The start of a bull market is appearing with the Jamaica Stock Exchange moving higher, partially helped by rising profits of some companies, as a result, the USD market is solidly in the black for 2024 to date, with a rise of 11 percent while the Main Market sits with a gain of 2.9 percent and the Junior Market is now back at the 2023 end of year level on Friday, but just below. At the same time two listings reported nine months results reflecting improving profit that should help the stock prices in the weeks ahead.
During the week new results were released to the market, with mostly positive profit outcomes that should aid the prices of stocks going forward as the results help to lay a foundation for prices in the short term as this provides investors with a better sense of valuations of these companies. There will be more releases this week as the deadline date for their release is this week for companies that have not opted for 60 days publication of audited accounts.
Earnings were revised downwards by a few cents for Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing, following the release of nine months results, that show continued growth in profits.
Last week IC Insider.com reported Scotia Group and TransJamaican Highway that traded at 52 weeks’ high they now seem to have topped out for a while, with both undervalued with quite some room to run for 2024. Scotia has an undisclosed amount on offer at $46.
The past week ended with minimal price changes for Junior Market stocks but the Main Market threw up a few, with General Accident rising 12 percent to close at $5.30, followed by JMMB Group up 10 percent to $26.38 and Caribbean Producers up 4 percent to $9.09 as Margaritaville dropped 15 percent to $14.86 and Palace Amusement lost 8 percent to close at $1.20.
As was the case for the previous week the markets closed with no addition to the ICInsider.com TOP 10 stocks.
For the full list of weekly percentage changes for the ICTOP10 stocks, check the attached charts that now carry a column of the weekly percentage price movements.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.3, well below the market average of 13.7 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 7.,5 just over half of the market, with an average of 13.6
The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 287 percent by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings, providing better values than the Junior Market with the potential to gain 169 percent over the same time frame.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 15 of the most highly valued stocks representing 31 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 108, with an average of 30 and 21 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 25 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
In the Junior Market IC TOP10 are 13 stocks, or 27 percent of the market, with PEs ranging from 15 to 45, averaging 22, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, possibly the lowest fair value for stocks, currently.
Of great import is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on the full year’s earnings.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but this is not always so. 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 on or around May 2024 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.
after 204 percent more money entered the market than Thursday with trading in 40 securities compared with 42 on Thursday and ending with prices of 13 rising, 15 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
Tropical Battery closed with 1.38 million units for 8.6 percent market share after the price hit an 52 weeks’ intraday high of $2.70 but closed the day lower and Mailpac Group with 1.18 million units for 7.4 percent of total volume.
Fontana rose 25 cents to $10.50 with traders dealing in 11,370 stock units. Indies Pharma gained 9 cents in closing at $2.79 after a transfer of 82,718 stocks, Jamaican Teas fell 9 cents to close at $2.50 with 176,090 stock units clearing the market, KLE Group shed 17 cents and ended at $2.25 after an exchange of 3,459 shares. Knutsford Express dropped $1.01 to end at $11.38 with investors transferring a mere 145 units, Lasco Distributors lost 20 cents to close at $3.90 in switching ownership of 31,747 stocks, Limners and Bards rallied 39 cents to close at $1.69 as investors exchanged 30,459 stock units. Lumber Depot dipped 10 cents and ended at $2.50 with a transfer of 40,612 shares, Mailpac Group sank 9 cents in closing at $2.10 while exchanging 1,176,745 stock units, MFS Capital Partners increased 18 cents to end at $2.29 with investors dealing in 225,405 stocks and Spur Tree Spices skidded 20 cents in closing at $2.25, with 120,480 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed on Thursday after 5,836,386 shares were exchanged by investors for $11,800,314 compared to 7,539,058 stock units at $16,711,931 on Wednesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
Jamaican Teas increased 8 cents to $2.59 with investors trading 4,962 units, Lasco Financial climbed 25 cents in closing at $2.05, with 1,200 stock units crossing the market. Limners and Bards sank 42 cents to close at $1.30 as investors exchanged 10,454 shares, Lumber Depot popped 10 cents to end at $2.60 with investors trading 172 stock units, Main Event lost 10 cents and ended at $15 in an exchange of 16,178 stocks. MFS Capital Partners dropped 33 cents to $2.11 after 495,943 units crossed the market, Spur Tree Spices advanced 15 cents and ended at $2.45 after an exchange of 27,148 shares and tTech skidded 49 cents to close at $2 with investors transferring 9,241 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed on Wednesday with an exchange of 7,539,058 shares for $16,711,931 compared to 13,878,813 units at $41,634,700 on Tuesday.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index popped 7.27 points to conclude trading at 3,827.46, with a decline for the year to date of 0.5 percent.
Fontana lost 25 cents to close at $10.25 with a transfer of 25,800 stock units, Indies Pharma rose 9 cents to end at $2.80 after trading of 325 shares, ISP Finance climbed $6.34 to $31.35 with just 5 stock units passing through the market. Lasco Distributors increased 18 cents to close at $4.03 with an exchange of 867 stock units, Limners and Bards popped 20 cents in ending at $1.72, with 85,255 stocks changing hands, Spur Tree Spices skidded 17 cents to end at $2.30 as investors exchanged 1,055,040 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents in closing at $1.85 after an exchange of 572,489 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with trading of 13,878,813 shares for $41,634,700 up from a mere 5,320,099 stock units at $13,969,282 on Monday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with a bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
ISP Finance shed $6.49 to end at $25.01 with investors transferring 27 units, Lasco Distributors dropped 15 cents to $3.85 with investors exchanging 101,806 stocks, Lasco Financial dipped 32 cents to close at $1.77 with a transfer of 94,155 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing popped 19 cents in closing at $4.94 while exchanging 7,180 shares, Limners and Bards rallied 12 cents to end at $1.52 with traders dealing in 24,717 units, Lumber Depot slipped 10 cents and ended at $2.50 after a transfer of 2,910 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents to close at $1.70 with investors swapping 146,423 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with an exchange of 5,320,099 shares for $13,969,282 compared with 5,395,966 units at $11,327,944 on Friday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the highest bid higher than the last selling price and six with lower offers.
ISP Finance increased 50 cents to close at $31.50 with investors trading 10,066 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced $1.30 to $12.40, with 1,052 units changing hands, Lasco Financial fell 22 cents to close at $2.09 and closed with an exchange of 85,754 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing shed 17 cents to end at $4.75, with 194,615 units crossing the market, Limners and Bards declined 9 cents in closing at $1.40 after an exchange of 48,145 stocks, Lumber Depot rallied 10 cents and ended at $2.60 with investors transferring 209 shares. Mailpac Group lost 10 cents to $2.12 in an exchange of 77,255 stock units, MFS Capital Partners popped 12 cents and ended at $2.42 with traders dealing in 74,374 shares, Regency Petroleum skidded 11 cents in closing at $2.23 after a transfer of 48,449 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 11 cents to end at $1.60, with trading in 340,288 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.3, well below the market average of 13.7 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 7.4, just over half of the market, with an average of 13.5
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but this is not always so. 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.
Trading ended on Friday with 5,395,966 shares for $11,327,944 compared with 13,639,370 stock units for $32,995,315 on Thursday.
At the close, Blue Power dipped 40 cents to close at $3, with 1,413 shares crossing the market, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.75 to $13.17 with an exchange of 957 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 23 cents to $2.47 with an exchange of 22,951 shares. Consolidated Bakeries skidded 22 cents to close at $2 with investors swapping a mere 2,044 stock units, Derrimon Trading popped 22 cents to end at $2.08, with 15,750 shares crossing the exchange, Dolphin Cove climbed 80 cents to close at $19 with investors transferring 2,137 stocks. Elite Diagnostic rose 11 cents to close at $1.64 after 848 stocks crossed the market, Everything Fresh fell 12 cents in closing at $1.65 while exchanging 10,092 units, Fontana declined 10 cents to end at $10.40 with investors trading 7,265 stocks. Fosrich rallied 15 cents and ended at $2.25 with 276,639 units clearing the market, Future Energy increased 15 cents to $3.70 as investors exchanged 52,544 shares, ISP Finance gained $10.70 to close at $31 in switching ownership of 2,993 stock units. 
JFP Ltd shed 9 cents to end at $1.37 with traders dealing in 111,886 shares, Knutsford Express dropped $1.30 in closing at $11.10 in an exchange of just 1,192 stock units, Lasco Financial popped 17 cents and ended at $2.31 as 8,571 stock units passed through the market. Limners and Bards rallied 16 cents to $1.49 in an exchange of 23,903 units, Mailpac Group rose 11 cents and ended at $2.22, with 6,188 shares changing hands, Main Event sank 88 cents to close at $15.12 in trading a mere 80 stocks and Regency Petroleum climbed 13 cents in closing at $2.34 after an exchange of 42,530 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed on Thursday with 13,639,370 shares being traded for $32,995,315 versus 13,718,596 units that were exchanged for $29,550,137 on Wednesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors climbed 10 cents and ended at $4.10 after an exchange of 125,228 units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 17 cents and closed at $4.92 with investors trading 2,202,375 shares, Lumber Depot skidded 8 cents to end at $2.52, with 150,776 stock units changing hands. Mailpac Group fell 16 cents to $2.11 after investors ended trading of 255,522 stocks, Main Event rose 96 cents to end at $16 while exchanging 10 units, MFS Capital Partners skidded 38 cents in closing at $2.32 with traders dealing in 2,546,621 shares. ONE on ONE Educational lost 14 cents to close at 93 cents in switching ownership of 145,540 stocks, Regency Petroleum dropped 19 cents and ended at $2.21 after exchanging 253,645 stock units, Spur Tree Spices shed 38 cents to $2.50 with investors dealing in 66,592 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies declined 24 cents to end at $1.45, with 2,924,503 stock units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with trading of 13,718,596 shares for $29,550,137 up from 5,951,560 units at $13,607,459 on Tuesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Jamaican Teas rallied 30 cents to $2.70 after investors swapped 547,820 stocks, JFP Ltd declined 9 cents to end at $1.41, with 132,472 units crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express increased 10 cents to $12.40 with investors dealing in 89,197 shares. Lasco Distributors climbed 15 cents in closing at $4 in switching ownership of 243,602 stock units, Lasco Financial popped 14 cents to $2.14 with investors trading 21,632 shares, Limners and Bards advanced 24 cents to end at $1.35 with 175,252 stock units clearing the market. Lumber Depot gained 9 cents to close at $2.60 after 344,827 stock units changed hands, ONE on ONE Educational popped 13 cents and ended at $1.07 in trading 2,718,438 units, Regency Petroleum rallied 14 cents to $2.40 after exchanging 122,133 shares. Spur Tree Spices rose 40 cents to end at $2.88 with a transfer of 597,416 units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 24 cents in closing at $1.69 as investors exchanged 1,451,254 stocks and Tropical Battery increased 20 cents and ended at $2.40, 621,608 stock units with changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.