Cable & Wireless has traded 3.44 million units in the early morning session of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in response to the company’s first quarter results with a rise of 11 percent in revenues but a slippage in net profit as outpayments, depreciation and interest cost rose thus negating the improved revenues. The stock traded between $1.20 and $1.30 so far.
Lasco Distributors was the next largest trade after C&W with 577,869 units at $7.15 followed by JMMB Group 7.50% preference share with 300,000 units and Grace Kennedy with 119,225 units trading at $44.01. The major market indices all rose in the main and junior markets, with 12 stocks gaining versus 10 that fell.
At 10:45 am 30 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 5,015,512 shares changing hands. The average number of shares traded amounts to 167,184 units compared to 246,145 units on Thursday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index gained 686.22 points to 178,604.98 the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index rose 613.60 points to 160,746.38 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index climbed 823.73 points to close at 172,019.38 points and the junior market index rose 20.94 points to 2,229.56.
C&W dominates JSE trading – Friday
TTSE trading sinks low on Thursday
Trading on the Trinidad and Tobago stock market closed on Thursday with only 7 securities changing hands resulting in a mere 8,552 shares valued at $257,682 being traded as recent buying interest have subsided. At the close, 1 stock rose, 3 declined and 3 remained unchanged, leading marginal decline in all three market indices. Two stocks closed at 52 weeks’ lows.
The Composite Index lost 0.04 points to close at 1,150.80, the All T&T Index slipped 0.02 points to close at 1,811.42 and the Cross Listed Index eased 0.01 at 65.25.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with offers that were lower. National Commercial Bank is under selling pressure with bid to buy 500 units at $2.55 and offer to sell 23,687 units at $2.65 compared to the last traded price of $2.75.
Gains| Scotiabank closed with 1,800 shares changing hands and gained 1 cent to end at $55.52.
Losses| One Caribbean Media lost 10 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $20.89 with 120 units changing hands, Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with 2,551 shares changing hands and fell 1 cent at $6.98 and Unilever Caribbean traded 100 shares and fell 27 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $64.47.
Firm Trades| First Citizens traded 1,850 units to end at $35, Massy Holdings closed with 500 shares changing hands at $55 and Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed with 1,631 shares changing hands at $23.75.
Flat results, increased profit at tTech
Profit after tax, is up to $16 million from $12.4 million for the six months and $9.2 million versus $7.6 million in 2015, but for tax expense saved in 2016, profit for the year to date would be flat. Profit for 2015 was subject to $1.4 million in taxes and for the six months, $3 million. A sharp rise in operating expenses due to a 50 percent rise in staffing, pushed the spend by 54 percent to $50 million for the quarter and 36.4 percent to $91 million for the half year.
Earnings per share ended at 9 cents for the quarter and 15 cents for the half year and should end up around the 35 to 40 cents range for the full year based on the results to date. The strong revenue gain is a signal for growth going forward for the company.
Management stated that “the increase in revenue was due to growth in all areas of our services including the Consulting Division. Increase in expenses was driven primarily by increases in our workforce to increase capacity to meet the growth in demand. At June 30, 2016 the company had 31 full-time employees compared to 21 at the same date in 2015.”
Demand for the company’s services remains strong. Going forward improving our efficiencies by automating more processes will be an area of focus. Work has already started in this area and more
opportunities for automation will be explored to facilitate increased efficiencies and improved service delivery.”
The company ended with cash and investments amounting to $115 million at June, up from $67 million at the end of December last year with net current assets ending at $130 million with payables at $34 million, while shareholders’ equity is at $146 million.
The stock traded as high as $5 on the JSE junior market today but fell back before the close to $4.50 for a PE of just over 11 times projected 2016 earnings. For investors will the strong growth continue and deliver increasing profit for them to buy and hold at these prices for long term gains.
US$ build up $11m to US$132m – Wednesday
Jamaica’s foreign exchange dealers bought US$11 million more than the amount sold on Wednesday, putting the surplus bought since the end of June to US$132 million, with the rate of the Jamaican dollar rising marginally against the United States currency.
In Wednesday’s trading, dealers bought US$35,858,443 and sold US$24,832,468 compared to US$32,763,938 purchased and US$35,875,715 sold on Tuesday, of all currencies.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$32,777,120 compared to US$29,193,791 on Tuesday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 16 cents to $125.98. A total of US$23,290,324 was sold versus US$34,459,336 on Tuesday, with the selling rate falling 5 cents to end at $126.66. The Canadian dollar buying rate climbed 18 cents to end at $93.65, with dealers buying C$1,287,555 and selling C$914,662 at an average rate that increased by 96 cents to $96.21. The average rate for buying the British Pound fell 43 cents to $161.18 for the purchase of £1,537,436, while £513,286 was sold to end at a rate of $162.98, for a gain of $1.80.
No rates were posted by Bank Of Jamaica for the Euro, on Wednesday. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded amounts to US$145,042 being bought, while US$186,931 was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates, for the Jamaican dollar in the foreign exchange market on Wednesday, include, a fall of 85 cents in the highest buying rate of the US dollar to $127.15, a jump of $19.75 in the lowest selling rate to $123, a decline of $1 in the lowest selling rate of Canadian Dollar to close at $88, while trading in the British Pound resulted in a dip of $1.75 in the lowest selling rate to $158.
2 junior stocks up 25% – Wednesday
The junior market rose on Wednesday with 16 securities changing hands of which 7 stocks rose while 6 declined, the market index rose 21.20 points to close at 2,217.35, with only 496,276 units traded, valued at $3,940,720. The highlight of trading is a 25 percent jump in the price of Cargo Handlers to a new high and a climb of 27 percent in the price tTech.
At the end of trading 4 stocks closed with bids higher than their last selling prices and none ended with a lower offer. The junior market is showing that the lowest prices for stocks being offered, are moving away from the last traded prices for a number of the companies, with a few having no stocks being offered currently.
At the close, Access Financial lost $1.25 in trading 113,000 units at $16.25, Cargo Handlers jumped $14 and ended with 500 shares changing hands at an all-time high of $70, Caribbean Cream gained 5 cents with 4,500 shares changing hands at $7.30, Caribbean Flavours traded just 10,200 units to close with a gain of 20 cents at $6.30. Caribbean Producers lost 18 cents in trading 6,000 units at $3.30, Consolidated Bakeries traded 19,700 units to end at $2.55, there were just one offer posted at the close, to sell 5,000 units at $2.60. Dolphin Cove ended at $14 with 761 shares trading, Honey Bun had 105,259 shares changing hands at 5 cents lower to close at $5.45, Jamaican Teas traded 3,338 units and rose by 35 cents, to end at $3.50, Jetcon Corporation rose 4 cents, to end with 12,000 shares changing hands at $2.69. Key Insurance traded 9,713 units to close at $2.50 after shedding 10 cents, Knutsford Express closed with 6,865 units changing hands to end at $19, Lasco Distributors ended with 59,700 shares changing hands with a rise of 20 cents at $7. Lasco Manufacturing closed at $4.95 with 59,386 shares trading, but fell by 5 cents and tTech ended with 83,354 units changing hands at $4.75 after rising $1.