Trading nosedived to start off the new month on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday with a 41 percent fall in the volume of stocks following a 25 percent slippage in value compared with Tuesday after 57 securities were traded versus 55 on Tuesday, with 16 rising, 30 declining and 11 ending unchanged.
A total of 9,458,006 shares were traded for $74,659,322 down from 16,071,684 units at $99,612,685 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 165,930 units at $1,309,813 compared with 292,212 shares at $1,811,140 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 205,236 units at $1,805,558.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 3.36 million shares for 35.5 percent of trading, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.58 million units for 16.7 percent of the day’s trade and JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 with 703,349 units for 7.4 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,399.97 points to close at 381,932.19, the JSE Main Index shed 2,544.43 points at 337,782.90 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.64 points to end at 80.47.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.6 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement declined $1.46 to $58.52 in exchanging 305 shares, Eppley dropped $2.50 to end at $37.50 with a transfer of 500 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dipped 50 cents to $48 trading 91 stock units. First Rock Real Estate popped $1.64 to close at $13.94 after crossing the market with 5,571 stocks, GraceKennedy declined $4.50 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $74.50 with the swapping of 54,896 stocks, Guardian Holdings dropped $11 to end at $524 as investors exchanged 387 shares. Jamaica Broilers shed 42 cents after ending at $30.99 in switching ownership of 662,725 stock units, JMMB Group fell $2.94 in closing at $33 after 541,737 units passed through the market, Kingston Properties fell $1 to $6.55 after a transfer of 14,251 stocks. Margaritaville fell 95 cents to close at $22 with an exchange of 200 stock units, Mayberry Investments rose 80 cents to $8.77 in trading 29,833 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced 93 cents to close at $12.93 with 1,840 units changing hands. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $8.31 to end at $92.31, with 42 stocks clearing the market, NCB Financial declined $1.25 in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $77.50 in switching ownership of 52,385 stock units, Palace Amusement dropped $290 in ending at $2,190 trading 824 shares. Proven Investments dipped $1.77 to $30 after a transfer of 10,369 units, Sagicor Group declined $5.39 to end at $48.60 after trading 4,020 units, Seprod shed $3 to close at $66 with the swapping of 18,765 shares. Stanley Motta lost 44 cents in ending at $5.25 with investors transferring 10,687 stock units, Supreme Ventures dipped 88 cents to $26.10 with 42,297 stocks changing hands and Sygnus Real Estate Finance rallied 96 cents to close at $10.46 in trading one stock unit.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rose 75 cents in closing at a record high of $5.21 with a transfer of 2,679 shares and 138 Student Living preference share climbed $5.55 to $75.50 in an exchange of 19 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
A Lasco company exists ICTOP10
The Jamaica stock market continues to consolidate, awaiting a dynamic development to push it decisively in one direction or another as the Bank of Jamaica quietly tightened the money supply further in January, drying up buying power in the short run. The first big likely move is unlikely to be a reduction of interest rates which is seemingly set to occur in the second quarter, but the reporting of substantially increased profits to flow from some companies.
Tropical Battery returns to the ICTOP10 list for this week with projected earnings of 30 cents for the current year, up from 15 cents last fiscal year and replaces Lasco Manufacturing which dropped out with a rise in price during the week as the supply of the stock has drooped sharply recently, with just 11 offers to sell now in the system.
Image Plus Consultants reported nine months results with revenues rising 27 percent in the November quarter to $248 million and 43 percent in the nine months to $803 million, while profit rose moderately to $24 million from $22 million in 2021 and for the nine months profits nearly tripled that of 2021 to reach $148 million. The company reported incorrect earnings per share for the periods, using the incorrect number of shares. As a result, rather than 29 cents per share for the quarter and $1.84, it is 2.3 cents and 15 cents for the nine months. Regardless, the stock is cheap based on these earnings and those to come.
Honey Bun rose 10 percent to $7.69, with the December quarter results due any time now, Lasco Financial gained 9 percent to $2.84 and Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 percent to $4.79. General Accident rallied 6 percent to $4.99. Image Plus Consultants entered the ICTOP10 after just one day of trading and fell to a low of $1.86 during the past week before rebounding to close this past week with a fall of 12 percent to $1.93, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 percent of its value to close at $2 and Paramount Trading fell 5 percent to $2.10.
All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market Berger Paints popped 12 percent to $10.60, followed by a 9 percent rise for Jamaica Broilers to close at $31.50 and Guardian Holdings with a gain of 4 percent to $535. There were no notable losses.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 15, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 versus the market at 12.6, critical indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 211 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 274 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 15 stocks representing 31 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 29, averaging 21 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, with prices of Fosrich and Future Energy adjusting downwards closer to the average of the TOP15. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 116, with an average of 27 and 20 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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.
ICTOP10 buy rated Knutsford gains 44%
Shares of Image Plus Consultants were listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday to become the 48 listed company on the exchange and the 52nd company to be listed since the market commenced operations in 2010.
The stock failed to sparkle on listing, rising just 10 percent at the close and could come under selling pressure as investors exit for what they see as greener pastures. Regardless, the stock climbed into the ICTOP10 list for this week and replaces Caribbean Cream got an earnings downgrade.
Knutsford Express dropped out of the ICTOP10 at the end of the prior week and closed this past week at $12.49 to be up a solid 44 percent since it entered the TOP10 on the end of December. It still has much more room to rise with a current PE of just 12.5 and less, based on next fiscal years’ earnings. The move shows, the power that increased earnings have on price movement, with the company posting a profit of $143 million for the six months to November up from $13 million in 2021.
The Junior Market rose this past week t into poo record a rise for the first time this year, the move resulted in three solid gains and three sizable losses for the ICTOP10. Iron Rock Insurance jumped 19 percent to $2.40, Lasco Manufacturing gained 13 percent to $4.55 and Paramount Trading climbed 11 percent to $2.20, after release of strong second quarter results that showed continued improvement in profit, jumping 212 percent for the half year to $149 million. Caribbean Cream reported improving results but the overall profit was light and the stock fell 20 percent to $3.20, Lasco Financial shed 8 percent to $2.60 and General Accident slipped 7 percent to $4.71. All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market only major mover was Berger Paints with an 11 percent loss to $9.50.
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 15.9, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 versus the market at 13, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 212 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average now of 285 percent, to May this year.
The Junior Market has 17 stocks representing 35 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 30, averaging 20.7 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 19 and shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 104, with an average of 32 and 23 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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.