Investors pushed the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market up at the close on Thursday, with increased trading as the volume of stocks traded rose 23 percent and the value jumped 253 percent higher than on Wednesday, with trading in 61 securities as was the case on Wednesday and ended with prices of 17 stocks rising, 22 declining and 22 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 8,718,855 shares being traded at $132,519,420 up from 7,107,320 units at $37,509,746 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 142,932 shares at $2,172,450 compared to 116,513 units at $614,914 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 891,863 units at $3,722,377 compared with 954,617 units at $3,852,247 on the previous day and March with an average of 828,473 units at $2,341,254.
Kingston Wharves led trading with 2.51 million shares for 28.8 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.80 million stocks for 20.6 percent of the day’s trade and Pan Jamaica with 802,202 units for 9.2 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 2,030.08 points to 362,251.00, the JSE Main Index climbed 1,240.26 points to finish at 324,184.12 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.11 points to 69.83.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, AS Bryden skidded $2 to finish at $38 with 1,244 units changing hands, Caribbean Producers sank 37 cents to close at $8.91 in an exchange of 9,379 stocks, Eppley rose 99 cents to end at $39.99 with 535 shares crossing the market. First Rock Real Estate climbed 50 cents in closing at $9 in an exchange of 527 stock units, General Accident increased by 4 cents to end at $6.24 with traders dealing in 444 shares, GraceKennedy popped 94 cents to close at $73.94 after 163,668 stocks passed through the exchange. Jamaica Broilers shed 87 cents to end at $33.13 with a transfer of 507 units, JMMB Group declined 50 cents and ended at $25 with 10,391 stock units clearing the market, Kingston Wharves fell $4.61 to $26.09 with an exchange of 2,508,167 shares. Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied 50 cents to end at $10.50 with 300 stocks crossing the market, NCB Financial dipped 97 cents in closing at $63 as investors exchanged 12,238 units, Sagicor Group lost 50 cents to close at $40.50 in trading 11,469 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 98 cents to $7.98 after exchanging 546 shares, Scotia Group advanced 40 cents to finish at $44.90 with investors swapping 27,367 stocks, Seprod dropped 97 cents and ended at $81.20 after an exchange of 994 units. Stanley Motta rose 61 cents to close at $6.75 with investors transferring 973 stock units and Supreme Ventures slipped $1 in closing at $23.50 with 119,177 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rallied $1 to end at $211 with investors dealing in 9 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share sank $4.99 to $110.01 after trading 87 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Light trading on Trinidad Exchange
Trading remained soft on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 129 percent but was valued 13 percent less than the prior day and resulting in 18 securities changing hands compared with 20 on Wednesday and ending with prices of three stocks rising, five declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 315,653 shares for $2,709,242 compared to 138,141 stock units at $3,123,131 on Wednesday.
An average of 17,536 shares were traded at $150,513 compared with 6,907 stock units at $156,157 on Wednesday, with trading month to date averaging 13,135 shares at $150,250 compared with 12,770 units at $150,226 on the previous day and an average for March of 28,236 shares at $236,496.
The Composite Index slipped 1.73 points in ending trading at 1,205.09, the All T&T Index declined 5.09 points to settle at 1,811.16, the SME Index was unchanged at 77.71 and the Cross-Listed Index popped 0.26 points to wrap-up trading at 77.89.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Agostini’s ended at $69, with an exchange of 1,391 shares, Angostura Holdings remained at $22.74 trading 113 units, Ansa McAl ended at $55 and closed with an exchange of 12,576 shares. Calypso Macro Investment Fund ended at $22.60 after investors traded 892 stock units, First Citizens Group ended at $48.10 in swapping 4,411 shares, FirstCaribbean International Bank rallied 3 cents to $7.04 with an exchange of 110 units. GraceKennedy ended at $3.90 with 10,000 stocks changing hands, JMMB Group popped 3 cents to $1.48 with investors transferring 140,813 stock units, Massy Holdings ended at $4.30 in an exchange of 103,257 shares. National Flour Mills remained at $2.20 with investors trading 2,740 units, One Caribbean Media fell 2 cents and ended at $3.80 with 1,295 stocks clearing the market, Prestige Holdings ended at $14 as investors exchanged 130 stock units. Republic Financial skidded 5 cents in closing at $118.95 with 3,939 shares crossing the market, Scotiabank sank 43 cents to $69.55 with traders dealing in 1,834 stocks, Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $8.50 in switching ownership of 481 stocks. Trinidad Cement popped 12 cents to end at $2.97 after 260 stock units passed through the market, Unilever Caribbean dropped $1.09 to end at $11.56 with a transfer of 99 stocks and West Indian Tobacco lost 1 cent to close at $13 with investors dealing in 31,312 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Profit bolts 79% at AMG
Profit continued to surge at AMG Packaging in the February quarter, up 79 percent to $32 million from $18 million in 2023, the performance is better than the 72 percent rise in the first quarter. For the six months to February, profit was also up 79 percent to $84 million from $47 million in 2023.
Sale revenues rose by just one percent for the quarter, to $250 million from $247 million and popped 4 percent for the year to date, to $522 million from $501 million in 2023.
Two main features are at play resulting in improved performance. The company installed new multi-coloured machinery in early 2023 that measures and determine the cut for boxes which has helped in cutting operating costs as it is far more efficient than the original ones. Secondly, the price of paper declined in 2023 from 2022 and has carried over into the current year, the result is that raw material costs declined to 41 percent of revenues in the second quarter from 53 percent in 2023.
Historically, profit was stuck for years between $37 million and $62 million from 2017 to 2021 . In 2022 profit jumped to $105 million following a revenues surge of 41 percent over 2021 but fell back to $89 million in 2023 with some one-off cost, helping in pushing the profit down, otherwise it would have exceeded that of 2022. ICInsider.com projects profit to come in around $225 million for this fiscal year ending in August.
Manufacturing costs declined by 12 percent in the February quarter to $154 million from $175 million and by 9 percent year to date, to $325 million from $356 million. Gross profit margin rose a significant 36 percent in the quarter to $96 million from $72 million and climbed even more for the half year to 39 percent to $197 million from $145 million in 2024.
Administrative expenses rose 18 percent to $33 million in the quarter and increased 19 percent in the six months to $66 million. Depreciation charges increased by 26 percent to $13.5 million in the quarter, and the half year to $26 million. Finance cost declined in the quarter, to $1.8 million from $2 million in 2024 and from $4.2 million to $3.6 million for the six months.
The operations generated $130 million in Gross cash flow, after paying dividends of $51 million and increased working capital needs, net flows were negative and pulled down the cash on hand from of $297 million in 2023 to $252 million.
Current assets ended the period at $651 million and include trade and other receivables of $143 million, up from $123 million in 2023, and cash and bank balances of $252 million, representing an increase over $144 million in 2023. Inventories rose a bit from $240 million to $255 million. Current liabilities at the half way marker amount to $152 million. Net current assets ended the period at $500 million.
At the end of February, shareholders’ equity amounts to $1.29 billion with long term borrowings of just at $66 million and short term at $19 million.
Earnings per share for the quarter amounts to 6 cents and 14 cents for the half year. IC Insider.com computation projects earnings around 45 cents per share for the current fiscal year, with a PE of 8 times the current year’s earnings based on the price of $3.59 the stock traded at on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market. Net asset value ended the period at $2.53 with the stock selling at a premium of 41 percent to book value.
Big jump in trading for the USD Market
Trading surged on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market ended on Wednesday, with a 1,060 percent jump in the volume of stocks exchanged following a 244 percent pop in value compared with market activity on Tuesday and resulting in trading in 10 securities, compared to 12 on Tuesday with prices of three rising, three declining and four ending unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,005,394 shares for US$50,711 compared to 86,667 units at US$14,748 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 100,539 units at US$5,071 versus 7,222 shares at US$1,229 on Tuesday, with a month to date average of 36,785 shares at US$2,318 compared with 29,371 units at US$1,998 on the previous day and March that ended with an average of 49,394 units for US$3,593.
The US Denominated Equities Index declined 3.55 points to end at 239.06.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.3. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending and or around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, First Rock Real Estate USD share dipped 0.58 of one cent to end at 4.02 US cents closing, with 4,258 units being traded, Margaritaville ended at 10 US cents with 600 stocks crossing the market, Productive Business Solutions remained at US$1.59 after investors ended trading 36 shares. Proven Investments fell 1.68 cents to finish at 13.02 US cents with investors transferring 186,935 stock units, Sterling Investments remained at 1.7 US cents after 117 shares crossed the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 0.01 of a cent to close at 7.95 US cents with traders dealing in 5,475 stocks and Transjamaican Highway rose 0.08 of a cent to 2.19 US cents in switching ownership of 806,663 units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group US8.5% preference share ended at US$1.19, with 700 stock units crossing the market, Productive Business Solutions 9.25% preference share declined 50 cents to close at US$11 in trading 250 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments E8.5% advanced 10 cents in closing at US$10.70, with 360 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Falling stocks push Trinidad Exchange down
Falling stocks outnumbered those rising by more than two to one when trading ended on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday and finished with a 60 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded rising valued 244 percent more than on Tuesday and resulting in the trading of 20 securities similar to Tuesday and ending with prices of four stocks rising, nine declining and seven remaining unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 138,141 shares for $3,123,131 compared with 86,156 stock units at $908,797 on Tuesday.
An average of 6,907 shares were traded at $156,157 compared to 4,308 units at $45,440 on Tuesday, with trading month to date averaging 12,770 shares at $150,226 compared with 13,365 units at $149,625 on the previous day and an average for March of 28,236 shares at $236,496.
The Composite Index skidded 2.36 points to close at 1,206.82, the All T&T Index sank 4.90 points to 1,816.25, the SME Index remained unchanged at 77.71 and the Cross-Listed Index rose 0.05 points to conclude trading at 77.63.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Agostini’s climbed 37 cents to close at $69, with 1,881 shares crossing the market, Ansa McAl shed $2 to $55 after a transfer of 4,209 units, Ansa Merchant Bank sank 15 cents to finish at $45.15 with investors trading 131 shares. Calypso Macro Investment Fund dropped 40 cents to $22.60 after trading 4,108 stocks, Endeavour Holdings ended at $15 with investors trading 33 shares, First Citizens Group slipped 1 cent to $48.10 in swapping 1,915 units. FirstCaribbean International Bank gained 6 cents to close at $7.01 after an exchange of 1,688 stocks, GraceKennedy ended at $3.90 in trading 8,000 stock units, Guardian Holdings slipped 5 cents and ended at $18.70 with 30 shares changing hands. JMMB Group lost 4 cents to close at $1.45 in an exchange of 3,692 units, Massy Holdings ended at $4.30, with 66,356 stocks changing hands, National Enterprises dipped 3 cents to end at $3.85 as investors traded 420 stock units. National Flour Mills remained at $2.20 after 17,000 shares passed through the market, One Caribbean Media remained at $3.82, with 907 stocks crossing the exchange, Point Lisas skidded 20 cents in closing at $3.50 with investors swapping 900 stock units. Prestige Holdings ended at $14 in an exchange of 3,508 stocks, Republic Financial popped 7 cents to end at $119 with investors trading 17,367 shares, Scotiabank ended at $69.98 and closed with an exchange of 373 stock units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL declined 46 cents to $8.50 with 5,123 stocks changing hands and Trinidad Cement rallied 11 cents in closing at $2.85 with 500 units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.