Shake up took place in the ICTOP10 with Lasco Manufacturing that closed up by 10 percent to $6.08 at the end of last week and Lasco Distributors that fell 7 percent to $4.25 and dropping out of the TOP10 following migration from the Junior to the Main Market last week Wednesday.
With the 2024 financial year ending in March, the two companies will see a bump in earnings for 2025 and likely put them in the ICTOP10 again. Since the switch in listing, the number of stocks offered for sale has declined sharply and so have the bids to buy.
Coming into the Junior Market listing are Consolidated Bakeries, while AMG Packaging returns after a weeks’ absence, with the price falling to $3.12 from $3.27, EPS for the Consolidated Bakeries is projected at 30 cents for 2024, pushing it into position 2. The company promised much with a good brand but has delivered inadequate returns since being listed in 2013, but the operations have been undergoing changes with more focus on higher margin products and less on the regular breads, that faces greater competition in the market. A review of the 2023 audited statements shows that cost jumped but this was mostly for big wage increases which should moderate in 2025. Investing in the company is not without risk but it should benefit from continued growth and improved employment in the local economy going forward that should result in revenues growing faster than cost.
There were no new listing in the Main Market, but 138 Student Living rose 10 percent to $4.19 and JMMB Group gained 6 percent to close trading last week at $26.50, while Palace Amusements shed 9 percent to $1.04 and General Accident fell 6 percent to $5.30.
The Junior Market closed last week in positive territory as Stationery & Office Supplies climbed 13 percent to $1.70 while, Jamaican Teas, ISP Finance and Lasco Manufacturing all gained 10 percent, Iron Rock Insurance dropped 15 percent to $2.14 and Lasco Distributors fell 7 percent to $4.25.
There were no changes to the list of companies in the Main Market TOP10 this past week.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.6, well below the market average of 13.4 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 7.2 over half of the market, with an average of 13.3.
The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 270 percent by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings, providing better values than the Junior Market with the potential to gain 178 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 106, with an average of 32 and 23 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 24 for the top half and 19 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
In the Junior Market IC TOP10 are 9 stocks, or 20 percent of the market, with PEs ranging from 15 to 50, averaging 23, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, possibly the lowest fair value for stocks, currently.
Of great import is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on the full year’s earnings.
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 2024 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 and result 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.
The market closed with 11,767,625 shares being traded for $77,270,952 compared with 15,645,101 units at $167,372,295 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing sank 83 cents to end at $5.25 as investors traded 50,661 stocks. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $13.50 to $80 with an exchange of 1,532 units, NCB Financial lost $1.95 to end at $64 with investors trading 127,979 shares, Pan Jamaica gained $1 in closing at $50, with 2,572 units crossing the exchange. Seprod skidded 35 cents to close at $84.64 with investors transferring 3,811 stocks, Stanley Motta rose 46 cents and ended at $7.38 with 1,672 stock units clearing the market and Supreme Ventures fell $1.80 to $23 while exchanging 76,105 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with an exchange of 25,126,154 shares for $233,060,092, well down from 551,681,523 units at $1,798,734,217 on Thursday.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.1. 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 2024.
NCB Financial skidded 50 cents to end at $64.50 with investors transferring 3,769 units, Scotia Group climbed 35 cents in closing at $47.05 in switching ownership of 193,476 stocks, Seprod shed $4.59 to finish at $78.81 and closed with an exchange of 2,012 stock units. Stanley Motta declined $1.07 to $6.03 after 3,605 shares passed through the market, Supreme Ventures popped 30 cents to finish at $23.80 after an exchange of 28,854 stock units and Wisynco Group dropped 51 cents and ended at $20.51 with investors trading 261,544 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with an exchange of 209,773 shares for US$28,768 compared to 186,609 units at US$46,047 on Thursday.
Margaritaville ended at 10 US cents in trading 3,335 shares. Proven Investments popped 0.99 of one cent to 14.89 US cents, with 181,504 stocks crossing the exchange, Sterling Investments fell 0.05 of a cent to end at 1.65 US cents in switching ownership of 1,267 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.7 of a cent to 8 US cents as investors traded 2,983 stock units and Transjamaican Highway remained at 2.18 US cents after trading 9,137 stocks.
The market closed on Friday with 533,983 shares trading for $9,312,325 compared with 564,243 stock units at $3,090,685 on Thursday.
At the close, Agostini’s remained at $69 with traders dealing in 15 shares, Angostura Holdings advanced $2.63 to $22.74 in an exchange of 9,698 stocks, Ansa McAl ended at $57 with 17 shares clearing the market. Ansa Merchant Bank popped 20 cents to $45.30 with a transfer of 4,427 stock units, Calypso Macro Investment Fund ended at $23 after an exchange of 5,018 shares, First Citizens Group gained 39 cents and ended at $48.50 with investors trading 158 units. FirstCaribbean International Bank ended at $7.04 following an exchange of 21,825 stocks, GraceKennedy dipped 3 cents to close at $4.07 with investors trading 107,739 stock units, Guardian Holdings rose 50 cents in closing at $18.50 with 152 shares changing hands. Guardian Media remained at $2 after 50 stocks passed through the market, JMMB Group lost 1 cent to end at $1.50 as investors exchanged 7,592 units, L.J. Williams B share sank 1 cent to finish at $1.99 in trading 2,000 stock units. Massy Holdings rallied 4 cents to $4.40 after a transfer of 171,751 shares, National Enterprises shed 1 cent to finish at $3.89 and closed after 11,359 stock units were traded, National Flour Mills ended at $2.20 in an exchange of 21,240 stocks. 
NCB Financial dropped 6 cents in closing at $3.15 with investors dealing in 14,225 units, Prestige Holdings gained 50 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $13 after trading 60,007 shares, Republic Financial climbed 49 cents to close at $119.99, with 44,227 stock units crossing the exchange. Scotiabank fell $1.50 to close at $70 with 9,733 units changing hands, Trinidad & Tobago NGL popped 5 cents to $8.50 with investors swapping 2,424 stock units, Trinidad Cement advanced 4 cents to end at $2.60 after 5,486 units crossed the market. Unilever Caribbean rose 25 cents in closing at $12.25 in switching ownership of 10,200 stocks and West Indian Tobacco gained $1.49 and ended at $15.49, with 24,640 shares crossing the market.
The market closed with an exchange of 186,609 shares for US$46,047 compared to 560,085 units at US$19,785 on Wednesday.
Sygnus Credit Investments shed 0.7 of one cent in closing at 7.3 US cents, following 51,168 units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.02 of a cent to close at 2.18 US cents with a transfer of 2,375 shares.
The market closed after 551,681,523 shares were traded for $1,798,734,217 compared with 26,696,028 units at $155,976,938 on Wednesday.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2. 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 2024.
Kingston Wharves skidded 30 cents to finish at $30 with investors transferring 29,870 units, Margaritaville lost $1.02 to end at $15.98 in switching ownership of 3 stocks, Mayberry Group slipped 46 cents in closing at $6.92 after 3,448 stock units passed through the market. NCB Financial advanced $1 to $65 in an exchange of 4,109 shares, Pan Jamaica rose $1.40 and ended at $49.90, with 2,533 stock units crossing the market, Sagicor Group gained 30 cents to finish at $41.50 after a transfer of 18,896 stocks. Scotia Group rallied 80 cents to end at $46.70 after 132,003 units were traded, Supreme Ventures sank 99 cents in closing at $23.50 with a transfer of 15,342 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments skidded 30 cents to close at $10.50, with 63,922 units crossing the exchange and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell $2.60 to $10.20 with traders dealing in 242 shares.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rose 99 cents in closing at $43, with 6 stock units crossing the market, 138 Student Living preference share dipped 53 cents to close at $217.50 after exchanging 2 shares. Productive Business Solutions 10.5 % preference share advanced $11 to finish at $1110 and closed with an exchange of 249 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% popped $1 and ended at $110 with an exchange of 587 units.
The Composite Index rallied 7.74 points to wrap up trading at 1,212.23, the All T&T Index popped 14.96 points to finish at 1,817.21, the SME Index remained unchanged at 77.71 and the Cross-Listed Index remained unchanged at 79.05.
At the close, Agostini’s advanced 40 cents to close at $69 after a transfer of 1,449 stocks, Ansa McAl rose $2.89 to $57 after 1,447 units were traded, Calypso Macro Investment Fund climbed 40 cents and ended at $23 in an exchange of 21 shares. First Citizens Group ended at $48.11 with 4,383 stock units changing hands, FirstCaribbean International Bank closed at $7.04 in an exchange of 10,303 shares, Guardian Holdings increased 23 cents to $18 after an exchange of 20,104 units. JMMB Group ended at $1.51 with 191,281 stocks crossing the market, Massy Holdings remained at $4.36 while exchanging 100,909 stock units, National Enterprises remained at $3.90 with traders dealing in 65,001 shares. National Flour Mills popped 5 cents to end at $2.20 in switching ownership of 14,404 units, NCB Financial popped 1 cent to $3.21 with investors trading just one stock, One Caribbean Media ended at $3.83 in an exchange of 101,650 stock units. 
Prestige Holdings gained 20 cents to close at $12.50 with investors swapping 18,380 shares, Republic Financial fell 49 cents to $119.50 with an exchange of 1,954 stock units, Scotiabank skidded 50 cents to end at $71.50 and closed with an exchange of 251 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL sank 5 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $8.45 in trading 3,122 stocks, Unilever Caribbean rose 25 cents in closing at $12 after an exchange of 29,283 units and West Indian Tobacco climbed $1.50 and ended at $14, with 300 stocks crossing the market.
The market closed with an exchange of 560,085 shares for US$19,785 compared with 304,275 stock units at US$13,337 on Tuesday.
Productive Business Solutions remained at US$1.70, with 2,540 units crossing the market, Proven Investments rallied 1.1 cents to 15.9 US cents with investors trading 29,228 shares. Sterling Investments shed 0.1 of a cent to end at 1.6 US cents, with an exchange of 11 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments increased 0.98 of one cent in closing at 8 US cents in switching ownership of 1,120 shares, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share popped 0.03 of a cent to 9 US cents while exchanging 459 stocks and Transjamaican Highway dropped 0.03 of a cent in closing at 2.2 US cents after 511,536 units passed through the market.
The market closed with trading of 233,476 shares for $1,536,183 versus 372,516 stock units at $1,703,480 on Tuesday.
Endeavour Holdings dipped 5 cents in closing at $14.75 with traders dealing in 211 stocks, First Citizens Group sank 89 cents to $48.11 with trading of 1,837 units, FirstCaribbean International Bank shed 1 cent to end at $7.04 with investors trading 53,074 stocks. GraceKennedy increased 3 cents to close at $4.10 in switching ownership of 9,850 shares, Guardian Holdings climbed 51 cents to end at $17.77 with investors trading 2,173 stock units, JMMB Group ended at $1.51 with an exchange of 76,833 shares. Massy Holdings declined 1 cent and ended at $4.36 after investors ended trading 11,054 units, National Enterprises dropped 7 cents to $3.90 in an exchange of 42,330 stocks, National Flour Mills skidded 5 cents in closing at $2.15 with investors swapping 500 stock units.
Prestige Holdings rose 10 cents to end at $12.30 with a transfer of 1,040 shares, Republic Financial climbed 49 cents to $119.99, with 848 stock units crossing the exchange, Scotiabank popped $1 and to $72 with investors dealing in 204 stocks. Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $8.50 in an exchange of 12,715 units, Trinidad Cement popped 1 cent to $2.56 with 50 shares changing hands, Unilever Caribbean fell 5 cents in closing at $11.75 after a transfer of 12,515 stocks and West Indian Tobacco gained 75 cents to close at $12.50 while exchanging 5,000 units.
