Stocks mostly rose in trading on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market, with the Market Index jumping 40.52 points to 4,104.06 as the volume of stocks traded surged 217 percent more than on Wednesday as the value jumped by 226.00 percent.
A total of 40 securities traded down from 44 on Wednesday, with 21 rising, eight declining and 11 closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate values for stocks, averages 22.2 for the Junior Market. The PE ratio of stocks in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years to the end of August 2022.
Overall, 51,849,620 shares traded for $167,982,544 compared to 16,377,032 units at $51,552,856 on the Wednesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 37.14 million shares accounting for 71.6 percent of total volume, followed by Jetcon Corporation, 3.24 million units for 6.3 percent of the day’s trade, FP Limited with 2.98 million units for 5.7 percent market share. EduFocal chipped in with 2.53 million units for 4.9 percent market share, Future Energy Source traded 1.35 million units for 2.6 percent market share and Tropical Battery ended with 1.22 million units for 2.4 percent market share of the overall volume.
Trading averaged 1,296,241 shares at $4,199,564 in contrast to 372,205 shares at $1,171,656 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 639,741 units at $2,373,786 compared to 600,606 units at $2,264,947 on the previous trading day. February closed with an average of 370,064 units at $1,402,517.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial lost $1 to $20 in switching ownership of 5,271 shares, Blue Power shed 19 cents to end at $4 in exchanging 3,127 stock units, Cargo Handlers rose 80 cents in closing at $11.40 with an exchange of 12,093 units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 16 cents to close at $2.20 with 98,983 stocks changing hands, EduFocal popped 23 cents to $3.37 in exchanging 2,532,213 stocks, Everything Fresh increased 11 cents to $1.21, with 11,031 units changing hands. Future Energy Source advanced 10 cents to close at $6.30 after 1,350,570 stock units crossed the exchange, Jamaican Teas rallied 10 cents to end at $3.71 after exchanging 599,034 shares, Jetcon Corporation climbed 21 cents to $1.11 with the swapping of 3,243,403 stocks. Lasco Distributors popped 24 cents to $3.79, with 13,228 stock units crossing the market, Limners and Bards rallied 10 cents to close at $3.30 after an exchange of 442,861 shares Main Event declined 97 cents to $8, with 84,780 units clearing the market. 
Paramount Trading gained 13 cents in ending at $1.75 after trading 4,859 stock units, Spur Tree Spices advanced 25 cents to $3.60 with 37,136,928 units passing through the exchange, SSL Venture dropped 50 cents to end at $1.50 as 313,121 shares were traded and tTech increased 23 cents in closing at $4.29 after exchanging 207 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Overall, 44 securities trading compared to 45 on Tuesday and ended with 19 rising, 20 declining and five closing unchanged, leaving the Junior Market Index advancing just 6.87 points to settle at 4,063.54, after hitting just over 4,123 points shortly after the market opened.
At the close, AMG Packaging declined 10 cents in ending at $3 after exchanging 159,587 shares, Blue Power rose 18 cents to close at $4.19 in trading 3,153 units, Cargo Handlers shed 95 cents to $10.60, with 5,831 stocks changing hands. strong>Caribbean Cream rallied 51 cents in closing at $5.23 after exchanging 139 stock units, Derrimon Trading climbed 17 cents to end at $2.70 with the swapping of 30,411 stock units, Dolphin Cove gained $1 to close at $27 while exchanging 66,796 stocks. EduFocal lost 13 cents to end at $3.14, with 3,409,042 shares crossing the market, Elite Diagnostic increased 11 cents in ending at $3.02 after 41,526 units changed hands, Everything Fresh dropped 11 cents to $1.10 in exchanging 51,967 stock units. Express Catering rose 20 cents in closing at $5.23 in trading 44,755 units, Fosrich popped 35 cents to $16.35, with 44,152 shares crossing the market, Honey Bun rallied 88 cents to end at $10 trading 20,739 stocks. JFP Limited fell 10 cents to close at $1.25 in an exchange of 4,484,237 units, Knutsford Express fell 55 cents in closing at $7.45 with an exchange of 3,210 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 35 cents to $4.55 in switching ownership of 238,630 shares. 
Limners and Bards dropped 10 cents in closing at $3.20 after 91,413 stock units crossed the exchange, Lumber Depot climbed 13 cents to $3.50 with 133,403 stocks changing hands, Mailpac Group shed 21 cents to end at $3.08 after exchanging 359,901 shares. Spur Tree Spices lost 13 cents in ending at $3.35 after exchanging 244,406 units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 45 cents to close at $7.49 after trading 16,100 stock units, Tropical Battery popped 17 cents ending at $2.35 in switching ownership of 644,617 shares and tTech increased 16 cents in closing at $4.06 with the swapping of 906 stocks.
Trading ended with 20 stocks rising, 21 declining and four closing unchanged, leading to the Junior Market Index popping 43.25 points to settle at 4,056.67.
At the close, Access Financial rose 20 cents to end at $21 after trading 161 shares, AMG Packaging popped 15 cents in closing at $3.10 after exchanging 8,200 units, CAC 2000 lost 34 cents after ending at $7.55, with 1,363 stock units crossing the market. Cargo Handlers increased $3.05 to $11.55 and closed trading with 4,364 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 14 cents to close at $2.10 after 193,028 stocks crossed the market, Caribbean Cream shed 51 cents to end at $4.72 in exchanging 2,676 stock units. Caribbean Flavours gained 10 cents to close at $2.02 with 20,500 units changing hands, EduFocal rallied 12 cents to $3.27 after trading 14,239,618 shares, Fosrich fell 20 cents in closing at $16 in finishing trading with 3,350 shares. Future Energy Source advanced 16 cents to $6.15 in an exchange of 1,350,940 stock units, General Accident dropped 24 cents to $5.91 in exchanging 67,578 units, GWest Corporation declined 10 cents to 94 cents in switching ownership of 15,579 stocks. Iron Rock Insurance climbed 21 cents to $3.41 with the swapping of 96,745 units, ISP Finance shed $2.21 to close at $29.99 with an exchange of 160,889 stocks, Jamaican Teas climbed 12 cents in closing at $3.62 in trading 326,321 shares. 
KLE Group fell 20 cents to $2.65, with 41,960 stock units changing hands, Knutsford Express advanced 15 cents to end at $8 while exchanging 2,271 shares, Lasco Financial rose 22 cents to $3.42 in trading 4,276 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing popped 31 cents in closing at $4.90 while 1,554,527 units crossed the exchange, Limners and Bards gained 10 cents to close at $3.30 after exchanging 60,238 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 13 cents to close at $3.37 with 1,550,143 stock units switching owners. Mailpac Group rose 30 cents to $3.29 after 1,579,531 units changed hands, Main Event dropped 14 cents to $9 while exchanging 441,279 stocks and SSL Venture fell 20 cents to end at $2 after finishing trading of 333,461 shares.
Market activity led to 41 securities trading compared to 42 on Friday, with 15 rising, 21 declining and five closing unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 38.77 points to settle at 4,013.42.
At the close, AMG Packaging dropped 20 cents to close at $2.95 after trading 111,476 shares, Cargo Handlers fell $3 to $8.50, with 4,059 stocks clearing the market, Caribbean Cream rallied 52 cents in closing at $5.23 after switching ownership of 33,000 stock units. Dolphin Cove increased $2 to $26, with 233,348 units crossing the market, Express Catering lost 19 cents to end at $5.06 trading 43,078 stock units, Fosrich shed 65 cents in closing at $16.20 while exchanging 1,519,918 shares. Jamaican Teas rose 13 cents to end at $3.50, with 486,088 stocks changing hands, KLE Group popped 65 cents to $2.85 with the swapping of 20,852 units, Knutsford Express declined 15 cents to close at $7.85 in trading 11,860 stocks. Lasco Distributors fell 22 cents in ending at $3.48 after 47,266 stock units crossed the market, Lasco Financial shed 24 cents in closing at $3.20 with an exchange of 40,868 units, Limners and Bards declined 15 cents to end at $3.20 in exchanging 294,766 shares. 
Lumber Depot dropped 13 cents to $3.50 in an exchange of 909,098 stocks, Main Event gained 81 cents ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $9.14 after an exchange of 460,045 units, Spur Tree Spices lost 14 cents to close at $3.46, with 497,787 shares changing hands. SSL Venture climbed 30 cents to close at $2.20 after exchanging 41,161 stock units, Tropical Battery advanced 16 cents after ending at $2.17 and trading 685,585 stocks and tTech lost 34 cents to end at 3.91 with 55,488 units changing hands.
The Junior Market potential gains for the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks stand at 109 percent, much lower than the Main Market at 137 percent, an indication that Main Market is greatly undervalued. The top three stocks in the Junior Market are Elite Diagnostic, Medical Disposables followed by
The average PE for Junior Market is well ahead of the average of 17 times 2020 earnings achieved at the end of March last year in moving to 21.8 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings, pushed up mainly by five stocks, with EduFocal and Main Event over 100 times 2021 earnings. Excluding the 5 highest PE ratios over 40, the average would be around 18. The JSE Main and USD Markets at 15.8 is well off from 19 in 2021. The TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of a mere 8.6, with a 45 percent discount to that market’s average.
The depressed PE of the main market is an indication that bigger investors are reluctant to be aggressive in buying into the market currently, with inflation, rising interest rates and war populating the headlines.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on the possible increase for each company, considering the earnings and PE ratios 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 per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
A total of 42 securities were traded on Friday, similar to Thursday. At the close, 18 gained, 17 declined and seven ended unchanged.
At the close, Access Financial fell 20 cents in closing at $20.80 while exchanging 7,532 shares, Cargo Handlers gained 49 cents to close at $11.50, 62 with stocks units changing hands, Dolphin Cove shed 15 cents to end at $24 in an exchange of 52,902 stock units. EduFocal rallied 75 cents to end at a record $3.07, with 11,180,753 units crossing the exchange, Express Catering advanced 25 cents ending at $5.25 in switching ownership of 49,975 with 35,634 units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance rose 8 cents to end at $3.20 in exchanging 3,500 stocks. Jamaican Teas declined 23 cents to $3.37 after an exchange of 296,928 shares, Jetcon Corporation dropped 8 cents to end at 81 cents trading 94,486 units, JFP Limited fell 34 cents to $1.36 after exchanging 9,679,780 stock units. Knutsford Express climbed 10 cents to close at $8 in trading 100 shares, Lasco Distributors popped 10 cents to $3.70 with the swapping of 26,490 units, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 15 cents in closing at $4.50 with 344,003 stocks passing through the exchange. 
Lumber Depot popped 18 cents after ending at $3.63, with 388,982 stock units crossing the market, Mailpac Group rallied 8 cents in closing at $3.08 with an exchange of 205,414 shares, Main Event jumped $2.33 to end at 52 weeks’ high of $8.33 after finishing trading 358,718 stocks. Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $3.60 after 927,861 units crossed the market, Tropical Battery lost 10 cents to close at $2.01 after exchanging 2,066,964 stock units and tTech advanced 34 cents to end at $4.25 and closed with 82,028 stock units changing hands.
The ICInsider.com PE Ratio chart covers all ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped on an industry basis, allowing for easy comparisons between same sector companies as well as the overall market.
At the close, Access Financial rallied $2.55 to end at $21, with 1,559 shares crossing the market, Blue Power rose 61 cents to $4 while exchanging 22,039 stocks, CAC 2000 rose 36 cents to close at $7.89 in an exchange of 1,462 units. Cargo Handlers climbed $1.87 after ending at $11.01 in trading 16,540 stock units, Dolphin Cove gained $2.15 in closing at $24.15 after exchanging 27,441 units, EduFocal popped 57 cents to end at a record of $2.32 in trading 9,716,123 shares. Express Catering fell 17 cents to close at $5 with an exchange of 10,295 stock units, Fosrich lost 10 cents in ending at $16.85 with 91,159 stocks changing hands, General Accident increased 25 cents to end at $6.15 with 3,000 shares clearing the market. GWest Corporation dropped 13 cents in closing at 94 cents in exchanging 10,206 stocks, Honey Bun advanced 79 cents to close at $9.71 after trading 23,898 stock units, Jamaican Teas popped 12 cents in closing at $3.60 with 262,059 units changing hands. JFP Limited declined 15 cents to $1.70, with 18,409,007 shares crossing the market, Knutsford Express shed 10 cents to end at $7.90 in switching ownership of 3,290 stocks Lasco Distributors fell 19 cents to end at $3.60 after trading 206,064 units. 
Limners and Bards lost 10 cents to $3.38 with an exchange of 263,888 stock units, Lumber Depot rallied 21 cents to end at $3.45 with the swapping of 2,279,622 stock units, Main Event dropped 90 cents to close at $6 in an exchange of 19,214 units and Paramount Trading rose 13 cents in closing at $1.80 in switching ownership of 1,000 shares.
At the close, Access Financial rallied 45 cents to $18.45, with 4,443 shares crossing the market, Blue Power dropped 51 cents in closing at $3.39 with an exchange of 629 stocks, Caribbean Cream popped 5 cents to $4.72 with the swapping of 1,802 stock units. Dolphin Cove lost 90 cents to end at $22 after exchanging 23,157 units. EduFocal gained 43 cents to close at a record high of $1.75 after trading 2,154,085 stocks, Elite Diagnostic shed 6 cents ending at $2.97, with 27,678 units clearing the market. Everything Fresh fell 6 cents to close at $1.15 while exchanging 35,264 stock units, Express Catering advanced 29 cents in closing at $5.17 with 3,549 shares changing hands, Fontana fell 6 cents to $9.72 in trading 58,977 stocks. Fosrich declined 5 cents to end at $16.95 after 46,783 shares crossed the exchange, Future Energy Source dropped 27 cents to $6.02, with 1,827,068 units changing hands, General Accident shed 29 cents to $5.90 in switching ownership of 2,163 stock units. 
Indies Pharma popped 5 cents to end at $3.08 after an exchange of 5,797 units, Jamaican Teas increased 31 cents to close at $3.48 after 456,342 stock units changed hands, Jetcon Corporation lost 6 cents in closing at 83 cents trading 5,279 stocks. JFP Limited rose 17 cents to end at $1.85 with 20,417,992 shares crossing the market, Mailpac Group rallied 5 cents to $3.05 with 569,061 units changing hands, Spur Tree Spices fell 10 cents in closing at $3.70 in an exchange of 863,248 stocks and Tropical Battery dropped 5 cents to $2.13 trading 672,301 shares.
Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock. This approach helps to take emotions out of the investment decision and put in on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors.