress as it attempts to recover from losses suffered in its loan portfolio from 2020 to 2022, this is an area of above average potential growth, but there have been few signs that the company will be more aggressive in this potentially lucrative segment of the financial market.
The stock is listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stocks Exchange and last traded at $2.35 with a PE ratio of 14 times 2023 earnings. Investors need to watch this one for possible recovery.
Trading dives on JSE USD Market
A 98 percent fall in stocks trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market ended on Tuesday, with the market climbing above the close on Monday and resulted in the trading of six securities, down from eight on Monday and ended with prices of three rising, none declining and three ending unchanged.
Overall, 15,452 shares were traded for US$986 compared to 959,588 units at US$46,217 on Monday.
Trading averaged 2,575 shares at US$164 versus 119,949 units at US$5,777 on Monday, with a month to date average of 39,779 shares at US$2,243 compared with 41,318 units at US$2,329 on the previous day. April ended with an average of 394,241 units for US$22,357.
The US Denominated Equities Index popped 12.60 points to conclude trading at 212.29.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 8.5. The PE ratio is calculated based on the last traded price of each stock divided by projected earnings forecasts done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three 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 popped 0.5 of a cent after closing at 5 US cents, with shareholders swapping 560 shares, Proven Investments ended at 16.9 US cents after a transfer of 2,325 stock units, Sterling Investments remained at 1.68 US cents, with 5,741 stocks crossing the market and Transjamaican Highway rose 0.29 of a cent to end at 1.29 US cents after closing with an exchange of 6,616 units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 5.75% ended at US$1.90 with 204 shares changing hands and JMMB Group 6% increased 13 cents to US$1.20 as investors exchanged just 6 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Increased trading hits JSEUSD Market
The Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar Market had another chunk of the index chopped off on Monday, with the volume of stocks changing hands surging 354 percent and valued 172 percent more than on Friday, resulting in the trading of eight securities, compared to seven on Friday with two rising, three declining and three ending unchanged.
Investors traded 959,588 shares for US$46,217 compared with 211,505 units at US$16,972 on Friday.
Trading averaged 119,949 shares at US$5,777 versus 30,215 units at US$2,425 on Friday, with a month to date average of 41,318 shares at US$2,329 compared to 36,727 units at US$2,127 on the previous trading day. April ended with an average of 394,241 units for US$22,357.
The US Denominated Equities Index lost 10.51 points to end at 199.69.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 8.2. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price of each stock divided by projected earnings forecasts done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three 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 fell 0.5 of a cent and ended at 4.5 US cents as 11,871 shares passed through the market, Margaritaville ended at 9.01 US cents while exchanging 570 units, Proven Investments rose 0.9 of a cent to 16.9 US cents, with 233,554 stock units clearing the market, but only after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday low of 13.6 cents. Sterling Investments ended at 1.68 US cents after trading 4,057 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments popped 0.86 of one cent to 11.01 US cents, with 100 shares crossing the exchange, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share lost 0.1 of a cent in closing at 11 US cents after an exchange of 100 units and Transjamaican Highway dipped 0.3 cents to 1 US cent in trading 708,836 stocks.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 6% ended at US$1.07 and with 500 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.