The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Trading closed on Wednesday with the market advancing 38.21 points to settle at 3,264.91, the highest close since January 10, last year as the market recorded a 23.5 percent increase since the start of 2021 and is up 61 percent since the March 2020 low.
At the close, 40 securities traded compared to 37 on Tuesday with prices of 16 stocks rising, 16 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 12.2.
Trading ended with 10,633,571 shares for $23,363,737 compared to 10,360,923 units at $25,835,350 on Tuesday.
Future Energy Source accounted for 54.2 percent of total volume, with 5.76 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot 10.1 percent with 1.08 million units and Lasco Distributors with 5.8 percent after an exchange of 616,284 units.
Trading averaged 265,839 units at $584,093 in contrast to 280,025 at $698,253 on Tuesday. Month to date trading averaged 244,242 units at $596,923, compared to 232,875 units at $603,675 on Tuesday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $2.14 to $22.20 with 200 shares changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 10 cents to end at $1.98 with an exchange of 47,143 stocks, Caribbean Cream fell 19 cents to $5.91 with a transfer of 1,400 units. Caribbean Producers rose 5 cents to $3.95 with 124,730 stock units traded, Dolphin Cove climbed 50 cents to $8 with 28,750 shares passing through the market, Everything Fresh rose 12 cents to $1.15 with 13,953 stocks changing hands. Express Catering slipped 8 cents to $4.45 with an exchange of 7,300 stock units, Fontana gained 23 cents to end at $6 with a transfer of 155,493 units, Fosrich jumped 71 cents to a record close of $8.79 with a transfer of 343,226 shares, after the price rose to a record high during trading of $9.20. In the process that stock has gained 120 percent for the year to date, to be the best performing Junior Market stock for the year so far. General Accident dropped 32 cents to $5.52 with 13,915 stocks traded, Honey Bun advanced 20 cents to $5.95 with 1,718 units passing through the market, iCreate rose 8 cents to 80 cents with 97,532 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance shed 65 cents to end at $3.05 with an exchange of 101,250 stocks, 
ISP Finance jumped $3.99 to $23.99 with a transfer of 80 units, Knutsford Express declined by 20 cents to $8.40 with 9,545 stock units passing through the market. Lasco Financial advanced 40 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.39, with 103,425 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing slipped 5 cents to $5.10 with an exchange of 101,483 stocks, Lumber Depot lost 6 cents to close at $2.66 with a transfer of 1,075,496 units. Main Event jumped 73 cents to $4.77 with 17,125 shares traded, Medical Disposables fell 13 cents to $5.35 with 2,778 stocks passing through the market, SSL Venture declined by 7 cents to 58 cents with 1 unit changing hands. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 69 cents to $5.61 with 200 stock units traded and Tropical Battery lost 5 cents to close at $1.15 with 87,376 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 41.2 percent more shares than on Monday, with 29 percent greater value than on Monday.
At the close, Blue Power gained 9 cents to end at $4.44 with an exchange of 11,084 shares, Cargo Handlers fell $1.19 to $7.51 with 100 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Cream slipped 5 cents to finish at $6.10 with 8,601 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours rose 7 cents to end at $2.30 with 22,374 shares traded, Caribbean Producers lost 5 cents to close at $3.90 with a transfer of 18,448 stocks. Dolphin Cove dropped 40 cents to $7.50 with an exchange of 17,771 units, Everything Fresh declined by 12 cents to end at $1.03, with 6,948 shares crossing the exchange. Fosrich jumped $1.08 to close at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $8.08 with 259,572 stocks changing hands. Honey Bun lost 30 cents to close at $5.75 with 22,700 units traded, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 35 cents to $3.70 in transferring 14,925 shares. ISP Finance shed $4 to settle at $20 in trading just one share, Jetcon Corporation gained 10 cents to finish at 95 cents with an exchange of 333,996 stocks. KLE Group slid 5 cents to $1.02 with 319,074 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors declined by 5 cents to finish at $3.85 with 159,829 units changing hands. Lasco Financial dropped 20 cents to $2.99 with 38,500 stocks traded after hitting a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $3.37.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 14 cents to $5.15 with a transfer of 31,906 stock units, Limners and Bards fell 8 cents to $2.72, with 6,050 shares passing through the market. Lumber Depot declined 18 cents to $2.72 with 930,413 units traded, Main Event jumped 54 cents to $4.04 with a transfer of 12,000 stock units and Medical Disposables fell 7 cents to $5.48 with 6,740 units crossing the exchange.
At the close, Access Financial fell $2.29 to $20.06 after trading 210 stocks, Caribbean Cream rose 53 cents to $6.15 with 3,178 shares crossing the exchange, Consolidated Bakeries climbed 13 cents to $1.65 in trading 800 units, Elite Diagnostic rose 6 cents to $3.12 in exchanging 2,100 stocks. Everything Fresh gained 5 cents to finish at $1.15 in switching ownership of 9,398 shares, Express Catering rose 4 cents to $4.54 in the swapping of 400 stocks, Fontana lost 15 cents to settle at $5.80 with an exchange of 122,883 shares. Fosrich shed 45 cents to close at $7 in a transfer of 140,661 stock units, Honey Bun ended 10 cents higher at $6.05 in switching ownership of 315,886 units. Iron Rock Insurance gained 33 cents to close at $3.35 in an exchange of 6,850 stock units, Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents in ending at $4.10 in transferring 1,174,452 shares. Lasco Distributors ended 7 cents lower at $3.90 after 34,210 shares cleared the market. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.19 in trading 184,496 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing lost 19 cents to finish at $5.01 with 10,348 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot fell 4 cents to end at $2.90 in the swapping of 387,689 units. 
Mailpac Group rose 16 cents to $3.76 with an exchange of 1,049,783 shares, Medical Disposables advanced $1.12 to $5.55 with the transfer of 92,026 units, Paramount Trading advanced 4 cents to close at $1.35 after exchanging 1,540 stocks. SSL Venture advanced 4 cents to 69 cents after 1,200 stock units changed hands, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 59 cents to $6.30 in exchange of 174 units and tTech advanced 32 cents to $4.90 with the swapping of 120,000 stock units.
The highlight of the stock market this past week was the 216 percent surge in
There are no changes to companies on the ICTOP10 listings this week. The bullish tone of the Junior Market and the Main Market continues, with more gains expected in the coming week supported by strong technical signals and fundamentals of stocks and the overall market.
The targeted PE ratio for the market averages 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2022. Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Stocks and 19 times for the Main Market. With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.7 or 46 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.
Trading averaged 1,053,952 units at $3,445,628 in contrast to 384,151 at $562,530 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 329,241 units at $854,716, compared to 287,738 units at $706,338 on Thursday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Jetcon Corporation lost 5 cents at 85 cents with a transfer of 1,000 shares, Knutsford Express shed 17 cents to end at $8.60 with investors switching ownership of 42,421 stocks, Limners and Bards ended 8 cents higher at $2.80 with an exchange of 153,020 shares, Lumber Depot gained 14 cents to close at a record high of $2.94 in trading 1,161,602 shares. Main Event declined 70 cents to end at $3.50 with 30,502,293 units changing hands, Medical Disposables rose 24 cents to close at $4.43 trading 2,123 units and tTech gained 8 cents to end at $4.58 in switching ownership of 200 stocks.
Fesco led trading with 77.5 percent of total volume after an exchange of 10.12 million shares and was followed by 
Trading averaged 384,151 units $562,530 compared to 450,273 at $951,624 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 287,738 units at $706,338, compared to 282,671 units at $713,895 on Wednesday. March averaged 252,633 units at $733,196.
Limners and Bards slipped 8 cents to $2.72 with 114,579 units traded, Lumber Depot advanced 22 cents to a record close of $2.80 with an exchange of 674,611 stocks, Mailpac Group gained by 11 cents to settle at $3.61 with 563,991 shares passing through the market. Main Event fell 50 cents to finish at $4.20 with 21,073 units changing hands, Paramount Trading fell 9 cents to $1.31 with a transfer of 23,100 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 67 cents to close at $5.70 with 1,035 shares crossing the exchange.
Following Fesco’s lead, Lasco Manufacturing chipped in with 1.79 million shares accounting for 10.7 percent of the day’s trade. Jamaican Teas garnered a 9.5 percent market share, with a transfer of 1.58 million units as the stock hit a record high ahead of second quarter results due in May and Tropical Battery ended with 1.45 million units changing hands, for 8.7 percent of the market.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors increased 14 cents to $3.99 with a transfer of 34,686 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 9 cents to $2.99 with 8,711 shares passing through the market, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 45 cents to $4.80 with an exchange of 1,788,059 stock units. Lumber Depot gained 8 cents to close at $2.58 with investors switching ownership of 375,943 units, Main Event advanced 60 cents to settle at $4.70 with 3,000 stocks changing hands, SSL Venture rose 7 cents to 62 cents with 150,285 stock units traded. Stationery and Office Supplies jumped 77 cents to finish at $6.37 with a transfer of 33,573 units and tTech fell 10 cents to $4.50 with 510 shares crossing the exchange.
Overall, 40 securities traded, up from 38 on Monday and ended with the prices of 18 rising, 14 declining and eight, with closing unchanged.
At the close, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 21 cents to $2.15 with an exchange of 10,458 shares, Caribbean Cream shed 58 cents to finish at $5.61, with 675 units changing hands, Caribbean Flavours fell 21 cents to $2 with a transfer of 2,619,470 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries increased 25 cents to $1.80, with 3,700 stock units traded, Express Catering rose 5 cents to $4.50 with ownership of 35,909 shares changing, Fontana dropped 23 cents to $5.76 with 51,671 units passing through the market. Fosrich gained 20 cents to settle at $6.20 with an exchange of 16,079 stock units, Future Energy Source slipped 5 cents to $1.02 with 13,571,032 stocks changing hands, General Accident lost 8 cents to finish at $5.76 with a transfer of 500 shares. Iron Rock Insurance rose 15 cents to $3.10 with 11,000 units traded, Jamaican Teas climbed 18 cents to $3.69 with investors switching ownership of 1,202,096 stocks, Jetcon Corporation gained 15 cents to close at 98 cents, with 51,874 shares passing through the market. KLE Group declined by 34 cents to end at $1.05 with an exchange of 175 units, Knutsford Express shed $1.91 to settle at $7 with 425 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors rose 5 cents to $3.85 with a transfer of 219,103 shares.
Lasco Financial fell 15 cents to $2.90 with 1,596 units traded, Lasco Manufacturing lost 20 cents to finish at $5.25 with investors switching ownership of 122,158 stock units, Main Event dropped 60 cents to $4.10 with a transfer of 9,210 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents to close at $5.60 with 7,281 shares crossing the exchange.
Newly listed Future Energy Source (Fesco) dominated trading on the Junior Market for the second trading day with just under 87 percent of the volume, with the price rising to $1.16 in early trading before pulling back, later on, to end at a record close of $1.09. 
The Junior Market Index climbed 23.96 points to settle at 3,174.51 after breaking through the 3,200 mark at the opening of the market and peaking at 3,203,03 after 9 minutes into trading. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averaged 12.8.
Fosrich dropped 50 cents to $6 with 36,236 units changing hands, Indies Pharma rose 6 cents to $4.25 with 72,206 stocks traded, Iron Rock Insurance dropped $1.05 to $2.95 with a transfer of 1,850 stock units. Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents to end at $3.51 with 934,196 shares passing through the market, Jetcon Corporation gained 5 cents to close at 83 cents with an exchange of 11,700 units, Mailpac Group rose 12 cents to $3.54 with 88,702 stock units changing hands. Main Event jumped 65 cents to $4.70 with 13,526 shares traded, Medical Disposables rose 9 cents to $4.19 with a transfer of 68,372 stock units, Paramount Trading increased by 11 cents to $1.41 with investors switching ownership of 40,000 units and tTech advanced 19 cents to $4.60 with 568 shares crossing the exchange.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are headed by Elite Diagnostic, followed by Medical Disposables and Jetcon Corporation, with the potential to gain between 285 to 300 percent. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica in the number one spot, followed by PanJam Investment and VM Investments, with expected gains of 174 to 388 percent.
The targeted PE ratio for the market averages 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2022. Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Stocks and 19 times for the Main Market. With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.5 or 47 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.