Stocks mostly dropped in trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday with the market index diving 62.44 points to 3,995.80, leaving the market in positive territory for the year to date, following a 42 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, with 71 percent lower value than on Tuesday with trading of 45 securities similar to trading on Tuesday and ended with 11 rising, 25 declining and 9 closing unchanged.
A total of 10,060,543 shares were traded for $24,020,110 compared to 17,230,599 units at $84,183,965 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 223,568 shares at $533,780 compared with 382,902 units at $1,870,755 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 239,755 units at $646,375.
ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 3.74 million shares for 37.2 percent of the total volume, Regency Petroleum followed with 998,836 units for 9.9 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 909,926 units for 9 percent market share. The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 13. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year endings that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial declined $1.99 in closing at $24.01 after trading 654 shares, Blue Power fell 44 cents to end at $2.43 in an exchange of 50,000 units, CAC 2000 shed $1.37 to $7.10 with a transfer of 1,106 stock units. Cargo Handlers lost 10 cents in ending at $13.20 with 189,491 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Flavours dipped 13 cents to $1.62 in switching ownership of 5,313 stock units, Dolphin Cove dropped 34 cents to $15 in an exchange of 4,854 stocks. EduFocal gained 12 cents in ending at $2.31 after 34,935 shares cleared the market, Express Catering popped 25 cents to close at $5.25 in trading 32,900 units, Fontana fell 65 cents to end at $8.50 as investors switched ownership of 40,274 units. Fosrich dipped 7 cents in closing at $3.69 with the swapping of 865,091 stocks, 
Future Energy Source lost 9 cents in ending at $4.77 afte365,816 stock units were traded, GWest Corporation fell 16 cents to end at 97 cents with 10,000 shares crossing the market. Honey Bun dipped 20 cents to $7.24 as investors exchanged 73,077 stocks, iCreate lost 10 cents to close at $1.69 after a transfer of 103,865 units, Indies Pharma shed 48 cents in closing at $2.80 with 19,857 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance fell 23 cents to finish at $2.17 trading 140 stock units, ISP Finance declined $1 ending at $25 after clearing the market with 126 stocks, Knutsford Express advanced $1.50 to $12.50 with investors transferring 7,526 stock units. MFS Capital Partners gained 18 cents to end at $3.04 with 909,926 shares changing hands, 
Spur Tree Spices lost 40 cents in closing at $2.95 with the swapping of 100,088 units and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 70 cents to $15.15 after transferring 2,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
A Lasco company exists ICTOP10
The Jamaica stock market continues to consolidate, awaiting a dynamic development to push it decisively in one direction or another as the Bank of Jamaica quietly tightened the money supply further in January, drying up buying power in the short run. The first big likely move is unlikely to be a reduction of interest rates which is seemingly set to occur in the second quarter, but the reporting of substantially increased profits to flow from some companies.
Tropical Battery returns to the ICTOP10 list for this week with projected earnings of 30 cents for the current year, up from 15 cents last fiscal year and replaces Lasco Manufacturing which dropped out with a rise in price during the week as the supply of the stock has drooped sharply recently, with just 11 offers to sell now in the system.
Image Plus Consultants reported nine months results with revenues rising 27 percent in the November quarter to $248 million and 43 percent in the nine months to $803 million, while profit rose moderately to $24 million from $22 million in 2021 and for the nine months profits nearly tripled that of 2021 to reach $148 million. The company reported incorrect earnings per share for the periods, using the incorrect number of shares. As a result, rather than 29 cents per share for the quarter and $1.84, it is 2.3 cents and 15 cents for the nine months. Regardless, the stock is cheap based on these earnings and those to come.
Honey Bun rose 10 percent to $7.69, with the December quarter results due any time now, Lasco Financial gained 9 percent to $2.84 and Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 percent to $4.79. General Accident rallied 6 percent to $4.99. Image Plus Consultants entered the ICTOP10 after just one day of trading and fell to a low of $1.86 during the past week before rebounding to close this past week with a fall of 12 percent to $1.93, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 percent of its value to close at $2 and Paramount Trading fell 5 percent to $2.10.
All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market Berger Paints popped 12 percent to $10.60, followed by a 9 percent rise for Jamaica Broilers to close at $31.50 and Guardian Holdings with a gain of 4 percent to $535. There were no notable losses.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 15, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 versus the market at 12.6, critical indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 211 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 274 percent to May this year. The primary concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before the full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 15 stocks representing 31 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 29, averaging 21 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, with prices of Fosrich and Future Energy adjusting downwards closer to the average of the TOP15. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 116, with an average of 27 and 20 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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 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, 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.
Juniors bounce on Friday
Stocks mostly rose on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, pushing the Market Index 53.99 points higher to 3,938.05, recovering most of the 57 points loss on the previous day, as the market closed with a 13 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded as the value fell 15 percent from Thursday’s activities after trading of 44 securities compared with 46 on Thursday and ending with 21 rising, 13 declining and ten closing unchanged.
Investors traded 10,955,295 shares for $27,089,084 compared with 12,623,385 units at $31,723,485 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 248,984 shares at $615,661 versus 274,421 units at $689,641 on Thursday, with the month to date averaging 227,860 units at $575,778 compared with 226,721 stock units at $573,627 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 2.41 million shares for 22 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.60 million units for 14.6 percent of the day’s trade, Fosrich with 1.32 million units for 12 percent market share and ONE on ONE Educational with 1.29 million units for 11.8 percent of stock traded.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks use ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rallied 55 cents to $25.54 in exchange of 18 shares, Cargo Handlers rose $1.65 in closing at $13.30 after clearing the market with 3,800 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 18 cents to end at $2 after an exchange of 413,448 stock units. Consolidated Bakeries dipped 29 cents to $1.85 in transferring 302 units, Dolphin Cove gained 8 cents to end at $15 with the swapping of 42,378 stocks, Fosrich gained 34 cents to close at $3.35 with 1,315,735 stock units changing hands. 
Future Energy Source lost 14 cents to end at $4.64 after 640,143 shares passed through the market, General Accident popped 89 cents in closing at $4.99, trading 313 units, Honey Bun gained 19 cents to settle at $7.69 in switching ownership of 6,915 stocks. Indies Pharma shed 30 cents to close at $2.30 with the swapping of 299,425 units, KLE Group fell 19 cents to close at $1.71 in exchanging 1,900 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced $2.34 to $12.44 after 2,804 shares crossed the exchange. Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5, trading 31,703 shares, 
MFS Capital Partners lost 13 cents in closing at $2.83 as investors exchanged 289,128 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 9 cents to end at $2.39 in switching ownership of 207,578 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market big Thursday drop
The Junior Market Index of the Jamaica Stock Exchanged dropped points to 3,884.06 on Thursday with a 13 percent rise in the volume of stocks trading, following a 23 percent increase in the value passing through the market compared to Wednesday following trading in 46 securities, similar to Wednesday and ended with 15 rising, 22 declining and nine closing unchanged.
A total of 12,623,385 shares were traded for $31,723,485 compared to 11,166,116 units at $25,766,396 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 274,421 shares at $689,641 compared with 242,742 units at $560,139 on Wednesday with the month to date averaging 226,721 units at $573,627 versus 223,871 stock units at $566,697 on Wednesday, the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Fosrich led trading with 3.11 million shares for 24.7 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 1.72 million units for 13.6 percent of the day’s trade, Image Plus Consultants with 1.41 million units for 11.2 percent market share, Dolla Financial with 1.38 million units for 10.9 percent market share and Limners and Bards with 1.03 million units for 8.1 percent market share. 
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks uses ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
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, Access Financial rose 49 cents to $24.99 after exchanging six shares, Cargo Handlers fell $1.74 in closing at $11.65 after investors traded 382 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 27 cents to finish at $2.18 in an exchange of 1,520 stock units. Dolphin Cove rallied $1.10 to $14.92 with an exchange of 802 units, Express Catering lost 36 cents to close at $4.72 trading 114,019 units, 
Fontana gained 30 cents to close at $9.20 with 39,581 shares changing hands. Fosrich shed 26 cents to close at $3.01 in exchanging 3,113,891 stocks, General Accident declined $1.20 to $4.10 in switching 34,018 stock units, Image Plus Consultants gained 9 cents in ending at $1.95 after 1,408,841 stocks were traded. Indies Pharma lost 16 cents to close at $2.60 with investors transferring 209,616 units, KLE Group gained 19 cents to end at $1.90 with one stock unit crossing the market, Limners and Bards dipped 20 cents to $2.20 with the swapping of 1,025,029 shares. Main Event fell 89 cents to $9.11 after investors transferred 3,202 units, Medical Disposables popped 9 cents to end at $4.60 trading 59,036 shares and 
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 25 cents to $14.50 after a transfer of 49,516 stock units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 15 cents in closing at $1.17 in exchanging 852 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Gains for Junior Market
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recovered more than half of Tuesday’s 64 points drop in the market index as it closed on Wednesday after a 32 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded and a 36 percent fall in the value from trading in 46 securities compared with 48 on Tuesday and ending with prices of 21 stocks rising, 14 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 35.91 points to settle at 3,940.68.
A total of 11,166,116 shares were exchanged for $25,766,396 versus 16,319,167 units at $40,158,085 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 242,742 shares at $560,139 up from 339,983 units at $836,627 on Tuesday with a month to date average of 223,871 stocks at $566,697 versus 222,672 stock units at $567,113 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
JFP Ltd led trading with 3.33 million shares for 29.8 percent of total volume followed by Image Plus Consultants with 1.91 million units for 17.1 percent of the day’s trade and ONE on ONE Educational with 1.45 million units for 13 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dipped $1.05 to $24.50 with an exchange of 12,765 shares, Blue Power gained 19 cents to close at $2.89 after 11 units cleared the market, CAC 2000 advanced $1.27 to end at $8.48 as investors exchanged three stocks. Caribbean Cream gained 42 cents to close at $3.80 trading 2,605 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries rose 28 cents to end at $2.13 with investors transferring 233 shares, Dolphin Cove lost 18 cents to close at $13.82 with 17,654 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic popped 10 cents to settle at $3.20 with a transfer of 4,000 stocks, 
Express Catering gained 8 cents to end at $5.08 in switching ownership of 44,901 stock units, Fontana rallied 40 cents in ending at $8.90 in an exchange of 33,298 units. Fosrich fell 12 cents to $3.27 after 804,631 shares passed through the market, Future Energy Source lost 7 cents to end at $4.78 trading 476,514 stock units, General Accident rose 22 cents to close at $5.30 in exchanging 48,612 stocks. Iron Rock Insurance popped 22 cents in ending at $2.39 with 1,000 stock units being traded, Jetcon Corporation gained 7 cents in closing at $1.13, with 135,605 stocks changing hands, Knutsford Express fell $1.90 to $10.10 with the swapping of 20,344 shares. Lasco Distributors gained 15 cents in closing at $2.71 in exchanging 8,753 units, Lasco Financial advanced 31 cents to $2.84 in trading 3,105 units, and Lasco Manufacturing popped 64 cents to close at $4.80 with 57,968 shares changing hands. 
Lumber Depot rallied 7 cents in ending at $2.37 with an exchange of 3,479 stocks, Main Event rose 80 cents to $10 after clearing the market with 41,403 stock units and Tropical Battery lost 8 cents to end at $2.33 with a transfer of 760,527 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Big fall for Junior Market
Newly listed Image Plus Consultants closed below the IPO price of $2 in trading on Tuesday with 6.23 million shares as the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed sharply lower with the volume of stocks traded rising 4 percent and the value moderately lower than Monday, after 48 securities were exchanged compared with 49 on Monday and ended with prices of just 10 rising, 29 declining and nine closing unchanged.
A total of 16,319,167 shares were exchanged for $40,158,085 compared with 15,746,039 units at $40,681,154 on Monday.
Trading averaged 339,983 shares at $836,627 compared to 321,348 units at $830,228 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 222,672 units at $567,113 compared with 214,342 stock units at $547,976 on Monday, the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 6.23 million shares for 38.2 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 1.97 million units for 12.1 percent of the day’s trade, Spur Tree Spices chipped in with 1.44 million units for 8.8 percent of stocks traded and Fosrich with 1.16 million units for 7.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 64.19 points to settle at 3,904.77.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $3.44 to $25.55 after the trading of 6,480 shares, Blue Power dipped 16 cents to close at $2.70 with 11,243 stocks crossing the exchange, CAC 2000 fell $1.27 to $7.21 in transferring 859 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 21 cents to close at $1.92 with investors switching ownership of 146,880 units, Caribbean Cream shed 42 cents in closing at $3.38 after an exchange of 887 stocks, Consolidated Bakeries lost 30 cents to end at $1.85 with the swapping of 5,977 stock units. Dolphin Cove gained 32 cents to close at $14 with 77,593 units changing hands, Express Catering dipped 40 cents to close at $5 with the swapping of 22,919 shares, Fontana fell 50 cents in closing at $8.50 in an exchange of 88,390 stock units. 
Fosrich lost 15 cents in ending at $3.39 trading 1,163,398 shares, General Accident rose 37 cents to end at $5.08 after a transfer of 23,988 units, GWest Corporation lost 9 cents to finish at $1 with an exchange of 18,833 stocks. Image Plus Consultants dipped 10 cents to an all time low of $1.90 in switching ownership of 6,233,417 shares, Indies Pharma shed 19 cents in closing at $2.76 with 6,218 stocks changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance fell 23 cents to $2.17 after 381 units crossed the market. ISP Finance declined $1 to close at $27 with investors transferring 33 stock units, JFP Ltd gained 17 cents in ending at $1.79 with an exchange of 474,334 stocks, Knutsford Express declined 49 cents in closing at $12 after 9,100 units cleared the market. Lasco Financial dropped 31 cents to end at $2.53 as investors exchanged 86,710 stock units, Limners and Bards dipped 17 cents to $2.40 in trading 5,620 shares, Lumber Depot lost 16 cents after ending at $2.30 in switching ownership of 70,202 units. Main Event rallied 10 cents to $9.20 with a transfer of 24,720 stocks, 
Paramount Trading shed 18 cents in closing at $2.15 in an exchange of 2,156 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 74 cents to end at $14.25 while trading 17,420 stock units and tTech fell 35 cents to close at $2.50 with investors transferring 4,262 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market loses altitude
Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange was dominated by falling stock prices on Monday with all the 49 list securities trading up from 46 on Friday as the volume of stocks traded declined by22 percent, with the value exchanged being 19 percent lower than on Friday and leading to prices of 10 stocks rising, 29 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
A total of 15,746,039 shares were exchanged for $40,681,154 versus 20,295,875 units at $50,102,944 on Friday.
Trading averaged 321,348 shares at $830,228 down from 441,215 units at $1,089,194 on Friday with the month to date average of 214,342 stock units at $547,976 compared to 205,980 stocks at $525,918 on Friday, the previous day. Trading in December averaged 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 7.81 million shares for 49.6 percent of total volume followed by Fosrich with 2.48 million units for 15.7 percent of the day’s trade and Regency Petroleum with 896,948 units for 5.7 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 24.95 points to close at 3,968.96.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.5. The PE ratios of 
Junior Market stocks use ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that falls between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $1.39 to end at $22.11 with a transfer of 2,512 shares, Cargo Handlers advanced $1.76 to $13.40 after trading 181 stock units, Caribbean Cream popped 60 cents to $3.80 in an exchange of 500 units. Dolphin Cove fell $1.52 to $13.68 after 226,485 stocks passed through the market, EduFocal fell 16 cents to $2.23 with the swapping of 86,766 stocks, Express Catering lost 10 cents to settle at $5.40 with an exchange of 10,208 shares. Fosrich shed 11 cents in closing at $3.54 with 2,478,099 stock units changing hands, Honey Bun rose 50 cents to $7.52 after 8,438 units crossed the market, iCreate lost 7 cents after ending at $1.71 trading 277,134 shares. 
Image Plus Consultants shed 20 cents to close at $2 as investors exchanged 7,813,398 stocks, as low as $1.90, Indies Pharma advanced 25 cents to $2.95 with a transfer of 98,685 stock units, ISP Finance dropped 40 cents in closing at $28 after switching ownership of 51 units. JFP Ltd lost 10 cents in ending at $1.62 with 157,396 stock units changing hands, KLE Group fell 19 cents to $1.71 with the swapping of 1,689 shares, Lasco Distributors dipped 15 cents to end at $2.58 as investors exchanged 27,760 stocks. Lasco Financial gained 24 cents to close at $2.84 with a transfer of 31,621 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 39 cents in closing at $4.16 after exchanging 8,420 units, Lumber Depot gained 16 cents in ending at $2.46 after trading 136,511 stock units. Main Event dipped 30 cents to $9.10 in switching ownership of 41,568 shares, 
MFS Capital Partners declined 12 cents to close at $2.85 with an exchange of 533,814 stocks, Paramount Trading rallied 13 cents to close at $2.33 after clearing the market with 2,652 stock units and Tropical Battery lost 8 cents to settle at $2.41 after a transfer of 340,762 shares.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share fell 14 cents to $1.02 in trading 2,970 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
ICTOP10 buy rated Knutsford gains 44%
Shares of Image Plus Consultants were listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday to become the 48 listed company on the exchange and the 52nd company to be listed since the market commenced operations in 2010.
Knutsford Express
The stock failed to sparkle on listing, rising just 10 percent at the close and could come under selling pressure as investors exit for what they see as greener pastures. Regardless, the stock climbed into the ICTOP10 list for this week and replaces Caribbean Cream got an earnings downgrade.
Knutsford Express dropped out of the ICTOP10 at the end of the prior week and closed this past week at $12.49 to be up a solid 44 percent since it entered the TOP10 on the end of December. It still has much more room to rise with a current PE of just 12.5 and less, based on next fiscal years’ earnings. The move shows, the power that increased earnings have on price movement, with the company posting a profit of $143 million for the six months to November up from $13 million in 2021.
The Junior Market rose this past week t into poo record a rise for the first time this year, the move resulted in three solid gains and three sizable losses for the ICTOP10. 
Iron Rock Insurance jumped 19 percent to $2.40, Lasco Manufacturing gained 13 percent to $4.55 and Paramount Trading climbed 11 percent to $2.20, after release of strong second quarter results that showed continued improvement in profit, jumping 212 percent for the half year to $149 million. Caribbean Cream reported improving results but the overall profit was light and the stock fell 20 percent to $3.20, Lasco Financial shed 8 percent to $2.60 and General Accident slipped 7 percent to $4.71. All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market only major mover was Berger Paints with an 11 percent loss to $9.50.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.5, well below the market average of 15.9, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.5 versus the market at 13, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 212 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average now of 285 percent, to May this year.
The Junior Market has 17 stocks representing 35 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 30, averaging 20.7 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 19 and shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. 
The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 104, with an average of 32 and 23 excluding the highest valued stocks and 27 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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 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.
Image Plus pushes Junior Market trading
Shares of the last Initial Public Offer in 2022, Image Plus Consultants, were listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday bringing the number of companies on the market to a record 48. The company’s shares dominated trading with just over 61 percent of the total volume of stocks traded, pushing the volume of stocks trading in the market 77 percent higher, with a 68 percent rise in the value compared to Thursday.
Trading in 46 securities on Friday, compares to 45 on Thursday and resulted in prices of 20 rising, 15 declining and 11 left unchanged and led to an exchange of 20,295,875 shares for $50,102,944 compared to 11,460,696 units at $29,877,310 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 441,215 shares at $1,089,194, from 254,682 units at $663,940 on Thursday, with the month to date, averaging 205,980 stocks at $525,918 compared with 187,355 shares at $481,322 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 12.44 million shares for 61.3 percent of total volume followed by Express Catering with 1.27 million units for 6.3 percent of the day’s trade, Regency Petroleum with 1.16 million units for 5.7 percent market share and JFP Ltd with 1.12 million units for 5.5 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index popped 30.02 points to settle at 3,993.91, ending the week much higher than at the close of the previous one.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.7. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year that falls between November last year and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power rose 29 cents to $2.90 after an exchange of 15,339 shares, Caribbean Cream shed 65 cents to close at $3.20 with 32,014 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries popped 34 cents to end at $2.15 in transferring 164,626 stocks. Dolphin Cove dipped 10 cents to $15.20 after 41,594 stock units passed through the market, Express Catering gained 50 cents ending at $5.50 with an exchange of 1,270,658 stocks, Future Energy Source popped 7 cents to settle at $4.85 in trading 348,162 units. 
Honey Bun shed 13 cents to close at $7.02 with the swapping of 31,125 stock units, newly listed Image Plus Consultants rallied 20 cents to end at a record closing high of $2.20 with investors transferring 12,439,670 shares, Indies Pharma lost 17 cents in closing at $2.70 with 2,032 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance gained 25 cents to end at $2.40 after trading 22,599 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced 47 cents to $12.49 after a transfer of 15,192 stocks, Lasco Financial lost 8 cents in closing at $2.60 after an exchange of 4,542 units. Lasco Manufacturing rose 37 cents to $4.55 as investors transferred 6,703 shares, Limners and Bards gained 19 cents to close at $2.59 after investors exchanged 3,900 stocks, Lumber Depot lost 17 cents to end at $2.30 trading 150,521 units. 
MFS Capital Partners advanced 14 cents to $2.97 with the swapping of 387,932 stock units, Paramount Trading rallied 8 cents in ending at $2.20 after an exchange of 5,592 stocks and Spur Tree Spices shed 27 cents to $2.75 in switching ownership of 458,199 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Big fall for Junior Market
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange plunged on Thursday after the volume of stocks traded rose 55 percent and the value climbed 61 percent more than Wednesday with trading in 45 securities trading up from 43 on Wednesday and ended with 11 rising, 26 declining and eight closing unchanged.
A total of 11,460,696 shares were traded for $29,877,310 compared to 7,376,918 units at $18,528,560 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 254,682 shares at $663,940 compared with 171,556 units at $430,897 on Wednesday. The month to date, averaged 187,355 units at $481,322 compared with 181,703 stock units at $465,990 on Wednesday, the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Paramount Trading led trading with 4.85 million shares for 42.3 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 1.42 million units for 12.4 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 1.04 million units for 9.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 72.07 points to settle at 3,963.89.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.7. PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial shed 80 cents to $23.50 with a transfer of 4,228 shares, AMG Packaging gained 13 cents in closing at $2.98 in trading 312 stocks, Blue Power lost 19 cents to finish at $2.61 after crossing the market with 10,914 stock units. Cargo Handlers declined $2.01 to end at $11.64 in an exchange of 2,778 units, Caribbean Cream lost 15 cents ending at $3.85 after a transfer of 2,124 units, Caribbean Flavours dipped 8 cents to $1.77 with 2,500 shares changing hands. Consolidated Bakeries lost 18 cents in ending at $1.81 in switching ownership of 5,268 stock units, Dolphin Cove gained 30 cents in closing at $15.30 after clearing the market with 660 stocks, 
EduFocal lost 7 cents to close at $2.43 after trading 10,800 shares. Express Catering dropped 44 cents to end at $5 with the swapping of 3,524 units, Fontana fell 12 cents to $9 in transferring 48,930 stocks, Future Energy Source dipped 7 cents to close at $4.78 as investors exchanged 191,439 stock units. General Accident shed 38 cents in ending at $4.70 with 5,176 shares changing hands, ISP Finance declined 50 cents in closing at $28.40 with investors transferring 13 units, JFP Ltd lost 14 cents to end at $1.70 in trading 529,994 stocks. KLE Group popped 19 cents to finish at $1.90 after trading one stock unit, Lasco Distributors dipped 7 cents to $2.70 with the swapping of 1,220 stocks, Lasco Financial declined 17 cents to end at $2.68 with an exchange of 2,960 shares. Lasco Manufacturing lost 22 cents in closing at $4.18 with the swapping of 38,457 units, Main Event fell 60 cents to $9.40 after exchanging 46,686 stock units, Medical Disposables shed 24 cents to close at $4.51 in trading 10,000 stock units. 
MFS Capital Partners rose 11 cents to $2.83 after 1,039,839 stocks passed through the market, Paramount Trading shed 18 cents in closing at $2.12 in switching ownership of 4,848,054 units, Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 71 cents to end at $15 trading 1,077 shares and Tropical Battery advanced 14 cents to $2.54 with a transfer of 799,246 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 16 cents to end at $1.17 after crossing the market with 4,256 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.