Straight out of the opening, stocks prices rose and pushed the market index up nine points at the start and up 29 points just before half an hour of trading having elapsed on Tuesday. As the morning progressed, buying pressure constantly pushed the index along to close out just below the 3,000 points mark and the day’s peak of 2,983.41 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The Junior Market Index surged 35.57 points to close at 2,981.55, just 19 points adrift of the 3,000 mark and shy of the previous best close of 2,994.69 points, on February 10, last year and recording a gain of 12.8 percent for the year to date.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands, down from 37 on Monday and closed with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 12 declining and nine remaining unchanged.
The PE Ratio averaged 16.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading volume and vales rose 258 percent and 243 percent respectively above Monday levels with an exchange of 14,669,963 shares for $43,192,636, up from 4,093,792 units at $12,580,039 on Monday. Limners and Bards dominated trading with 74 percent of total volume in exchanging 10.92 million shares, followed by Jamaican Teas with 7.4 percent or 1.08 million units and Lasco Manufacturing with 5.7 percent for 839,196 units.
Trading averaged 444,544 units at $1,308,868, up from 110,643 at $340,001 on Monday. The month to date averaged 255,170 units at $741,265, versus 244,206 units at $708,404 on Monday. February averaged 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power shed 50 cents in closing at $3.50, with 14,812 shares crossing the market, Cargo Handlers gained 7 cents to end at $8.57 with an exchange of 5,407 stocks, Caribbean Cream lost 18 cents to close at $4.82 trading 109,998 stocks, Caribbean Flavours gained 13 cents to end at $2.33 with 129,256 units clearing the market. Dolphin Cove rose 55 cents to $9 trading 3,205 stocks, Express Catering gained 20 cents in closing at $3.70 and transferring 13,176 units, GWest Corporation lost 6 cents to finish at 81 cents in an exchange of 18,382 shares. Indies Pharma closed 30 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.50 with 294,303 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors shed 7 cents to $4.08 after trading 119,353 units, 
Limners and Bards slipped 10 cents to $2.70 after a transfer of 10,916,426 shares. Lumber Depot gained 5 cents to end at $2.50 in trading 52,534 stocks. Medical Disposables fell 58 cents to $4.15 with 892 shares clearing the market and tTech shed 14 cents to end at $4.70 with 48,759 units changing hands.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share fell 35 cents to $1.15 after exchanging 8,886 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with nine securities changing hands, compared to five on Monday, with prices of two rising, four declining and three remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ends at 13.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Proven Investments lost 0.01 of a cent to 24.98 US cents, with 10,059 units changing hands, Sterling Investments fell 0.01 of one cent to close at 1.99 US cents after exchanging 25,128 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments remained at 14 US cents in trading23,991 shares and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.01 of a cent to close at 0.89 US cents with an exchange of134,525 stock units.
Trading ended with 15 securities changing hands compared to xx on the previous trading day, with the prices of four stocks rising, two declining and nine remaining unchanged. The Composite Index rose 1.29 points to 1,345.63, the All T&T Index advanced 1.96 points to end at 1,782.01 and the Cross-Listed Index inched 0.08 points higher to 123.01.
JMMB Group rose 1 cent to $1.83, with 1,333 shares changing hands. Massy Holdings settled at $63.50 trading 78 shares, One Caribbean Media stayed at $4.60 trading 404 stock units, Prestige Holdings rose 5 cents to $7.50 in an exchange of 251 stock units. Republic Financial Holdings fell 50 cents to $131.50 with 15 shares changing hands, Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $15 in exchanging 3,400 units, Trinidad Cement increased 24 cents to $3.24 trading 476 stocks. Unilever Caribbean dropped 25 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $16 while exchanging 15,580 units and West Indian Tobacco ended at $32.51 in an exchange of 25 stocks.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, similar to Friday and ended with two rising and three trading unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index gained 1.18 points to end at 198.38.
At the close, First Rock Capital closed at 8.9 US cents while exchanging 19,012 shares, Margaritaville ended at 10 US cents with 6,500 stock units trading, Proven Investments gained 0.79 US cents in closing at 24.99 US cents in switching ownership of 220,030 units. Sygnus Credit Investments rose half a cent in closing at 14 US cents in 170,358 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway stayed at 0.9 of one US cents in owners switching 104,561 shares.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 888.44 points to 431,888.88, the JSE Main Index fell 893.61 points to 393,677.16 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.38 points to 98.92.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
Scotia Group shed 75 cents to $41.25 trading 21,626 stock units, Seprod slid 95 cents to $71.05 after exchanging 15,843 shares, Sterling Investments gained 31 cents to close at $2.91 after 2,950 stock units crossed the market and Wisynco Group gained 49 cents to close at $15.99 with a transfer of 29,860 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Indies Pharma advanced 90 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $4.20 with 427,490 shares clearing the market. Knutsford Express rose 45 cents to $5.55, with 2,437 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors picked up 7 cents to close at to end at 52 weeks’ high of $4.15 in switching ownership of 125,573 stock units, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to $2.64, after transferring 3,146 shares. Lasco Manufacturing climbed 12 cents to $4.46, with 23,948 units changing hands, Lumber Depot dipped 13 cents to $2.45, after clearing the market with 176,529 stocks, Main Event ended 6 cents higher at $3.12 in an exchange of 50,000 units. Paramount Trading gained 12 cents to settle at $1.43 trading 1,000 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 96 cents to $5.58 trading 106 units and tTech gained 9 cents to close at $4.84, transferring 21,683 stocks.
First Citizens Bank closed at $47.50, with 2,177 stock units crossing the market, Grace Kennedy slipped 1 cent to $4.99 with 2,200 stocks changing hands, Guardian Holdings ended at $26, in the trading of 6,407 units. JMMB Group ended at $1.82 in exchanging 10,400 shares, Massy Holdings remained at $63.50 in trading 110 units, National Enterprises traded 6,409 stocks at $3. National Flour Mills lost 5 cents to close at $2.15 after 100 stock units changed hands, One Caribbean Media gained 10 cents to end at $4.60 after exchanging 1,050 shares, Republic Financial Holdings ended at $132, with 37 stock units clearing the market. Scotiabank remained at $55.21 while exchanging 251 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL fell 10 cents to close at $15 after trading 6,157 stocks and West Indian Tobacco dropped 49 cents to $32.51 with an exchange of 27,143 shares.
Junior Market stocks kept above the 2,900 mark of the market index only slipping below that level just one day during the week, as the market continues to consolidate in the move higher. Main Market stocks made attempts to break clear of the consolidation zone but the market is awaiting some strong profit results to move prices and that will not come until late April.
The Main Market has a number in the list that have put out record profits or show signs of strong earnings in 2021, with the stocks clearly undervalued, these include, JMMB Group, Jamaica Broilers, 
This week’s focus:
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, indicating strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15 and the Junior Market 10, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.5 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.4 or 49 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 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 JSE USD Equity Index lost 1.77 points to end at 197.20. The average PE Ratio ends at 13.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, First Rock Capital advanced 0.41 of one cent to 8.91 US cents with the swapping of 55,463 shares, Proven Investments rose 0.3 of a cent to 24.2 US cents after exchanging 70,979 stock units, Sterling Investments rose 0.02 of a cent to 2 US cents trading 12,994 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 13.5 US cents with an exchange of 7,153 units and Transjamaican Highway ended at 0.9 US cents in trading 212,124 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Salada Foods lost 30 cents to finish at $44.20 in swapping 1,782 stocks, Scotia Group rose $1.89 to $42, trading 63,546 shares. Sterling Investments fell 31 cents to $2.60 in an exchange of 6,721 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 30 cents to finish at $15.40, with 50,715 units crossing the market and Wisynco Group closed 47 cents higher at $15.50, with 16,279 shares clearing the market.
