Activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday resulted in 15 securities changing hands compared to 16 on Tuesday with all indices recording gains. Scotiabank was the lead trade with 68 percent of the value of securities traded.
At the close, 4 stocks advanced, 2 declined and 9 were unchanged as a mere 270,045 shares traded at a value of $9,569,576 compared to Tuesday’s trades of 1,180,284 units valued at $18,912,930.
The Composite Index gained 0.43 points to 1,241.97, the All T&T Index gained 0.46 points to 1,789.42 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.05 points to 93.28 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 2 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| The last traded prices of securities rising and the volume changing hands are JMMB Group with a gain of 1 cent and closed at $1.31 with 8,210 shares, National Enterprises closed at $10.48, with a 1 cent gain trading 148 units, Scotiabank closed 7 cents higher to $58.10 with 111,430 shares valued at $6,474,077, and Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended with a gain of 1 cent, in closing at $22.01 with 9,598 shares.
Losses| Clico Investment slumped to a 52 weeks’ low of $20.59, having lost 1 cent to close at $20.50 with 63,948 shares valued at $1,314,018 changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings traded 1 cent lower to $101.90 with 1,246 shares.
Firm Trades| The last traded prices and volume of securities traded unchanged at the close of trading are Ansa Merchant Bank closed at $40 with 400 shares, First Citizens exchanged 12,130 shares at $31.68 valued at $384,341, First Caribbean International traded 30,333 shares at $8, Grace Kennedy closed at $2.85 with 9,413 shares. Guardian Holdings remained at $16.60 with 9,059 shares, Massy Holdings held firm at $48.92 with 12,065 shares, One Caribbean Media exchanged 500 shares at $14.50, Prestige Holdings closed at $10.65 with 50 shares and Sagicor Financial ended the day at $8.50 with 1,515 units changing hands.
Scotiabank dominates in Trinidad
Profit jumps 146% at SOS in Q2
Profit jumped 146 percent at the recent Junior Market listing, Stationery & Office Supplies, to $20.3 million in the June quarter this year, before corporation tax of $8.8 million. For the six months period to June, profit before tax rose 33.4 percent to $50.4 million.
Revenues climbed 23.7 percent in the latest quarter to $212 million and 22 percent to $432 million for the six months. Gross profit climbed 25.5 percent to $99.5 million for the June quarter, flowing from increased gross profit margin while year to date, the increase was lower at 20.5 percent to $208 million. Expenses closed the June quarter at $79.2 million versus $71 million, an increase of 11.6 percent. For the year to date, the increase is a high 17 percent but still lower than the increase in revenues.
The 2017 result to date, is almost equal to the total 2016 results before tax of $53 million. Gross cash flow resulted in cash of $23 million being generated after an increase in working capital $28 million. The company spent $32 million on acquisition of fixed assets which required borrowing $4 and utilizing some cash on hand.
Businesses need adequate capital to grow and when debt reaches a certain level it becomes more challenging to access borrowed funding. Sometimes owners become concerned with increasing debt and this may hold back the performance of the business. Growth in the SOS’ business was putting pressure on cash resources resulting in borrowings rising, with $141 million outstanding at the end of June amounting to 50 percent of the equity. The need to expand to meet an increasing demand for its products would have placed added pressure on the owners to find the funds to finance the expansion.
The capital that came from the Issue of shares to the public will go a far way in improving the company’s finances and allow it to fund expansion, including paying for additional fixed assets which it was committed to at the time of the IPO.
IC Insider.com’s observations are that listing on the stock exchange brings huge benefits to companies. The constant exposure results in increased business, the capital injection allows for increased focus on inventory selection and choices, all of which feed into increased sales. The increased pace of sales growth in the second quarter may well be connected with the publicity received prior to listing and it would be surprising if the pace of growth does not pick up in the second half of the year and well into 2018.
At a last traded price of $4.20 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the stock remains a buy to benefit from future growth. IC Insider.com projects earnings before tax at 50 cents per share based on the average number of shares issued for the year, up from 40 cents when the shares were offered for sale and $1 for 2018 which is projected to continue to show strong growth in revenues. IC insider.com gathers that sales have picked up strongly after the IPO with many more walk in customers being seen than before. later in 2017, online marketing website and increased sales to the Eastern Caribbean will commence which should add to growth in sales going forward.
The company, under the stock exchange rules need not have put out the six months report, having been listed in August. The release is to be applauded. It is in the investing public’s interest, to have pertinent information on which they can make their investment decisions.
7 junior stocks rise 8 fall – Tuesday
At the close of market activities, the prices of 7 advanced, 8 declined and 5 remained with prices unchanged and led to the market index dropping 43.07 points to 3,032.34. One stock ended at a 52 weeks’ closing low and one traded at an intraday low.
Trading ended with an average of 44,523 units for an average of $184,949 in contrast to 495,658 units for an average of $1,952,714 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 192,151 units valued at $794,363, compared to 265,965 units at an average value of $1,099,070 on the previous trading day. In contrast, August closed with average of 234,437 units at an average $1,295,260 for each security traded.
Trading ended with the market sentiments looking positive for Wednesday’s activity as 9 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
At the close of the market the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are: Access Financial that settled $2.80 higher to $49 with 2,869 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging ended at $3 with 3,500 stocks, CAC 2000 finished at $8 with 10,000 shares, Caribbean Cream ended with a loss of 25 cents at $6.60, with 1,039 stock units, Caribbean Flavours traded 10 cents higher at $11.80 with 425 shares, Derrimon Trading settled with a loss of 90 cents at $7, with 2,000 units, Express Catering concluded trading with a loss of 30 cents at $4.20, with 88,763 stock units, General Accident ended 2 cents higher at $2.82 with 14,021 units, Honey Bun traded at an intraday low of $3 before recovering to close at $4 with 23,137 shares changing hands, Iron Rock finished 2 cents higher at $2.90 with 50,183 stocks, Jetcon Corporation lost 50 cents to $4.10 with 20,583 units, KLE Group ended 7 cents higher at $3.27 with 79,648 stock units. Knutsford Express concluded market activity with a loss of 99 cents at $14, with 1,348 units changing ownership, Lasco Distributors ended at $6.90 with 42,931 units, Lasco Financial concluded trading with a loss of 35 cents to $3.50 with 283,782 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing concluded with a loss of 30 cents, to a 52 weeks’ low of $4 with 35,718 units traded, but fell as low as $3.80 during the day. Main Event ended 50 cents higher at $5 with 15,190 shares, Stationery and Office settled with a loss of 15 cents, at $4.05 with 209,557 stocks trading, tTech settled 45 cents higher at $6.50 with just 300 units and Derrimon Trading concluded trading at $2 with 5,465 units.
Trading jumps sharply on TTSE – Tuesday
Trading picked up strongly on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday as 16 securities changed hands compared to 13 on Monday leading to 1,180,284 units valued at $18,912,930.
Monday’s trading resulted in only 147,790 units valued at $1,500,893. On Tuesday trading was dominated by Massy Holdings with 55 percent of the value of stocks that traded followed by Sagicor Financial with 20 percent as 6 stocks advanced, 3 declining and 7 remained unchanged.
The Composite Index rose 1.45 points to 1,241.54, the All T&T Index gained 0.04 points to 1,788.96 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.39 points to 93.23 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 2 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| The last traded prices of the securities rising and the volume changing hands are Agostini’s gaining 50 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $20.51 with 1,621 shares, First Citizens closed at $31.68, with a 1 cent gain in trading 7,969 shares, NCB Financial Group closed 5 cents and closed back at a recent 52 weeks’ high of $5.05 with 180,000 shares valued at $907,000. Republic Financial Holdings ended with a gain of 1 cent, in closing at $101.91 with 55 shares, Sagicor Financial advanced 20 cents to $8.50 with 452,106 shares valued at $3,840,314 and Scotiabank traded 2,575 shares at $58.03, having gained 1 cent.
Losses| The last traded prices of securities declining with volume changing hands are Ansa McAL trading 20 cents lower to $65.80 with 1,000 shares, JMMB Group with a loss of 1 cent to close at $1.30 with 1,930 shares and West Indian Tobacco with a loss of 2 cents, closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $125.47 with 490 shares.
Firm Trades| The last traded prices of securities remaining unchanged and the volume trading are Clico Investments that closed at $20.60 with 27,562 shares valued at $567,761, First Caribbean International exchanged 154,417 shares at $8 valued at $1,235,336, Grace Kennedy traded 51,000 shares at $2.85. Massy Holdings held firm at $48.92 with 211,025 shares valued at $10,323,313, Prestige Holdings closed at $10.65 with 2,739 shares, Scotia Investments remained at $2.20 with 30,000 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL exchanged 55,795 shares at $22 valued at $1,227,490.
JSE AJI breaks 290,000 points
Helped by a jump of $2.99 in the price of Scotia Group shares in the early morning session on Tuesday to reach a record $54.99, the All Jamaica Composite Index is up to record levels, breaking through the critical resistance of 290,000 points.
The move today have lifted the gains in All Jamaica by an impressive 38 percent for year to date. If the market continues to hold above the 290,000 points mark, it could be setting up for a huge rally ahead with no major resistance levels in sight for sometime to come.
The market index sits just above the resistance level, having exceeded the level at 10.30 earlier in trading today before Scotia Group price fell back to $51.60, after trading just 2,384 shares for the day so far.
At 10:30am, the All Jamaica Composite Index rose 2,173.29 points to 290,234.60, the JSE Market Index rose 1,980.12 points to 264,436.58 and the JSE US dollar market index remained at 198.22 and the Junior Market lost 4.13 points to 3,071.28.
4 stocks closed at 52 weeks’ lows
In trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange, 4 stocks closed at 52 weeks’ lows on Monday, as 13 securities changed hands compared to 8 on Friday. The market ended with 147,790 shares traded valued at $1,500,893 compared to Friday’s 191,728 units valued at $1,095,850.
The market closed with 1 stock advancing, 4 declining and 8 holding firm, leading to the Composite Index declining 0.32 points to 1,240.09. The All T&T Index dropped 1.14 points to 1,788.92 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.07 points to 92.84 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 3 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains|Scotia Investments gained 8 cents in trading at $2.20 at the close with 6,000 shares changing hands.
Losses| The last traded prices of securities declining and the volume changing hands are, Clico Investment trading 10 cents lower to a 52 weeks’ low of $20.60 with 24,878 shares valued at $512,487. One Caribbean Media declined 40 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $14.50 with just 68 shares, Republic Financial Holdings ending with a loss of 10 cents, closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $101.90 with 1,140 shares and Unilever Caribbean closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $50.50, having lost 48 cents trading a mere 16 shares.
Firm Trades| The volume and last traded prices of securities trading unchanged at the close of trading are, First Citizens closing at $31.67 with 1,491 shares, Grace Kennedy exchanging 6,235 shares at $2.85. Guardian Holdings held firm at $16.60 with 7,014 shares, Massy Holdings traded 69 shares at $48.92, NCB Financial Group remained at $5 with 91,094 shares valued at $455,470, Prestige Holdings closed at $10.65 with 200 shares, Scotiabank ended at $58.02 with 110 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL exchanged 9,475 shares at $22.