The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed moderately higher on Tuesday after the market added nearly 90 points up late in the morning session, with the volume of stocks traded declining 21 percent and the value 29 percent lower than on Monday with 40 securities trading down from 47 on Monday and ended with prices of 20 rising, 16 declining and four closing unchanged.
A total of 9,486,819 shares were traded at $24,258,679 compared with 12,032,460 units at $34,094,366 on Monday.
Trading averaged 237,170 shares at $606,467 compared to 256,010 units at $725,412 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 196,347 units at $515,552 versus 187,473 stock units at $495,788 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 2 million shares for 21 percent of total volume followed by Derrimon Trading with 1.01 million units for 10.6 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 1 million units for 10.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 7.39 points to 3,912.36.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.7. The PE ratios of 
Junior Market stocks use ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $2.25 to end at $23.25 with an exchange of 50 shares, AMG Packaging lost 20 cents to close at $2.70 after trading 47,645 stock units, Blue Power shed 24 cents to $2.46 in transferring 2,700 units. Caribbean Cream gained 25 cents to close at $3.50 with 85,796 stocks crossing the market, Consolidated Bakeries popped 60 cents in closing at $2.60 with the swapping of 32,800 stock units, Dolphin Cove fell 11 cents to end at $15.18 in switching ownership of 5,529 units. 
EduFocal shed 11 cents to close at $2.06 in exchanging 213,512 stocks, Fontana popped 10 cents to finish at $8.80 after 54,166 shares were traded, Fosrich lost 7 cents in ending at $3.52 with investors trading 539,126 shares. General Accident dipped 49 cents to close at $4.50 with 5,603 stock units changing hands, Honey Bun gained 10 cents to end at $7.40 after trading 1,290 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance advanced 22 cents to $2.39 with the swapping of one unit. Knutsford Express rallied 15 cents to close at $10 as investors exchanged 63,301 shares, Lasco Distributors shed 13 cents to end at $2.54 after 8,275 stock units passed through the market, Lasco Financial rose 19 cents to end at $2.82 as investors exchanged 17,200 units. Main Event gained 37 cents to close at $9.92 after a transfer of 1,602 stocks, 
Paramount Trading fell 10 cents to end at $2.25 in trading 27,000 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies declined $1.23 to $14.26 with the swapping of 5,291 shares and Tropical Battery gained 14 cents in ending at $2.50 after exchanging 311,397 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market trading jumps
Surging trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday sent the volume of stocks trading up by 88 percent with a value 108 percent higher than on Friday after 47 securities changed hands compared with 45 on Friday and ended with 13 rising, 30 declining and 4 closing unchanged.
A total of 12,032,460 shares were exchanged for $34,094,366 compared to 6,415,297 units at $16,382,248 on Friday.
Trading averaged 256,010 shares at $725,412 compared with 142,562 units at $364,050 on Friday, with the month to date averaging 187,473 units at $495,788 compared to 163,960 stock units at $417,012 on the pior trading day. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
MFS Capital Partners led trading with 5.81 million shares for 48.3 percent of total volume followed by JFP Ltd with 1.02 million units for 8.5 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 826,181 units for 6.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 35.50 points to close at 3,904.97.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks include ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell $2.01 in closing at $21 after a transfer of 25,000 shares, Cargo Handlers dipped 38 cents to close at $13 in trading 149 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to end at $2.14, with 8,669 units clearing the market. Caribbean Cream dipped 24 cents to settle at $3.25 with investors transferring 5,932 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries lost 11 cents after ending at $2 with 569 stocks changing hands, Fontana shed 30 cents to close at $8.70 with the swapping of 7,751 shares. 
Fosrich lost 9 cents to end at $3.59 as investors traded 600,846 stock units, Future Energy Source shed 14 cents in ending at $4.63 with an exchange of 315,068 units, Honey Bun rallied 23 cents in closing at $7.30 in switching ownership of 1,028 units. iCreate lost 15 cents to end at $2 with a transfer of 331,953 shares, Iron Rock Insurance fell 33 cents to finish at $2.17 in an exchange of 1,026 stock units, KLE Group rose 23 cents to $2.08 after exchanging 21 stocks. Knutsford Express declined $1.15 in ending at $9.85 as investors traded 3,213 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 7 cents to close at $2.67 after 11,424 stock units passed through the exchange, Lasco Financial dipped 17 cents to $2.63 trading 19,000 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing shed 59 cents to end at $4.11 with 3,070 units changing hands, Main Event rose 35 cents to end at $9.55 after 6,413 shares passed through the market, Medical Disposables advanced 39 cents to close at $5 in trading 56,291 stock units. MFS Capital Partners gained 34 cents in closing at $3.55 in switching ownership of 5,814,055 units, 
Paramount Trading popped 15 cents to $2.35 after exchanging 92,494 stocks, Spur Tree Spices lost 12 cents to close at $2.78 with the swapping of 209,621 stock units. Tropical Battery shed 24 cents to end at $2.36 while trading 669,029 shares and tTech declined 14 cents to $2.41 with a transfer of 2,167 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Two companies exist ICTOP10
As was the case last week, the Jamaica stock market continues to consolidate as it awaits developments that will push investors to act decisively. At the same time, the Main Market traded heavily and sat below the close of the previous week but the Junior Market mostly traded above the prior week’s close.
After just one week in the ICTOP10, Tropical Battery price rose this week and resulted in the stock falling outside the top flight, to be replaced by Lasco Manufacturing that dropped out during the previous week. In the Main Market, Scotia Group slipped out of the TOP10 and Radio Jamaica reentered.
At the end of the week, Tropical Battery rose 9 percent to $2.60, Image Plus Consultants gained 6 percent to close at $2.05, Paramount Trading rallied 5 percent to $2.20 and Iron Rock Insurance rose 4 percent to end at $2.50. Honey Bun fell 8 percent to $7.07 and was the only one of only two stocks to decline for the week, with the other slipping by just one percent.
In the Main Market, 138 Student Living popped 11 percent to $5.56, while Berger Paints fell 8 percent to $9.75, followed by a 5 percent decline for Jamaica Broilers to close at $30.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 14.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.6 versus the market at 12.8, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 208 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average of 275 percent, to May this year. The major concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 16 stocks representing 33 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 31, averaging 21 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 116, with an average of 28 and 21 excluding the highest valued stocks and 28 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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 2023 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 and result 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.
More declines for Junior Market
Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday with moderate changes from Thursday after trading took place in 45 securities down from 47 on Thursday, and ended with 17 rising, 14 declining and 14 closing unchanged and resulting in a fall in the market index by 19.95 points to 3,940.47 and ending the week lower than the start of the year.
A total of 6,415,297 shares were exchanged for $16,382,248 against 5,986,665 units at $16,728,284 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 142,562 shares at $364,050 compared to 127,376 units at $355,921 on Thursday. Trading for the month to date averages 163,960 units at $417,012 compared with 174,426 stock units at $442,917 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
Tropical Battery led trading with 1.52 million shares for 23.6 percent of total volume followed by recently listed Image Plus Consultants, with 968,564 units for 15.1 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 927,094 units for 14.5 percent of market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dipped 99 cents in closing at $23.01 in an exchange of 204 shares, CAC 2000 advanced $1.25 to close at $8.35 in switching ownership of 12 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 10 cents to finish $2.04 in trading 500 stocks. Fontana rallied 40 cents after ending at $9 and trading 49,813 units, Fosrich gained 15 cents to close at $3.68 as investors exchanged 338,220 units, GWest Corporation popped 13 cents to end at $1.10 after transferring 3,064 stock units.
Honey Bun shed 36 cents in ending at $7.07 in switching ownership of 3,327 shares, iCreate rose 22 cents to $2.15 with the swapping of 927,094 stocks, following a release of the company signing an agreement to acquire Visual Ideas Execution Limited, ISP Finance popped 44 cents to $27.94 after exchanging 721 units. JFP Ltd gained 7 cents to settle at $1.77, with 293,494 shares crossing the market, Knutsford Express fell $1.50 to $11 with 1,948 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rose 64 cents to $4.70 with a transfer of 28,371 stock units. Main Event fell $1.04 to $9.20 after 7,713 units passed through the market, Medical Disposables shed 80 cents to close at $4.61 after trading 20,474 stocks, MFS Capital Partners gained 20 cents in closing at $3.21 after an exchange of 441,437 stock units.
Stationery and Office Supplies popped 50 cents to end at $15.50 with investors transferring just 1,627 shares and Tropical Battery gained 15 cents in closing at $2.60 after 1,515,045 stock units cleared the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market Index drops for a second day
Investors were less active in Trading levels dropped the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, resulting in a 40 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, with the value slipping by 30 percent compared to trading on Wednesday, with trading in 47 securities compared with 45 on Wednesday and ending with 23 rising, 17 declining and seven unchanged.
A total of 5,986,665 shares were traded for $16,728,284 versus 10,060,543 units at $24,020,110 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 127,376 shares at $355,921 compared with 223,568 units at $533,780 on Wednesday, with the month to date averaging 174,426 stock units at $442,917. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
MFS Capital Partners led trading with 872,884 shares for 14.6 percent of total volume, followed by Image Plus Consultants with 800,060 units for 13.4 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 696,555 units for 11.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 35.38 points to settle at 3,960.42, giving back all of Tuesday’s substantial gains and a bit more.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years that end between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Blue Power rose 27 cents in closing at $2.70 after 8,814 shares were traded, Cargo Handlers rallied 18 cents ending at $13.38 with investors transferring 540 stocks, Caribbean Cream fell 53 cents to $3.45 after an exchange of 31,088 stock units. Caribbean Flavours gained 12 cents to end at $1.74 as investors switched ownership of 1,101 units, Dolla Financial popped 10 cents to close at $3 with a transfer of 336,116 shares, Dolphin Cove rose 30 cents in closing at $15.30, with 38,892 stocks crossing the market. 
Elite Diagnostic popped 9 cents to close at $3.19 with 1,374 units changing hands, Express Catering lost 25 cents to end at $5 in switching ownership of 20,271 stock units, Fontana gained 10 cents to settle at $8.60 after swapping of 27,725 stocks. Fosrich dipped 16 cents to end at $3.53 in trading 224,651 shares, General Accident popped 53 cents to finish at $4.99 after 3,000 stock units cleared the market, Honey Bun advanced 19 cents to $7.43 after an exchange of 10,701 units, iCreate rallied 24 cents to $1.93 after trading 455,165 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 20 cents in ending at $3 with 11,248 units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance rose 33 cents to close at $2.50 as investors exchanged 100 shares. ISP Finance climbed $2.50 in closing at $27.50 after a transfer of 11 stock units, KLE Group gained 19 cents to settle at $1.90 after an exchange of 32,543 units, Lasco Manufacturing declined 54 cents to end at $4.06 after 33,289 stock units passed through the market. 
Limners and Bards dipped 39 cents to close at $2.35 in an exchange of 69,019 stocks, Mailpac Group shed 15 cents to $2.05 with a transfer of 54,898 shares, Medical Disposables rose 41 cents to $5.41 with the swapping of 10,254 stocks. Regency Petroleum lost 10 cents ending at $1.81, trading 304,679 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 15 cents to close at $15 in exchanging 2,320 units and Tropical Battery gained 9 cents to end at $2.45 with the swapping of 650,135 stock units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 16 cents in closing at $1.18 in an exchange of 5,145 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market still 2023 positive after sharp fall
Stocks mostly dropped in trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday with the market index diving 62.44 points to 3,995.80, leaving the market in positive territory for the year to date, following a 42 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, with 71 percent lower value than on Tuesday with trading of 45 securities similar to trading on Tuesday and ended with 11 rising, 25 declining and 9 closing unchanged.
A total of 10,060,543 shares were traded for $24,020,110 compared to 17,230,599 units at $84,183,965 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 223,568 shares at $533,780 compared with 382,902 units at $1,870,755 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 3.74 million shares for 37.2 percent of the total volume, Regency Petroleum followed with 998,836 units for 9.9 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 909,926 units for 9 percent market share. The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 13. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year endings that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial declined $1.99 in closing at $24.01 after trading 654 shares, Blue Power fell 44 cents to end at $2.43 in an exchange of 50,000 units, CAC 2000 shed $1.37 to $7.10 with a transfer of 1,106 stock units. Cargo Handlers lost 10 cents in ending at $13.20 with 189,491 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Flavours dipped 13 cents to $1.62 in switching ownership of 5,313 stock units, Dolphin Cove dropped 34 cents to $15 in an exchange of 4,854 stocks. EduFocal gained 12 cents in ending at $2.31 after 34,935 shares cleared the market, Express Catering popped 25 cents to close at $5.25 in trading 32,900 units, Fontana fell 65 cents to end at $8.50 as investors switched ownership of 40,274 units. Fosrich dipped 7 cents in closing at $3.69 with the swapping of 865,091 stocks, 
Future Energy Source lost 9 cents in ending at $4.77 afte365,816 stock units were traded, GWest Corporation fell 16 cents to end at 97 cents with 10,000 shares crossing the market. Honey Bun dipped 20 cents to $7.24 as investors exchanged 73,077 stocks, iCreate lost 10 cents to close at $1.69 after a transfer of 103,865 units, Indies Pharma shed 48 cents in closing at $2.80 with 19,857 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance fell 23 cents to finish at $2.17 trading 140 stock units, ISP Finance declined $1 ending at $25 after clearing the market with 126 stocks, Knutsford Express advanced $1.50 to $12.50 with investors transferring 7,526 stock units. MFS Capital Partners gained 18 cents to end at $3.04 with 909,926 shares changing hands, 
Spur Tree Spices lost 40 cents in closing at $2.95 with the swapping of 100,088 units and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 70 cents to $15.15 after transferring 2,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market highest close since November 10
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange jumped a solid 91.02 points to close at 4,058.24 on Tuesday, following two previous days of healthy gains as the market closed at the highest point since November 10 last year with 1.8 percent rise for 2023 to date. Trading resulted in an 18 percent rise in the volume of stocks changing hands with the value surging 143 percent higher than on Monday after trading took place in 45 securities, similar to Monday, and ended with 25 rising, 13 declining and 7 closing unchanged.
A total of 17,230,599 shares were traded for $84,183,965, compared with 14,577,720 units at $34,703,364 on Monday.
Trading averaged 382,902 shares at $1,870,755 compared with 323,949 units at $771,186 on Monday with the month to date averaging 239,755 units at $646,375 compared to 232,638 stock units at $585,494 on Monday, the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 3.79 million shares for 22 percent of total volume followed by Regency Petroleum with 2.58 million units for 15 percent of the day’s trade, Knutsford Express with 2.02 million units for 11.7 percent market share, Future Energy Source with 1.34 million units for 7.8 percent, Fosrich with 1.24 million units for 7.2 percent and Stationery and Office Supplies with 1.02 million units for 5.9 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cream rose 50 cents to end at $4 in exchanging just two shares, Dolphin Cove gained 34 cents in closing at $15.34 after a transfer of 6,499 stock units, Future Energy Source popped 21 cents after ending at $4.86 in trading 1,336,935 units. Honey Bun rose 34 cents to $7.44 in switching ownership of 16,639 stocks, Indies Pharma popped 15 cents to $3.28 with 991,855 units changing hands, KLE Group lost 19 cents to settle at $1.71 in trading 6,468 stock units. 
Knutsford Express fell $1.47 to close at $11 with an exchange of 2,016,500 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 35 cents to finish at $4.60 after 14,215 shares cleared the market, Limners and Bards rallied 33 cents to end at $2.80 in an exchange of 640,442 shares. Mailpac Group gained 17 cents in ending at $2.15 after investors transferred 801,490 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5 in trading 112 units, Paramount Trading rallied 18 cents to $2.19 trading 500 stocks. Regency Petroleum popped 17 cents to end at $1.92 after 2,583,810 stock units passed through the market, Spur Tree Spices gained 34 cents in closing at $3.35 with the swapping of 3,785,671 stocks and 
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $2.95 to close at $15.85 with the swapping of 1,023,291 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share shed 15 cents to settle at $1.02 with investors transferring 7,788 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market climbs for a second day
Trading jumped on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday with the Market Index rising 29.17 points to 3,967.22, following a 54 points rally on Friday and a 33 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded and the value 28 percent above Friday’s trades from 45 securities trading compared with 44 on Friday, ending with 19 rising, 21 declining and five closing unchanged.
A total of 14,577,720 shares were traded for $34,703,364, up from 10,955,295 units at $27,089,084 on Friday.
Trading averaged 323,949 shares at $771,186 compared with 248,984 units at $615,661 on Friday, with the month to date averaging 232,638 units at $585,494, up from 227,860 stock units at $575,778 on the previous trading day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 3.14 million shares for 21.5 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 2.48 million units for 17 percent of the day’s trade, MFS Capital Partners with 1.82 million units for 12.5 percent and Fosrich with 1.81 million units for 12.4 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 45 cents in closing at $25.99 after trading 8,427 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 17 cents to settle at $2.17 in a transfer of 1,000 stocks, Caribbean Cream dipped 25 cents to $3.50 after investors exchanged 12,936 units. Consolidated Bakeries advanced 26 cents to $2.11 after 3,272 stock units cleared the market, EduFocal lost 11 cents to end at $2.19 with 46,458 shares changing hands, Everything Fresh gained 7 cents in ending at $1.47 after 59,072 stock units passed through the market. Express Catering rallied 28 cents to $5 after an exchange of 51,999 units, Fosrich popped 45 cents to close at $3.80 with 1,807,371 stocks changing hands, General Accident fell 53 cents to $4.46 in switching ownership of 3,724 shares. GWest Corporation gained 16 cents in closing at $1.13 after a transfer of 3,010 units, Honey Bun shed 59 cents to end at $7.10 with investors transferring 8,380 stocks, iCreate rallied 11 cents to $1.79 after 279,256 stock units crossed the market. Image Plus Consultants popped 11 cents to finish at $2.04 with the swapping of 3,140,961 units, Indies Pharma advanced 83 cents to $3.13 in switching ownership of 380,654 stock units, ISP Finance declined $1 to close at $26 as investors exchanged 900 stocks. KLE Group gained 19 cents to end at $1.90 in trading 40 shares, Lasco Manufacturing shed 54 cents ending at $4.25 with a transfer of just 511 stocks, Limners and Bards popped 21 cents in closing at $2.47 in an exchange of 374,170 stock units. Main Event advanced $1.15 to $10.27 with 300 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables declined 40 cents to $4.60 with the swapping of 173 units, Paramount Trading lost 9 cents to close at $2.01 in transferring 313,900 shares. 
Regency Petroleum rose 15 cents to $1.75 trading 903,498 units, Spur Tree Spices gained 19 cents to end at $3.01 in exchanging 747,070 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped $1.60 in closing at $12.90 in switching ownership of 7,846 stock units and Tropical Battery lost 7 cents in ending at $2.32 after 27,229 units were traded.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
A Lasco company exists ICTOP10
The Jamaica stock market continues to consolidate, awaiting a dynamic development to push it decisively in one direction or another as the Bank of Jamaica quietly tightened the money supply further in January, drying up buying power in the short run. The first big likely move is unlikely to be a reduction of interest rates which is seemingly set to occur in the second quarter, but the reporting of substantially increased profits to flow from some companies.
Tropical Battery returns to the ICTOP10 list for this week with projected earnings of 30 cents for the current year, up from 15 cents last fiscal year and replaces Lasco Manufacturing which dropped out with a rise in price during the week as the supply of the stock has drooped sharply recently, with just 11 offers to sell now in the system.
Image Plus Consultants reported nine months results with revenues rising 27 percent in the November quarter to $248 million and 43 percent in the nine months to $803 million, while profit rose moderately to $24 million from $22 million in 2021 and for the nine months profits nearly tripled that of 2021 to reach $148 million. The company reported incorrect earnings per share for the periods, using the incorrect number of shares. As a result, rather than 29 cents per share for the quarter and $1.84, it is 2.3 cents and 15 cents for the nine months. Regardless, the stock is cheap based on these earnings and those to come.
Honey Bun rose 10 percent to $7.69, with the December quarter results due any time now, Lasco Financial gained 9 percent to $2.84 and Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 percent to $4.79. General Accident rallied 6 percent to $4.99. Image Plus Consultants entered the ICTOP10 after just one day of trading and fell to a low of $1.86 during the past week before rebounding to close this past week with a fall of 12 percent to $1.93, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 percent of its value to close at $2 and Paramount Trading fell 5 percent to $2.10.
All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market Berger Paints popped 12 percent to $10.60, followed by a 9 percent rise for Jamaica Broilers to close at $31.50 and Guardian Holdings with a gain of 4 percent to $535. There were no notable losses.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 15, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 versus the market at 12.6, critical indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 211 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 274 percent to May this year. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before the full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 15 stocks representing 31 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 29, averaging 21 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, with prices of Fosrich and Future Energy adjusting downwards closer to the average of the TOP15. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 116, with an average of 27 and 20 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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 will likely deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 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.
Juniors bounce on Friday
Stocks mostly rose on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, pushing the Market Index 53.99 points higher to 3,938.05, recovering most of the 57 points loss on the previous day, as the market closed with a 13 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded as the value fell 15 percent from Thursday’s activities after trading of 44 securities compared with 46 on Thursday and ending with 21 rising, 13 declining and ten closing unchanged.
Investors traded 10,955,295 shares for $27,089,084 compared with 12,623,385 units at $31,723,485 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 248,984 shares at $615,661 versus 274,421 units at $689,641 on Thursday, with the month to date averaging 227,860 units at $575,778 compared with 226,721 stock units at $573,627 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 2.41 million shares for 22 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.60 million units for 14.6 percent of the day’s trade, Fosrich with 1.32 million units for 12 percent market share and ONE on ONE Educational with 1.29 million units for 11.8 percent of stock traded.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks use ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
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, Access Financial rallied 55 cents to $25.54 in exchange of 18 shares, Cargo Handlers rose $1.65 in closing at $13.30 after clearing the market with 3,800 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 18 cents to end at $2 after an exchange of 413,448 stock units. Consolidated Bakeries dipped 29 cents to $1.85 in transferring 302 units, Dolphin Cove gained 8 cents to end at $15 with the swapping of 42,378 stocks, Fosrich gained 34 cents to close at $3.35 with 1,315,735 stock units changing hands. 
Future Energy Source lost 14 cents to end at $4.64 after 640,143 shares passed through the market, General Accident popped 89 cents in closing at $4.99, trading 313 units, Honey Bun gained 19 cents to settle at $7.69 in switching ownership of 6,915 stocks. Indies Pharma shed 30 cents to close at $2.30 with the swapping of 299,425 units, KLE Group fell 19 cents to close at $1.71 in exchanging 1,900 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced $2.34 to $12.44 after 2,804 shares crossed the exchange. Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5, trading 31,703 shares, 
MFS Capital Partners lost 13 cents in closing at $2.83 as investors exchanged 289,128 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 9 cents to end at $2.39 in switching ownership of 207,578 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
