Trading closed on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 54 percent, with the value slipping 50 percent lower than on Thursday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
Market activity led to 37 securities trading versus 36 on Thursday and ended with 13 rising, 16 declining and eight unchanged. The Junior Market Index declined 14.88 points to close at 3,338.02. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.1. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecasts for companies whose financial year ends up to August 2022.
A total of 3,742,069 shares traded for $14,045,897 down from 8,141,189 units at $28,315,428 on Thursday. Lumber Depot led trading with 870,161 shares for 23.3 percent of total volume, followed by Future Energy Source 719,694 units for 19.2 percent of the day’s trade and Honey Bun with 296,852 units for 7.9 percent market share.
Trading averaged 101,137 shares at $379,619 in contrast to 226,144 shares at $786,540 on Thursday and month to date, averaging 634,687 units at $1,870,005, compared to 715,927 units at $2,096,936 on Thursday. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
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, Access Financial shed 50 cents to end at $19.50 after an exchange of 7,434 shares, AMG Packaging rose 7 cents to $2.07, trading 20,000 stock units, Cargo Handlers increased 93 cents to $7.98 with an exchange of 6,139 stocks. Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 10 cents to close at $2.60 in trading 76,750 units, Caribbean Cream climbed 30 cents to $5.80 with 500 units changing hands, Caribbean Flavours lost 10 cents in closing at $1.80 after trading 26,852 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries fell 9 cents to $1.26 in switching ownership of 4,429 shares, Dolphin Cove rallied 5 cents to $13.50 119,898 stock units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic gained 15 cents to close at $3, with 16,329 stocks clearing the market. Everything Fresh popped 7 cents to end at $1, with 100,072 stock units crossing the market, General Accident dropped 20 cents to $6.40 with the swapping of 117,475 shares, Honey Bun shed 28 cents in closing at $9.02, with 296,852 units crossing the market. Jetcon Corporation dropped 10 cents to close at 90 cents after exchanging 134,036 stocks, KLE Group fell 33 cents to $1.97 after trading 16,100 shares, Knutsford Express lost 47 cents to $7.50 after trading 4,972 stock units. Limners and Bards advanced 8 cents to $3.50 while exchanging 38,896 units, Medical Disposables declined 45 cents to $6 in trading 10,000 stocks, Paramount Trading dropped 11 cents to close at $1.19 after trading 46,000 units. Stationery and Office Supplies lost 40 cents after ending at $5.60 with an exchange of 11,220 stock units and tTech spiked 48 cents to $4.50 in trading 2,000 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
ICTOP10 CaribAssurance jumps 21%, AMG drops 16%
Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 21 percent to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.98 for the week, while AMG Packaging fell 16 percent in closing at $1.90, with most Junior Market stocks declining for the week. Main Market stocks were pretty steady, with movements not exceeding 4 percent for the week even as the market indices fell just over 6,500 points or 1.5 percent. On the other hand, the Junior Market gave up 31 points or one percent.
The other notable large TOP10 movers this week are; AMG Packaging, with a loss of 16 percent in closing at $1.90 from $2.25 at the previous week’s close after it fell from $2.40 at the end prior week and Caribbean Cream rose 2 percent to $5.70. Access Financial Services slipped 6 percent to $19.50, Elite Diagnostic dropped 7 percent on top of the 8 percent fall last week to $2.97 and General Accident lost 9 percent in closing at $6, Lasco Distributors and Lumber Depot lost 5 percent each. On Friday, the latter declined as Mayberry Jamaica Equities sold off their holdings to Stony Hill Investments.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Producers added another 3 percent to the 15 percent increase last week to close at $10.36 and Proven Investments was up 4 percent. PanJam Investment dropped from $73 9 to $68 to reenter the TOP10, with Carreras dropping out of the Main Market TOP10. In the Junior Market, the price of Medical Disposables slipped from $6.72 last week to $6.30 this past week and swapped back its spot with Dolphin Cove, with the price of the latter closing at $13, up marginally from $12.90.
The top three Main Market stocks are Guardian Holdings, Caribbean Producers and JMMB Group, projected to gain between 213 to 253 percent expected versus last weeks’ 214 to 254 percent.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are AMG Packaging, followed by Access Financial Services and Lasco Distributors. All three can gain between 162 and 268 percent, up from 150 percent and 211 percent previously.
This week’s focus: Lumber Depot stock was under pressure since the release of the first quarter results in September, with price slipping from $3.18 days after the release to below $3. Now that Mayberry sold off their holdings, the stock may be allowed to move up unless other top holders resume selling. The stocks have the potential to record strong price appreciation and the company has good long term prospects for growth and expansion. With earnings per share projected at 35 cents for the current year and the price under $3 with a PE of just 8, there is much upside potential in the short term.
The average gains projected for the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks moved from 142 percent last week to 151 percent and Main Market stocks moved from 159 percent to this weeks’ 157 percent.
The Junior Market closed the week with an average PE of 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and currently well below the target of 20 and the average of 17 at the end of March this year based on 2020 earnings. The TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of a mere 8.1, with a 43 percent discount to that market’s average PE.
The Junior Market can gain 40 percent to March next year, based on an average PE of 20 and 9percent based on an average PE of 17. Ten stocks representing 25 percent of all Junior Market stocks with positive earnings are trading at or above this level, down from seven last week, indicating that many others will rise towards the 17 mark in the weeks ahead.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market is 15.7, which is 21 percent less than the PE of 19 at the end of March and 27 percent below the target of 20 to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 average PE is 8.1, representing a 51 percent discount to the market and well below the potential of 20. A total of 17 stocks or 36 percent of the market trade at or above a PE of 19, with most over 20, for an average roundabout 25, suggesting that the accepted multiple is between 20 and 25 times the current year’s earnings.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on the possible increase for each company, considering 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.
This stock is a must for Xmas buy list
Profit after taxation surged 455 percent to $21.5 million for the second quarter to September from a loss of $6 million in 2020 at Medical Disposables. For the year to date, profit after tax spiked 458 percent to $47 million, up from a loss of $13 million in 2020.
Income from sales jumped 49 percent to $936 million for the September quarter, up from $630 million in 2020 and climbed 42 percent for the six months ended September 2021 to $1.62 billion, from $1.14 billion in the prior year.
The increase in sales in the second quarter “is due to increased business activity as well as the consolidation of the operations of the new subsidiary Cornwall Enterprises Limited. There has been a significant improvement in the movement of pharmaceutical and medical disposable items, especially with fewer lock-down periods when compared to last year,” Kurt Boothe, Chief Executive Officer, reported to shareholders in the report accompanying the financials.
Gross profit after selling and distribution expenses jumped 74 percent in the quarter to $184 million, up from $106 million in 2020 and climbed 85 percent for the half year to $303 million from $164 million in the prior year. The period’s gross profit percentage rose to 25 percent compared to 23 percent in 2020 for the six months and from 24 percent in 2020 to 25 percent for the September quarter.
Finance and other income added $8 million to profit in the September 2021 quarter versus $1.5 million in 2020 and for the half year $10 million versus $3 million in 2020.
Selling and promotional expenses increased 26 percent from $46 million in the 2020 second quarter to $59 million and rose 14 percent from $103 million in 2020 to $117 million for the six month period.
Administrative expenses jumped 80 percent from $63 million in the 2020 second quarter to $112 million and surged 55 percent from $113 million in 2020 to $175 million for the six months. Depreciation charge moved 90 percent from $7 million for the September 2020 quarter to $13 million in 2021 and rose 45 percent for the half year from $14 million to $20 million.
Finance cost fell 26 percent from $38 million to $28 million in the quarter and dipped 9 percent to $45 million $50 million for the half year. Foreign exchange losses amount to $1.75 million in the latest quarter from $4 million in 2020 and $5.4 million for the year to date versus a slight loss of $76,823 in 2020.
Gross cash flow generated $75 million for the six months, but growth in working capital drove it down to a negative $119 million versus negative $190 million in 2020. The cash flow deficit was financed by net loan inflows of $225 million. The company paid a dividend of $18.4 million during the half year. At the end of the quarter, Current assets ended with $1.79 billion, including cash of $95 million, inventories of $944 million and receivables of $745 million. Current Liabilities amounts to $1.24 billion and includes Payables of $741 million and short term loans of $486 million. Net current assets ended the period $549 million. Shareholders’ equity stands at $1.05 million, with long term borrowings at just $284 million.
Earnings per share came out at 8 cents for the quarter and 18 cents for the half year. ICInsider.com forecasts earnings of 70 cents per share for the current year and $1.50 per share for 2023. The stock traded at $5.62 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Wednesday with a PE ratio of 8 times, current earnings well below the average of 14.5 currently for the Junior Market. The stock gets the coveted ICInsider.com BUY RATED seal.