Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, down slightly from 45 on Friday, with trading levels remaining extremely low, with an exchange of 14,627,962 shares for $56,812,175 compared to 7,203,254 units at $47,857,862 on Friday.
At the close, the prices of 16 stocks rising, the 17 stocks declining and ten remaining unchanged, with the average PE Ratio of the market, ending at 15.3 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings. In the end, the All Jamaican Composite Index just carved out a gain of 234.59 points to 406,241.88, the Main Index squeezed out a rise of 434.91 points to at 370,741.73, while the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.20 points to 95.91.
The market closed, with Transjamaican Highway leading trading with 9.83 million shares for 67 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.45 million units for 16.8 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 565,157 units for 4 percent market share.
An average of 340,185 units traded on Monday at $1,321,213 for each security, in comparison to an average of 160,072 at $1,063,508 on Friday. An average of 379,528 units traded for the month to date at $2,567,817 for each security that traded, in contrast to 381,808 units at $2,640,059. In contrast, 
June ended with an average of 818,748 units at $7,498,308.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments climbed $4 to end at $57 after exchanging 1,588 shares, Berger Paints fell $1 to $12 in trading 17,604 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund jumped $7 in closing at $46.10 and exchanged 867 shares. First Rock Capital dropped by 40 cents in closing at $13 with 6,716 shares crossing the market, Jamaica Broilers Group lost 50 cents to close at $25, with 4,316 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers Group gained 73 cents to end at $23.40 with investors switching ownership of 250 stock units. 
Jamaica Stock Exchange advanced by 45 cents to $21.95, with 11,122 stock units crossing the market, JMMB Group declined by 50 cents to end at $31 after exchanging 74,555 stock units, Key Insurance climbed $1 in closing at $6 and clearing the market with 49,631 shares. Mayberry Investments increased $1.20 t $6.50 with investors switching ownership of 10,421 shares, Palace Amusement jumped $232.50 to close at $1782.50 with investors trading just stock unit, PanJam Investment fell 96 cents after closing at $66.05 and exchanging 3,087 shares. Portland JSX declined by $1.10 to close at $7.25 trading 80,000 units, Proven Investments gained 50 cents to end at $33.50 with 18,517 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund carved out a gain of $1.17 in ending at $8.92 with an exchange of 1,217 units. Scotia Group lost 30 cents closing at $44.20 with investors swapping 155,653 stock units and Seprod gained $1 to close at $57, with 24,527 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The JSE USD Equities Index declined by 1.75 points to end at 185.96, and the average PE Ratio of the market ended at 13 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market the prices of five stocks recorded gains, three declined and eight remaining unchanged leaving the Composite Index with a rise of 2.48 points to end at 1,310.66, the All T&T Index losing 0.28 points to finish at 1,769.54 and the Cross Listed Index advancing by 0.72 points to close at 115.10.
Calypso Macro Investment Fund fell 50 cents to close at $14 in trading 1,607 units.
For the six months to June, profit fell 33 percent from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $1 million for the 2020 half-year. First-quarter profit fell sharply from that in 2019 to just $483 million, with the major repairs and maintenance of the plant carried out in the first quarter compared with the second quarter in 2019. Foreign exchange losses also contributed to the fall in the profit for the March quarter.
There was no change in the Main Market TOP 10 list for the week that saw the Main Market stocks lopping 6,300 points off the market index while the Junior Market rose 26 points.
Profit from continuing operations grew at a slower pace at 38 percent for the second quarter and 41 percent for the half-year. Revenues increased 18 percent to $9.5 billion for the June quarter and 12 percent to $18.6 billion for the six months. The company shuttered its loss-making sugar operations last year and that is helping with the improvement in results.
IC Insider.com is projecting $4 per share earnings for the current year and it now trades at a PE ratio of 14, with limited upside potential in the short term.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 269 percent, for the Junior Market and 146 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is the potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
At the close, the Junior Market Index lost 26.95 points to 2,555.47, and the average PE Ratio of the Junior Market ended at 10.8 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings. Trading ended with 32 securities changing hands compared to 29 and ended with the prices of eight stocks rising, the prices of 17 declining and seven with prices remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Jamaican Teas carved out a loss 6 cents in closing at $4.99, with 9,861 units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation shed 8 cents to end at 94 cents and cleared the market with 500 units, Lasco Financial lost 5 cents closing at $2.50 and crossing the exchange with 53,577 units. Lasco Manufacturing declined by 9 cents to settle at $3.56, with investors switching ownership of 79,722 stock units, Limners and Bards dropped by 4 cents to close at $2.65 in an exchange of 12,702 shares, Lumber Depot gained 1 cent in ending at $1.05 with 36,832 units crossing the market. Mailpac Group rose 6 cents to close at $2.14, trading 320,693 units, SSL Venture increased 9 cents in closing at 87 cents with investors switching ownership of just one stock unit. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 2 cents to settle at $5.90 after exchanging 2,800 shares and tTech shed 50 cents to end at $6 500, with stock units changing hands.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 727.14 points to 406,007.29, the Main Index carved out a loss 658.24 points to 370,306.82, the JSE Financial Index fell 0.37 points to 96.11.
An average of 160,072 units traded for the day at $1,063,508 for each security in comparison to an average of 129,202 at $1,050,176 on Thursday. An average of 381,808 units traded for the month to date at $2,640,059 for each security that traded, in contrast to 396,128 units at $2,741,845. In contrast, June ended with an average of 818,748 units at $7,498,308.
Palace Amusement dived $175 to $1,550 after exchanging one stock unit, PanJam Investment shed $2.99 in closing at $67.01 with investors swapping 1,112 shares, Proven Investments dropped $1 to settle at $33 in an exchange of 7,955 stock units. Sagicor Group carved out a gain of 75 cents to close at $43.75, with 3,908 units crossing the exchange, Salada Foods climbed 40 cents to settle at $28 trading 660 units, Scotia Group fell $1.75 to $44.50 and finishing trading with 32,231 shares. Seprod jumped $4 in ending at $56 with 137,391 units passing through the market after the company reported a strong increase in half-year profit. Sterling Investments climbed by 60 cents to settle at $3.15 after 100,977 shares crossed the market and Supreme Ventures lost 69 cents in closing at $14.86 with an exchange of 151,113 units.
JMMB Group 5.75% gained 5 cents to end at U$$2.10 in exchanging a mere 48 units, Margaritaville ended at 16 US cents with investors swapping just 96 stock units. Proven Investments lost a fraction of a cent to close at 23 US cents, with 457,524 shares changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments gained three-quarters of a cent to end at 14 cents, with 33,000 stock units crossing the exchange. 
Firm Traders| Clico Investment Fund ended at $25.01, with 5,046 units crossing the exchange. Massy Holdings closed at $58, with 1,578 stock units changing hands, National Enterprises settled at $4.50 after trading 973 shares, Prestige Holdings settled at $8.25 with 250 units changing hands, Republic Financial Holdings closed at $139.47 in exchanging 69 stock units, Scotiabank ended at $54.75, with 2,675 shares passing through the market. Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $17 while trading 11,062 units, Trinidad Cement settled at $2.10 in finishing with 6,710 units, clearing the market and West Indian Tobacco closed at $35 after just four units passing through the market.
Trading ended with 29 securities changing hands compared to 32 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 10 stocks falling in value and seven with prices remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
iCreate lost 2 cents in ending at 52 cents after exchanging 34,950 stock units. Indies Pharma rose 10 cents to close at $3 in an exchange of 694,697 units, Jamaican Teas shed 1 cent to end at $5.05 exchanging 962 units, Jetcon Corporation carved out a gain of 1 cent to end at $1.02 with investors switching ownership of 76,464 stock units. Lasco Financial carved out a loss 1 cent to close at $2.55 and finishing, with 1,750 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing shed 10 cents to end at $3.65 with an exchange of 2,121,219 stock units, Limners and Bards carved out a loss 1 cent and ending at $2.69 in exchanging 66,085 stock units. Lumber Depot dropped by 3 cents to end at $1.04 with investors switching ownership of 21,077 stock units, Mailpac Group gained 6 cents to close at $2.08 in clearing the market with 544,372 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies lost 6 cents in ending at $5.92, with 550 units changing hands and tTech jumped 55 cents to close at $6.50 in an exchange of 1,995 stock units.
