Stocks suffered a second day of decline to close out the week below the close of August as trading ended on Friday, with the volume of shares changing hands dropped 28 percent and the value falling by 27 percent from Thursday close on the Junior Market on Friday.
Market activity led to 37 securities trading from 38 on Thursday and ended with eight rising, 19 declining and 10, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index dropped 30.04 points to 3,287.09.
The PE Ratio, that is used to compute appropriate stock values averages 11.3 on Friday, based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 4,053,642 shares changing hands for $10,381,943 down from 5,648,917 units at $14,145,296 on Thursday. Future Energy Source led trading with 54.1 percent of total volume after an exchange of 2.19 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot 6.9 percent, with 279,363 units and Jetcon Corporation 6 percent, with 244,099 units.
Trading averaged 109,558 units at $280,593, down from 148,656 at $372,245 on Thursday and average 136,218 units for the month to date at $330,382, compared to 149,370 units at $354,944 on Thursday. August closed with an average of 464,471 units at $1,258,652.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging rose 5 cents to finish the day at $1.65 with an exchange of 2,136 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped 5 cents to $1.75 with 13,539 stocks traded, Caribbean Cream shed 30 cents to end at $5.70 with investors switching ownership of 42 stock units. Consolidated Bakeries fell 8 cents to end trading at $1.72 with 1,750 shares changing hands, Elite Diagnostic gained 5 cents to close at $3.02 with a transfer of 5,199 units, Everything Fresh lost 7 cents to settle at 90 cents with an exchange of 6,800 stock units. Fontana slipped 6 cents to $5.89 with 126,320 stocks traded, Future Energy Source dropped 15 cents to $2.05 with 2,193,526 shares passing through the market, General Accident fell 16 cents to $5.40 with 30,000 stock units changing hands. Honey Bun rose 5 cents to $9.25 with a transfer of 2,887 stocks, Jetcon Corporation dropped 8 cents to 91 cents with an exchange of 244,099 shares, KLE Group gained 11 cents to end at $1.13 with 5,833 units traded. 
Knutsford Express shed 98 cents to close at $7 with investors switching ownership of 12,032 stock units, Lasco Distributors declined by 13 cents to $3.70 with 243,244 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards fell 18 cents to $3.32 with a transfer of 104,501 units. Mailpac Group spiked 15 cents to $3.75 with 130,587 stocks traded, Medical Disposables slipped 5 cents to $4.60 with 332 stock units passing through the market, SSL Venture dropped 15 cents to 62 cents with 20,300 units changing hands and tTech advanced 33 cents to $4.70 with 17,151 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Juniors slipped on Thursday
Trading closed on Thursday with the volume and value of stocks traded rising modestly over Wednesday’s levels and led the Market Index into a decline of 15.53 points to 3,317.13 at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Trading ended with 38 active securities compared to 37 on Wednesday, with 12 rising, 18 declining and eight finishing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.5 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
A total of 5,648,917 shares traded for $14,145,296 compared to 5,553,859 units at $12,475,514 on Wednesday. Future Energy Source led trading for a second consecutive day with 56.6 percent of total volume for an exchange of 3.2 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 9.9 percent for 558,375 units and Derrimon Trading 7.2 percent after trading 406,445 units.
Trading averaged 148,656 units at $372,245 from 150,104 at $337,176 on Wednesday, while trading month to date averages 149,370 units at $354,944. August closed with an average of 464,471 units at $1,258,652.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging lost 6 cents to close at $1.60,, trading 4,101 shares, Blue Power rose 20 cents to $3.30 in an exchange of 300 stocks, CAC 2000 slipped 20 cents to $9.30 in trading 10,868 stock units. Cargo Handlers lost 20 cents to end at $8.15 with 3,065 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream popped 60 cents to $6 in trading 925 stock units, Caribbean Flavours rallied 7 cents to $1.98 after exchanging 20,494 units. Express Catering popped 32 cents to $5.72 with a transfer of 3,007 stock units. Future Energy Source shed 23 cents to $2.20 with 3,195,686 shares crossing the exchange, Honey Bun gained 20 cents to close at $9.20 in exchanging 114,740 units, Indies Pharma declined 26 cents to $3.43 after an exchange of 5,000 stocks. Jamaican Teas fell 29 cents to $3.60 in transferring 36,859 shares, Jetcon Corporation lost 6 cents to finish at 99 cents in switching ownership of 122,699 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 10 cents to end at $5 in an exchange of 4,505 stock units, Limners and Bards shed 24 cents to close at $3.50 with 121,200 units crossing the market. Mailpac Group declined 20 cents to $3.60 with the swapping of 145,936 stock units, Medical Disposables rallied 11 cents to $4.65 in trading 10,047 units, 
Paramount Trading lost 15 cents to close at $1 with 5,000 shares changing hands, SSL Venture gained 13 cents in ending at 77 cents with 28,050 stock units crossing the market. Stationery and Office Supplies fell 75 cents to $6.45 in trading 300 stocks, Tropical Battery rose 5 cents to $1.40 with 275,806 units clearing the market and tTech fell 42 cents to $4.37, finishing with a transfer of 1,049 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market regains ground – Wednesday
Advancing stocks fell behind rising ones on Wednesday, with the Junior Market index regaining ground with a gain of 24.06 of the 29.31 points lost on Tuesday to close at 3,332.66, with investors exchanging 63 percent fewer shares than on Tuesday, with 70 percent less value.
Market activity led to 37 securities trading compared to 39 on Tuesday and ended with 13 rising, 15 declining and nine closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 12 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
At the close, 5,553,859 shares traded for $12,475,514, down from 14,966,257 units at $42,120,614 on Tuesday.
Future Energy Source led trading with 39.7 percent of total volume after trading 2.21 million shares, followed by AMG Packaging 26.8 percent, with 1.49 million units and Derrimon Trading 8.6 percent with an exchange of 480,338 units.
Trading averaged 150,104 units at $337,176 in contrast to 383,750 at $1,080,016 on Tuesday. August closed with an average of 464,471 units at $1,258,652.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped 45 cents to $20.55 with an exchange of 1,011 shares, AMG Packaging rose 6 cents to $1.66 with 1,487,461 stock units traded, Blue Power fell 10 cents to $3.10 with a transfer of 8,599 stocks. Cargo Handlers slipped 5 cents to $8.35 with investors swapping a single unit, Caribbean Flavours lost 7 cents to close at $1.91, with 145,315 shares changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries dropped 10 cents to $1.80, with 4,338 stock units passing through the market. Fontana declined 5 cents to $5.95 with an exchange of 11,929 stocks, Honey Bun popped 50 cents to $9 with 34,991 units traded, Jetcon Corporation lost 10 cents to close at $1.05 with investors switching ownership of 245,880 shares. KLE Group dropped 13 cents to $1.02 with a transfer of 206 stock units, 
Lasco Distributors slipped 5 cents to $3.80 with 156,462 stocks changing hands, Lasco Financial rallied 20 cents to $3.19, with 16,043 shares passing through the market. Lasco Manufacturing fell 9 cents to $4.90 with 5,884 stock units traded, Medical Disposables shed 71 cents to end at $4.54 with a transfer of 5,800 stocks, Paramount Trading climbed 19 cents to $1.15, with 7,906 units changing hands and tTech jumped 59 cents to $4.79 with 15,051 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market loses ground Tuesday & August
Trading closed on Tuesday with the Junior Market enjoying broad based participation of stocks on the final day of the month and with the market index falling as the volume of stocks exchanged declined by 19 percent with a 24 percent decline in value from Monday with the market declining for the third straight day to end August just the July close.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading, up from 36 on Monday and ended with 13 stocks rising, 21 declining and five unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 29.31 points to settle at 3,308.60 just short of the 3,322.77 points close for July. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.6 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
A total of 14,966,257 shares traded for $42,120,614, down from 18,530,465 units at $55,498,597 on Monday. Future Energy Source led trading with 66.3 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 9.92 million shares, followed by Jamaican Teas 13 percent, with 1.94 million units and Lumber Depot 3.8 percent, with an exchange of 570,494 units.
Trading averaged 383,750 units at $1,080,016, short of 514,735 at $1,541,628 on Monday and month to date, an average of 464,471 units at $1,258,652, closely tracking 469,205 units at $1,269,129 on Monday. July closed with an average of 163,918 units at $481,755.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial advanced 45 cents to $21 trading 7,567 shares, AMG Packaging slipped 6 cents to $1.60 swapping ownership of 52,341 units, Cargo Handlers fell 10 cents to $8.40 with an exchange of 158,001 stock units. Caribbean Cream shed 30 cents to end at $5.40 with a transfer of 39,800 stocks, Dolphin Cove jumped $1.75 to $12 with 75,011 shares changing hands, Express Catering lost 6 cents to finish at $5.44 with 26,568 stock units traded. Fontana dipped 18 cents to $6 with 92,284 stocks passing through the market, Future Energy Source dropped 24 cents to $2.40 with an exchange of 9,922,250 shares, Honey Bun shed 50 cents to close at $8.50 with a transfer of 9,474 stocks. iCreate slipped 5 cents to 78 cents with 83,492 units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance fell 38 cents to $3.50 trading 36,999 stocks units, Jamaican Teas popped 40 cents to $3.85, with 1,942,373 shares passing through the market.KLE Group lost 7 cents to $1.15 with an exchange of 1,111 units, Lasco Distributors rose 5 cents to $3.85 with a transfer of 10,499 stock units, Lasco Financial dropped 14 cents to $2.99 with 99,748 shares changing hands.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 17 cents to $4.99 with 8,405 stocks passing through the market, Limners and Bards jumped 58 cents to a 52 weeks’ close of $3.73 with an exchange of 308,947 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 10 cents to settle at $3 with a transfer of 570,494 units. Mailpac Group rose 8 cents to $3.76 with 165,147 shares changing hands, Main Event dropped 48 cents to $4.27 with investors switching ownership of 14,501 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 5 cents to $5.25 with an exchange of 16,263 stocks. Paramount Trading fell 14 cents to 96 cents with a transfer of 267,362 units, SSL Venture lost 10 cents to land at 64 cents with 55,051 stock units changing hands and tTech shed 59 cents to close at $4.20 with 237 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading surges for Junior Market
Trading closed on Monday, with the volume of stocks traded surging 164 percent, with the value rocketing up by 162 percent over Friday’s trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Similar to Friday, market activity led to 36 securities trading and ended, with 15 rising, 15 declining and six, closing unchanged, leaving the Junior Market Index down 20.40 points to 3,337.91.
Trading surged on Monday as Future Energy Source led the market, with 81 percent of total volume resulting from trading of 15.02 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot 5.5 percent with 1.02 million units and Mailpac Group 2.4 percent, with 447,436 units.
Trading ended, with 18,530,465 shares changing hands for $55,498,597 compared to 7,012,618 units at $21,199,184 on Friday. Trading averaged 514,735 units at $1,541,628 in contrast to 194,795 shares at $588,866 on Friday, while month to date, averages 469,205 units at $1,269,129, compared to 466,600 units at $1,253,533 on Friday.July closed with an average of 163,918 units at $481,755.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.9 based on ICInsider.com’s2 021-22 earnings forecast.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power fell 10 cents in closing at $3.20, exchanging 950 shares, Cargo Handlers lost 9 cents in ending at $8.50 with the swapping of 5 units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 10 cents to $1.80, trading 345,961 stock units, Caribbean Cream shed 29 cents to end at $5.70 in an exchange of 44,359 stocks, Caribbean Flavours increased 4 cents to $1.98 in trading 6,076 shares. Derrimon Trading rose 4 cents to $2.34, with 105,730 units crossing the market, Dolphin Cove dropped $1.35 to $10.25 in exchanging 4,326 stocks. Elite Diagnostic popped 5 cents to $3.01 after 15,598 units changed hands, Everything Fresh declined 4 cents in closing at 95 cents while exchanging 43,717 stock units, Fontana advanced 8 cents to $6.18 in switching ownership of 143,788 stock units, Future Energy Source dropped 65 cents to $2.64 after exchanging 15,015,240 units.
Honey Bun shed 14 cents in closing at $9, with 34,631 stocks crossing the market, Indies Pharma spiked 11 cents to $3.70 after exchanging 89,690 units, Jamaican Teas rallied 5 cents to $3.45, with 308,781stock units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation rose 23 cents to $1.14 after 1,085 stocks crossed the market. Lasco Manufacturing lost 6 cents to close at $4.82, with 25,540 units clearing the market. Limners and Bards popped 5 cents ending at $3.15 trading 241,458 units, Medical Disposables rose 10 cents to $5.20 in an exchange of 3,893 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 70 cents to $7.20, after 151 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Is Fesco’s pricing rational?
Investors who bought shares in Future Energy Source in the IPO in April or a few months after are laughing all the way to the bank, with the price providing a gain of 311 percent up to Friday. The recent rally in the stock has moved it from an IPO price of 80 cents to $3.29 at the close on Friday, making it the highest valued Junior Market stock at a PE of 25 times current year’s earnings, with the next closest being, Honey Bun at 18.3.
With just 15 service stations within its network and the planned opening of the Beechwood Avenue station, there is much scope for the company to expand and grow profits in the future, but it seems a bit overdone for Fesco to be priced at a 38 percent premium to the next highest priced stock on the Junior Market.
The company’s latest financial report shows profit surging 55.5 percent to $40 million before taxes for the 2021 June quarter versus $25.7 million in the first quarter of 2020. Profit after taxes rose 66 percent from $24 million. There is no tax charge for the latest quarter, resulting from listing on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. The tax incentive provides a 10 years tax concession, with no taxes payable for 5 years and at 50 percent of the normal rate for the second 5 years.
A 29.5 percent spike in the volume of fuel sold added 2.9 million litres to volume sales, helping to push revenues for the quarter up 58 percent to $1.9 billion from $1.2 billion in 2020 and much greater than the $1.5 billion generated in March 2021 quarter. Most of the June increase over the March quarter would be due to the increased price of imported fuel, emanating from the upward movement in world oil prices during the period. Sales for the June 2020 quarter, was negatively affected by disruption to business following the outbreak of covid-19 last year.
Beechwood Avenue service station, under construction.
The first quarter performance is ahead of the opening of the new Fesco Ferry service station on July 15, which is dealer owned and operated.
The Company recorded a gross profit of $55 million, an increase of 63.4 percent over the June 2020 quarter of $34 million.
Operating and administrative expenses for the 2021 first quarter popped 139 percent from $8.6 million to $20.5 million, due mainly to spending in new areas during the quarter, with no cost in 2020. Advertising consumed $2.9 million, directors fees $1.4 million, amortization of right of use assets $867,000, while legal and professional fees rose from $310,000 to $2 million and audit and accounting fees added $1 million, with virtually none in 2020.
Finance Income increased from $1.7 million to $6.4 million, with foreign exchange gains accounting for $4.4 million in the 2021 quarter. Interest cost was minimal at under $1 million in the 2020 and 2021 periods.
Current assets amount to $547 million and current liabilities $210 million, with net current assets of $336 million versus $145 million in 2020. Cash funds amount to $282 million and receivables and amounts due from related parties amount to $250 million.
Shareholders Equity stands at $582 million, up from $231 million at the end of June 2020, reflecting the net proceeds from the IPO earlier this year and an increase in retained earnings. The company outlaid $238 million in work in progress in building out the service station on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston, with $114 million incurred in the June quarter.
RJR drops to 10, Proven & Jetcon join TOP10
The highlights this past week is that after one week back in the ICInsider.com TOP10 list, Dolphin Cove’s price surged from $9.86 to the week’s high of $12.50 for a rise of 27 percent but closed the week at $11.60 for a healthy 18 percent gain for the week.
Dolphin Cove’s price bounced last week.
RJR just held on to the TOP 10 with a gain of 135 percent for the year to date, but the stock that is trading with good volume traded as high as $4.78 during the week.
Proven Investments joins the Main market TOP10 and replaces Scotia Group while Jetcon Corporation price dipped to 91 cents and replaces tTech, with the price rising to $4.79 from $4.40 last week. Elsewhere, Future Energy Source, one of ICInsider.com BUY RATED stocks when the IPO came to market in April, gained 311 percent to date, but with projected earnings of 13 cents per share and the price at $3.29, the PE is a rich 25 times earnings and seems overpriced based on prices of other Junior Market stocks. Radio Jamaica, as previously suggested by ICInsider.com, the directors will be meeting on September 6 to consider a dividend payment.
The charting of the Junior and Main Market indices shows early signs of the markets bouncing from the mild summer correction. We may be seeing early signs of a longer term rebound, with the Main and Junior Markets closing at the highest levels this week since July 23.
Outside the Junior and Main markets TOP10, investors should keep an eye on AMG Packaging and Sterling Investments.
The top three Main Market stocks are Berger Paints, with the potential to gain 273 percent, followed by Guardian Holdings and JMMB Group, with expected gains of 214 to 273 percent for the three, versus last weeks’ 202 to 277 percent.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are Elite Diagnostic, followed by General Accident and Lasco Financial. All three have the potential to gain between 217percent and 283 percent, compared to 227 and 268 percent last week. Stationery and Office Supplies closed the previous week at $5.75 to sit at number 2 in the Junior Market list enjoyed a bounce in price to $6.50 and moved down to the 8th spot this week.
This past week the average gains projected for the Junior Market dropped from 207 percent to 191 percent and Main Market stocks from 172 percent to 168 percent.
The Junior Market closed the week with an average PE of 11.8 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and currently trades well below the target of 20 as well as the historical average of 17 for the period to March this year, based on 2020 earnings. The TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7, with a 40 percent discount to the PE of that market and the potential to rise 69 percent to march next year, based on an average PE of 20.
The JSE Main Market ended the week with an overall PE of 15.6, a little distance from the 19 the market ended at in March, suggesting a 12 percent rise at a PE of 19 and 28 percent at a PE of 20 from now to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.7, with a 50 percent discount to that market’s average PE, well off the potential of 20.
The TOP10 stocks are not always the best stocks in the market but are most likely to be the best winners within a fifteen-month period. IC ranked stocks to filter out the big winners, allowing investors to focus on potentially big winners and help to keep out emotional attachments to stocks.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely increase for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
New IPOS expected in October
The initial public offer of shares in Jamaica Fibreglass Products is expected to come to the Jamaican Capital market in October, our source advises, with Spur Tree Spices to come shortly after.
The company produces fiberglass based furniture and beddings, with revenues said to be in the region of $600 million, is expected to raise approximately $250 million for expansion purposes. The prospectus of the Metry Seaga owned company is said to be at an advanced stage of preparation and should be moving through the various stages for approval soon.
Spur Tree Spices, with revenues, said to be just over $1 billion, should also be coming in October, if all goes well, with a view to pull in $250 million. GK Capital are brokers of the two issues that are slated to list on the Junior Market. The prospectus of the company that has been manufacturing seasonings and sauces since 2006 for the local and export markets is also at an advanced stage of readiness, ICInsider.com gathers.
ICInsider.com is informed that the prospectus for one issue is in a draft form currently, so it should be ready to move to the regulators shortly. IPOS are subject to approval, primarily by the Jamaica Stock Exchange and Financial Securities Commission, before the prospectus can be released to the public as such, the exact timing is subject to signing off by them.
One source advised IC Insider.com that there are several potential listing candidates in the Manufacturing sector, with a number of them expressing interest in the listing. Another source advises that there are a number of potential listings in the NCB Capital Markets pipeline. The disruption to business caused by covid-19 is creating delays in some of the issues.
What appears to be a rush to list is a marked departure from the situation that existed before the advent of the Junior Market, with many business owners now seeing the major benefits that listings bring and the usefulness of long term capital.
In the meantime, Sygnus Real Estate Finance IPO that is seeking to sell 207.6 million up sizeable by 38.86 million units to raise a maximum of US$15 million, is extended to Friday, September 10.
FESCO gains 311% since listing
The Junior Market seems to be rebounding from the summer correction.
Trading closed on the Junior Market on Friday with the market index slipping 3.85 points to 3,358.31, after hitting the over 3,399, just less than half an hour of trading elapsing and ended with an exchange of 53 percent fewer shares, with 63 percent less value than on Thursday, on a day when Future Energy closed at a record high, with a stunning rise of 311 percent since listing early this year.
Market activity led to 36 securities trading down from 38 on Thursday and ended with 13 rising, 16 declining and seven closing unchanged.
At the close, the PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.8 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 7,012,618 shares changing hands for $21,199,184 compared to 15,060,760 units at $57,055,882 on Thursday. Future Energy Source led trading with 45.4 percent of total volume, with 3.18 million shares, followed by Tropical Battery 18.4 percent with 1.29 million units and Lumber Depot with 615,961 units for 8.8 percent market share.
Trading averaged 194,795 units at $588,866, down from 396,336 at $1,501,471 on Thursday and month to date averaging 466,600 units at $1,253,533, compared to 483,100 units at $1,293,883 on Thursday. July averaged 163,918 units at $481,755.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with the bid higher than its last selling price and three stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power rose 10 cents to $3.30 with 14,953 shares traded, Caribbean Cream rallied 67 cents to $5.99 with 50,028 stocks changing hands, Dolphin Cove shed 90 cents to end at $11.60 with an exchange of 10,090 stock units. Elite Diagnostic fell 13 cents to $2.96, with 121,000 units passing through the market, Express Catering dipped 49 cents to $5.51 with a transfer of 8,775 shares, Fontana rose 10 cents to $6.10 with 76,919 stocks traded. Fosrich popped 10 cents to $8.20 with 34,813 stock units changing hands, Future Energy Source advanced 29 cents to a record close of $3.29 with an exchange of 3,182,453 units, to now trade with a PE of 25 times, current fiscal year’s profit. General Accident climbed 25 cents to $5.55 with 2,944 shares passing through the market. Honey Bun jumped $1.04 to $9.14 with 120,903 stocks traded, Indies Pharma spiked 23 cents to $3.59 with 34,404 units changing hands, ISP Finance plunged $7.60 to $17.40, trading just 50 shares. Jetcon Corporation slipped 8 cents to 91 cents with an exchange of 5,000 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to $3.15 with 24,731 units passing through the market, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 30 cents to $4.88 with a transfer of 7,982 shares. 
Lumber Depot fell 8 cents to $2.92 with 615,961 stock units traded, Paramount Trading slipped 7 cents to $1.10 with 153,369 units changing hands, SSL Venture declined 6 cents to 74 cents with investors switching ownership of 14,038 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 95 cents to settle at $6.50 with a transfer of 192,573 stocks and tTech rallied 39 cents to $4.79 with 7,304 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Wigton price collapses
Wigton Windfarms’ shares traded below the IPO price of 50 cents on Friday as attempts to shield the price from falling after announcing a drop in revenues is finally giving way to selling pressure. The Wigton syndrome continues to plaque the Jamaica Stock market with irrational behavior of investors to be seen in the prices of many stocks.
Wigton traded nearly 90% of shares on Thursday.
On August 25, investors bought 5 million shares of Future Energy, up to $2.85 and for the next two trading day’s they just over 10 million units up to $3.29, with 15 million shares trading on the 30th at an average of $2.96. The stock is now trading at $2.04, with a PE ratio of 16, to be one of the more highly priced Junior Market stocks. What is happening here, when viewed against stocks with much lower PEs and good growth prospects?
There are thousands of new investors in the market brought on by several new listings on the market, with most listings creating good returns in a relatively short time for early investors.
Radio Jamaica another stock that traded as high as $4.65 on August 25, traded on Friday at $3.11 at a PE ratio of 7. Salada Foods continues to trade around the $7 region at a PE ratio of 43 times current year’s earnings. Wigton Windfarms that investors were not informed until late last year that the contract for their number 2 turbine provide for a reduction in rates for the supplying of electricity to JPS, belatedly traded down to 46 cents on Friday with few bids left in the system, and now trades at a PE of 12.5.
The stock market is a wonderful creation that has helped to enrich participants over the years, like any endeavor the more time spent studying and understanding it the better off those investors will be.
In the past, investors and scholars developed systems and methods to act as a guide to better investment decisions and thus reduce the love or dislike for a stock or other types of investments and thus reduce emotional decisions.
Technical analysis is a very useful tool used in the investment arena that carries coded messages for persons who understand them. They help investors to avoid excessive behavior in markets and telegraph future trends by using past market movements as the base.
The recent price movements for Radio Jamaica and Fesco show them breaking out of a channel that goes back for months, both companies released results that were price movers and both broke out, with the market not fully there as yet as prices moved too far too fast as such prices pulled back.
A few months after Wigton shares were listed in 2019, ICINsider.com wrote a piece to help investors better understand stock market behavior and prevent losses in the market. The piece captioned “Wigton price dreamers” was published in May of 2019. In light of the irrational trading in Fesco and Salada shares, elements of the article are highlighted below.
Salada Foods traded at a all-time high of $18 on Tuesday.
“Buy now, Ride the $3 wave”. That is the advice of one online investor to another, regarding the likely performance of the Wigton Windfarm stock after trading, on the first day of listing at 83 cents with a PE of 14, placing the value in the upper half of the most valued main market stocks. The premium over net asset value another measure of valuation is 291 percent above the net asset value. At $3, the stock would trade at a stunningly high PE ratio of 50 times 2019 and 2020 earnings. The only main market stock close to that valuation is Kingston Wharves (KW) at 35 times 2019 earnings and that is coming down from more than 50 times 2018 earnings when it traded at $85.
Unlike KW, which has less than 10 percent of the shareholding that will trade, amounting to a few million units, Wigton has billion of shares that will trade. The high liquidity of the shares almost ensures that they will not become overvalued.
Most investors who would be big buyers are more professional and are versed in the valuation levels of stocks. Accordingly, they are unlikely to be buying a stock that has doubtful expansion credentials at an inflated value. The most popular valuation tool, the PE ratio does not support a price much higher than $1.20, with EPS of 60 cents per share. A price of $1.20 equates to a high PE ratio of 20. Only a few stocks are valued close to this multiple and many of them have prospects for profits to grow. Wigton has no immediate prospects for growth in earnings, pricing it at 20 times EPS would therefore be unwise. The market will speak but the heavy selling on Friday when it first traded is more in line with the thinking that the top is not far off. Investors who buy shares above the accepted market norm will likely get crushed.
In the investment world staying close to the crowd with pricing is a prudent investment practice that tends to be less costly than trying to predict lofty heights for stocks to reach.
PE ratios are there to give a sense of appropriate values, when investors try to break away from where the bulk of investors place a value of a stock, they usually end up regret the move.