Trading started out with a promise for a meaningful rise on Wednesday, with the market climbing to 3,040.03 points within less than an hour of the market opening. In the end, the market index drifted back to close marginally higher at the conclusion of market activity on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Investors traded 36 securities, down from 38 on Tuesday, resulting in the prices of 13 rising, 15 declining and eight remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index added a mere 1.43 points to finish at 3,012.88 and recorded a 14 percent rise for the year to date. The average PE Ratio ended at 12.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Trading accounted for 5,748,389 shares at $19,205,192 compared to 5,875,378 units at $21,108,083 on Tuesday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 40 percent of total volume for 2.3 million shares, followed by Fontana with 12.8 percent for 735,864 units and Lasco Manufacturing with 10 percent market share for 574,001 units.
Trading averaged 159,677 units at $533,478, in line with 154,615 at $555,476 on Tuesday. The month to date averages 165,892 units at $574,829, compared to 169,232 units at $597,047 on Tuesday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $3.08 to $22.16 after clearing the market with 50 shares, AMG Packaging lost 30 cents to close at $1.70, with 28,000 stocks crossing the exchange, Blue Power rose 16 cents to $3.74 with 142 shares changing hands. Cargo Handlers advanced $1.20 to $8.70 in switching ownership of 45 stock units, Caribbean Cream gained 15 cents to end at $5.55 after clearing the market of 78,741 units, Caribbean Flavours picked up 8 cents in closing at $2.20 in an exchange of 7,711 stocks. Caribbean Producers lost 26 cents to end at $3.50 in trading 140,115 units, Consolidated Bakeries gained 20 cents to settle at $1.54 with an exchange of 204,519 shares, Dolphin Cove lost 13 cents to end at $7.90 trading 550 stock units, Everything Fresh closed 5 cents higher at 99 cents with 15,500 units crossing the market. Express Catering finished 12 cents lower at $4.78 after an exchange of 27,186 shares, Fontana shed 13 cents to close at $5.75 in transferring 735,864 units, 
Iron Rock Insurance lost 5 cents to end at $3.55 trading 2,311 stock units, Jetcon Corporation fell 5 cents to 71 cents with the swapping of 151,000 units. Lasco Manufacturing shed 22 cents to settle at $4.26 with 574,001 stock units changing hands. Mailpac Group rose 9 cents to $3.54 after 381,236 units crossed the market and tTech declined 19 cents to $4.41 with the swapping of 25,457 shares.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 5 cents in closing at $1.20 in exchanging 7,932 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The Junior Market Index rose 14.96 points to close at 3,011.45, the highest close since February 4 last year. Trading opened with the market index clocking 3,040.95 points and moved 3,046.56 points at 9.37 am, but back off thereafter to close at the lower level. The average PE Ratio ended at 12.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Trading averaged 154,615 units at $555,476, in contrast to 188,384 at $651,520 on Thursday. The month to date average resulted from an exchange of 169,232 units at $597,047, compared to March with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Indies Pharma rose 30 cents to $4, with 40,589 shares crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express advanced 83 cents to $6.34 in exchanging 250 units, Lasco Distributors shed 20 cents to close at $3.89 in trading 3,130,924 stocks. Lasco Financial gained 20 cents to end at $3.10 in an exchange of 245,470 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing lost 7 cents in closing at $4.48 with a transfer of 36,143 units, Mailpac Group fell 16 cents to $3.45, with 505,601 stocks crossing the market. Medical Disposables gained 49 cents in closing at $4.69 in trading 1,519 shares, SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 60 cents in switching ownership of 3,426 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 72 cents to $5.50 with the swapping of 384 units.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are now SOS, followed by Elite Diagnostic Main Event and Jetcon Corporation. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica, followed by PanJam and VM Investments. The top three junior Market stocks have the potential to gain between 295 to 318 percent and those in the main market with expected gains of 173 to 452 percent.
This week’s focus: Future Energy Source Company Initial Public Offer of 500 million shares, that ICInsider.com indicated last week should be snapped up quickly by investors, with the company having long-term prospects for strong growth, did just that. NCB Capital Markets, the brokers for the issue, reported on Thursday that the issue, priced at 80 cents per share and opened on Wednesday, closed on Thursday after another Junior Market IPO issue was oversubscribed. The successful closure of the issue will see the number of listed companies rising to 42 from the current 41.
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 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 5.4 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.4 or 50 percent of the PE of that market.
At the same time, the JSE Main Market, while trading above the March 2001 low, is nowhere near the 2020 high and closed out the first quarter marginally down on the 2020 closing.
In the meantime, the JSE Main Market failed to move higher in 2021, ending the first quarter 0.20 percent lower than the December close. It is still a bit lower than the 442,905.76 reached on the All Jamaica Composite Index after the early rebound from the 2020 low of 375,091.09 reached on March 25 last year, or the 438,045.18 reached subsequently on November 30.
The Main Market recorded gains in 16 stocks that beat the market’s average move in 2021, with 26 falling below. Main market stocks with healthy gains are Ciboney with a stunning 142 percent rise, followed by Salada Foods with 125 percent gain aided by a 10 to one stock split, Grace Kennedy 37 percent, First Rock 31 percent and proven Investments 27 percent. Palace Amusement Company that the Covid-19 dislocation has badly hurt is the worst-performing stock with a 51 percent decline, followed by Portland JSX with a loss of 25 percent and Radio Jamaica with 22 percent. Wisynco lost 14 percent and Wigton Windfarm 13 percent.
The market index climbed 13.95 points to finish at 2,982.95. Just 30 securities traded, down from 38 on Tuesday, resulting in 13 stocks rising, 12 declining and five closed unchanged, resulting in 14,376,733 shares trading for $36,855,263, up from 3,008,031 shares for $7,749,677 on Monday. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading led trading with 74 percent, with a transfer of 10.7 million units, followed by Tropical Battery with one million units for 7 percent of the day’s trade and Mailpac with 3.9 percent after trading 566,794 shares,
Limners and Bards rose 6 cents to $2.75, with 257,417 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 7 cents to $2.30 with a transfer of 359,623 units, Mailpac Group picked up 4 cents to finish at $3.49 trading 566,794 stock units. Medical Disposables traded 200 shares but lost 55 cents to close at $4.15 and SSL Venture Capital rose 4 cents to 60 cents while trading 4.400 shares.
At the close, the market index slipped 3.41 points to finish at 2,969, with the market enjoying a 12.3 percent rise for the year, with just one more day left for the first quarter to end. This year’s performance contrast with a 32.7 fall in the market index at the same time in 2020. Since then, the market has gained 32 percent in value.
Trading averaged 79,159 units at $203,939, down from 195,011 at $497,993 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 243,918 units at $714,145, verusu 252,356 units at $740,275 on Monday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Limners and Bards fell 10 cents to $2.69, with 59,408 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 7 cents to $2.30 with a transfer of 359,623 units, Mailpac Group lost 5 cents to finish at $3.45 with an exchange of 165,721 stock units. Paramount Trading declined by 11 cents to end at $1.30 with investors swapping 22,050 units, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 20 cents to $5.50 with 47 units traded and tTech climbed 34 cents to $4.81 with 18,908 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading accounted for 37 securities, up from 33 on Friday, with the prices of six rising, 22 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The Junior Market Index shed 12.29 points to settle at 2,972.41. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, AMG Packaging fell 18 cents to $1.90 in trading 2,555 units, Cargo Handlers shed 21 cents to close at $8.50, with 3,013 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers finished 13 cents lower at $1.91, after 4,029 stocks cleared the market. Caribbean Cream lost 6 cents in closing at $4.99 in exchanging 10,846 units, Caribbean Flavours rose 37 cents to close at $2.27 trading 133,707 stocks, Dolphin Cove shed 42 cents to close at $8.03 in a transfer of 700 units, Elite Diagnostic lost 9 cents to settle at $3 trading 32,100 stocks. Express Catering gained 7 cents in closing at $3.80, after exchanging 68,617 shares, Fosrich ended 6 cents lower at $5.19 in exchanging 15,486 units, General Accident lost 6 cents to end at $5.50 with 448,517 stocks changing hands, Honey Bun slipped 7 cents to $5.02 with the swapping of 13,811 shares. iCreate lost 5 cents to end at 77 cents and finished with a transfer of 252,717 stock units, Indies Pharma gained 20 cents to close at $4 in the swapping of 180,504 units, Iron Rock Insurance fell 80 cents to $2.80 in switching ownership of 100 stocks. 
KLE Group shed 24 cents to end at $1 after 134,900 stocks crossed the exchange, Lasco Manufacturing lost 8 cents to end at $4.38 with an exchange of 25,019 stock units. Limners and Bards gained 4 cents in closing at $2.79 after trading 849,093 units and Mailpac Group picked up 5 cents to close at $3.50 with 1,058,633 shares changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Knutsford Express rose 80 cents to $6.35 after exchanging 500 units, Lasco Distributors rose 8 cents to $4.14, with 49,688 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing lost 13 cents to end at $4.46 in an exchange of 101,862 stocks. Limners and Bards gained 5 cents to close at $2.75 with the swapping of 2,276,465 shares, Main Event rose 32 cents to $3.47, with 50,000 stocks hands and tTech finished 8 cents higher at $4.50 after transferring 40 units.
Trading averaged 237,883 units at $805,093, a fall from 337,793 at $1,021,945 on Wednesday.
Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to finish at $2.70 with a transfer of 824,921 units, Mailpac Group rose 6 cents to $3.45 with 617,187 shares traded, Main Event shed 32 cents to settle at $3.15 with 152,969 stocks passing through the market.Medical Disposables jumped 58 cents to $4.73 with a transfer of 270 units and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 27 cents to $5.30 with 4,150 shares crossing the exchange.
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.
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.
