Prices plunged on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market Tuesday after 56 securities traded compared to 58 on Friday, leading to a mere five rising, 46 declining and five ending unchanged market activity ended, with the volume of stocks traded surging 264 percent and the value climbing 155 percent more than on Friday as investors sold stocks to raise funds to purchase shares in the latest IPO – Dolla Financial, hitting the market later this week.
At the close, five stocks, including PanJam Investment, ended at a 52 weeks’ low. The All Jamaican Composite Index plunged 7,520.59 points to settle at 442,250.18, the JSE Main Index dived 6,564.71 points to 385,333.83 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 1.13 points to 92.59.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 14.1. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to August 2023.
A total of 24,048,471 shares were exchanged for $165,423,987 up from 6,597,987 units at $64,884,016 on Friday. Trading averages 429,437 units at $2,954,000, versus 113,758 shares at $1,118,690 on Friday and month to date, an average of 242,561 units at $4,088,390, compared to 229,769 units at $4,160,020 on the previous trading day. April closed with an average of 532,209 units at $5,709,319.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 6.0 million shares for 24.9 percent of total volume, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 3.97 million units for 16.5 percent of the day’s trade, QWI Investments chipped in with 2.71 million units for 11.3 percent market share, Sagicor Select Financial Fund ended with 2.48 million units for 10.3 percent of the day’s trade and 1834 Investments, 1.16 million units for 4.8 percent of trading.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints dropped $2.21 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $10.01 after an exchange of 16,122 shares, Caribbean Cement shed $1.49 to end at $60.51, with 126,043 units crossing the market, Caribbean Producers lost 55 cents in closing at $14.30, with 626,248 stocks changing hands. Carreras popped 60 cents to $9.90, trading 149,627 stock units, Eppley fell $6.50 to close at $43 after 5,479 stocks passed through the exchange, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $7.27 to close at $40 in exchanging 12,460 units. First Rock Capital declined 64 cents to $11.52 after an exchange of 32,461 stock units, GraceKennedy dropped $2.67 in ending at $107.32, while exchanging 151,958 shares, Guardian Holdings fell $19 to end at $511 in switching ownership of 3,283 stocks. Jamaica Broilers increased $1.20 in closing at $28.30 in an exchange of 76,347 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 95 cents to close at $19.05 after 14,387 units crossed the market, JMMB Group lost $2.25 in ending at $43 after exchanging 452,538 shares. Key Insurance declined 68 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.60, trading 128,492 stocks, Kingston Wharves shed $2.09 to $36.11 with the swapping of 9,310 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost $1 in closing at $13 with an exchange of 793,609 units. 138 Student Living fell 82 cents in closing at $4.35, with 98,926 shares clearing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $90 to $950, trading 51 stocks, PanJam Investment lost $13.50 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $53 in trading 22,176 units. Proven Investments shed $2.50 to end at $36 after exchanging 42,595 shares, Pulse Investments dropped 40 cents to $3.59 with an exchange of 170,274 stock units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.40 to $56, with 211,959 stock units crossing the market. Scotia Group fell 60 cents in closing at $35.20 with an exchange of 87,916 stocks, Seprod declined 49 cents to end at $71.50 after exchanging 22,654 shares, Stanley Motta dropped 40 cents to close at $5.10, with 3,885 units clearing the market. Supreme Ventures fell $2.05, ending at $27.95 while exchanging 525,207 units, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 70 cents to close at $15.50 in exchanging 308,530 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance lost $1 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $14 after trading 4,006 stocks. Victoria Mutual Investments declined 36 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.21 in switching ownership of 449,801 shares and Wisynco Group fell $1.48 to $20, with 247,442 stocks crossing the market.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 40 cents after ending at $2.85, trading 145 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Dolla Financial joins ICTOP10
The next stock slated to list on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Dolla Financial Services, joins ICTOP110 at the number one spot, with 2022 earnings projected at 20 cents per share and potential gains for the stock of 300 percent. The issue opens on Friday, 27 and 500 million shares being offered should be fully taken up by the public.
The other stock to climb into the ICTOP10 this week is Lasco Distributors, back in at the number 10 spot.
The markets pulled back this week, resulting in mixed performances for ICTOP10 stocks. In the Junior Market, following the release of March quarter results, Jetcon Corporation jumped 16 percent for the week to lead the Junior Market performances, Medical Disposables posted a 10 percent rise to $8, Access Financial gained 8 percent, while Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost13 percent in closing at $2.25 to be the only significant loser. TOP10 Main Market stocks had no meaningful gains. At the same time, Productive Business Solutions fell 17 percent to 98 US cents, VM Investments lost 9 percent and Radio Jamaica fell 5 percent, followed by JMMB Group with a 4 percent decline.
There were no movements in and out of the ICInsider.com TOP10 Main Market listing this week, but the Junior Market has two, with Dolphin Cove and Jetcon Corporation dropping out.
Investors should be on the lookout for companies with March year end that have not yet reported earnings. Amongst the grouping is the three Lasco companies that could get price moving punch from the results. Watch also Access and Medical Disposables, with the latter sitting close to the TOP of the list.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 ends the week at 6.2, well below the market average of 15, while the Junior Market PE for the Top 10 sits at 6.1 versus the market at 13.5. The Junior Market TOP10 is projected to gain an average of 226 percent by May 2023 and the Main Market 215 percent.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023. They are ranked in order of potential gains, based on the possible increase for each company, considering the earnings and PE ratios 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.
72% gains for ICTOP10 winner
Stationery and Office Supplies (SOS) is up 72 percent in 2022 and is heading to more than $20 with projected earnings of $1.25 for the year. SOS made the ICTOP15 list in January at 12 spot to produce a 200 percent gain for the year. It came into TOP10 in the week ending January 21, in the 6th spot and exited the TOP10 on the week ending April 22.
Over the past two weeks, company results have been coming out fast and furious, with many posting solid increased profits over the first quarter of 2021, as the economy continues to recover and cost savings also takes hold to help lift profits to record levels in many cases.
One company to benefit from improved results for the first quarter results to March is SOS, with revenues rising 37 percent to $427 million and profits surging 344 percent to $81 million before gains from the sale of a property, investors belated warmed to the stock pushing it to a 52 week’s high of $11.02 and out of ICTOP10. Based on the results, ICInsider.com upgraded earnings from $1.10 to $1.25. Investors in the stock can look for a possible stock split this year if the price rises.
It is well worth noting that the Junior Market peaked at 4,669.78 points at the market opening on May 10 and pulled back to 4,444.25 on Friday as new quarterly results tempered investors in some overvalued stocks that have started to adjust downwards as reality sets in. Among them is Fesco, which was selling at a PE of 50 times the current year’s earnings. There seem to be more painful adjustments to come for investors in this stock. MailPac also suffered a reversal in price after the first quarter results disappointed investors, with lower revenues and earnings.
It is not unusual for investors to take a break after mid-May each year, with most results released and return in late June or early July just ahead of the new earnings season for the half year. Against this background, trading could move sideways for a month or two, but the Lasco companies, Access and Medical Disposables could light up the market when they release results in a few weeks.
In the Main Market, Jamaica Stock Exchange was added to the ICTOP10 recently but slipped out last week and reported solid results for the March quarter, with profit jumping 84 percent after revenues rose 37 percent. The projected earnings were downgraded to $1.30 from $3, leaving the stock just about appropriately valued. Berger Paints came out with solid earnings, resulting in our projection being upgraded from $1.70 to $2.35, helped by a sharp cut in other operating expenses from $160 million in 2021 to $117 million and now heads the Main Market TOP10 list.
Elite Diagnostic gained 3 percent for the week at $4, but the promise that the company showed when it was listed has started to show again, with revenues in the third quarter rising 24 percent to $161 million and profit surging to $28 million from $4.4 million in 2021. Based on the results, earnings for the current year ending in June are projected at 24 cents and 55 cents for the 2022/23 fiscal year.
Former ICTOP10 listing, Tropical Battery earnings were downgraded to 18 cents per share for this year, following the release of March half year results.
Access Financial jumped 22 percent last week, and is down 16 percent this past week at $21.50, and attracted more buying interest as the release of year results approaches. tTech tumbled 8 percent during the week and AMG Packaging 7 percent. Caribbean Assurance Brokers was the only stock with any meaningful gain, with a rise of 6 percent.
This week, there was no change to ICInsider.com TOP10 Main Market listings, but the Junior Market has two, with Lasco Distributors just slipping out. Jetcon Corporation suffered a big price decline during the week to close at $1.35 to reenter the list. tTech earnings were revised down to 25 cents after the company posted flat sales in the first quarter and a small loss and fell out of the top listing to be replaced by Dolphin Cove is poised to grow much more this year as improving tourism traffic that April numbers show is virtually back to normal provide a big boost to future earnings.
Investors should be on the lookout for companies with March year end that have not yet reported earnings. Amongst the grouping are the three Lasco companies that could get price moving punch from the results. Watch also Access and Medical Disposables sitting on the TOP of the list, with the company said to be generating profit from the acquisition of Cornwall Enterprises, well ahead of the two year target. ICInsider.com earnings projections of 70 cents per share for the 2022 fiscal year assume that earnings would include profit from the subsidiary and should result in a big jump in the stock toward $14.
The primary mover in the main market was Caribbean Cement that fell 12 percent to $61 as buying interest in the stock remains low, even as the first quarter results suggest the stock is highly undervalued, no other stock had any serious change.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 ends the week at 6.2, well below the market average of 15.3, while the Junior Market PE for the Top 10 sits at 6.3 versus the market at 13.9. The Junior Market TOP10 is projected to gain an average of 226 percent by May 2023 and the Main Market 215 percent.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks 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, based on the possible increase for each company, considering the earnings and PE ratios 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.