Sagicor Group traded 2.275 million shares and fell $3.49 to $30.01 by mid-morning on Thursday and was the main contributor to the more than 3,600 points fall in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed in the morning session. The price recovered to close back at the closing price of the previous day but the market closed with more losses with Mayberry Investments trading more than 10 million shares with a loss of 57 cents.
The market closed on Thursday with 29 securities changing hands with 3 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 10 declined. Trading levels in the main market ended at 14,040,895 units valued at $147,385,397 compared to 2,068,486 units valued at $25,621,686 at the close on Wednesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 12,880 units valued at US$3,794.
The All Jamaica Composite Index dived 4,312.28 points to close at 259,935.85 and the JSE Market Index sank 3,928.98 points to finish at 236,830.99. The JSE US dollar market index added 2.34 points to close at 221.11.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 540,034 units valued at $5,668,669 per security traded, compared to an average of 86,187 units valued at $1,067,570 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 557,915 units with an average value of $7,436,562 compared with an average of 559,541 units with an average value of $7,597,279 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
In market activity, Berger Paints tumbled $4.16 to close at $19.34 in exchanging 32,091 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.40, with 286,674 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 15 cents higher to close at $29.65 with 2,529 units traded, Carreras lost 20 cents, closing at $82.80 with an exchange of 100 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with trades of 44,917 units. Jamaica Broilers fell $1 and closed at $19, with 38,394 shares changing owners, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.99, with an exchange of 234,241 shares and Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 30 cents to close at $7.80 trading 11,187 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.50, gaining 49 cents with trades of 8,300 units, Kingston Properties added $1.10 to close at $16.60 exchanging 4,650 shares, as the stock is set to start trading ex split on Friday.Kingston Wharves traded 1 cent higher to close at $31.50, with an exchange of 30,958 units, Mayberry Investments lost 57 cents to close at $4.18, with 10,252,750 shares changing hands, NCB Financial Group closed at $72, after trading 35,485 shares, PanJam Investment closed at $35.61, gaining 6 cents with trades of 411,523 shares. Portland JSX traded 20 cents lower to close at $10.10 with 725 shares changing hands, Pulse Investments closed at $14.40 exchanging 1,000 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.69 after gaining 3 cents and trading 193,574 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.50 after recovering from $30.01 earlier in the day with trades of 2,292,158 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $10.99, losing 6 cents while exchanging 13,883 units, Salada Foods lost 15 cents in closing at $7.85 with 9,000 shares being exchanged, Scotia Group closed at $41.51, losing 49 cents with 28,375 units changing hands, Scotia Investments traded 1,500 shares at $37.85, Seprod closed at $34.50, with a loss of 50 cents exchanging 5,630 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 9 cents to close at $7.40 trading of 64,251 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 37 US cents, gaining 3 US cents with 730 units traded, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 12,150 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.5% preference share gained 23 cents and closed at $2.05, while exchanging 2,000 units and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share gained 1 cent to close at $1.31 with trades of 35,000 units.
Big profit recovery at Salada
Salada Foods lost money in the final quarter of their 2013 fiscal year to September, but enjoyed a major turn around this year in the same quarter, with profit rising to $60 million after tax, from a loss of $5 million.
On the pretax basis, the change was even more impressive, with a loss of $20 million last year to a profit of $62 million in the September 2014 quarter. The final quarterly results, helped to change the fortunes of the company from declining profit for the nine months ending June this year, versus 2013 to a 19 percent increase to $105 million for the year to September this year from $88 million in 2013. The operations for the Roberts brands, Mountain Peak Processors and Primora Company reduced the pretax profits with losses of $33 million for the year, from revenues of just $8.3 million and $4.4 in 2013. Salada ended with earnings per share of $1.01.
The impressive last quarter earnings, flowed from a doubling in sales moving it from $143 million in 2013 quarter to $297 million, this year. Sales revenues grew 16 percent for the year to $736 million up from $634 million in 2013. While sales rose, interest income fell in both the quarter and the full year. Administrative expenses climbed 92 percent in the quarter and 17 percent for the year to September, but sales and marketing cost fell in both periods.
Salada changed distributorship at the start of the year. Prior to the change, the company was concerned that the former distributor was holding high levels of inventories of their product. The falloff in sales earlier in the year, the sharp uptick in the September quarter could be attributable to excess supplies in the market for coffee, being removed. The sharp increase in sales in the September quarter, should lead to higher income in the December quarter and the rest of the 2015 financial year and should raise earnings to the $1.60 per share level.
Receivables climbed from $67 million in 2013 to $240 million of which $201 million is owed for 30 days or less. Inventories fell from $251 million in 2013, to $227 million in 2014 but the composition is vastly different. While raw materials in 2013 amounted to $162 million, is now down to $93 million at the same time finished goods and work in progress at $44 million and $67 million respectively compared to $28 million and $36 million at the end of the year. The increase in finished goods and work in progress, along with the healthy receivables position, suggest that the sales in the September quarter are sustainable.
At the year-end cash is at $75 million accounts payable at $99 million with no interest bearing debt.
Investors can expect to see some recovery in the stock price that is now at $6.50 having fallen from $10 earlier in the year with the lower profits up to June.
the company announced that the directors would be meeting on December 5, to consider the payment of a dividend.
Pick up in market activity
Trading picked up over Mondays levels in Tuesday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with the prices of 7 stocks rising and 8 declined as 30 securities changed hands resulting in 6,769,006 shares trading valued at $93,106,961.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index inching up by 68.50 points to 69,499.13 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up 76.59 points to close at 76,420.86
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Caribbean Cement trading of 10,000 shares to close with a gain of 20 cents at $2.95, Carreras gained 50 cents to close at $34 with 1,100 units changing hands, Kingston Wharves with 216,216 shares as the price gained 10 cents to close at $5, National Commercial Bank with 173,550 shares to close with a gain of $1.20 at $18.50 and
Scotia Group with 428,791 units to close with a gain of 50 cents to end at $19.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price at the end of trading are Berger Paints with 6,161 units to close at $1.66, Cable & Wireless 856,277 shares to close at 30 cents, Desnoes & Geddes with 2,500 units to close at $4.50, Gleaner 11,000 shares in closing at $1.10, Jamaica Producers with only 2,462 units to close at $15.60, Mayberry Investments 22,846 units to close at $1.45, prior to the close the stock hit a new 52 weeks intraday low of $1.35, Radio Jamaica 9,549 units to close at $1.29, Scotia Investments with 15,950 units to close at $21.50 and Supreme Ventures 2,500 units traded to close at $1.90.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 48,750 units to close at$2 and the Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share 558,109 units to close at $3.03.
Declines| The number of stocks that declined in the main market are Grace Kennedy with 480,829 shares valued at $25,940,725 traded to close down 5 cents at $53.95, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 62,200 units lost a cent to end at $6.65, Proven Investments traded 2,470,874 shares lost 2 US cents to close at 16 us cents, Sagicor Group with 776,336 shares lost 8 cents to end at $8.80 and Salada Foods with 1,000 shares lost 20 cents to end at $7.80.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 7.03 points to close at 707.51 as 9 stocks traded with 2 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are Dolphin Cove with 700 units to close a gain of a cent to end at $8.51 and Jamaican Teas with just 1,383 units as the price inched up by 5 cents to end at $3.30.
Firm Trades| The stocks in the junior market stocks that traded to close at the same price as the day before are Access Financial with 6,500 units to close at $13.50, Blue Power 1,900 units to close at $9.01
Caribbean Producers with 231,000 units to close at $2.65 and Consolidated Bakeries 9,910 units to close at 80 cents.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading are with Lasco Distributors trading 7,800 shares to close 2 cents down to $1.18, Lasco Financial 153,913 shares with the price falling 7 cents to close at $1 and Lasco Manufacturing with 198,900 shares close with a 3 cents fall to $1.07.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Barita Trades 15m shares
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange picked up on Wednesday as 29 securities traded and the level of trading increasing helped by 15 million units of Barita going through the market as Barita Investments brokered the one trade as a cross, on behalf of a client. The prices of 8 stocks rose and 9 declined resulting from 19,575,074 shares changing hands valued at $57,957,342.
Main Market| Only 3 companies in the main market advanced and 7 declined as the indices moved up with the JSE Market Index gaining 155.03 points to 72,852.32 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index increasing 173.35 points to close at 80,170.31.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Cable & Wireless in trading 38,081 shares to close with a one cent gain at 35 cents. Investors should a get a glimpse as to the performance of the local Cable & Wireless performance as CWC PLC is scheduled to release full year results on the 22nd of May at 9.30 AM British time. Carreras gained $1.05 to close at $35.80 with 10,018 units changing hands and Sagicor Group traded 974,350 in only two trades to close up 20 cents at $9.50.
Firm| There were 9 stocks in the main market to close without a change in price as Berger Paints with just 1,519 shares closed at $1.67, Gleaner traded 16,000 stock units and closed at $1.10, Jamaica Broilers 1,864 units and closed $4.70, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference shar, 28,000 units to close at $2 with the 8.75% preference share having 2,069,833 units changing hands at $3.03, Jamaica Producers 70,827 shares to close at $18.26, Mayberry Investments 6,018 shares and closed at $1.77 followed by Radio Jamaica with 7,800 units as the price closed at $1.29 and Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 342,142 shares to close at $6.60.
Declines| 7 stocks with plus one in the US dollar market declined on Wednesday in the main market with Barita Investments trading 15,000,000 shares while losing a cents to end at $2.29, Caribbean Cement with 297,600 units to close at $3 after falling by 30 cents as investors react negatively to the company’s recent disappointing March quarter results showing profit of only $35 million or just 4 cents per share, while sales volumes were up over the 2013 quarter. Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded 25,206 ordinary shares and closed down by 5 cents to $7.21, Margaritaville ordinary shares traded 1,700 units to end at US$0.115 for a .05 cents drop, National Commercial Bank price lost 20 cents in trading 27,722 units to close at $17.80, while Pan Jamaican Investment exchanged 7,680 shares to close at $48.05 while falling 5 cents, Salada Foods traded 2,400 units as the company is reporting a bad period of declining sales revenues and falling profits of $28 million for the half year to March versus $55 million in 2013, with the price dropping 10 cents to $7.80 and Scotia Group ended up with 28,057 units changing hands to close with a 12 cents loss at $19.58.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index advanced by 7.38 points to close at 736.50 as 9 stocks traded with 5 advancing and only one declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are Access Financial with 9,000 units to close at $12, up 50 cents, Caribbean Producers with 244,816 units to close with a 2 cents gain at $2.75, Jamaican Teas 80,000 shares to close 5 cents higher at $3.50 followed by Lasco Financial with50,000 units to close at $1.25 for a gain of 10 cents and Lasco Manufacturing 147,016 shares to close a cent higher at $1.15.
Firm Trades| 3 stocks in the junior market stocks that traded to close at the same price as the day before Blue Power with 910 shares traded and closed at $9.10, Dolphin Cove 3,270 shares to close at $8.10 and Lasco Distributors 58,245 units as the price ended at $1.40.
Declines| There was just one stock declining in the junior market at the end of trading with Consolidated Bakeries trading 25,000 shares to close down 2 cents at 90 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
Declining stocks dominate trade
The Jamaica Stock Exchange continues to lose ground with more stocks falling than rising as the prices of only 5 stocks rose and 12 declined with 25 securities traded resulting in 2,034,342 shares trading valued at $8,897,265 but the junior market index rose although the two main market indices fell.
Main Market| Only 2 companies in the main market advanced at the end of trading and one from the US dollar market and 6 declined as the indices moved down with the JSE Market Index erasing 432.21 points to close at 72,697.29 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index lost 483.28 points to close at 79,996.96.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Cable & Wireless in trading 51,164 shares to close with a gain of 2 cents at 34 cents, Margaritaville gained 2 US cents to close at 12 US cents with 340 units changing hands for the first time since listing to close at a new high and Sagicor Group swapped 177,506 units 5 cents higher to end at $9.30.
Firm| There were 6 stocks in the main market to close without a change in price with Grace Kennedy trading 1,000 units and closed at $55, Jamaica Broilers 156,467 shares closing at $4.70, National Commercial Bank 25,550 shares to close at $18, Radio Jamaica 30,895 shares closing at $1.29, Sagicor Real Estate Fund 4,940 units in closing at $6.60, Scotia Group 109,624 shares to close at $19.70.
Declines| The number of stocks that declined in the main market are Caribbean Cement with 30,316 shares while losing 20 cents to end at $3.30, Carreras 11,000 shares to close at $34.75 with a $1.20 decline, Gleaner 74,821 stock units to close with a cent down at $1.10, Pan Jamaican Investment as it traded 15,486 shares to close at $48.10 with the price falling by 40 cents, Salada Foods down by 10 cents while trading 2,830 units at $7.90, Scotia Investments 10,635 shares to close at $23.50, a decline of $2 and Supreme Ventures 316,847 stock units to close with a loss of 10 cents to $2 for a new 52 weeks low.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index rose 3.56 points to close at 729.12 as only 9 stocks traded with 2 advancing and 2 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are Jamaican Teas with 49,530 units to close at $3.45 as the price rose by 24 cents and Lasco Financial Services traded 31,500 shares to close 5 cents higher at $1.15.
Firm Trades| The 2 stocks in the junior market stocks that traded to close at the same price as the day before are Caribbean Producers with 50,000 shares closing at $2.73 and Lasco Distributors with 222,054 units to close at $1.40.
Declines| Five stocks declined in the junior market at the end of trading are AMG Packaging in trading 5,000 units to close at $3.30, down 19 cents, for a 52 weeks low, Caribbean Flavours with 53,065 units to close with a 20 fall to $2.50, followed by Consolidated Bakeries 157,299 as the price declined by 18 cents in light of the reduced profits reported for the March quarter to end at 92 cents. The company saw profits fall 48 percent to $7.4 million in the March quarter from reduced gross profit margin in spite of a 14 percent rise in sales revenues to $197 million. General Accident 200,198 shares to close at $1.48 with a one cent fall and Lasco Manufacturing that is expected to report final results for the year to March by the end of May traded 246,275 units to close with a one cent loss at $1.14.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
JSE hits 2014 low
In Friday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the prices of 3 stocks rose and 7 declined as 22 securities traded resulting in 10,829,685 shares changing hands valued at $38,848,598.
Main Market| The prices of only 2 companies in the main market rose and 6 declined as the indices dropped to the lowest level for the year, with the JSE Market Index erasing 1,032.29 points to 72,026.03 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index dropping by 1,154.27 points to close at 79,246.38. The previous low for the JSE All Jamaica Index was at 79,357.40 on December 27, last year.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Desnoes & Geddes with 500,000 shares to close with a gain of 20 cents at $4.50 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 24,100 ordinary shares changing hands, gained a cent to close at $7.31.
Firm| There were 7 stocks in the main market closing without a change in price as Berger Paints with 19,500 shares closed at $1.67, Caribbean Cement traded 5,062 units and closed at $3.50, Carreras traded 10,000 units to close at $33.65, Gleaner 100,000 units in closing at $1.10, Grace Kennedy 394 units at $56, National Commercial Bank 467,250 shares at $18 and Salada with 6,065 units to close at $8.
Declines| The number of stocks declining in the main market are Cable & Wireless with 3,189,689 units while losing 5 cents to end at 30 cents, Jamaica Broilers with 1,933,332 units changing hands to close at $4.80 as the price fell 5 cents, Pan Jamaican Investment 14,874 shares to close at $48.06 for a fall of 44 cents, Sagicor Group 156,333 units to close at $9 with a loss of 10 cents, Scotia Group 470,716 shares to close at $19.50 as the price lost 56 cents and Seprod with 4,300 units as the price declined by 45 cents to close at $10.55.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 0.59 points to close at 746.24 as 5 stocks and one bond traded with none advancing and 2 declining.
Gains| There were no stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market at the close of the week.
Firm Trades| The stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the previous trading day are 5,603 Cargo Handlers shares traded at $14.35, Consolidated Bakeries with 70,230 units to close at $1.10, 66,600 units of Eppley 9.5% preference share changing hands at $6.02, Lasco Distributors had 39,000 units traded to close at $1.35, Lasco Manufacturing traded 2,309,867 shares in closing at $1.20 and 9,000 Access 9% Unsecured Short Term Notes traded to end at $99.50.
Declines| Only one stock declined in the junior market at the end of trading with Lasco Financial with 1,436,770 units changing hands with a loss of 5 cents to close at $1.20.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 8 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 10 stocks with offers that were lower.
Market directionless
In Thursday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the market was directionless with advancing stocks numbering just below declining ones and the IC market indicator showing investors in a tussle over the immediate future direction of the market. Prices of 6 stocks rose and 8 declined as 20 securities traded resulting in 3,602,192 shares changing hands valued at $19,621,158 in another lacklustre session.
Main Market| All advancing shares in the market was in the main market and all but one stock that declined was also in this market, but the indices moved up slightly, with the JSE Market Index inching up by just 1.23 points to 74,599.03 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index edging up by only 1.38 points to close at 82,123.43.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Berger Paints trading 89,657 unitss to close with a gain of a cent at $1.68, Caribbean Cement gained 21 cents to close at $3.91 with 20,500 units changing hands, Carreras traded 443 shares to close 6 cents higher at $33.56, Ciboney with 50,000 shares by increasing by a cent to close at 12 cents for a new 52 weeks high, Grace Kennedy 7,439 shares with a gain of $1 to close at $58 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 451,214 ordinary shares to close up by 4 cents at $7.24.
Firm| There were only 5 stocks in the main market to close without a change in price as Gleaner with 228,484 shares closed at $1.10, Hardware & Lumber traded 3,300 units and closed at $11.70, Mayberry Investments with 3,060 units closed at $1.70, Scotia Group had 59,888 units changing hands to close at $20.62 and Seprod traded 685 shares in closing at $10.84.
Declines| The number of stocks that declined in the main market are Cable & Wireless with 1,500,888 units while losing a cent to end at 40 cents, Desnoes & Geddes with 76,472 shares to end at $4.30 as the price lost 30 cents, Jamaica Broilers with 450,872 shares to close at $4.86, down 4 cents, Jamaica Producers that traded 6,600 units to close at $18.26 while losing 4 cents, National Commercial Bank 571,665 shares as the price closed with a 10 cents lost, at $18, Sagicor Group had 50,529 units changing hands to close with a fall of 71 cents to $9.50 and Salada Foods 2,400 shares to close 45 cents lower, to end at $7.50
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 0.59 points to close at 743.20 as only 2 junior market stocks traded at the end of the trading session.
Gains| No stock gained at the end of trading in the junior market.
Firm Trades| Lasco Manufacturing was the only stock in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the previous trading day with 27,096 units to end at $1.20.
Declines| Caribbean Producers was the only stock declining in the junior market at the end of trading as the price fell 9 cents to close at $2.91 as it traded a mere 1,000 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 6 stocks with offers that were lower.
Salada Foods switch distributors
Salada Foods has changed its distributors to Lasco Distributors effective from the beginning of January this year. The company has not been happy with the happy in recent times with the manner in which the former distributors were executing task of distributing the company’s products.
Salada advised the Jamaica Stock Exchange that the distribution agreement between SAL and T. Geddes Grant (Distributors) Limited representing the Musson Group ended on December 31, 2013 and that on January 2nd, Lasco Distributors Limited was appointed Exclusive Distributors to distribute all the Salada branded products island-wide.
Salada manufactures and sell Mountain Peak Coffee, Jello and other hot beverage mixes and recently started the production and sales of the Roberts line of products.
Related posts | Profit drops on falling sales at Salada | Profit blast at LASCO Distributors