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The two main markets of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, pulled back this past week as the volatility in the price of some stocks resulted in shifts in the position of some stocks in the TOP 10. Movements were not enough to change the Junior Market list, even as Caribbean Producers saw a 25 percent fall during the week with heavy volume, the stock enjoyed partial recovery by weekend.
This week’s pull back, seems to support the comment last week, “that both markets are trading close to recent resistance levels which could act as a short term restraint on upward movement.”
In the main market, decline in the prices of Seprod down to $30 and Sterling Investments to $15.50 moved them into the top list and replaced Berger Paints and Scotia Group that maintained their prices and are now some distance from the top list.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is 7.5 and 6.8 in the main market, these compare favourably with 13.7 for the main market and 13.4 for Juniors, based on 2017 estimated earnings. With several stocks trading below the average, the potential for more gains for the rest of 2017 seems positive, barring any major negative developments.
Recent TOP 10 listings remain just below the top spots with Access Financial, Jetcon Corporation, AMG Packaging, Dolphin Cove, Caribbean Cream and Blue Power sitting just below, with potential gains of more than 100 percent and in the main market, Grace Kennedy and Sagicor Group are just below the Top spots with good potential gains ahead.
The history of the Top stock performance indicates that, it takes a few months for most of the stocks to reach potential targeted prices as they tend not to be the stocks favoured by a large segment of investors, in the short term.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks now trade at an average discount of 44 percent to the Junior Market average, while those in the main market are trading at a 49 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving several stocks with room for growth in the months ahead.
At the close of the week, bid volumes for junior market stocks remained relatively low ranging from a high of 66,436 units at $5.15 for Lasco Manufacturing with an offer of 16,685 units at $5.20, Access with a bid of 35,425 at $42.50, Caribbean Producers with 34,300 units on the bid at $3.50, with 100,000 shares on offer at $3.80. Key Insurance closed with 15,213 units on the bid at $2.90 and 51,361 offered at $3.80 and Lasco Financial ended the week with a bid of $4.05 to buy 24,000 units with 47,888 units being offered for sale at $4.40.
Seprod shares dropped from $45.10 in February to $30 on Friday.
Caribbean Cement had a bid to buy 54,903 units at $28.50 and offers of 7,850 shares at $29.95. Carreras had just 1,233 units on the bid at $77 with 4,954 shares being offered at $80, JMMB Group’s has bids to buy 8,272 units at $19.80 with an offer to sell 6,224 shares at $20, Radio Jamaica bid ended trading at $1.68 to buy 883 units with 30,000 units on offer at $1.79 while Scotia Investments closed the week with 14,753 units on the bid to buy at $36.50 and 14,049 units offered for sale at $37.85. Interest in Seprod has fallen with only 250 units on the bid at $29.50 and selling of 95,352 units at $30, this is way off from the 52 weeks’ high of $45 the stock sold at late February this year.
The main market ended trading with an average of 152,336 units valued at $2,520,428 per security traded, compared to an average of 53,569 units valued at $1,427,066 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 392,814 units with an average value of $5,480,092 compared with an average of 406,174 units and $5,644,518 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7, after falling 69 cents while exchanging 351,722 shares. JMMB Group exchanged 50,672 units at $20, Kingston Properties traded 52,625 shares at $12, Kingston Wharves lost 50 cents to close at $30.50, trading 5,378 units, Mayberry Investments traded 1,900 shares at $5.30, NCB Financial Group closed at $70.99, with gains of 38 cents after exchanging 242,233 shares, 1834 Investments lost 6 cents and closed at $1.40, with 135,646 shares changing owners, 138 Student Living exchanged 15,000 shares at $4.49, PanJam Investment closed at $35.62, gaining 62 cents in trading 20,553 shares. Portland JSX gained 5 cents to close at $10.15 with an exchange of 2,416 shares, Pulse Investments traded 17,157 shares at $14.50, Radio Jamaica lost 7 cents to close at $1.65, trading 126,425 shares, Sagicor Group added 2 cents to close at $33.02 exchanging 1,021,346 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 12 cents, closing at $10.80, with 17,797 units changing hands. Salada Foods jumped $1.02 to close at $8.50 trading 10,000 shares, Scotia Group closed at $42, with an exchange of 85,543 units, Scotia Investments closed at $36.50, with a loss of $1 trading 500 shares. Seprod closed at $30 exchanging 170,000 shares, Sterling Investments closed at $15.50 trading 11,700 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 1 cent to close at $7.49 in an exchange of 211,461 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents, with 20,500 units changing hands, Proven Investments closed at 28.5 US cents, gaining 0.01 US cent in trading 35,875 ordinary shares and JMMB Group 7.50% preference closed at $1.10 with trades of 775,000 units trading.
Trading continues to show improving levels on Thursday on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with the value of trading rising for the third day in a row. The market closed with 27 securities changing hands including 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 9 st0cks advanced and 10 declined. 
The main market ended trading with an average of 53,569 units valued at $1,427,066 per security traded, compared to an average of 46,690 units valued at $1,036,264 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 406,174 units with an average value of $5,644,518 compared with an average of 426,916 units and $5,892,603 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
NCB Financial Group closed at $70.61, losing 89 cents after exchanging 43,749 shares, 1834 Investments closed at $1.46, with 75,850 shares changing owners, 138 Student Living exchanged 4,372 shares at $4.49, PanJam Investment closed at $35, with a loss of 50 cents trading 22,040 shares. Pulse Investments traded 5,000 shares at $14.50, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.72, with trades of 2,450 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33, gaining 50 cents exchanging 207,022 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $10.68, with gains of 3 cents trading 7,400 units, Scotia Group traded 10 cents lower to close at $42, with an exchange of 5,300 units, Seprod closed at $30 exchanging 6,846 shares, Sterling Investments traded $1.40 lower to close at $15.50, with trades of 10,210 shares, Supreme Ventures gained cents to close at $7.50 trading 10,106 shares. Proven Investments closed at 28.4 US cents, losing 0.1 US cent in exchanging 1,450,000 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.50% preference gained 1 cent to close at $2.06, with 231,200 changing hands and JMMB Group 7.50% preference closed at $1.10 with trades of 20,000 units.
Trading remained light on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, with stocks worth less than $29 million trading, but higher than the $12 million traded, on Friday. The main and US dollar markets closed with just 25 securities changing hands, including one trading in the US dollar market, versus 20 on Friday. At the close, 7 stocks advanced and 11 declined. 
The main market ended trading with an average of 81,974 units valued at $1,189,970 per security traded, compared to an average of 43,554 units valued at $557,668 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 450,680 units with an average value of $6,196,124 compared with an average of 518,349 units with an average value of $6,907,416 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
PanJam Investment closed at $35.61 with 2,684 shares changing hands, Pulse Investments traded 54,400 units and gained 10 cents to close at $14.50 after trading at a record high of $16.50 during the day, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.65 after falling 5 cents and trading 30,413 shares, Sagicor Group closed with a loss of $1 at $32.50 with 32,993 shares changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 29 cents and closed at $11.29, while exchanging 2,701 units, Salada Foods lost 37 cents to close at $7.48, with 8,000 units trading, Scotia Group jumped $1.30 to close at $43.30 with 91,178 units changing hands, Seprod lost 50 cents to close at $34 in trading 1,500 units, Supreme Ventures eased 1 cent to close at $7.49 trading of 44,842 shares, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 42,110 ordinary shares and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 526,200 units at $1.10.
In the main market, 
Top spots with good potential gains ahead.
The main market ended trading with an average of 86,187 units valued at $1,067,570 per security traded, compared to an average of 4,295,095 units valued at $50,020,709 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 559,541 units with an average value of $7,597,279, compare with an average of 606,876 units and $8,250,250 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
NCB Financial Group closed at $72, with a 1 cent gain after trading 130,222 shares, 1834 Investments traded 4 cents lower to close at $1.80, with an exchange of 2,089 shares, 138 Student Living traded 15,685 shares at $4.49, PanJam Investment closed at $35.55, with trades of 5,346 shares. Pulse Investments closed at $14.40, with gains of 40 cents as 11,463 shares were exchanged, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.66, losing 4 cents trading 132,912 shares, Sagicor Group gained 50 cents to close at $33.50, with trades of 17,041 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $11.05 and lost 14 cents exchanging 6,683 units, Scotia Group closed at $42, with 14,663 units changing hands, Seprod traded 25,000 shares at $35, Sterling Investments lost 15 cents to close at $16.75 with an exchange of 1,000 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 1 cent to close at $7.49, with trades of 151,466 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents with 10,821 units traded, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 8,084 ordinary shares, JMMB Group 6% US preference share closed at US$1.10 with trades of 3,800 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10, with 244,205 units changing hands.
The main market ended trading with an average of 4,295,095 units valued at an average of $50,020,709 compared to an average of 166,816 units with an average value of $2,795,160 on Monday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 538,261 units carrying an average value of $7,554,509 versus 196,730 units an average value $3,693,945 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units and $5,254,387.
Radio Jamaica closed at $1.70, gaining 5 cents trading 27,400 shares, Sagicor Group traded 90 cents lower to close at $33, with trades of 953,208 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $11.19, with gains of 19 cents exchanging 112,260,515 units, Scotia Group was down $2 to close at $42, with 987,439 units changing hands, Scotia Investments closed at $37.85, trading 200 shares, Seprod traded 3,300 shares at $35, Sterling Investments closed at $16.90 with an exchange of 22,584 shares, Supreme Ventures jumped 65 cents and closed at a record high of $7.50 exchanging 25,353 shares. Proven Investments 8.25% preference share gained 3 cents to close at $5.20 with trades of 19,200 units, Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents with 1,845 units traded, Proven Investments closed at 29 US cents trading 17,800 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.5% preference share closed at $1.82, losing 8 cents with an exchange of 178,125 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10, with 100,000 units changing hands, Proven Investments preference share jumped $1 to hit a 52 weeks high of $6.17 while trading 34,200 shares.
The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
Radio Jamaica closed at $1.65, losing 10 cents trading 78,685 shares, Sagicor Group gained 20 cents to close at $33.90, trading of 658,471 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $11 exchanging 36,714 units, Scotia Group gained $1 to close at $44, with 357,959 units changing hands, Scotia Investments closed at $37.85, with trades of 801 shares, Seprod traded 23,218 shares at $35, Sterling Investments lost 11 cents to close at $16.90 with an exchange of 9,236 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at a record high of $7.50, with gains of $1.11 exchanging 71,624 shares. Proven Investments closed at 28.1 US cents trading 8,755 ordinary shares, Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents with 1,100 units traded, JMMB Group 6% US preference share closed at US$1.11 with trades of 1,000 units, JMMB 7.5% preference share closed at $1.90, with an exchange of 8,046 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10, gaining 3 cents with 74,855 units changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
NCB Financial Group closed at $71.25, with a loss of 75 cents after trading 95,793 shares, 1834 Investments lost 1 cent to close at $1.74, with an exchange of 1,141,499 shares, PanJam Investment closed 59 cents lower at $35.01, with 545,610 shares changing hands. Pulse Investments gained $1.80 to close at an all-time high of $13.80, exchanging 47,819 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.75, gaining 5 cents trading 2,100 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.70, gaining 30 cents with 337,874 shares trading, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $11 exchanging 60,209 units, Scotia Group lost 50 cents to close at $43, with 377,024 units changing hands, Scotia Investments closed at $37.85, losing 60 cents with trades of 2,257 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.39 exchanging 149,641 shares, Proven Investments traded 16,100 ordinary shares at 29 US cents, Margaritaville Turks gained 0.08 US cents to close at 34 US cents with 272 units traded, JPS 9.5% preference share closed at $1,325, with gains of $78 exchanging 4,954 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.07, losing 3 cents with 204,000 units changing hands.