The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended trading on Thursday with the market rising after slightly more stocks rose than declined after an exchange of 30 percent fewer shares than on Wednesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 1,124.89 points to 400,646.11; the Main Index increased 1,078.27 points to 365,783.55 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.37 points to settle at 95.82.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands compared to 44 on Wednesday and closed with the prices of 18 stocks rising,16 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 15.3 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 6,254,690 shares for $40,537,477 compared to 8,881,013 units at $39,150,303 on Wednesday.
On another day of low volume passing through the market, Pulse Investments carved out 32.7 percent of total volume, with 2.05 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway for 15.3 percent, with 957,355 units and Wisynco Group, with 12.9 percent, amounting to 808,615 shares.
Trading ended with an average of 145,458 units changing hands at $942,732 for each security compared to an average of 201,841 shares at $889,780 on Wednesday. 
The average trade for the month to date ended at 211,084 units at $1,183,350 for each security, in contrast to 216,639 units at $1,203,718. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of the market, 138 Student Living shed 49 cents to close at $4.51 in trading 41 shares, Barita Investments advanced $1.49 to $59.99, with 2,150 units passing through the market, Berger Paints gained 85 cents to close at $12.70, in trading 19,402 stock units. Caribbean Cement climbed $3.90 to $47.50, exchanging 6,446 units, Eppley closed at $24, with a loss of 85 cents 1,900 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose $2 in closing at a record high of $52, transferring 10,028 shares, 
First Rock Capital fell 75 cents to $12.45, with the swapping of 8,821 stock units, Jamaica Broilers gained 60 cents to end at $25.50 trading 7,334 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 60 cents to finish at $19, exchanging 5,121 units, Palace Amusement dropped $80 to close at $1,620, with investors switching ownership of just seven stock units, Proven Investments advanced $2.97 to $39.14 and clearing the market with 6,561 units. Salada Foods climbed $2.98 to $27.99, in an exchange of 56 stock units, Scotia Group declined $1.25 to settle at $46.25, with 101,459 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group dropped $1.19 to end at $15.16 trading 808,615 shares.
In the preference segment of the market, Community & Workers Credit Union lost 44 cents, ending at an all-time low of $1.55 with an exchange of 43,209 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 3,653.98 points to 399,521.22. The Main Index fell by 3,312.47 points to 364,705.28, the JSE Financial Index shed 1.02 points to settle at 96.19.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Kingston Properties shed $1.10 to settle at $6.30 with investors swapping 50 units. Kingston Wharves jumped $6.90 to settle at $49.90 after 350 units crossed the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $8 to $155, in an exchange of 321 units, Portland JSX lost 48 cents in closing at $7.02 and trading 2,400 stock units. Proven Investments fell $1.82 to $36.17, with investors swapping 3,366 stock units, Salada Foods declined by $3.74 to $25.01, with an exchange of 6,979 stock units, Scotia Group shed 50 cents to settle at $47.50, in transferring 117,147 shares. Seprod rose to $55.89, after climbing $1.89 and exchanging 22,839 shares, Supreme Ventures gained 65 cents to close at $14, trading 24,670 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 47 cents to $17.97, with 26,303 shares changing hands.
Trading ended with an average of 118,745 units at $931,929 for each security, in comparison to an average of 175,363 shares at $1,776,099 on Monday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 218,043 units at $1,233,488 for each security, in contrast to 227,925 units at $1,263,501. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Grace Kennedy dropped $1.12 to end at $55.80 after 57,594 shares crossed the market, Jamaica Producers slid 90 cents to $20 trading 15,823 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped $2.34, to $17.65 with an exchange of 398,445 shares. Kingston Wharves tumbled to $43, after losing $4.50 with 22,458 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial closed at $133.02, declining by $1.98 after investors swapped 15,856 stock units, Palace Amusement climbed a further $110 after surging by $290 on Monday, to close at $1,700 in exchange for 201 units. Portland JSX shed $1 to close at $7.50 with investors switching ownership of 95,828 shares, Proven Investments climbed $1.49 to $37.99, trading 2,303 units, Scotia Group fell to $48, shedding $2.99 with 79,136 shares crossing the exchange and Seprod declined by $1.50 to settle at $54 trading 11,908 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,234.87 points to 403,872.59, the Main Index rose 1,122.68 points to 368,649.45 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.01 point to close at 97.15.
Trading month to date compares adversely to August with an average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Key Insurance lost 55 cents to end at $7.95 exchanging 31,426 shares. Kingston Wharves closed at $47.50, with gains of 50 cents and 101 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Investments gained 47 cents in ending at $5.60 and trading 884 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities settled at $8.49, after picking up 97 cents, with 250 units clearing the market. Palace Amusement surged $290 to end at $1,590, with an exchange of 88 units, after the company announced the opening of a drive-in cinema in New Kingston. Salada Foods jumped $3.75 to $28.75, with investors switching ownership of 6,979 stock units, 
Retail loan grew 5 percent year over year, driven by strong mortgage growth of 16 percent. Total revenues, excluding expected credit losses for the nine months, ended July at $32.1 billion, a reduction of $1.7 billion or 5.1 percent, compared to 2019. For the July 2020 quarter, gross revenues fell from $12.4 billion to $11 billion, with non-interest income contributing $1.1 billion to the decline. Administrative and other expenses were essentially flat at $5.8 billion year over year, a $2 billion increase in provision for expected loan loss helped push profit down in the quarter, to $1.55 billion from $4.2 billion in 2019. Notably, while loans amounting to $221 billion at the end of July grew 12 percent year over year, loans declined modestly from $223 billion at the end of April, the result of the increased credit loss provisioning.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, an indication of the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.1 and the Junior Market 10.9, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6 at just 55 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.2 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 279 percent, and 153 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication of potentially, greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
Trading ended with an average of 95,497 units at $1,203,930 for each security, in comparison to an average of 244,891 shares at $884,695 on Thursday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 233,735 units at $1,206,845 for each security, in contrast to 187,575 units at $1,207,217. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
First Rock Capital fell $1.05 to settle at $12, with 12,574 shares changing hands, Jamaica Broilers Group shed 36 cents to end at $24.60, after 14,625 stock units crossed the market, Kingston Wharves rose $1 to $47, in trading 377 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 55 cents with an exchange of 10,384 stock units to end at $7.52, Portland JSX advanced $1.48, in ending at $8.50 with investors switching ownership of 400 stock units, Proven Investments finished at $36.35, with gains of 4 cents in trading 7,476 stock units. Salada Foods declined by $2.99 to close at $25 in transferring 10,000 stock units, Scotia Group gained 50 cents in closing at $50.50, with 124,036 shares passing through the market, Seprod rose $2 to $55.50 after the transfer of 24,995 stock units. Supreme Ventures picked up 49 cents to settle at $14, with investors switching ownership of 165,785 shares and Wisynco Group shed 65 cents to end at $16.35, in exchanging 40,884 shares.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,047.56 points to 401,621.75, the Main Index rose 962.30 points to 366,616.91 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.01 points to close at 96.30.
Trading ended with an average of 244,891 units changing hands at $884,695 for each security, in comparison to an average of 137,893 shares at $958,843 on Wednesday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 187,575 units at $1,207,217 for each security, in contrast to 179,192 units at $1,254,388. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Jamaica Broilers rose 36 cents to close at $24.96 in trading 19,670 shares, Jamaica Producers advanced $1.85 to $21 and cleared the market with 1,350 units. Key Insurance rose 66 cents to $8.57 trading 17,006 stock units, Kingston Wharves dropped $2.89 in closing at $46, with 10,317 units crossing the market, Mayberry Investments slipped 57 cents to $5.13, after 19,300 stock units passed through the market. Proven Investments advanced $1.85 to $35.95, after an exchange of 592 units, Salada Foods gained 99 cents to close at $27.99, with 75 units crossing the market, Scotia Group rose $1 to end at $50, after trading 32,180 shares. Seprod climbed $1.10 to $53.50, in exchanging 9,312 units, Supreme Ventures lost 46 cents to settle at $13.51 trading 101,403 shares and Wisynco Group gained 50 cents to close at $17, with 87,673 shares changing hands.
The average trade for the month to date ended at 179,192 units at $1,254,388 for each security, in contrast to 185,696 units at $1,300,931. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Jamaica Producers declined by $1.85 to $19.15, with 5,992 units changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 33 cents, in finishing at $18.95 with 17,418 stock units crossing the market, Kingston Wharves closed at $48.89, having gained 89 cents and trading 5,099 stock units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $8 to close at $163, after exchanging 636 units, Palace Amusement climbed $200 in closing at $1,300 trading 10 units, Proven Investments declined by $1.80 to $34.10 with an exchange of 5,490 stock units. Sagicor Group gained 30 cents to close at $44.90, in transferring 24,509 stock units, Salada Foods dropped $1 to $27, with an exchange of 11,896 units, Scotia Group climbed $2 to $49 while trading 204,296 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments ended at $18, with gains of $1.45 in transferring 104,248 stock units.
Stationery and Office Supplies and Jetcon Corporation dropped out of the Junior Market list, the former earning, was revised down for 2020, with the loss incurred in the June quarter while Jetcon price inched up, to be squeezed out of the top stocks.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profit of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, an indication of the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15 and the Junior Market 10.8, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. 
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6 at just 56 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.1 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,674.54 points to 401,637.06, the Main Index carved out a gain of 1,545.95 points to 366,576.42 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.12 points to close at 96.29.
Trading ended with an average of 113,552 units changing hands at $637,545, in comparison to an average of 241,851 shares at $1,208,807 on Monday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 185,696 units at $1,300,931 for each security, in contrast to 200,398 units at $1,436,123 on Monday. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Jamaica Broilers Group declined by 45 cents in closing at $25 and 33,295 shares crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange carved out a gain of 62 cents to end at $18.62 trading 12,262 units, Mayberry Investments settled at $5.69, with a rise of 57 cents, with 2,000 units passing through the market. Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 43 cents to end at $8.07 with investors swapping 122 stock units, NCB Financial fell 60 cents to settle at $135, after exchanging 48,381 shares, Palace Amusement dived $400 in closing at $1,100, in trading 20 shares. Proven Investments climbed $1.75 to settle at $35.90, with 1,191 units changing hands, Scotia Group lost $1 to end at $47 with 7,120 units crossing the exchange and Seprod climbed $1.40 to close at $52.40 with investors switching ownership of 63,478 shares.