Kingsley Cooper Chairman of Pulse that gained 67% during the past week.
Pulse Investments, in the main market TOP 10, up to the week starting June 25, jumped 67 percent this past week, to close at $3. Current listings, Caribbean Cement traded at $45 and Grace Kennedy at $56 both at 52 weeks’ highs during the week.
Former listing, Derrimon Trading ordinary share traded at an all-time high of $20.50 during the week while, the preference share traded at $2.45 for at a new high. The week closed out with 138 Student Living, falling to a 52 weeks’ low of $4.40 but C2W Music climbed to a 52 weeks’ high of $1.30 as the main market moved within just 300 points of the record high reached on June 13, while the Junior Market traded at the highest level during the week, since December last year.
There is just one change to the TOP 10 listings at the end of the week, with Stationery and Office Supplies that just slipped off the Junior Market list at the end of the previous week returning after Caribbean Producers that dethroned it in the previous week was squeezed it out, as Carib Producers rose to $5.50 from $5.10 at the end of the previous week.
With the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks at 6.2 compared to an average PE for the overall market of 11, based on 2018 estimated earnings and the main market PE at 7.9 for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 13, suggest that the rest of the year should deliver better returns than the first half. A look back on the markets shows that they made noticeable rise in August last year, a pattern that goes back several years and could well do so again.
The sharp reduction in Bank of Jamaica policy rate to an unprecedented 2 percent and Treasury bill interest rates to record lows of 2.5 percent, is set to push stocks values much higher unless profits for most of the listed companies decline. The shortage of supply of many listings continues and is set to result in a big rise in prices going forward before supplies will be able to satisfy what is likely to be a rising demand.
Last week prospectuses for Stanley Motta and Mayberry Jamaican Equities were published and this week Indies Pharma is released. The first two are not priced to bounce based on the underlying nature of these companies. Stanley Motta is a real estate play that will provide income that is better than most fixed interest securities with moderate capital appreciation going forward, while Mayberry Jamaican Equities is a closed end mutual fund, growth is going to depend of appreciation in the investments held or to be acquired. Indies Pharma, with IC Insider.com preliminary earnings estimate for 2018 of 16 cents per share, could get a bounce sometime after listing and could reach $2.40. The stock sits in the mid-range of IC Insider.com’s ranking of Junior Market stocks with a PE of 10 just a bit less than the average of 11 for the market but most IPOs have traded around 15 times the current year’s earnings.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 45 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 39 percent to the market.
Stocks to Watch The stocks to watch this week include, NCB Financial. PanJam Investment could move higher again, as there continues to be buying but there is very limited supply of the stock on offer. Radio Jamaica that came for increased buying recently seems to be seeing supplies coming to market at $1.20 or higher and could get more attention with the network broadcasting the popular world cup matches as adverting revenues should climb from the coverage. Others worth watching include Caribbean Cement, Berger Paints with little selling, Grace Kennedy for which there is also limited supply and Pulse Investments. In the Junior market, Demand for Derrimon Trading should continue with a resolution to be voted on at the upcoming AGM to split each share into 10 units. Supplies for Stationery and Office continue to trade around the $8 mark with limited supply, the stock could move higher in coming days or weeks. Jamaican Teas pulled back in the past week from $5.50 to $5 this week, but with limited stocks being offered for sale, is worth watching.
Activities in the main and US dollar markets resulted in 25 securities trading including 3 from the US dollar market, compared to 27 securities trading on Thursday. At the close, the prices of 11 stocks advanced, 6 declined and 8 closed unchanged.
In the US dollar market, 22,095 units valued at $2,546 as with Margaritaville traded 500 shares at 18 US cents, Proven Investments closed at 18 US cents with just 245 units changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments ended trading 21,350 shares after rising 0.7 cent to 12 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index inched 0.05 points up to 153.20.
Mayberry Investments settled at $6.50, with 613,468 units and Pulse Investments jumping $1 to $3, with 460,835 shares.
The JSE USD Equities Index declined 2.86 points to 153.15.
Jamaican stocks have not had a spectacular year with six months having elapsed so far. The main market grew 6 percent and the Junior Market is up just over 11 percent for the year to date. 
The shortage of supply is set to result in a big rise in prices going forward before supplies will be able to satisfy what is likely to be a rising demand.
On Friday, prospectuses for Stanley Motta and Mayberry Jamaican Equity were published. These issues are not priced to bounce based on the underlying nature of these companies. Stanley Motta is a real estate play that will provide income that is better than most fixed interest securities with growth moderate going forward, while Mayberry is a close end mutual fund that growth is going to depend of appreciation in the investments held or to be acquired.
Radio Jamaica that came for increased buying in the past week could get more attention with the network broadcasting the popular world cup matches as adverting revenues should climb as a result from the coverage. Others worth watching include Caribbean Cement, Berger Paints with little selling, Grace Kennedy for which there is also limited supply and Pulse Investments that traded a large volume on Wednesday and Thursday with the price shooting to $2.28 before pulling back on Friday. In the Junior market, demand for Derrimon Trading closed the week at a new high, during the past week and seems poised to move higher. Stationery and Office Supplies settled down during the week is set to rebound soon as selling around the $8 level starts to ease. Jamaican Teas pulled back in the past week to $5.50 but with limited stocks being offered for sale, it is worth watching.
The shares of both, traded higher than the Initial Public Issue price. Sygnus US dollar listing remains above the IPO price while the Jamaican dollar denominated stock is trading below the IPO price.
PanJam Investment could move higher this week as there continue to be very limited supply of the stock on offer. Radio Jamaica could come in for increased attention with the network broadcasting the popular world cup matches as adverting revenues should climb as a result from the coverage. Others worth watching include 
At the close of market activity 6,395,222 units valued at $50,487,361 traded compared to 3,061,341 units valued at over $40,934,808 changed hands, on Monday.
For the month to date 195,519 units traded with an average value of $6,383,337 and on the previous day 203,633 units traded with an average value of $6,596,529 on average. May closed with an average of 589,414 shares with a value of $16,532.367, for each security traded.
The junior market broke through a declining resistance line during the early part of the week but retreated by week end. Technical indicators are pointing to a strong upward movement, with a golden cross approaching, with the long term moving average line set to cross over the medium and short term lines not too far away.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 44 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 41 percent to the market.
Grace Kennedy rose 50 cents and ended trading at $50, with 200,174 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers price shot up $1.20 to $22.80, with 1,005,810 stock units, Jamaica Producers finished trading at $16.85, with 5,103 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 20 cents and closed at $7.30, with 130,656 shares, JMMB Group rose 25 cents and ended at $28.25, with 30,882 shares. Kingston Wharves finished at $46.50, with 16,762 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed $1 and ended trading at $98, with an exchange of 5,014,800 shares, PanJam Investment closed 50 cents higher at $51.50, with 9,211 stock units, Pulse Investments concluded trading at $1.60, with 94,707 shares. Radio Jamaica fell 2 cents and finished at $1.08, with 325,049 shares, Sagicor Group rose 20 cents to $39.20, with 153,834 shares trading, Sagicor Real Estate Fund settled at $13.80, exchanging 7,266 shares, Scotia Group lost 35 cents and closed trading at $51.15, with 53,180 units,
Seprod finished trading with a rise of $1 to $36, with 272 shares. Supreme Ventures rose $1.50 and ended at $15, with 2,317,772 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments concluded trading at $4, with 583,930 stock units and Wisynco Group climbed 25 cents and finished at $10, with 136,809 units.
The forecast is not enough to keep it in the Top 10 but it remains a solid buy, just below. Replacing 
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 44 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 41 percent to the market. Investors should keep an eye out for 
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.
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.