Trading surged sharply on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, with the Junior market listed Mailpac Group trading 50.04 million shares, Jamaican Teas, 32.66 million units, Future Energy 10.9 million units and Spur Tree Spices with 1.84 million units, while in the Main Market, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 10 million shares followed by Sygnus Credit Investments with 5.84 million units, Jamaica Producers 2.87 million units and Pan Jamaica with 1.50 million units as a total of 123,026,015 shares were traded in all three markets, up sharply from just 10,449,490 units on Tuesday.
The value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets surged to $527.23 million compared with a mere $48.29 million on Thursday. The JSE USD market closed after 159,494 shares were traded, for US$2,742 compared to 6,525 units at US$320 on Thursday.
At the close of the market, Main Market stocks rallying were GraceKennedy up $3.59, Eppley Caribbean Property with a rise of $2.60, Seprod rose $1, Scotia Group closing at a new 52 weeks’ closing high of $38.40, after gaining 90 cents and MPC Caribbean Energy rose 88 cents. Falling Main Market stocks were mostly modest except for Eppley down $4.48 and Jamaica Producers with a fall of $1.47.
Rising Junior Market stocks include Caribbean Cream with a gain of 64 cents, Iron Rock Insurance up 49 cents, Dolphin Cove with a gain of 44 cents and Spur Tree gaining 25 cents. There were declining stocks of note.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 1,162.73 points to close at 328,594.68, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,555.49 points to lock up trading at 353,538.78, 
the JSE Main Index rallied by 812.63 points to end trading at 316,798.45. The Junior Market Index rallied 45.75 points to end the day at 3,728.14 and the JSE USD Market Index skidded 2.03 points to wrap up trading at 221.10.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rallied $4 to end at $45 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share advanced $4.50 and ended at $120.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.1 on 2022-23 earnings and 13.9 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and place them on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends paid or payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts, along with the closing volume pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Sygnus BUY RATED APO
Sygnus Credit Investments public share offer that opened on December 18 is scheduled to close on Wednesday, December 23; the shares are attractively priced and should be eagerly taken up as investors traded the shares at $28 and 21 US cents in the last twelve months.
Sygnus is an international business company incorporated under the International Business Companies Act of Saint Lucia. It provides non-traditional financing to middle market businesses. The objective of SCI is to generate attractive risk adjusted returns with downside protection. SCI’s dividend policy is to pay out up to 85 percent of net income.
The company started operating successfully in 2017 in Jamaica, with its shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in 2018, after offering 90.9 million shares to the public that were fully taken up by investors.
Jamaican denominated shares were then priced at J$13.72 for each and 11 US cents for each US dollar denominated share to raise US$10 million. Investors put down more than $3.8 billion to purchase the shares and the issue was up-sized to US$20.3 million. The FSC has now placed an upward limit on the upsizing of IPOs to no more than 50 percent of the initial amount offered.
The company is now offering 196.4 million shares to the public to raise US$22 million or J$3.3 billion equivalent in an additional public offering. The offer may be upsized to US$32 million or J$4.8 billion. The issue is priced at $14.70 and 13 US cents per share for existing shareholders and team members. The shares are available to other investors at $16.30 and 14 US cents each. The stock last traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $16 and 15.7 US cents. The Minimum Subscription is 1,000 Shares.
Sygnus provides funding to mid-market businesses across a wide cross section of industries including, Manufacturing, Distribution, Energy, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure by way of Notes or bonds, asset-backed debt, preference shares, leveraged debt, bridge financing, mezzanine debt, subordinated debt and other structured private credit instruments.
Mezzanine financing is a hybrid of debt and equity financing that gives the lender the right to convert to an equity interest in the company in case of default, generally, after venture capital companies and other senior lenders are paid.
Sygnus states that its industry exposure is limited to a maximum of 35 percent with no more than 25 percent in any single company or group of companies. The typical tenor is up to 5 years, with a maximum of 7 years in exceptional cases.
All investments they are involved in must have a clear exit strategy, which must be covered by, at a minimum, repayment of debt, sale of position, or Initial Public Offering.
The funds raised are to take advantage of pipeline opportunities in high quality middle-market firms, the company states. Increase flexibility to expand origination in trade, acquisition and asset-backed finance and play a leading role in financing the recovery and growth of middle-market firms. Pay down US$10M bridge notes and allow for more efficient utilization of debt markets in the future that will lower cost and improve the company’s flexibility in funding clients’ demands. Optimize the use of leverage to drive the rate of return on equity expansion and enhance dividends.
The company reports that the average annual dividend yield is 5 percent on USD shares and 5.5 percent on Jamaican dollar shares based on the IPO price of the stock in 2018.
The company has US$62.3 million invested in 29 Portfolio Companies in September 2020, an increase of 117 percent over September 2019, with an outlay of US$29 million in 18 Portfolio Companies. The company has commitments amounting to US$8.7 million to fund.
Investments are within the Caribbean, with 50 percent in Jamaica, the Dutch Caribbean islands account for 17 percent and St Lucia 12 percent, with the rest spread over other countries in the region.
The Company’s portfolio of investments surpassed the US$50 million for the year to June 2020 while generating US$4.5 million in total investment income and US$1.97 million in net profits, 3.8 percent less than the prior year with US$2.05 million. First quarter results to September saw Net profits climbing 51 percent to US$798,000 as total investment income grew 19.8 percent to US$1.3 million and portfolio investments grew 117 percent to US$62.3 million.
Shares will be allotted on a first come, first served basis. In other words, the first set of applicants will get full allotment until all the shares are issued as such late applications may end up getting no shares.
ICInsider.com projects earnings of $1.80 per share for the current year to June 2021 based on the existing issued shares with a PE ratio of 9 and 12 for the US dollar issue. The company is poised for growth. The stock is undervalued and should be bought for growth and income; accordingly, it gets ICInsider.com BUY RATED accolade.
JSE USD stocks slipped
The US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed trading on Monday, with the market index declining after trading 99 percent fewer shares than on Friday.
At the close of the market, trading ended with two securities changing hands compared to four on Friday and ended with no stocks rising, two declining and none remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equities Index declined by 0.38 points to settle at 193.35, and the average PE Ratio ended at 13.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 12,620 shares, amounting to just US$1,667 compared to 1,125,027 units at US$106,525 on Friday.
The average trade for the day amounts to 6,310 units changing hands at US$834, in contrast to an average of 281,257 shares at US$26,631 on Friday. Trading ended with an average of 42,298 units
for the month to date at US$5,461 in contrast to 43,798 units at US$5,653 on Friday.
By comparison, October ended with an average of 697,808 units for US$17,320.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment shed 0.063 of a cent to close at 8.01 US cents with an exchange of 2,620 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments fell 1.92 US cents to close at 14.5 US cents while exchanging 10,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
IPO facts investors should know
“Hello my dear client, the day we have been waiting for to increase your wealth is here. The Mayberry Jamaican Equities IPO has finally arrived, the stock is a must have at this time. Attached are the Prospectus and Application Form for your attention. The official opening date is Monday, July 9, 2018, the demand is high so please don’t delay,” Kind regards, a MIL wealth adviser.
The above was a message sent out by one of Mayberry’s wealth advisor. A group of investors stated in 2017 that investors cannot go wrong with Junior Market IPOs, all that has to be done is just buy, buy, buy and the investor cannot fail to make money. Some investors in the last two IPOs, Sygnus Credit and Everything Fresh bought into the issues heavily, hoping to catch an early bounce and pocket the profit. That the initial bounce did not last, should be a lesson to speculators.
%8 Half Way Tree Road owned by Stanley Motta.
Laden with 6 main and Junior Market stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities is issuing 120,114,929 ordinary shares to the public, at a price of $7.57 each. Investors really ought to know what they are buying into when IPOs are being issued, rather than thinking that the price of each IPO can only go in one direction – up. As the stock market matures and more persons come to the party of stock ownership, the valuations that new IPOs come to the market at, will continue to rise and less immediate potential gains will be priced in. In some cases, investors will need to look long term for the payoff from their investment.
Everything Fresh, Sygnus Credit, Stanley Motta and Mayberry Jamaican Equities fall into this category. GWest was another company that many investors got carried away with, in pushing the price to $4 with many buying at inflated values, now the stock trades in the low $2 range. A reminder of an adage, that successful trading starts at buying at the right price. GWest business model is based mainly on generating most income and profits coming from operating mini hospital and other patient care. Real estate income going forward was going to be secondary and would not contribute much to profit. Profit made in the year before listing was mostly from sale of real estate and that was not something that would continue for any prolonged period. Without a track record in providing healthcare, investors who bought the stock in the high $3-4 level must have been hoping that the forecast in the prospectus was going to be achieved on a timely basis. The results to March show revenues well below forecast from the new operations. The company projected medical income to March this year, at $86 million but only generated $17.4 million and that puts the issue of generating the forecasted $710 million for fiscal year 2019, in doubt. Admittedly, the company had projected a loss to March of $110 million but came up sharply lower with a loss of $88 million.
Investors should recognize that not all IPOs are equal. They should also realize that there is a clear pattern that prices then to move up for strongly demanded issues and the undergo some correction. The data shows that the best time to buy after the IPO closes is on the first day or two or a few weeks after when demand falls off and supply increases as short term investors try to offload.
Data for listings in 2016 to 2018 show and average of 31 percent correction for Junior Market stocks from the highest point to the lowest, after listings which tends to occur within 4 weeks of listing. IPOS from Mayberry seem to have a lower pull back in price, around an average of 23 percent while most others, average around 33 percent. Three main market stocks pull back from their highest point, range from just 15 percent for Victoria Mutual Investments to 31 percent for Wisynco and 29 percent for Sygnus Credit Investments.
Based on how investors have gone about pricing IPOs at their peak it seems likely that Indies Pharma will peak around $2.40 based on projected earnings in 2018, of 16 cents per share. It could even go higher if the number of investors who apply for shares exceed those Junior Market listings IPOS from those going back to 2018.
Sygnus Credit profit exceeding projections
Sygnus Credit Investments (SCI) raised approximately US$16 million in capital from institutional and accredited high net worth investors following a private placement in May 2017 and began operating on July 1, 2017.
By the end of December last year, Investment Income amounting to US$500,568 was earned, with total Expenses amounting to US$106,858, resulting in Net Investment Income of US$393,710, which represents the Company’s core operating earnings, data from the company’s interim results show. Unrealized gain of US$290,650 due to the appreciation of the Jamaican dollar against the US dollar, on an investments in Portfolio Companies that are denominated in Jamaican currency. This unrealized gain may fluctuate depending on movement in the Jamaican currency versus the US currency. Net Income after Income taxes of US$3,893 amounted to US$680,467 representing 0.01 cent per share, based on a weighted average number of ordinary stock units of 64,503,985.
The Company recorded Other Comprehensive Income of US$310,475 reflecting fair value gains on its investment in Portfolio Companies resulting in Total Comprehensive Income of US$990,942 for the period.
The net results for the period does not include Management Fees to be charged from January 2018 along with Performance Fees. Management Fees are computed at 1.9% of assets under management. Performance fees are computed at 15% of the return on equity above a hurdle rate of 6%.
The company has US$11.6 million invested in four Portfolio Companies in Energy Distribution, Beverage Manufacturing, Commodity Distribution and Food Distribution. At the current pace of investment, SCI is sourcing and investing an average of US$1.9 million in transactions per month, which is a faster velocity than anticipated a report by the company states.
The investment in Portfolio Companies is earning income at a yield of 10.3 percent. US$6.5 million or 56.6 percent of the initial investment in Portfolio Companies is structured with profit participation and other upside structures. At the end of 2017, the overall investment pipeline stood at US$30 million, including US$7.9 million with signed mandates. The demand is likely to be funded by new shares to be sold to the public this year.
Shareholder’s equity grew to US$16,705,798 at the end of 2017. The Company issued 159,269,523 ordinary shares initially at a price of US$0.10 and J$12.86 per share and has a book value of US$0.1049 or J$13.04 per share.
Sygnus Credit Investments is a specialty private credit investment company, focused on providing non-traditional financing to medium-sized firms across the wider Caribbean region. The investment objective of the Company is to generate attractive risk adjusted returns with an emphasis on principal protection, by generating current income, and to a lesser extent capital appreciation, through investments primarily in medium-sized firms using private credit instruments.
The Company targets Companies operating across a broad range of sectors, including manufacturing, distribution, financial services, energy, real estate, transportation, infrastructure and business services. Target companies typically have revenues between US$5 million and US$25 million.
Chairman of the board is Clement Wainright Iton, B.Sc., MBA, Non-executive Directors are Nakita Edwards CFA, FCCA,CPA, Hope Fisher, B.Sc, Ian Williams B.Sc, MBA,Peter Thompson, CFA, MSc, Damian Chin, BA, MSc and Ike Johnson, PhD, CFA. Executive directors are Jason Morris CFA and Beresford Grey.
100th listing coming for JSE
The Jamaica Stock Exchange is set to continue to grow with an increase in listings continuing with more than 100 listings being achieved in 2018 for the very first time.
More trading activity is expected in the future as a result of new listings, and the impact of the fall in interest rates will have, on trading activities. The exchange now has 92 listings, with a few duplicated ones, in the main market and US dollar market will see and there could be four on the exchange suggest before the year ends with three of them regarded as definite. Brokers say they are working on 8 new ones for 2018 currently, Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange advised IC Insider.com.
The three are expected to be GWest, a medical complex out of Montego Bay, that is expected to raise over $400 million, the company’s income will come from a combination of rent, from the major part of the complex and fees from operating a small short term medical facility. The complex currently has a number of blue chip clients as tenants. Wisynco Group is looking to raise for itself $1 billion but some of its current shareholders wanting to cash out. Information suggests that shares are to be offered to a wide array of persons including the 700 staff members as well as a large number of customers hence the shares from the IPO could be pretty scarce. FosRich Group of Companies. Caribbean Insurance Brokers that is being handled by Mayberry Investments, is the fourth possible 2017 listings. Mayberry Investments has been working on Neveast Supplies but this seems to be a 2018 listing.
GWest complex in Montego Bay, its IPO is expected soon.
Others that should see their ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange include, Jamaica Plumbing and Supplies, the government’s owned Wighton Wind Farms, Jamaica Public Service Company, with the government wanting to dispose of its share in the power company, KIW International that has taken the decision to have the shares relisted, in preparation for this the company approved at its recently held annual general meeting, a 15 for 1 stock bonus to bring the issued ordinary share capital to just over $50 million. UCC Online, a segment of University College of the Caribbean was expected to have gone to the market this year but have been ironing out issues to facilitate the initial public offering, they could be ready in 2018 and Sygnus Capital Investments should list in the first quarter of 2018, probably by February, on the main market of the stock exchange. Sygnus is a relatively new company, established to undertake loans or make medium term investments in medium size businesses. The company which is registered in St Lucia will be managed by Sygnus Capital Management, a Cayman Island based corporation. The company raised US$15 million in capital and is aiming for another $5 million when they come to market, which could be as early as January next year. According to our source they have so far lent out US$11 million and generated a higher rate of return that originally expected. The company has a good stream of potential users of its funds.
