After moving aggressively on Monday, stocks gave back some of Monday’s gains at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Tuesday, with just over half the stocks traded declining with 34 percent fewer funds changing 21 percent fewer shares than on Monday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,342.33 points to 435,612.37, the Main Index shed 1,189.08 points to 397,180.49, and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.23 points to settle at 100.58.
Investors traded 47 securities changing hands, down from 49 on Monday and closed with 10 stocks rising, 25 declining and 12 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 19.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders moved 14,255,372 shares for $66,739,337 down from 18,062,183 units at $101,989,445 on Monday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 52.3 percent of total volume after exchanging 7.45 million shares, followed by Pulse Investments with 12.4 percent for 1.76 million units and Transjamaican Highway with 8.1 percent of the day’s trade for 1.16 million units.
Trading for the day averaged 303,306 units at $1,419,986, compared to 368,616 shares at $2,081,417 on Monday. The month to date averaged 336,641 units at $1,757,591 to February with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Barita Investments dropped $1.17 to $80 to finish with a transfer at 25,533 shares. Berger Paints shed 99 cents to $13.21, with 3,567 shares crossing the exchange. Caribbean Cement fell 50 cents to $69.50 trading 17,782 stocks, Jamaica Producers fell 50 cents to $19.95, with 13,179 stocks changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended $1.50 lower at $18 after 80,328 stock units crossed the exchange, Kingston Wharves shed 60 cents to settle at $45.60 trading 18,334 units, Mayberry Investments slipped 40 cents to $5.29 trading 8,864 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced $1.03 to $8 in switching ownership of 216,359 stock units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $5 to $150 after exchanging 73 shares, NCB Financial Group declined $1.33 in closing at $142, with 148,747 stock units changing hands, 138 Student Living rose 30 cents to $5.60, exchanging 20,286 stocks, Palace Amusement climbed $151.03 to $952.03 trading 30 shares. 
Portland JSX shed $1.40 to close at $7.10 in transferring 6,500 stocks, Proven Investments fell $2.15 to $37.25, after an exchange of 26,284 units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.90 to $52, with 20,712 stocks clearing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell $1.07 to $7.92 in a transfer of 379 stocks, Salada Foods rose 50 cents to $41.50 after trading 9,418 stocks. Scotia Group climbed $1.50 to $42.50, with 34,379 shares changing hands, Seprod gained 50 cents to end at $70 in trading 9,783 stocks and Stanley Motta shed 34 cents to $5.01, with 16,000 stock units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Several stocks posted strong gains leading the market into positive for the year to date, for only the second time since the start of the year, with January 5th being the only other day the market recorded gains over the 2020 close. The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,304.98 points to 436,954.70 at the close, the Main Index advanced 3,840.76 points to 398,369.57, but the JSE Financial Index slipped 037 points to 100.35.
Palace Amusement dropped $49 to $801, with 683 shares crossing the market, PanJam Investments rose $1 to $65, in an exchange of 13,660 stocks, Portland JSX ended $1.40 higher at $8.50, with the swapping of 2,000 units, 
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.
The market should move higher during the coming week following record breaking results by 
Trading for the day averaged 759,048 units at $2,394,191, Thursday ended with an average of 338,795 shares at $1,351,229. Trading month to date averaged 419,015 units at $2,509,660 for each security, in contrast to 399,667 units at $2,516,231 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund picked up 48 cents to close at $8.30, after 155,883 shares crossed the market, Salada Foods climbed $3.50 to $44, exchanging 97 stocks. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in ending at $42.50 trading 34,852 units, Seprod shed 54 cents to $69, with the swapping of 8,011 shares, Stanley Motta gained 35 cents to settle at $5.35, with 50 units clearing the market. Sterling Investments ended 36 cents higher at $3 in an exchange of 33,207 stock units and Supreme Ventures climbed $1.60 to $16.90 with 138,316 units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index inched 3.97 points up to 430,240.96 the Main Index rose 15.10 points to 392,402.29, and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.14 points to settle at 99.94.
Trading for the day averaged 338,795 units at $1,351,229, compared to an average of 626,545 shares at $3,374,266 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 399,667 units at $2,516,231, versus 403,340 units at $2,586,520 on Wednesday. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Portland JSX declined $1.20 to $7.10 in trading 8,000 stocks, Proven Investments closed $1.20 lower at $36 after exchanging 4,285 units, Sagicor Group gained 29 cents to close at $51.60, with the swapping of 4,089 shares. Salada Foods dropped $1 to $40.50 with a transfer of 2,182 shares, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to end at $43, with 15,411 stock units crossing the exchange. Sterling Investments shed 36 cents to $2.64 in exchanging 62,320 stocks, Supreme Ventures dropped 60 cents to close at $15.30, after a transfer of 527,323 units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 54 cents to close at $14.95 in trading 14,288 shares.
Trading for the day averaged 626,545 units at $3,374,266, compared to 440,155 shares at $4,160,882 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 403,340 units at $2,586,520 for each security, in contrast to 389,008 units at $2,535,940 on the prior trading day. Trading in January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Palace Amusement fell $199.90 to a 52 weeks’ low of $800, with 380 stocks crossing the market, Sagicor Group gained 31 cents to end at $51.31, in an exchange of 12,316 stocks, Salada Foods rose $1.51 to $41.50, with the swapping of 4,036 shares. Scotia Group closed 75 cents higher at $42.50, with 267,313 stock units crossing the exchange, Seprod advanced $1.54 to $69.54 trading 26,590 shares, Stanley Motta lost 35 cents to close at $5 in exchanging 31,207 units. Sygnus Credit Investments advanced 99 cents to $15.49 after transferring 70,560 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 90 cents to $16.45, with investors switching ownership of 73,639 shares.
Trading ended with stocks playing hopscotch, one day up one day down, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the market declining after almost the same number of stocks rose as fell. The value of trading climbed 202 percent, with only 23 percent more shares exchanged than on Monday.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 24.1 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 4.88 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 16.9 percent with 3.41 million units, Wigton Windfarm 11.3 percent for 2.29 million units. QWI Investments ended with 9.8 percent of the day’s trade for 1.99 million units, Ciboney Group 7.1 percent for 1.44 million units, Sagicor Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 6 percent for 1.22 million units and Grace Kennedy with 5.2 percent market share for 1.05 million units.
138 Student Living rose 45 cents to $6.50 after exchanging 8,916 units, PanJam Investment shed 50 cents to end at $65, in switching ownership of 43,014 shares, Proven Investments lost 33 cents to $37.20 trading 11,441 stock units, Sagicor Group fell 70 cents to $51 with 20,215 stocks clearing the market. Salada Foods advanced $2.99 to $39.99, with the swapping of 40,380 units, Scotia Group declined by $1.25 to $41.75, after exchanging 132,995 shares, Seprod shed $1 in closing at $68 with 3,164 stock units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1.10 to $14.50, in exchanging 51,037 units and Wisynco Group shed 95 cents to close at $15.55, with 94,561 shares changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Seprod climbed $2.15 to $69, with 16,385 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta lost 25 cents in closing at $5.20 trading 418 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose $1.17 to $15.60, in transferring 69,924 stocks.
Trading averaged 244,928 units at $1,247,943, compared to 240,393 shares at $954,393 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 388,213 units at $2,506,158 in contrast to 399,327 units at $2,608,760 on Thursday. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Scotia Group dropped $1 to $41 after exchanging 88,740 units, Seprod declined $2.15 to $66.85, with the swapping of 20,321 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 47 cents to end at $14.43, with 26,619 stock units crossing the exchange. Victoria Mutual Investments closed 50 cents lower at $5.30, with 325,640 stocks changing hands.
Trading for the day averaged 240,393 units at $954,393 for each security, compared to an average of 218,699 units at $2,129,289 on Tuesday. Month to date averages 399,327 units at $2,608,760 for each security, in contrast to 413,643 units at $2,752,324 on the prior trading day. Trading in January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Proven Investments increased $1.49 to $37.99 with 600 stocks traded, Sagicor Group shed $1.70 in closing at $50 with 50,015 units changing hands, Seprod gained $2 to settle at $69 with an exchange of 29,388 stock units. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 35 cents to $14.90, trading 54,293 units and Victoria Mutual Investments advanced 27 cents to $5.80 with 139,146 shares crossing the exchange.