Buy Rated blooming
Trinidadian stocks have hardly gone anywhere the Jamaican ones are soaring after a long period of drought. There are three triple winners in the main Jamaican market including Hardware and lumber that is up 291 percent since we selected it as Buy Rated. Interestingly, they are no losing stocks in this market. The junior stocks have erased most of the losses suffered earlier and now only two stocks record any losses. Technical indicators are pointing to the Jamaican rally continuing for the rest of the year with lower inflation and interest rates coupled with continued strong profit gains. Trinidad stocks will continue to be under pressure but there are a few severely undervalued ones in that market that could post decent gains in the months ahead.
Access still has further to go as the future looks good for growth in profits but the price of the stock could be trading around current levels for some time but there is limited volumes available, this one becomes a longer term buy with the price where is currently lies. Caribbean Cream and Paramount seems to have quite some gains to deliver in the months ahead as improving results encourage investors to buy into the growth prospects. Lasco Financial could be going anywhere with Mayberry buying 20 percent and buying more in the market of a stock with limited float and Medical Disposables has good potential to deliver a decent gain.
The main market may have had lots of gains so far but there is much more to come from even some of the top performers such as Jamaica Stock Exchange, National Commercial Bank, Caribbean Cement and Carreras to name a few. Over in Trinidad, Guardian Holdings is undervalued but National Flour is severely undervalued, Trinidad Cement is a huge buy with much upside potential especially with debt restructuring leading to lower interest cost and lower energy cost in Jamaica and Barbados.
Witco ekes out small profit gain
Trinidad’s West Indian Tobacco recorded an increase of 6.9 percent in profit before taxation of TT$136.8 million, for the three months ended March 2015, over the corresponding period in 2014.
Profit after taxation for the period came in at $98.2 million, reflecting an increase of just 1.5% over 2014. The Company paid $3.3 million under a tax amnesty, in respect of an ongoing matter taxation relating to the company being slapped with additional taxes imposed by the ta authority after an audit.
The improvement in profit arose from an increase in revenues to TT$223.5 million, a slight increase over the $215 million reported in the first quarter of 2014 net of excise duty. The company increased the prices on its products late in 2014, the increase revenues suggest that there has been some fall out in sale volumes as a result, but the company benefited from reduced cost other than cost of sales amounting to $$3.5 million. Earnings per share came out at $1.17, based on the results the Board approved the payment of a first interim dividend of $1 per ordinary share, paid in May 2015.
Based on last year’s results, the first quarter is the one with the lowest profit and the last quarter with the Christmas celebration is the best, the company should therefore go on to better the $5.81 earned last year, to end around $6.50 per share.
The stock closed on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange at $125.31 on Friday at PE ratio around 19 times this year’s estimated earnings.
7 stocks up 2 down on TTSE
At the close of the market, the Composite Index lost 6.01 points to close at 1,159.92, the All T&T Index rose by just 0.10 points to close at 1,968.67 and the Cross Listed Index fell 1.62 points to end at 46.08.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Grace Kennedy with 97,780 shares trading for $349,075 and gaining 1 cent, in closing at $3.57. IC Insider Buy Rated National Flour Mills, gained 4 cents to end the day at a new 52 weeks’ high of $1.77, with only 120 shares trading as investors continue to respond to increased profits for the company, followed by Sagicor Financial Corporation in contributing 27,400 shares with a value of $165,246, to gain of 2 cents to $6.04. Scotiabank with 677 shares trading, closed with a gain of 1 cent at $62.54. Scotia Investments traded 1,000 shares, to gain 2 cents to close at $1.49, Unilever Caribbean with 100 shares changing hands closed with an increase of 1 cent to end at a new 52 weeks’ high of $66.15 and West Indian Tobacco ended with 194 units trading at $125.31 with a 3 cents increase.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, ANSA Mcal with 149 shares trading ended at $67.054 having lost 1 cent and Prestige Holding traded 550 shares to close with a loss of 9 cents at $9.90.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Ansa Merchant Bank contributed 940 shares with the price closing unchanged at $38.92. Clico Investment Fund with 1,019,235 shares valued at $22,983,749 and remained at $22.55 while First Citizens Bank added 12,072 shares valued at $432,178 to close at $35.80. National Enterprises traded 1,200 units to close at $17.20, National Commercial Bank with 152,500 shares changing hands for a value of $260,050 closed at $1.90 but traded as low as $1.70 and Massy Holdings traded 5,048 shares valued at $323,577 to close at $64.10.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 1 stock with a lower offer.
J$ mostly stable on Friday
Purchase of all currencies by dealers, amounted to the equivalent of US$35,027,214 on Friday compared with US$35,830,645, on Thursday they sold the equivalent of US$37,165,779 versus sale of US$40,929,461 previously, as the Jamaican was fairly stable in trading.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$31,693,062 compared to US$31,357,331 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar is up 4 cents at $115.64 and US$35,366,192 was sold versus US$37,143,967 on Thursday, the selling rate is unchanged at $116.12. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell $1.25 to $90.92 with dealers buying C$1,102,498 and selling C$1,073,281, at an average rate that inched down 1 cent to $93.16. The rate for buying the British Pound dropped 75 cents to $175.96 for the purchase of £1,481,732, while £446,276, was sold, at an average rate that rose 16 cents to $177.57. At the end of trading it took J$126.78 to purchase the Euro, 51 cents more than on Thursday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$124.33 for 49 cents more than Thursday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$212,700, while the equivalent of US$256,063, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, remained at $116.30 and so did the lowest buying rate that traded at $94.98 and the highest selling rate that remained unchanged at $121.71. The lowest selling rate jumped $21.80 to $113.30. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell 20 cents to $93.05. The lowest buying rate declined 21 cents to $73.70, the highest selling rate rose 40 cents to $96.90 and the lowest selling rate gained 70 cents to $90. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, declined 49 cents to $178.55, the lowest buying rate closed at $142.43, down 50 cents, the highest selling rate dropped $3.31 to $180.79 with the lowest selling rate falling 28 cents to $170.72.
J$ suffers losses on Thursday
Purchase of all currencies by dealers, amounted to the equivalent of US$35,830,645 on Thursday compared with US$34,384,758, on Wednesday they sold the equivalent of US$40,929,461 versus sale of US$41,745,870 previously, as the Jamaican suffered mostly losses in trading.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$31,357,331 compared to US$30,900,997 on Wednesday. The buying rate for the US dollar was unchanged at $115.60 and US$37,143,967 was sold versus US$39,876,181 on Wednesday, the selling rate rose 1 cent to end at $116.12. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose $1.03 to $92.17 with dealers buying C$2,528,148 and selling C$3,242,100, at an average rate that inched up 12 cents to $93.17. The rate for buying the British Pound gained $1.10 to $176.71 for the purchase of £1,514,771, while £460,679, was sold, at an average rate that slipped 41 cents to $177.41. At the end of trading it took J$126.27 to purchase the Euro, 26 cents less than on Wednesday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$123.83 for a fall of 9 cents from Wednesday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$141,955, while the equivalent of US$480,139, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, fell 70 cent to $116.30. The lowest buying rate jumped $5.29 to $94.98, but the highest selling rate was unchanged at $121.71 and the lowest selling rate dropped $21.80 to $91.50. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell just 5 cents to $93.25. The lowest buying rate declined 29 cents to $73.91, the highest selling rate remained at $96.50 and the lowest selling rate fell 10 cents to $89.30. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, declined 10 cents to $179.04, the lowest buying rate closed at $142.93, down 37 cents, the highest selling rate dropped 64 cents to $ 184.10 with the lowest selling rate falling $1.65 to $171.