Bitcoins <\/p>\n
De\u00adspite three years of de\u00adcline in the lo\u00adcal stock mar\u00adket, there is sup\u00adport for the state\u00adment made by CEO of the T&T Stock Ex\u00adchange Eva Mitchell that the time to in\u00advest in the mar\u00adket is now.<\/p>\n
Gen\u00ader\u00adal man\u00adag\u00ader of JMMB In\u00advest\u00adments, Je\u00adre\u00admy Lal\u00adla, ex\u00adplained that there is a lot of val\u00adue in the TTSE cur\u00adrent\u00adly, par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly as sev\u00ader\u00adal lo\u00adcal com\u00adpa\u00adnies have been mak\u00ading sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant de\u00advel\u00adop\u00adments abroad.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cLo\u00adcal\u00adly, com\u00adpa\u00adnies like An\u00adgos\u00adtu\u00adra and Massy ex\u00adpand\u00aded their foot\u00adprint in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly. An\u00adgos\u00adtu\u00adra has mar\u00adket\u00aded its prod\u00aducts glob\u00adal\u00adly and has reached over 170 mar\u00adkets across Eu\u00adrope, North Amer\u00adi\u00adca, and Latin Amer\u00adi\u00adca.<\/p>\n
\u201cMassy has al\u00adso been able to en\u00adter the in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal mar\u00adket with op\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions now in Jack\u00adsonville, Flori\u00adda. Ad\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, com\u00adpa\u00adnies like the ANSA McAL Group, in\u00adclud\u00ading ANSA Mer\u00adchant Bank have been grow\u00ading in\u00ador\u00adgan\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly through merg\u00aders and ac\u00adqui\u00adsi\u00adtions. Through\u00adout 2024, the ANSA McAL group an\u00adnounced var\u00adi\u00adous merg\u00aders and ac\u00adqui\u00adsi\u00adtions, which al\u00adso pro\u00advides them with the op\u00adpor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to en\u00adter in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal mar\u00adkets. \u201c<\/p>\n
Lal\u00adla says the re\u00adcent\u00adly re\u00adbrand\u00aded Agos\u00adti\u00adni Group had made some no\u00adtable moves that would im\u00adpress po\u00adten\u00adtial in\u00advestors.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgos\u00adti\u00adni is an\u00adoth\u00ader en\u00adti\u00adty that has al\u00adso been able to grow through ac\u00adqui\u00adsi\u00adtions, re\u00adcent\u00adly ac\u00adquir\u00ading Massy Phar\u00adma\u00adceu\u00adti\u00adcals Trinidad and is now in the process of do\u00ading the same in Ja\u00admaica, grow\u00ading its foot\u00adprint re\u00adgion\u00adal\u00adly,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The bank\u00ading sec\u00adtor al\u00adso could pro\u00advide good val\u00adue giv\u00aden con\u00adtin\u00adued growth in its fi\u00adnan\u00adcial per\u00adfor\u00admance, Lal\u00adla said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, the lo\u00adcal stock ex\u00adchange can be con\u00adsid\u00adered well di\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adfied and pro\u00advides a range of sec\u00adtors\/stocks that can as\u00adsist in prop\u00ader as\u00adset al\u00adlo\u00adca\u00adtion and di\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion,\u201d said the in\u00advest\u00adment ex\u00adec\u00adu\u00adtive.<\/p>\n
He al\u00adso stressed that in\u00addeed there was no bet\u00adter time than now to in\u00advest in the mar\u00adket, as it had shown sev\u00ader\u00adal pos\u00adi\u00adtive in\u00addi\u00adca\u00adtors fol\u00adlow\u00ading the COVID-19 pan\u00addem\u00adic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile mar\u00adket fluc\u00adtu\u00ada\u00adtions over the past three years, dri\u00adven by glob\u00adal events such as the pan\u00addem\u00adic and geopo\u00adlit\u00adi\u00adcal ten\u00adsions, have cre\u00adat\u00aded pe\u00adri\u00adods of volatil\u00adi\u00adty and de\u00adclin\u00ading share prices, these con\u00addi\u00adtions can al\u00adso present at\u00adtrac\u00adtive en\u00adtry points for in\u00advestors. If a com\u00adpa\u00adny\u2019s fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtals re\u00admain strong, tem\u00adpo\u00adrary mar\u00adket down\u00adturns may of\u00adfer op\u00adpor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties to buy stocks at a low\u00ader price, po\u00adsi\u00adtion\u00ading in\u00advestors for po\u00adten\u00adtial long-term gains. There is no right or wrong time to in\u00advest in the stock mar\u00adket but it is im\u00adpor\u00adtant to con\u00adsid\u00ader the rea\u00adson why you want the ex\u00adpo\u00adsure to this as\u00adset class,\u201d Lal\u00adla told Sun\u00adday Busi\u00adness Guardian.<\/p>\n
He al\u00adso not\u00aded that re\u00adcent mar\u00adket trends have left some sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant stocks un\u00adder\u00adval\u00adued and as such could serve up a bar\u00adgain for savvy in\u00advestors.<\/p>\n
Lal\u00adla ex\u00adplained, \u201cDe\u00adspite lo\u00adcal com\u00adpa\u00adnies\u2019 strong fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtals, their price-to-earn\u00adings (P\/E) ra\u00adtios, have been trad\u00ading at his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly low lev\u00adels. For 2024, the Trinidad and To\u00adba\u00adgo Stock Ex\u00adchange (TTSE) com\u00adpos\u00adite in\u00addex P\/E ra\u00adtio was 10.3x, com\u00adpared to the ten-year av\u00ader\u00adage of ap\u00adprox\u00adi\u00admate\u00adly 14.8x. Since the TTSE Com\u00adpos\u00adite In\u00addex fell by 11.6 per cent in 2024, stocks are cheap rel\u00ada\u00adtive to their earn\u00adings and are un\u00adder\u00adval\u00adued. As such, it pro\u00advides an at\u00adtrac\u00adtive val\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion en\u00adtry in\u00adto un\u00adder\u00adval\u00adued stocks with strong growth po\u00adten\u00adtial for 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell ex\u00adplained that the de\u00adcline had been due to a de\u00adcline in in\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal in\u00advest\u00adments as a re\u00adsult of sev\u00ader\u00adal macro\u00adeco\u00adnom\u00adic fac\u00adtors and mar\u00adket-spe\u00adcif\u00adic fac\u00adtors.<\/p>\n
Lal\u00adla agrees. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe gen\u00ader\u00adal de\u00adcline in per\u00adfor\u00admance of the stock mar\u00adket was dri\u00adven pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly by com\u00adpa\u00adny-spe\u00adcif\u00adic chal\u00adlenges and ma\u00adjor glob\u00adal macro\u00adeco\u00adnom\u00adic is\u00adsues that af\u00adfect\u00aded economies, in\u00adclud\u00ading the Unit\u00aded States Fed\u00ader\u00adal Re\u00adserve\u2019s high in\u00adter\u00adest rate en\u00advi\u00adron\u00adment in the first half of 2024, which aimed to com\u00adbat in\u00adfla\u00adtion\u00adary pres\u00adsures, po\u00adten\u00adtial\u00adly slow\u00ading eco\u00adnom\u00adic ac\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty, and im\u00adpact\u00ading in\u00advest\u00adment de\u00adci\u00adsions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLo\u00adcal\u00adly, this im\u00adpact\u00aded the eq\u00adui\u00adty stock mar\u00adket, as in\u00advestors favoured in\u00advest\u00ading in high-yield\u00ading bonds dur\u00ading the high-in\u00adter\u00adest rate en\u00advi\u00adron\u00adment in 2024,\u201d Lal\u00adla said.<\/p>\n
He added that on\u00adgo\u00ading con\u00adflicts, such as the Rus\u00adsia-Ukraine war and height\u00adened ten\u00adsions in the Mid\u00addle East, led to un\u00adcer\u00adtain\u00adty in the glob\u00adal mar\u00adket, im\u00adpact\u00ading en\u00ader\u00adgy and com\u00admod\u00adi\u00adty prices. Due to on\u00adgo\u00ading geopo\u00adlit\u00adi\u00adcal ten\u00adsion, the volatile en\u00ader\u00adgy and com\u00admod\u00adi\u00adty prices neg\u00ada\u00adtive\u00adly im\u00adpact\u00aded do\u00admes\u00adtic com\u00adpa\u00adnies like TTNGL, NEL and NFM, Lal\u00adla said.<\/p>\n
He al\u00adso not\u00aded that de\u00adspite the de\u00adclines over the past cou\u00adple years, there were sev\u00ader\u00adal ad\u00advan\u00adtages to in\u00advest\u00ading in the lo\u00adcal mar\u00adket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn\u00advest\u00ading in the stock mar\u00adket of\u00adfers sev\u00ader\u00adal key ad\u00advan\u00adtages. When you pur\u00adchase shares in a com\u00adpa\u00adny, you be\u00adcome a part-own\u00ader, giv\u00ading you a stake in its suc\u00adcess and, in some cas\u00ades, vot\u00ading rights on cor\u00adpo\u00adrate de\u00adci\u00adsions. <\/p>\n
\u201cAd\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, many com\u00adpa\u00adnies dis\u00adtrib\u00adute a por\u00adtion of their prof\u00adits as div\u00adi\u00addends, pro\u00advid\u00ading in\u00advestors with a po\u00adten\u00adtial source of pas\u00adsive in\u00adcome. Be\u00adyond this, stocks have the po\u00adten\u00adtial to ap\u00adpre\u00adci\u00adate over time, mean\u00ading that if a com\u00adpa\u00adny per\u00adforms well, its share price may rise, al\u00adlow\u00ading in\u00advestors to sell at a prof\u00adit, \u201c he said, \u201cThese com\u00adbined ben\u00ade\u00adfits\u2014own\u00ader\u00adship, div\u00adi\u00addend in\u00adcome, and cap\u00adi\u00adtal growth\u2014make the stock mar\u00adket a com\u00adpelling op\u00adtion for those look\u00ading to build wealth over the long term. Ex\u00adcel\u00adlent way to grow and build gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtional wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fol\u00adlow\u00ading the in\u00adter\u00adview with Mitchell two weeks ago, sev\u00ader\u00adal mem\u00adbers of the pub\u00adlic said while they were in\u00adter\u00adest\u00aded in in\u00advest\u00ading but were un\u00adsure of how to get start\u00aded.<\/p>\n
Lal\u00adla of\u00adfered some guid\u00adance in that re\u00adgard.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo gain ac\u00adcess to the lo\u00adcal stock mar\u00adket, you\u2019ll need a bro\u00adker\u00adage ac\u00adcount. Any of the eight lo\u00adcal bro\u00adkers can guide you through the process, and the spe\u00adcif\u00adic re\u00adquire\u00adments may dif\u00adfer slight\u00adly,\u201d he said, ex\u00adplain\u00ading that to get start\u00aded in the process at JMMB, a bro\u00adker\u00adage ac\u00adcount can be opened with one form of iden\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion (pass\u00adport or ID card), proof of in\u00adcome via a job let\u00adter or pay slip dat\u00aded with\u00adin the last three months and proof of ad\u00address.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cWhile some bro\u00adkers may re\u00adquire a min\u00adi\u00admum ini\u00adtial in\u00advest\u00adment, JMMB en\u00adsures that every\u00adone has the chance to par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpate in wealth cre\u00adation. Our founder, Joan Dun\u00adcan, had a sim\u00adple, am\u00adbi\u00adtious dream: to cre\u00adate a com\u00adpa\u00adny where any\u00adone could walk in off the street, in\u00advest a few hun\u00addred dol\u00adlars, and be greet\u00aded by staff who tru\u00adly be\u00adlieved in re\u00adspect and love.\u201d<\/p>\n
How\u00adev\u00ader he said prospec\u00adtive in\u00advestors should do their re\u00adsearch and say on top of var\u00adi\u00adous mar\u00adket trends and key eco\u00adnom\u00adic in\u00addi\u00adca\u00adtors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis con\u00adsid\u00aders the macro\u00adeco\u00adnom\u00adic en\u00advi\u00adron\u00adment in which busi\u00adness\u00ades op\u00ader\u00adate and in\u00adclude fac\u00adtors like GDP growth, in\u00adfla\u00adtion rates, con\u00adsumer spend\u00ading and em\u00adploy\u00adment da\u00adta,\u201d said Lal\u00adla.<\/p>\n
He con\u00adtin\u00adued, \u201cAn\u00adoth\u00ader key point to con\u00adsid\u00ader is the in\u00addus\u00adtry in which these com\u00adpa\u00adnies op\u00ader\u00adate, it can help in\u00advestors to un\u00adder\u00adstand the com\u00adpet\u00adi\u00adtive en\u00advi\u00adron\u00adment and how well a com\u00adpa\u00adny stacks up against its com\u00adpeti\u00adtors.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed that in\u00advestors should as\u00adsess com\u00adpa\u00adny\u2019s fi\u00adnan\u00adcial health and per\u00adfor\u00admance by re\u00adview\u00ading fi\u00adnan\u00adcial state\u00adments.<\/p>\n
Lal\u00adla and the JMMB team say con\u00adtin\u00adued fi\u00adnan\u00adcial ed\u00adu\u00adca\u00adtion will en\u00adcour\u00adage the pub\u00adlic to en\u00adgage in more in\u00advest\u00ading.<\/p>\n
He said JMMB In\u00advest\u00adments will of\u00adfer fi\u00adnan\u00adcial ed\u00adu\u00adca\u00adtion we\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adrs and ad\u00adver\u00adtise\u00adments through\u00adout the year to en\u00adcour\u00adage greater par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion. <\/p>\n
About Je\u00adre\u00admy Lal\u00adla<\/p>\n
At 38, Je\u00adre\u00admy Lal\u00adla is an in\u00advest\u00adment man\u00adag\u00ader and stock\u00adbro\u00adker, who has been gen\u00ader\u00adal man\u00adag\u00ader of JMMB In\u00advest\u00adments since Ju\u00adly last year. He start\u00aded work\u00ading for the JMMB Group in 2022, as port\u00adfo\u00adlio and liq\u00aduid\u00adi\u00adty man\u00adag\u00ader; he was pro\u00admot\u00aded to cor\u00adpo\u00adrate man\u00adag\u00ader of port\u00adfo\u00adlio and liq\u00aduid\u00adi\u00adty in No\u00advem\u00adber 2023 and then in 2024 to his cur\u00adrent po\u00adsi\u00adtion.<\/p>\n
In his ca\u00adreer, he has worked at De\u00adN\u00ado\u00advo En\u00ader\u00adgy as an en\u00ader\u00adgy busi\u00adness an\u00ada\u00adlyst, at RBC Roy\u00adal Bank as an in\u00advest\u00adment an\u00ada\u00adlyst and at West In\u00addies Stock\u00adbro\u00adkers (WISE) as a wealth man\u00adag\u00ader.<\/p>\n
He went to St Mary\u2019s Col\u00adlege and is a grad\u00adu\u00adate of The Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of the West In\u00addies, St Au\u00adgus\u00adtine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n