Trading activity ended with 48 percent fewer shares changing hands on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Tuesday, with 73 percent lower value than trading on Monday, with 55 securities trading compared to 57 on Monday, with 21 rising, 19 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
A total of 9,556,783 shares were traded for $28,842,985 compared to 18,209,479 units at $105,140,128 on Monday.
Trading averaged 173,760 shares at $524,418 versus 319,465 shares at $1,844,564 on Monday and month to date, an average of 247,913 units at $1,196,278 compared with March with an average of 356,137 units at $3,015,416.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 5.46 million shares for 57.2 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.01 million units for 10.6 percent of the day’s trade and Ciboney Group with 947,765 units for 9.9 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 494.93 points to 371,255.18, the JSE Main Index dipped 390.22 points to 331,377.07 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.19 points to close at 76.29.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.6 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Barita Investments gained 52 cents to end at $80.50 in an exchange of 16,038 shares, Caribbean Cement rallied $1 after ending at $57 in trading 16,291 stocks, Eppley advanced 49 cents to $37.49 with the swapping of 561 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed $4.10 to close at $40.40 w with investors trading 3,390 stock units, GraceKennedy fell $2.50 to $80 in switching ownership of 39,584 units, Guardian Holdings climbed $5 after ending at $490 as investors exchanged 19 stocks. Jamaica Broilers dipped $2.35 to end at $35, with 12,988 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers dropped 80 cents to $21 with investors transferring 20,061 stock units, Kingston Wharves lost 49 cents to close at $34 with an exchange of 339 stocks. Massy Holdings popped $3.80 in closing at $89 after an exchange of 5,529 units, NCB Financial dropped $2 to $73 after 17,263 shares passed through the market, Pan Jamaica Group increased $3.94 to end at $55.94 after a transfer of 10,135 stock units. Sagicor Group fell $3.40 in closing at $47.50 in an exchange of 37,018 shares, Seprod rose $2.49 after ending at $69.99 with a transfer of 5,493 stock units and Supreme Ventures gained 90 cents to close at $26.90, with 15,373 stocks crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share rose $2 in closing at $22 after 11 units crossed the market, Jamaica Public Service 7% dropped $30.99 to $98, with 46 units crossing the market, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% climbed $2 to end at $3000 after exchanging one stock unit and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share increased $16.05 in ending at $107 while exchanging 28 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
ICTOP10 rides big weekly JSE rally
While the Main and Junior Markets rebounded sharply during last week, ICTOP10 stocks ended with varying movements, with gains and losses in both markets hitting 16 percent. It was an interesting week in which the main market gained over 18,000 points for the week with all days closing with gains including the Friday of the previous week, but it sits at a resistance level and is a signal worth watching.
The Junior Market put on 200 points since Thursday, March 23 and had one minor negative trading day during the period, however, the last day accounted for nearly half of the above gains.
While Bank of Jamaica held their overnight rates at 7 percent, their CD rate that fell 16 percent in the previous week to an average of 8.85 percent from over 10 percent where it stood for several months, BOJ offered a huge $35 billion this past week, but the average rate fell to 8.49 percent after $70 billion chased the amount offered. Importantly, the central bank cut the stock of CDS it holds from a peak of $109.5 billion on March 3, but at the latest auction, it amounted to $88.85 billion, marginally up from $82 billion on the 17th.
At the end of the past week, in the Junior Market TOP10 four stocks gained and five declined. KLE Group jumped 16 percent to $1.69 and Tropical Battery rose 7 percent to close at $2.08. General Accident dropped 16 percent to $5 and Everything Fresh fell 6 percent to close at $1.45.
The Main Market TOP10 JMMB Group climbed 15 percent to $33.25, Jamaica Broilers gained 12 percent to $37.10, Caribbean Producers popped 7 percent to $9.70 and NCB Financial with a rise of 6 percent to $75. Berger Paints fell 10 percent to $8.20 and 138 Student Living with a fall of 6 percent to $5.05.
The Junior Market has a long term pattern, with the market starting to rise around a month before quarterly results are due and declining shortly after results are released. This is a pattern worth noting that can be built into investment decisions that can improve returns.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 14.2, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11.4. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 248 percent and the Main MarketTOP10 by an average of 267 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 28, averaging 20.4, well above the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, suggesting that this may be a logical value for junior market stocks currently.
The Main Market 19 highest valued stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 115, with an average of 29 and 21 excluding the most valued stocks and 20.5 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. 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.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings 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 are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Key Insurance highest ICTOP10 jumps 37%
Stocks dropped to their lowest levels this past week after falling even lower than they did to close of the previous week as investors continue to shun the market, but the time is not far off that Bank of Jamaica will begin lowering interest rates and fuel a market resurgence as they sent the clearest signal that interest rates have not only peaked but will be headed downwards this past week.
The first signs of an easing of rate came this past week with BOJ CDs rates plunging 16 percent to an average of 8.85 percent from over 10 percent where it stood for several months. Importantly, the central bank cut the stock of CDS it holds from a peak of $109.5 billion on March 3, down to $82 billion at the latest auction, far less than from mid-January to the end of February, as more than $58 billion chasing after the $18 billion that was offered last week. While this happened the foreign exchange market looks very liquid with the rate falling under $152 to one US dollar from $155 earlier in February.
Performance in the past week for the Junior Market TOP10 saw only two stocks rising and seven falling, the majority of the declining stocks registering fell by 3 percent or less. General Accident jumped 20 percent to $5.98, but the bids are not there at the close, to support the price, but selling has abated for this stock currently. Everything Fresh rose 9 percent to close at $1.55 and actually traded at $1.65 during the week. Iron Rock Insurance fell 13 percent to $2 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 percent to $1.90.
The Main Market TOP10 saw the highest gaining stock rising just 34 percent, after Key Insurance jumped to $3.50 and was followed by 138 Student Living with an 8 percent rise to $5.40, but Caribbean Producers dropped 8 percent to $9.07. All other movements were 3 percent or less.
The Junior Market has a long term pattern, with the market starting to rise around a month before quarterly results are due and declining shortly after results are released. This is a pattern worth noting that can be built into investment decisions that can improve returns.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.5, well below the market average of 13.2, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 10.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 248 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average of 274 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 9 stocks representing 19 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 24, averaging 19, well above the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 15, suggesting that this may be a logical value for junior market stocks currently.
The Main Market 16 most valued stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 100, with an average of 29 and 19 excluding the highest valued stocks and 18 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. 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.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings 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 are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.