
NCB traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $130 on Thursday.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended at a 10th consecutive record close on Thursday with the all Jamaica composite Index pushing nearer to the 400,000 mark aided by a rise in the price of 18 main market stocks.
The market closed with the All Jamaica Composite Index surging 5,960.37 points higher to a record close at 384,731.07 and the JSE Index jumping 5,430.57 points to a record close of 350,533.51. Thursday’s close brings to 33, the number of record close for the year and 21 since the start of July. The main market surged to new record high at the start of the morning session and continued to create new highs during the first 90 minutes of trading as NCB Financial traded at $125 and Kingston Wharves at $75 to be aided by Jamaica Producers that traded as high as $28.50.
Market activities resulted in 30 securities trading, including 2 in the US dollar market compared to 34 securities trading on Wednesday.
At the end of trading, the prices of 20 stocks rose, 4 declined and 6 closed trading, unchanged. The main market ended with 11,678,084 units valued at $147,689,924 changing hands, compared to 3,156,915 units valued at $54,279,819, on Wednesday.
The day’s volume was led by, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed with 8,042,693 shares and 59.4 percent of the day’s volume, the JMMB Group 7.25% preference share ended with 2,772,000 shares, 20.5 percent of main market volume,and Wisynco Group with 620,232 units for just 4.6 percent of the volume traded.
Trading resulted in an average of 483,444 units valued at an average of $2,448,792, in contrast to 432,522 units valued at an average of $5,469,997 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 469,931 shares valued $4,332,558, compared to 468,476 shares valued $4,558,933 traded on the immediately preceding trading day.

JSE breaks several records in trading on Thursday morning
August closed, with an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments gained 77 cents and closed at $11.27, trading 2,850 shares, Caribbean Cement added $1.44 to finish at $50 with 14,153 shares trading, Grace Kennedy fell $2 to end at $57, trading 238,210 shares, Jamaica Broilers climbed $1.05 in trading 108,185 stock units at record high of $31, Jamaica Producers gained 50 cents and finished trading 7,000 units at a record high of $23, JMMB Group climbed 98 cents and ended trading 142,794 shares at $30.99. Kingston Wharves jumped $4 and ended trading 13,948 stock units to close at a record high of $74, Mayberry Investments jumped $2 to settle at $9, with 271,631 units changing hands, NCB Financial Group jumped $8 and ended trading 121,984 shares at a record close of $130,
PanJam Investment gained $1 and closed at $55 trading 7,285 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 52 cents and settled at $11.23, trading 124,980 shares. Scotia Group rose $1.18 in trading 56,316 units at $56.20, Supreme Ventures added 35 cents and ended at $16.40, 11,824 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 24,665 units valued US$9,781 as , JMMB Group 6% preference share completed trading of 4,950 stock units at $1.06, and Sygnus Credit Investments ended trading of 19,715 shares at 12 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index advanced by 1.94 points to close at 169.56.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading is very strong for continuation of the market’s rally and shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 closing with a lower offer.

The day’s volume was led by, Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 8,692,402 shares and 74.4 percent of main market volume, followed by JMMB Group 7.50% preference share closing with 980,000 units and just 8.4 percent of the day’s volume and Carreras with 522,434 units just 4.47 percent of volume traded.


$1.50 to $55, in exchanging 10,014 units, ahead of nine months’ results due after trading on Wednesday, Seprod rose $1 and ended trading of 2,567 stock units to close of $46, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 24 cents to close of $12.51, after trading 142,286 shares were traded and Victoria Mutual Investments recovered 38 cents of the loss on Monday and concluded trading of 22,000 stock units at $3.45.

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.
Both the Jamaica Stock Exchange, main and Junior markets reached higher levels during the past week, with the main market hitting a series of new record highs. The coming weeks should see more gains as investors seek out opportunities as fixed interest returns have tanked.
The company is in the process of another acquisition, this time overseas, this should continue to help boost profit going forward. Fosrich posted good second quarter results and is on target to reach IC Insider.com’s forecasted earnings of 30 cents per share. Fosrich too, could be making an acquisition later this year, or early 2019, unofficial, but credible reports suggest. JMMB Group posted good first quarter results with a 59 percent increase in net profit. Some of the strong gains came from the relatively sharp fall in the value of the Jamaican dollar in the period that is not expected to continue.
Work done by IC Insider.com suggests that the PE ratio is likely to end 2018 around 16 to 18 times earnings, as investors continue to upgrade the multiple they are prepared to pay for stocks, which would lift prices sharply over the next several months from current levels. The latest government bond offer with a 4.58 years tenor, was heavily oversubscribed, resulting in rates dropping to 3.95 percent, suggesting that investors are satisfied that the economic policies will continue to lead to low inflation for a considerable time. These rates suggest more funds will be going into stocks as liquidity remains high in the financial system.
TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns within a 12 months period. Stocks are selected based on projected earnings for each company’s current fiscal year. 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.
The stock worth watching this week is
The bullishness continued on Jamaica Stock Exchange, driving the main market to more record highs and hitting more than 352,000 points on Friday, while the Junior Market traded at a 15 months’ high.
General Accident has been at the top of the Junior Market list for a long time, enjoyed a bounce in the price to $3.80 by the end of the week, helped by half year results that showed profit rising from $8 million in 2017 to $95 million in the half year, with the quarter up from a loss of $9 million to a profit of $66 after tax. IC Insider.com also down graded earnings for the full year to 45 cents per share and the stock now sits at 6th spot in the list. The PE is just 8.4 and will go higher.
Work done by IC Insider.com suggests that the PE ratio is likely to end 2018 around 16 or 17 times earnings, as investors continue to gradually upgrade the multiple they are prepared to pay for stocks, which would lift prices sharply over the next several months from current levels. In addition, the latest Treasury bill offer saw rates dropping to 1.7 percent on the 91 days instrument and 1.88 percent on the 182 days instrument. These rates suggest more funds will be going into stocks as liquidity remains high.
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 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange resulted in further declines in the market indices but by less than the approximate 2,000 points decline on Friday, even as advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones.
Trading resulted in an average of 128,374 units valued at an average of $2,989,139 for each security traded. In contrast to 442,474 units for an average of $1,930,933 on Friday. For the month to date an average of 223,710 shares valued at an average of $4,528,884 versus 231,530 shares valued at an average of $4,665,985 on Friday. July closed with an average of 169,022 units valued at $3,514,756, for each security traded.
Mayberry Jamaica Euities jumped $1 to settle at an all-time closing high of $10, trading 349,204 units, PanJam Investment gained 40 cents and concluded trading 985 shares and closed at $52, Sagicor Real Estate Fund jumped $1.50 to $13.50, with 28,511 shares, Salada Foods shed 25 cents to close at $16.75, in exchanging 1,200 units, Scotia Group shed $1 in traded 83,372 shares to close at $52, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 40 cent to close at $10.50 in trading 11,629 shares and Wisynco Group rose 34 cents and finished trading 211,342 shares to end at $9.39.
The bullishness continued on Jamaica Stock Market during the past week with the main market reaching new record level on Thursday and the Junior Market closing at the highest level since November 3, last year. 
Berger Paints moved down from $21 to $18 during the past week as direct cost rose sharply by 46 percent in the June quarter to negate a 35 percent rise in revenues but profit after tax rose 13 percent over 2017.
based on 2018 estimated earnings and the main market PE stands at 8 for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 13, a good indicator of the level of undervaluation of these stocks, currently. Work done by IC Insider.com suggest that the PE ratio is likely to end around 16 or 17 times earnings by year end, as investors continue to gradually upgrade the multiple they are prepared to pay for stocks, which would lift prices sharply over the next several months from current levels. In addition, the latest Treasury bill offer, saw rates dropping to 1.7 percent on the 91 days instrument and 1.88 percent on the 182 days instrument. These rates suggest more funds will be going into stocks as liquidity remains high.