The main market indices of the Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped in the morning session but the junior index gained in the morning session in trading on Thursday Trading levels climbed sharply over that on Wednesday.
Securities changing hands, amount to 36 at 11:50 am, compared to 28 on Wednesday at 10.45 am. A total of 14 securities advanced and 14 declined, resulting in a volume of 10,504,719 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $231,575,220, compared of 2,342,522 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $11,878,847 on Wednesday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 291,798 units versus 83,662 units on Wednesday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index fell 1,164.76 points to 212,145.45 the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index lost 1,041.50 points to 194,070.32, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index lost 916.60 points to 208,357.80 and the junior market index rose 4.78 points to 2,762.43.
Junior market climbs major fall
Both markets down in early trading
Both the main market indices and the junior index fell in early trading on Wednesday. A fall in the prices of National Commercial Bank and Caribbean Cream seem to be the main factors for the decline as declining stocks out did advancing ones.
Market activity saw, Caribbean Cream traded 100,000 shares and lost 45 cents to trade at $6.55 while Jetcon Corporation has so far seen 293,383 units changing hands at $9.50 having opened at $10 and Cable & Wireless ended with 1,074,228 trading down to $1.18.
Securities changing hands, amount to 28 at 10:45 am, compared to 36 on Tuesday. A total of 6 securities advanced and 14 declined, resulting in a volume of 2,342,522 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $11,878,847, compared of 2,005,791 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $21,705,565 on Tuesday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 83,662 units versus 55,716 units on Tuesday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index fell -576.94 points to 212,944.47, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index lost -515.89 points to 194,784.79, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index lost 565.40 points to 208,971.00 and the junior market index fell 8.47 points to 2,757.63.
Cable & Wireless at $1.40 in early trading
Cable & Wireless climbs 25 cents to $1.40 in early trading, with 382,466 units changing hands, but the main market indices slipped while the junior index just inched up in early trading on Tuesday.
Blue Power traded at a new high of $37 with 3,852 units changing hands as investors continue to react positively to an announcement by Jetcon Corporation of a likely dividend and stock split droving the stock up to a new high of $10.05 in trading 139,710 units, tTech rose 50 cents to an all-time high of $6.50 with 150,500 shares changing hands. Investors sharply marked AMG Packaging down $8.50 to $26.50 with 6,358 units as they responded to lower profits for the year to November,
Securities changing hands exceeded that on Monday with 36 traded at 10:50 am, compared to 32 on Monday. A total of 14 securities advanced and 9 declined, resulting in a volume of 2,005,791 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $21,705,565, compared of 12,710,223 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $68,889,688 on Monday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 55,716 units versus 397,194 units on Monday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index fell 246.53 points to 213,393.03, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index lost 220.44 points to 195,185.89, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index climbed 185.47 points to 209,401.16 and the junior market index rose 1.84 points to 2,763.30.
Jamaican stocks jump in early trading
Jetcon trades at a new high of $9 on Monnday.
Investors seem to be reacting positively to an announcement by Jetcon Corporation of a likely dividend and stock split as they drove the stock up by a $1 to a new high of $8 in trading 171,500 units, shortly after opening and shot up to $9 where trading is frozen for an hour with 172,334 units trading in all. Caribbean Producers, traded 500,000 shares and rose 40 cents to $4, General Accident Insurance traded 4,413,793 shares at $2.90, tTech rose 10 cents to $6 with 180,684 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing had 1,600,000 units trading at $5.08. Caribbean Cream traded 6,000 at $6.55 and then recovered to $7 with 47,823 units trading. In the main market, Berger Paints traded 616,346 units to end at $6,
Cable & Wireless climbed to $1.12 with 426,500 units and then fell back to $1.05 with 499,382 units, JMMB Group had 1,122,175 shares trading at $15.30 and Supreme Ventures lost 32 cents and traded 3,205,834 units at $5.08.Volumes rose sharply with high volume in some selected stocks as 32 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 29 on Friday. A total of 11 securities advanced and 11 declined, resulting in a volume of 12,710,223 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $68,889,688, compared of 1,490,866 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $16,271,265 on Friday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 397,194 units versus 51,409 units on Friday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index jumped 2,246.61 points to 213,236.46, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index gained 2,008.86 points 194,985.46, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index climbed 1,964.37 points to 209,277.56 and the junior market index rose 9.88 points above the record close on Friday to 2,769.35.
IS PE of 40 rational for junior stocks?
Honey Bun shot up by more than 500% in 2016 shortly after stock split.
Yes, interest rates are at their lowest levels in decades, the Jamaican dollar hit rock bottom and bounced and business confidence as measured by the stock market, is at an all-time high. Even then there is little rationale for Cargo Handlers to be selling at a PE of 38 based on estimated 2017 earnings and worse, 51 times 2016 earnings.
IC Insider.com checked with an officer of the company, to get an understanding as to what was going on with the stock. Are profits running well ahead of 2016, there was no evidence of that, according to the company, operations are running close to that of 2016, was the response. Are there expansion plans on the table? The answer was there are no such plans in the works. Well, it could be the fact that the economy of Montego Bay where the company operates, is said to be growing at 7 percent per annum, be a factor. Some persons think it may be the dividend yield, but that makes no sense whatsoever as the yield would be a mere 2 percent, at the present stock price if all profit of 41 cents per share for 2016 were paid out. The only answer, the stock appears cheap to many, in dollar terms with the 10 to 1 stock split that took place in late 2016 and supply continues to be relatively low.
The stock is selling well in excess of the average market and the next highest valued in the junior market, Honey Bun that is at a PE of 21 based on 2016 earnings but a more moderate 14 times projected 2017 earnings.It not surprising that Cargo Handlers heads the list of most overvalued stocks on both the main and junior market.
The company reported profit climbing 25 percent for their September quarter last year and 31 percent for the full year before taxation and could result in earnings of 55 cents per share for 2017. That would still leave it with an eye popping PE of 38 times current year’s earnings. At this level of PE investors are assuming that profits will be rising around 38 percent per annum for a while and that does not seem rational, if that were the case, then Access Financial should be selling around $137 per share, with earnings seemingly likely to grow around 30-40 percent per annum, for a while.
Kremi’s profit fall pushes stock down
Caribbean Cream fell $1 to $7 while trading 199,000 units in response to the company posting profit of $19 million in the November quarter, down from $39 million in the same period in 2015. Profit for the year to date is up to $137 million from $124 million in 2015. More trading took place with 1,000 units at $7.50 but 300,000 units were offered at $7.45.
Notwithstanding the sharp fall of Caribbean Cream price, the junior market index rose moderately. The main market index rose as well. In trading elsewhere, Lasco Distributors had 599,260 units trading at $7, 
AMG Packaging hit a new high of $32.55 and Blue Power traded at a new high of $35.50.
Market activity has been moderate so far resulting in 29 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 26 on Thursday. A total of 11 securities advanced and 7 declined, resulting in a volume of 1,490,866 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $16,271,265, compared of 1,790,982 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $22,912,791 on Thursday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 51,409 units versus 68,884 units on Thursday.
The all Jamaica Composite Index rose 773.25 points to 211,971.25, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index gained 691.43 points 193,914.56 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index climbed 707.44 points to 208,184.58 and the junior market index rose 6.45 points above the record close on Thursday to 2,759.63.
Cargo Handlers’ new high, topping seen
Cargo Handlers traded 6,618 units at a new high of $21 in early market activity but cracks may now showing in the price movements, with just over 69,000 units on offer at $21 and thin demand under $20.80. The PE of the stock is at a high 35 times 2017 estimated earnings placing it well ahead of the nearest other stock.
Market activity has been moderate so far and resulted in 26 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 31 on Wednesday. 
A total of 11 securities advanced and 7 declined, resulting in a volume of 1,790,982 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $22,912,791, compared of 10,271,602 shares changing hands, with a value of $18,345,463 on Wednesday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 68,884 units versus 331,342 units on Wednesday.
Market activity was helped by Barita Investments traded 112,000 between $5.55 and $6.17 after audited accounts showed a lower profit than was shown when the results were first released. Cable & Wireless trading 178,465 units trading up to 98 cents, Caribbean Producers trading 100,000 at $3.60, JMMB Group trading 1,077,076 shares up to $15
The all Jamaica Composite Index lost 518.88 points to 210,761.20, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index fell 463.97 points 192,832.56 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index dipped 291.45 points to 206,945.11 and the junior market index rose 13.50 points to 2,736.66 just ahead of the 2,734.21 high point in early trading on Wednesday.
5 stocks hit 52 weeks’ high in early trading – Wednesday
Blue Power traded at a new high of $36.
Market activity has been moderate so far and resulted in 31 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 33 on Tuesday. A total of 13 securities advanced and 11 declined, resulting in a volume of 10,271,602 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $18,345,463, compared of 1,528,996 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $12,730,951 on Tuesday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 331,342 units versus 46,333 units on Tuesday.
Market activity was helped by Access Financial Services traded at a new intraday high of $25.30 but now trades at $25 with 939 units having changed hands, Cargo Handlers trading at a new high of $20.80 with 3,000 units changing hands, Blue Power traded at a new high of $36 with 10,000 units, Lasco Manufacturing traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.15 with 26,478 shares and JMMB Group traded at a 52 weeks’ high with 10,600 up to $15.20Caribbean Cream gained 65 cents to $8.55 but with just 3,000 units, Jetcon Corporation lost 48 cents to $6.52 with 10,000 shares trading, Cable & Wireless had 9,410,195 units trading up to 90 cents and Scotia Group Jamaica fell $3.50 with 17,900 shares to $34.50.
The all Jamaica Composite Index lost 1,299.25 points to 212,380.07, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index fell 1,161.75 points 193,509.39 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index dipped 862.39 points to 207,547.57 and the junior market index rose 15.95 points to 2,734.21.
Junior stocks surge in early trading – Tuesday
The junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange surged sharply on Tuesday morning, putting the years’ gains to 5.7 percent, as three juniors stocks traded at new highs. The main market fell appreciably with the All Jamaica composite index falling by nearly 1,000 points, with the other major indices declining as well.
Market activity has been moderate so far and resulted in 33 securities traded at 10:45 am, 
compared to 31 on Monday. A total of 13 securities advanced and 9 declined, resulting in a volume of 1,528,996 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $12,730,951, compared of 842,68 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $7,961,875 on Monday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 46,333 units versus 27,183 units on Monday.
Market activity was helped by Cargo Handlers trading at a new high of $20 with 27,765 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries traded 193,390 at a new high of $2.60 and Derrimon Trading had just 2,500 units trading at a new high of $6.
The all Jamaica Composite Index lost 851.92 points to 212,380.07, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index fell 761.78 points 194,280.11 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index dipped 562.69 points to 208,112.16 and the junior market index rose 33.74 points to 2,739.37.
Jamaican stocks up in early trading – Monday
Stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange surged forward first thing Monday morning, with the All Jamaica composite index rising by 1,109.47 at 1 minute after trading opened to trade at a new high and the combined index moved up by 919.92 points.
Market activity resulted in 31 securities traded at 10:45 am, compared to 26 on Friday at 10:45 am. A total of 11 securities advanced and 9 declined, resulting in a volume of 842,68 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $7,961,875, compared of 984,204 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $4,620,010 on Friday. The average number of shares traded, amount to 27,183 units versus 37,854 units on Friday.
Market activity was helped by National Commercial Bank rising to $52.50, with 7,180 shares up from a last trade on Friday of $51.01, Scotia Group trading 8,582 units at $39, representing a rise of 99 cents from Friday’s close. In the junior market, Blue Power jumped $3.50 to a new all-time high of $34.50 with 3,500 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream fell back from Friday’s close of $8.55 to trade at $7.35 with 83,535 units and Jetcon Corporation with 25,946 units traded at a new high of $6.50. Caribbean Cement dropped $3.50 with 9,350 shares to $30.50 but recovered partially to traded 18,350 units up to $33.20.
The all Jamaica Composite Index gained 645.01 points to 214,293.58, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index grew 576.75 points 195,991.13 the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index gained 662.77 points to 208,847.13 and the junior market index rose 12.45 points to 2,636.77.