With a continually rising price, Transjamacian Highway rose 11 percent during the week to $2.78, up 57 percent since added to the Market Watch list in April and dropped out of the TOP10 this past week, while Everything Fresh closed at $1.60 and dropped out of the Junior Market TOP10.
Transjamaican Highway Gained 57% since the end of April, with more gains to come.
The Main Market continues to struggle and closed at its lowest level since the end of August 2018 based on the All Jamaica Composite Index that is down 10.7 percent for the year to date, to be highly oversold. The Junior Market fell sharply on Friday as the market pulled back from the 4,000 mark level with a modest fall year to date thus reversing last week’s positive outcome.
The Junior Market is still up 10 percent since the low in March and is currently on a big bull run over the coming months, signalled by two indicators. The Main Market is likely bottoming after the traditional sell off in May before settling off in the early summer ahead of a rebound later. The action is now with the Junior Market with more potential for growth.
For the week, 6 stocks declined and only one rose on the Junior Market and the Main Market ended with two rising and seven declining, with Caribbean Cement coming into the Main Market TOP10 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers returning to the Junior Market TOP10.
In the Junior Market, iCreate dropped 12 percent to $1.14, followed by a 10 percent decline in Caribbean Cream to $4.07, before the company released first quarter results showing marked improvements in some critical areas that lead to increased profit. Dolla Financial shed 6 percent to $2.28 after posting improved Q2 results over 2022, with profit almost doubling to $105 million and the half year climbing 92 percent to $227 million. Image Plus fell 5 percent to $2.09 following first quarter results that showed profit falling from $88 million pretax to $64 million as revenues were up 6.8 percent to $300 million. Administrative costs climbed 29 percent to $117 million.
Everything Fresh remained at $1.60, but that was all it needed to drop out of the TOP10 as Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped from $3.30 to close at $3.09 to return to the TOP10.
While Transjamaican was the highest mover in the Main Market with the most significant change during the week and had much more room to run, Guardian Holdings declined 10 percent to $377, while Caribbean Producers fell 9 percent to $10, with all other price changes being 3 percent or less.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6, well below the market average of 13.2. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 264 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 31 and 21 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 5.6 compared with the market at 11.4. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 44, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 259 percent by May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the 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 of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year, when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
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.
IC TOP10 stocks will likely deliver the best returns up to the end of 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, resulting 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.
Investors traded 4,686,473 shares for $13,003,928 compared with 4,727,854 units at $15,265,121 on Thursday.
ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Express Catering shed 17 cents to end at $5.25 after exchanging 37 stocks. Fontana rose 42 cents to close at $10.97 in switching ownership of 67,411 stock units, Fosrich declined 8 cents to end at $2.22 after trading 96,243 shares, Future Energy Source fell 15 cents to $3.81 after an exchange of 112,655 units, Honey Bun dipped 17 cents to close at $6.50 with a transfer of 193,881 stocks. Image Plus Consultants shed 21 cents to $2.09 after stakeholders ended trading 207,296 shares, Indies Pharma advanced 9 cents in closing at $3.20 with 311 stock units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance lost 15 cents to end at $2.50 in an exchange of 10,021 stocks, ISP Finance dropped $2.99 to $20.01 with 5,004 units clearing the market. Jamaican Teas shed 25 cents to $2.09 with shareholders swapping 193,102 stocks,
Knutsford Express declined 45 cents to close at $11.50 with stakeholders exchanging 1,759 units, Lasco Financial dipped 8 cents in closing at $2.31 in exchanging 16,959 stock units, Main Event gained 9 cents in ending at $15.99 with investors trading 1,594 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 35 cents to finish at $28 as investors transferred 32,972 shares.
volume of stocks traded after the value plunged 85 percent below Wednesday and ended with 44 securities trading compared to 45 on Wednesday and closed with 23 rising, 13 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. 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.
Indies Pharma fell 9 cents to $3.11 with a transfer of 4,442 shares, ISP Finance climbed $3.30 in closing at $23 in switching ownership of 22 stocks, Jamaican Teas advanced 14 cents and ended at $2.34 while exchanging 521 stock units. Knutsford Express rallied 30 cents to close at $11.95, with 6,707 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors dropped 10 cents to end at $3.89 with an exchange of 52,773 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 25 cents to $4.90 as investors exchanged 656,811 units. MFS Capital Partners rallied 15 cents in closing at $2.80, with 129,215 shares crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $2.10 after exchanging 54,734 stocks,
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 80 cents and ended at $28.35 in an exchange of 89,719 shares and Tropical Battery declined 8 cents to end at $1.91 after a transfer of 1,382 stock units.
Investors traded 6,643,595 shares at $16,190,340 up from 3,691,376 units at $12,494,675 on Monday.
The market closed with negative readings after Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator showed five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and nine with lower offers.
Fosrich dropped 15 cents to $2.25 while exchanging 427,975 stocks, General Accident declined 45 cents after ending at $4.55 with 2,000 shares changing hands, iCreate dropped 9 cents in closing at $1.10 and closed with an exchange of 137,549 units. Iron Rock Insurance rose 16 cents to close at $2.65 with stakeholders exchanging 25 shares, ISP Finance rallied $2.11 to $26.50, with 7,690 units crossing the market, Jamaican Teas climbed 14 cents to end at $2.49 as investors traded 90,132 stock units, Lasco Distributors lost 37 cents to close at $3.52 in an exchange of 2,238 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing gained 11 cents in closing at $4.36 as 26,300 stocks passed through the market, Main Event shed 14 cents to end at $16 with a transfer of 5,721 shares, MFS Capital Partners climbed 18 cents to $2.79 in an exchange of 229,200 stock units. 
Paramount Trading rose 52 cents to $2.08 after 25,000 units crossed the market, Spur Tree Spices popped 8 cents in closing at $2.18 after a transfer of 2,441,128 units and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $1.19 to close at $28.20, with 22,346 stocks crossing the exchange.
Dollar Financial reported second quarter profit after trading ended on Friday, showing a profit of $105 million compared with $59 million in the 2022 June quarter and $227 million for the six months to June versus $119 million in 2022. Earnings per share ended at 4 cents in the latest quarter and 9 cents year to date. The period shows a small amount set aside for expected credit losses, but the cash flow shows that only 75 percent of interest earned was paid during the period, down from 77 percent for the 2022 first half and 80 percent for the 2022 full year.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
Trading on Friday ended with the volume of stocks traded rising 32 percent valued 27 percent more than Thursday with 42 securities changing hands compared with 44 on Thursday and ended with 18 rising, 11 declining and 13 closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. 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.
Dolla Financial rose 8 cents to $2.43 with investors trading 1,305,738 stocks, Express Catering popped 15 cents to close at $5.40 with an exchange of 3,024 shares, Fontana dropped 89 cents to end at $11.21 with investors transferring 37,362 units. iCreate gained 13 cents to end at $1.30 after 359,406 stock units crossed the market, Image Plus Consultants climbed 12 cents in closing at $2.19 after 201,444 stocks passed through the market, ISP Finance fell $4.39 in closing at $20.01 with an exchange of 16,187 shares, Lasco Distributors rallied 47 cents to $4.07 with 26,347 units clearing the market. Lasco Manufacturing increased 29 cents and ended at $4.79 with 1,276 units changing hands, Limners and Bards rallied 8 cents to close at $2.20 after an exchange of 77 stock units, Main Event advanced 49 cents to end at $16.49 as investors exchanged 1,000 stocks, 
MFS Capital Partners fell 18 cents after it ended at $2.70 with a transfer of 1,214,901 shares. Paramount Trading popped 10 cents to close at $2.10, with 316 units crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies lost $1.40 to end at $27 in trading 86,722 shares and tTech increased 24 cents to $2.25 while exchanging 4 stocks.
The Junior Market Index traded in the 4,040 points region late in the trading session and ended adding just 3.37 points to conclude trading at 3,984.01, just 2.43 points below the close at the end of 2022 and the highest end of day finish since the start of February this year.
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.
General Accident gained 15 cents to end at $5, with 17,224 units crossing the market. Iron Rock Insurance declined 31 cents to $2.49 with a transfer of 11,900 stock units, ISP Finance climbed $4.40 to close at $24.40 after an exchange of 5 stock units, JFP Ltd shed 11 cents to end at $1.63 after a transfer of 15,453 units, Knutsford Express fell 30 cents in closing at $11.65 with shareholders swapping 2,428 stock units. Lasco Distributors shed 54 cents to close at $3.60 after investors exchanged 204,660 stocks up to an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $4.19, Main Event dropped $1.40 to close at $16 in switching ownership of 1,158 shares, Medical Disposables rose 44 cents in closing at $4.74 after five shares passed through the market. Paramount Trading dipped 10 cents and ended at $2 with an exchange of 15,000 stock units, 
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $1.40 to $28.40 and closed with 24,703 units changing hands and Tropical Battery popped 12 cents to end at $2.02 in an exchange of 99,807 stocks.
Investors traded 7,265,809 shares for $24,794,866 versus 13,791,073 units at $60,175,455 on Monday.
At the close, Access Financial increased 12 cents in closing at $22.67, with 49 shares crossing the market, AMG Packaging shed 28 cents to close at $2.27 after a transfer of 247,985 stocks, CAC 2000 rose $1.45 and ended at $7.05 with investors transferring 100 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers climbed 16 cents to $3.25 with an exchange of 57,256 stock units. Caribbean Cream dipped 10 cents to end at $4.40 after 38,758 stock units changed hands, Consolidated Bakeries popped 47 cents to close at $2.99 in the trading of 15,341 units, Dolphin Cove gained 25 cents to end at $16.90 and closed with an exchange of 33,998 stock units, EduFocal advanced 17 cents to $1.82 in switching ownership of 303,478 shares. Elite Diagnostic fell 19 cents in closing at a 52weeks’ low of $2.01, with 100,301 stocks crossing the exchange, Everything Fresh rallied 8 cents and ended at $1.60 as 201 stock units passed through the market, Express Catering declined 47 cents to end at $5.03 with a transfer of 5,987 shares, 
Fontana climbed 70 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $12.70 in an exchange of 214,601 units. Future Energy Source rose 9 cents in closing at $3.89 with shareholders swapping 935,090 stocks, Honey Bun rallied 50 cents and ended at $6.65 in trading 43 units, Jamaican Teas lost 15 cents in ending at $2.35 after an exchange of 49,353 shares, JFP Ltd gained 11 cents to close at $1.74, with 649,908 stock units crossing the market. KLE Group dropped 15 cents to $1.65, with just 2 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors popped 14 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $3.69, with stakeholders exchanging 44,566 shares and ended with a sparse number of stocks on offer for sale at the close, Lasco Financial lost 22 cents in closing at $2.49 after an exchange of 1,131 units, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 20 cents to close at $4.50 as investors exchanged 134,423 stock units. 
Main Event dipped 10 cents in closing at $17.40, with 15,535 units clearing the market, Medical Disposables fell 88 cents to $5.01 while exchanging 300 stock units and Spur Tree Spices shed 13 cents to end at $2.10 after a transfer of 512,417 shares.
Investors traded 13,791,073 shares at $60,175,455 versus 23,247,331 units at $60,143,836 on Friday.
At the close, Access Financial declined $3.43 to close at $22.55 with investors transferring 317 shares, Blue Power rose 13 cents to $3.25 in an exchange of 13,162 units, Cargo Handlers climbed $2.40 and ended at $21.40 with 6,096 stocks changing hands. Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 21 cents in closing at $3.09 with a transfer of 132,532 stocks, Caribbean Cream dipped 20 cents to end at $4.50, with 554 stock units passing through the exchange, Dolphin Cove dropped 25 cents to $16.65 with investors trading 2,927 stocks. EduFocal shed 14 cents to close at $1.65 after an exchange of 131,055 units, Fontana rallied $1.06 to end at a 52 week’s closing high of $12, after hitting an intraday high of $13 in switching ownership of 333,863 shares, Fosrich lost 10 cents in closing at $2.20 and closed with an exchange of 274,872 units. Future Energy Source shed 25 cents to end at $3.80, with 6,243,053 stocks clearing the market, General Accident lost 14 cents to end at $4.86 while exchanging 31,712 shares, 
Honey Bun dropped 45 cents to close at $6.15, with 12,277 stock units crossing the exchange. Indies Pharma fell 23 cents to $3.30 after 636,554 stocks passed through the market, Iron Rock Insurance increased 25 cents to $2.75 with stakeholders exchanging 53 units, ISP Finance climbed $2.96 in closing at $25 after a transfer of 24,112 stocks. JFP Ltd dipped 17 cents to $1.63 in trading 758,578 shares, Lasco Manufacturing popped 18 cents to close at $4.70 with shareholders swapping 18,490 stocks, Main Event gained 50 cents to close at a record high of $17.50 after 3,637 units were exchanged. Medical Disposables dipped 11 cents to $5.89 with an exchange of 63 shares, ONE on ONE Educational slipped 11 cents to end at $1.11 as investors exchanged 271,010 stock units, Regency Petroleum fell 22 cents in closing at $2.70, with 390,048 units crossing the market. 
Spur Tree Spices lost 32 cents to close at $2.23 after hitting an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $2.07 with 657,597 stock units crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies gained $4.52 to end at $28, with stakeholders exchanging 665,932 shares and tTech declined 15 cents to $2.10 in trading 249 stocks.
Gains for the Junior Market this week occurred even as the price of
The Main Market had 
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.