Main Market stocks mostly fell on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in trading on Monday accompanied by a 42 percent increase in the volume of stocks traded but with 18 percent less value than on Friday, after 54 securities traded compared to 53 on Friday, with prices of just ten rising, 30 declining and 14 unchanged.
Jamaica Stock Exchange fell to a 52 weeks’ low of $15 and Proven Investments declined to a 52 weeks’ low of $28.70.
A total of 10,954,351 shares were exchanged for $87,091,829 versus 7,723,200 units at $106,579,158 on Friday.
Trading averaged 202,858 shares at $1,612,812 versus 145,721 units at $2,010,928 on Friday and month to date, an average of 190,632 shares at $1,332,830 compared to 189,290 units at $1,302,100 on the previous trading day. October closed with an average of 231,243 units at $1,464,224.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.07 million shares for 37.1 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 3.07 million units for 28.1 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 1.11 million units for 10.2 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,886.79 points to 390,479.49, the JSE Main Index dropped 1,347.77 points to 342,725.40 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.48 points to settle at 81.94.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.1 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments declined $2.50 after ending at $88.50 with investors transferring 8,518 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed $1 to close at $39 after a transfer of 20 stock units, GraceKennedy popped $2.01 to $85.01 with investors exchanging 48,708 units. Guardian Holdings advanced $19.99 in closing at $519.99 with the swapping of just one stock, Jamaica Broilers dropped $1.45 to $27.02 with an exchange of 25,129 shares, Kingston Wharves lost $2 to end at $35 after a transfer of 3,900 units. Massy Holdings declined $2.48 to $77.52 in trading 695 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities fell $1.20 to close at $12 with an exchange of 94,150 stocks, Portland JSX dropped $1.20 to $9 with 1,000 units changing hands. Scotia Group lost $1.99 in closing at $33.51 trading 4,170 stock units, Seprod fell $1 to finish at $70 in exchanging 123,635 shares, Supreme Ventures shed $1.97 to settle at $26.02 with a transfer of 89,935 stocks and Sygnus Real Estate Finance declined $1.02 in closing at $9.18 after exchanging 4,845 shares.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share dipped $1 to close at $20 as investors exchanged 10,000 units and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 47 cents to end at $2.67 in switching ownership of 900 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
PBS jumps ICTOP10 with 89% gain
Productive Business Solutions surged 45 percent to close at US$2 from US$1.38 at the close of the previous week and dropped out of the TOP10, having entered at the beginning of April at $1.06 and has now recorded a gain of 89 percent. Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped out of the Junior Market TOP10 following a downgrade of earnings per share with the release of nine months’ results.
138 Student Living made it back in the Main Market TOP 10 following reporting strong full year results with the promise of more in 2023 as students return to on campus training and Medical Disposables returns to the Junior Market list.
The Junior Market had five top 10 stocks gaining between 4 percent and 14 percent, with two declining over five percent. The Main Market list had only two stocks gaining from 10 and 45 percent with five losses but with four ranging from 4 to 9 percent.
Notable price changes during the week include Lasco Distributors rising 14 percent to $3.10, General Accident and Lasco Financial popped 10 percent to close at $5.05 and $3, respectively, Elite Diagnostic was up 6 percent to $3.72 and Caribbean Cream rose 4 percent to $4. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 8 percent to close the week at $2.39, following the release of nine months results that rose 33 percent to 40 cents, with the crucial third quarter results being flat in contrast to solid growth in the first half of the year.
In the Main Market, Productive Business Solutions rose 45 percent during the week to $2, followed by Radio Jamaica, that jumped 10 percent to $2. VVM Investments dropped 9 percent to $4.39 while Caribbean Producers slipped 5 percent to $12.33, Berger Paints also dipped 5 percent and ended at$10.40 and Guardian Holdings fell 4 percent to $500.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.4. At the same time, the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.2 versus the market at 12.4, an important indicator of the level of undervaluation of the ICTOP10stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 224 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average now of 298 percent, to May 2023, following an upgrading of Guardian Holdings earnings per share to $173.50 from $92 previously.
The Junior Market has 14 ; stocks representing a third of the market, with PEs from 16 to 38, averaging22 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. This data shows the extent of potential gains that the TOP 10 stocks possess. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 15 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 80, with an average of 28 and 24.3 excluding the highest valued one and 22.5 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Lasco Financial heads Junior Market TOP10
Iron Rock Insurance rose 23 percent for the past week after closing at $2.72. It exited ICInsider.com TOP10 of Junior Market stocks while Lasco Financial climbed back into the top list to be the stock likely to gain the most into the first half of 2023, with 268 percent, at the same time, Key Insurance gained 8 percent to close the week at $3.76, enough to push it from the TOP10 to be replaced by Radio Jamaica that dropped to $1.81 on Friday.
Following Lasco Financial half year results, with profit up 26 percent in the September quarter, earnings for the full year were raised from 40 cents to 50 cents, with the company resuming growing the loan portfolio. Lasco Manufacturing released six months of results to September that rose 23 percent in the quarter, an improvement over the first quarter and retains earnings previously projected.
The past week ended with the Junior Market moving modestly higher, as it continues to consolidate ahead of a break that is poised to move it sharply higher, with third quarter results to start hitting the market in droves this week and next. The Main Market also closed marginally higher at the week’s end than the previous one.
The Junior Market rise during the week benefitted from three of the top 10 stocks gaining between 5 percent and 23 percent with only one decline of note. The Main Market’s highest loser fell 4 percent, while four stocks gained 4 to 8 percent.
Other notable price changes during the week include Dolphin Cove, with an increase of 8 percent to $14 and Paramount Trading, up 5 percent to $1.99, while Lasco Manufacturing declined 9 percent to close the week at $3.85 in the Junior Market and in the Main Market, Productive Business Solutions rose 6 percent to $1.38, Guardian Holdings jumped 5 percent to $519 following the release of impressive nine months results and VVM Investments popped 5 percent to $4.80 while Caribbean Producers slipped 4 percent to $13.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6.2, well below the market average of 13.6. At the same time, the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 versus the market at 12.6, an important indicator of the level of undervaluation of the ICTOP10s tocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 243 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 256 percent by May 2023.
The Junior Market has 14 stocks representing a third of the market, with PEs from 16 to 38, averaging 22 compared with the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18.5. This data shows the extent of potential gains that the TOP 10 stocks possess. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 15 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 80, with an average of 25 and 22 excluding the highest valued one and 21 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.