Market posts gains during the week

The local stock market ended on a positive note the week under review (26 March-2 April 2013). The SEMDEX and the SEMTRI went up by 0.59% at the end of Tuesday’s session with a weekly market turnover amounting to Rs 131.3 million.

The total return index, SEMTRI, closed the session of Tuesday 2 April 2013 at 5,969.44 points gaining 35.29 points in one week. On a year to date basis, the SEMTRI has grown by 11.28%. The All-share index, SEMDEX, closed the same session at 1,923.62 points, realizing a growth of 11.06% since the start of 2013. The SEM-7 index, which comprises the seven largest and most liquid stocks, closed at 383.13 points. At market close yesterday, market capitalisation reached Rs 195.45 billion. Foreign investors’ exposure to the local market in terms of net investment (purchases-sales) since the beginning of 2013 amounted to Rs 526.13 million.

Total transactions amounted to Rs 131.3 million during the week. The top five traded securities for the week were: Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd (MCB), State Bank of Mauritius Ltd (SBM), Terra Mauricia Ltd (TERA), United Basalt Products Ltd (UBP) and CIM Financial Services Ltd (CIM). They were exchanged for a total value of Rs 51.8 million, Rs 12 million, Rs 10.5 million, Rs 10.2 million and Rs 9.4 million, respectively, during this time frame. The shares of MCB, SBM, TERA, UBP and CIM closed at Rs 191, Rs 1.04, Rs 42, Rs 99 and Rs 5.96, respectively, on 2nd April 2013.

An analysis of the evolution of the prices of listed stocks indicates that out of the 43 stocks figuring on the Official List, 17 moved up during the week, 20 remained stable and 6 went down. The best performing stocks for the week were: Automatic Systems Ltd (+13.58%), Terra Mauricia Ltd (+6.06%), CIM Financial Services Ltd (+5.67%), Alteo Ltd (+5.19%) and MCFI Ltd (+3.92%). The worst performers were: Bramer Banking Corporation Ltd (-11.62%), Vivo Energy Mauritius Ltd (-2.78%), Lux Island Resorts Ltd (-2.70%), Air Mauritius Ltd (-1.45%) and Caudan Development Ltd (-0.85%).

On the Development & Enterprise Market (DEM), at market close on Tuesday, the two indices, the DEMEX and the DEMTRI, closed at 151.10 points and 178.29 points, respectively. Market capitalization stood at Rs 45.08 billion. A total volume of 500,530 shares for a total value of Rs 22.41 million has been traded during the week. The ten best performing stocks in terms of total returns since the beginning of 2013 are: Union Flacq Ltd, RHT Holding Ltd, Tropical Paradise Ltd, Les Moulins de la Concorde Ltée (O), United Bus Service Ltd, ENL Investment Ltd, United Investments Ltd, Livestock Feed Ltd (O), The Union Sugar Estates Ltd Co Ltd and COVIFRA Ltée. The total return varies from 12.80% to 48%.

On the international front, financial markets ended the week on a mixed note. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite index went up 0.87 per cent and 0.12 per cent, respectively. In Europe, Germany’s DAX lost 0.96 per cent in one week whilst France CAC 40 and Britain’s FTSE gained 0.09 cent 0.52 per cent, respectively, during the same time frame.

The following data highlights the ten best performing stocks in terms of total return since the beginning of 2013.

Companies                             Total Return
                                            since beginning
                                                            of 2013

Air Mauritius Ltd                                    34.65%
New Mauritius Hotels Ltd                       30.95%

Automatic Systems Ltd                            27.78%

Rogers & Co. Ltd                                     22.82%

Mauritian Eagle Insurance Co. Ltd            21.69%

ENL Land Ltd                                         20.82%

P. O. L. I. C. Y Ltd                                    17.08%

State Bank of Mauritius Ltd                      15.56%

Promotion and Development Ltd              14.01%

Alteo Ltd                                             11.12%