The primary market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange enjoyed almost three times the value trading as on Tuesday but the indices slipped at the close.
At the close, JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,461.90 points to close at 551,818.48, the JSE Market Index lost 1,305.26 points to 502,483.90 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.70 points to close at 137.62.
The market closed with 40 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 15 advancing, 15 declining and 10 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 38 securities accounting for 17,575,871 units valued at $314,642,943, in contrast to 35,992,474 units valued at $119,732,182 on Tuesday from 35 securities.
Sagicor Select Funds dominated trading with 6.1 million shares for 34.5 percent of the day’s trade, followed Carreras with 3.5 million units and 19.7 percent of traded volume and JMMB Group with 2.1 million shares and 11.7 percent of the total volume.
The market closed with an average of 462,523 units valued at an average of $8,280,077 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,028,356 units valued at an average of $3,420,919 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 619,777 units valued at $4,370,662 and previously, an average of 703,941 units valued at $2,278,299 for each security changing hands. The market closed out November with an average of 653,621 units valued at $8,699,916 for each security changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.2 with the main market ending at 18.9 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In the premier market, Barita Investments lost 45 cents to settle at $70.55, with 791,907 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement dipped $1.50 to $77.50 while trading 2,230 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained 60 cents to end at $36.60, in exchanging 1,151 stock units, Grace Kennedy closed 98 cents lower at $65, in transferring 436,306 units. Jamaica Broilers slumped to $36, after losing $2 with 143,324 shares crossing the exchange, JMMB Group gained $1 to end at $48, after exchanging 2,054,039 stock units, Kingston Wharves dived to $53.05, after losing $7.45 while trading 2,800 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose by $1.31 to close at $13, with 43,087 units changing hands. NCB Financial Group climbed $3.97 to $204, in swapping 127,891 shares, Portland JSX gained 98 cents to end at $9 and trading 54,422 stock units, Proven Investments closed $1.95 lower at $46, with an exchange of 20,043 units, Sagicor Group gained $1 in transferring 69,489 shares to close at $67. Salada Foods lost $1.39 swapping 1,120 units to settle at $30, Scotia Group closed 80 cents lower at $54.20, in exchanging 333,238 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 99 cents trading 340,580 stock units to settle at $25.01. Victoria Mutual Investments gained 38 cents to close at $8.90, after exchanging 39,749 shares and Wisynco Group climbed 70 cents to end at $24, with 915,085 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 423,162 units valued at US$129,633 with the market index losing 6.87 points to close at 207.22. Proven Investments closed at 32 US cents, after trading 420,126 shares and JMMB Group 6% preference share ended at US$1.01 while exchanging 3,036 shares.
New 52 weeks’ high for Witco
West Indian Tobacco gained $1 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $41 with investors exchanging more than 9,000 shares as some selling came out.
At the close of the market, bids to buy the stock was for 430 units at $40.01 and closed with 854 stocks offered for sale at $41.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index was unchanged on Wednesday at 1,444.91 points. The All T&T Index gained 8.12 points to 1,819.68, while the Cross Listed Index shed 1.12 points to close at 145.00 as prices of 5 stocks rose, 1 declined while 9 remained unchanged.
In the overall market, investors traded 304,217 shares amounting to $3,580,067 from an exchange of 15 securities, against 17 on Tuesday, resulting in trading in 153,598 shares amounting to $1,718,205.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended at 3 stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund rose 5 cents and settled at $24.45, with 45,160 units, First Citizens Bank closed with a gain of 95 cents and completed trading at record high of $43, with 686 stock units crossing the market, Scotiabank gained 5 cents and completed trading at $59.80, with 800 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 2 cents and ended trading of 16,319 shares at $21.12 and West Indian Tobacco rose $1 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $41, with 9,160 changing hands.
Losses| NCB Financial dropped 20 cents and settled at $11, with 48,409 units crossing the exchange.
Firm Trades| Agostini’s traded 29,330 shares at $24, First Caribbean International Bank ended at $8.22, swapping of 12,000 shares, Guardian Media completed trading at $7.80, after exchanging 243 shares. JMMB Group ended at $2.40, after exchanging 17,500 shares, Massy Holdings ended at $59.75, with 615 units crossing the exchange, National Enterprises concluded at $5.55, with 4,642 units. National Flour ended at $1.40, with 100,353 stock units changing hands, One Caribbean Media concluded at $9.75, with 7,800 units crossing the exchange and Trinidad Cement ended at $1.95, with 11,200 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Witco $5 surge creates big index gains
West Indian Tobacco jumped $5.02 to a 52 weeks’ high of $40, with investors exchanging 700 shares, to record the first trade since the price adjusted for the three for one split last week. The move helped along with increases in eight other stocks to push the All T&T Index up by 1.56 percent for the day.
At the close of the market, bids to buy the stock rose to 23,980 units at $40 up from 20,465 units on Monday. The market closed with no shares offered for sale.
At the close of the market, the All T&T Index surged 27.88 points to 1,811.56, while the Cross Listed Index rose 1.18 points to close at 146.12 as prices of 9 stocks rose, 3 declined while 5 remained unchanged, leading the Composite Index to climb 18.33 points to 1,444.91.
In the overall market on Monday, investors traded 153,598 shares, amounting to $1,718,205 from an exchange of 17 securities, against 12 on Monday, resulting in trading in 65,975 shares amounting to $950,201.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended at six stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Gains| Calypso Micro Index Fund rose 5 cents in trading 400 shares and closing at $15.80, Clico Investment Fund concluded trading 5 cents and concluded at $24.40, after exchanging 568 shares, Guardian Holdings added 50 cents to close at $19, with investors transferring 12,500 shares. National Enterprises closed with a gain of 5 cents at $5.55, with investors exchanging 205 shares, National Flour gained 4 cents and completed trading at $1.40, with 10,560 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial closed with an increase of 20 cents and concluded trading of 27,200 stock units at a record high of $11.20. Trinidad Cement rose 15 cents and completed trading with 51,619 units at $1.95 and LJ Williams rose 15 cents and ended at $1.35, with 5,000 stock units trading.
Losses| First Caribbean International Bank share fell 1 cent to $8.22, after exchanging 200 shares, First Citizens Bank lost 15 cents to end at $42.05, with 4,227 units crossing the exchange and Trinidad & Tobago NGL declined by 15 cents and ended trading of 35,659 shares at $21.10.
Firm Trades| Agostini’s traded just 40 shares at $24, Angostura Holdings ended at $16.20, in swapping 2,615 units, Guardian Media settled at $7.80, with investors exchanging 1,567 shares, Massy Holdings completed trading of 120 units at $59.75 and Unilever Caribbean settled at $23.50, with 418 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Witco setting for a price explosion
Demand for West Indian Tobacco shares continues to build since the price adjusted for the three for one split last week. Bids to buy the stock have been rising and are now at 20,465 units at $40, above the adjusted last sale price of $34.98 but there are no stocks offered for sale.
In the overall market on Monday, investors traded 65,975 shares amounting to $950,201 from an exchange of 12 securities, against 15 on Friday, when 395,492 shares at $3,053,292.
At the close of the market, the prices of 2 stocks rose, 1 declined while 9 remained unchanged, leading the Composite Index to inch 0.12 points higher to 1,426.58. The All T&T Index rose 1.82 points to 1,783.68, while the Cross Listed Index lost 0.22 points to close at 144.94.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended at 7 stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
Gains| First Citizens Bank gained 10 cents and settled at $42.20, with 2,293 units crossing the exchange and Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 20 cents and ended trading of 3,225 shares at $21.25.
Losses| Clico Investment Fund closed with a loss of 1 cent at $24.35, with investors exchanging 13,400 shares.
Firm Trades| Grace Kennedy ended at $3.44, trading 18,689 units, JMMB Group ended at $2.40, with 10,200 units crossing the exchange, LJ Williams closed at $1.20, after exchanging 120 shares, National Flour completed trading 10,000 units at $1.36. NCB Financial traded of 1,000 shares at $11.00, One Caribbean Media ended at $9.75, with 2,400 units crossing the exchange. Republic Financial exchanged 1,402 stock units at $130, Scotiabank settled at $59.75, with 1,718 crossing the exchange and Unilever Caribbean settled at $23.50, with 1,528 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Continued stability for IC TOP 10
With the closing of the two initial public offers of MailPac Group and Lumber Depot last week, things started to return to more normally in the market this past week with the two main markets recording net gains for the week.
At the close of a week when the JSE Main Market put on125 points and the Junior Market rose 46 points there was minimal change to the IC TOP 10 list this week with just one change as Fontana returns to the top flight after a brief absence, replacing Caribbean Flavours with the price jumping to $17.90 on Friday. One important development at the end of the week was the release of full-year results, for Honey Bun, with profit rising 67 percent to hit $157 million from a 17 percent rise in revenues to $1.54 billion. Importantly, the company is on the way to earn 70 cents per share for 2020.
The average gains for the IC TOP 10 stocks are 136 percent for Junior Market stocks and 96 percent for JSE Main market Top 10 stocks.
The top three Junior Market stocks, is now led by Main Event with projected gains of 183 percent, followed by MailPac Group with 180 percent and Medical Disposables with potential gains of 167 percent.
Radio Jamaica remains the lead stock with projected gains of 186 percent, followed by Pulse Investments in the number two spot with projected growth of 138 and Berger Paints with likely gains of 120 percent and percent is next.
The JSE Main Market closed the week with the overall PE of 19 up from 18.8 and the Junior Market at 14.2, an improvement over the previous week’s 13.8, based on current year’s earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages 18.7 from 7.8 last week with the Main Market PE at 10.6 up from 10.4.
The TOP 10 stocks now trade at a discount of 39 percent to the average for Junior Market stocks and main market stocks trade at a discount of 44 percent to the overall market.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns to March next year. Projected earnings, along with the PE ratio for each company’s current fiscal year, are used in determining potential gains with the likely gains ranked in descending order with highest-ranked being the most attractive. Potential values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis as new information is received that can result in changes in and out of the list.
This report is compiled by persons who may have an interest in the securities commented on.