iCreate in ICTOP10 Image Plus EPS jumps

April 30, 2023 by

The markets are changing, with the Main Market up for three consecutive weeks but the Junior Market meandering for the last four weeks. Against this backdrop, there was one change to the TOP10, with iCreate coming in and Dolla Financial falling out, but Dolla and Honey Bun, that slipped out the previous week, sit immediately below the TOP10.
There were no significant winners for the past week in both markets’ TOP10 as losers dominated. The Junior market had Consolidated Bakeries falling 11 percent to $2.17 and general Accident down 10 percent to $5.40 and Lasco Distributors down 3 percent, with the stock selling at just 5.5 times 2023 estimated earnings and only 8.5 times the company’s nine month results. By any stretch, the stock is considerably undervalued and there are more profits to come in the current fiscal year.
Main Market stocks had a 13 percent fall in Key Insurance after the price closed at $3.08, Berger Paints contracted by 9 percent to $7.54 and 138 Student Living slipped 5 percent to $5.03, while Jamaica Broilers rose just 3 percent to $37.
Stocks are being prepped to rally, with early signals that interest rates will be declining across the board sooner than later. This stems from the continued slide of rates on BOJ CDs since March, that saw the rate falling by 23 percent to 8.11 percent against a background where inflation since November last year is running at less than one percent per annum.
At the week’s close, Image Plus released full year results showing profit after tax jumping 125.6 percent to $213 million or 21 cents per share. ICInsider.com revised earnings for the current fiscal year to 35 cents from 30 cents previously.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index this past week, with the supply of some stocks falling sharply.
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 13.8, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 257 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 280 percent to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15to 27, averaging 21, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 17, suggesting that this may currently be the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks.
The 18 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 115, with an average of 29 and 20 excluding the highest PE stocks and 20 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
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, 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.

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Transjamaican heads Stocks to Watch

April 29, 2023 by

Some positive signs are emerging in the local stock market, with a few stocks in the Main Market making new highs repeatedly. Elsewhere, inflation is down and the fall in BOJ CD rates since early March from 10.54 percent to this week’s 8.11 percent, a 23 percent fall, are signs that interest rates locally have softened and set to fall across the board before long.
The above are positive signals for stocks. Some stocks are worth holding or watching as they possess the assets and earnings potential to deliver above average returns in stock value for patient investors but are not likely to gain as much as those in the ICTOP10 lists.
These stocks are Transjamaican Highway, Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Honey Bun, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing, Main Event, Stationery and Office Supplies and Wigton Windfarm.

In the stock market, there is a time to hold, a time to fold and be bold that is the case of investing in Transjamaican Highway. The stock that came to the market in 2020 at $1.41, which many touted as reasonably priced, lagged the IPO price until this year and is worth seriously considering.
Transjamaican Highway has moved away from the zone of the IPO price of $1.41 at the end of March and now sits at $1.77, with the stock trading in high volume. Why would a stock that the company reported a loss of US$7 million? First, acquiring the majority shares in Jamaica Infrastructure Operators resulted in a onetime loss of US$13.7 million, the only reason for the company to report a loss for the year. The transaction will result in future cost savings expected to significantly reduce Operating Expenses by more than 50 percent or US$12 million per annum and increase profitability in the future. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of 0.016 US cents or J$0.24. A technical indicator is pointing to a short term price around $2.40.

Staff members of Main Event

Main Event has been on a tear following impressive first quarter results of $118 million or 39 cents per share. The stock gained 64 percent for 2023 to date and 227 since the start of 2021. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of $1.70 for the current year and a stock price hitting $30 by the end of 2023. Interestingly, while revenues for the recent quarter were a record $626 million, marginally up on the $597 million generated in the 2019 first quarter, there is more room for growth as the economy returns to normal levels since the contraction over the past two years. it is noted that the company is involved in the staging of JMEA expo this year and that will bring in added revenues that were not there last year.
Honey Bun just dropped out of the ICInsider.com TOP10 but has room for more upside price movement, with revenues up 23 percent for the first quarter to December last year and profit surging 64 percent to 94 million before taxation. ICInsider.com projects a 25 percent rise in revenues for the current year, with earnings doubling to 90 cents per share over that of 2022. Those numbers should be enough to increase investors’ interest in the stock with an improved gross profit margin that slipped last year, helping boost profit.
With the first quarter results due out over the next three weeks for Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Stationery and Office Supplies and full year results for Lasco Financial and Lasco Manufacturing, investors will see that these stocks are seriously undervalued.
Wigton Windfarm has been quietly hitting new 52 weeks highs. It could go higher as investors buy up what has become limited supply in recent weeks as the company venture into additional business activities. Technically the stock has broken out of a long consolidation phase and the trend indicates a higher price of around 90 cents before it is stopped.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Nice gains for ICTOP10 stocks, Purity returns

April 9, 2023 by

The Main and Junior Markets did not maintain the sharp bounce of the previous week, but most ICTOP10 Junior Market stocks ended with gains. In contrast, the Main Market ended with mostly modest losses, with 138 Student Living rising 5 percent to $5.30 and JMMB Group declining by 5 percent to $31.49, all other changes in the Main Market were two percent or less.

Dr Karlene McDonnough – Chairman of Image Consultants Ltd. The stock came in for increased demand during the week ahead of the release of full-year results.

The Junior Market had one change in its TOP10 list as Iron Rock Insurance and Image Plus climbed 13 percent to $2.27 and $2.03, respectively, while Main Event and Honey Bun rose 5 percent to $12.26 and $6.75, respectively, with the only sizable decline being a 9 percent fall for Tropical Battery to $1.90.
Image Plus never benefitted from any serious IPO bounce seems to be finally finding buying interest and closed the past week with 159,904 shares on the bid at $2.02, 160,746 at $2 and just over 800,000 between $1.90 and $1.95, with 25,987 stocks on offer at $2.03, 81,709 at $2.05 with one big offer of 1.72 million units at S2.50 with smaller offers before the this. There has been healthy trading in the stock recently, with trading of 824,526 units on Thursday. Trading on Wednesday saw 1,153,255 shares changing hands in the stock, with 910,000 units on Tuesday and 1.75 million shares on Monday, which seems to have cleared out a great deal of overhang in the market.
Update on interest rate developments. A number of developments taking place in the economy are worth watching. Following last week’s $35 billion Bank of Jamaica CD auction that saw the average rate coming in at 8.49 percent, this week’s auction saw an offer of $34 billion, with the average rate remaining the same as the previous week with fewer funds chasing the offered amount. Another positive development is the average inflation rate running at 45 percent less than the same time last year and averaging 2.4 percent per annum since November last year. Foreign exchange inflows have been strong, with the NIR growing at $66 million in February and 220 million in March, putting it at a record end of month level as initial data suggest that tourism arrivals and foreign exchange generated by that industry exceed the similar period in 2019, the last year without the impact of covid-19 negatively affecting the sector. On top of those positive developments, corporate profits are expected to enjoy a good bounce for the majority of companies for the first quarter.
The Junior Market has a long term pattern, with the market starting to rise around a month before quarterly results are due and declining shortly after results are released. This is a pattern worth noting that can be built into investment decisions to improve returns.

Consolidated Bakeries Miss Birdie Easter bun. The stock is back in the ICTOP10

Dropping from the TOP10 Junior Market list this past week was Honey Bun, but investors should expect a big jump in revenues and profits for the first quarter, with the Easter coming at the beginning of April versus the 17th of April last year, as well as an improvement of gross profit margin that slipped up last year.
Returning to the TOP10 is Consolidated Bakeries in the number 3 spot. The company is projected to report a solid first quarter profit, with the Easter holidays coming at the start of April compared with April 17 last year and ensuring that mostly all Easter bun sales will be reported in the March quarter unlike 2022. The company reported a profit in 2022 a big improvement over a loss in the previous three years. ICInsider.com projects earnings of 40 cents for 2023 and 75 cents for 2024 with the company benefitting from a full recovery of the local economy and increase efficiency and reduction in borrowings. At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE
Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 13.5, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.7 compared with the market at 11.1. The differences are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 256 percent and the Main Market TOP10, an average of 271 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 10 stocks representing 21 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 29, averaging 19, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 15, suggesting this may be a logical value for junior market stocks.
The 16 stocks with the highest value in the Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 115, with an average of 30 and 19 excluding the highest PE stocks and 19 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 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.

Filed Under: Buy Rated, Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Palace considering split stock

December 12, 2022 by

Palace Amusement Company is set to split the stock that last traded at $620 per share on Monday, with a range of 620 to $1,150 for 2022.
The company informed the Jamaica Stock Exchange that the Directors proposed to meet on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, and will be discussing the possibility of a stock split. A split is almost a certainty, with the company having borrowed over $700 million, the opportunity exists to raise fresh capital by way of an additional public issue of shares to pay down the debt. Splitting the stock to make them more attractive to retail investors would be a logical step.
To achieve an attractive price and create wide-scale public interest would require a split in the order of 100 to 200 to one of the existing issued shares and would raise the issued number of shares to between 250 to 300 million units.
Other companies talking about stock splits that could come in 2023 are Medical Disposables that could come with a stock split and a rights issue of more shares to use to fund expansion.

Palace jumps $800 to a record $2,900.

Stationery and Office Supplies informed shareholders at the recently held Annual General Meeting that the directors have been looking but currently the liquidy of the stock does warrant one just yet.
Others that should give serious consideration to splitting their stocks are Access Financial Services, with the stock trading over $20, Dolphin Cove priced in double digits, Barita Investments, Cargo Handlers, Honey Bun, ISP Finance, Knutsford Express and Main Event.

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Regency, Lasco Financial &138SL Stocks to Watch

November 21, 2022 by

Regency Petroleum is added to the Stocks to Watch following the release of its prospectus On Thursday with an issue price of $1, with the possibility of the price hitting over $2 initially. Palace Amusement is dropped for the time being with the company reporting improved results in the September quarter but still ending with a loss, but investors should be on the lookout for good things from the stock in the future as it continues to make headway to recovery.
Barita Investments and Consolidated Bakeries are removed from the list at this time with recent results suggesting that they are unlikely to move higher in the short term.
ICInsider.com watch list comprises Access Financial, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing, Medical Disposables, NCB Financial, 138 Student Living, One on One, Paramount Trading, Regency Petroleum, Scotia Group, Stationery and Office Supplies and Wisynco.
Major factors to consider going forward. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came back to 2019 levels since June. Providing there are no reversals, then companies who are highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a big bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated since last year to April this year. The same applies to the entertainment industry as the sector only opened up after March this year. Banks will make a fortune from increased interest rates.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Lasco Financial & 138SL now Stocks to Watch

November 14, 2022 by

Lasco Financial and 138 Student Living are added to the Stocks to Watch list following release results recently showing increasing profits over 2021, both stocks are on the ICInsider.com TOP10 list.
ICInsider.com watch list comprises Access Financial, Barita Investments, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Consolidated Bakeries, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, Medical Disposables, NCB Financial, One on One, Palace Amusement, Paramount Trading, Scotia Group, Stationery and Office Supplies and Wisynco Group
Major factors to consider going forward. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came to 2019 levels since June. Providing there are no reversals, then companies who are highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a big bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated since last year to April this year. The same applies to the entertainment industry as the sector only opened up after March this year. Banks will make a fortune from increased interest rates.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Medical Disposables now a Stock to Watch

October 31, 2022 by

One on One Education climbed 11.4 percent during the past week to close at $1.66 following addition to the Stocks to Watch list while Knutsford Express climbed back to close at $9.10 from $8 at the end of the previous week and hit a new 52 weeks’ high of $9.75 on Thursday.

Medical Disposables

Medical Disposables dropped out of the ICTOP10 into the Stocks to Watch, but this publication gathers that the half year results due out by next week will continue to reflect increased cost outpacing the rise in sales. ICInsider.com forecast is for increased profits for the year to March 2023 at 75 cents per share which is likely to eventually push the stock price higher and trigger a stock split in 2023.
Buffetted by the closure of the entertainment business in 2020, Palace Amusement had another tough two years, with the 2022 fiscal year ending with a loss of $257 million, down from a loss of $383 in 2021. The improved result was mainly occasioned by a small profit of $12 million in the final quarter as revenues climbed to $275 million in the fourth quarter bettering the $106 million generated in all of the 2021 fiscal year. Revenues in the fourth quarter were well up on the third quarter with $142 million. The much improved June quarter revenue is still some distance from the $338 million generated in the June 2019 quarter, with a profit then of $36 million, but the 2022 results suggest that the company is not far from getting back to normal levels and if so could boost the stock price, currently in the $800 range and by far the highest priced ordinary share on the market currently.
ICInsider.com watch list comprises Access Financial, Barita Investments, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Consolidated Bakers, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, Medical Disposables, NCB Financial, One on One, Palace Amusement, Paramount Trading, Scotia Group and Stationery and Office Supplies.

Palace Portmore cinema

Based on recent releases of quarterly results Caribbean Assurance Brokers should be releasing nine months’ results this week that should reflect record earnings, which could move the stock price. The same goes for Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing and Stationery and Office Supplies should report nine months’ results around November 11.
Major factors to consider going forward. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came back to 2019 levels since June. Providing there are no reversals, then companies who are highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a big bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated since last year to April this year. The same applies to the entertainment industry as the sector only opened up after March this year. Banks will make a fortune from increased interest rates.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Dolla & OneonOne added to Stocks to Watch

October 23, 2022 by

Caribbean Producers gained 11 percent in the past week and slipped to the number 3 spot in ICInsider.com top 10 Buy Rated stocks list. Knutsford Express climbed to a 52 weeks’ high of $9.50 during the week but closed at $8 on Friday and Paramount Trading 10 percent to $2.04.

Caribbean Producers

Dolla Financial and One on One are added to the list this week. Although the nine months’ results for Dolla Financial show only 7 cents per share earnings, ICInsider.com expects the company to post a robust fourth quarter to push earnings to 20 cents per share. There are two points of note about the results. They were constrained by cash to increase loans much beyond what they did, but the $1.5 billion bond raise will alleviate this constraint, the troubling issue is that while Interest Income amounted to $453 million for the nine months, they only collected $367 million, a sharp variation from previous periods when the vast majority was contained within the period.
One on One full year results are due soon and it will be interesting to see if they beat the projections they gave at the time of the initial public offer. Regardless, the price is back at $1.50, in line with the lower end of the range ICInsider.com suggested at the time of the IPO. The company projected revenues to hit $334 million by the end of the financial year to August with pretax profits of $105 million, equating to pretax earnings per share of 7 cents. The earnings work out at a PE ratio of 21, just well above the market average of 12.6, but profits going forward for the new fiscal year could result in a fall in the Ratio.
ICInsider.com watch list comprises now Access Financial, Barita Investments, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Consolidated Bakers, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, NCB Financial, One on One, Paramount Trading, Scotia Group and Stationery and Office Supplies.
Street News has it that Stationery and Office Supplies continues to churn out record revenues and profits during the third quarter of the year. The company is now subject to taxation at 50 percent of the regular rate for the final five months of the year, having been listed for five years to August, accordingly, ICinsider.com revised the forecast for 2022 to $1.35 from $1.50. The company should report nine months’ results around November 11.
Significant factors to consider going forward. Based on recent releases Caribbean Assurance Brokers should be releasing nine months’ results this coming week to reflect record earnings, which could move the stock price. The same goes for Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came back to 2019 levels since June. Providing there are no reversals, companies highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a big bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated from last year to April this year. The same applies to the entertainment industry,y as the sector only opened up after March this year. Banks will make a fortune from increased interest rates.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Stocks to Watch backed by strong results

October 16, 2022 by

Recent release of company results this past week confirms they are on the stocks to watch list, with Caribbean Producers reporting J$1.05 in earnings per share for the year to June, with tourism traffic at just 78 percent of 2019 for the 12 months to June this year.

Knutsford Express reported 17 cents per share and seems set to reach IC insider.com’s forecast of $1 per share for the current fiscal year and Paramount Trading, with earnings per share of 5.4 cents for the August quarter, is seemingly poised to reach our forecast of 30 cents per share for the fiscal year ending May 2023.
ICInsider.com watch list now comprises Access Financial, Barita Investments, which may be overvalued currently, but it’s a favourate of many investors, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Consolidated Bakeries, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, NCB Financial, Stationery and Office Supplies, Paramount Trading, now back in ICInsider.com TOP10 and Scotia Group.

Paramount

Significant factors to consider going forward. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came back to 2019 levels since June, with September around 17 percent higher. Providing there are no reversals, companies highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a sizable bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated from last year to April this year. Banks will profit from increased interest rates, and insurance companies will enjoy increased interest revenues. The same applies to the entertainment industry, as the sector only opened up after March this year.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

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Access Financial added to stocks to watch

October 3, 2022 by

Access Financial dropped out of the ICTOP10 this past week and is added to the stocks to watch, it could move higher if the closing bids and offers that were posted hold, Monday’s market activity will shed some light on it.  
With Barita Investments climbing to a record high of $115.04 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday after 6.5 million of the company’s shares were traded leaving only two lots on offer at the end of trading with the lowest offer, 7,200 shares at $140 and the other just 50 units at $200 and three bids at $115 and $115.04 to buy over 400,000 shares, this ought to be watched to see what investors respond.
Consolidated Bakeries ended at fresh multiyear closing high during the past week of $2.95 but closed on Friday, at $2.66 and is up 122 for the year to September and 79 percent since added to Stocks to Watch.
ICInsider.com watch list comprises Access Financial, Barita Investments, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Consolidated Bakers, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Producers, Elite Diagnostic, Everything Fresh, General Accident, Guardian Holdings, Jamaica Broilers, Key Insurance, Knutsford Express, Lasco Distributors, Lasco Manufacturing, NCB Financial, Stationery and Office Supplies, Paramount Trading and Scotia Group.
Major factors to consider going forward. The rebound in tourist arrivals only came back to 2019 levels since June. Providing there are no reversals, then companies who are highly dependent on the sector will enjoy a big bounce for the next nine months compared to the lower business generated since last year to April this year. The same applies to the entertainment industry as the sector only opened up after March this year. Banks will make a fortune from increased interest rates.

Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.

Filed Under: Stock Market, Stocks to watch Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,