Trading activity closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday after a 7 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, with a 24 percent higher value than on Friday with trading in all 45 securities available for trading being active up from 40 on Friday and ending with prices of 15 rising, 19 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
Trading ended after 4,258,224 shares changed hands for $10,584,817 versus 4,564,235 stock units at $8,534,568 on Friday.
Trading averaged 94,627 shares at $235,218 compared to 114,106 units at $213,364 on Friday. Trading ended with a month to date, average of 490,989 units at $1,040,180 down from 515,796 stock units at $1,090,560 on the previous day and April with an average of 204,118 units at $439,599.
Dolla Financial led trading with 1.54 million shares for 36.1 percent of total volume followed by JFP Ltd with 929,509 stock units for 21.8 percent of the day’s trade and One Great Studio with 330,703 units for 7.8 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index skidded 4.28 points to 3,687.26.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.4, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging declined 34 cents and ended at $2.91 with trading of 15,794 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 30 cents to $3.20 after 5,184 units passed through the market, Caribbean Cream lost 16 cents to end at $3.74 after an exchange 1,583 shares. Caribbean Flavours skidded 12 cents in closing at $1.58, with 90 stock units crossing the market, Dolla Financial sank 10 cents to finish at $2.55 in trading 1,538,700 shares, Dolphin Cove gained $1.15 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $23.65 after an exchange of 59,960 stock units. EduFocal climbed 9 cents to 89 cents in switching ownership of 191,329 units, Elite Diagnostic dipped 7 cents to close at $1.51 after investors ended trading 25,106 stocks, Everything Fresh fell 10 cents in closing at $1.70 with investors dealing in 60,100 units. Express Catering rose 15 cents to finish at $3.90 after an exchange of 33,991 stocks, Fosrich rallied 8 cents and ended at $2.19 with a transfer of 259,304 shares, Honey Bun rallied 80 cents to end at $7.90, with 51,867 stock units crossing the exchange. Indies Pharma gained 34 cents to $2.69 with traders dealing in 3,951 shares, ISP Finance dropped $2.01 and ended at $26 in an exchange of 112 stocks, Knutsford Express popped $1.32 to finish at $11.45, with 2,265 units changing hands. Lasco Financial shed 7 cents to close at $1.53 in an exchange of 16,925 stock units, Limners and Bards slipped 17 cents to end at $1.38 with 10,618 shares clearing the market, Main Event rallied 36 cents in closing at $13.10 with investors transferring 1,840 stock units and Paramount Trading fell 19 cents to $1.21, with 16,228 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
TTSE falls with rising stocks beating
Rising stocks held the advantage in trading on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange on Monday, but that did not prevent the major market indices from falling after trading in 20 securities as was the case on Friday and ending with prices of seven stocks rising, five declining and eight remaining unchanged following the volume of stocks traded jumping 212 percent, valued 9 percent more than previously.
The market closed with an exchange of 442,478 shares for $2,184,391 up from 141,778 stock units at $1,996,526 on Friday.
An average of 22,124 stock units were traded at $109,220 up from 7,089 units at $99,826 on Friday, with trading month to date averaging 16,513 shares at $135,696 similar to 16,180 units at $137,269 on the previous trading day, below the average of 17,642 shares at $178,724 in April.
The Composite Index declined 3.25 points to 1,140.28, the All T&T Index shed 6.68 points to close trading at 1,722.96, the SME Index was unchanged at 78.90 and the Cross-Listed Index rallied 0.06 points to 72.32.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Agostini’s dropped 3 cents to finish at $68.75 with a transfer of 1,295 shares, Angostura Holdings sank $1.50 and ended at $17 after investors ended exchanging 14,431 units, Calypso Macro Investment Fund ended at $23.03 with investors trading 1,550 shares. Endeavour Holdings ended at $15 in an exchange of 200 stock units, First Citizens Group fell 25 cents to $44.50 after investors traded 2,041 shares, FirstCaribbean International Bank popped 1 cent to close at $6.94 after 44,855 stock units were transferred. GraceKennedy rose 15 cents to $3.90 with investors trading 5,000 stocks, Guardian Holdings gained 40 cents to end at $16.90, with 136 stock units crossing the exchange, JMMB Group rallied 8 cents to $1.28 with investors swapping 29 shares. Massy Holdings remained at $4.20 in switching ownership of 3,457 stock units, National Enterprises ended the day at $3.65 with 13,931 stocks changing hands, NCB Financial ended at $2.70 with investors dealing in 322,087 units. One Caribbean Media rose 13 cents to end at $3.68, with 8 shares crossing the market, Prestige Holdings advanced 5 cents to close at $13 after an exchange of 9 units,
Republic Financial fell 72 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $116.28 with 352 stocks clearing the market. Scotiabank lost $1 in closing at $65.50 with an exchange of 3,340 stock units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $7.50 after closing with an exchange of 1,280 shares, Trinidad Cement remained at $2.56 with investors trading 14,624 units. Unilever Caribbean ended at $12 in an exchange of 174 stock units and West Indian Tobacco rallied 2 cents to $10.02 after 13,679 stock units passed through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The aroma of rising profit
The wonderful aroma of increased profit brewed by Salada Foods ended with an impressive 43 percent jump in earnings in the March quarter, to $68 million from $48 million in 2023. For the six months to March, profit rose by a more sedate but still impressive 31 percent to $99 million from $75 million in 2023.
The latest results follow a moderate rise in profits in 2022 and 2023 and a 42 percent jump in 2021.
Contributing to the gains in profits was an 8 percent rise in sales revenues for the quarter, to $427 million from $394 million and a 6 percent pop for the year to date, to $727 million from $688 million in 2024.
Gross profit margin slipped to 68 percent from 69 percent in both the second quarter and for the half year, effectively, pushing operating profit 13 percent in the quarter to $138 million from $122 million and 6 percent for the year to date to $229 million from $216 million in 2023.
Increased revenues were not the sole contributor to the solid rise in profits. Administrative expenses fell 11 percent to $36 million in the quarter and slipped two percent in the six months to $74 million. Marketing and sales expenses dropped by a sizeable 29 percent to $17 million for the second quarter and declined by 28 percent for the six months to $32 million. Finance cost jumped to $6 million in the quarter, from $1.4 million in 2023 and from $3.5 million to $7.6 million for the six months.
The operations generated gross cash flows of $189 million after working capital spend and ended with $95 million after paying $62 million in dividends.
Current assets ended the period at $1.2 billion inclusive of trade and other receivables of $305 million, cash, investments and bank balances of $492 million, inventories climbed to $417 million from $374 million at the end of September last year. Current liabilities ended the period at $291 million. Net current assets closed the period at $923 million.
At the end of March, this year, shareholders’ equity amounted to $1.13 billion, with no outstanding loans.
Earnings per share for the quarter was 7 cents and 10 cents for the year to date. IC Insider.com computation projects earnings of 22 cents per share for the fiscal year ending September 2024, with a PE of 16 times the current year’s earnings based on the price of $3.76 the stock traded at on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market. The PE ratio compares with an average of the market of 12.9. Net asset value ended the period at $1.09 with the stock selling at 3.44 times book value.
New trading hours for Jamaican stocks
Investors trading shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange will have more time to trade securities commencing on Monday, May 27, trading set to begin at 9 a.m. and close at 2:00 p.m., giving traders an additional 1½ hours to trade securities.
At the same time the settlement time for trades will be shortened from the day of trading plus two additional business days (T+2) to one business day after trading (T+1). The effect of the change will result in investors entitled to get a settlement on the day immediately after trading.
The change in settlement will be in line with the USA stock market that moves to T+1 when that market reopens on Tuesday, following the close of the market on Monday for the Memorial holiday.
Trading picks up for JSE USD Market
The Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market closed on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 15 percent with a 3 percent lower value than on Wednesday, resulting in trading in seven securities, similar to trading on Wednesday with prices of two rising, two declining and three ending unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 233,466 shares for US$32,685 compared to 276,289 units at US$33,572 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 33,352 units at US$4,669 versus 39,470 shares at US$4,796 on Wednesday, with a month to date average of 32,964 shares at US$3,017 compared with 32,938 units at US$2,906 on the previous day and April that ended with an average of 35,401 units for US$2,453.
The US Denominated Equities Index dipped 0.81 points to culminate at 237.80.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.6. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending and or around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, AS Bryden remained at 22.49 US cents after 40,144 stocks passed through the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy ended at 61 US cents after an exchange of 95 units, Proven Investments dipped 0.01 of a cent to finish at 13.81 US cents, with 2,926 shares crossing the market. Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 1.7 cents and ended at 9.4 US cents with a transfer of 100,001 stock units and Transjamaican Highway fell 0.01 of a cent to end at 2.09 US cents with investors swapping 81,455 shares.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group US8.5% preference share rose 1 cent to close at US$1.28 in switching ownership of 4,537 units and JMMB Group 5.75% remained at US$2 with investors trading 4,308 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.