More stocks declined than rise – TTSE
At the close of the market, the Composite Index lost 0.54 points to close at 1,154.14, the All T&T Indexfell 1.01 points to close at 1,968.12 and the Cross Listed Index fell 0.01 points to end at 44.61.
Gains| Ansa Merchant Bank recorded the sole price increase, climbing 1 cent to end at $38.91.
Declines| Stocks declining at the end of trading are, Guardian Holdings with 272,059 shares changing hands, for a value of $3,876,466, lost 5 cents to end at $14.25, followed by Sagicor Financial Corporation contributing 26,090 shares, with a value of $153,943.81, while closing a cent down, at $5.90 and Trinidad Cement with 69,057 shares being traded for $193,383, to close at $2.80 after declining by 10 cents.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Angostura Holdings adding 10,000 shares valued at $139,000 to close at $13.90, Clico Investment Fund ending with 12,424 shares valued at $280,161 changing hands to end at $22.55. First Citizens Bank trading 2,305 shares to close at $35.78. JMMB Group traded 5,360 shares to end at 55 cents, Prestige Holdings traded just 500 shares at $10 and Scotia Investments contributed 980 shares as the price closed unchanged at $1.50.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 7 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 1 stock with the offer that was lower.
J$ declined moderately on Monday
On Monday, the Jamaican dollar slipped slightly against the US dollar and the British pound and gained against Canadian dollar as purchases of all currencies by dealers amounted to the equivalent of US$51,284,150 compared with US$30,912,231, on Friday and selling of the equivalent of US$40,876,396 versus sale of US$25,107,740, previously.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$46,738,177 compared to US$26,664,183 on Friday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 4 cents to $115.36 and US$38,332,897 was sold versus US$22,768,790 on Friday, the selling rate was up 1 cent to $115.86. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 51 cents to $93.98 with dealers buying C$1,976,566 and selling C$1,296,743, at an average rate that fell 33 cents to $95.36 The rate for buying the British Pound declined $1.22 to $175.33 for the purchase of £1,826,519, while £578,004, was sold, at an average rate that rose 26 cents to $178.36. At the end of trading it took J$129.97 to purchase the Euro, 46 cents less than on Friday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$127.43 for a fall of 37 cents from Friday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$159,772, while the equivalent of US$586,357, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, fell 5 cents to $116.10. The lowest buying rate remained at $94.61 and highest selling rate rose 21 cents to $121.44, while the lowest selling rate jumped $19.45 to $113.30. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell 21 cents to $95.75. The lowest buying rate dropped 75 cents to $75.86, the highest selling rate was unmoved at $98.76 and the lowest selling rate climbed $1.40 to $91.40. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, climbed $1.65 to $180.65, the lowest buying rate jumped $17.10 to $141.10, the highest selling rate rose $1.09 to $183.22 with the lowest selling rate rising $1 to $170.
New record close for junior market
The junior market closed at a new all-time high, after Lasco Distributors shot up to close at $1.70, a new 52 weeks high. A total of 10 securities traded ending with 200,026 units changing hands valued at $378,709. The JSE Junior Market Index advanced by 7.47 points to close at 844.30, surpassing the previous high of 840.18 reached on July 9, 2013.
The market closed with the price of 5 stocks advancing and 2 declining and 3 closing at 52 weeks’ high. At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers. The junior market ended with 3 securities closing with no bids to buy and 6 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial ending with only 200 shares changing hands to close unchanged at $15.10, after almost doubling pretax profit for the March Quarter.
Cargo Handlers finished with 600 units to close at $22, Caribbean Flavours with 4,750 shares trading closed 12 cents higher at $2, Dolphin Cove finished trading with 300 shares to close 20 cents higher at a new 52 weeks’ high of $10.20. Jamaican Teas concluded trading with 26,442 shares changing hands to close 4 cents higher at $2.65. Lasco Distributors traded 5,000 shares trading, 20 cents higher, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $1.70, Lasco Financial Services finished trading 36,575 units, the price rose 10 cents to $1.40. There was dealing in 8,840 Lasco Manufacturing’s shares as the stock traded lower by 1 cent to $1.34, Medical Disposables contributed 8,000 shares with the price falling 10 cents, to $1.80 and Eppley 9.5% preference share closed trading with 5,000 units at $6.01.
Access Q1 profit jumps 72%
A fifteen percent jump in revenues at Access Financial Services saw profit before tax almost doubling to $157.6 million, up from $79 million in 2014. After providing $20 million for corporation taxes Access ended with $137 million profit or 50 cents per share for an increase of 72 percent. The good fortune did not all come from ongoing income and expenditure as loan losses fell from $39 million in the March 2014 first quarter to only $3 million in the latest quarter. Gains from the purchase of loan portfolios from Appliance Traders and Proven Investments resulted in a one off profit of $11 million. These acquisitions increased loans on the books to $1.5 billion from $1.1 billion at March 2014 and the profit pushed the equity capital to $900 million.
For the full year earnings should touch $2 per share, the stock is priced at $15.10 with a potential PE of 7.5, with its growth potential and limited available shares on the market, this valuation may be considered low.
Proven Investments who bought out the Mayberry Holdings last year December, is laughing all the way to the bank for having picked up the block of shares at a bargain price of $9 each.
Access is a junior market listed company on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and is primarily involved in payroll based lending.
Mayberry post good Q1 numbers
Mayberry Investments released first quarter results for 2015, showing earnings of $82 million or 7 cents per shares, after booking the full amount of asset tax amounting to $49 million in the quarter. In the prior year the company reported profit of $76 million or 6 cents per share reflecting total asset tax of $6 million. The quality of the earnings is encouraging with no one area being dominant especially areas that are less predictable such investment gains. Helping with the improved results are increases in net interest income amounting to $22 million as interest expenses fell while interest income held close to 2014 levels, dividend income rose by $29 million and trading gains by $18 million as other operating expenses fell by $25 million and bad debts declined by $14 million. The improvements were offset by a fall out of the share of profits of $31 million from the former associate, Access Financial Services. Based on these latest results, profit for the full year should come in around 30 cents per share. Profits should, however, get a big boost from stock market gains, with the upward movement of stock prices since the end of the first quarter as well as increased commission from equity trading with volumes in the overall market increasing around 40 percent so far this year. Mayberry is likely to see substantial gains in the equity portfolio which stood at $3 billion at the end of December last year, with the recovery in the local stock market, to date with more expected during the remainder of the year. IC Insider sees the gains to be had from the large pool of equities as the most appealing attraction for future gains from an investment in this investment bank’s stock, accordingly, the stock is seen as Buy Rated for medium to long-term investment.
Total assets climbed to $23.7 billion from $21.8 billion at March 2014 with equity of $4.3 billion and the stock last traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday at $2.75, close to a PE of 9 based on this year’s estimated earnings.
FX levels rise but J$ falls Friday
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$26,664,183 compared to US$21,139,764 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 11 cents to $115.32 and US$22,768,790 was sold versus US$22,178,470 on Thursday, the selling rate was up 4 cents to $115.85. The Canadian dollar buying rate jumped $1.42 to $94.49 with dealers buying C$1,775,802 and selling C$912,584, at an average rate that fell 29 cents to $95.69. The rate for buying the British Pound jumped $3.70 to $176.54 for the purchase of £1,673,900, while £929,356, was sold, at an average rate that rose $2.62 to $178.10. At the end of trading it took J$130.42 to purchase the Euro, $1.06 less than on Thursday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$127.80 for a fall of $1.05 on Thursday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$230,328, while the equivalent of US$156,522, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, rose 10 cents to $116.15. The lowest buying and highest selling rates remained at $94.61 and $121.23 respectively, while the lowest selling rate dropped 76 cents to $93.85. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell 4 cents to $95.96. The lowest buying rate rose 25 cents to $76.61, the highest selling rate fell 2 cents to $98.76 and the lowest selling rate dropped $2 to $90. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, climbed $2.50 to $179, the lowest buying rate plunged $16.69 to $124, the highest selling rate rose 76 cents to $182.13 with the lowest selling rate falling 50 cents to $169.
Junior market inches away from high
Trading picked up on the Junior Market with 10 securities trading, the most for some time, and ended with 1,459,016 units changing hands valued at $$1,840,696. The JSE Junior Market Index rose 12.24 points to close at 836.83, juts 4 points from the all-time high. The price of 5 stocks advanced, none declined with 1 closing at a 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers. The junior market ended with 3 securities closing with no bids to buy and 7 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with 15,100 shares changing hands at $3.30, Caribbean Cream trading 1,020,000 shares at 96 cents for a new 52 days closing high but traded as high as $1.05. Caribbean Producers with 11,000 shares trading, closed higher by 12 cents at $2.90. Consolidated Bakeries traded only 100 units at $1, Derrimon Trading finished with 2,335 shares to close unchanged at $2.04, Jamaican Teas ending trading 12,700 shares to gain 6 cents to $2.61, Lasco Distributors ended with 133,688 shares trading, 3 cents higher at $1.50, Lasco Financial Services finished trading with 19,575 units, the price was unchanged at $1.30. There was dealing in 216,282 Lasco Manufacturing’s shares as the stock traded higher by 1 cent to $1.35 and Eppley 2019 preference share exchanged 28,236 units at $6.
TTSE closes mostly positively
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.18 points to close at 1,154.68, the All T&T Index advanced by 0.30 points to 1,969.13 and the Cross Listed Index increased by a mere 0.01 points to 44.62.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Guardian Holdings trading 4,500 units, increasing by 5 cents to end at $14.30. Grace Kennedy traded 72,810 shares for $255,539 to close 1 cent higher at $3.51 and National Flour Mills added 5,076 shares to gain 2 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.64.
JMMB Group with a decent volume of 141,875 shares changing hands for a value of $78,031, closed with the loss of 1 cent at 55 cents.
Firm Trades|Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Clico Investment Fund closed trading with 8,911 shares valued at $201,031, to close at $22.55, First Citizens Bank trading 473 shares to close at $35.78. Massy Holdings traded 330 shares to close unchanged at $63.43 followed by Sagicor Financial Corporation trading 261 shares to end at $5.91. Scotiabank with just 812 shares ended at $62.50 followed by Republic Bank contributing 7,726 shares to the overall volume traded in the market and carrying a value of $888,490 to end at $115.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.