Market activity ended on Tuesday, with the market declining after 81 percent fewer shares traded than on Monday, resulting in 20 securities changing hands compared to 17 on Monday, Trading ended, with no stock rising, five declining and 15 remaining unchanged at the close of the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange.
Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters
The Composite Index slipped 0.79 points to 1,342.83, the All T&T Index dipped 1.13 points to close at 1,784.79 and the Cross-Listed Index fell 0.06 points to settle at 121.90.
Overall, 78,980 shares traded, for $1,341,997 compared to 409,039 units at $2,606,837 on Monday.
An average of 3,949 units traded at $67,100 down from 24,061 at $153,343 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 10,326 units traded at $179,849 versus 10,817 units at $188,522. The average trade for March amounted to 12,610 units at $342,338.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Agostini’s ended trading 405 shares at $24.25, Angostura Holdings lost 7 cents to end at $15.42 after exchanging 960 units, Ansa Mcal shed 1 cent to end at $56.79 with an exchange of 35 stocks, Calypso Macro Investment Fund remained at $14.27 trading 500 units, Clico Investment Fund ended at $25.05, with 6,865 stocks crossing the market. First Citizens Bank stayed at $46.41 trading 2,887 stocks, FirstCaribbean International Bank closed at $6.74, with 1,823 units changing hands, Grace Kennedy traded 1,912 stock units at $5. Guardian Holdings ended at $25.60 with an exchange of 5,788 stock units, Guardian Media closed at $3.01 while exchanging 1,652 stocks, JMMB Group stayed at $1.81 after trading 27,705 shares. 
Massy Holdings remained at $64, with 85 units changing hands, National Flour stayed at $2.35 exchanging 6,860 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $8.49 after exchanging 1,000 stocks. One Caribbean Media fell 39 cents to $4.50 trading 1,000 units, Republic Financial Holdings fell 10 cents to $132.26 in trading 3,225 units, Scotiabank traded stock units at $54.65. Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 25 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $13.25, with 11,323 units crossing the market, Unilever Caribbean remained at $16.32 after an exchange of 2,500 units and West Indian Tobacco closed at $32.98 in trading 500 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading was halted towards the original close after the trading platform encountered problems, closing market activity until minutes to 3 pm ahead of the close for the day.
Trading averaged 153,438 units at $953,283, down from 272,764 shares at $2,129,432 on Friday. Month to date trading averages 230,425 units at $1,514,180, in contrast to 235,024 units at $1,554,972 on Friday. March averaged 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Salada Foods gained 43 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.93 in the trading of 118,708 stock units. Scotia Group gained 60 cents to end at $42.50 after exchanging 53,675 units, Seprod fell 50 cents to $82 with the swapping of 6,856 stocks and Victoria Mutual Investments gained 52 cents to end at $6.45 with 254,746 stock units changing hands.
Newly listed Future Energy Source (Fesco) dominated trading on the Junior Market for the second trading day with just under 87 percent of the volume, with the price rising to $1.16 in early trading before pulling back, later on, to end at a record close of $1.09. 
The Junior Market Index climbed 23.96 points to settle at 3,174.51 after breaking through the 3,200 mark at the opening of the market and peaking at 3,203,03 after 9 minutes into trading. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averaged 12.8.
Fosrich dropped 50 cents to $6 with 36,236 units changing hands, Indies Pharma rose 6 cents to $4.25 with 72,206 stocks traded, Iron Rock Insurance dropped $1.05 to $2.95 with a transfer of 1,850 stock units. Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents to end at $3.51 with 934,196 shares passing through the market, Jetcon Corporation gained 5 cents to close at 83 cents with an exchange of 11,700 units, Mailpac Group rose 12 cents to $3.54 with 88,702 stock units changing hands. Main Event jumped 65 cents to $4.70 with 13,526 shares traded, Medical Disposables rose 9 cents to $4.19 with a transfer of 68,372 stock units, Paramount Trading increased by 11 cents to $1.41 with investors switching ownership of 40,000 units and tTech advanced 19 cents to $4.60 with 568 shares crossing the exchange.
The JSE USD Equity Index gained 2.13 points to end at 213.73, up 14.7 percent for the year to date. The average PE Ratio ends at 13 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
JMMB Group shed 1 cent to end at $1.81 while exchanging 36,610 shares, Massy Holdings closed at $64 in trading 2,650 stocks, National Enterprises climbed 1 cent to $3, with 132,054 units changing hands. National Flour Mill increased 1 cent to $2.35 trading 128,600 shares, One Caribbean Media rose 1 cent to $4.89 with an exchange of 61,700 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings remained at $132.36 in exchanging 3,131 shares. Scotiabank stayed at $54.65 with the swapping of 3,657 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 36 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $13.50 trading 17,186 shares, Unilever Caribbean settled at $16.32 in exchanging 500 stock units and West Indian Tobacco gained 6 cents in closing at $32.98, with 1,800 shares changing hands.
Gross profit slipped 8.8 percent to $2 billion from $2.3 billion in 2020 as direct cost rose 11 percent from $7.8 billion to $8.7 billion and gross profit margin slipped to 18.84 percent in the 2021 March quarter, from 22.68 percent. Selling, administrative and other expenses rose marginally to $1.32 billion, from $1.30 million in 2020.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are headed by Elite Diagnostic, followed by Medical Disposables and Jetcon Corporation, with the potential to gain between 285 to 300 percent. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica in the number one spot, followed by PanJam Investment and VM Investments, with expected gains of 174 to 388 percent.
The targeted PE ratio for the market averages 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2022. Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Stocks and 19 times for the Main Market. With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.5 or 47 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.
The market index ended with a gain of 13.99 points at 3,150.55, with an increase of 19 2 percent year to date. Trading ended with 34 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Thursday and closed with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 12.9.
Future Energy Source advanced 26 cents to end at a record $1.06 with 19,680,813 stocks crossing the market, Indies Pharma picked up 7 cents to close at $4.19 trading 89,595 shares. Iron Rock Insurance rose 20 cents to $4 with 5,263 shares crossing the market, Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to close at $3.60 in the swapping of 577,253 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended 6 cents lower at 78 cents after 4,000 stock units cleared the market, Lasco Manufacturing rose 75 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $5.45 with a transfer of 49,020 stocks. Lumber Depot carved out a gain of 2 cents to close at $2.49 after trading 505,232 units, Mailpac Group declined 8 cents to close at $3.42 with 305,323 stock units changing hands and Main Event dropped 40 cents to end at $4.05 after trading 36,163 stocks.
