Trading activity picked up on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday with a 113 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded as the value surged by 239 percent over trading on Wednesday, after trading took place in 55 securities trading down from 60 on Wednesday, with 23 rising, 22 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
A total of 11,506,995 shares were exchanged for $127,421,242 versus 5,390,205 units at $37,625,972 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 209,218 units at $2,317,495 compared with 89,837 shares at $627,100 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 146,932 stock units at $1,435,550. February closed with an average of 183,599 units at $2,160,070.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 6.13 million shares for 53.2 percent of the volume, Transjamaican Highway followed with 1.27 million units for 11 percent of the day’s trade and Massy Holdings with 1.10 million units for 9.6 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,813.15 points to end at 380,265.75, the JSE Main Index shed 1,383.23 points to close at 335,838.19 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.21 points to 79.78.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.2 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD MarketPE 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 eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell $1 to a 52 weeks’ low of $80 after 46,324 shares passed through the market, Berger Paints popped 79 cents to $9.06 in after an exchange of 60 stocks, Caribbean Cement declined $3.25 to close at $56.75 in switching ownership of 8,494 units. Caribbean Producers dipped $1 to $10 trading 33,889 stock units, Eppley shed 52 cents in closing at $37.48 after exchanging 18,305 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced $4 to $45 after investors traded 179 units. GraceKennedy rose $3 in closing at $82 with the swapping of 47,812 stocks, Guardian Holdings climbed $9.50 to end at $510 with investors transferring 898 shares, Jamaica Broilers rallied $1.80 to a 52 weeks’ high of $37.55 in exchanging 38,852 units. Jamaica Producers gained 69 cents to close at $21 after clearing the market with 115,235 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 57 cents to $14.55 with 8,700 stocks changing hands, JMMB Group dropped 71 cents to $31.18 with a transfer of 52,761 stock units. Mayberry Investments rallied 69 cents to end at $8.50 with an exchange of 219,534 stock units, NCB Financial shed $2 in closing at $73.50 after trading 16,302 shares, 138 Student Living rallied 49 cents to $5.50 after a transfer of 38,968 stocks. PanJam Investment gained 58 cents to end at $57.10 in exchanging 2,387 units, Proven Investments popped 40 cents to $27.90 as investors traded 212 stocks, Scotia Group dipped 70 cents to $34.05 after a transfer of 38,513 units. Seprod declined $4.95 to close at $62.05 as investors exchanged 109,920 shares and Wisynco Group popped 41 cents in ending at $18.01 with the swapping of 95,604 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% continues to defy gravity in advancing $8.23 to a new record high of $38.23 with 1,720 units changing hands and 138 Student Living preference share advanced $3.45 to end at $77.45 in trading 158 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Elite out Tropical back in ICTOP10
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed the past week with gains in the indices. Still, the Junior Market suffered a significant loss on Friday to close the week with a loss following a sizable fall in the price of Fosrich. This most heavily weighted Junior Market stock fell from an average price of $3.20 at the previous week’s close down to $2.63.
ICTOP10 has only one new addition this week, in the Junior Market TOP10 and none in the Main Market, following major volatility in price movements in the listings.
In closing out the week, Iron Rock Insurance led stocks rising, with a gain of 13 percent to $2.30, followed by General Accident, that rose 6 percent to $4.99, while Main Event put on 4 percent to land at $10.80. Elite Diagnostic fell 21 percent to $2.45 as demand vanished for the stock following release of poor second quarter results. Paramount Trading fell 9 per cent to $2, Image Plus and Lasco Distributors dipped 5 percent to $1.90 and $2.60, respectively.
Five stocks rose in the Main MarketTOP10, with the price of Key Insurance rising 7 percent to $3.20, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 5 percent to $12.57, while 138 Student Living and Scotia Group popped 4 percent higher to $5.01 and $34.20, respectively. Berger Paints dropped 8 percent to $9.25, Caribbean Producers, Guardian Holdings and Jamaica Broilers lost 3 percent.
Earnings per share for Elite Diagnostic was revised down to 28 cents per share for the current year, following a small loss of $7 million in the December quarter, even as revenues rose a solid 20 percent or $30 million over the same quarter in 2021, resulting in the stock dropping out of the ICTOP10, to be replaced by Tropical Battery that is returning after a short absence.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.4, well below the market average of 13.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 213 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 288 percent to May this year, assuming the market gets back to last year’s valuation. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to get to the summer months before the full interest of investors is visible.
The Junior Market has 13 stocks representing 27 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 27 averaging 19 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 17. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 17 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 109, with an average of 32 and 23 excluding the highest valued stocks and 21 for the top half excluding the highest valued 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 will likely 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, resulting 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.
More ICTOP10 additions
ICTOP10 has two new additions this week, all are Junior Market stocks, following modest price changes in the listings this past week, but the Main Market had mostly significant losses as that market hit a new low for the year during the week.
In closing out the week, Lasco Distributors rose 6 percent to $2.75, while Tropical Battery gained just 4 percent to $2.40. Iron Rock Insurance fell 15 percent to $2.03, the only declining stock above one percent.
Four stocks rose in the Main Market TOP10, with NCB Financial and Jamaica Broilers increasing 4 percent to $77.99 and $33.90, respectively. Caribbean Producers plunged 10 percent to $9.72 as investors reacted negatively to a near US$2m negative swing in second quarter profit on higher revenues that were up 16 percent in the period, JMMB Group lost 8 percent to close at $30.80, Key Insurance fell 7 percent to $3, but 138 Student Living and Scotia Group dropped 4 percent to $4.80 and $32.95 respectively.
Honey Bun rose modestly for the week and, along with Tropical Battery, climbed out of the Junior Market ICTOP10, allowing Lasco Manufacturing and Paramount Trading to return to the ICTOP10.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.4, well below the market average of 13.6, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.3 compared with the market at 12, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 220 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 288 percent to May this year. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before the full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 14 stocks representing 29 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 28, averaging 20 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 17. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks.
The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 17 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 90, with an average of 33 and 25 excluding the highest valued stocks and 25 for the top half excluding the highest valued 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 will likely 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, resulting 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.