Future Energy Source (Fesco) continued its dominance for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, commanding over 52 percent of total volume in trading 8.7 million shares on the Junior Market on Wednesday.
Following Fesco’s lead, Lasco Manufacturing chipped in with 1.79 million shares accounting for 10.7 percent of the day’s trade. Jamaican Teas garnered a 9.5 percent market share, with a transfer of 1.58 million units as the stock hit a record high ahead of second quarter results due in May and Tropical Battery ended with 1.45 million units changing hands, for 8.7 percent of the market.
The Junior Market of the Stock Exchange ended trading with 23 percent more shares than on Tuesday, resulting in 37 securities changing hands, down from 40 on Tuesday, with 19 stocks rising, 15 declining and three remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index rose 27.79 points to close at 3,178.47. The PE Ratio averages 13 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
A total of 16,660,091 shares traded on Wednesday for $35,210,071 compared to 21,735,274 units at $33,358,438 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 450,273 units at $951,624 in contrast to 543,382 at $833,961 on Tuesday. The month to date, averages 282,671 units at $713,895, up from 272,505 shares at $699,475 on Tuesday. Trading in March resulted in an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 50 cents to $22 with an exchange of 6,745 shares, Blue Power jumped 60 cents to $4.35 in switching ownership of 227,988 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped 10 cents to $2.05 with 27,347 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours climbed 35 cents to $2.35 with 352,845 shares traded, Consolidated Bakeries declined 10 cents to $1.70 with a transfer of 13,500 stocks, Everything Fresh gained 16 cents to close at $1.13 with 102,687 units passing through the market. Express Catering lost 10 cents to finish at $4.40 with an exchange of 45,838 shares, Fontana advanced 20 cents to $5.96 with investors switching ownership of 69,904 units, Fosrich jumped 84 cents to $7.04 with 34,332 stocks changing hands. iCreate slipped 6 cents to settle at 73 cents with 160,572 shares traded, Indies Pharma rose 5 cents to $4.31 with a transfer of 140,683 units, Iron Rock Insurance slipped 10 cents to $3 with 18,360 stocks passing through the market. Jamaican Teas gained 16 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.85 with an exchange of 1,584,969 stock units, Jetcon Corporation fell 13 cents to 85 cents with 2,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express jumped $1.77 to $8.77 with 5,107 units traded. 
Lasco Distributors increased 14 cents to $3.99 with a transfer of 34,686 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 9 cents to $2.99 with 8,711 shares passing through the market, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 45 cents to $4.80 with an exchange of 1,788,059 stock units. Lumber Depot gained 8 cents to close at $2.58 with investors switching ownership of 375,943 units, Main Event advanced 60 cents to settle at $4.70 with 3,000 stocks changing hands, SSL Venture rose 7 cents to 62 cents with 150,285 stock units traded. Stationery and Office Supplies jumped 77 cents to finish at $6.37 with a transfer of 33,573 units and tTech fell 10 cents to $4.50 with 510 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Overall, 40 securities traded, up from 38 on Monday and ended with the prices of 18 rising, 14 declining and eight, with closing unchanged.
At the close, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 21 cents to $2.15 with an exchange of 10,458 shares, Caribbean Cream shed 58 cents to finish at $5.61, with 675 units changing hands, Caribbean Flavours fell 21 cents to $2 with a transfer of 2,619,470 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries increased 25 cents to $1.80, with 3,700 stock units traded, Express Catering rose 5 cents to $4.50 with ownership of 35,909 shares changing, Fontana dropped 23 cents to $5.76 with 51,671 units passing through the market. Fosrich gained 20 cents to settle at $6.20 with an exchange of 16,079 stock units, Future Energy Source slipped 5 cents to $1.02 with 13,571,032 stocks changing hands, General Accident lost 8 cents to finish at $5.76 with a transfer of 500 shares. Iron Rock Insurance rose 15 cents to $3.10 with 11,000 units traded, Jamaican Teas climbed 18 cents to $3.69 with investors switching ownership of 1,202,096 stocks, Jetcon Corporation gained 15 cents to close at 98 cents, with 51,874 shares passing through the market. KLE Group declined by 34 cents to end at $1.05 with an exchange of 175 units, Knutsford Express shed $1.91 to settle at $7 with 425 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors rose 5 cents to $3.85 with a transfer of 219,103 shares.
Lasco Financial fell 15 cents to $2.90 with 1,596 units traded, Lasco Manufacturing lost 20 cents to finish at $5.25 with investors switching ownership of 122,158 stock units, Main Event dropped 60 cents to $4.10 with a transfer of 9,210 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents to close at $5.60 with 7,281 shares crossing the exchange.
Newly listed Future Energy Source (Fesco) dominated trading on the Junior Market for the second trading day with just under 87 percent of the volume, with the price rising to $1.16 in early trading before pulling back, later on, to end at a record close of $1.09. 
The Junior Market Index climbed 23.96 points to settle at 3,174.51 after breaking through the 3,200 mark at the opening of the market and peaking at 3,203,03 after 9 minutes into trading. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averaged 12.8.
Fosrich dropped 50 cents to $6 with 36,236 units changing hands, Indies Pharma rose 6 cents to $4.25 with 72,206 stocks traded, Iron Rock Insurance dropped $1.05 to $2.95 with a transfer of 1,850 stock units. Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents to end at $3.51 with 934,196 shares passing through the market, Jetcon Corporation gained 5 cents to close at 83 cents with an exchange of 11,700 units, Mailpac Group rose 12 cents to $3.54 with 88,702 stock units changing hands. Main Event jumped 65 cents to $4.70 with 13,526 shares traded, Medical Disposables rose 9 cents to $4.19 with a transfer of 68,372 stock units, Paramount Trading increased by 11 cents to $1.41 with investors switching ownership of 40,000 units and tTech advanced 19 cents to $4.60 with 568 shares crossing the exchange.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are headed by Elite Diagnostic, followed by Medical Disposables and Jetcon Corporation, with the potential to gain between 285 to 300 percent. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica in the number one spot, followed by PanJam Investment and VM Investments, with expected gains of 174 to 388 percent.
The targeted PE ratio for the market averages 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2022. Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Stocks and 19 times for the Main Market. With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.5 or 47 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.
The market index ended with a gain of 13.99 points at 3,150.55, with an increase of 19 2 percent year to date. Trading ended with 34 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Thursday and closed with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 12.9.
Future Energy Source advanced 26 cents to end at a record $1.06 with 19,680,813 stocks crossing the market, Indies Pharma picked up 7 cents to close at $4.19 trading 89,595 shares. Iron Rock Insurance rose 20 cents to $4 with 5,263 shares crossing the market, Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to close at $3.60 in the swapping of 577,253 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended 6 cents lower at 78 cents after 4,000 stock units cleared the market, Lasco Manufacturing rose 75 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $5.45 with a transfer of 49,020 stocks. Lumber Depot carved out a gain of 2 cents to close at $2.49 after trading 505,232 units, Mailpac Group declined 8 cents to close at $3.42 with 305,323 stock units changing hands and Main Event dropped 40 cents to end at $4.05 after trading 36,163 stocks.
After taking a battering in March last year with the market index dropping 39 percent from the end of 2019 to the bottom in March last year, junior Market stocks have put in a spirited recovery with the marketing adding 23.63 points to 3,136.56 on Thursday with a rise of 18.7 percent for 2021 to date and 54 percent from the March 2020 low point for the year for the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The market closed with an exchange of 4,442,267 shares for $18,272,766, up from 4,400,394 units at $13,254,158 on Wednesday. Lasco Manufacturing led trading with 51.8 percent of total volume trading 2.3 million shares followed by Mailpac Group with 10.8 percent for 478,805 units and Derrimon Trading with 9.2 percent market share for 406,825 units for 9.2 percent.
Indies Pharma shed 13 cents to end at $4.12 after trading 84,271 units, Jetcon Corporation picked up 6 cents in closing at 84 cents with 5,120 stock units crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to close at $8.90 finishing with 1,210 stocks changing hands. Lasco Distributors shed 15 cents to end at $3.84 in switching ownership of 28,431 units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 cents to end at $4.70 with the swapping of 2,302,500 shares after it traded at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $5. Mailpac Group lost 6 cents in closing at $3.50 in the trading of 478,805 stocks, Main Event shed 35 cents to end at $4.45 after clearing the market with 4,910 stock units, Medical Disposables closed 40 cents lower at $4.10 with 35,096 shares crossing the exchange, at the same time Stationery and Office Supplies lost 7 cents to end at $5.50 in the trading of 11,676 stock units.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 16 stocks rising, 15 declining and five remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 13.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing picked up 6 cents to finish at $4.65 with 997,854 shares clearing the market, Main Event lost 12 cents to end at $4.80 in switching ownership of 2,128 units, Medical Disposables closed 15 cents lower at $4.50 with an exchange of 265 shares, Paramount Trading shed 8 cents ending at $1.33 after an exchange of 500 stocks. At the same time, Stationery and Office Supplies rose $1.03 in closing at $5.57, with investors switching ownership of 38,970 stock units.
Trading averaged 262,826 units at $1,007,522 and on Monday 66,662 at $226,935. The month to date averaged 201,838 units at $661,964, compared to 196,052 units at $629,180 on Monday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Knutsford Express jumped $1.40 to $8.30 with an exchange of 92 units, Lasco Distributors lost 24 cents to end at $3.75 with 34,324 shares changing hands. Main Event climbed 22 cents to close at $4.92 with 250 stocks traded, Medical Disposables advanced 15 cents to $4.65 with 12,010 units transferred, Paramount Trading gained 11 cents to settle at $1.41 with investors switching ownership of 41,276 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $4.54 with 136,528 units changing hands and tTech fell 19 cents to close at $4.41 with 500 shares crossing the exchange.
Volume and value of trades dropped 84 percent and 83 percent, respectively with more stocks rising than falling versus Friday, on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Trading averaged 66,662 units at $226,935 in contrast to 468,107 at $1,520,701 on Friday. The average month to date is 196,052 units at $629,180, compared to 210,840 units at $675,151 on Friday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Honey Bun picked up 5 cents to finish at $5.09 with the trading of 55,600 shares, Indies Pharma closed 12 cents higher at $4.36 with an exchange of 71,313 units, Jamaican Teas gained 9 cents to end at $3.38 trading 541,001 units, Knutsford Express advanced 55 cents to $6.90 after a transfer of 43,806 shares Mailpac Group gained 9 cents in closing at $3.54 with 555,210 stock units changing hands and Medical Disposables rose 35 cents to $4.50 with the swapping of 5,560 units.
Increased buying came into the market for
The main market continues to trade in a narrow channel and now shows signs that a break out is imminent. First quarter results start coming in the latter part of this month and will determine the short-term move. In this regard, watch Barita Investments, Caribbean Cement, Grace Kennedy, Jamaica Producers, NCB Financial, PanJam Investment and Sagior Group.
The results show a marked improvement over November when revenues fell from $283 million to $149 million with a loss of $34 million. The results for the latest quarter supports ICInsider.com’s forecast for the company to return to profit for the 2022 fiscal year.
The JSE Main Market ended the week with an overall PE of 15.4, some distance from the 19 the market ended March at. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.3 or 48 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.