Ten days up and five days down, landed the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market with a rise of four percent for the year to date, with the Market Index squeezing out a modest gain of 11.47 points, to close at 2,749.66 on Friday after rising stocks outnumbered declining ones as investors exchanged 65 percent more shares than on Thursday.
The rally for the year to date is not broad-based. It is driven by a small number of stocks, primarily, Express Catering, FoshRich, Jamaican Teas, Mailpac, Lumber Depot, Caribbean Cream and Lasco Manufacturing.
For a second consecutive trading day, the market closed with 35 securities changing hands and closed with the prices of 17 stocks rising, nine declining and nine remaining unchanged.
The average PE Ratio ends at 14.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 6,817,196 shares for $18,600,145, up from 4,133,453 units at $10,720,333 on Thursday.
Derrimon Trading led trading with 25.2 percent of total volume with a transfer of 1.72 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 20.2 percent after trading 1.37 million units and Mailpac Group with 14.2 percent with an exchange of 965,182 units.
Trading averaged 194,777 units at $531,433 in contrast to 118,099 at $306,295 on Thursday. The month to date, averaged 230,823 units at $535,626, compared to 233,435 units at $535,930 on Thursday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging dropped 15 cents to $1.50 in an exchange of 277,657 shares, Blue Power fell 12 cents to $2.83 with 4,295 stocks changing hands, Cargo Handlers advanced 11 cents to $7.90 with 9,631 units passing through the market. Caribbean Cream climbed 26 cents to $4.96 trading 71,982 stock units, Caribbean Flavours gained 15 cents to end at $1.85 with an exchange of 50,586 stocks. Caribbean Producers advanced 20 cents to $2.81 with 27,200 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove shed $1.70 to close at $6.80 with 42,009 units passing through the exchange, Elite Diagnostic gained 22 cents to settle at $2.94 with the trading of 15,629 stock units. Fontana gained 8 cents to finish at $5.78 with 56,669 stock units changing hands. Fosrich increased 5 cents to $4.50 with 111,304 stocks passing through the market, Jetcon Corporation fell 5 cents to 66 cents with 44,683 stocks changing hands, Lasco Financial rose 9 cents to $2.60 with 68,751 stock units passing through the market. 
Lasco Manufacturing climbed 39 cents to $4.11 with 44,773 shares traded, Limners and Bards advanced 19 cents to $2.80 with a transfer of 92,336 stocks, Paramount Trading increased by 14 cents to $1.44 with a transfer of 5,086 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 15 cents to $4.50 with 87,147 shares passing through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
3.6% gains for 2021
Stocks continue to eke out moderate gains to put the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market up 3.6 percent for the year to date, (64 percent annualized) with the Market Index adding 14.59 points on Thursday to end at 2,738.19 after more stocks declined than those rising and 11 percent fewer shares valued 19 percent less than on Wednesday, traded.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands compared to 28 on Wednesday and closed with 12 rising, 16 declining and seven closed unchanged.
The average PE Ratio ended at 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with trading in 4,133,453 shares for $10,720,333 down from 4,652,136 units at $13,253,906 on Wednesday. Derrimon Trading led trading with 41 percent of total volume for 1.70 million shares followed by Jamaican Teas with 19.3 percent for 798,534 units and Mailpac Group with 11.1 percent market share for 457,156 stock units.
Trading averaged 118,099 units at $306,295, in contrast to 166,148 at $473,354 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 223,589 units at $535,930, compared to 231,831 units at $553,870 on Wednesday. 
December averaged 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Cargo Handlers lost 11 cents to close at $7.79, after exchanging 30 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers ended at $1.86, with gains of 6 cents trading 2,500 units, Caribbean Cream picked up 11 cents to settle at $4.70, after finishing with an exchange of 36,200 shares. Caribbean Flavours closed 10 cents higher at $1.70, with 98,614 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Producers shed 21 cents to $2.61 after exchanging 77,524 stock units, Dolphin Cove finished at $8.50, with a loss of 26 cents in transferring 2,052 shares. Elite Diagnostic ended 13 cents lower at $2.72, with 5,905 stocks crossing the exchange, Everything Fresh lost 6 cents to end at 68 cents trading 11,393 shares, Express Catering gained 23 cents to close at $3.72, with 750 stock units changing hands. Fontana rose 10 cents to $5.70 after the swapping of 66,752 units, Jamaican Teas carved out a gain of 5 cents to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $2.90, trading 798,534 shares. 
Lasco Financial dropped 14 cents to $2.51 in exchanging 25,330 shares, Lasco Manufacturing slipped 18 cents to $3.72 trading 42,196 stock units, Limners and Bards lost 9 cents in closing at $2.61, with 44,572 shares crossing the market. Lumber Depot rose 22 cents to $1.93, in exchanging 153,241 stock units, Main Event added 24 cents to close at $3.24 trading 7,510 shares. Paramount Trading shed 14 cents to settle at $1.30, with 104,200 stocks crossing the exchange and Tropical Battery lost 6 cents to close at $1.04, with 316,244 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Derrimon Trading preference shares lost 6 cents to close at $2.04 trading 41,782 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Heavy trading in Junior Market stocks
Trading was heavier than normal on Tuesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with five securities trading over one million shares each as the market broke its three-day unbroken run, with the index slipping 11.10 points to close at 2,714.38.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Monday and concluded with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 16 declining and six remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading accounted for 34 percent more shares than Monday with an exchange of 12,674,893 shares for $24,808,257 up from 9,478,77 units at $18,322,788 on Monday.
Tropical Battery led trading in commanding 30.7 percent of total volume with an exchange of 3.89 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot 24 percent with 3.05 million units, Derrimon Trading controlled 14.5 percent market share or 1.83 million units. Mailpac Group contributed 11 percent with a transfer of 1.4 million units. Jamaican Teas rounded out top five, with 8.8 percent and 1.12 million shares.
Trading averaged 362,140 units at $708,807 in contrast to 256,183 at $495,210 on Monday. The month to date averaged 236,210 units at $559,238, compared to 224,762 units at $545,641 on Monday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial advanced $1 to $22 with 1,133 shares changing hands, Blue Power rose 38 cents to $3.19 with an exchange of 2,021 stock units, CAC 2000 shed $1.65 to settle at $10.60 with 4,159 stocks passing through the market. Cargo Handlers jumped 95 cents to $7.90, trading 93 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped 6 cents to $1.80 with a transfer of 19,029 shares, Caribbean Cream rose by 20 cents to $4.50 with 88,070 stock units changing hands. Caribbean Producers rose 17 cents to $2.78 with 10,750 stocks crossing the exchange, Elite Diagnostic fell 10 cents to $2.85 with 30,690 shares traded. Everything Fresh slipped 5 cents to 70 cents with 168,500 stock units changing hands, Express Catering fell 10 cents to $3.45 with 92,418 stocks changing hands, Fontana jumped 40 cents to $5.80 with 141,055 units traded. Fosrich dropped 19 cents to $4.20 with a transfer of 31,681 shares, General Accident lost 37 cents to close at $6 with 23,784 units changing hands, Honey Bun rose 5 cents to $5.59 with 7,488 stock units passing through the market. Jamaican Teas added 2 cents exchanging 1,118,927 units at a record close of $2.79, KLE Group advanced 21 cents to $1.37 with 2,387 units traded.
Knutsford Express fell 15 cents to $6.60 with 999 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors dropped 20 cents to $3.20 with an exchange of 38,500 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing increased by 7 cents to $4.07 with 8,500 shares traded, Lumber Depot exchanged 3,047,431 stock units and lost 5 cents to close at $1.54. Mailpac Group shed 30 cents trading 1,398,183 shares to finish at $3.60 Main Event fell 10 cents to $3 with a transfer of 48,902 units and Tropical Battery advanced 9 cents to $1.09 with 3,894,959 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
More gains for Junior stocks
Stocks pushed higher in trading on Monday to post year to date gains of just over three percent, with the Market Index increasing 22.89 points to 2,725.48 as the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed after rising stocks exceeded declining ones.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Friday, with prices of 14 stocks rising, 13 declining and 10 remaining unchanged. Jamaican Teas and Mailpac ended at record closing highs.
The average PE Ratio ended at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 13 percent fewer shares with 32 percent lower value than on Friday as 9,478,771 shares traded for $18,322,788, down from 10,923,530 units at $27,075,114 on Friday.
Tropical Battery led trading with 50.2 percent of total volume for 4.76 million shares followed by Jamaican Teas with 15.2 percent for 1.44 million units and Derrimon Trading with 1.15 million units for 12.2 percent market share.
Trading averaged 256,183 units at $495,210, in contrast to 312,101 at $773,575 on Friday. Trading month to date averaged 224,762 units at $545,641, compared to 221,421 units at $551,003 on Friday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Blue Power lost 9 cents ending at $2.81, in exchanging 15,922 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 6 cents to close at $1.86 trading 13,665 stock units, Caribbean Cream shed 40 cents to finish at $4.30, with investors swapping 7,800 units. Caribbean Flavours rose 5 cents to $1.65, after a transfer of 24,204 stocks, Caribbean Producers closed at $2.61, with a loss of 14 cents, in exchanging 68,474 shares. Express Catering ended 21 cents lower at $3.55, with the swapping of 12,913 stocks, Fontana shed 30 cents to end at $5.40 trading 238,408 shares, General Accident rose 12 cents to $6.37, in swapping of 500 units, Honey Bun shed 5 cents to close at $5.54, with 3,600 shares changing hands. Indies Pharma gained 5 cents to close at $2.50, after 38,684 stock units, crossed the market, ISP Finance advanced by $3.39 to $22.89, and transferred 5,000 shares, Jamaican Teas rose 29 cents to $2.77, with an exchange of 1,444,299 stock units, Lasco Distributors closed 22 cents higher at $3.40, in clearing the market with 118,975 shares.
Limners and Bards slipped 20 cents to $2.62 after trading 50,000 units. Lumber Depot gained 13 cents in ending at $1.59, after switching ownership of 38,266 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 15 cents to $3.90, with an exchange of 798,398 shares, Medical Disposables closed at $4.22, after gaining 12 cents transferring 57 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies slid 44 cents to $4.10, with 31,308 units crossing the market, Tropical Battery slipped 12 cents to $1, trading 4,760,765 shares after the company posted audited accounts showing profit falling to just $29 million from $73 million based on the interim, full-year results. tTech lost 5 cents to close at $4.10, with 29,396 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Mailpac drops out of IC TOP15 stock listing
Stocks left to languish at depressed prices for months are coming back to life as some investors are now seeing the light of the huge potential profit in Junior Market stocks compared to their senior counter paths in the Main Market.
The Main Market slipped a bit to end the first half of January, with a modest loss but technical indicator points to it heading towards the 460,000 points level on the All Jamaica Composite Index, soon. The Junior Market is up 2.4 percent since the 2020 close and is a few points away from the level reached at the close of March 5 last year, having surpassed the April high, as the bullish golden cross takes full hold on the market to launch a big rally.
During this past week, IC TOP 15 selections MailPac, Caribbean Cream and Jamaican Teas all posted gains with Mailpac hitting a series of record highs this past week and closed at $3.75 up 30.6 percent since the end of 2020 and is now well outside of the 2021 Top 15 list for Junior Market stocks. The stocks still have much room for growth in the year to benefit from a strong increase in revenues. Caribbean Cream posted continued growth in sales for the November quarter and almost doubled profit for the nine months period and increased it by 37.5 percent for the third quarter. 
The stock gained 50 cents at the close on Friday but traded as high as $5 during the week and moved from fifth spot last week to ninth position on the 2020/21 TOP10 list. Jamaican Teas gained 25 percent since December and seems poised to move higher as interest in the stock grows since the announcement of a three for one stock split late last year. An indication of increased interest is the exchange of 4 million shares on Friday. The stock moved from the fourth position last week to seventh this past week as it gained 24 percent for the week.
Lasco Manufacturing rose in the past week and moved out of the TOP10 Junior Market ranks, with Honey Bun replacing it.
The current TOP 10 report is based on earnings for 2020/21 as there are substantial gains ahead, for many stocks in the listings.
Investors should be on the lookout for new quarterly results with Express Catering and Margaritavillle and should release results this week. Before the month ends, expect results from Caribbean Cement, QWI, NCB Financial, Barita and the three Lasco companies.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market with the potential to gain between 208 to 373 percent are Lasco Financial, followed by Caribbean Producers and Elite Diagnostic. With expected gains of 125 to 315 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are, Berger Paints followed by Grace Kennedy and Jamaica Broilers.
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 16.4 and the Junior Market 14.6, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. 
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.6 at just 52 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.2 or 56 percent of the PE of that market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 185 percent and 130 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.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
New record close for Mailpac
Mailpac, the second highest volume trader on Thursday, logged a new closing high of $3.60 at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Junior Market, bettering Wednesday’s record close by 40 cents. Derrimon Trading was volume leader for a third consecutive day as the market enjoyed a bullish day with some sharp price changes.
Mailpac climbed to a new record on Thursday, with a 40 cents jump in the stock price.
Investors drove the Market Index 32.52 points higher, to close at 2,680.32, up 1.4% for 2020, to date and just 7 points away from taking out the mid-April 2020 high, but is still some distance from March 2020 high.
Trading ended with 33 active securities, down from 38 on Wednesday with 17 rising, 10 declining and six remaining unchanged.
The average PE Ratio ends 14.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, 12,301,306 shares traded at $31,743,002, down from 19,836,593units at $49,149,593 on Wednesday.
Derrimon Trading led the day with 65.3 percent of total volume after trading 8.04 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 20.1 percent in an exchange of 2.47 million units and Limners and Bards 3.2 percent after a transfer of 398,818 stock units.
Trading averaged 372,767 units at $961,909 down from 522,016 at $1,293,410 on Wednesday. The month to date trade averaged 211,281 units at $526,115 versus 192,249 units at $474,753 on Wednesday. December ended with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Cargo Handlers advanced 24 cents to $7.90 with 6,272 units passing through the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 5 cents to $1.80 with 10,500 stocks changing hands. Caribbean Cream increased 8 cents to $4.98 with a transfer of 5,183 stock units, Caribbean Producers gained 5 cents to end at $2.75 with ownership of 580 shares switched. Dolphin Cove jumped 40 cents to $9.50 with 1,000 stock units traded, Everything Fresh slipped 4 cents to 70 cents with 11,000 shares passing through the market, Fontana lost 5 cents to end at $5.45 with 28,285 stocks changing hands. Fosrich rose 4 cents to $4.01 with a transfer of 12,726 units, General Accident advanced 10 cents to $6.10 with 6,700 stock units traded, Honey Bun gained 19 cents to end at $5.59 with 300 shares traded. Indies Pharma climbed 39 cents to $2.70 with 12,000 stocks passing through the market, Knutsford Express gained 12 cents to finish at $6.70 with a transfer of 8,518 stock units, Lasco Distributors rose 4 cents to $3.18 with an exchange of 15,000 units, Lasco Financial declined by 5 cents to $2.64 with 75,162 shares passing through the market. 
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 20 cents to $4 with 281,948 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards traded 398,818 stock units after rising 15 cents to finish at $2.80, Lumber Depot rose 6 cents to $1.55 with a transfer of 299,471 units. Mailpac Group exchanged 2,472,264 shares and gained 40 cents to close at a record high of $3.60, Main Event dropped 24 cents to $3 with 4,591 units passing through the market, Medical Disposables fell 10 cents to $4.10 with 86 stocks changing hands. SSL Venture rose 5 cents to 55 with a transfer of 20,500 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies lost 39 cents to close at $4.11 in trading 2,982 shares and Tropical Battery slipped 4 cents to $1.14 with 89,040 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Derrimon dominates Junior Market
Derrimon Trading was the volume leader on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, with 16.2 million shares changing hands at $2.40 as Mayberry group offloads a portion of the big holdings in the company.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 15 declining and nine ending firm and edging the Junior Market Index down 8.77 points to 2,647.80 for the second day of slippage after Mailpac ended at a new record closing high after it traded as high as $3.30 during the day.
The average PE Ratio ended at 13.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 19,836,593 shares for $49,149,593 up sharply from 3,738,109 units at $9,393,036 on Tuesday. Derrimon Trading led trading for a second consecutive day with 81.6 percent of total volume, followed by Jamaican Teas with 5.4 percent for 1.08 million units and Mailpac Group with 5.4 percent for 1.06 million share units.
Trading averaged 522,016 units at $1,293,410, in contrast to 103,836 at $260,918 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 192,249 units at $474,753 compared to 140,467 units at $346,204 on Tuesday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power shed 39 cents to settle at $2.89 trading 90 shares, Cargo Handlers rose 76 to $7.66, after clearing the market with 1,953 shares. Caribbean Cream gained 29 cents to end at $4.90, with 92,483 shares crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours picked up 5 cents to close at $1.65, in an exchange of 18,325 stocks. Caribbean Producers lost 5 cents to settle at $2.70, after clearing the market with 86,779 units, Consolidated Bakeries gained 16 cents to end at $1.36 with investors swapping 58,100 stocks, Dolphin Cove dropped $1.49 to close at $9.10, in an exchange of 4,821 units. Express Catering climbed 21 cents to $3.76 after exchanging 750 shares. Fosrich gained 12 cents in ending at $3.97 in an exchange of 7,050 stock units, General Accident shed 21 cents to close at $6, with 308,338 units changing hands, GWest Corporation picked up 14 cents to settle at 74 cents, after crossing the market with 2,600 stocks. 
Indies Pharma fell 24 cents to $2.31, with 204,285 stock units changing hands, Jamaican Teas gained 5 cents in closing at $2.35, in an exchange of 1,075,935 stock units. Knutsford Express lost 22 cents in ending at $6.58 trading 3,042 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents to settle at $3.80, in transferring 37,045 units, Mailpac Group closed 19 cents higher at $3.20, in switching ownership of 1,064,465 stock units. Main Event rose 27 cents to $3.24, after crossing the market with 150 stock units, SSL Venture lost 5 cents to settle at 50 cents, with an exchange of 83,250 stocks and Tropical Battery gained 6 cents to close at $1.18, trading 11,043 shares.
In the preference segment, Derrimon Trading preference share shed 2 cents to close at $2.08, in trading 2,200 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market retreats modestly on Tuesday
Fewer stocks declined on Tuesday than on Monday but that was insufficient to prevent the market Index from losing 8.76 points to settle at 2,656.57 at the close of trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with the market declining after 43 percent fewer shares traded than on Monday.
Trading ended with 36 securities, the same as on Monday, with 12 stocks rising, 14 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
The market closed with 3,738,109 shares for $9,393,036 down sharply from 6,606,503 units at $19,339,751 on Monday. Derrimon Trading was the volume leader with 58.8 percent market share after an exchange of 2.2 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group accounting for 17.3 percent with 647,751 units and Jamaican Teas with 7.3 percent after an exchange of 273,458 units.
Trading averaged 103,836 units at $260,918 in contrast to 183,514 at $537,215 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 140,467 units at $346,204, down from 146,869 units at $361,108 on Monday. December averaged 263,428 units at $638,694.
At the close, the average PE Ratio ends at 13.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial dropped $2 to $21 with 2,150 shares changing hands, CAC 2000 jumped $1.60 to $12.25 as 2,000 stocks crossed the market. Cargo Handlers shed $1 to close at $6.90 with just one unit traded, Caribbean Flavours lost 5 cents to settle at $1.60 with 12,028 units changing hands. Caribbean Producers fell 7 cents to $2.75 with an exchange of 11,874 stocks, Elite Diagnostic advanced 28 cents to $2.99 with 50 shares trading, Everything Fresh gained 5 cents to finish at 74 cents with a transfer of 1,811 units. Express Catering lost 10 cents to settle at $3.55 with 3,400 stocks changing hands, Fontana dropped 20 cents to $5.50 with an exchange of 50,717 shares, GWest Corporation fell 10 cents to 60 cents with 83,942 stock units crossing the exchange. Honey Bun declined by 19 cents to $5.40 with 6,000 units traded, Indies Pharma fell 15 cents to $2.55 with a transfer of 36,362 stocks, Lasco Distributors gained 7 cents to end at $3.18 with 20,242 shares traded. 
Limners and Bards advanced 7 cents to $2.65 after switching ownership of 22,278 stocks, Lumber Depot added 5 cents to settle at $1.52 with 7,000 units changing hands. Mailpac Group exchanged 647,751 shares and gained 6 cents to close at a record closing high of $3.01, Medical Disposables fell 7 cents to $4.20 trading 105 units and tTech shed 74 cents to end at $4.16 with 11,969 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
More gains for Junior Market Index
Investors keep on trading with more aggression since the start of the year, pushing the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange higher, with gains of just under one percent ahead of the 2020 close, after the value of stocks trading climbed 22 percent on Monday over Friday.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 33 on Friday and closed with 11 stocks rising, 21 declining and four remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index increased 19.88 points to settle at 2,665.33, and the average PE Ratio ended at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 6,606,503 shares for $19,339,751 compared to 6,980,827 units at $15,826,363 on Friday.
Derrimon Trading accounted for 26.3 percent of total volume, with 1.73 million shares as the leading volume stock, followed by Jamaican Teas with 22.3 percent for 1.48 million units and Lasco Manufacturing with 18.7 percent for 1.23 million shares.
Trading averaged 183,514 units at $537,215 in contrast to 211,540 at $479,587 on Friday. Trading month to date averaged 146,869 units at $361,108, compared to 139,108 units at $323,815 on Friday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power gained 47 cents in closing at $3.28, with 2,600 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers shed 10 cents to close at $7.90, with the swapping of 1,090 stocks, Caribbean Cream rose 20 cents to $4.60 after 106,353 units crossed the exchange. Consolidated Bakeries fell 13 cents to $1.20, in an exchange of 16,000 shares. Dolphin Cove closed at $10.59, with a loss of 41 cents and 2,642 shares crossing the exchange, Everything Fresh lost 6 cents in ending at 69 cents after trading 20,000 shares. Express Catering rose 18 cents to $3.65, in switching ownership of 500 stocks, Fontana fell 5 cents to $5.70, with 571,131 stock units clearing the market, Fosrich ended 13 cents lower at $3.85, in switching ownership of 29,497 shares. GWest Corporation lost 5 cents in closing at 70 cents, after exchanging 21,204 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 9 cents to settle at $2.70, after switching ownership of 78,051 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance lost 20 cents to close at $4, finishing with a transfer of 50 shares. Jamaican Teas rose 24 cents to $2.29, in an exchange of 1,476,016 stock units, KLE Group shed 16 cents to close at $1.16, with 5,000 units crossing the market. 
Lasco Distributors closed at $3.11, with a loss of 9 cents in exchanging 11,100 stock units, Limners and Bards fell 7 cents to $2.58, with an exchange of 30,351 stock units, Mailpac Group gained 7 cents in ending at $2.95, after crossing the market with 662,681 shares. Paramount Trading shed 10 cents in closing at 52 weeks’ low of $1.25 after trading 24,195 stock units, SSL Venture gained 9 cents to end at 59 cents after exchanging 1,000 units and Tropical Battery shed 5 cents ending at $1.13 trading 202,058 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Lots of gains left for IC 2020 TOP10 stocks
The TOP 10 report is back and based on earnings for the 2020/21 period as there are still substantial gains ahead for many stocks in the listing, accordingly, ICInsider.com will hold off from our weekly commentary for the 2021/22 listings posted earlier this week.
For the few days in 2021, the Junior Market has moved slightly higher than the 2020 close and is a few points away from April’s high point and March 5 last year as the bullish golden cross takes full hold on the market to launch a big rally.
The Main Market slipped a bit to end the first week of the new year with a modest loss, but technical indicator points to it heading towards the 460,000 points level on the All Jamaica Composite Index.
Investors should be on the lookout for new quarterly results starting this week with AMG Packaging, Caribbean Cream, Express Catering, Knutsford Express, Margaritaville and Paramount Trading should release results this week. Before the month ends, other results expected are from 
Caribbean Cement, QWI Investments, NCB Financial, Barita Investments and the Lasco companies.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market with the potential to gain between 199 to 364 percent by March 2021 are Caribbean Producers, followed by Elite Diagnostic and Lasco Financial. With expected gains of 123 to 219 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are Berger Paints, followed by Scotia Group and Grace Kennedy.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.