Monday, June 1, 2020

Bourse ends week on mixed note, ASPI increases

The Bourse ended the week on a mixed note as the ASPI increased by 46.87 points (or 0.98 percent) to close at 4,846.76 points, while the S&P SL20 Index decreased by 18.30 points (or 0.90 percent) to close at 2,016.08 points.

Turnover & Market Capitalization

JKH was the highest contributor to the week’s turnover value, contributing LKR 2.22Bn or 43.08 percent of the total turnover value. HNB followed suit, accounting for 13.75 percent of turnover (value of LKR 0.71Bn) while Commercial Bank contributed LKR 0.44Bn to account for 8.46 percent of the week’s turnover. Total turnover value amounted to LKR 5.15Bn (cf. last week’s value of LKR 8.05), while the daily average turnover value amounted to LKR 1.29Bn (-20.00 percent W-o-W) compared to last week’s average of LKR 1.61Bn. Market capitalization meanwhile, increased by 0.98 percent W-o-W (or LKR 21.91Mn) to LKR 2,265.99Bn cf. LKR 2,244.08Bn last week.

Liquidity (in Value Terms)

The Capital Goods Industry Group was the highest contributor to the week’s total turnover value, accounting for 46.31 percent (or LKR 2.39Bn) of market turnover. Industry Group’s turnover was driven primarily by JKH which accounted for 93.02 percent of the sector’s total turnover. The Banks Industry Group meanwhile accounted for 35.77 percent (or LKR 1.84Bn) of the total turnover value, with turnover driven primarily by HNB, Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, Sanasa Dev. Bank & HNB[NV] which accounted for 94.75 percent of the sector turnover. The Transportation Industry Group was also amongst the top sectorial contributors, contributing 4.39 percent (or LKR 0.23Bn) to the total turnover, with turnover driven primarily by Expolanka accounting for 100.0 percent of the total turnover.

Liquidity (in Volume Terms)

The Transportation Industry Group dominated the market in terms of share volume, accounting for 37.20 percent (or 87.62Mn shares) of total volume, with a value contribution of LKR 0.23Bn. The Materials Industry Group followed suit, adding 19.07 percent to total turnover volume as 44.91Mn shares were exchanged. The Industry Group’s volume accounted for LKR 0.16Bn of total market turnover value. The Capital Goods Industry Group meanwhile, contributed 33.47Mn shares (or 14.21 percent), amounting to LKR 2.39Bn.

Top Gainers & Losers

Blue Diamonds [NV] was the week’s highest price gainer; increasing 50.0 percent W-o-W from LKR0.20 to LKR0.30 while SMB Leasing (+33.3 percent W-o-W), Arpico Insurance (+31.8 percent W-o-W) and Union Chemicals (+24.7 percent W-o-W) were also amongst the top gainers.

Prime Finance was the week’s highest price loser; declining 22.1 percent W-o-W to close at LKR10.20. Mackwoods Energy (-13.3 percent W-o-W), Lee Hedges (-12.9 percent W-o-W), and Kelsey Developments (-12.0 percent W-o-W) were also amongst the top losers over the week.

Foreign investors closed the week in a net buying position, with the total net inflow amounting to LKR 0.09Bn relative to a net outflow of LKR 3.5Bn recorded last week. Total foreign purchases increased to LKR 1.62Bn from a value of LKR 0.59Bn last week, while total foreign sales amounted to LKR 1.53Bn relative to LKR 4.00Bn recorded last week. In terms of volume, JKH & Dialog Axiata led foreign purchases while Expolanka & HNB led foreign sales. In terms of value, JKH & CTC led foreign purchases while HNB & Expolanka led foreign sales.

Dividend Announcements

Company DPS (Rs.) Type XD Date; DFCC BANK 2.50 First & Final 25/06/2020 PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT 5.00 First and Final 01/07/2020 SUNSHINE HOLDINGS 0.75 Final 29/06/2020 WATAWALA PLANTATIONS 3.00 Final 29/06/2020 FIRST CAPITAL 5.00 Second Interim 04/06/2020 DISTILLERIES 0.55 Second Interim 04/06/2020

Key Economic Indicators April Prime Lending Rate- 9.38 percent, Ave. Wtd. Deposit Rates- 7.77 percent, Ave. Wtd. Fixed Dep. Rates- 9.51 percent, CCPI Inflation Y-o-Y % (Base 2013)- 5.2 percent

Point of View

Bargain hunting on select blue-chips and large-cap stocks supported this week’s positive momentum as Sri Lankan equities continued to rise for a 2nd consecutive week. Strong buying interest in market heavyweights JKH, DIAL, CTC, and DIST supported this week’s ~47 point (1.0 percent W-o-W) index gain as the benchmark index crossed the 4,800-mark on Wednesday, edging up towards pre-lockdown levels. However, some profit-taking amid concerns over Fitch Ratings’ decision to recalibrate Sri Lanka’s National Rating scale following the recent downgrade of the country’s sovereign rating to ‘B-’ from ‘B’ affected the performance of equity markets on Friday. Consequently, losses stemming from selling pressure led the ASPI to pare down the week’s earlier gains by ~40 points for the day.

Meanwhile, activity levels on the Colombo Bourse remained in line with the YTD average turnover of Rs. 1.2Bn during the holiday-shortened week as average daily turnover amounted to Rs. 1.3Bn for the week (cf. Rs. 1.6Bn last week). However, greater local HNI and institutional investor participation was observed as crossings for the week contributed 20 percent to total turnover relative to 15 percent last week. Index heavyweight JKH accounted for 68 percent of this week’s crossings amid some foreign buying interest during the week. Investor buying interest was also visible in select banking sector stocks (HNB, Sanasa Development Bank, and Sampath), Expolanka, and CTC. Gains on the index this week were also supported by a weekly net foreign inflow for the first time this year. Foreign investors were net buyers this week with an inflow of Rs. 88.0Mn (cf. an outflow of Rs. 3.4Bn last week) amid buying interest predominantly in JKH. Markets in the week ahead are likely to take cues from continuing earnings releases while monitoring developments regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka.

Oil Records Largest Monthly Gain in ~21 Years…

Global oil prices are on track for its largest monthly gain in over 2 decades (since March 1999) as optimism over a recovery in demand after the easing of lockdowns across several countries and the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production buttressed the gain on benchmark Brent crude oil price by nearly 40 percent M-o-M as it rose from $25.27/bbl. at the end of April to $35.33/bbl. on Friday. Brent crude oil prices plummeted to $19.33/bbl. in April to record its largest drop since the start of the Gulf War in 1991, driven by a combination of i) a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and, ii) demand losses stemming from government ordered lockdowns across the globe.

Consequently, OPEC+ agreed to a historic supply cut of 9.7Mn barrels per day from the 1st of May to off-set the virus-induced slump in demand. Saudi Arabia further added that it would voluntarily cut an additional 1.0Mn barrels per day from June while Kuwait and UAE also followed suit. OPEC+ is set to meet between June 9th -10th to decide whether to extend output cuts beyond July. Improvements in both demand and supply have since pushed prices higher as Brent crude oil hit a 2-month high of $36.17/bbl. on Tuesday. However, prices are still nearly 50 percent below January’s high of $68.91/bbl. Although the return of oil consumption to pre-COVID 19 levels is likely long and uncertain, major oil importers (India and China) have begun buying more oil. However, concerns remain as a second global wave of the coronavirus could derail the fragile recovery while rising oil prices could also lead to excess supply.

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