Trading closed on Friday, with the market index rising but with the volume traded falling 47 percent and values 41 percent lower than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
The Market Index rose 24.73 points to 2,897.33 for a gain of 9.6 percent for the year to date. Similar to Thursday, 34 securities changed hands, with 19 rising, 12 declining and three remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 5,541,055 shares for $16,892,321 down from 10,531,327 units at $28,812,102 on Thursday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 22 percent of total volume for an exchange of 1.22 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 17.3 percent for 956,880 units and Caribbean Flavours with 11.8 percent for 656,369 shares.
Trading averaged 162,972 units at $496,833 slipping from 309,745 at $847,415 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 215,515 units at $615,400, compared to 227,586 units at $642,639 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 10 cents to $1.90 trading 217,976 shares, Blue Power picked up 5 cents to close at $3.10, with 1,695 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 12 cents to close at $1.83 in transferring 51,669 units. Caribbean Cream lost 14 cents to end at $4.65 after owners switched 2,087 units, Caribbean Producers gained 29 cents at $3.29 trading 5,651 shares, Dolphin Cove advanced 35 cents to $9.35 with 28,368 stock units crossing the exchange. Elite Diagnostic lost 5 cents to finish at $3 with 16,000 stocks changing hands, Fontana gained 5 cents to end at $5.80 trading 29,287 shares, GWest Corporation rose 6 cents to 89 cents with 125,397 units crossing the market, iCreate gained 5 cents to close at 75 cents with the swapping of 31,729 shares. Indies Pharma declined 23 cents to $3.18 after investors exchanged 550,100 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance fell 52 cents to $2.98, with 8,075 shares crossing the market. 
Knutsford Express slipped 51 cents to $6 in trading 18,167 shares, Lasco Distributors rose 14 cents to $3.74, with 4,197 stock units changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing gained 8 cents in ending at $4.34 after a transfer of 23,242 units, Lumber Depot gained 4 cents to close at $2.68 in an exchange of 522,779 units, Main Event fell 6 cents to $3.40 in an exchange of 14,000 stocks and Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50 in the switching of ownership of 37,500 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Securities trading, totalled 34 compared to 38 on Wednesday, with prices of 13 rising, 13 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Lasco Manufacturing dropped 34 cents to $4.26 with investors switching ownership of 154,200 units. Lumber Depot slipped 6 cents to $2.64 with 414,871 stocks traded and SSL Venture gained 8 cents to close at 66 cents with 3,850 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands down from 40 on Tuesday with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 15 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 34 cents to $4.60 with an exchange of 13,486 units, Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to $2.70 with 647,253 stocks changing hands, Mailpac Group increased by 14 cents to end at $3.49 with 782,591 stock units traded. Main Event climbed 32 cents to $3.47 with 900 shares passing through the market, Paramount Trading dropped 18 cents to $1.32 with a transfer of 449 stocks, SSL Venture slipped 6 cents to 58 cents with an exchange of 128,962 units and tTech rose 10 cents to $4.40 trading 90,000 units.
Trading ended with 40 securities compared to 36 on Monday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 20 declining and six ending unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, Access Financial shed 15 cents to close at $23 with 446 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.51 to $7.20 after trading 32,684 stock units. Caribbean Cream fell 14 cents to $4.65 after exchanging 69,212 stocks, Caribbean Flavours rose 20 cents to $2.10, in transferring 641,175 shares, Caribbean Producers picked up 8 cents at $3.03, in switching ownership of 37,966 stocks. Dolphin Cove advanced $1 to $9, after an exchange of 600 units, Everything Fresh shed 21 cents to close at $1 in exchanging 244,987 stocks, after the company reported poor 2020 results with a big loss, Express Catering fell 55 cents to close at $3.07 trading 35,200 stock units, Fontana declined 7 cents to $5.89, with 70,801 units changing hands. Fosrich lost 5 cents to close at $4.60, in trading 3,117,229 shares, General Accident gained 5 cents to close at $5.55 in exchanging 14,000 units, GWest Corporation ended 9 cents higher at 91 cents, with the swapping of 2,437 units. iCreate lost 10 cents in closing at 80 cents after trading 644,148 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance rose 20 cents to end at $3.80 with 41 shares crossing the exchange. Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $6.70 in transferring 34,497 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing lost 7 cents to close at $4.26 with 95,408 shares crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards dipped 14 cents to $2.65 in trading 47,543 units, Lumber Depot picked up 8 cents to end at $2.65, with the swapping of 582,767 shares. 
Mailpac Group shed 21 cents to end at $3.35, exchanging 1,054,580 stock units, Main Event gained 10 cents to end at $3.15, with 2,990 stocks changing hands, Medical Disposables fell 20 cents to $4.30 in transferring 174 units. SSL Venture lost 6 cents to close at 64 cents, after an exchange of 999,222 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 53 cents to $4.53 trading 320 stocks and tTech lost 5 cents in closing at $4.30, in switching ownership of 72,465 stocks.
At the close, Access Financial lost 15 cents to close at $23.15 trading 6,220 shares, Cargo Handlers gained 10 cents to end at $8.71, with 2,016 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers picked up 5 cents to settle at $1.85 after 13,440 shares cleared the market. Caribbean Flavours shed 21 cents to finish at $1.90, with 77,359 units crossing the market, Caribbean Producers ended 44 cents lower at $2.95 in an exchange of 165,544 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries fell 20 cents to $1.31 in trading 10,100 stock units, Derrimon Trading lost 7 cents to close at $2.51 after a transferring of 2,724,910 units, Elite Diagnostics gained 20 cents to finish at $3, with an exchange of 98,020 shares. Everything Fresh gained 9 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.21, trading 461,735 stock units, Fosrich fell 74 cents to $4.65 in an exchange of 84,486 shares, General Accident declined 44 cents to $5.50 with the swapping of 15,900 units. Honey Bun lost 7 cents to end at $5.12, with 9,230 units crossing the market, Indies Pharma rose 39 cents to $3.40 with the swapping of 664,045 shares, ISP Finance closed 29 cents lower at $25 trading 1,500 units. 
Lasco Distributors shed 26 cents to $3.61 after an exchange of 17,214 units, Lasco Financial ended 14 cents lower at $2.51, with 314,948 stock units crossing the exchange. Lasco Manufacturing lost 28 cents to $4.33, finishing with 118,342 units changing hands, Medical Disposables added 20 cents to close at $4.50, with an exchange of 4,700 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50, with the swapping of 2,242 units and SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 70 cents trading 78,600 shares.
Coming into the TOP10 are Fesco, the latest IPO that is expected to come to market shortly, with the prospectus having been released but temporarily withdrawn to correct some errors. JMMB Group and Sygnus Credit Investments are now in the TOP10 Main market listing.
This week’s focus: Grace Kennedy had outstanding results for 2020 with much more to come in 2021; expect the price to move sharply over the next few weeks. Caribbean Cement reported a 70 percent rise in profit for 2020 and is projected to earn $6.70 for 2021, the stock is an ideal candidate to move higher in the weeks ahead.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, a clear indication of strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14.7 and the Junior Market 9.8 based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.2 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 289 percent and 204 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2021-22 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.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands compared to 41 on Thursday, with 17 stocks rising, 11 declining and nine ending unchanged. The market closed with Everything Fresh, Fosrich and iCreate, ending at 52 weeks’ highs.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents in closing at $4.61, with 26,997 units changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 25 cents to $2.75, after trading 167,072 stock units, Mailpac Group lost 6 cents in closing at $3.56 with an exchange of 694,920 shares. Medical Disposables gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 after transferring 183,901 units, Paramount Trading lost 17 cents to end at $1.32 with the swapping of 5,800 units, SSL Venture rose 10 cents to 65 cents trading 916,152 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 30 cents in closing at $4, with 57,150 stock units crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than the last selling price and five with lower offers.
Lumber Depot climbed 8 cents to $2.55 with 193,170 stock units traded, Main Event shed 25 cents to close at $3.05 with a transfer of 2,111 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 17 cents to finish at $1.49 with 35,500 units passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 23 cents to $4.30 with 15,000 stocks changing hands and tTech shed 55 cents to end at $4.35 with 2,095 shares crossing the exchange.
The Junior Market Index rose 10.75 points to close at 2,918.23 to be up 10.4 percent for the year to date. Early in the morning session, the index hit a 2,949.48 points level that is higher than the close on February 21, last year.
Trading averaged 173,371 units at $458,568 in contrast to 328,973 at $1,043,523 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 363,591 units at $903,906, down from 376,123 units at $933,244 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Distributors climbed 22 cents to $3.87 with a transfer of 136,000 shares, Lasco Financial rose 10 cents to $2.60 with an exchange of 19,750 units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 12 cents to $4.26 with 282,351 units changing hands. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to finish at $3.62 with 480,450 stock units passing through the market, Main Event fell 27 cents to $3.30, trading 9 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies increased by 18 cents to settle at $4.53 with a transfer of 300 stock units and tTech advanced 20 cents to close at $4.90 with 4,201 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading averaged 328,973 units at $1,043,523 well upon 150,842 at $445,771 on Monday. The month to date averaged 376,123 units at $933,244, close to the 379,631 units at $925,038 on Monday. Trading in January averaged 232,651 units at $569,885.
Jetcon Corporation gained 13 cents to 79 cents, with 145,898 shares changing hands, KLE Group picked up 17 cents at $1.33 after a transfer of 749 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents to end at $3.65, in swapping 28,720 stocks. Lasco Financial lost 20 cents to close at $2.50, trading 135,748 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 35 cents to end at $4.38, with an exchange of 33,412 shares, Mailpac Group lost 15 cents to close at $3.49, in trading 665,514 units. Main Event shed 42 cents to end at $3.03 after crossing the market with 14,500 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies ended 18 cents lower at $4.35 in the transfer of 25,000 stock units.
