Market activity ended on Wednesday with the volume of shares declining 23 percent and the value 34 percent lower than on Tuesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as rising stocks were marginally less than those declining, pushing the market indices into a fall.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,169.31 points to 436,515.05, the JSE Main Index fell 2,739.24 points to settle at 395,499.17 and the JSE Financial Index shed 1.10 points to close at 97.49.
Trading ended with 55 securities, as was the case on Tuesday, with 17 rising, 18 declining and 20 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 16.2. The PE ratio for the JSE Main and USD Market closing quotes are based on ICInsider.com earnings forecasts for companies with financial years ending up to August 2022.
Overall, 23,550,929 shares were exchanged for $167,256,472 down from 30,430,391 units at $253,596,547 on Tuesday. Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 67.7 of total volume after transferring 15.95 million shares followed by Jamaica Broilers, 6.8 percent with 1.61 million units and QWI Investments with 4.4 percent after an exchange of 1.05 million units.
Trading averages 428,199 units at $3,041,027, compared to 553,280 shares at $4,610,846 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 207,506 units at $1,825,288, compared to 194,064 units at $1,751,240 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 479,143 units at $6,686,322.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints fell 59 cents to $12.40 with 89,460 units clearing the market, Caribbean Producers shed 72 cents in closing at $16.23 after 171,442 stock units changed hands. Eppley rose $1.45 to end at $36.45 in switching ownership of 590 stocks, First Rock Capital lost 63 cents to close at $10.37 with the swapping of 24,812 shares, Guardian Holdings dropped $10.65 to end at $537.35 in trading 87 units. Jamaica Broilers gained 50 cents in closing at $27.50 with 1,610,187 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers lost 32 cents after ending at $22.68 in transferring 1,574 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell $1.67 to close at $15.83 in exchanging 126,376 shares. Margaritaville popped $1 to end at $26 in switching ownership of 3,266 units, Mayberry Investments declined 69 cents after ending at $7.21 and trading 9,074 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rallied $3 to close at $100 with an exchange of 3,228 stock units. NCB Financial declined $5 to end at $127 with the swapping of 594,363 units, 138 Student Living traded 662 shares and gained 40 cents to land at $4.20, PanJam Investment advanced $2 in closing at $65 after 759 stock units crossed the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 62 cents to $15.50 with a transfer of 234,060 stocks and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell $2.23 to $16.02 with the swapping of 2,124 shares.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% advanced 50 cents in closing at $3.58 with 300 stock units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
New ICTOP10 listings & more big gains
Long time Junior Market ICTOP10 listed Access Financial, finally broke away from resistance and jumped 31 percent for the week to $26.28, but traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $28 on Wednesday and just barely hung on to the top ten in the tenth spot.
In the Main Market, Radio Jamaica rose 19 percent to $4.10, the 2021 ICTOP10 top performer, Caribbean Producers, climbed 5 percent and finally slipped out of the top 10 after a ride lasting more than a year and a gain of 573 percent, but the stock has more room for healthy gains.
Sagicor Group returns to the TOP10 Main Market and Stationery & Office Supplies returns to the Junior Market listing after an earnings upgrade, following a review of the forecasted numbers as the company continues to recover to pre-Covid-19 sales and Fontana dropped out with a 4 percent rise, but has much more room to grow in 2022.
Junior Market Elite Diagnostic gained 10 percent to $3.50, Honey Bun rose 7 percent. AMG Packaging lost 10 percent to end at $3.05, Lasco Financial lost 8 percent, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 7 percent and General Accident slipped 5 percent.
The week ended with the supplies for some stocks becoming very limited, this applies to Access and Radio Jamaica. Newly listed Spur Tree Spices came in for profit taking on Thursday and Friday after the price peaked at $2.75 and closed the week at $2.15 a fall of 22 percent from the peak, which suggests suggesting more room for decline before the price bottoms. That could take it to around $1.95 based on declines from peak to through of some previous IPOs.
The sharp price movements in the Junior Market reduced the potential gains markedly, with the average increase projected for the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks now at 119 percent versus 122 percent last week.
The top three stocks are Lasco Distributors followed by Caribbean Assurance Brokers and Lasco Financial to gain between 131 and 150 percent, compared to 124 and 160 percent, previously.
The potential gains for Main Market stocks moved from 144 percent to this weeks’ 139 percent this week, with the top three stocks being Guardian Holdings followed by JMMB Group and Sygnus Credit Investments all projected to gain between 151 and 254 percent down from 161 and 257 percent last week.
After trading at a big discount to the Main Market for two years, the average PE for both the JSE primary markets have virtually merged around 16 times earnings multiple based on 2021 earnings, with the Junior Market looking poised to surpass the main Market soon. The difference in potential gains for both TOP10 listings shows the Junior Market with an average rise of 118 percent versus 139 percent for the Main Market. That is an indication that the Junior Market is priced slightly higher than the Main Market.
The Junior Market closed the week, with an average PE of 16 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and is currently below the target of 20 and the average of 17 at the end of March last year based on 2020 earnings. The TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of a mere 9.2, with a 43 percent discount to that market’s average.
The Junior Market can gain 25 percent to March this year, based on an average PE of 20 and 6 percent based on an average PE of 17. Twelve stocks representing 29 percent of all Junior Market stocks with positive earnings are trading at or above this level averaging 25.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market is 16.5 just 15 percent less than the PE of 19 at the end of March and 21 percent below the target of 20 to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 average PE is 8.7 representing a 47 percent discount to the market and well below the potential of 20. A total of 14 stocks or 30 percent of the market trade at or above a PE of 19, with most over 20, for an average roundabout 25, suggesting that the accepted multiple is between 20 and 25 times the current year’s earnings.
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 March 2022 and 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 per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
3 new ICTOP10 listings as Spur Tree exists
The Junior Market ICTOP10 stocks have three new listings in a week that saw Spur Tree Spices trading for the first time on Friday with the price climbing to $1.32 for a rise of 32 percent since the Initial Public offer at the end of 2021, there are no new Main Market listings.
Other stocks that were in the spotlight this past week were ones that lasted off to record new all-time highs and include AMG Packaging, Caribbean Assurance Brokers, Caribbean Producers and Dolphin Cove a TOP10 contender up to the week ending December 2, also hit a 52 weeks’ high of $23.50 this past week to be up more than 100% since it came into the top flight in August last year at $9.86.
With the rise in the price of Spur Tree Spices, the stock is one of four to move out of the TOP10, followed by Medical Disposables that 16 percent for the week and Caribbean Cream that reported terrible third quarter results with a loss being made in the period as revenues climbed 14 percent in the quarter. Coming into the TOP10 are Lumber Depot, Fontana and General Accident.
Junior Market, AMG Packaging rose a strong 45 percent, ahead of the first quarter results to November that showed profit after tax jumping a big 146 percent over 2020. Investors can expect more gains to come this coming week as the stock traded up $3.90 last week. Caribbean Assurance Brokers climbed to a new 52 weeks’ high during the week and closed $3.12 up 26 percent, Access Financial Services continues to seesaw and recovered 17 percent to $20 this past week and Elite Diagnostic gained 8 percent to $3.18.
The sharp price movements in the Junior Market reduced the potential gains markedly, with the average gains projected for the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks now 122 percent versus 148 percent last week.
The top three stocks are Access Financial Services followed by Lasco Distributors and Caribbean Assurance Brokers can gain between 124 and 160 percent, sharply down from 182 and 204 percent, previously.
Major Main Market TOP10 moving stocks are Caribbean Producers up 7 percent, to $15.99 and Radio Jamaica rallying 7 percent to $3.45 as increased buying interest came in for the stock.
The potential gains for Main Market stocks moved from 146 percent to this weeks’ 144 percent this week, with top three Main Market stocks being Guardian Holdings followed by JMMB Group and Radio Jamaica all projected to gain between 161 and 257 percent up from 199 and 258 percent last week.
The Junior Market closed the week, with an average PE of 14.7 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and is currently well below the target of 20 and the average of 17 at the end of March this year based on 2020 earnings. The TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of a mere 9.1, with a 38 percent discount to that market’s average.
The Junior Market can gain 36 percent to March this year, based on an average PE of 20 and 16 percent based on an average PE of 17. Eleven stocks representing 26 percent of all Junior Market stocks with positive earnings are trading at or above this level averaging 25.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market is 16.4, just 16 percent less than the PE of 19 at the end of March and 22 percent below the target of 20 to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 average PE is 8.5 representing a 48 percent discount to the market and well below the potential of 20. A total of 14 stocks or 30 percent of the market trade at or above a PE of 19, with most over 20, for an average roundabout 25, suggesting that the accepted multiple is between 20 and 25 times the current year’s earnings.
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 March 2022 and 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 per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.