Prices on the Jamaica Stock Exchange are on the move again as the last quarter of the year approaches. As prices rise so does the PE ratio. The top PE in the main market is at 17 while in the junior market is around 18.
Charts of both markets show them in a bullish state, with the markets hitting higher lows and higher highs, a strong indication that they will be moving higher. More than 50 percent of main and junior market stocks are priced below the markets average PE of 9.5 and 10.4 respectively.
Against this background, IC Insider’s Top 5 selection has one new listing in the main and junior market list as Grace Kennedy and Jetcon Corporation are replace by Radio Jamaica and General Accident in position 5 and 4 respectively. Jetcon hit new highs during the week and closed at $4.70 up from $4.35 at the start of the week. Radio Jamaica earnings have been upgraded to 25 cents per share with increased revenues and cost cutting. General Accident is not without risk but earnings for 2016 are up 155 percent against a battered first half of 2015 and 2016 should better the 31 cents earned for the 2015 financial year.
AMG Packaging remains at the top of the junior market list even as the price moved up while JMMB Group is atop the main market with Caribbean Cement drops to 4th with a rise of $4 during the week. Investors attempted to trade Carib Cement at $34 but market breaker stop it from standing the stock which closed at $30 traded as high as $32. There are just six offers in the market starting at $34 and worth keeping an eye on this one for more gains this week. Barita Investments traded up to $4 during the past week and could well end back at this level during the days ahead as supply declines and demand increases.
Watch these stocks for action this week – Access Financial Services with the bid at $18.50 with no stock on offer, Blue Power with a wide gap between bid and offer, Cargo Handlers with the bid moving away from the last sale price of $86.10 with the offer at $100. Caribbean Cream with increasing demand, Caribbean Producers gaining support after poor full year results, Derrimon Trading and General Accident with bids getting stronger, Jetcon Corporation with supply and increasing interest, Medical Disposables and tTech with supplies.
From the main market the main action could come from the following, Barita Investments, Caribbean Cement, Jamaica Stock Exchange, JMMB Group, Radio Jamaica, Sagicor Group, Scotia Group, Seprod and Sterling Investments.
Weekly net FX inflows up US$56m
Net inflows into foreign exchange for the week ended September 23, at US$56 million, that did not stop the Jamaican dollar from slipping during the week with all trading days enjoying net inflows. Trading on Friday was low with sale of US$19 million and purchased of US$28 million.
At the end of trading, dealers bought US$28,147,514 and sold only US$18,727,447 compared to US$62,853,963 purchased and US$45,692,310 sold on Thursday, of all currencies.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$23,819,249 compared to US$60,798,447 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar dropped 46 cents to close at $127.25. A total of US$15,477,475 was sold versus US$44,844,532 on Thursday, with the selling rate falling 2 cents to end at $127.99. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose $1.56 to $96.52, with dealers buying C$2,265,065 and selling C$2,007,348 at an average rate that rose $1.64 to $96.64. The average rate for buying the British Pound climbed $1.33 to $164.28 for the purchase of £1,573,645 while only £702,124 was sold as the rate rose $1.66 to end at $166.28.
At the end of trading, dealers sold €695,295 as the selling rate for the Euro, jumped $2.50 from Thursday’s rate to close at J$144.97, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, dealers purchased €498,400 of the European common currency at J$142.99 for a climb of $5.37 from the rate on Thursday. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$18,451 being bought, while US$18,999, was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates, for the Jamaican dollar in the foreign exchange market on Friday, include a drop of $15.10 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to end at $123.50. There was a rise of 99 cents in the highest buying rate for the Canadian Dollar to end at $99.49 and a jump of $1.08 in the lowest buying rate to $78.44, while the highest selling rate rose $1.40 to 102.05. Trading in the British Pound resulted in a rise of 83 cents in the lowest buying rate to close at $134.88, a climb of $1.30 in the highest selling rate to $173.34 while the lowest selling rate rose $1 to $159.70. Trading in the Euro resulted in a rise of $1 in the lowest buying rate to close at $115.54, a climb of $1.30 in the highest selling rate to $150.34 while the lowest selling rate rose $1 to $139.
3 up 5 down for TTSE stocks on Friday
Market activity resulted in 193,372 shares valued at $5,684,628 changing hands 120,506 shares valued at $5,056,978 on Thursday.
The Composite Index inched up 0.92 points to close at 1,155.84, the All T&T Index gained 1.84 points to close at 1,815.58 and the Cross Listed Index remained at 66.06 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with offers that were lower.
Gains| Angostura Holdings jumped 45 cents with 5,000 shares, changing hands to close at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $14.50, National Enterprises gained 1 cent and closed with just 280 shares changing hands at $10.01 and West Indian Tobacco gained 2 cents trading 10,000 shares valued at $1,270,200, to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $127.02.
Losses| Ansa Merchant Bank lost 1 cent in trading 600 units to end at $40.01, Calypso Macro Index Fund dipped 25 cents while trading 423 units at 52 weeks’ low of $23, One Caribbean Media lost 5 cents and closed at 52 weeks’ low of $20.70 with 101,700 shares for a value of $2,104,772 changing hands, Republic Financial Holdings lost 1 cent and ended with 500 shares changing hands at $109.99 and Trinidad Cement lost 2 cents and closed at $3.10 with 1,250 shares changing hands.
Firm Trades| Ansa McAl traded 12,500 units with a value of $783,750 at $62.70, Clico Investment Fund traded 18,400 units valued at $415,840 to close at $22.60, Grace Kennedy ended with 9,008 shares trading at $2.55. Guardian Holdings ended with 6,799 shares changing hands at $12.80, , National Flour ended with 2,066 shares changing hands to close at $2.52, Prestige Holdings traded 2,110 shares at $11, Scotiabank closed with 7,802 shares valued at $452,516 to end at $58 and Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed at $23.52 with 14,934 units with a value of $351,236 changing hands.
More gains for TTSE stocks on Thursday
Trading activity on the Trinidad and Tobago stock market on Thursday ended with more gains for the market with less volume but with a slightly higher value. The market closed with marginal movements in the market indices and ended with 3 stocks gaining, one declining and 7 remaining unchanged as 11 securities traded.
Market activity resulted in 120,506 shares valued at $5,056,978 changing hands, 398,013 shares valued at $4,834,677 on Wednesday.
The Composite Index inched up 0.57 points to close at 1,154.92, the All T&T Index gained 0.52 points to close at 1,813.74 and the Cross Listed Index ended 0.09 points higher at 66.06 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with offers that were lower.
Gains| Grace Kennedy rose 3 cents to end with 36,333 shares trading at 52 weeks’ closing high of $2.55, National Flour rose 2 cents and ended with 5,750 shares changing hands to close at $2.52 and West Indian Tobacco traded 32,958 shares to close $127 after gaining 25 cents.
Losses| Massy Holdings lost 510 cents and ended with 390 shares changing hands to end at $54.70.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment Fund traded 125 units at $22.60, First Citizens Bank traded 3,944 shares to end at $35, Guardian Holdings ended with 30,856 shares changing hands at $12.80, Republic Financial Holdings ended with 50 shares changing hands at $110. Scotiabank closed with 728 shares to end at $58, Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed at $23.52 with 6,372 units changing hands and Trinidad Cement closed at $3.12 with 3,000 shares changing hands.
JSE stocks falter early Friday
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, has been light, resulting in losses in the main and junior market indices. The main market lost just under 700 points as measured by the all Jamaican Composite index and the junior market slipped by just 4 points on relatively low volume.
Up to 10:45 am, the main trades are Lasco Manufacturing with 112,022 units at $4.80 from the junior market. Cable & Wireless had 60,000 units changing hands at 99 cents, Ciboney traded 116,600 units at 17 cents, Jamaica Broilers 107,200 shares at $15 and Supreme Ventures traded 490,100 units at $4.75.
At 10:45 am 24 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 1,002,702 shares changing hands carrying a value of $ 5,828,970, compared to 1,552,704 shares with a value of $9,196,894 on Thursday at 11.45 am. The average number of shares traded amounts to 41,779 units compared to 48,522 units on Thursday. Market activity resulted in 7 stocks falling while the prices of 9 securities rose.
The all Jamaica Composite Index fell 695.81 points to 180,145.19 the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index lost 622.19 points to 162,122.60, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index declined 615.81 points to close at 174,171.16 and the junior market index fell 3.77 points to 2,318.65.