NCB closed $2 higher on Friday.
Bulls pushed he Jamaican stock market, to new heights last week, with more gains expected this week with the strong likelihood that the Junior Market will clear the historical high reached in 2017..
NCB Financial played an important role in the market movement last week for the main market and Derrimon Trading chipped in for the Junior Market, these were not the only contributors to the gains in in the market last week.
Investors should keep their eyes on a number of stocks this week. NCB that closed on $115, should move higher this week as demand continues to build and with limited supply on offer. Scotia Group last trade was at $59.50 but the price could pull back before they release results for the July quarter on Wednesday. Those results could set the stage for price movements over the next few weeks. With PE ratios rising even a modest increase in profits could see the price moving into record territory.
Grace Kennedy may not be ready to break out of the $60 range as yet but it’s a stock to keep an eye on. Caribbean Cement keeps trading between $46 to $50, but there appears no real desire to move the price forward. Kingston Wharves closed the past week at a record high of at $68.50 and seems poised to move higher but the PE ratio of 44 is compared to a market average of 14, is scary. Supply of the stock remains low, with just two offers of 6,813 shares are displayed. Sygnus Credit Investments picked up last week buoyed by full year results in line with expectations of US$1.4 million. Demand should carry over into the current week and could lift the price further. Jamaica Producers has very limited volume on offer mostly in the higher $20 region while demand is building at $19 and just below.
In the Junior market, Indies continue with strong demand existing for the stock, with news of potential acquisition and new products, the stock is worth watching for more gains. Demand is building for Elite Diagnostics while supply has waned. General Accident could move higher as more demand comes in for it with limited selling, but investors may not want to be more aggressive with this stock at this time. If the company were to announce expansion into the Eastern Caribbean it may well make a difference.
Caribbean Flavours continues to slowly move higher and could do the same this week. There is no certainty the Derrimon Trading will rise any higher now that the price is in the mid three to four dollar level but must be watched. Medical Disposables, should be on the watch list for investors.
Stocks with scarce supplies that could spring surprises include Grace Kennedy, NCB Financial, Berger Paints, Caribbean Cement, Kingston Wharves, PanJam Investment, Sagicor Group, Salada Foods, Seprod and Scotia Group.
The Junior Market supplies continue to be limited for many of the listings. The list includes, Caribbean Flavours, Cargo Handlers, Derrimon Trading, Express Catering, General Accident, Caribbean Cream, Medical Disposables and Stationery and Office Supplies.
An overall view of stocks indicates that the main market continues to be steered higher by an upward sloping support line as well the 45 and 125 day moving averages, lending support just below. The Junior Market now at a 15 months’ high, is being steered by an upward rising long-term support line and a golden cross. The golden cross is a very strong bullish long-term signal.
the sole factor influencing the change. 
The latest valuation compares to an average PE for the overall market of 13.7, based on 2018 estimated earnings. The main market PE is now 8.5 and is the same level as last week, for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 14.
Based on an assumed PE for each, the likely gains are determined and then ranked, with the stocks with the highest potential gains ranked first followed by the rest, in descending order. Potential values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis based on new information received that can result in changes in and out of the list as well.
Trading for the month to date averages 1,207,314 units for an average of $7,396,642 and on the prior trading day, an average of 107,269 units for an average of $463,868. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
Indies Pharma gained 2 cents as it continues to trade in relatively heavy volume, ending the day with 1,437,108 shares changing hands to close at $3. Iron Rock ended 30 cents higher at $3.50, with 10,000 units changing hands, ISP Finance concluded trading 600 shares at $20, Jetcon Corporation settled at $4.10, with 16,940 shares, Knutsford Express finished trading of 100 shares at $12.70. Lasco Distributors closed at $4, exchanging 46,485 shares, Lasco Financial ended at $5.90, trading 36,879 shares, Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading of just 3,165 stock units at $4.01, Main Event suffered a sharp drop of $1.80 to $5.20, with 6,848 units trading. Medical Disposables settled at $6.67, trading 3,548 shares, Paramount Trading ended trading of 2,000 shares at $3, Stationery and Office rose by 25 cents to $8.85, swapping 10,950 shares and tTech closed at $6, with 3,212 units. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading concluded trading with a rise of 1 cent to $2.51, with 20,000 units changing hands and Eppley 8.75% settled at $6, with 1,525 shares trading,
Market activities resulted in 31 securities trading, including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 34 securities trading on Thursday. At the end of trading, the prices of 10 stocks rose, 7 declined and 12 closed trading, unchanged. Trading in the main market ended with 1,557,605 units valued $98,845,806, compared to 11,417,998 units valued $164,582,968, on Thursday.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 40 cents to settle at $11.45, trading 1,197,863 shares, Scotia Group jumped $4.50 to $59.50, in exchanging 559,697 units, Seprod rose $1.50 and ended trading 400 stock units to close of $45 and Supreme Ventures gained $1 to a record close of $16.50, after trading 75,153 shares.
First Citizens concluded at $32.77, after exchanging 400 shares, Grace Kennedy completed trading at $2.75, with 295,078 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings settled at $16.90, with 15,000 units, JMMB Group ended at $1.70, after exchanging 87,470 shares, National Enterprises closed at $8.95, with 22,391 stock units changing hands, Prestige Holdings settled at $9.50, with 100 units, Scotiabank settled at $65.00, with 5,571 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL concluded at $29.40, after exchanging 11,400 shares and West Indian Tobacco settled at $88.00, after exchanging 40 shares.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended at new record close on Thursday as the record run of the market continued pushing the market up 16.3 percent for the year to date. 
The day’s volume was led by, Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 2,500,000 shares, accounting for 21.9 percent of the volume traded, followed by Jamaica Broilers with 1,960,332 units and 17.17 percent of the day’s volume and Wisynco Group with 1,788,982 units and just 15.67 percent of main market volume.
after trading 133,000 units, NCB Financial Group ended trading 15,570 shares at $114 in gaining $1, Sagicor Real Estate Fund dropped $2.45 to settle at $11.05, trading 2,500,000 shares, Salada Foods rose 70 cents and ended trading 1,500 stock units at record close of $19. Scotia Group jumped $1.50 to $55, in exchanging 36,829 units and Supreme Ventures ended at $15.50, after trading 10,000 shares with a loss of 40 cents.
The Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange, closed on Thursday, with 14 securities changing hands, with the price of 3 rising, 7 declining and 4 remaining unchanged. 
Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
Iron Rock concluded trading of 350,700 shares at $3.20. Jamaican Teas settled with a loss of 25 cents at $3.95, with 42,728 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation rose 5 cents to end at $4.10, in exchanging 172,670 stock units, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 5 cents at $4, with 138,518 shares changing hands, Lasco Financial concluded trading of 57,204 stock units and rose 10 cents to $5.90. Lasco Manufacturing gained 1 cent to $4.01, with 5,499 units changing hands, Main Event settled with a loss of 2 cents at $7, in exchanging 141,983 shares, Paramount Trading closed at $3, in trading 4,000 shares, Stationery and Office finished trading 42,753 stock units and gained 10 cents to end at $8.60 and tTech ended at $6, with 4,424 shares changing hands.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market scaled new heights on Wednesday when the All Jamaica Composite Index surged nearly 10,000 points in the morning session to a new record high for the market but pulled back later to end with more modest gains at a new record closing high. 
The day’s volume was led by, 138 Student Living with 67,901,000 shares, accounting for 92.26 percent of the volume traded, followed by JMMB Group 7.50% preference share with 1,421,537 units and a mere 1.93 percent of the day’s volume and NCB Financial Group with 1,227,676 units and just 1.67 percent of main market volume.
138 Student Living had a big day in exchanging 67,901,000 stock units as the price slipped 49 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.80, Sagicor Real Estate Fund jumped $1.40 and settled at $13.50, trading 202,641 shares, Seprod rose 50 cents and finished trading 480 shares at $43.50, Supreme Ventures rose 40 cents and ended at $15.90, with 73,148 shares changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments US dollar share traded 4,000 units in the Jamaican dollar market and dropped $2.30 to $11.42, while the Jamaican dollar denominated share, traded 24,397 units to gain 50 cents and close at $12.50.
More prices fell in trading on the Junior Market on Wednesday, with 25 securities being active compared to 28 on Tuesday, leading to 12 advancing, 7 declining while 6 remained unchanged. 
average of $462,924 and on the prior trading day, an average of 87,861 shares with an average value of $432,073. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
Everything Fresh fell 5 cents in trading 43,641 shares to end at $2.20, Express Catering ended trading 75,654 shares and climbed 45 cents higher to $8, 
