Early morning trading sent the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index racing to 2,800.39 points, but the market pulled back to close above Tuesday’s close at the end of market activity on Wednesday with the trading of 64 percent fewer shares than on Tuesday.
Trading ended with 39 securities, up from 34 on Tuesday and closed with 11 rising, 18 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index gained 19.94 points to settle at 2,764.95. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
A total of 5,538,712 shares traded for $14,281,993 well down from 15,516,613 units at $36,243,327 on Tuesday.
Jamaican Teas controlled 30.9 percent of total volume with an exchange of 1.71 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 12.9 percent for 715,010 units and Mailpac Group with 10.3 percent market share with an exchange of 569,898.
Trading averaged 142,018 units at $366,205 down from 456,371 at $1,065,980 on Tuesday. Month to date trading averaged 230,573 units at $576,913, versus 279,911 units at $694,307 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power fell 8 cents to $2.75 with 30,353 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers jumped $1.33 to $7.93 with 2,000 units traded, Caribbean Cream dipped 49 cents to $4.55 trading 4,880 stocks. Caribbean Producers declined 20 cents to $2.60 with an exchange of 23,850 shares, Elite Diagnostic lost 20 cents to close at $2.75 with 25,300 units changing hands. Express Catering dropped 24 cents to $3.50 with a transfer of 46,111 shares, Fosrich lost 10 cents to finish at $4.40 with the trading of 12,514 stocks, General Accident advanced 15 cents to $6.15 with 400 stock units changing hands, Honey Bun fell 35 cents to $5.50 with 55,967 units passing through the market. Jamaican Teas exchanged 1,712,909 stock units and lost 19 cents to close at $2.80, Knutsford Express jumped 45 cents to $6.75 with 843 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors lost 4 cents to close at $3.35 with 300 stock units traded. 
Lasco Financial fell 10 cents to $2.60 in trading 375,036 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 17 cents to $3.88 with 93,150 units passing through the market. Main Event climbed 18 cents to $3.30 with a transfer of 171,000 units, Medical Disposables dropped 21 cents to $3.99 with 25,194 stocks passing through the market and tTech advanced 16 cents to $4.56 with 5,377 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading averaged 456,371 units at $1,065,980 in contrast to 113,255 at $343,282 on Monday. The month to date, averaged 279,911 units at $694,307. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Manufacturing gained 4 cents to end at $3.71 with 174,629 shares traded, Limners and Bards advanced 15 cents to $2.72 with a transfer of 46,156 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $4.28 with 7,402 shares changing hands and tTech shed 45 cents to close at $4.40 with 14,623 stock units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, the same as on Friday and closed, with 18 stocks rising, 16 declining and two remaining unchanged.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to close at $1.85, in transferring 1,777 units, Caribbean Cream rose 60 cents $5.10, after crossing the market with 92,827 stocks, Caribbean Flavours lost 7 cents to close at $1.98, in switching ownership of 585,096 shares. Caribbean Producers ended 10 cents higher at $2.80, with 173,336 stock units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries rose 20 cents to $1.52, with 983 shares crossing the market, Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents to settle at $7.50 trading 703 stocks. Elite Diagnostic closed at $2.95, with gains of 20 cents after transferring 181 shares, Express Catering rose 9 cents to $3.74, with 6,857 units changing hands. General Accident lost 25 cents to end at $6 after exchanging 2,000 stocks. iCreate gained 6 cents to close at 62 cents, after clearing the market with 16,077 stock units, Indies Pharma slipped 22 cents to $2.57, with investors switching ownership of 102,450 units. Jamaican Teas gained 11 cents to settle at $2.99, in trading 398,882 shares, Knutsford Express dipped 5 cents to $6.70 in exchanging 221 units. Lasco Distributors picked up 9 cents to finish at $3.20, with 6,285 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing shed 23 cents to close at $3.67, with an exchange of 371,615 shares. 
Limners and Bards was down 18 cents to $2.57, in crossing the exchange with 2,850 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 8 cents ending at $1.97 trading 504,964 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 20 cents to $4.20 trading 40 stock units, Paramount Trading lost 16 cents in closing at $1.29 in exchanging a mere one unit. Stationery and Office Supplies rose 42 cents to $4.54, in trading 1,200 stocks and tTech finished at $4.85, with gains of 76 cents after 982 units crossed the market.
While the Junior Market had a new addition, the Main Market TOP10 continued with the same stocks as the week before but Grace Kennedy price rose from $68 to $73.45 with the stock moving from 5th spot to 7th.
In this regard, based on 2020 release of results, interim financials are expected this week, from Access Financial, Barita Investments, Iron Rock Insurance, NCB Financial, the Lasco group of companies and Jamaican Teas.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 18.9 and the Junior Market 14.8, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.8 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, down from 39 on Thursday with prices of 19 rising, 13 declining and four remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Knutsford Express ended 15 cents higher at $6.75, after trading 2,147 units, Lasco Distributors lost 8 cents in closing at $3.11, in crossing the market with 126,660 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing shed 5 cents to $3.90 trading 7,821 units. Limners and Bards gained 9 cents to close at $2.75, with a transfer of 635,373 shares, Lumber Depot lost 9 cents to settle at $1.89, with 383,034 stock units clearing the market. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to end at $3.97 exchanging 359,576 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 5 cents in closing at $1.45, after transferring 54 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 5 cents in ending at $1.15, trading 900,187 shares.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands, the same number as on Wednesday, and ended with 12 stocks rising, 13 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The Market Index gained 0.84 points to finish at 2,735.54.
The month to date averaged 244,500 units at $580,467, compared to 250,531 units at $592,343 on Wednesday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units for $638,694 for each security that traded.
Limners and Bards traded 1,053,372 stock units and gained 8 cents in closing at $2.66, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to close at $1.98 with 457,000 shares changing hands, Main Event dropped 14 cents to $3.10 with an exchange of 2,000 units. Paramount Trading fell 5 cents to $1.40 with 3,000 shares changing hands, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 42 cents to end at $4.12 with 6,000 stocks traded and tTech dropped 68 cents to $4.09 with 1,000 units crossing the exchange.
Lumber Depot was second-largest volume trader with 5.6 percent of the day’s trade for 963,551 units and Jamaican Teas rounded out the top three with 5.3 percent market share and the trading of 918,783 shares as investors continue their appetite for these stocks.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Limners and Bards dropped 12 cents to $2.58 with 81,825 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot exchanged 963,551 units and climbed 26 cents to settle at $2.05, Medical Disposables fell 20 cents to $4 with 8,000 shares passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 24 cents to $4.54 with 8,000 units traded and tTech jumped 63 cents to $4.77 and finished with 20,887 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to end at $2.70 with a transfer of 194,451 stocks, Lumber Depot exchanged 1,789,149 units and fell 11 cents to close at $1.79,Mailpac Group gained 5 cents to end at $3.85 with 761,818 stock units passing through the market. Main Event rose 9 cents to $3.24 with 6,300 shares changing hands, Paramount Trading rose 4 cents to $1.44 with a transfer of 2,004 units, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 20 cents to $4.30 with 4,800 stocks traded and Tropical Battery closed 1 cent higher at $1.10 with 675,081 shares crossing the exchange.
December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Knutsford Express shed 15 cents to close at $6.60, with the swapping of 3,055 shares, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to $2.65 after investors swapped 41,352 stocks, Limners and Bards shed 5 cents in closing at $2.75 trading 102,847 shares, Lumber Depot lost 5 cents to end at $1.90, in switching ownership of 402,876 stocks. Mailpac Group closed 10 cents higher at $3.80 after trading 1,619,301 stock units and Main Event slipped 9 cents to $3.15, with 2,333 shares changing hands.
initially reported by the company to just $29 million with the stock selling off to a low of 95 cents but bounced a bit thereafter.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market with the potential to gain between 208 to 363 percent are Caribbean Producers followed by Elite Diagnostic and Lasco Financial. With expected gains of 124 to 331 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are, Berger Paints followed by Scotia Group and Carreras.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 174 percent and 127 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings. IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.