The Main and Junior Markets closed the week lower, resulting in three new entrants into the top 10 listings and some notable price movements, with the two markets without a clear direction, but the Main Market is showing signs of bottoming out with a big breakout not seeming far away.
Some emerging signs of potential moves higher are emerging for some stocks, with a sharp decline in the volume of some select stocks being offered for sale, setting the stage for sharp upward push in prices of some stocks in the coming weeks. Scotia Group is one such, as it approaches the release of full year results and an announcement on dividend, but buying interest is currently low keyed. The stock trades at an extremely low PE of 5.7 times projected 2023 earnings. AMG Packaging trades at 6.5 times 2024 earnings with only 58,816 shares on offer at the close on Friday and so is Jamaica Teas, with offers now generally above $2.53, with buyers mostly at $2.30, Access Financial is yet another, but buying is weak, Caribbean Cement also has limited stocks on offer.
Four Junior Market stocks gained 6 percent and over and two ended with big losses, while the Main Market had two stocks with worthwhile gains and two with moderate losses of 4 and 6 percent.
The Main Market ICTOP10 ended with Palace Amusement rising 15 percent to $1.29, Key Insurance popped 10 percent to $2.20, while Margaritaville declined 6 percent to $16 and Caribbean Producers lost 4 percent to close at $9.08.
The Junior Market ended with Caribbean Cream jumping 19 percent to $3.69, AMG Packaging climbed 12 percent to $2.89 while Jamaica Teas rose 7 percent to $2.55, Iron Rock Insurance jumping 20 percent to $2.65 and Honey Bun rose 6 percent to $6.44. The losers were Iron Rock Insurance down 22 percent to $2.06 and Lasco Distributors with a fall of 12 percent to 3.61.
Honey Bun and Elite Diagnostic dropped out of Junior Market ICTOP10 and are replaced by Tropical Battery and Stationery and Office Supplies. Sygnus Credit Investments drop out of the Main Market TOP10 with Pulse Investments coming in to replace it.
Indications of where stock prices could be by May 2024 can be seen from stocks with the highest values in the Main and Junior Markets.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.3, well below the market average of 12.8. The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 287 percent by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings and now provides better values than the Junior Market.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 15 of the most highly valued stocks representing 31 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 108, with an average of 29 and 19 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 23 for the top half and 20 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
The PE of the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 6.9, over half of the market, with an average of 13.2. There are 16 stocks, or 33 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 49, averaging 20 that are well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, with the market projected to rise by 200 percent on or around May 2024.
Of great significance is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on the full year’s earnings.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but this is not always so. 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 on or around May 2024 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 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.
A total of 57,458 shares were traded for US$3,210 compared to 134,274 units at US$39,564 on Thursday.
Sterling Investments popped 0.01 of a cent to end at 1.59 US cents after investors ended trading 1,493 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 0.29 of a cent to close at 8.71 US cents as investors exchanged 1,000 shares and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.04 of a cent to close at 1.72 US cents after trading 51,418 stock units.
Productive Business Solutions advanced 10.77 cents to US$1.6577 after an exchange of just one unit, Proven Investments lost 1.65 cents to end at 13 US cents with investors dealing in 9,389 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 9 US cents in an exchange of 724 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share fell 1.6 cents and ended at 6.6 US cents, with 6,113 shares crossing the market and Transjamaican Highway skidded 0.12 of a cent to 1.6 US cents with a transfer of 211,043 stocks.
Overall, 89,619 shares were traded, for US$7,899 up from 37,877 units at US$2,504 on Friday.
In the preference segment, Eppley 6% preference share fell 22.5 cents in closing at US$1.275 with an exchange of 71 stock units, JMMB Group 5.75% popped 6 cents and ended at US$1.80 after closing with an exchange of 14 shares and Productive Business Solutions 9.25% preference share shed 1 cent to US$11.50, with 317 stock units clearing the market.
Some positives are visible in the market, with a sharp decline in the volume of some stocks being sold. Scotia Group is one such stock, as it approaches the release of full year results and an announcement on dividends, but buying interest is currently low keyed. The stock trades at an extremely low PE of 5.7 times projected 2023 earnings. AMG Packaging trades at 6.5 times 2024 earnings with a very limited supply of stocks on offer.
Indications of where stock prices could be by May 2024 can be seen from stocks with the highest values in the Main and Junior Markets.
Of import is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on the full year’s earnings.
Overall, 22,289,394 shares were traded, for US$1,286,713 compared to 132,328 units at US$8,195 on Tuesday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share inched 0.2 of a cent higher to 4.44 US cents after an exchange of 19,350,000 units, Margaritaville rose 1.79 cent to close at 13.79 US cents after a mere one stock passed through the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy ended at 57 US cents with 1,187 shares changing hands, Proven Investments ended at 15 US cents after an exchange of 2,771,930 stock units, Sterling Investments advanced 0.1 of a cent to end at 1.6 US cents after 1,206 shares were traded, Sygnus Credit Investments remained at 8.71 US cents in an exchange of 65,266 units and Transjamaican Highway popped 0.01 of a cent to 1.56 US cents, with 99,804 stocks changing hands.
Overall, 132,328 shares were traded, for US$8,195 compared to 837,700 units at US$41,015 on Monday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
For the half year, profit jumped 76 percent to $234 million as loan granted borrowers rose almost $600 million to $5.36 billion from $4.76 billion in September 2022 and the same amount since March this year. The company had more than $760 million available to lend plus cash flows from profit that should pushed lending up around 25 percent year over year and helped to swell profits for the year substantially above the six months levels.
Of great import is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on full year’s earnings.
At the close, Proven Investments ended at 15.98 US cents and closed with trading of 187,273 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 0.27 of a cent in closing at 8.73 US cents, with 1,000 units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway increased 0.19 of a cent to end at 1.7 US cents with traders dealing in 647,585 shares.
Overall, 368,630 shares were traded, for US$6,490 compared to 830,053 units at US$28,943 on Tuesday.
Proven Investments ended at 15 US cents with investors trading 318 stock units, Sterling Investments ended at 1.7 US cents with investors exchanging 15,000 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.29 of a cent to close at 9 US cents with a transfer of 450 stocks and Transjamaican Highway fell 0.13 of a cent and ended at 1.6 US cents with investors exchanging 352,217 shares.