Trading activity on Monday ended with more stocks declining than rising, with the market indices falling for a second consecutive day, with an exchange of slightly fewer shares than on Friday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,195.51 points to 434,283.12, the Main Index declined 1,077.34 points to 395,960.93 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.03 points to 99.23.
Trading ended with 48 securities, up from 46 on Friday and closed with prices of 14 stocks rising, 22 declining and 12 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 19.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors traded 10,151,888 shares for $94,956,792 compared to 10,947,226 units at $107,461,042 on Friday. Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund led trading with 17.1 percent of total volume, in exchanging 1.74 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 16.8 percent for 1.71 million units and Wisynco Group with 10.6 percent after 1.07 million units changed hands.
Trading for the day averaged 211,498 units at $1,978,267, compared to an average of 237,983 shares at $2,336,110 on Friday. Month to date trading averaged 273,377 units at $2,408,769, in contrast to 280,192 units at $2,458,483 on Friday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 45 cents to close at $80.05, trading 3,386 shares. Berger Paints slipped 34 cents to end at $13.20 after an exchange of 2,430 stock units, Caribbean Cement finished 47 cents lower at $68.43 trading 7,500 units, Carreras fell 93 cents to $9.07 with 771,565 shares changing hands. Eppley rose 40 cents to $29.90, with switching ownership of 657 stocks, First Rock Capital shed 79 cents to $15.21, with 5,500 shares crossing the market. Grace Kennedy dropped $5.69 to $86.26 with the swapping of 89,880 stock units, Jamaica Broilers lost 20 cents in closing at $30 after 148,307 shares crossed the exchange, Jamaica Producers declined $1.10 to $21.75 trading 11,390 stocks. Jamaica Stock Exchange slipped 49 cents to $18.36 after a transfer of 7,606 units, JMMB Group fell $1.05 to $31.85 in an exchange of 607,113 shares, Kingston Wharves shed 99 cents to close at $44 in trading 7,807 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 50 cents to $8.10 with 421 stock units changing hands. PanJam Investment climbed $6 to $68, with 542 stock units crossing the exchange, Sagicor Group declined $1.40 to $48.49, with 269,556 shares changing hands.
Salada Foods lost 25 cents to close at $42.50 in a transfer of 7,326 units, Seprod fell 30 cents to $70.70 with 12,198 stock units crossing the exchange. Supreme Ventures shed 54 cents to end at $15.41 in swapping 8,467 shares and Wisynco Group closed 25 cents lower at $15.60, trading 1,072,382 shares.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7% rose 28 cents to $2.12 with an exchange of 32,878 stock units and JMMB Group 7.25% gained 14 cents to close at $1.86 trading 23,850 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 12 stocks rising, 17 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Financial slipped 5 cents to $2.64 after transferring 950 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 15 cents to close at $4.55, with 8,900 units changing hands. Lumber Depot shed 10 cents to $2.50 with investors switching ownership of 422,039 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 98 cents to $4.61, trading 5,357 stock units and tTech lost 5 cents to end at $4.70 after exchanging 809 shares.
The JSE USD Equity Index lost 1.03 points to end at 198.23. The average PE Ratio ends at 13.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, First Rock Capital traded 1,700 shares unchanged at 8.5 US cents, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined 6 cents to close at US$1.09, with 337 units crossing the exchange, Proven Investments fell 1 cent to 23 US cents, with 90,893 units changing hands. Sterling Investments ended at 2 US cents, with 6,735 stocks clearing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments settled at 14 US cents after finishing trading 700 stock units.
JMMB Group ended at $1.83 in a swap of 3,273 units, Massy Holdings ended at $63 trading 4,654 stock units, National Enterprises dropped 10 cents to close at $3 in an exchange of 19,500 shares. National Flour Mills ended at $2.20, with 5,693 stocks crossing the market, NCB Financial Group settled at $8.50 trading 105,430 stocks, One Caribbean Media lost 20 cents to close at $4.50 after exchanging 7,000 stocks. Scotiabank declined 30 cents to close at $55.50 while exchanging 6,632 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $15 trading 12,594 stock units, Unilever Caribbean lost 2 cents in ending at $16.28 trading 90 shares and West Indian Tobacco increased 85 cents to $33 while exchanging 50 shares.
Elsewhere, the 2021 TOP 15 listed Carreras that migrated from the 2021 ICTOP10 in February hit a new 52 weeks’ high during the week to sit at $10 for a rise of 45 percent for the year to date. The price could climb further, helped by improving profit and a high dividend yield. Future Energy Source (Fesco) hangs onto the Junior Market TOP10 list at the tenth position, with the prospectus still to be released to the public.
The Junior Market TOP10 contains companies that suffered a sharp reversal of revenues and profit in 2020, with recovery projected for them in 2021. Green shoots are showing for some, with sales picking up in recent quarters with improving bottom-line. Some of these companies may require another quarter or two of improving fortunes before there is meaningful buying into them. The Main Market has a number in the list that has put out record profits or shows strong earnings in 2021, with the stocks clearly undervalued. These include JMMB Group, Jamaica Broilers, Sygnus Credit Investments and Grace Kennedy that are currently in the TOP10 Main Market listing and Caribbean Cement that is just outside.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market with the potential to gain between 292 to 312 percent are Elite Diagnostic, followed by Caribbean Producers and Caribbean Cream. With expected gains of 190 to 441 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica, followed by VM Investments and PanJam Investment.
The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.5 or 50 percent of that market’s PE.
Market activity ended with four securities changing hands, similar to Thursday and closed with two stocks rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Sagicor Group rose 89 cents to $49.89 with the swapping of 267,625 shares, Salada Foods fell $1.75 to $42.75 after exchanging 459 stocks, Scotia Group shed 49 cents to close at $44 in switching ownership of 441,597 shares. Seprod declined $4.80 to end at $71 trading 32,504 units, Supreme Ventures gained 45 cents to end at $15.95 with 89,009 shares clearing the market and Victoria Mutual Investments shed 24 cents to close at $5.01 with 89,019 stocks crossing the market.
Trading ended with 31 active securities, down from 36 on Thursday and closed with eight rising prices, 13 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
Trading averaged 145,255 units at $366,311, from 153,162 at $547,055 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 227,879 units at $644,664, compared to 235,664 units at $670,892 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Honey Bun gained 6 cents to end at $5.12 in trading 27,055 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 15 cents to close at $3.85 in an exchange of 110,217 units, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents in closing at $1.30 with 17,360 stock units clearing the market. SSL Venture lost 4 cents to close at 60 cents, with 54,312 stock units crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 99 cents to $5.59, trading 7,851 shares.
Trading ended with 14 active securities compared to 20 on Thursday, with three stocks rising, two declining and nine ending unchanged. The Composite Index fell 1.09 points to 1,336.54, the All T&T Index fell 4.67 points to close at 1,775.62 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.35 points to 121.40.
JMMB Group remained at $1.83 while exchanging 41,500 shares, Massy Holdings closed at $63, with 1,660 stocks crossing the exchange, National Flour Mills ended at $2.20 after exchanging 53,382 stocks. NCB Financial Group advanced 10 cents to $8.50 after an exchange of 66,869 units, One Caribbean Media ended at $4.70 trading 2,000 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings dropped $2.06 to $132.50 trading 3,852 stocks. Scotiabank closed at $55.80, with 3,526 units crossing the market, Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $15 after exchanging 21,231 units, Unilever Caribbean ended at $16.30, with 429 stock units changing hands and West Indian Tobacco shed $1.09 to end at $32.15 crossing the market 2,084 stock units.
A total of 36 securities traded against 35 on Wednesday and ended with 20 rising, eight declining and eight remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stock ended with bids higher than their last selling price and four with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors slipped 5 cents to $3.70 with 43,656 units passing through the market, Lasco Financial rose 6 cents to $2.69 with 51,951 shares traded, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 17 cents to $4.40 with a transfer of 2,020,846 stock units. Lumber Depot advanced 13 cents to $2.61 with 999,321 units changing hands, Paramount Trading rose 14 cents to $1.45 with 1,000 stock units traded and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 5 cents to close at $4.60 with 7,899 shares crossing the exchange.
