Junior Market winner Jetcon surges 129%


The current year is turning out to be one of the worst-performing years for the JSE Junior Market, after a decline of 12.5 percent in the market index, through the end of July. Jetcon Corporation surged to the top of the market with gains of 129 percent, next is Future Energy, up by 26 percent, following solid 2026 full year results to March.

Jetcon’s profit surged 567 percent in the first quarter to 10 cents per share with increased revenues of $428 million for the second quarter, from $227 million in 2025, with profit in the June quarter hitting $65 million, up from $33 million in 2025, with profit for the half year coming in at $124 million versus just $42 million in the similar period in 2025.

The fall in the market resulted from only nine stocks rising and 38 declining. The biggest losers include Kintyre Holdings with a fall of 76 percent, followed by Iron Rock Insurance, down 48 percent while Caribbean Flavours lost 41 percent and Main Event 40 percent.

The year-to-date performance should not be taken as a foregone conclusion that the year will end as badly as it started. First quarter results of Junior Market companies show that more than half of the have increased profits, a sign that prices of these stocks should be rising in the months ahead if the positive profit trend continues. Since then, some early results for the second quarter are showing continuation of the positive earnings trend. 

 

 

Junior Market winner Jetcon climbs 129%


The current year is turning out to be the worst-performing one for the JSE Junior Market, with a fall of 12.5 percent in the market index through to the end of July. Jetcon Corporation surged to the top of the market with gains of 129 percent, next is Future Energy, up by a solid 26 percent, following 2026 full year results to March. Jetcon’s profit surged 567 percent in the first quarter to 10 cents per share and seems on track for 45 cents for the full year.
With Monday’s closing price of $4.04, Jetcon’s stock has gained 169 percent for the year to date.

The fall in the market resulted from only nine stocks rising and 38 declining. The biggest losers include Kintyre Holdings with a fall of 76 percent, followed by Iron Rock Insurance, down 48 percent while Caribbean Flavours lost 41 percent and Main Event 40 percent and Fosrich with a drop of 37 percent, following a big loss in the first quarter. to March

The year to date performance should not be taken as a foregone conclusion that the year will end as badly as it started. First quarter results of the Junior Market companies show more than half of them recording increased profits, a sign that prices of these stocks should rise in the months ahead if the positive profit trend continues for the majority of listed Junior Market stocks.

Profit jumps 18% for Grace


GraceKennedy delivered an 18 percent jump in after tax profit of $2.4 billion for the June 2026 quarter, from a 6.26 percent increase in revenues of $45.6 billion. For the half year, profits rose 11.76 percent to $4.75 billion from a 4.6 percent rise in revenues to $93 billion.

Grace delivered Interest and Other income along with its share of results of associates and joint ventures amounting to $2.17 billion, up 21 percent over the $1.79 billion in the second quarter in 2025. For the six months to June, the Group delivered an increase of 6.6 percent to $3.8 billion from $3.567 billion in 2025.

The Group took a $1.4 billion hit in other comprehensive income for the quarter and $1.7 billion for the half-year. These resulted mainly from re-measurement of post-employment benefit obligations and foreign exchange loss adjustments.
Earnings per share came in at $2.41 for the quarter and $4.78 for the half year, putting it on track for $10 for the year. Net asset value per share amounts to $95.86 at the end of June. The stock closed trading on Wednesday at $74 with a PE of 7.4 times 2026 earnings and a good long term buy. The group declared a dividend of 70 cents per share, payable in September.

Record remittance inflows for Jamaica


Remittance inflows into Jamaica slipped by a mere half of one percent to US$294.2 million in April this year, down by just US$2.3 million from April 2025, but remain at record levels for the year to date.

Remittance inflows for January to April 2026 continued the positive monthly trend since November last year. Flows to Jamaica amounted to a record US$1.1536 billion, 3.2 percent over the corresponding period in 2025, with earnings of US$1,118 billion.   

The United States of America continues to be the primary source market, accounting for 68.8 per cent of total remittance inflows, with the United Kingdom contributing 11.1 percent, Canada 8.5 percent, and the Cayman Islands 6.4 percent.

Jamaican stocks at near 4-year high


The Jamaica Stock Exchange delivered the best results in nearly four years with the All Jamaican Composite Index leaping 10,632 points to 4 year high on Friday, with prices of 47 shares rising, 39 declining and 27 remaining firm. Trading ended with the major indices of the Main Market surging, the Junior Market index jumping and the JSE USD Market index inching higher.

At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index surged 8,783.32 points to finish trading on Friday at 360,744.16, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 10,632.40 points to close the week at a near 4-year high of 419,073.54, the highest since August 15, 2022. The JSE Main Index rallied 8,646.78 points to 354,542.95, the Junior Market Index rose 71.88 points to 3,030.66 and the JSE USD Market Index gained 1.56 points to end at 240.87.
At the close of trading, 21,517,033 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 55,684,158 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounting to just $182.45 million, down from a hefty $1.25 billion on the previous day that was helped by a big traded in NCB Group. The JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 215,394 shares for US$21,614 down from 922,462 units at US$57,771 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Wigton Energy led trading with 2.04 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.56 million stocks and Caribbean Cement with 943,448 units.
In Junior Market trading, Dolla Financial led with 4.36 million shares, followed by Kintyre Holdings with 3.43 million stocks and Woodcats International with 1.60 million units.
In the preference share segment, Eppley 7.25% preferred share rose by $2.88 in closing at $19, followed by 138 Student Living preference share that dropped by $25 to $175, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preferred stock popped $42 and  ended at $1,200 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% rose $1.99 to close at $106.
At the close of trading, the PE ratio for the current year, compiled from projected 2026-27 earnings is 12.6 and 14.5 based on 2025 historical earnings. Major one-off income or expenses are excluded from earnings where these apply. The PE ratio is one of the most utilised measures used in valuing shares. It is calculated by dividing the stock price by the company’s earnings per share. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to assist in making investment decisions. The PE ratio chart includes all ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry and facilitates easy comparisons within sectors and the overall market.
Pertinent information is needed to navigate the numerous options in the stock market. The chart should be used to help in decision-making, especially when investing close to the market or sector averages, and not going too far from it unless compelling reasons exist. This approach reduces emotional bias in investment decisions and places them on fundamentals, without straying far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy stocks near the average will not overpay. The net asset value of each company is incorporated into the chart. Investors can use this measure in assessing stock values. The chart also includes daily changes in stock prices and percentage year to date price movements based on the last traded price. Dividends that are paid or due to be paid and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts, along with the closing volume of the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.

Scotia Group to delist from JSE


Scotia Group, after listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange since 1967, is now slated to be taken private at a buyout price of $61.50, the Group announced today.  

The group reports that, based on the unanimous recommendation of a committee of independent directors of the board of directors of SGJL, it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement with its majority shareholder, Scotiabank Caribbean Holdings Limited to take SGJL private whereby, among other things, all of the issued and outstanding shares of SGJL that SCHL does not currently own will be repurchased for $61.50 in cash per share, subject to court approval as well as the approval of SGJL’s minority shareholders.  

Scotia Group released results for the year to April, with profit of $5.96 billion, up from $5 billion last year for the April quarter and $10 billion for the year to date, versus $9.2 billion in 2025. Earnings per share came in at $1.92 for the latest quarter and $3.24 for the year to date. The offer price is only 8 times the current year’s earnings, which undervalues the shares. There was also an announcement of a dividend of 45 cents per share to be paid in July.

Remittances to Jamaica rise


Remittance inflows to Jamaica continue to increase, with a rise of 3.9 percent to US$314 million for March, compared with US$302.4 million in same month last year. The growth in March, continues the trend in January and February this year, with increases of 5 and 3.4 percent respectively, data released by Jamaica Central Bank show.

Inflows climbed of 4.1 per cent to US$856 million or an increase of $33.5 million for January to March period this year, over the corresponding period of 2025 that enjoyed inflows of US$822.5 million.

Jamaica missed enjoying record inflows last year when total inflows fell just US$11.4 million short of the record inflows of $3.495 million in 2021, so far total inflows are on track to surpass $3.5 billion this year barring any unforeseen developments and therefore set a new all-time record high.

Jamaica’s tourism continues to rebound


Tourist traffic through Jamaica’s largest airport, Montego Bay’s Sangster International,  dropped 22 percent in April this year, to 335.600 from 430,400 passengers in 2025, with a year to date drop of 29.2 percent to 1,252,900 from 1,769,400 passengers last year, data released by Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacifico, operators of Jamaica’s two largest airports, show.

The April numbers represent an improvement over the 25.7 percent fall in March, this year, as well as for the year to date, with a decline for the three months to March of 31 percent. The numbers represent incoming and outgoing passengers and locally based Jamaicans, although not the actual number of tourist traffic, the data provides an accurate proxy for the sector’s performance. Data collated by the Jamaica Tourist Board on the industry are unfortunately only released to the public several months in arrears.

Traffic through Kingston’s Norman Manley dropped 6 percent to 145,700 from 155,000 last and for the year to date it slipped 3.9 percent, from 583,000 to 560,500. Year to date, 414,800 passengers, moved through the country’s capital international airport, with a fall of 3.1 percent versus 428,000 for the same period in 2025.

Profit explosion at Transjamaican


Profit surged a solid 46 percent at Jamaica’s premier toll operators –Transjamaican Highway to US$13.2 million, for the quarter to March this year, compared to US$9.1 million in 2025. The vastly improved profit performance flowed from revenues that jumped an almost incredible 29 percent to US$29 million, from US$22.5 million for the 2025 first quarter.

Management indicated that “increased commuter traffic across the network was one area that contributed to the growth in revenues.

While revenues were climbing sharply, helped by US$3.5 million earned from the Mandeville leg of the highway, which came on stream during the period, costs remained subdued, with a 9 percent rise to US$12.3 million from $11.3 million in 2025. Taxation rose from US$3 million to US$3.55 million.

The company reported earnings per share of 0.0106 US cents, equivalent to 16.74 Jamaican cents per share, which puts the full year earnings at 67 Jamaican cents for the year. At this level of earnings, the stock is priced around 11 times current year’s profit.

Following the end of the quarter, a dividend of US$13 million, equivalent to all the profit generated in the quarter, was paid in April, an increase of 30 percent over US$10 million paid in the first half of 2025.

NCB trades at a near 2-year high


Trading in shares of NCB Financial Group was halted after the market opened on Monday, with the price jumping to $59.22. Trading resumed just after 10 this morning. On Friday, the stock closed at $51, the highest in 17 months.

If today’s price holds at the end of trading, it will be the highest since June 2024. A total of 24,511 shares were traded so far. The attached chart shows the top 40 orders to buy and all orders to sell.
Currently, the lowest offer is for 1,000 shares at $58.90 and 12,713 at $59. The highest bid is 2,500 units at $52.05.