The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange suffered a big drop on Tuesday, following a 19 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, valued 22 percent lower than on Friday, after trading in 47 securities compared with 42 on Friday and ended with 17 rising, 20 declining and 10 closing unchanged and four closing at 52 weeks’ low.
A total of 6,987,786 shares were traded for $16,424,294, down from 8,609,687 units at $20,924,228 on Friday.
Trading averaged 148,676 shares at $349,453, compared with 204,993 stocks at $498,196 on Friday with the month to date averaging 184,400 units at $456,518 compared to 197,517 stock units at $495,832 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
Stationery and Office Supplies led trading with 1.47 million shares for 21.1 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.41 million units for 20.1 percent of the day’s trade and JFP Ltd with 973,410 units for 13.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 59.53 points to close trading at 3,882.49.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 20 cents in closing at $2.49 with shareholders swapping 580 shares, Blue Power lost 17 cents to end at $2.35, with 19,460 stocks crossing the market, CAC 2000 declined $1.45 and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $4.53 in an exchange of 5,302 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 30 cents to close at all $2.90 after an exchange of 1,008 units. Caribbean Cream rose 10 cents to $4.15, with 4,918 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours increased 12 cents to close at $1.35 with an exchange of 204 stocks, EduFocal climbed 13 cents to end at $1.79 in switching ownership of 4,260 shares, Elite Diagnostic advanced 10 cents in closing at $2.10, with 305 units changing hands.
Express Catering dropped 53 cents to $4.65 with investors transferring 57,266 units, Honey Bun shed 62 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.68 after 89,092 stocks passed through the market, Image Plus Consultants rallied 8 cents in closing at $2.30 with a transfer of 257,407 shares, Indies Pharma climbed 11 cents to end at $3.15 in trading 1,205 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance dipped 31 cents to $2.10, with investors exchanging 22,991 stock units, Lasco Distributors fell 34 cents to close at $3.86 while trading 14,288 shares, Limners and Bards dipped 29 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.70 in an exchange of 15,055 stocks, Lumber Depot advanced 14 cents and ended at $2.15 after a transfer of 212,009 units. ONE on ONE Educational dropped 8 cents to 97 cents after exchanging 542,595 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 9 cents to close at $1.97 with 428,066 shares clearing the market,
Spur Tree Spices declined 8 cents to end at $2.25 in trading 27,991 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies fell 17 cents in closing at $2.17 after an exchange of 1,474,594 units and tTech shed 54 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.72, with 2,134 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Margaritaville tops ICTOP10
Margaritaville was the top performing ICTOP10 stock after jumping 30 percent during the week to close at 11.35 US cents in the first week on the TOP10. That was the only notable gainer in the Main Market list, although JMMB Group added 5 percent to close at $28.55.

Margaritaville, located in the Turks & Caicos Islands
The Junior Market’s Iron Rock Insurance jumped 15 percent to $2.41, followed by a 12 percent rise in the price of Everything Fresh to $1.53, with General Accident adding just 4 per cent to close at $4.90.
The Main Market had a 14 percent fall in Key Insurance to $2.51, followed by 8 percent in 138 Student Living, ending at $4.28. The Junior Market’s Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 13 percent to $2.60 and Edufocal was down 8 percent to $1.66. The week closed with no new additions to the ICTOP10.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 326 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks representing 30 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 108, with an average of 30 and 20 excluding the highest PE ratios, with a PE of 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 10.9. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 40, averaging 20, that is well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and is projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always.
ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Solid gains for ICTOP10 stocks
Junior Market stocks put in an outstanding performance ranging from 13 to 38 percent, with declines being far lower, with the top losers suffering a ten percent fall after five stocks slipped on the ICOP10 and three stocks recorded strong gains. The Main Market TOP10 was far less robust, with gainers hitting 13 percent at the top and losers 6 percent and less.

Margaritaville Turks could land big gains.
With the healthy price movements, three new additions to the TOP10 lists are added this week. Margaritaville is now topping the Main Market Top 10, with potential gains of 820 percent as the company made a major leap forward in fortunes, following the rebound in tourism traffic in the region and Caribbean Producers fell out of the TOP10 with a 4 percent price rise for the week. Image Plus Consultants and Iron Rock Insurance return to the Junior Market ICTOP10 as Dolla Financial and Elite Diagnostics enjoyed considerable price recoveries and dropped out.
For the week, five Junior Market TOP10 stocks rose and five declined, while the Main Market ended with four rising and only two falling.
In the Junior Market, Dolla Financial was the star performer as it recovered from a 9 percent drop last to $2.08 to post a stunning 38 percent jump to $2.88, following news that Supreme Ventures acquired 15 percent of the company, but before a report that the CEO Kadeen Mairs resigned. Elite Diagnostics jumped 29 percent to $2 after falling the previous week to $1.55 and Dolphin Cove rose 13 percent to $16.88, also rising are iCreate and OneonOne, with gains of 5 percent to $1.05, respectively. Falling stocks include Everything Fresh, down 10 percent to $1.37, Caribbean Cream, followed by shedding 8 percent to $4.15, General Accident, fell 6 percent to $4.70 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers, lost 4 percent to end at $2.99.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement climbed 13 percent to $57.60, but that was before the company released six months’ results, with profit ending at $2.87 following a blowout second quarter with earnings of $2.53 per share and now seems on target for $8 for the year. Sygnus Credit Investments rose nine percent to $12.12, but JMMB Group fell six percent to $27.20 and Guardian Holdings slipped 4 percent to $438.
Elsewhere in the market, Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing released first quarter results, with a rise in profits for both. Pretax profit at Lasco Distributors jumped a robust 57 percent to $602 million and post-tax climbed a solid 38 percent to $448 million and resulted in ICInsider.com upgrading earnings for the full year to 65 cents from 55 cents previously. Lasco Manufacturing’s performance was more subdued, with pretax profit rising 28 percent and aftertax 27 percent to $721 million and $526 million, respectively and are in line with ICInsider.com’s full year’s forecast of 70 cents per share. Both companies are just outside the ICTOP10 but are ICBUYRATED with good upside potential.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 326 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks representing 30 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 95, with an average of 30 and 21 excluding the highest PE ratios, with a PE of 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 39, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
A total of 8,609,687 shares were traded for $20,924,228 compared with 10,235,296 units at $26,387,309 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
General Accident rose 20 cents in closing at $4.90, with 1,000 stocks changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 31 cents to $2.41 and closed with an exchange of 5 stock units, Jamaican Teas increased 18 cents to end at $2.29 after an exchange of 600 units. JFP Ltd shed 9 cents in closing at $1.66 with shareholders swapping 487,556 shares, Lasco Manufacturing dipped 43 cents to $4.56 after exchanging 16,964 shares, Limners and Bards rallied 9 cents and ended at $1.99 as investors exchanged 20,405 units, Main Event declined 49 cents to close at $14.50 in switching ownership of 50 stocks. Paramount Trading climbed 16 cents and ended at $2.06, with 758,569 stock units crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices lost 11 cents to close at $2.33 in an exchange of 6,825 shares,
Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $2.34 in trading 3,663,408 stock units, following the trading of 1.3 million units on Thursday following all the shares from the stock split was available for trading and tTech gained 11 cents in closing at $2.26 trading 37,481 stocks.
Investors pushed 10,235,296 shares through the market for $26,387,309 compared with 6,437,192 units at $16,154,901 on Wednesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors climbed 40 cents to $4.20, with 142,173 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Financial lost 15 cents to close at $2.15 trading 2,136,543 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing popped 18 cents in closing at $4.99 after trading in 125,376 stock units, Limners and Bards dropped 10 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.90 with investors transferring 10,679 units, Main Event climbed $1.19 to end at $14.99 with 5,318 shares clearing the market. Medical Disposables dipped 9 cents in closing at $4.85 with an exchange of 924 stocks, MFS Capital Partners rallied 17 cents to close at $2.59 with shareholders swapping 337,399 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 28 cents to $1.90 after a transfer of 34,364 stocks.
Spur Tree Spices popped 24 cents to end at $2.44 as investors exchanged 40,431 shares, Tropical Battery fell 9 cents to $2, with an exchange of 670,050 units and tTech shed 8 cents to close at $2.15, with investors exchanging 114 stocks.
Investors traded 6,437,192 shares for $16,154,901 versus 24,315,536 units at $54,444,749 on Monday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
JFP Ltd shed 25 cents to close at $1.70 with 103,045 shares clearing the market. Lasco Distributors fell 31 cents to close at $3.80 with 114,053 stock units crossing the market, Lumber Depot shed 25 cents to end at $2.05 after an exchange of 39,882 units, Main Event fell 70 cents and ended at $13.80 with 4,612 stocks being traded, Medical Disposables popped 84 cents in closing at $4.94 with stakeholders dealing in 39 shares. MFS Capital Partners dipped 16 cents to end at $2.42 after an exchange of 105,558 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 28 cents and ended at $1.62 while 7,318 stock units passed through the market, Regency Petroleum dropped 22 cents to close at $2.47, with an exchange of 990,443 units. Spur Tree Spices declined 27 cents to $2.20 in an exchange of 102,718 shares,
Stationery and Office Supplies lost 56 cents to end at $2.59 with shareholders swapping 620,885 shares and Tropical Battery gained 17 cents in closing at $2.09 in trading 66,285 stocks.
Investors traded 24,315,536 shares for $54,444,749 up from 11,568,133 units at $31,577,030 on Friday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
rose 18 cents to close at $1.55 after investors traded 50,500 shares, Future Energy Source gained 9 cents and ended at $3.99 in trading 251,515 units, Honey Bun fell 80 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $5.70, with 32,983 stocks clearing the market, Image Plus Consultants shed 12 cents in closing at $2.22 with 70,821 stock units crossing the exchange. Jamaican Teas advanced 15 cents and ended at $2.35 with an exchange of 179,913 stock units, JFP Ltd climbed 21 cents to $1.95 with 4,059,134 units changing hands, Knutsford Express advanced 94 cents to close at $11.90, with 46,155 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Distributors rose 12 cents to $4.11 while exchanging 55,572 shares. Lasco Financial shed 9 cents to close at $2.30 in an exchange of 5,999 stocks, Lumber Depot rallied 21 cents to end at $2.30 with investors transferring 2,629,305 shares, Medical Disposables increased 10 cents in closing at $4.10, after 1,423 units passed through the exchange,
ONE on ONE Educational popped 8 cents in ending at $1.13 after a transfer of 4,359,129 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies popped 36 cents in closing at $3.15 after an exchange of 526,540 stock units, following the nine of one stock split taking effect on the exchange for the first time and Tropical Battery declined 19 cents to $1.92 and closed with 171,673 shares changing hands.
Investors traded 11,568,133 shares for $31,577,030 versus 32,557,136 units at $108,447,140 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
General Accident declined 24 cents to end at $4.70 after 11,063 stock units passed the market, Honey Bun added 11 cents to close at $6.50 in trading 8,136 shares. Indies Pharma increased 11 cents and ended at $3.19 while exchanging 1,440 units, ISP Finance popped $3.99 in closing at $24.99 after an exchange of 3,750 stocks, Knutsford Express fell 72 cents to end at $10.96 with a transfer of 16,900 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing rallied 5 cents and ended at $4.75 in switching ownership of 28,399 shares. Regency Petroleum dropped 7 cents to close at $2.68, with 36,229 units crossing the exchange, Spur Tree Spices rose 30 cents in closing at $2.40 with shareholders swapping 7,280,447 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies shed $1.69 to $25.15, with 174,402 shares crossing the market ahead of the 9 for one stock split that will result in the stocks trading ex-split on Monday coming,
that should result in a sharp jump in the stock price and Tropical Battery advanced 9 cents to $2.11, with stakeholders exchanging 136,599 stocks.
Investors traded 32,557,136 shares at $108,447,140 versus 12,676,118 units at $35,697,055 on Wednesday.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Dolphin Cove rallied 55 cents to end at $16.60 while exchanging 1,933 stock units, Everything Fresh lost 10 cents to close at $1.37 with investors transferring 100 shares, Fontana rose 11 cents in closing at $11, with 62,075 stock units crossing the market, Image Plus Consultants advanced 12 cents and ended at $2.37 after an exchange of 23,227 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance increased 10 cents to $2.10 after a transfer of 107 stocks, Knutsford Express gained 8 cents in closing at $11.68 with an exchange of 15 shares, Lasco Manufacturing dipped 15 cents to close at $4.70 in an exchange of 10,460 units, Main Event declined 98 cents to end at $14.50 in trading 8,256 shares,
Spur Tree Spices popped 10 cents to $2.10 with shareholders swapping 5,913,892 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies dipped 66 cents to $26.84 after 109,557 units changed hands.
Investors traded 12,676,118 shares at $35,697,055, compared to 10,678,936 units at $24,677,448 on Tuesday.
The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Fontana lost 11 cents in closing at $10.89 after a transfer of 29,968 units, Future Energy Source shed 21 cents to close at $3.74, with investors exchanging 199,795 stocks, Honey Bun increased 39 cents to end at $6.45 as 150,912 shares passed through the market. Indies Pharma dropped 13 cents to $3.06 after an exchange of 25,807 units, KLE Group fell 19 cents to $1.49 with investors transferring 6,558 stocks, Knutsford Express popped 95 cents in closing at $11.60 after an exchange of 5,309 shares, Main Event rallied 91 cents to close at $15.48 in switching ownership of 33,569 units. Medical Disposables lost 30 cents to close at $4, with 37,159 stocks crossing the market, MFS Capital Partners advanced 15 cents to $2.55, with an exchange of 468,075 units, Paramount Trading gained 10 cents to finish trading at $1.90 while exchanging 200 shares.
Stationery and Office Supplies shed 48 cents and ended at $27.50 in an exchange of 107,689 stock units and Tropical Battery dropped 9 cents to $1.95 and closed with 433,555 units changing hands.