The price earnings ratio is the most popular measure investors use to compare and determine stocks values. It is computed by dividing the price of a stock by the earnings per share. It allows investors to compare the value of one company with others in order to decide which ones are to be bought sold or held on to. When the market moves markedly away from the norm it is usually time for investors to move. Nowhere is this truer than PE ratios.
In looking at good buying opportunities the crude measure is to buy those stocks with low PEs compared to the market or to stocks in the same sector.
The Trinidad market has several stocks that are priced at a PE that is well below the market average, this has been so from early 2013 and continues to present.
During the past week Trinidad Cement declined to $1.95, National Flour lost ground to close at $1, but Point Lisas gained ground to $4, Neal & Massy inched up further to $68.80 One Caribbean Media moved to new highs during the week to close at $23, while Citizens Bank lost value to end at $37.47.
The market has 6 stocks that are priced at a PEs that are well below the market’s average of 15, and a few close to the average, thus offering profitable investment opportunities for investors with medium term investment horizon.
TTSE PE – suggests attractive buys
Activity picked up, will it last?
The market saw a pick-up in trading, with 19 securities being active, of which 6 advanced, 3 declined and 10 traded firm with 1,112,248 stocks trading, valued at $15,182,744.
The Composite Index lost 0.40 points to close at 1,180.79, the All T&T Index rose by 0.24 points to close at 2,018.14 and the Cross Listed Index fell 0.14 points to close at 45.02.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, ANSA Mcal trading 100 shares, to close at $66.45, up a cent, Guardian Holdings traded 3,000 units, as the price rose a cent, to $13.51, Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 218,853 shares traded for $109,249, gained 2 cents, to close at 50 cents, National Flour Mills with 543,441 shares changing hands for a value of $590,815, rose 2 cents to end at $1.09 and One Caribbean Media stock price rose by 6 cents, to end the day at $20.46 as 10,401 units were traded, and it closed at a new 52 weeks high and Point Lisas Industrial Port Development traded 500 units, to close with a 4 cents loss, at $3.75.
Declines| Agostini’s traded 200 shares and lost a cent to end at $17.57, Prestige Holdings with 6,280 shares, traded at $9.37, with a fall of 4 cents and Sagicor Financial Corporation added 65,237 shares valued at $440,350 and lost 27cents, to close at $6.75.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading, are Angostura Holdings which exchanged 56,200 shares, valued $3,734,490 and closed at $13, Ansa Merchant Bank with 1,074 shares, closed at $38.49, Clico Investment Fund closed at $21.58 with 1.945 units changing hands, First Citizens Bank exchanged 10,063 units at $38.50, with a value of $387426, Firstcaribbean International Bank with 37,610 shares changing hands for a value of $206,855, closed at $5.50, while Neal & Massy with 5,705 shares closed at $67, Praetorian Property Mutual Fund with 5,000 shares changing hands, closed at $3.40, Scotiabank with 3,797 shares changing hands closed at $70, Trinidad Cement with 44,917 shares closed at $2 and West Indian Tobacco contributed 97,925 shares with a value of $11,555,150 to close at $118.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
PE ratio weekly moves| Prices for quite a few stocks changed during the week, but with moderate effect on the PE ratios. Biggest losers were, Trinidad Cement which pushed the potential gain to 615 percent and National Flour Mills that fell to $1.07 from $1.20 at the start of the week and saw the potential gains, climbing to 229 percent, up from 193 percent last week. Guardian Holdings made moderate gains and Citizens continued its recovery, by closing at $38.51 on the bid, up from $38.02 last week. One Caribbean Media and Neal and Massy both closed at new 52 weeks highs, but still has more to gain as they remain undervalued. The average PE ratio for the market is at 14, with 7 stocks trading below and 3 trading just above the average.
Citizens march on TTSE
First Citizens Bank continues its recover, by ending with another gain in the march towards the $40 mark once more, on a day with trading in 12 securities, of which 4 advanced, 3 declined and 5 traded firm. Only 93,287 stocks traded, with a value of $5,597,251.
The Composite Index advanced 1.53 points to close at 1,181.19, the All T&T Index rose by 3.05 points to close at 2,017.90 and the Cross Listed Index remained flat at 45.16.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Ansa Merchant Bank trading 3,520 units, to close with a gain of 9 cents at $38.49, First Citizens Bank with 29,063 shares changing hands, for a value of $1,118,588, to close at $38.50, up 28 cents, Neal & Massy enjoyed a 50 cents gain, to end the day at $67, a new 52 weeks high, with 1,650 shares changing hands and Republic Bank with 23,853 shares being traded for $2,870,709, gained 2 cents to close at $120.35.
Declines| In trading, Agostini’s with 569 shares, closed at $17.58 and lost a cent, ANSA McAL lost a cent in trading 148 units, to close at $66.44 and Clico Investment Fund fell by 2 cents, to close at $21.56 in posting 8,395 shares valued at $181,005.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged, at the end of trading, are Guardian Holdings that contributed 14,746 shares, with a value of $199,071, to close at $13.50, Sagicor Financial Corporation 2,000 units to close at $7.02, Scotiabank traded just 198 units at $70 and Trinidad Cement with 1,250 shares changing hands, closed at $2 while West Indian Tobacco added 7,895 shares valued at $931,610 and closed at $118.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with the offer that was lower.
Securities traded up but prices mixed
There was trading in 16 securities on the Trinidad Stock Exchange on Wednesday, 4 advanced, 3 declined and 9 traded firm, as 157,712 shares traded with a value of $1,646,580.
Market activity lead to two new 52 weeks highs and moderate movements in the indices, with the Composite Index edging up 0.43 points to close at 1,169.87, the All T&T Index gaining 1.73 points, to close at 1,985.33 and the Cross Listed Index declining by 0.12 points to 46.49.
Gains| First Citizens Bank contributed 17,200 shares with a value of $596,996 and gained 70 cents, to close at $34.70, Praetorian Property Fund advanced by a cent to end at $3.41, as it traded 2,000 units, Republic Bank traded a mere 83 units, as the price moved up a cent, to close at $120.17 for a new 52 weeks high and Unilever Caribbean traded just 31 shares to close 2 cents higher at $58.22, a new 52 weeks high.
Firm Trades| Stocks trading with unchanged closing prices, are Angostura Holdings with 16,470 shares valued at $181,170, to close at $11, Flavorite Foods with 33 units at $7, Grace Kennedy with 45,600 shares changing hands for a value of $159,600 and closed at $3.50, National Flour Mills 10,000 shares at $1.26, Neal & Massy 100 shares at $66.31, Prestige Holdings 500 units at $9.35, Scotiabank 138 shares at $71, Trinidad Cement 895 units at $2.06 and West Indian Tobacco 216 units at $118.
Declines| Clico Investment Fund traded 13,277 shares valued at $288,603 as the price declined by 15 cents, to end at $21.70, Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded 6,300 shares to close down 2 cents to 54 cents and Sagicor Financial Corporation with a volume of 44,667 shares traded for $312,669 as the price shed 3 cents, to end at $7.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
Strong arbitrage position in JMMB in JSE & TTSE
Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) closed at 56 cents, the equivalent of JS$9.50 while it closed at J$7.50 in Jamaica, providing investors with a great arbitrage position, with a huge 26 percent price difference at the end of trading.
Trading overall in the Trinidad Stock market on Wednesday saw 12 securities changing hands of which 5 advanced, 5 declined and 2 traded firm resulting in the Composite Index declining by 4.54 points to close at 1,173.08, the All T&T Index falling by 8.83 points to close at 1,990.79 and the Cross Listed Index easing by 0.03 points to close at 46.62. Trading resulted in 653,357 shares changing hands, valued at $6,420,588.
Gains| (JMMB) was the volume leader with 186,000 shares changing hands for a value of $103,300, closing 3 cents higher to end at 56 cents, National Enterprises gained 2 cents to close at $18.27, National Flour Mills added 110,000 shares valued at $138,600 to close a cent higher at $1.26, a 52 weeks high, Neal & Massy traded only 35 units at $66.31 for a one cent gain.
Declines| First Caribbean International Bank traded 15,072 shares at $5.75, down a cent, First Citizens Bank 3,581 shares at $36.07, down 28 cents Grace Kennedy with 161,400 shares traded for $564,975 and fell 13 cents to $3.50, Scotiabank with 215 shares, close at $70.10, down $1.90 and Trinidad Cement contributed 118,574 shares with a value of $243,723 to close at $2.05.
Firm Trades| Angostura Holdings 900 shares to close at $11.00, Sagicor Financial Corporation had only 50 units changing hands to end at $7.05.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bids higher than their last selling price and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
