Trading fell sharply from that on Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday, with a 73 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded and 81 percent lower value than on Friday, with trading in 64 securities up from 61 on Friday, with prices of 19 stocks rising, 29 declining and 16 ending unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 7,386,196 shares for $39,659,258 down from 27,058,198 units at $213,443,083 on Friday.
Trading averaged 115,409 shares at $619,676 compared to 443,577 units at $3,499,067 on Friday and June with an average of 246,425 units at $1,945,941.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 2.84 million shares for 38.5 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.34 million stock units for 18.2 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 1.22 million units for 16.5 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index increased 147.08 points to end at 358,283.67, the JSE Main Index rose 488.45 points to 319,408.32 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.24 points to settle at 67.09.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.1. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 14.1 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close of trading, AS Bryden climbed $1.60 to $37.60 with a transfer of 89 stock units, Barita Investments skidded 89 cents to $74 after 2,509 shares were exchanged, Caribbean Cement fell 98 cents and ended at $64, with 10,120 units crossing the market. Caribbean Producers popped 40 cents to end at $10 in trading 140,388 stock units, Jamaica Broilers slipped $2.48 to finish at $33.02, with 62,401 units passing through the market, Jamaica Producers sank $1.05 to close at $23.95 with investors trading 3,805 stocks. Margaritaville dipped 44 cents to $13.16 after an exchange of 900 shares, Mayberry Group rallied 68 cents to $7.99 after investors ended trading 102 stock units, Pan Jamaica rose 51 cents in closing at $46.51, with 1,198 shares crossing the exchange. Seprod lost $7.75 to close at $80.15 in switching ownership of 9,822 stock units, Supreme Ventures dropped $1.40 to finish at $24.60 after a transfer of 19,552 stocks,
Sygnus Credit Investments shed 62 cents to end at $11.88 with 1,639 units changing hands and Wisynco Group declined 65 cents to $20.50 in an exchange of 45,884 shares.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share sank $1 in closing at $19 with 53,900 stock units clearing the market, Eppley 7.75% preference share slipped $1.42 to finish at $18.57 with traders dealing in 140 units, JMMB Group 7% preference share advanced 48 cents and ended at $3.24 in an exchange of 1,212 stocks. 138 Student Living preference share fell $1.56 to close at $198.44 with investors swapping 6 units and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% declined $6 to end at $102 with an exchange of 20,000 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
ICTOP10 has a brand new listing
Having fallen badly in the previous week, the Junior Market rallied a solid 5.2 percent the past week to end up above 3,800 points on Thursday and Friday and the Main Market rose 1.2 percent to close out the week, with the Junior Market ICTOP 10 blazing a trail with some lofty gains and the Main Market posting just two stocks with notable gains and a few losses of size, with one new stock entering the TOP10.
Other than the b moves in the TOP10, the market got some good news this past week. For one Jamaica Broilers reported positive full year results that were helped by a $2.3 billion one off gain, excluding those gains normal profits would have been in the order of $4.80 when taxes relating to the capital gains are excluded. The other positive news is that the Bank of Jamaica will officially start to ease the tight monetary policy pursued over the past three years. In reality, they commenced easing in early May, with CD rates falling from 11.59 percent in early April to mostly under 10 percent during June.
The other news of worth is that GDP growth for the March quarter was 1.4 percent, but that reflects a slowdown from last year and an even slower December quarter that was 1.7 percent. The latest GPD data and other available information suggest the evidence of a slow down. These include reduced first quarter results of several companies and a decline in tourist arrivals in the second quarter, suggesting that the second quarter is likely to grow at an even slower pace than the first. The positive take from any economic slowdown is that the tight monetary policy that the country is in will be eased further.
JSE Main Market had three winners and four losers. The Junior Market ended with six winners and three losers.
The Junior Market ICTOP10 saw Dolla Financial surging 30 percent to $3 followed by Consolidated Bakeries’ big recovery from last week’s big 28 percent fall and ended with a gain of 28 percent to $1.98, Access Financial gained 15 percent to end at $21.93, Caribbean Cream popped 7 percent to $3.80 and Stationery and Office Supplies rose 7 percent to close at $1.70. Declining stocks include Caribbean Assurance Brokers down 13 percent to close at $3.31 and tTech falling 9 percent to $2.10.
JMMB Group was the star performer in the Main Market TOP10, climbing 13 percent to $25.10 and Berger Paints was up 6 percent in closing at $8.52. Declining stocks are 138 Student Living and Pulse Investments dipping 6 percent to $3.86 and $1.50 respectively and Guardian Holdings dropped 4 percent to close at $345.
Dolla Financial with a 30 percent surge, dropped out of the ICTOP10 for the week and is replaced by One Great Studio.
One Great Studio was listed in September 2023 at $1 per share, the price has since slipped to a low of 80 cents per share following first quarter profit that fell 55 percent to $10 million from $23 million in 2023, following a fall in revenues from $115 million to $91 million.
The principal activities of the Group are to provide search engine optimisation, web design and development and software development services, with clients based in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and other countries. The company is looking to add other services by way of a possible acquisition in the future to benefit from synergies.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.1, well below the market average of 13.9 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 6.7, just over half of the market, with an average of 13.3.
The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 303 percent by May 2025, based on 2024 forecasted earnings and providing better values than the Junior Market with the potential to achieve 215 percent over the same period.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 17 of the most highly valued stocks representing 33 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 102, with an average of 30 and 19 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 24 for the top half and 16 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
In the Junior Market IC TOP10 are 14 stocks, or 30 percent of the market, with PEs ranging from 15 to 53, averaging 21, well above the market’s average. The average PE for the top half of the market is 18, possibly the lowest fair value measure for stocks currently.
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 2025 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.
Month end bounce hits JSE Main Market
Stocks mostly rose to close out the half year with gains at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday, resulting in some stocks hitting new yearly highs and lows, with Carreras ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $9.43, Jamaica Broilers trading at an intraday high of $40, while NCB Financial sank to a multiyear closing low of $54.84, following a 98 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded with the value rising 113 percent more than on the prior day.
Carreras hits a new yearly high on Friday.
Trading ended with activities in 61 securities up from 55 on Thursday and ended with prices of 24 stocks rising, 23 declining and 14 ending unchanged, resulting in 27,058,198 shares trading at $213,443,083 compared with 13,687,861 units at $100,043,332 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 443,577 shares at $3,499,067 versus 248,870 units at $1,818,970 on Thursday. For the month to date, trading averaged 246,425 units at $1,945,941 up from with 235,472 units at $1,859,656 on the previous day and May that closed with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 14.05 million shares for 51.9 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.64 million units for 9.8 percent of the day’s trade, Transjamaican Highway with 2.45 million stock units for 9 percent of market share and Supreme Ventures with 1.56 million shares for 5.8 percent of total volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,166.41 points to close at 358,136.59, the JSE Main Index rose 1,525.91 points to close trading at 318,919.87 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.56 points to close at 66.85.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.2. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 19 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, AS Bryden dropped $1.60 to $36 with investors transferring 222 units, Barita Investments had a typical end of quarter move with both the price and volume popping higher, with a rise of $3.14 to $74.89 and an exchange of 742,141 stocks, Caribbean Cement increased $2.98 in closing at $64.98, closing with an exchange of 32,544 shares.
Caribbean Producers popped 60 cents to end at $9.60 with investors trading 878,024 units, Eppley fell $2.38 to close at $36.50, with 1,125 shares crossing the exchange, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $2.99 to finish at $40 in trading 291 units. Guardian Holdings shed $5 and ended at $345 after 346 stocks passed through the market, Jamaica Broilers rose $2.50 to $35.50 with an exchange of 819,391 stock units, Jamaica Producers advanced 50 cents to finish at $25 with 142,941 shares clearing the market. Kingston Wharves dropped 49 cents in closing at $26 as investors exchanged 82,906 stock units, Mayberry Group lost 69 cents to close at $7.31 after a transfer of 324 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities slipped 49 cents to end at $9 in the trading of 40,000 units. NCB Financial sank $1.16 to end at a multiyear closing low of $54.84 after an exchange of 30,415 stocks and trading as low as $52.90, 
Pan Jamaica declined $4.47 to finish at $46 with investors trading 360,819 shares, Sagicor Group climbed 50 cents and ended at $41 after an exchange of 93,948 stock units. Seprod popped $7.90 in closing at $87.90 after 54,417 units raced across the market and Supreme Ventures climbed $2.90 to end at $26 in an exchange of 1,563,786 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rose $6.47 to close at $47.97 with investors swapping 41 units. JMMB Group 7% preference share rallied 42 cents to $2.76 with a transfer of 11 shares, 138 Student Living preference share jumped $19.55 to end at $200, with 1,183 stock units changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% skidded $2 in closing at $108 with traders dealing in 500 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
NCB Financial hits multi year low
NCB Financial dropped during the day to an 11year intraday low of $52 before bouncing back to close at $56 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded in the overall market rising just by 4 percent with the value falling 12 percent lower than on Wednesday, with trading in 55 securities down from 59 on Wednesday, with prices of 19 stocks rising, 23 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 13,687,861 shares being traded for $100,043,332 compared to 13,147,467 stock units at $113,060,902 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 248,870 shares at $1,818,970 compared with 222,838 units at $1,916,286 on Wednesday. Trading month to date, ended with an average of 235,472 stock units at $1,859,656 compared to 234,765 units at $1,861,801 on the previous day and May with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 3.88 million shares for 28.3 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 3.12 million stocks for 22.8 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.96 million units for 21.6 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 2,566.82 points to settle at 354,970.18, the JSE Main Index declined 2,262.58 points to 317,393.96 and the JSE Financial Index skidded 0.70 points to end the day at 66.29.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.9. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts done by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, AS Bryden dropped $3.88 to $37.60 as investors exchanged 257 stocks, Berger Paints fell $1.29 to close at $8.51 in trading 746 units, Caribbean Cement skidded 99 cents to finish at $62 with 72,805 shares crossing the market. Guardian Holdings advanced $5 and ended at $350 with a transfer of 8 stock units, Jamaica Broilers lost 44 cents to end at $33, with 14,211 shares crossing the exchange, Kingston Wharves rose 49 cents in closing at $26.49 with investors transferring 312,439 stock units. NCB Financial declined 50 cents to $56 in switching ownership of 246,919 stocks, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks low of $52, Sagicor Group shed 50 cents to end at $40.50 with investors dealing in 4,301 units, 
Scotia Group climbed $1 to end at $45 with 86,230 shares clearing the market. Supreme Ventures dropped 89 cents to end at $23.10 in an exchange of 34,131 units and Wisynco Group popped 66 cents and ended at $21.22 with investors trading 40,955 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% sank $6.49 to close at $41.50, with 12 stocks passing through the market, JMMB Group 7% preference share slipped 90 cents to $2.34 after a transfer of 5,000 shares and 138 Student Living preference share rallied $44.71 in closing at $180.45 with traders dealing in 67 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
JSE Main Market bounces with increased trades
The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market closed higher on Wednesday, with a 16 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded with a 10 percent higher value than on Tuesday, following trading in 59 securities up from 54 on Tuesday, and ended with prices of 25 rising, 13 declining and 21 ending unchanged.
The Main Market closed with trading of 13,147,467 shares for $113,060,902 up from 11,380,554 units at $102,771,663 on Tuesday.
Trading finished with an average of 222,838 shares at $1,916,286 up from 210,751 stock units at $1,903,179 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date, averages 234,765 units at $1,861,801, marginally more than 235,480 stocks at $1,858,534 on the previous day and May with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 3.08 million shares for 23.4 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.12 million units for 16.1 percent of the day’s trade and Sygnus Credit Investments with 1.33 million units for 10.1 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 803.03 points to 357,537.00, the JSE Main Index advanced 1,434.43 points to end trading at 319,656.54 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.37 points to close trading at 66.99.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.1. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AS Bryden jumped $4.39 to $41.48 with an exchange of 56 stock units, Barita Investments rallied 60 cents and ended at $71.70 with 2,727 shares clearing the market, Berger Paints rose 80 cents in closing at $9.80 with investors trading 8,695 stocks. Guardian Holdings dropped $15 to end at $345 after a transfer of 62 units, Jamaica Broilers gained $1.44 to close at $33.44 in trading 504,743 shares, JMMB Group advanced 96 cents to finish at $25.50, with 519,086 units changing hands. 
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy jumped $6.94 to $90 with a transfer of 35 stocks, Pan Jamaica fell 75 cents to finish at $50.75 after traders swapped 254,028 stocks, Sagicor Group climbed 50 cents and ended at $41 in an exchange of 8,573 shares. Scotia Group slipped 89 cents to close at $44 with investors trading 29,563 units, Sygnus Credit Investments popped $1.47 to end at $12.16 after shareholders traded 1,330,198 stocks and Wisynco Group lost 44 cents in closing at $20.56 with investors dealing in 10,176 stock units.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share rallied $50 to $1,100 with 47 shares crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% rose $2 to end at $110 as traders exchanged 20 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading drops on JSE Main Market
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Tuesday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 17 percent and the value 40 percent lower than on Monday, with trading in 54 securities compared with 60 on Monday, with prices of 24 stocks rising, 15 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
Investors traded 11,380,554 shares at $102,771,663 down from 13,700,341 units at $172,344,664 on Monday.
Trading averaged 210,751 shares at $1,903,179 compared to 228,339 units at $2,872,411 on Monday and month to date, an average of 235,480 units at $1,858,534 compared with 236,916 units at $1,855,942 on the previous day and May with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 3.39 million shares for 29.8 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.57 million units for 13.8 percent of the day’s trade and Carreras with 1.17 million units for 10.3 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 937.75 points to close at 356,733.97, the JSE Main Index popped 139.64 points to culminate at 318,222.11 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.08 points to conclude trading at 67.36.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.1. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Caribbean Cement gained 74 cents to end at $63 with investors trading 1,549 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund lost $4.99 in closing at $37.01 in an exchange of 3,257 stocks, Jamaica Broilers sank $1.34 to $32 with investors dealing in 58,968 shares. JMMB Group declined 76 cents to close at $24.54 in an exchange of 125,377 stock units, Kingston Wharves popped 50 cents and ended at $26 with 953,157 shares clearing the market, NCB Financial rallied $1.80 to finish at $56.80 after a transfer of 114,132 stocks. 
Pan Jamaica increased 50 cents to $51.50 after an exchange of 40,296 units, Proven Investments climbed 50 cents to end at $20 with investors transferring 68,892 stock units, Sagicor Group rose 50 cents to $40.50, with 10,575 shares crossing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund advanced 52 cents to finish at $8.02 after exchanging 250 stock units, Scotia Group rose $2.04 and ended at $44.89 with investors swapping 5,550 stocks, Stanley Motta fell 50 cents to close at $6, with 9,984 stock units changing hands. Supreme Ventures rallied 99 cents to $23.99 with 84,590 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group increased $1 to end at $21 in trading 41,618 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share climbed $1.42 in closing at $19.99 after an exchange of 222 stocks and 138 Student Living preference share dropped $23.96 to finish at $135.74 after trading 9 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Surge in JSE Main Market value
Rising stocks pushed the Main Market of Jamaica Stock Exchange sharply higher at the close on Monday, with the All Jamaican Composite Index surging 6,573.73 points to 355,796.22, the JSE Main Index jumped 4,806.02 points to 318,082.47 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.44 points to 67.28, following a 25 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded after an 18 percent decline in value compared to Friday.
Trading ended with an exchange of 60 securities up from 58 on Friday, with prices of 24 stocks rising, 21 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 13,700,341 shares trading for $172,344,664 from 18,284,634 units at $210,425,299 on Friday.
Trading averaged 228,339 shares at $2,872,411 compared with 315,252 units at $3,628,022 on Friday and month to date, an average of 236,916 units at $1,855,942 versus 237,508 units at $1,785,841 on the previous day and May that closed with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 3.75 million shares for 27.4 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.94 million units for 14.2 percent of the day’s trade, NCB Financial ended with 1.52 million units for 11.1 percent of market share, Carreras followed with 1.24 million units for 9.1 percent trading and Transjamaican Highway with 1.23 million units for 9 percent of total volume.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.3. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments skidded 71 cents to $71 with traders dealing in 6,001 stock units, Berger Paints jumped $1.28 to $9.28 after trading 1,604 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose $5 to close at $42 with investors trading 352 units. First Rock Real Estate climbed 50 cents to $10 after 260,735 stocks were traded, Jamaica Producers rallied $2.50 to finish at $24 with an exchange of 203,434 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange popped $1 and ended at $ 11 with 538,235 units crossing the market. JMMB Group advanced $3.05 to $25.30 with investors dealing in 615,810 stocks, Kingston Wharves rallied 50 cents and ended at $25.50 after an exchange of 502,908 stock units, Mayberry Group increased 92 cents to finish at $7.98 with investors trading 811 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy lost $16.94 in closing at $83.06 with 5,147 stock units crossing the market,
NCB Financial shed $1.80 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $55 as investors exchanged 1,516,844 units, with the price coming close to a level of support, but a price as low as $50 may not be out of place, with a PE ratio of 7 times this year’s earnings. Pan Jamaica popped $1 to end at $51, with 79,068 stocks changing hands, Proven Investments fell 50 cents in closing at $19.50 in trading 3,950 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund dipped 53 cents to $7.50 after a transfer of 50 units. Seprod rallied $1.50 and ended at $80 with 113,419 stocks clearing the market, Stanley Motta rose 60 cents to finish at $6.50 after an exchange of 5 stock units and Sterling Investments climbed 45 cents to close at $2.40 and closed with 4,125 shares being traded.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share sank $1.42 to end at $18.57 with a transfer of 648 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Big ICTOP10 price movements
The past week saw the return to trading of shares in iCreate and Edufocal, with the former enjoying a bounce in price from 43 cents to close at 60 cents, with the latter falling from 85 cents to 65 cents following the release of the 2023 audited accounts that were highly negative for the stock, with the company posting a big annual loss.
In a week when the Junior Market fell 1.72 percent and the Main Market was down 0.97 percent the ICTOP10 stocks ended with declining stocks outnumbering those rising. JSE Main Market had two winners and three losers of note and just two winners and four losers of note in the Junior Market.
The Junior Market ICTOP10 Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 7 percent to close at $3.80, followed by Lumber Depot with a rise of 4 percent to $2.76. Consolidated Bakeries suffered a big 28 percent fall to $1.55 but had no bids at the close of the market, Caribbean Cream dropped 11 percent to $3.56, Dolla Financial fell 8 percent to $2.30 and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 6 percent to close at $1.59.
In the Main Market, Guardian Holdings was the only stock with note-worthy gains, with an increase of 4 percent to $360. Berger Paints lost 11 percent in closing at $8, JMMB Group fell 8 percent to $22.25 and Margaritaville dipped 6 percent to close at $13.60.
There are no new additions to the ICTOP10 for the week.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.1, well below the market average of 13.9 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 6.4, just over half of the market, with an average of 12.4.
The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 303 percent by May 2025, based on 2024 forecasted earnings and providing better values than the Junior Market with the potential to achieve 230 percent over the same period.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 16 of the most highly valued stocks representing 31 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 103, with an average of 29 and 19 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 23 for the top half and 16 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
In the Junior Market IC TOP10 are 12 stocks, or 26 percent of the market, with PEs ranging from 15 to 45, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The average PE for the top half of the market is 17, possibly the lowest fair value measure for stocks currently.
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 2025 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.
Declining stocks hit Main Market hard
Declining stocks sent the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market sharply lower at the end of trading on Friday, with trading in 58 securities down from 54 on Thursday, with prices of 20 stocks rising, 18 declining and 20 unchanged with the volume of stocks traded rising a 192 percent and the value 331 percent more than on Thursday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dived 4,210.54 points to 349,222.49, the JSE Main Index dropped by 2,656.40 points to close trading at 313,276.45 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.68 points to settle at 65.84.
Trading accounted for 18,284,634 shares for $210,425,299 up sharply from 6,262,498 units at $48,874,680 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 315,252 shares at $3,628,022 compared with 115,972 units at $905,087 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 237,508 units at $1,785,841 compared to 231,955 units at $1,654,256 on the previous day and May that closed with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Jamaica Producers led trading with 6.64 million shares for 36.3 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4.58 million stocks for 25.1 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 3.25 million units for 17.8 percent of the day’s trade.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.9. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings projected by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints dipped $1.29 to close at $8 with investors trading 15,100 stock units, Caribbean Cement gained 98 cents to end at $62.26 after an exchange of 5,223 shares, Eppley popped $2.45 and ended at $38.95 with investors dealing in 250 stocks. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $5 to end at $37 with 2,975 units clearing the market, GraceKennedy slipped 94 cents to close at $74.06 in an exchange of 52,515 shares, Guardian Holdings rallied $10 to finish at $360 and closed with an exchange of 861 units. Jamaica Broilers rose $1.35 to $33.35, with 1,812 stocks crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed 40 cents in closing at $10, with 11,301 stock units changing hands, JMMB Group sank $1.75 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $22.25 in trading 894,112 shares. Kingston Wharves rose 96 cents to finish at $25, with 7,672 stocks crossing the market, 
Margaritaville shed $1.85 and ended at $13.60 in switching ownership of 69 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced 40 cents to close at $9.52, with 209 stock units crossing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $8.44 to $100 after a transfer of 107 shares, Pan Jamaica popped $2 to finish at $50 with investors trading 4,020 stocks, Scotia Group lost $2.04 and ended at $42.76 after 116,965 units passed through the market. Stanley Motta declined $1.01 to end at $5.90 as investors exchanged 18 stocks and Sterling Investments skidded 44 cents in closing at $1.95 in trading 22,862 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
NCB weighting down Main Market
The heavily weighted NCB Financial continue to pressure trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the stock trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $54.95 more than $10 lower than the ill-fated public offer price of $65 that closed a few weeks ago and pressuring the stock to a multi-year low.
Trading ended on the Main Market, with trading in 54 securities compared with 55 on Wednesday, with prices of 18 stocks rising, 26 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
The market closed with a 34 percent decline in the volume of 6,262,498 shares being traded down from 9,539,890 units on Wednesday, with the value traded falling 24 percent to $48,874,680 from $64,529,225.
Trading averaged 115,972 shares at $905,087 compared to 173,453 units at $1,173,259 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 231,955 units at $1,654,256 compared with 240,217 units at $1,707,627 on the previous day and May that closed with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 1.82 million shares for 29.1 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.37 million units for 21.8 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 1.0 million units for 16 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 961.07 points to finish at 353,433.03, the JSE Main Index skidded 477.47 points to end the day at 315,932.85 and the JSE Financial Index skidded 0.24 points to end at 66.52.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.2. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of market activity, AS Bryden sank $4.65 and ended at $37, with 50 stocks clearing the market, Caribbean Cement skidded $2.62 to $61.28 with investors swapping 13,472 units, First Rock Real Estate advanced 65 cents to finish at $9.50 and closed after an exchange of 489 shares. GraceKennedy fell $1.40 to $75 with traders dealing in 20,916 stock units, Guardian Holdings dipped $10 to close at $350, with 9 shares changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 90 cents to end at $9.60 with investors transferring 20,000 units. JMMB Group popped 99 cents to $24 after exchanging 14,434 stocks, Kingston Wharves declined $1.71 to finish at $24.04 with 20,219 stock units crossing the market, Margaritaville shed 77 cents and ended at $15.45 with an exchange of 70 shares. 
Massy Holdings climbed $1 to close at $88 in trading 20,241 stock units, Mayberry Group dropped 98 cents in closing at $7.02 as investors exchanged 5,387 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities slipped 40 cents to end at $9.12 after a transfer of 700 units. NCB Financial fell 95 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $56.80 with investors dealing in 425,340 stocks, 138 Student Living rose 50 cents to finish at $4.10 in an exchange of 8,035 units, Pan Jamaica declined $1.97 to $48, with 26,900 shares crossing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 53 cents to end at $8.03 in an exchange of 161 stock units, Seprod lost $1 in closing at $78.50 after 1,596 shares passed through the market, Stanley Motta increased 91 cents to close at $6.91 with a transfer of 350 units and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 44 cents to $10.90 after an exchange of 106,765 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose $1 and ended at $6.50 with investors trading 142 stock units and Jamaica Public Service 7% rallied $1.99 to end at $47.99, with 522 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.