Main Event rose in price and Medical Disposables (Meds) dropped out of the TOP 10 and were replaced by Caribbean Cream and Jamaican Teas.
Main Event rose from $5.50 to $5.75 on Friday, enough to lift them out of the Top list. Earnings at Meds were lowered with the release of the 6 months results with a 21 percent increased sales, in the September quarter but a reduction in profit margin and net profit.
JMMB Group rose from $29.50 to a record close of $30.50 and is sitting at the lower end of the main market list. Grace Kennedy reported good September quarter results, excluding one off gains while Berger Paints‘ six months results show revenues for the September quarter rising 21 percent and profit is up approximately 70 percent when the cost associated with the offer from Ansa Coatings offer is taken out. Berger traded to close on Friday at $15 and is one to watch in the week.
This coming week should see a raft of company results that could shake up the top 10 in both markets. On Friday Lasco Financial, a former TOP 10 stock, reported profit that more than doubled in September quarter to $100 million and up 63 percent to $167 million for the six months. These results could encouraged increased buying in the stock.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 9.1 and a PE at 7.3 for the main market TOP 10.
The average PE for the overall main market trades at 14 and 13.7 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 39 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 48 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for Caribbean Cement, Cable & Wireless that is expected to post improved profit in the latest quarter from increasing revenues, NCB Financial, Berger Paints, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident that is expected to benefit from a rise in premium rates, Lasco Financial, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.
Stationery & Office Supplies back in TOP 10
Stationery & Office Supplies back in IC Insider.com TOP 10
There is just one change in and out of the IC Insider.com TOP 10. Lasco Distributors dropped out, resulting from the Judge’s ruling in their claim against Pfizer, suggesting that damages will be substantially lower than the amount claimed.
Lasco is replaced by Stationery and Office Supplies returning after just one week out of the top list. The company should report results for the nine months during the coming week. BUY RATED Caribbean Cement that was expected to exit the top list during the past week remains with the price retreating to close the week at $31 as investors failed to follow through on the pick up in price in the prior week in response to the third quarter results to September. Berger Paints also slipped back, with the price falling from $17 last week to end at $14 this past week, 
but it traded during the week as high as $18.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.4 and a PE at 7.3 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 48 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for, Cable & Wireless that is expected to post improved profit in the latest quarter from increasing revenues, 
NCB Financial, Berger Paints that should release September results early this week, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident that is expected to benefit from a rise in premium rates, Paramount Trading after the company announced new expansion into chlorine and bleach production and Stationery and Office with September results early this week.
Cement to head out of TOP 10
Caribbean Cement increased sales by 14% in Q3 2017.
IC Insider.com BUY RATED Caribbean Cement that showed all the signs of a big pay day is set to break out of the TOP this coming week as investors belated respond to this year’s results.
The company posted earnings of 88 cents for the September quarter, from a 15 percent increase in volume sales and should earn over $3 per share for 2017 and seems set to earn more than $4 in 2018 as it benefits from an upsurge in construction activity that will accelerate next year. The stock climbed to trade at a 52 weeks’ high of $40 on Friday, but closed at $36.10, a strong 33 percent ahead of the close of the previous week. Berger Paints is up 21 percent from last week’s close and is heading higher with very good prospects for increased profits this fiscal year and the next, as construction activity continues to benefit from increased demand, helped by falling interest rates that will make home ownership less costly than before.
Pulse Investments dropped out of the Top tier and Cable and Wireless has returned, the next set of results should help to move this stock higher. The Junior Market saw one change with Main Event entering, just edging out Stationery and Office Supplies.
The main market enjoyed the fourth consecutive weekly record close, driving the All Jamaica Composite Index to a record 321,000.17. 
The market is well clear of resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index and continues heading to the next major resistance at the 360,000 points range, on its way to the 500,000 points mark in 2018.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.3 and a PE at 8 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 14.2 and 13.8 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 40 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 44 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for Caribbean Cement, Cable & Wireless, NCB, Berger Paints, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.
NCB jumps TOP 10
NCB Financial Group closed at a record $107 on Friday.
NCB Financial returned to the main market list last week, but with a jump of $16 to $107 during the week, it ii no longer in the top list.
Barita Investments traded up to $9 and is now out of the listing. Pulse Investments and Seprod replaced NCB and Barita as the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at new record high on Friday, the third consecutive week of record close, driving the All Jamaica Composite Index 313,990.54.
While the main market is making new highs, with gains of 49 percent for 2017, the junior market with gains of just 12 percent at the end of the previous week is now up 17 percent as the market moved higher for the past week helped by strong results by Paramount Trading, Express Catering and increased buying of Stationery and Office Supplies that pushed the price to $5.50 to sit at 10th spot and could well be off the list by the end of the coming week.
The Junior Market list had no movement in or out in the past week. Trading in Berger Paints shares recommenced on Tuesday, after just 6.6 million units were sold by investors in response to the buyout offer by Ansa Coatings at $10.88 per share with the price closing at $14 on Friday and seemingly poised to rise further during the coming week as investors attempted to trade it at $17 which was outside the daily price limit of 30 percent above the last price. The stock has much room to climb, with the March 2018 full year’s earnings that should hit $2.30 per share.
The main market blast well clear of resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index and heading much higher to the next major resistance at the 360,000 points range.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.1 and a PE at 7.5 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.9 and 13.8 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 41 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 45 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for NCB, Berger, Jamaica Broiler, General Accident, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.
Access & NCB in TOP 10
NCB Financial Group enters TOP 10
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at new record high on Friday, the seond week in a row that it doing so and in the process the all Jamaica Composite Index broke the 300,000 mark for the first time.
While the main market is making new highs, with gains of 43 percent for 2017, the junior market with gains of 30 percent at its peak this year, is now up just 12 percent for the year to date. Access Financial returned to the Junior Market list and NCB Financial to the main market list even as the latter price moved back to $91 at the end of the week and with just 33,603 units being offered for sale.
Suspension of the trading in Berger Paints shares is expected lifted on Tuesday, October 17. At the time of this report, no information was available on the level of take up of the buyout offer for the minority of the company’s shares by Ansa Coatings. The stock that traded at $11.25 when trading was suspended, should climb with the March 2018 full year’s earnings should hit $2.30 per share.
Investors continue to switch attention from Junior Market, to main market stocks, with the latter having pierced resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Composite Index could now be heading much higher as it moves on to the next major resistance at 360,000 point range on or before the end of the year.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.9 and a PE at 7.1 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.5 and 13.1 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 40 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 47 percent for the main market.
Jamaican stocks shooting for the stars
NCB could push JSE into breakout territory soon.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index raced to a record close of 300,363.16 on Friday, just around resistance level.
The market seems poised to break through the above level sooner than later.
This resistance is a short term one, going back to 2014, when the market started to move up within the channel shown in the accompanying chart. The market made a number of attempts to break out but was constrained by the upper resistance line. It is now making the second attempt to do so within a month and could finally do that, this coming week if NCB Financial makes its final attempt to really move higher in line with its fundamentals, with full year results that should at least reach $9 per share and the announcement of a big final dividend payment, just a few weeks away. Supporting the upward move is the shortage of the stock with only 33,603 units offered for sale at the close of the market on Friday. At the same time the stock trades in Trinidad at J$100.
Th all Jamaica Composite Index trades jsut at resistance and is itching to break out of the channel going back to 2014.
The market decisively broke through the long term resistance of 280,000 points, starting in Mid-September. The resistance line can be traced back to late 1994 and the then 2015 peak, signaling that a big move is ahead as there are no major resistance until the 360,000 market and then 505,000 depending on the pace of the market move.
The technical indicators point to a market that is clearly heading higher with the fundamentals lending support to the technical. The all Jamaica Composite Index has decisively broken through the long term resistance of 280,000 points, starting in Mid-September and heading to higher highs.
The fundamental factors include and growing economy, interest rates that are declining, low inflation, business and consumer confidence that are at record highs, employment on the rise, construction, tourism and the mining sectors growing and likely to have some direct impact on listed companies.
The market decisively broke through the long term resistance of 280,000 points, starting in Mid-September and now has no long term barrier to push much higher.
Bank leading is climbing well above the rate of inflation a good indicator for pickup in economic activities. Government fiscal operations are running with a surplus currently. The wayward Jamaica dollar seems to be tamed with the currency now at a slightly lower value than at the end of 2016. Importantly, there are few areas that can now compete well with the stock market.
Also supporting the rise higher is the fact that the average PE ratio of the main market is over 13, with the top half selling at 16.5, with more than half of the market priced 11 times and below, suggesting big gains ahead for underpriced stocks. The list includes big capitalized stocks such as Caribbean Cement, Grace Kennedy, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Sagicor Group, NCB Financial and Scotia Group.
Record 299,091 points for JSE on Monday
Sagicor Group traded at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $39.99 on Monday.
In another record close for the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the All Jamaican Composite Index ended on Monday just shy of the 300,000 mark after climbing 1,334.26 points to an all-time closing high of 299,091.16 and the JSE Index, pushed higher by 1,215.66 points to a record close at 272,505.87.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with 23 securities changing hands, 9 advanced, 12 declined and 2 traded firm with 310,999,356 units valued at $2,974,897,171 compared to 5,262,809 units valued at $149,711,405 on Friday as Supreme Ventures accounted for 307 million units while Sagicor Group traded at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $39.99.
In the US dollar market, trading accounted for 2,300 units valued at US$1,380 as just one security traded resulting in the price rising and the JSE USD Equities Index advancing 2.29 points to close at 187.15.
Trading ended with an average of 13,521,711 units for an average of $129,343,355 in contrast to 250,610 units for an average of $7,129,115 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 48911643 3,041,577 units valued at $42,110,123 and previously 927,164 units valued at $15,214,449. In contrast, September closed with average of 283,480 units at $3,630,990 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Sagicor out C&W in TOP 10
JMMB Group Traded at a new high of $27.99 on Friday.
In a week when Jamaica Stock Exchange main market closed at record high each day, JMMB Group that IC Insider.com said was itching to rise, surged to an intraday high of $27.99 and ended at a record close of $25.11 but still remains in the TOP 10 Main market stocks.
Cable and Wireless is the only new entrant to the listings, just edging out Sagicor Group in the main market, there were no new change to the Junior Market list. With the company now clearly in the profit lane things should be getting even better in 2018 making it a long term investment proposition. Barita Investments came in for increased selling in late September and still remains under pressure with limited buying interest, as investors await details of the offer from Cornerstone, to acquire majority shares in the company. This could be a case of investors missing the bus by waiting, with the net asset value at $7 as of June this year and the price just 10 percent above.
Trading in shares of Berger Paints was suspended on Thursday with resumption scheduled for October 17, the stock has been trading ahead of the price of $10.88 offered by Ansa Coatings and should be trading in the $20 region, and is clearly one for the future with growth taking place in the construction sector. 
All indications suggest that very few shareholders will take up the offer when it closes at the end of Monday.
Investors appear to have switched attention from Junior Market to main market stocks, with the latter seemingly set to break through short term resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index on the way to the next major resistance at 365,000 point range.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.7 and a PE at 7.1f or the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.6 and 13.2 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 42 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 48 percent for the main market.
TOP 10 – SOS & Barita back in
The recently listed Stationery and Office Supplies is back in the Junior Market Top 10 stocks along with CAC 2000 with the price falling to $6.50 while Barita Investments with a fall in price to $8 is back in the Main market list.
Barita Investments has come in for increased selling and limited buying as investors await details of offer from Cornerstone for the majority of the company’ shares.
Investors should keep an eye on Berger Paints this week, as investors could push this one higher as they sense the continuation of listing for the stock and a bounce when offer by Ansa Coatings closes early in October. 
JMMB Group is itching to rise with limited supply and guarded buying.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.7 and the PE for the main market TOP 10, ends the week at 6.8. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.1 and 13.4 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 48 percent for the main market.
TOP 10 – main market to shine
Sagiocr Group returns to TOP 10 list
IC Insider.com said last week, the main market sits just below the critical 290,000 point mark and seems headed to break through that level, based on the shortage of supply for Scotia Group shares.
During the past week the All Jamaica Composite Index (AJI) surged to 296,779.53 during trading on Thursday.
The AJI high of the past week is just shy of the 298,000 points the report stated the cut in BOJ’s bench mark rate would translate to. Having broken through the critical 290,000 points resistance level it looks like the main market is free to move to the next resistance level around 370,000 points. 
The junior market on the other hand raced ahead of the main market earlier this year and is struggling currently as a number of the stocks were pushed to values well ahead of the rest of the market and have been undergoing downward adjustment. The other factor is that many investors are not looking ahead as to what earnings could be. The recent trading of Stationery and Office Supplies is a case in point. Demand fell away ahead of the release of half year results, only to climb after the company released strong growth in profit, suggesting it could be just slightly ahead of IC Insider.com’s original forecast of 40 cents per share. This is not the only case of investors currently miss pricing stocks, but time usually takes care of it.
Buying came in for Barita Investments that returned to the top list last week pushing it out of the list once more, as some buying came in for the stock even with increased selling and 
Sagicor Group returned to the listing having been pushed out in the prior week.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.3 and the PE for the main market TOP 10, ends the week at 6.9. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.2 and 13.2 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 45 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 48 percent for the main market.
