JSE Main market showing next major resistance around the 360,000 point level on the al Jamaica Index
The current state of the Jamaican stock market in one of contrast with the main market hitting 5 days of record close and with gains of 40 percent for the year to date and Junior Market that was up 31 percent in May is now up just 14 percent.
With stability present in the forex market for the Jamaican dollar, lower interest rates being paid on money market funds and with business confidence at record high levels, funds are now moving into the main market stocks with less interest being shown in the Junior Market.
Prices in the US dollar market have come off, after the index was up 63 percent at 268.73 points in February, up from 164.50 at the start of the year, but it is only up 12 percent now with the index at 184.86 points at the close of trading on Friday.
Jamaica Main market stocks itching to break out of channel that stretches back to 2014
The Junior Market was driven up by excessive buying that drove a number of the stocks to excessive valuations which the market has been correcting for, resulting in the sharp pull back from the all-time high, even then there are some that are still overvalued based on the average valuation of other stocks. The market still has several undervalued stocks but the focus on the bigger and more liquid main market is sucking some energy from the junior ones.
Based on estimated 2017 earnings, the average PE of the junior and main markets are just over 13 times earnings. The main market has more than half of the market trading below this level. Included in the list are Berger Paints with a PE of just 5, Caribbean Cement at 6, Jamaica Broilers 7, JMMB Group at 8, Grace Kennedy, NCB Financial and Sagicor Group at 10. The market has Jamaica Producers selling at 32 times 2017 earnings and Kingston Wharves at 27 times earnings with Kingston Properties at a rich 36 times and are clearly overvalued currently. Jamaica Stock Exchange and 138 Student Living at 22 are well ahead of the market average.
Junior Market under pressure, testing support around 2,900 points.
In the Junior Market Medical Disposables is priced at 6 times earnings, General Accident 6, Caribbean Producers 7, Stationery and Office Supplies, Caribbean Cream and Main Event at 10. Just under half of Junior Market stocks are trading blow the market average with about 25 percent well above the average.
Technical reading| The main market broke through major resistance for the second time since September at 290,000 points, that has its genesis in 1992 and connecting in 2005. The market faces some short term resistance around 300,000 points which should be broken through before long ahead of moving to the next sort term resistance around 360,000 points with 505,000 on the all Jamaica Index, the next big stop. The market has been trading in a distinct upward sloping channel from mid-2014 until now and seems set to break out and move higher.
The Junior Market chart is a big contrast to that of the main market.
Wigton Wind farm should list on the JSE main market in early 2017 with a large capitalization
While the latter is clearly heading higher with new highs being created, the Junior Market index is flashing negative signals. The market has formed a head and shoulder pattern which is a negative signal and the short term 45 days moving average has broken through both the medium term 200 days moving average and longer term moving averages. The market has broken through the channel that it has been trading in since late 2015. There appear to be support around the 2,900 points level but it could go down to 2,800 points where the next support is and it will left to be seen 2,900 points will be the floor ahead of third quarter results that could change the course of the movement.
With just over 2 months for the year to end investors should start to have an eye open for major factors that could make big differences to earnings in 2018 when making investment assessment now. Some of these are, more reduction in interest rates, continued strong foreign exchange growth, low inflation, increased construction activity, increased activity in the tourism sector and of course the potential for several new listings to come to market between now and then. IC Insider.com is aware of 8 such potential listings. The list include, Wigton Wind Farm, Jamaica Public Service as a result of Government of Jamaica’s planned sale of its 20 percent share in the company, Neveast Stationery, KIW International, a relatively new business in Montego Bay and a large manufacturing business, operating out of St Catherine.
All indications suggest that very few shareholders will take up the offer when it closes at the end of Monday.
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at a new record high 
In the market activity, volume and prices quoted are amounts traded for the day at the last trading price. In the main activity, Cable & Wireless ended trading 1 cent higher at $1, with 640,469 stock units, Caribbean Cement dropped $2.59 to $26.01, with just 400 units, Carreras traded 542,284 shares, to close at $12. Grace Kennedy fell 45 cents to end at $43, with 49,438 shares, Jamaica Broilers traded 49 cents higher at $18.99, with 6,020 stock units. Jamaica Producers settled with a loss of $1 at $15, with 93,586 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded with a loss of 20 cents at $7.60, with 1,739 stock units, JMMB Group closed $2.50 higher at a record close of $25, with 371,074 shares. Kingston Properties traded with a loss of 20 cents at $7.20, with 1,400 stock units, 
Kingston Wharves concluded trading at $31.50, with 4,080 units. 1834 Investments concluded trading at $1.38, with 1,843 shares, PanJam Investment settled $2.15 higher at $44, with 5,905 stock units, Radio Jamaica settled at $1.15, with 2,500 shares, Sagicor Group settled 3 cents higher at $34.53, with 23,475 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $13.08, with 300 units changing hands. Salada Foods finished at $8.50, with 10,000 stock units, Scotia Group ended trading $1.98 higher at $50.98, with 185,115 stock units, Seprod traded $1.95 higher at $30, with 13,026 shares and Supreme Ventures ended with a loss of $1 at $11, with 1,783,545 shares.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at a new record closing high on Thursday the fourth consecutive record close as the 
Trading ended on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday with just 23 securities trading leading to the prices of 9 advancing and 11 declining as the market finished at a record closing high. 
Barita Investments ended trading with a loss of 24 cents at $7.76, with 2,150 units changing hands, Berger Paints lost 45 cents at $11.25, with 77,437 shares, Cable & Wireless ended with a loss of 6 cents at $0.99, with 2,312,610 stocks units trading, Caribbean Cement finished 60 cents higher at $28.60, with 3,500 units, Carreras finished with a loss of 60 cents at $12, with 787,049 shares trading. Grace Kennedy closed at $43.45, with 6,516 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 30 cents at $18.50, with 35,182 units, Jamaica Producers gained 95 cents to end at $16, with 14,581 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a loss of 19 cents at $7.80, with 5,832 stock units, JMMB Group ended trading with a loss of 20 cents at $22.50, with 264,042 stock units changing hands, Kingston Wharves ended trading at $31.50, with just 100 stock units, 
Mayberry Investments finished 89 cents higher at $4.99, with 209,716 shares, 138 Student Living ended 60 cents higher at $5.40, with 10,000 stock units, PanJam Investment traded with a loss of $1.20 at $41.85, with 7,370 units, Pulse Investments closed 17 cents higher at $1.82, with 26,600 shares trading. Radio Jamaica closed 4 cents higher at $1.15, with 77,200 stock units, Sagicor Group ended with a loss of 3 cents at $34.50, trading 24,279 stock units, Scotia Group closed at $49, trading 4,559 units, Seprod ended with a loss of $1.95 at $28.05, with 1,594 shares. Sterling Investments finished 20 cents higher at $12.25, with 2,486 stock units, Supreme Ventures ended trading $1 higher at $12, with 319,536 shares and in the main market preference segment, JMMB Group settled with a loss of 4 cents at $1.15, with 9,853 units changing hands.
Grace Kennedy closed 45 cents higher at $43.45, with 170,391 stock units, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading 30 cents higher at $18.80, with 19,831 shares, Jamaica Producers ended trading with a loss of 45 cents at $15.05, with 25,823 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 1 cent at $7.99, with 17,681 shares. JMMB Group closed with a loss of 30 cents at $22.70, with 46,302 stock units trading, Kingston Wharves closed 50 cents higher at $31.50, with 1,177 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 70 cents at $4.10, with 35,723 shares changing hands, 1834 Investments ended at $1.38, with 5,000 stock units trading, 
PanJam Investment traded 55 cents higher at $43.05, with 36,636 shares, Portland JSX concluded trading with a loss of 28 cents at $9, with 10,000 units, Pulse Investments traded 25 cents higher at $1.65, with 25,236 units, Radio Jamaica ended trading with a loss of 4 cents at $1.11, with 17,206 stock units, Sagicor Group finished at $34.53, with 222,778 shares trading. Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished with a loss of 72 cents at $13.08, with 76,479,720 units, Scotia Group settled $2.90 higher at $49, with 57,385 units, Seprod closed at $30, with 31,820 shares, 
Caribbean Cement rose $1.2 to $28.50, with 17,475 shares, Carreras surged $1.35 to a new 52 weeks high of $13.50, with 544,289 stocks units, Grace Kennedy ended at $43, trading 1,307,292 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed with a loss of 10 cents at $18.50, with 961,908 stocks units traded. Jamaica Producers concluded trading at $15.50, with 313,406 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange settled 50 cents higher at $8, with 104,300 shares, JMMB Group traded with a gain of 75 cents at $23, with 55,994 units, Kingston Wharves ended with a loss of $1 at $31, with 177,500 stocks units, NCB Financial had 166,223 shares changing hands after falling $1.40 to end at $86.60. The remanent of former Gleaner Company, 1834 Investments ended with a loss of 2 cents at $1.38, with 1,000 units changing hands, PanJam ended $1.50 higher at $42.50, with 350,918 units, Portland JSX concluded trading with a loss of 2 cents at $9.28, with 16,570 units. 
Proven Investments traded 541,000 units and rose 4 cents at $25.05, Pulse Investments concluded trading with a loss of 30 cents at $1.40, with 52,264 units, Radio Jamaica finished 4 cents higher at $1.15, with 294,243 stocks units, Sagicor Group ended trading at $34.53, with 7,095,313 units, Sagicor Real Estate X Fund rose 30 cents to $13.80, with 1,200 units, Scotia Group finished with a loss of $1.90 at $46.10, with 772,000 units, Seprod settled at $30, with 2,785 shares, Sterling Investments concluded trading 5 cents higher at $12.05, with 201,700 stocks units and Supreme Ventures concluded trading 30 cents higher at $10.81, with 123,652 stocks units.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange made strong gains in the indices at the close of the week and for September, leading to gains of 37 percent for the year to date. 
Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of $1.20 at $27.30, with 126,250 stock units, Carreras closed with a loss of 35 cents at $12.15, with 376,643 shares, Grace Kennedy ended 40 cents higher at $43, with 88,357 units, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading 60 cents higher at $18.60, with 64,504 units, Jamaica Producers ended 40 cents higher at $15.50, with 1,574,959 stock units changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a rise of 50 cents at $7.50, with 115,657 shares, JMMB Group traded with a loss of 11 cents at $22.25, with 495,589 stock units trading, Kingston Properties gained 40 cents to $7.40, with 5,000 units, Kingston Wharves concluded trading with a loss of 1 cent at $32, with 19,250 stock units, Mayberry Investments settled 70 cents higher at $4.80, with 204,020 shares, 
NCB Financial Group had 542,955 shares changing hands after rising $1.20 to end at $88. 138 Student Living settled 5 cents higher at $4.80, with 200 stock units, PanJam Investment finished at $41, with 34,989 shares, Portland JSX traded 5 cents higher at $9.30, with 6,385 shares, Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.11, with 421,563 stock units. Sagicor Group ended 48 cents higher at $34.53, with 233,535 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed with a loss of 30 cents at $13.50, with 43,815 units, Salada Foods concluded trading at $8.50, with 7,400 shares, Scotia Group jumped $2.89 to $48, with 46,200 stock units, Seprod settled with a loss of $1 at $30, with 3,000 stock units and Supreme Ventures closed with a loss of 30 cents at $10.51, with 9,900 shares trading.
PanJam Investment traded $5.09 higher at $41, with 38,430 shares, Radio Jamaica ended at $1.12, with 319,721 stock units, Sagicor Group ended with a loss of 20 cents at $34.05, trading 35,641 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading $1.75 higher at $13.80, with 57,493 shares, Salada Foods traded 50 cents higher at $8.50, with 10,250 units. Scotia Group rose 10 cents to $45.11, with 1,117,306 shares, Seprod closed $1 higher at $31, with 23,889 shares and Supreme Ventures ended trading with a loss of 29 cents at $10.81, with 7,384 units.