Medical Disposables in TOP 10
Lasco Financial rose to $5.99 by the end of the week, while IC Insider.com downgraded earnings for Caribbean Flavours to $1.22 for the 2019 fiscal year, with both moving out of the Junior Market TOP 10.
Medical Disposables that suffered a fall in price to $4.50 and Caribbean Producers moved into the TOP stocks listing for the Junior Market. There were no new addition to the TOP 10 main market stocks at the close of the past week. There were some changes in the rankings, most noticeable was Radio Jamaica, with a rise in price to $1.35 from $1.25 at the close of the previous week, as the stock moved closer to exit the top list. Salada Foods rose in sympathy to good half year results, to close at $13.10 from $11.26 at the start of the week, but it pulled back after trading at an all-time high of $15.
Caribbean Cement moved down to $37.50 from $40.05 and Barita Investments rose to $12.53 from $11.50 while Berger Paints saw increased selling in light of the company’s posting increased sales but lower profits in the March quarter due to a number of factors, some of which are not likely to be repeated, in the other quarters of the year.
The past week was characterized by some sharp price fluctuations and index movements in both markets, with the ending to the release of most first quarter results. Interest rates fell to their lowest levels on Treasury bills and the central bank cut the overnight rate by 25 basis points during the past week, seem to have little effect on the market so far. 
That will change as the weeks roll on, it may be that investors are now taking a break for May, this coming week could have the answer.
Former TOP 10 Junior Market stock Stationery and Office Supplies, closed at a new record high of $9 last week after positing good first quarter results with earnings per share up 70 percent to 17 cents and looking as if $1 is possible for the full year, with the commencement of the production of plain paper books.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks ended at 6.2 compared to an average PE for the overall main market of 10, based on 2018 estimated earnings. The main market PE is 7.3 for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 13.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 38 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be of 20 times earnings and main market stocks traded at a discount of 45 percent to the market.
Stocks to Watch this week include, Barita, Grace Kennedy, PanJam Investment, Radio Jamaica, Salada, Jamaica Stock Exchange ordinary share, Stationery and Office Supplies. Although not yet listed, investors should keep an eye open for Sygnus Credit that saw its IPO more than twice oversubscribed.
