Mid-year results are now flowing unlike anything seen in the local market in recent years. Most companies reported gains in revenues and profits, but investors’ interest seems lukewarm in the aftermath of the results, even as interest in ICTOP10 number 1 stock, Radio Jamaica (RJR) continues to be robust as more investors turn their eyes to what is a major turnaround in fortunes.
GraceKennedy reported continued strong numbers, showing improvement in revenues and profit, so too did Caribbean Cement and Berger Paints. Investors don’t seem to buy into Berger’s major change in operations and the implication for profit from the major surge in revenues. Based on the six months numbers, the company’s earnings for 2021 is upgraded to $2 per share. All three Lasco companies reported improved revenues and profit for the June Quarter, but the stocks are stuck at prerelease prices.
Investors should ignore the lukewarm response now and accumulate some of these stocks to profit from later in the year when the inevitable buying comes in for them. Access Financial reported improved results for the June quarter after reporting modest gains in lending. NCB Financial also released results but the details suggest caution, with the performance being helped by onetime income or cost reduction. Jamaica Stock Exchange reported improved June quarter numbers, but improvement is not strong enough to justify the current price the stock trades at.
Sterling Investments returns to the TOP10 Main Market listing, after replacing Scotia Group that recorded a rise in its price from last weeks’ $38.75 to $42 at the close of trading on Friday. There are no changes in or out of the Junior Market list.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market, continue, with Elite Diagnostic, followed by Caribbean Assurance Brokers and Medical Disposables, with the potential to gain between 221 percent and 287 percent compared to 237 and 291 percent, last week. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica in the number one spot, followed by JMMB Group and Guardian Holdings, with expected gains of 184 to 296 percent, versus last weeks’ 183 to 292 percent.
This past week the average gains projected for the Junior Market, moved up from 202 percent last week, back to 207 percent and Main Market stocks moved to 173 percent from 164 percent.
The Junior Market closed the week with an average PE 13.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and currently trades well below the target of 20 as well as the recent historical average of 17, for the period to March this year based on 2020 earnings.
The JSE Main Market ended the week with an overall PE of 16.4, a little distance from the 19 the market ended at in March, suggesting just a 17 percent rise at a PE of 19 and 23 percent at a PE of 20 from now to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.6 or 46 percent of the PE of that market, well off the potential of 20.
For the Junior Market to trade at the historical average, the PE Ratio would have to rise 28 percent and requires a rise of 50 percent to reach the targeted PE of 20 by March 2022. Main Market stocks would have to rise by 17 percent to hit a PE of 19 and 23 percent to get to the target of 20. The Junior Market Top 10 stocks average PE is a mere 6.7, just 50 percent of the market average, indicating substantial gains ahead.
The TOP10 stocks are not always the best stocks in the market but ones that are most likely to be the best winners within a fifteen months period. IC ranked stocks to filter out the big winners, allowing investors to focus on potentially big winners and help to keep out emotional attachments to stocks.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely increase for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Revenues climbed 16.7 percent in the latest quarter to $442 million from $378 million in 2020 and for the six months, revenues fell from $887 million to $852 million as trading activity on the market remains subdued, with the main market still trading well below the highs of 2020 and financial stocks that dominate the market capitalization, mostly out of favour. Segment results show a $200 million decline in revenues as a result of lower trading activity on the stock market. Investment income was essentially flat at $10 for the quarter but fell from $32.6 million in 2020 for the half year to $24.6 million in 2021.
Current liabilities at the end of the half year amount to $352 million. Trade and other receivables amount to $286 million, cash and bank balance $121 million and investments $434 million. At the end of June, shareholders’ equity stood at $1.8 billion, with no borrowings used in funding its operation.
The market closed on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining by 33 percent and the value slipping 29 percent from Thursday outcome, after 34 securities traded, similar to Thursday, with prices of 12 rising, 10 falling and 12 closing unchanged leading the Market Index to spike 14.49 points to close at 3,322.77 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market. 
Future Energy Source led trading with 26.2 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 563,890 shares, Jamaican Teas followed with 21.5 percent, for 462,064 units and Tropical Battery 11.2 percent with an exchange of 240,306 units.
GWest Corporation declined by 5 cents to 94 cents with 10,000 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors dropped 16 cents to $4.04 with 1,222 stock units traded, Lumber Depot fell 10 cents to $3.30, with 15,040 shares passing through the market. Main Event climbed 43 cents to $4.79 with a transfer of 13,551 units, Medical Disposable jumped 46 cents to $4.99 with investors switching ownership of 13,999 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies shed $1.49 to close at $5.76 with 13,525 shares crossing the exchange.
A total of 34 securities traded on Thursday, up from 33 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 11 stocks rising, 13 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Knutsford Express spiked 49 cents to $7.69 with 240 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors spiked 39 cents to $4.20 with a transfer of 180,263 units, as investors responded positively to the company’s first quarter results that saw profit rising by 58 percent. Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 cents to close at $5.25 with 79,177 stocks traded, Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to $3.40 with investors switching ownership of 382,752 stock units, Main Event dropped 94 cents to $4.36, with 3,170 units changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 10 cents to $7.25 with 13,696 shares crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index added just 48.11 points to end at 460,076.56, the JSE Main Index shed 405.69 points to finish at 420,886.99 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.23 points to 103.72. 
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Sagicor Group declined $1 to $55 with 57,606 stock units crossing the market, Scotia Group spiked 50 cents to $41.50 with 446 units clearing the market and Supreme Ventures shed 50 cents at $20 in switching ownership of 10,621 stocks.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, up from four on Wednesday, with the prices of two rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index added 1.24 points to end at 186.73.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending, with the bid higher than the last selling price and three, with lower offers.
Profit before tax for the half year was up 20.4 percent to $5.4 billion, reflecting an improvement over the $2.5 billion in 2020 and climbed 15.6 percent to $2.9 billion for the quarter from $2.5 billion in 2020.
June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
NCB Financial Group rose 50 cents to $142 with 8,605 stocks clearing the market, Palace Amusement shed $1 to end at $1,020 in transferring 67 units, Scotia Group popped $2.01 to $41 after 325,790 stock units crossed the exchange and Supreme Ventures advanced $1.25 to $20.50, with 708,931 shares changing hands.
Market activity led to 33 securities trading compared to 34 on Tuesday and ended with the prices of just eight stocks rising, 14 declining and 11, closing unchanged.
Main Event climbed 50 cents to $5.30 with a transfer of 1,928 stocks and Medical Disposables slipped 5 cents to $4.55 with 7,560 units crossing the exchange.
