The US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange rose at the close of trading on Monday, after trading 88 percent fewer shares changed hands than on Friday, resulting in more stocks rising than falling.
At the close of the market, trading ended with four securities changing hands compared to five on Friday and ended with the prices of two stocks rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equities Index climbed 19.15 points to close at 196.21, more than recovering the 14.16 points drop on Friday. The PE Ratio of the market averages 13.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 201,692 shares, for US$4,467 compared to 1,635,494 units at US$294,978 on Friday.
The average trade for the day amounts to 50,423 units changing hands at US$1,117, in contrast to an average of 327,099 shares at US$58,996 on Friday. Trading ended with an average of 874,719 units for the month to date at US$19,029, in contrast to 928,771 units at US$20,204. September by comparison ended with an average of 84,017 units for US$10,590.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Margaritaville remained at 15 US cents after trading 100 shares, Proven Investments shed 2.49 US cents to settle at 23.51 US cents with an exchange of 9,801 units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained fourth tenths of a cent to close 13.49 US cents with an exchange of 627 stock units and Transjamaican Highway rose by 0.04 of a cent to end at 0.097 of a US cent with an exchange of 191,164 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Investors immediately reacted to the results by driving the stock up $8.04 or 17.5 percent to $54 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The Main and Junior Markets closed the past week lower than the close of the previous week, with the Main market at a higher level than the third week of July, while the Junior Market continues at the lowest levels since the early summer months. 
Lasco Financial and Elite Diagnostic. 
The focus on all three is on the 2021 fiscal year profit, projected to recover from reduced profit for the 2020 financial year. With expected gains of 151 to 227 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are Berger Paints, followed by JMMB Group and Grace Kennedy. 
The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 16.1 and the Junior Market 12.2, based on ICInsider.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 5.7 at just 47 percent to the Junior Market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.4 or 52 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP 10 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 for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
In its annual report for the just concluded financial year, the company reported that “during the new financial year, the Company will continue to build out its productive capacity. We have capitalized our lubricant plant and installed the packaging line. Renovation activities already started on the bleach and chlorine plants will continue in the new financial year. We have also expanded into manufacturing sanitation products and will widen the product base over time. Our main drivers in the short term will be the revenue we will derive from our new products, the expansion of our offerings in the Bleach division, and our continued pursuit of contract manufacturing in our Lubricant division”.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 738.24 points to 412,694.72. The Main Index rose 489.74 points to 376,431.65 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.54 points to settle at 99.48.
Trading ended with an average of 1,128,723 units changing hands at $1,601,545 for each security, in comparison to an average of 742,870 shares at $1,384,547 on Thursday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 427,526 units at $5,067,972 for each security,in contrast to 376,667 units at $5,319,395. Trading for the month to date is well above September’s average of 265,170 units at $3,271,625.
Kingston Wharves declined by $3.39 to close at $44.60, with 664 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Investments shed 58 cents in exchanging 15,208 stock units and closed at $5.42. Mayberry Jamaican Equities ended at $7.60, with gains of $1.10 trading 35,292 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $24 to $145, in an exchange of 96 units, NCB Financial gained 47 cents to settle at $136.50, after the transfer of 19,767 shares. Palace Amusement climbed $10 to $1,480 in trading just one unit, Portland JSX gained 80 cents to close at $9, with 602 stock units crossing the market, Proven Investments lost 62 cents in the exchange of 3,811 units to finish at $38. Sagicor Group closed $2.35 higher at $46.40, with 10,789 stock units changing hands, Salada Foods dropped $6 to $20, trading 5 units, Scotia Group climbed $2.43 to close at $48.44, with an exchange of 1,242 units. Seprod dipped $1.48 to $58.50 in trading 89,547 shares and Sterling Investments gained 47 cents to end at $3.80 in trading 1,000 units.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment settled at 9 US cents, with an exchange of 1,316 shares Margaritaville closed at 15 US cents, after trading 1,290 units, Proven Investments lost half a cent to end at 26 US cents, clearing the market with 1,420,731 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 13.08 US cents, with a loss of four-tenths of a cent ending as investors swapped 5,792 stock units and Transjamaican Highway lost one-tenth of a cent end at 0.93 of a US cent, in exchanging 206,365 shares.
Seventy-five percent or 33 of listed stocks traded, compared to 35 on Thursday and ended with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 11 declining and seven closing with prices remaining unchanged.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
GWest Corporation slipped 1 cent to finish at 90 cents with 13,939 units passing through the market, iCreate gained 10 cents to settle at 70 cents with investors switching ownership of 2,000 stock units, Indies Pharma advanced 17 cents to end at $2.85 with 371 units changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance added 1 cent to close at $2.51, with an exchange of 13,282 units, ISP Finance jumped $2.49 to finish at $18.50 trading 204 units, Jamaican Teas declined 11 cents to $4.89 with 88,260 shares traded. Jetcon Corporation increased 9 cents to end at 89 cents with investors transferring 9,000 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 6 cents to close at $1.10 with 128,808 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group rose 4 cents in an exchange of 251,531 stock units to settle at $1.99. Main Event advanced 70 cents to finish at $3.70, with 2,955 stocks passing through the market, Medical Disposables climbed 35 cents to end at $4.25 with 4,033 shares traded. Stationery and Office Supplies declined 3 cents to close at $4.97, with investors switching ownership of 1,598 stocks and Tropical Battery lost 4 cents to settle at $1.19 with 462,122 shares crossing the exchange.
The average trade for the month to date ended at 376,667 units at $5,319,395 for each security, in contrast to 347,371 units at $5,634,183. Trading month to date is well ahead of September’s average of 265,170 units at $3,271,625.
NCB Financial traded at $136.03, with a loss of 47 cents after 6,827 units passed through the market. Palace Amusement added $20 to close at $1,470 in an exchange of 37 units, Proven Investments settled at $38.62, after losing $1.38 with 14,591 stock units changed hands, Salada Foods gained 90 cents to close at $26, with an exchange of 14,663 stocks. Scotia Group lost 31 cents and ending at $46.01, with 41,370 shares changing hands, Seprod dropped $7 to $59.98, trading 187,632 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 50 cents to close at $18, trading 135,856 units and Wisynco Group gained 60 cents after exchanging 40,127 shares to settle at $16.60.
Like Wednesday, trading ended with 35 securities changing hands on Thursday and concluded with 15 stocks rising, the prices of 15 declining and five with prices remaining unchanged.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Jetcon Corporation gained 2 cents to finish at 80 cents with investors switching ownership of 27,328 stock units, KLE Group declined 32 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.10 with 9,000 units passing through the market, Knutsford Express jumped $1.03 to end at $6.74 with 7,833 units changing hands. Lasco Distributors advanced 14 cents to finish at $3.15 with an exchange of 44,587 units, Lasco Financial gained 2 cents to settle at $2.07 with 5,589 stocks traded, Lasco Manufacturing fell 8 cents to close at $3.37 with investors transferring 25,072 units. Limners and Bards dropped 17 cents to end at $2.33 with 95,783 stock units trading, Lumber Depot finished 1 cent higher at $1.04 with 275,023 units changing hands, Mailpac Group dipped 4 cents to settle at $1.95 with an exchange of 571,731 units. Medical Disposables shed 65 cents to close at $3.90 with investors switching ownership of 1,045 shares, SSL Venture rose 9 cents to end at 59 cents with 200 units changing hands, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 15 cents to finish at $5 with 1,700 units passing through the market. Tropical Battery gained 3 cents, trading 1,139,241 shares to settle at $1.23 and tTech dropped 90 cents to close at $5.50 with 1,363 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close of the market, trading ended with five securities changing hands compared to two on Wednesday and closed with the price of one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment gained one-tenth of a cent and closed at 9 US cents, after exchanging 9,051 shares, Margaritaville closed at 15 US cents, trading 906 units. Proven Investments lost half a cent, to close at 26.5 US cents, with 1,000 stock units changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 13.5 US cents, in exchanging 739 units.
