The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market closed lower on Friday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index falling by 795.98 points to 453,102.99 and the JSE Index declined by 723.33 points to 412,740.30.
At the close market activity, the main and US markets had 38 securities traded, compared to 32 on Thursday leading to 12 advancing, 14 declining and 1 closing unchanged.
Trading closed with 2,765,705 units valued $90,660,891 changing hands, compared to 1,977,854 units for $90,864,188 trading on Thursday and the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index lost 1,047.74 points to close 453,898.97 and the JSE Index declined by 952.11 points to end at 413,463.63.
Trading ended with an average of 81,344 units valued at an average of $2,666,497 for each security traded. In contrast to 59,935 units for an average of $2,753,460 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 130,615 units valued at $11,557,578 and previously, 137,805 units valued at $13,039,425. Trading for April resulted in an average of 157,923 shares at $3,718,919, for each security traded.
Barita Investments led trading with 549,795 shares accounting for 20 percent of total main market volume, followed by Sagicor Group with 440,087 shares, and 16 percent of the day’s trades and Pulse Investments closed with 281,094 shares for 10 percent of volume traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with the reading showing 3 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Barita Investments rose $1.50 and closed at $44.50, with 549,795 shares, Caribbean Cement fell 50 cents to finish at $80, with 43,369 shares changing hands, Eppley gained 98 cents and settled at $12.98, with 205 shares trading, Grace Kennedy gained 30 cents and ended trading of 30,704 shares at $61.10. Jamaica Producers gained 50 cents in trading 1,592 shares to close at $24. PanJam Investment concluded trading of 11,623 shares and lost $1 to end at $90, Scotia Group traded 109,267 units after rising 69 cents in closing at $50.99, Supreme Ventures finished with a rise of $2 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of at $33, with 70,840 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments lost 40 cents to close at $12 with an exchange of 53,679 shares and Wisynco Group ended trading of 269,465 shares with a rise of 35 cents to end at $14.90.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 53,175 units valued at over US$5,496, with JMMB Group 6% preference share concluded trading 490 units at $1.05, Proven Investments closed trading with 950 units in closing at 23.99 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 1 cent and completed trading of 51,736 shares at 9 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 0.66 points to close at 182.22.
All Jamaica Index at new record
May 7, 2019 by
The market hit a new high of 453,856.77 on the All Jamaican Composite Index (AJI) after rising by 5,044.21 points with NCB Financial trading at $150 and helped to push the market. The JSE Index climbed 4,583.82 points to a record 412,827.88.
The Junior Market index is up just 7.32 points to sit at 3,008.07. Also rising were Sagicor Group at $47.60 and Supreme Ventures trading at $29.60.
Watch NCB but Cement not finished
May 6, 2019 by
NCB Financial is the main stock to watch this week with group having sealed the deal for majority shares in Guardian Holdings but Caribbean Cement (CC) is still in the stock to watch list.
Fresh from posting record first quarter profit of $1.13 billion or $1.33 per share, from only $348 million in 2018, the shares of CC started right out of the blocks on Monday gone, with a jump of $13.87 to $77.99 and moved higher thereafter during the week.
Cement now sits at $80 and should move higher in the weeks ahead with potential earnings of $7 per share for 2019. The stock price reached $100 briefly during the past week. NCB Financial Group came in for increased buying with the announcement of approval granted for the group to acquire majority shares in the Trinidad based Guardian Holdings, thus returning it to it Jamaican roots. Guardian was previously majority by Mutual Life but the majority shares were sold to Trinidadians, when Guardian had cash flow problems in the 1990s.
Sagicor Group moved up from $44 at the start of the week to close at $46.50 and should move higher with 2018 results showing gains and pointing to a brighter 2019. Wisynco traded as high as $15 during the past week but some selling came in leaving the stock at $14.40 at the close on Friday. The stock is selling at 15 times projected earnings for the for the fiscal year to June 2019, but with strong earnings growth investors could still pile into the stock in anticipation of greater profits in the 2020 fiscal year. RJR and Seprod remain attractive buys and continue on the watch list along with Barita Investments that posted very strong second quarter results. More company results should be flowing this week and investors should be watchful for their release to identify any important message of future earnings. Other stocks of interest in the main market, include Berger Paints, Grace, Jamaica Producers, Jamaica Stock Exchange and PanJam Investment that seems headed to $100, with very few stocks on offer for sale.
The Junior Market rose last week as it starts the recovery from the impact that the recently closed Wigton IPO had on the market. At its recently held annual general meeting, Honey Bun directors pointed to continued improved revenues, created by expansion of the factory providing added capacity to meet demand for their products, resulting from the expansion and new products lined up to come. Stationery and Office Supplies released their annual report with the directors stating that the outlook for 2019 and beyond is positive, given the increase in business and consumer confidence locally and regionally. “The economy is continuing to show positive signs with increased foreign and local investment in the island, particularly in the business outsourcing sector. For the export market, we are supplying a project in Barbados during the first quarter of 2019, and have another project planned for the second quarter in 2019. We anticipate to realise at least six containers of exported products during the year including both the SEEK products and our lines of Torch and Image furniture. With the purchase of SEEK and six months of learning, planning and making adjustments, we now anticipate maximising profits from every business line in 2019.”
Fontana came in for increased buying this past week with trading as high as $4.20 with supply of the stocks declining, General Accident saw improved results last year and this should continue into 2019 but the company is scheduled to release results for quarter one, next week. tTech grew revenues 30 percent in 2018 and 28 percent in the December quarter. More growth is expected for 2019 to boost profit for the year. Derrimon Trading took over the distribution of of Juiciful, Busta and other products for Trinidad-owned SM Jaleel & Company and acquired Woodcats International, late last year. First quarter results should show above normal increase in revenues as a result of the acquisitions in 2018. It will be interesting to see how the new lines, impact first quarter profit.
Fresh from posting record first quarter profit of $1.13 billion or $1.33 per share, from only $348 million in 2018, the shares of CC started right out of the blocks on Monday gone, with a jump of $13.87 to $77.99 and moved higher thereafter during the week.
Cement now sits at $80 and should move higher in the weeks ahead with potential earnings of $7 per share for 2019. The stock price reached $100 briefly during the past week. NCB Financial Group came in for increased buying with the announcement of approval granted for the group to acquire majority shares in the Trinidad based Guardian Holdings, thus returning it to it Jamaican roots. Guardian was previously majority by Mutual Life but the majority shares were sold to Trinidadians, when Guardian had cash flow problems in the 1990s.
Sagicor Group moved up from $44 at the start of the week to close at $46.50 and should move higher with 2018 results showing gains and pointing to a brighter 2019. Wisynco traded as high as $15 during the past week but some selling came in leaving the stock at $14.40 at the close on Friday. The stock is selling at 15 times projected earnings for the for the fiscal year to June 2019, but with strong earnings growth investors could still pile into the stock in anticipation of greater profits in the 2020 fiscal year. RJR and Seprod remain attractive buys and continue on the watch list along with Barita Investments that posted very strong second quarter results. More company results should be flowing this week and investors should be watchful for their release to identify any important message of future earnings. Other stocks of interest in the main market, include Berger Paints, Grace, Jamaica Producers, Jamaica Stock Exchange and PanJam Investment that seems headed to $100, with very few stocks on offer for sale.
The Junior Market rose last week as it starts the recovery from the impact that the recently closed Wigton IPO had on the market. At its recently held annual general meeting, Honey Bun directors pointed to continued improved revenues, created by expansion of the factory providing added capacity to meet demand for their products, resulting from the expansion and new products lined up to come. Stationery and Office Supplies released their annual report with the directors stating that the outlook for 2019 and beyond is positive, given the increase in business and consumer confidence locally and regionally. “The economy is continuing to show positive signs with increased foreign and local investment in the island, particularly in the business outsourcing sector. For the export market, we are supplying a project in Barbados during the first quarter of 2019, and have another project planned for the second quarter in 2019. We anticipate to realise at least six containers of exported products during the year including both the SEEK products and our lines of Torch and Image furniture. With the purchase of SEEK and six months of learning, planning and making adjustments, we now anticipate maximising profits from every business line in 2019.”
Fontana came in for increased buying this past week with trading as high as $4.20 with supply of the stocks declining, General Accident saw improved results last year and this should continue into 2019 but the company is scheduled to release results for quarter one, next week. tTech grew revenues 30 percent in 2018 and 28 percent in the December quarter. More growth is expected for 2019 to boost profit for the year. Derrimon Trading took over the distribution of of Juiciful, Busta and other products for Trinidad-owned SM Jaleel & Company and acquired Woodcats International, late last year. First quarter results should show above normal increase in revenues as a result of the acquisitions in 2018. It will be interesting to see how the new lines, impact first quarter profit.