Stocks rebounded sharply in trading on Wednesday, wiping out 72 percent of Tuesday’s big loss in the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index putting it in close touch of the 2,900 points level again.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands down from 40 on Tuesday with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 15 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The Junior Market Index jumped 34.13 points to 2,887.33. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 37 percent fewer shares at 45 percent less value than on Tuesday, resulting from trading of 5,551,072 shares for $15,784,558, down from 8,845,580 units at $27,670,299 on Tuesday.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 20.7 percent of total volume of 1.15 million shares, followed by Derrimon Trading with 20.2 percent, with a transfer of 1.12 million units and Mailpac Group with 14.1 of the day’s trade for 782,591 units.
Trading averaged 146,081 units at $415,383 in contrast to 221,140 at $691,757 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 203,082 units at $581,565, down from 231,583 units at $664,656 on Tuesday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $2.10 to $20.90, trading 2,830 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 8 cents to $1.77 with 76,811 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Flavoursclimbed 40 cents to $2.50 trading 601,102 units. Caribbean Producers slipped 5 cents to $2.98 with 47,814 shares passing through the market, Everything Fresh declined by 16 cents to close at 84 cents with a transfer of 30,224 stocks, Express Catering jumped 55 cents to $3.62 with an exchange of 750 stock units. Fosrich advanced 33 cents to $4.93 with 16,765 shares changing hands, GWest Corporation fell 10 cents to 81 cents with 37,500 units traded, iCreate dropped 15 cents to 65 cents with 219,224 stocks passing through the market. Iron Rock Insurance shed 20 cents to $3.60 trading 60 stock units, Jamaican Teas rose 5 cents to $3.14 with an exchange of 1,146,572 shares, Jetcon Corporation gained 6 cents to 79 cents with 6,935 units changing hands. Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $6.60 with 299 stocks traded, Lasco Distributors increased by 10 cents to $3.70 with 22,964 stock units passing through the market, Lasco Financial rose 11 cents to $2.65 trading 10,120 shares. 
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 34 cents to $4.60 with an exchange of 13,486 units, Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to $2.70 with 647,253 stocks changing hands, Mailpac Group increased by 14 cents to end at $3.49 with 782,591 stock units traded. Main Event climbed 32 cents to $3.47 with 900 shares passing through the market, Paramount Trading dropped 18 cents to $1.32 with a transfer of 449 stocks, SSL Venture slipped 6 cents to 58 cents with an exchange of 128,962 units and tTech rose 10 cents to $4.40 trading 90,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,201.29 points to 433,411.08, the Main Index dropped 1,957.22 points to 395,223.27 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.51 points to settle at 100.07.
Trading averaged 411,240 units at $1,482,838 for each security, compared to an average of 303,306 shares at $1,419,986 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 358,582 units at $1,676,782 for each security, in contrast to 336,641 units at $1,757,591 on Tuesday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
NCB Financial declined $1 to $141, with 53,913 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $67.03 to $885, with 210 units changing hands, PanJam Investment finished 90 cents lower at $64.10 trading 8,674 stock units. Proven Investments advanced $1.75 to $39, with an exchange of 35,591 stocks, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 43 cents to $8.35 with the swapping of 15,997 shares, Salada Foods declined $2.99 to $38.51 with 8,295 units clearing the market. Stanley Motta gained 34 cents to close at $5.35 after exchanging 212 units and Supreme Ventures fell $1.20 to $15 in transferring 90,750 stocks.
Investors traded six securities, compared to five on Monday and closed with the prices of one rising, two declining and three ending unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index shed 3.08 points to end at 196.01.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital closed at 8.9 US cents trading 4,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 0.56 of a cent in closing at 24 US cents, with 124,040 stock units changing hands, Sterling Investments carved out a gain of 0.01 of a cent to end at 2.11 US cents in trading 26,733 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 14.88 US cents in exchanging 65,516 units and Transjamaican Highway dropped 0.03 of a cent in closing at 0.9 US cents, exchanging 194,032 stock units.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,342.33 points to 435,612.37, the Main Index shed 1,189.08 points to 397,180.49, and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.23 points to settle at 100.58.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
Portland JSX shed $1.40 to close at $7.10 in transferring 6,500 stocks, Proven Investments fell $2.15 to $37.25, after an exchange of 26,284 units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.90 to $52, with 20,712 stocks clearing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell $1.07 to $7.92 in a transfer of 379 stocks, Salada Foods rose 50 cents to $41.50 after trading 9,418 stocks. Scotia Group climbed $1.50 to $42.50, with 34,379 shares changing hands, Seprod gained 50 cents to end at $70 in trading 9,783 stocks and Stanley Motta shed 34 cents to $5.01, with 16,000 stock units crossing the market.
Trading ended with 40 securities compared to 36 on Monday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 20 declining and six ending unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, Access Financial shed 15 cents to close at $23 with 446 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.51 to $7.20 after trading 32,684 stock units. Caribbean Cream fell 14 cents to $4.65 after exchanging 69,212 stocks, Caribbean Flavours rose 20 cents to $2.10, in transferring 641,175 shares, Caribbean Producers picked up 8 cents at $3.03, in switching ownership of 37,966 stocks. Dolphin Cove advanced $1 to $9, after an exchange of 600 units, Everything Fresh shed 21 cents to close at $1 in exchanging 244,987 stocks, after the company reported poor 2020 results with a big loss, Express Catering fell 55 cents to close at $3.07 trading 35,200 stock units, Fontana declined 7 cents to $5.89, with 70,801 units changing hands. Fosrich lost 5 cents to close at $4.60, in trading 3,117,229 shares, General Accident gained 5 cents to close at $5.55 in exchanging 14,000 units, GWest Corporation ended 9 cents higher at 91 cents, with the swapping of 2,437 units. iCreate lost 10 cents in closing at 80 cents after trading 644,148 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance rose 20 cents to end at $3.80 with 41 shares crossing the exchange. Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $6.70 in transferring 34,497 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing lost 7 cents to close at $4.26 with 95,408 shares crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards dipped 14 cents to $2.65 in trading 47,543 units, Lumber Depot picked up 8 cents to end at $2.65, with the swapping of 582,767 shares. 
Mailpac Group shed 21 cents to end at $3.35, exchanging 1,054,580 stock units, Main Event gained 10 cents to end at $3.15, with 2,990 stocks changing hands, Medical Disposables fell 20 cents to $4.30 in transferring 174 units. SSL Venture lost 6 cents to close at 64 cents, after an exchange of 999,222 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 53 cents to $4.53 trading 320 stocks and tTech lost 5 cents in closing at $4.30, in switching ownership of 72,465 stocks.
Several stocks posted strong gains leading the market into positive for the year to date, for only the second time since the start of the year, with January 5th being the only other day the market recorded gains over the 2020 close. The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,304.98 points to 436,954.70 at the close, the Main Index advanced 3,840.76 points to 398,369.57, but the JSE Financial Index slipped 037 points to 100.35.
Palace Amusement dropped $49 to $801, with 683 shares crossing the market, PanJam Investments rose $1 to $65, in an exchange of 13,660 stocks, Portland JSX ended $1.40 higher at $8.50, with the swapping of 2,000 units, 
JSE USD Equity Index slipped 1.63 points to end at 199.09 and the average PE Ratio ends at 13.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, First Rock Capital dropped 0.1 of a cent to close at 8.9 US cents in trading 15,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 0.44 of a cent to close at 24.56 US cents trading 1,900 stocks, Sterling Investments fell 0.1 of one cent to 2.1 US cents with the swapping of 1,800 units and Sygnus Credit Investments shed 0.012 of a cent to 14.88 US cents after exchanging 17,308 shares.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Friday and closed with the prices of 13 rising, 14 declining and two ending unchanged.
At the close, Access Financial lost 15 cents to close at $23.15 trading 6,220 shares, Cargo Handlers gained 10 cents to end at $8.71, with 2,016 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers picked up 5 cents to settle at $1.85 after 13,440 shares cleared the market. Caribbean Flavours shed 21 cents to finish at $1.90, with 77,359 units crossing the market, Caribbean Producers ended 44 cents lower at $2.95 in an exchange of 165,544 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries fell 20 cents to $1.31 in trading 10,100 stock units, Derrimon Trading lost 7 cents to close at $2.51 after a transferring of 2,724,910 units, Elite Diagnostics gained 20 cents to finish at $3, with an exchange of 98,020 shares. Everything Fresh gained 9 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.21, trading 461,735 stock units, Fosrich fell 74 cents to $4.65 in an exchange of 84,486 shares, General Accident declined 44 cents to $5.50 with the swapping of 15,900 units. Honey Bun lost 7 cents to end at $5.12, with 9,230 units crossing the market, Indies Pharma rose 39 cents to $3.40 with the swapping of 664,045 shares, ISP Finance closed 29 cents lower at $25 trading 1,500 units. 
Lasco Distributors shed 26 cents to $3.61 after an exchange of 17,214 units, Lasco Financial ended 14 cents lower at $2.51, with 314,948 stock units crossing the exchange. Lasco Manufacturing lost 28 cents to $4.33, finishing with 118,342 units changing hands, Medical Disposables added 20 cents to close at $4.50, with an exchange of 4,700 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50, with the swapping of 2,242 units and SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 70 cents trading 78,600 shares.
Coming into the TOP10 are Fesco, the latest IPO that is expected to come to market shortly, with the prospectus having been released but temporarily withdrawn to correct some errors. JMMB Group and Sygnus Credit Investments are now in the TOP10 Main market listing.
This week’s focus: Grace Kennedy had outstanding results for 2020 with much more to come in 2021; expect the price to move sharply over the next few weeks. Caribbean Cement reported a 70 percent rise in profit for 2020 and is projected to earn $6.70 for 2021, the stock is an ideal candidate to move higher in the weeks ahead.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, a clear indication of strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14.7 and the Junior Market 9.8 based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.2 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 289 percent and 204 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2021-22 earnings. IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver 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 result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
For the year, profit after tax surged 70 percent to $3.2 billion after tax provision of $1.2 billion. The tax charge includes deferred tax amounting to $414 million, down from $664 million in 2019. The results would have been far better but for a billion loss in foreign exchange movement, but interest cost fell from $939 million to $812 million, partially cushioning some exchange losses. Interest cost will fall further in 2021 as the debt load recedes with the strong cash flows allowing for the rapid repayment of the $4.4 billion of long term loans.
At the end of the year, shareholders’ equity moved to $11.5 billion from $8.3 billion at the end of 2019. The stock is one of the original 
