Stationery and Office Supplies was the highlight of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday with the price closing at a record high of $26.45 with more than 500,000 share trading and closed with bids at $26.45 to buy 220,709 shares and at $26 to buy 114,415 shares, in contrast, stocks offered at the close were light starting at $30.50. The sharp rally follows an announcement of a directors’ meeting on Wednesday to discuss a possible stock split.
Trading closed with the volume of stocks traded rising 53 percent, with an increase of 182 percent in value compared to Monday, following trading in 43 securities compared with 44 on Monday and ended with 14 rising, 18 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 8,787,937 shares for $48,253,320 up from 5,733,266 units at $17,140,162 on Monday.
Trading averaged 204,371 shares at $1,122,170, with 130,302 shares at $389,549 on Monday, with a month to date, average of 189,456 units at $551,155 compared to 188,336 stock units at $508,304 on the previous day. May closed with an average of 239,954 units at $648,811.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 1.28 million shares for 14.6 percent of total volume followed by Dolphin Cove with 1.17 million units for 13.3 percent of the day’s trade and Fosrich with 935,005 units for 10.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 31.19 points to settle at 3,911.10 and reclaimed the 3,900 mark, the highest since Mid-February.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11 The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Cargo Handlers declined $3.80 to close at $18.20 in trading 275 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 10 cents to end at $2.50 in an exchange of 97,168 stock units, Caribbean Cream dropped 17 cents to $4 with stakeholders exchanging 95,150 units.
Caribbean Flavours dipped 21 cents in closing at $1.15, with 111,166 stocks crossing the exchange, Dolla Financial shed 9 cents and ended at $2.50 as investors exchanged 481,548 stocks, Elite Diagnostic rose 27 cents to close at $2.30 with a transfer of 692 units. Express Catering lost 21 cents to close at $4.99, with 105,200 stock units crossing the market, Fosrich fell 23 cents to $2.30 after 935,005 shares were traded, Honey Bun rallied 46 cents and ended at $6.96 with 8,515 stocks clearing the market. iCreate lost 18 cents to end at $1.07 in switching ownership of 118,688 units, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 15 cents to $2.15 as 237 shares passed through the market, ISP Finance dipped $6.49 to $19.91 after an exchange of 5,211 stock units. JFP Ltd shed 11 cents and ended at $1.57 in an exchange of 930,469 units, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 10 cents to close at $4.50 with investors transferring 344 shares, 
Main Event increased 86 cents in closing at $14.75, with 55,905 stocks crossing the market, Regency Petroleum declined 20 cents to close at $2.60 while exchanging 705,529 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies gained $6.45 in closing at a record high of $26.45 with shareholders swapping 523,811 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trinidad Exchange ends trading lower
Stock prices mostly fell on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday, following closure on Monday for the Labour Day holiday with the volume of stocks traded declining 13 percent and resulting in the value falling 66 percent lower than on Friday with trading in 16 securities compared with 18 on Friday, with the prices of three stocks rising, eight declining and five remaining unchanged.
Investors traded 175,780 shares for $681,147 versus 201,743 stock units at $2,006,520 on Friday.
An average of 10,986 shares were traded at $42,572 compared to 11,208 at $111,473 on Friday, with trading month to date averaging 15,328 shares at $159,048 compared with 15,659 units at $167,923 on the previous day. The average trade for May amounts to 23,500 shares for $216,502.
The Composite Index dipped 0.51 points to 1,226.54, the All T&T Index declined 0.18 points to 1,893.38, the SME Index remained unchanged at 70.01 and the Cross-Listed Index slipped 0.12 points to 71.78.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Agostini’s advanced 40 cents in closing at $69 in trading 444 shares, Ansa McAl remained at $50.95 after a transfer of 100 stock units, First Citizens Group shed 99 cents to close at $48 after 1,422 units were exchanged. GraceKennedy gained 3 cents to end trading at $3.28 with investors transferring 80,300 stocks, JMMB Group ended at $1.35, with 52,300 stocks crossing the market, L.J. Williams B share fell 1 cent to $2.79 as investors exchanged 50 units. Massy Holdings declined 5 cents to close at $4.90 with shareholders swapping 20,957 stock units, National Enterprises remained at $3.40, with 16,753 shares clearing the market, National Flour Mills lost 1 cent to end at $1.64, with 65 stock units changing hands. 
One Caribbean Media ended at $3.70 in switching ownership of 50 stocks, Prestige Holdings dipped 4 cents and ended at $7.96 with an exchange of 468 units, Republic Financial dropped 66 cents to close at $128.40 while exchanging 273 shares. Scotiabank fell 25 cents to $76.25 after an exchange of 193 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 12 cents to end at $18 with a transfer of 110 stock units, Unilever Caribbean ended at $11.40 after 1,766 stocks were traded and West Indian Tobacco declined 2 cents to $12.50 in an exchange of 529 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Stock split news lift SOS to a record $26
Investors in office supply Junior Market listed company Stationery and Office Supplies are having a grand time, with the company reporting two highly profitable years with 2023 starting off on a promising note for another year of record profits.
Stationery & Office Supplies hit a new high after the proposed stock split announcement.
Over the past year, shareholders will receive dividends amounting to 38 cents per share with the second payment in July. To add icing to the cake, the announcement on Monday that the board of directors will meet on Wednesday to consider a stock split has pushed the share price to a record high of $26 in early trading on Tuesday, with an increase of 52 percent for the year to date on top of 179 percent gain in 2022. Up to late May, the stock was trading in the $15 region, a level that it was at for weeks.
In premarket trading there were several bids amounting to over 306,000 units at $26, the maximum the stock will trade at initially, against 23,811 on offer up to $26. Trading in the stock is halted until 10:30 but currently, there are 21 bids at $26 to buy 282,981 shares. On the other hand, the lowest offer is at $30.50 with 23,000 units, followed by 575 shares at $34.96 and 28,774 units at $35.01 and then 42,277 stock units at $44.97.
Main Market stocks jump
Stocks regained some of the grounds lost over the past three days in trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday, after a 67 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded with a 39 percent higher value than on Friday, with trading in 56 securities compared with 58 on Friday, with 24 rising, 16 declining and 16 ending unchanged.
A total of 24,000,889 shares were traded for $78,140,528 up on the 14,340,680 units at $56,260,192 that were exchanged on Friday.
Trading averaged 428,587 shares at $1,395,367 compared with 247,253 shares at $970,003 on Friday and month to date, an average of 347,215 units at $4,904,572, compared with 340,544 units at $5,192,296 on the previous trading day. May averaged 226,361 units at $1,362,447.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 14.03 million shares for 58.5 percent of total volume after the price closed at a 52 weeks’ high of 94 cents, Transjamaican Highway followed with 5.48 million units for 22.8 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.52 million units for 6.3 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,886.72 points to 364,321.23, the JSE Main Index surged 4,887.95 points to close at 327,418.41 and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.58 points higher to end at 73.47.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.3 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints advanced 97 cents in closing at $8.05 after investors exchanged a mere 753 shares, Caribbean Cement gained 81 cents to close at $50 with an exchange of 852 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund increased 50 cents to $40 after an exchange of 164 stocks. First Rock Real Estate rallied 46 cents to end at $10.46 with a transfer of 412 stock units, 
GraceKennedy declined $2 and ended at $77 after 59,587 shares were transferred, Guardian Holdings popped $1.95 to close at $452 with investors trading 2,821 stocks. Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed 82 cents to end at $11.85 with investors transferring 8,200 stock units, Kingston Properties rose 39 cents to $7.49 while traders exchanged 610 units, Kingston Wharves popped $1.95 and ended at $29.95 after trading 42,089 stock units. Margaritaville rose $2.57 in closing at $17.82 with stakeholders trading 558 shares, Massy Holdings climbed $5 to $95, with 344 stocks crossing the market, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced 99 cents to end at $11.29 with shareholders swapping 360 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $10.99 to close at $60.01 and closed after 12 shares changed hands, NCB Financial rallied $1 in closing at $66.70 in an exchange of 81,431 stock units.
Seprod increased $4.50 and ended at $75, with 103,732 stocks clearing the market, Supreme Ventures fell 49 cents to close at $26 in an exchange of 21,724 units and Wisynco Group shed 50 cents to $18, with 318,008 stock units changing hands.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% lost $7 to end at $49 in switching ownership of 46 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Volume drops on the JSE USD Market
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market ended on Monday with a 23 percent decline in the volume of stocks changing hands valued 35 percent more than on Friday and resulting in the trading of four securities, down from 11 on Friday with one rising, two declining and one ending unchanged.
Overall, 764,260 shares were exchanged for US$20,272 compared to 992,059 stock units at US$15,037 on Friday.
Trading on Monday averaged 191,065 shares at US$5,068 compared to 90,187 shares at US$1,367 on Friday, with a month to date average of 74,695 shares for US$2,303 compared with 69,154 units at US$2,171 on the previous trading day. May ended with an average of 43,350 units for US$2,759.
The US Denominated Equities Index dipped 1.17 points to settle at 241.01.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages nine. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share shed 0.5 of a cent to close at 5 US cents with stakeholders trading 7,000 shares, Proven Investments dipped 0.3 of one cent to 15.7 US cents as investors traded 55,445 stock units, Sterling Investments rallied 0.01 of a cent to 1.6 US cents in trading 688,125 units and Transjamaican Highway remained at 1.44 US cents, with 13,690 stocks crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
SOS directors to consider splitting the stock
The board of directors of Stationary & Office Supplies informed the Jamaica Stock Exchange that they will meet on Wednesday, June 21st to discuss and consider whether or not to recommend a stock split to the company’s shareholders.
SOS is likely to split stock in 2023.
According to the release, “the market value of the company’s stock has been on a consistent growth trajectory and the liquidity of the stock is also a significant consideration.”
At the last annual general meeting the CEO, Allan McDaniel stated that they were reviewing the matter of a stock split on an ongoing basis but that trading in the stock was fairly liquid as such there was no need to make the adjustment then.
ICInsider.com gathers that the $20 was likely to be the trigger point for a split. Last week the stock traded at $24 but pulled back to $20 where it is now trading, but if history is anything to go by, the price is likely to climb in Tuesday’s trading. With profits for the current year likely to hit nearly $2 per share and around $3 in 2024, that could push the price between $30 and $40 this year and $50 to $60 next year, a split in the order of 10 could place the price closer to where Junior Market investors could find the stock reasonably priced and encourage greater trading in it. 
A 10 to 1 split would lift the issued shares to just over 2.5 billion units which would be within a level that would facilitate a great deal of liquidity for a number of years, but the price could be back in the teens again in 2024. Even a 5 for 1 would result in an enhanced level of liquidity with just over 1.25 billion units in issue and push it to 16th Junior Market company in terms of the number of issued shares and 6th if a 10 to 1 split was to be approved. The prospects of profit jumping sharply in 2024, if achievable and seen by management as likely then a 10 to 1 split would seem to be the better option.
The split if approved by the directors, would require ratification by shareholders at a general meeting and that is likely to be at the company’s upcoming general meeting.
The next stock split could well come for Cargo Handlers, with thin trading currently with the price now in excess of $20. Dolphin Cove seems to be shaping for a possible spilt as well but that would be more likely down the road.
Junior Market edged lower
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed lower on Monday after trading closed with trading occurring in 44 securities compared with 46 on Friday and resulted in 20 rising, 14 declining and 10 closing unchanged, with stocks traded moderately more than those on Friday.
Investors traded 5,733,266 shares for $17,140,162 up from 5,255,540 units at $16,475,124 on Friday.
Trading averaged 130,302 shares at $389,549 compared to 114,251 shares at $358,155 on Friday with a month to date, average of 188,336 stock units at $508,304 compared to 193,163 stocks at $518,181 on the previous trading day. Trading in May averaged 239,954 units at $648,811.
Fosrich led trading with 1.79 million shares for 31.1 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 406,539 units for 7.1 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 395,974 units for 6.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dipped 7.88 points to close at 3,879.91.
The PE Ratio. a measure of computing appropriate stock values averages 11.3, The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial gained $1.10 in closing at $23.20 in trading 413 shares, CAC 2000 popped 45 cents to $7.09, with 6 units crossing the market, Caribbean Cream advanced 28 cents to close at $4.17 in an exchange of 50,254 stock units. Dolphin Cove dropped 77 cents to $15 with a transfer of 41,886 stocks, Elite Diagnostic dipped 17 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $2.03 in an exchange of 100 stock units, Express Catering rallied 35 cents in closing at $5.20 after 3,572 shares were traded. Fontana climbed 22 cents to $10 with investors transferring 296,898 units, Fosrich rose 18 cents to close at $2.53, with 1,785,528 stocks crossing the market, General Accident fell 20 cents and ended at $4.80 after stakeholders exchanged 58,696 stocks. 
Honey Bun shed 46 cents to end at $6.50 in switching ownership of 13,750 shares, Image Plus Consultants lost 9 cents in closing at $2 with shareholders swapping 363,700 units, Indies Pharma rose 12 cents to $3.17, with 3 stock units changing hands. ISP Finance rallied 40 cents to end at $26.40, with 202 shares clearing the market, Knutsford Express rose 80 cents to close at $11.80 after stakeholders traded 4,447 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 9 cents and ended at $4.40 as investors exchanged 30,760 stock units. Limners and Bards climbed 9 cents to end at $2.20 after an exchange of 12,157 units, Main Event dropped 81 cents to $13.89 after a transfer of 5,855 stock units, 
Regency Petroleum gained 9 cents in closing at $2.80 after 85,023 units passed through the market and tTech shed 10 cents and ended at $2.20 while exchanging 1,394 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Kremi heads ICTOP10 after gaining 22%
The performance this past week in the Junior and the Main Market diverged significantly the Junior Market recorded gains in the week and put it back at early March levels this year while the main market declined further continuing negative performance since the beginning of June and is now back at August 2018 levels and is providing investors with a great opportunity to add some of these stocks to their early Christmas shopping at bargain prices.
The Junior Market has broken through the downward-sloping resistance line of the wedge. The Junior Market reclaimed the 3,800 handle last week and is close to retaking the 3,900 level shortly, with the market set for a big rally in the second half of the year a position supported by technical analysis of the market. The Main Market seems to be weighed down by concerns relating to inflation and interest rates, if so the reading is wrong as inflation is well under control and interest rates will start dropping before the year ends.
Against the background, the Junior Market recorded gains for six stocks during the week with iCreate jumping 26 percent to $1.20, Caribbean Cream moving up 22 percent to $3.89 and Edufocal putting on 6 percent to end the week at $1.89 hey worst performer was Iron Rock Insurance down 7 percent to $2 and General Accident fell 5 percent to $5, while One and One lost 3 percent to close the week at $1.04.
The Main Market had one price movement of note with Transjamaican rising 13 percent to close the week at $2.39. Declining are 138 Student Living down 11 percent to $4.60, Guardian Holdings, with a loss of 7 percent to $450.01 and Caribbean Producers lost 5 percent to end the week at $9.48.
Transjamaican moved out of the Main Market TOP10, with a gain of 27 percent since entering the TOP10 and 35 percent since it was added to Stocks to Watch at $1.77 in April, is replaced by Caribbean Cement, with projected earnings of $6.50 notwithstanding for the first quarter profit and in the Junior Market, Edufocal moved out while Everything Fresh returns after a brief absence to the TOP10 with the price having fallen to $1.50.
Transjamaican, although out of the top 10 has much more room to grow with the potential for an additional 200% increase in the stock price. A look at the order book for Transjamaican suggests that demand is likely to overwhelm supply over the next two to three weeks with a likely price target then of $3. Even then the potential dividend yield that could be 8 percent at that price could result in the price going higher.
Recent developments for some stocks – Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing increased dividends to 10 cents and 12 cents respectively, with both to be paid in July, while Stationery and Office Supplies hit a record high in the week at $24 but closed the week at $20 for a 17 percent gain for the year. The stock is now a prime candidate for a stock split. Earnings for Berger Paints were adjusted down to $1 per share for 2023.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.8, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 254 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 15 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 98, with an average of 29 and 20 excluding the highest PE stocks, 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11.1. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PE from 15 to 42, averaging 21 that are well above the average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently. Junior Market is projected to rise by 270 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation is an important indicator of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
In the market generally, Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and in the process gradually reducing the supply of several stocks that are attractively priced as the market moves toward the summer months, the start of the stock market year.
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.
ICTOP10 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.
JSE Main Market stocks back at 2018 levels
The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market continued to lose ground on Friday, with declining stocks clobbering those advanced on a 2 to 1 basis, with the losers dominated by some of the largest capitalized stocks, resulting in a decline in the market index to the lowest point since August 2018, with the market closing down for the week and ending on Friday with a 31 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded with a 39 percent lower value than Thursday.
A total of 58 securities changed hands compared with 59 on Thursday and ended with 15 rising 29 declining and 14 unchanged as two stocks hit 52 weeks’ lows, with NCB Financial closing act is 52 weeks’ low of $65.70 while Salada Foods dipped to a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $2.51.
A total of 14,340,680 shares were traded for $56,260,192 compared with 20,658,946 units at $92,185,071 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 247,253 shares at $970,003 versus 350,152 units at $1,562,459 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 340,544 units at $5,192,296, compared to 349,201 shares at $5,584,125 on the previous day. May closed with an average of 226,361 units at $1,362,447.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.70 million shares for 32.8 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.84 million units for 19.8 percent of the day’s trade, Sagicor Select Financial Fund chipped in with 1.23 million units for 8.6 percent market share and QWI Investments with 1.07 million units for 7.5 percent of total volume.
Several of the largest capitalized companies suffered big losses on Friday
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 214.10 points to end at 360,434.51, the JSE Main Index slipped 843.81 points to 322,530.46 and the JSE Financial Index climbed 0.12 points to 72.89.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.1 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Berger Paints dropped 99 cents to end at $7.08 after a transfer of 2,600 shares, Caribbean Cement dipped 94 cents in closing at $49.19 after an exchange of 2,659 stocks, Eppley popped $4 to close at $37, with 331 stock units crossing the exchange, Guardian Holdings shed $4.95 ended at $450.05 with shareholders swapping 885 units, Jamaica Producers gained 97 cents to $19.97 crossing the market 161 stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 97 cents in closing at $11.03 after an exchange of 161,640 stock units,
Kingston Wharves declined $1.90 to $28 in switching ownership of 61,995 units, Massy Holdings lost $9.50 in ending at $90 with 25,621 shares clearing the market, Mayberry Investments fell 90 cents to $8.01 in an exchange of 180,766 stock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 84 cents to end at $10.30, with 599,395 units being traded, NCB Financial declined $1.30 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $65.70 with an exchange of 87,054 stocks, Pan Jamaica Group dipped 99 cents to $49 in trading 1,166 shares Proven Investments dropped $1.12 to close at $25.40 after an exchange 14,963 stock units, Sagicor Group gained $1.50 in closing at $50 as investors exchanged 3,140 stocks, Seprod advanced $3.49 and ended at $70.50 after 1,265 shares changed hands and Wisynco Group rallied 94 cents to end at $18.50 after 4,903 units crossed the market.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share rose $1 to close at $20 as 500 stock units passed through the market, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% climbed $22 to $3000 with stakeholders exchanging 2 shares and JMMB Group 7% preference share dipped 40 cents to $2 with investors transferring 8,333 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading gains for the JSE USD Market
Trading picked up on Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange US dollar market ended with a 2,914 percent rise in the volume of stocks changing hands valued at 159 percent more than on Thursday, resulting in the trading of 11 securities compared to five on Thursday with six rising, two declining and three ending unchanged.
A total of 992,059 shares were traded for US$15,037 compared to 32,918 units at US$5,796 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 90,187 units at US$1,367 versus 6,584 shares at US$1,159 on Thursday, with a month to date average of 69,154 shares at US$2,171 compared with 65,984 units at US$2,292 on the previous day. May ended with an average of 43,350 units for US$2,759.
The US Denominated Equities Index increased 4.90 points to finish at 242.16.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.1. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share advanced 1 cent to close at 5.5 US cents with 58 shares being traded, Margaritaville climbed 3.09 cents to end at 11.11 US cents with investors trading 35 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rallied 5 cents to 60 US cents, with 11 stock units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments remained at 16 US cents after 1,150 stocks passed through the market, 
Sterling Investments declined 0.41 of a cent to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 1.59 US cents after investors traded 274,980 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.99 cents to close at 10.99 US cents with investors transferring 35 stocks. Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share shed 0.01 of a cent in closing at 10.99 US cents after a transfer of 35 stock units and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.02 of a cent to end at 1.44 US cents with stakeholders exchanging 715,660 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 6% preference share ended at US$1.40 after exchanging 71 stocks, JMMB Group 5.75% increased 24 cents to end at US$2.14 with a transfer of 2 units and JMMB Group 6% ended at US$1.18 in an exchange of 22 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
