Market activity started in June, with the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market giving back some of the gains enjoyed on Tuesday in closing out May. The volume of stocks traded on Wednesday declined 7 percent and the value dropped 47 percent lower than on Tuesday as rising stocks were fewer than those declining.
The All Jamaican Composite Index lost 1,658.03 points to end at 448,780.16, the JSE Main Index dropped 1,215.87 points to 393,196.70 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.66 points to settle at 93.31.
Trading ended with 50 securities compared to 53 on Tuesday, with 19 rising, 24 declining and seven ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 15. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
Overall, 17,842,696 shares were traded for $102,253,017 versus 19,187,062 units at $194,339,772 on Tuesday. Trading averages 356,854 units at $2,045,060, compared to 362,020 shares at $3,666,788 on Tuesday. May averaged 238,645 units at $3,561,016.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 3.72 million shares for 20.8 percent of total volume, followed by JMMB Group 7.5% preference share with 2.74 million units for 15.3 percent of the day’s trade, Transjamaican Highway with 2.69 million units for 15.1 percent market share. Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund ended with 2.32 million units for 13 percent market share and Sagicor Select Financial Fund traded 2.29 million units for 12.8 percent market share.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 90 cents to close at $87.10 while exchanging 169,135 shares, Caribbean Cement rose $1.25 to end at $69.70, with 171,404 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Producers fell 35 cents in closing at $15.30 as 82,835 units were swapped. Eppley climbed $7.95 in ending at $47.95 in switching ownership of 1,561 stocks, GraceKennedy fell $2.90 to close at $107.60 with an exchange of 18,800 stocks, Jamaica Broilers dropped 50 cents to end at $28, with 132,044 units changing hands. Jamaica Producers popped 30 cents to $22.80 with the swapping of 109 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost $1.30 in closing at $17.70 with an exchange of 1,000 shares, JMMB Group declined $2 to $45 in exchanging 212,458 stocks. Mayberry Investments lost 45 cents to end at $10 after trading 21,713 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities increased 98 cents to close at $14.48, with 11,508 units crossing the exchange, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $6.95 in closing at $95.05 after exchanging 72 shares. NCB Financial fell 98 cents to $105.02, with 45,393 units crossing the market, Palace Amusement shed $23.95 to $900 in trading 70 shares, PanJam Investment rose $1.50 to end at $67.50, trading 1,613 stock units. Proven Investments declined 99 cents to $38 in an exchange of 29,227 stocks, Radio Jamaica dropped 35 cents to $2.50, with 336,685 shares clearing the market, Sagicor Group shed $2.99 to end at $55 while exchanging 125,413 stocks. Scotia Group rallied 80 cents in closing at $36.80 after exchanging 2,102 stock units, Seprod gained 48 cents to close at $70.50 after 13,500 units changed hands, Stanley Motta rallied 46 cents to $5.95, with 16,561 units crossing the market. Supreme Ventures climbed 46 cents to close at $29.96 after trading 95,238 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1.90 in closing at $14 after 611,693 stock units changed hands.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share popped $2 after ending at $107 and trading 586 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Paramount Trading joins ICTOP10
Dolla Financial Services IPO was heavily oversubscribed, and it is unlikely that investors will be able to buy the stock in the secondary market at a price that would place it in the TOP10 after day two of listing. Accordingly, the stock has been moved to the sideline, but it seems set to reach the $3 region sometime after listing.
The shifting of Dolla Financial out of the TOP10 resulted in Paramount Trading entering the TOP10 with the price falling to $1.75 in a week that saw investors selling stocks to raise funds to get into the IPO issue.
The past week was volatile, with the Junior Market index dropping more than 330 points or 7.6 percent from the close of the previous week to Wednesday, as investors sought funds to go into the Dolla IPO. The selloff was visible from May 12 with a near 100 points fall on that day as there was talk in the market of the pending issue.
This week’s pullback of the market resulted in mostly declines in the TOP10 Junior Market stocks. Medical Disposables dropped 13 percent to $7, while Access Financial also dropped 13 percent to close at $20, Elite Diagnostic slipped 9 percent in closing at $3.60 and Lasco Financial dipped 7 percent to $3.30.
For the TOP10 Main Market stocks, Berger Paints fell 13 percent to $10.63; Radio Jamaica declined 11 percent to $2.55, VM Investments lost 7 percent, followed by QWI Investments down 6 percent to 85 cents. There were no meaningful gains.
During the week, General Accident reported first quarter results with profit due to shareholders of the parent company rising 36 percent to $49 million, Friday after trading, Lasco Distributors reported profit increasing 12 percent for the full year to $1 billion but the final quarter being up 35 percent to $241 million and Lasco Manufacturing rising 45 percent in the March quarter to $522 million and the full year up 24 percent to $1.7 billion.ICInsider.com upgraded earnings for Lasco Distributors to 50 cents from 45 cents, but the others remain as previously stated. All three stocks are trading below ten times 2022 earnings and therefore have huge potential to appreciate.
Results for Access Financial and Medical Disposables to March are awaited.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 ends the week at 6.2, well below the market average of 14.4, while the Junior Market PE for the Top 10 sits at 5.9 versus the market at 13.1. The Junior Market TOP10 is projected to gain an average of 245 percent to May 2023 and the Main Market 241 percent.
Watch these stocks that sit just outside the TOP10 that investors should watch. They include Key Insurance, followed by Caribbean Producers and Scotia Group from the Main Market. In the Junior Market, Iron Rock Insurance, Dolphin Cove, Jetcon Corporation, Stationery and Office Supplies and Lasco Manufacturingreported strong fourth quarter results to March this year.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023. They are ranked in order of potential gains, based on the possible increase for each company, considering the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result 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.
Dolla Financial joins ICTOP10
The next stock slated to list on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Dolla Financial Services, joins ICTOP110 at the number one spot, with 2022 earnings projected at 20 cents per share and potential gains for the stock of 300 percent. The issue opens on Friday, 27 and 500 million shares being offered should be fully taken up by the public.
The other stock to climb into the ICTOP10 this week is Lasco Distributors, back in at the number 10 spot.
The markets pulled back this week, resulting in mixed performances for ICTOP10 stocks. In the Junior Market, following the release of March quarter results, Jetcon Corporation jumped 16 percent for the week to lead the Junior Market performances, Medical Disposables posted a 10 percent rise to $8, Access Financial gained 8 percent, while Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost13 percent in closing at $2.25 to be the only significant loser. TOP10 Main Market stocks had no meaningful gains. At the same time, Productive Business Solutions fell 17 percent to 98 US cents, VM Investments lost 9 percent and Radio Jamaica fell 5 percent, followed by JMMB Group with a 4 percent decline.
There were no movements in and out of the ICInsider.com TOP10 Main Market listing this week, but the Junior Market has two, with Dolphin Cove and Jetcon Corporation dropping out.
Investors should be on the lookout for companies with March year end that have not yet reported earnings. Amongst the grouping is the three Lasco companies that could get price moving punch from the results. Watch also Access and Medical Disposables, with the latter sitting close to the TOP of the list.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 ends the week at 6.2, well below the market average of 15, while the Junior Market PE for the Top 10 sits at 6.1 versus the market at 13.5. The Junior Market TOP10 is projected to gain an average of 226 percent by May 2023 and the Main Market 215 percent.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023. They are ranked in order of potential gains, based on the possible increase for each company, considering the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result 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.