The US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed trading on Wednesday, with the market declining after traded over 1,460 percent more shares than on Tuesday, resulting from trading just two securities similar to Tuesday with the price of one rising and one remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equities Index lost 1.49 points to settle at 181.82, with the average PE Ratio ending at 13.2 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 302,184 shares, accounting for US$71,447 compared to 19,285 units at US$4,431 on Tuesday.
The average trade for the day amounted to 151,092 units changing hands for US$35,724, in contrast to an average of 9,643 shares at US$2,216 on Tuesday. Trading ended, with an average of 85,243 units for the month to date at US$6,125 in contrast to 77,296 units at US$2,643. By comparison, August ended with an average of 83,402 units for US$7,526.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ending with bids higher than its last selling prices and one with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Proven Investments closed at 24.8 US cents, with 291,183 shares crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 1.4 US cents to end at 14.9 US cents with an exchange of 11,001 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 30 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 10 declining and seven remaining unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 17.95 points to settle at 2,486.06. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.6 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging gained 11 cents to end at $2.11 in trading 15,758 shares, Blue Power rose 12 cents in closing at $3.41, with 2,000 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers picked up 2 cents to finish at $7.30 in trading 468 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers ended at $1.91 after gaining 1 cent with an exchange of 39,656 shares, Caribbean Cream rose 34 cents to settle at $4.40, after 21,897 stock units passed through the market, Caribbean Flavours lost 19 cents ending at $18.30, with 50,609 shares changing hands. Caribbean Producers lost 4 cents trading 21,578 stock units to settle at $2.32, Dolphin Cove shed 50 cents to finish at $6, with an exchange of 7,924 stock units, Elite Diagnostic gained 15 cents in transferring 6,000 stock units and closed at $3.20. Everything Fresh ended at 68 cents, with gains of 3 cents after exchanging 6,300 units, Express Catering rose 40 cents to $4.35 in trading 468,000 shares, Fontana picked up 1 cent to close at $4.76, with 66,012 units crossing the exchange. 
General Accident lost 5 cents to end at $6.37, in trading 6,482 stock units, Honey Bun lost 25 cents to close at $4.71 after 1,728 units crossed the market, Indies Pharma shed 27 cents in closing at $2.51, with 186,538 shares crossing the exchange. Lasco Financial lost 7 cents to end at $2.08 after exchanging 35,513 shares, Lasco Manufacturing shed 4 cents to close at $3.75, after trading 22,855 shares, Limners and Bards gained 9 cents to end at $2.85, exchanging 9,935 stock units. MailPac Group gained 4 cents to end at $2.09, with 198,740 shares changing hands, Main Event rose 5 cents to end at $3.45, in an exchange of 1,098 units, Medical Disposables shed 30 cents to finish at $4.50 trading 64,000 stock units. Paramount Trading gained 2 cents to end at $1.54, with 1,700 units changing hands and tTech fell 76 cents to $4.01, with 123 shares clearing the market.
The market closed with eleven securities trading with three stocks advancing, one declining and seven unchanged. Trading resulted in 135,995 shares valued at $1,331,885 changing hands, compared to 85,316 shares for $1,386,510 on Tuesday from 16 securities.
First Citizens Bank rose to $46.65, with gains of 40 cents trading 2,700 units and Scotiabank picked up 6 cents, exchanging 4,144 stock units to end at $54.75.
Stationery and Office Supplies and Jetcon Corporation dropped out of the Junior Market list, the former earning, was revised down for 2020, with the loss incurred in the June quarter while Jetcon price inched up, to be squeezed out of the top stocks.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profit of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, an indication of the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15 and the Junior Market 10.8, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. 
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6 at just 56 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.1 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
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 will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Iron Rock Insurance declined 5 cents to settle at $2.85 with investors switching ownership of 13,319 stock units, Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents to close at $4.60 with 118,300 stock units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation rose 9 cents and exchanged 408,415 shares to end at 93 cents. Knutsford Express gained 10 cents to end at $6.90 with investors transferring 5,350 shares, Lasco Distributors rose 1 cent to settle at $3.01 with an exchange of 47,841 units, Limners and Bards closed 1 cent higher at $2.76 with 51,824 stock units changing hands. Lumber Depot fell 5 cents to end at $1 with 157,348 shares passing through the market, Mailpac Group added 1 cent and exchanged 143,925 stocks to settle at $2.05, Main Event declined 30 cents to close at $3.40 with 26,047 stock units traded and tTech dropped 73 cents to end at $4.77 with 16,227 units crossing the exchange.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,674.54 points to 401,637.06, the Main Index carved out a gain of 1,545.95 points to 366,576.42 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.12 points to close at 96.29.
Trading ended with an average of 113,552 units changing hands at $637,545, in comparison to an average of 241,851 shares at $1,208,807 on Monday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 185,696 units at $1,300,931 for each security, in contrast to 200,398 units at $1,436,123 on Monday. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Jamaica Broilers Group declined by 45 cents in closing at $25 and 33,295 shares crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange carved out a gain of 62 cents to end at $18.62 trading 12,262 units, Mayberry Investments settled at $5.69, with a rise of 57 cents, with 2,000 units passing through the market. Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 43 cents to end at $8.07 with investors swapping 122 stock units, NCB Financial fell 60 cents to settle at $135, after exchanging 48,381 shares, Palace Amusement dived $400 in closing at $1,100, in trading 20 shares. Proven Investments climbed $1.75 to settle at $35.90, with 1,191 units changing hands, Scotia Group lost $1 to end at $47 with 7,120 units crossing the exchange and Seprod climbed $1.40 to close at $52.40 with investors switching ownership of 63,478 shares.
At the close of the market, trading ended with two securities changing hands compared to one on Monday and ended with the prices of one stock rising, none declining and one remaining unchanged.
By comparison, August ended with an average of 83,402 units for US$7,526.
The market closed with sixteen securities trading with the prices of three stocks advancing, seven declining and six companies’ shares closing unchanged. The volume of stocks passing through the market amounted to 85,316 shares valued at $1,386,510 compared to 35,937 shares for $727,964 on Monday from 20 securities.
Massy Holdings ended 50 cents lower at $58.50, in transferring 373 units, National Enterprises lost 2 cents to settle at $4, with an exchange of 9,626 stock units. Prestige Holdings finished at $8, after losing 20 cents trading 1,352 units and West Indian Tobacco lost 1 cent exchanging 1,638 units to close at $36.99.
Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Jamaica Stock Exchange declined by $3 to settle at $18 after 101,669 shares changed hands. JMMB Group shed 49 cents to end at $29.51, in exchanging 143,462 stock units, Kingston Properties advanced $1.20 to $7.50 with an exchange of 15 stock units, Kingston Wharves gained 50 cents, trading 9,008 units to end at $48. Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 50 cents to $8.50, with 133,975 shares changing hands, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $5 to $155 and cleared the market with 549 units, NCB Financial fell $1.40 to $135.60, in exchanging 11,126 stock units. Proven Investments lost $1.85 to end at $34.15, after trading 2,105 units, Seprod dropped $2 to settle at $51 with investors switching ownership of 215,510 shares, Sterling Investments gained 30 cents ending at $3.20, with 62,334 stock units crossing the exchange and Sygnus Credit Investments climbed $1.75 to close at $16.80 trading 38,323 shares.
Trading ended with 32 securities changing hands compared to 28 on Friday and ended with the prices of 14 stocks rising, the prices of 12 stocks falling and six remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Honey Bun closed at $4.70 after losing 40 cents in transferring 7,000 stock units, iCreate gained 6 cents clearing the market with 16,200 shares to end at 74 cents, Indies Pharma closed 16 cents higher at $2.79 after trading 3,600 units. Jetcon Corporation gained 1 cent to end at 84 cents, with 43,851 shares passing through the market, Knutsford Express shed 10 cents in ending at $6.80 and trading 2,750 units, Lasco Distributors lost 12 cents to settle at $3, with an exchange of 235,733 shares. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to end at $2.15, after transferring 9,825 stock units, Limners and Bards gained 14 cents and ended at $2.75, in trading 15,608 units, MailPac Group shed 10 cents to close at $2.04, with an exchange of 118,642 shares. Medical Disposables lost 19 ents, with 16,028 stock units changing hands to end at $4.80 and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 1 cent to close at $5.60, with investors swapping 47,847 stock units.
