Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed sharply higher on Tuesday following the significant fall on Monday as investors traded six times the number of shares that traded on Monday, leading the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index (AJI) to jump 8,491.49 points to 420,735.55.
The market enjoyed a sharp rise in the prices of Barita Investments, up by $3.70, Jamaica Broilers rising $2.10, Kingston Wharves climbing $4.20, Palace Amusement gaining $10, Sagicor Group added $4.97 and Wisynco Group with a rise of $1.98. NCB Financial lost $2.90, PanJam Investments shed $5 and Scotia Group lost $1.60.
The AJI closed the month just over 100 points lower than at the close in May, the Main Index rose 7,767.06 points to 383,755.80 and the JSE Financial Index rose 2.30 points to settle at 99.71. The average PE Ratio of the Main Market ended at 15.6 based on IC Insider.com forecasted 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands with the prices of 23 stocks rising, 11 declining and three closing unchanged. The market closed with an exchange of 68,236,614 shares accounting for $488,624,865 compared to 11,612,843 units at $70,094,309 on Monday.
At the close, Mayberry Jamaican Equities surge to the top of the market, with 50 million shares trading for 73 percent of total volume followed by Pulse Investments with 10.3 million units for 15 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 2.6 million units for 3.8 percent market share. 
Other securities trading a million units or more are Carreras with 1.1 million units and Wigton Windfarm with 1 million shares.
The average trade for Tuesday ended at 1,586,898 units at $11,363,369 in contrast to an average of 263,928 valued at $1,593,052 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 818,748 units valued at $7,498,308 in contrast to 782,169, units at $7,295,380. May closed with an average of 475,543 shares at $3,077,280 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the Main market shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments gained $3.70 to end at $61 in trading 33,061 shares, Eppley rose 60 cents in ending at $16.50, with investor swapping 15,000 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dropped $1 ending at $42 trading 17,030 units. Jamaica Broilers Group advanced by $2.10 to $29, with 45,706 shares changing hands, JMMB Group added 30 cents to settle at $32.30, with 20,404 stock unit crossing the market, Kingston Properties climbed 50 cents closing at $7.50 trading 786 units. Kingston Wharves gained $4.20 in closing at $57.20 in an exchange of 7,286 shares, 
Mayberry Investments gained 35 cents to settle at $6, after investors transferred 10,171 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities picked up 40 cents, in ending at $10 with an exchange of 50,040,562 shares. NCB Financial Group declined by $2.90 to close at $136, with 42,866 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement advanced by $10, to $1,850 with an exchange of just two units, PanJam Investment declined by $5 to settle at $70 having 11,901 units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments rose $1 to end at $35.50 with a transfer of 8,998 stock units, Sagicor Group climbed $4.97 to close at $51, after exchanging 111,028 shares. Scotia Group shed $1.60 to close at $45.40 trading 43,845 shares and Wisynco Group jumped $1.98 to close at $19.50 with 475,698 units passing through the market.
Productive Business Solutions 9.75% Preference shares increased $6.99 to close at $107, having swapped just one stock unit.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Sharp fall ahead of month-end
Investors pushed the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange down one day ahead of the month-end with the trading levels being less than half of Friday’s volume, with just 11,614,743 shares trading for $70,135,159 compared to 27,345,784 units at $96,729,414 on Friday.
At the close of market activities on Monday, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 4,523.57 points to 412,244.06, the JSE Market Index dived 4,167.69 to end at 375,988.74 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.97 points to settle at 97.41.
Trading in the Main Market ended with 44 securities changing hands with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 23 declining and seven closing unchanged and the average PE Ratio of the Market ended at 15.4 based on IC Insider.com’s forecasted 2020-21 earnings.
Pulse Investments led trading with 3.27 million shares for 28 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 2.5 million units for 21.6 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 1.44 million units for 12.4 percent market share. Sagicor Select Financial Fund was the only other stock to trade more than a million shares and ended with 1.4 million units changing hands.
The average trade on Monday ended at 263,928 units at 1,593,052 in contrast to an average of 701,174 at $2,480,241 on Friday. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 782,169, units at $7,295,380 in contrast to 808,713 units at $7,227,394 previously. May closed with an average of 475,543 shares at $3,077,280 for each security traded. IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the Main market shows 14 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments jumped $3.45 to end at $57.30 in the transfer of 179,856 shares, Berger climbed 60 cents to finish at $14, exchanging 6,500 units. Eppley declined by $2.06 to end at $15.90 with 3,150 shares changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose 45 cents to close at $43 with a transfer of 2,669 stock units, First Rock Capital lost 60 cents to settle at $14.50 in trading 6,459 units. Jamaica Broilers declined by $2.10 to finish at $26.90 after the exchange of 17,607 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange advanced $1.58 to close at $21.88 with investors swapping 145,804 stock units, JMMB Group shed 99 cents to close at $32 while exchanging 160,743 shares. Kingston Properties advanced 30 cents to end at $7 with investors having transferred 1,582 shares, Kingston Wharves dropped $3 to close at $53 in trading 18,622 shares, Mayberry Investments declined 34 cents to $5.65 with 59,529 units changing hands. 
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $1 to settle at $169, trading 200 units, NCB Financial Group lost $1.09 to close at $138.90 in the transfer of 119,505 shares, 138 Student Living climbed 42 cents to settle at $6.72 in trading just one stock unit, Palace Amusement jumped $240 to settle at $1,840 with an exchange of 25 units. PanJam Investment climbed $2 in ending at $75 with 6,582 stock units traded, Proven Investments increased $1.50 to $34.50 in the exchange of 560 stock units, Sagicor Group shed 97 cents to settle at $46.03 with the transfer of 66,782 units. Salada Foods rose 90 cents to end at $29.90, exchanging 20 shares, Scotia Group eased by 35 cents in closing at $47 in trading 10,164 stock units and Wisynco Group shed $1.18 to end at $17.52 with 130,643 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Steady going for IC Top 10 stocks
The Main Market put in a positive performance this past week, with the market index rising over 5,000 points, at the same time, the Junior Market bob and weaved its way to a minor loss for the week, resulting in changes to the TOP 10 lists.
The market move resulted in just two changes to the IC Insider.com TOP 10 weekly lists as the Main Market recovered almost all of the losses in the previous two weeks of 3,784 points a week ago and just under 2,000 points in the week before.
For the Junior Market TOP 10, Medical Disposables returns to the ten, after just a week’s absence, replacing General Accident that rose in the week.
This week’s focus: General Accident enjoyed increased buying interest this past week, following the announcement from the company that they acquired an additional ten percent of the issued shares of MotorOne insurance company in Trinidad, taking their holdings to 65 percent. Also, the brokerage house, Mayberry Investments, upgraded the company’s earnings to 70 cents per share for this year, from 60 cents, previously and have a buy recommendation on the stock. 
IC Insider.com’s forecast is 85 cents per share for the current year. The stock closed on Friday at $6, up from $5.51 last week and traded over $8, last year, October. It now sits just below the Top 10 stocks, with the potential to reach $15 within the next nine months.
The top three Junior Market stocks, this week, with the potential to gain between 305 to 712 percent by March 2021 are Caribbean Producers, followed by Lasco Financial and Caribbean Cream, with the price dropping from $2.85 to $2.47. In the Main Market, the top three stocks continue to be Radio Jamaica continues to lead, followed by Berger Paints and JMMB Group with expected gains of 173 to 205 percent.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after the second quarter of 2020, up to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.2 and the Junior Market at just 10.6, based on 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.6 at 53 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.8 or 58 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 291 percent, for the Junior Market and 136 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is the potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver some of the best returns up to March 2021. Gains for each company are based on the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year.
The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. The classification of the securities is in order of likely increases, with the most attractive highest ranked first. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Main Market ends week with gains
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market was below normal levels, on Friday, with investors pushing several stock prices higher, leading the market indices to carve out modest gains, with the All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 5,100 points for the week and recovered the 4,100 points loss of the previous week.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,009.48 points to 416,767.63 and the Main Market Index advanced 912.88 points to 380,156.43. The JSE Financial Index closed unchanged at 98.38 points.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands, compared to 42 on Thursday and the market closed, with the prices of 24 stocks rising, seven declining and eight closing unchanged. The market closed, with an exchange of 27,345,784 shares accounting for $96,729,414 compared to 13,491,484 units at $103,617,587 on Thursday.
The leading trades for the day were, Transjamaican Highway, with 16.10 million shares for 59 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 4.32 million units for 16 percent of the day’s tradings and Pulse Investments with 3.52 million units for 13 percent market share.
Supreme Ventures was the only other stock trading, to exceed a million units, and it ended with 1.3 million units changing hands.
The average trade for the day ended at 701,174 units at $2,480,241 in contrast to an average of 321,226 units valued at $2,467,085 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 808,713 units valued at $7,227,394, in contrast to 813,827 units at $7,200,572.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the Main market shows 14 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers. The average PE ratio of the Main Market ended at 15.4 based on IC Insider.com’s forecasted 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments climbed $2.35 to end at $53.85, with the swapping of 51,334 units, Berger Paints rose $1.20 to settle at $13.40 in trading 5,101 units, First Rock Capital gained 30 cents in closing at $15.10 with 6,450 stock units crossing the exchange. GraceKennedy climbed 49 cents after closing at $57.99 and trading 3,773 stock units, 
Jamaica Broilers rose $1 to $29 with a transfer of 870 shares, Jamaica Producers gained $1 to settle at $25 in trading 36,130 units. Mayberry Investments advanced 34 cents to $5.99 with 10,090 stock units changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 50 cents to settle at $9.50 in exchanging 427 shares, NCB Financial lost $1.20 to end at $139.99 in trading 33,259 stock units. Scotia Group climbed $3.70 to end at $47.35 in the swapping of 3,767 units, Seprod rose $1.80 in ending at $53 and exchanging 26,888 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments declined 45 cents to settle at $7.45 with 296,346 stock units changing hands and Wisynco Group advanced by 47 cents to end at $18.70 with 52,410 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
JSE Main Market squeezes out gains
Investors pushed the majority of stocks trading on the Main Market Jamaica Stock Exchange, down on Thursday with the market indices squeezing out meager gains at the close on a day when trading volume declined sharply from Wednesday’s high volume trading.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 219.97 points to 415,758.15, the JSE Market Index rose 199.13 points to 379,243.55 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.17 points to close at 98.38. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15, while the Main Market ended at 15.5 times ICInsider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 12 stocks advancing, 23 declining and 12 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities accounting for 13,491,484 units at $103,617,587, in contrast to 359,330,187 units for $1,020,073,564 from 43 securities on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 4.4 million shares for 32.5 percent of total volume followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 3.5 million units for 26.3 percent of the day’s trade and JMMB Group with 1.1 million units for 8.3 percent market share.
An average of 321,225 shares traded at $2,467,085, for each security on Thursday, in contrast to 8,356,516 units at an average of $23,722,641 on Wednesday. 
The average volume for the month to date ended at 813,827 units at $7,465,362 for each security changing hands, compared to 840,420 units with an average value of $7,750,590. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows fifteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments advanced $1.10 to close at $51.50, in exchanging 165,319 shares, Berger Paints fell by $1.30 to end at $12.20, having swapped 3,936 units, Caribbean Cement dropped $1.47 to $49.50 trading 13,761 stock units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $1.42 and ending at $42.55 exchanging 100 shares, Grace Kennedy shed 50 cents to close at $57.50, with the transfer of 54,856 shares, Jamaica Broilers declined by $1.74 to $28 in the swapping of 28,443 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $20.10, having lost $1.87 and trading 10,420 units, JMMB Group shed 32 cents to settle at $33.01, with 1,082,918 shares changing hands, Key Insurance gained 45 cents after closing at $4.95 in swapping 20,000 shares, Kingston Wharves fell $1.48 to finish at $56.01 trading 5,353 units. 
Mayberry Investments closed 35 cents lower at $5.65 exchanging 220 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities settled at $10, with a loss of 50 cents in transferring 104,953 shares. NCB Financial Group ended at $141.19, after losing $1.81 and exchanging 34,458 stock units, 138 Student Living lost 41 cents to close at $6.31, with 503 units changing hands. Pan Jam Investment declined by $2.20 to end at $73, having swapped 9,414 stock units, Sagicor Group climbed $1 to $47, with 133,260 shares crossing the market, Salada Foods fell by $1 to settle at $29, after 2,216 units crossed the exchange. Scotia Group finished $3.85 lower at $43.65, with a transfer of 53,399 shares, Seprod dropped $1.80 trading7,154 units and closed at $51.20, Victoria Mutual Investments gained 30 cents, ending at $7.90 with an exchange of 219,564 shares and Wisynco Group picked up 66 cents trading940,749 shares to end at $18.23.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Pulse Investments carved out 97% of trading
Pulse Investments traded 347 million shares on Wednesday to be the volume leader for two consecutive days.
Pulse Investments commanded 97 percent of total volume traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, as 347.3 million shares passed through the market. So dominant was the top trade that the next largest accounted for 1.8 percent of stocks traded as Wigton Windfarm had 6.3 million units changing hands followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 2.3 million units for 0.6 percent market share.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,954.72 points to close at 415,538.18, the JSE Market Index climbed 3,581.93 points to 379,044.42 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.24 points to finish at 98.21. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15, while the Main Market ended at 15.5 times ICInsider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 46 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 22 stocks advancing, 11 declining and 13 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 43 securities accounting for 359,330,187 units at $1,020,073,564, in contrast to 23,658,315 units for $370,631,204 from 38 securities on Tuesday.
The average security trading on Tuesday amounted to 8,356,516 units at $23,722,641, in contrast to 622,587 units at an average of $9,753,453 on Tuesday. For the month to date, an average of 840,420 units traded at $7,750,590 for each security, compared to 400,703 units with an average of $6,759,539. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows thirteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks closing with lower offers.
At the end of the market, Berger Paints gains of 50 cents to close at $13.50, with a transfer of 150 shares, Caribbean Cement climbed $1.07 to $50.97 trading 16,104 stock units, First Rock Capital shed 40 cents to finish at $14.80, in exchanging 17,631 units. Jamaica Broilers gained $1.14 to end at $29.74 after investors swapped 29,292 stock units, Jamaica Producers settled at $21.97, with a rise of $1.27 in transferring 12,387 units, JMMB Group picked up 33 cents trading 131,426 shares and closed at $33.33. 
Key Insurance rose 50 cents to $4.50, with 200 units changing hands, Kingston Wharves advanced $1.31 to $57.49, in trading 4,056 tock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed $1.30 to $10.50 after 52,656 shares changed hands. NCB Financial Group closed $2 higher at $143, with 27,698 units crossing the exchange, Palace Amusement lost $300 to ended at $1,600, after investors transferred 304 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1.20 to $46, in swapping 11,182 units. Salada Foods added $1 to close at $30 trading 400 shares, Scotia Group advanced by $5 to $47.50, with an exchange of 651,703 units and Wisynco Group shed 43 cents to end at $17.57, with 84,048 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
JSE Main Market stocks plunge
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange gave up all of Monday’s gains and a bit more at the close on trading on Monday, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index carving out a loss of 3,468.25 points to end at 411,583.46, the JSE Market Index dropped 3,134.54 points to 375,462.49.
Kingsley Cooper Chairman of Pulse Investments that led trading on Tuesday with most shares.
The JSE Financial Index lost 1.12 points to 96.97 and the PE ratio of the combined US dollar and Main Market ended at 14.9, while the Main Market ended at 15.3 times ICInsider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 44 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 14 stocks advancing, 24 declining and 6 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 38 securities accounting for 23,658,315 units valued at $370,631,204, in contrast to 5,583,023 units valued at $31,456,051 from 44 securities on Monday.
Pulse Investments led trading with 6 million shares for 25 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 5.6 million units for 23.6 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Group with 5.4 million units for 22.8 percent of the market’s volume. JMMB Group was the only other stock to exceed a million shares and ended with 2.2 million units changing hands.
An average of 622,587 shares traded on Tuesday at $9,753,453 for each security, in contrast to 126,887 units at an average of $714,910 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date ends 400,703 units at $6,759,539 for each security changing hands, compared to 388,606 units with an average of $6,585,846. 
Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows fifteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement gained 30 cents to close at $49.90, in trading 3,698 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced by $2.22 to $43.97, with an exchange of 2,000 units, Jamaica Producers ended $1.71 lower at $20.70, in transferring 192,127 shares. Jamaica Stock Exchange picked up 40 cents swapping 19,725 stock units to end at $23.89, JMMB Group shed 50 cents to finish at $33, with 2,167,140 shares changing hands, Key Insurance fell by $1 trading 120,262 shares and settled at $4. Kingston Wharves ended at $56.18, with a loss of $1.30 transferring 257 units, 
Mayberry Jamaican Investments lost 60 cents swapping 85,440 shares to close at $9.20, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined by $4 to $170, in exchange of 287 units. NCB Financial Group fell to $141, after losing $2.70 trading 52,823 stock units, Proven Investments closed $1 lower at $33, with a transfer of 45,593 stock units, Sagicor Group ended at $44.80, with a loss of $1.70 swapping 5,391,323 shares. Salada Foods gained 50 cents to close at $29, after exchanging 4,788 units, Scotia Group traded 205,805 shares at $42.50, having lost 80 cents and Sterling Investments picked up 30 cents, ending the day’s trade at $2.45 transferring 10,300 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
JSE Main Market jumps on Monday
In a paltry trading session on Monday, just $31 million was spent on Main Market stocks listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. The market Index recovered back more than 3,000 of the 7,000 plus points lost on Friday as the volume of stocks trading, fell to less than half of Friday’s activity.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 3,388.85 points to close at 415,051.71, the JSE Market Index advanced 3,133.74 points to 378,597.03 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.92 points to 98.09. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15, while the Main Market finished at 15.4 times ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets, with prices of 25 stocks advancing, 15 declining and seven securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 44 securities accounting for 5,583,023 units valued at a mere $31,456,051, in contrast to 11,604,958 units at $94,333,066 from 39 securities on Friday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 2.76 million shares for 49.4 percent of total volume followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 1.05 million units for 19 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 373,033 units for 6.7 percent market share.
An average of 126,887 securities traded on Monday for $714,910, in contrast to 297,563 units at an average of $2,418,797 on Friday. An average of 388,606 units crossed the exchange for the month to date at $6,585,846 for each security changing hands, compared to 406,241 units with an average of $7,008,631. 
The average security traded in May accounted for 475,543 units at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows fourteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments gained 30 cents to close at $50.30 trading 14,424 units, Berger Paints picked up 89 cents and ended at $13, after exchanging 1,010 units, Caribbean Cement finished $1.37 lower at $49.60, after a swap of 19,819 stock units. Eppley climbed $1.07 to $17.97 trading 370 units, Jamaica Broilers shed 48 cents to settle at $28.50, with 8,744 units changing hands, Jamaica Producers rose $1.41 to close at $22.41, in transferring 1,000 units. The Jamaica Stock Exchange stock traded 23,358 stock units at $23.49, after gaining 39 cents, 
Kingston Properties rose 40 cents to end at $6.70, with 412 units changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed 70 cents lower at $9.80 exchanging 9,219 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy jumped by $9 to $174, with 341 units crossing the exchange, NCB Financial Group climbed $4.19 to $143.70, after investors exchanged 29,565 stock units, Proven Investments shed 50 cents to settle at $34, with 5,637 units changing hands. Sagicor Group ended with gains of 50 cents trading 12,659 units and closed at $46.50, Salada Foods declined $2 to finish at $28.50, in transferring 719 units and Wisynco Group gained 41 cents, ending trading at $17.96 with an exchange of 82,286 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior & Main Market performance gap grows
IC Insider.com TOP 10 weekly reports indicated for some time that the best buys for Jamaican stocks are in the Junior Market. Since the drop in March, the Junior Market is recovering at a faster pace than the Main Market and the trend continues.
Following on from last week when the Junior Main Market rose four out of five trading days, the market rose three days this past week with Thursdays decline being a mere seven points and the market rising 12 points for the week.
The Main Market lost just under 2,000 points last week and lost 3,784 points this week, thus widening the performance gap between this market and the Junior Market, for the year to date.
For the Junior Market TOP 10, Elite Diagnostic price dropped from $4.17 last week to $3.81 and moved back into TOP 10, replacing Medical Disposables that inched up to $6.95 from $6.69 last week. There was no change to the TOP 10 Main Market, this past week.
The past week closed with the three top Junior Market stocks with the potential to gain between 254 to 698 percent by March 2021 are Caribbean Producers, followed by Lasco Financial and Caribbean Cream that took over from Lumber Depot that was number three last week. In the Main Market, the top three continues to be Radio Jamaica continues to lead, followed by Berger Paints and JMMB Group with expected gains of 170 to 230 percent.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after the second quarter of 2020 up to the second quarter in 2021. 
Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14.3 and the Junior Market at just 9.6, based on 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.7 at just 59 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.6 or 60 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 283 percent, for the Junior Market and 140 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is the potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver some of the best returns up to March 2021. The expected gain for each stock is based on earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. 
The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Sharp fall for JSE Main Market
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped sharply at the close on Friday as the volume and value traded contracted from the previous two days as heavyweight Scotia Group dropped $3.41 and was one of 14 stocks falling on the market.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived 7,074.36 points to 411,662.86, the JSE Market Index dropped 6,402.83 points up to 375,463.29 and the JSE Financial Index lost 2.57 points to 97.17.
The day’s activities saw 39 securities changing hands in the Main Market compared to 41 on Thursday and 42 in the combined Main and US dollar markets and ended with the prices of 13 rising 14 declining and 15 closing unchanged. The average PE ratio of the overall market stood at 14.9, while the Main Market ended at 15.3 based on IC Insider.com 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 11,604,958 shares for $94,333,066, compared to 13,973,559 units at $676,293,640 on Thursday.
At the close of trading, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share led the market with 4 million shares for 34 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.9 million shares for 25 percent of the day’s trade and Victoria Mutual Investments with 1.05 million units for 9 percent market share.
The average trade of the day was 297,563 units at $2,418,797 in contrast to an average of 340,819 units at $16,494,967 on Thursday. 
The average volume and value traded for the month to date amount to 406,241 units at $7,008,631, in contrast to an average of 413,144 units at $7,321,574. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units at $3,077,280 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Berger Paints shed 34 cents to close at $12.11 after the swapping of 2,000 stock units, Caribbean Cement rose 97 cents to end at $50.97 trading 7,584 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced by 65 cents to end at $41.75 with an exchange of 3,310 stock units, Jamaica Broilers lost 56 cents to end at $28.98 in transacting the trading of 11,322 units. Jamaica Producers climbed 60 cents to close at $23.10 with an exchange of 19,581 shares. 
JMMB Group dropped by 70 cents after ending at $33.30, with 57,156 shares changing hands, Kingston Wharves rose $1.27 to end at $57.27 in trading 616 units, Mayberry Investments advanced 35 cents in ending at $6 after swapping 128,733 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed 90 cents to settle at $10.50 trading 110,500 units, NCB Financial Group lost 52 cents to end at $139.51 trading 158,913 units, Pan Jam Investment advanced by $2 to settle at $75 with 432,418 stock units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments dropped $1.35 to end at $34.50 with a transfer of 22,266 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1 to $46 after exchanging 27,292 stock units, Salada Foods gained 50 cents in closing at $30.50 trading 7,383 shares and Scotia Group shed $3.41 to close at $43.08 exchanging 112,216 stock units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living Preference share dropped 69 cents in ending at $5.20, with 359 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.