Trading jumped sharply on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday with trading in 12.13 million shares in Jamaica Broilers followed by Sagicor Group with 12.07 million units, valued at $388 million and $500 million respectively and pushed the overall value of stock trading to $1.1 billion with volume well above that on Friday as the Main Market and the Junior Market declined at the close of the market but the JSE USD market closed moderately higher as trading ended with the prices of 22 shares rising and 44 declining.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index dropped 3,753.71 points to 331,404.71, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined 2,565.76 points to end at 356,312.39, the JSE Main Index shed 3,787.12 points to finish at 318,254.75. The Junior Market Index dipped 17.69 points to finish at 3,776.45 and the JSE USD Market Index gained 4.33 points to finish at 242.03.
At the end of trading, 43,112,419 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 7,124,664 units on Friday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $1.1 billion, well over the $82.86 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 119,368 shares for US$11,630 compared to 880,808 units at US$49,826 on Friday.
In Main Market activity, Jamaica Broilers led trading with 12.13 million shares followed by Sagicor Group with 12.07 million units, Scotia Group with 3.05 million units, Wisynco Group with 2.56 million shares, Wigton Windfarm with 1.84 million stock units and Transjamaican Highway with 1.15 million stocks.
In Junior Market trading, Spur Tree Spices led trading with 4.60 million shares followed by KLE Group with 567,507 stock units and Jamaican Teas with 363,876 units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $7.50 to finish at $42.50 and 138 Student Living preference share advanced $7 to close at $218.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 19.8 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.3. times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and place them on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors.
Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide for investors to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends paid or payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts, along with the closing volume of the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Profits continue to send mixed signals
Early profit results for the first 2024 quarter show some positives, with the Montego Bay-based Knutsford Express reporting b revenue growth and profit for the quarter and the nine months to February, followed by positive results for AMG Packaging and Express Catering, but there were also some disappointing ones.

Knutsford Express
The directors of Knutsford Express stated that “strong and steady demand for our courier services complemented our passenger services have combined in delivering year to date profit of $268 million, up 27.1 percent from $211 million at the end of February 2023. We, therefore, recorded a 20.9 percent growth in our total revenue in this quarter moving to $565 million from $468 million in the comparative period in 2023. Similarly, our nine-month year-to-date revenue has increased by 19.5 percent from $1,281 million in 2023 to $1,530 million in 2024.”
Innovative Energy, formerly Ciboney reported no revenues in the February quarter and a loss of $4.4 million with the year to date, ending with $500,000 in income and a loss of $7.8 million.
AMG Packaging grew profit by 79 percent to $32 million from $18 million in 2023, better than the 72 percent rise in the first quarter. For the six months to February, profit was up by 79 percent to $84 million from $47 million in 2023.
Revenues climbed from US$6 million to US$7 million at Express Catering, up 17.6 percent in the quarter and increased by 23 percent from US$15 million to US$18.7 million, delivering a profit of US$2 million for the year to date and US$1 million for the latest quarter, compared with US$1.9 million for the nine months in 2023 and $1.15 million in the February 2023 quarter. Ian Dear, the company’s CEO confirmed that added cost in the third quarter would have been associated with new restaurants opened close to the quarter as such, some of the cost would not be fully covered by revenues.
The revenue at Margaritaville (Turks) rose just 5 percent to US$5.25 million for the current year, compared to US$4.98 million for the same period last year, with a net profit of US$521,909, earnings per share of 0.773 US cents compared with the similar period of 2023, with a net profit of US$1.18 million which includes non-recurring gains of US$658,000 for EPS of 1.749 US cents.
For the third quarter, revenues fell to US$1.9 million from US$2.2 million in 2023, delivering a profit of US$222,174 versus US$725,000 in 2023 including one time income of US$340,000.
Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell by 43 percent in the February quarter from $67 million in 2023 to $44 million in 2024. For six months revenues reached $88 million down 38 percent from $142 million in the prior year. The company incurred a loss of $187 million in the 2024 second quarter 45 percent worse than the $129 million and for the six months, a loss of $320 million was incurred marginally more than $302 million in 2023.

Paramount Trading is expanding into Chlorine and bleach processing.
Paramount Trading reported reduced revenues and profit for the third quarter and the nine months. Revenues in the February quarter declined 8.5 percent from $438 million in 2023 to $401 million in 2024. For the nine months, revenues fell 23 percent from $1.63 billion down to $1.266 billion with profits coming in at 40 percent lower at $18 million for the quarter from $30 million in 2023 and 44 percent to $100 million for the nine months of February this year from $179 million in the previous year.
One On One Educational Services reported revenues of $57 million in the February quarter down 12 percent from $73 million in 2023 and fell 27 percent to $111 million for the six months to February from $153 million in 2023.
A loss of $20 million million was incurred in the February quarter down from a profit of $6 million in 2023 and a loss of $41 million for the six months, down from a profit of $17 million in 2023 for the 6 months.
Grace up stakes in Spur Tree Spices
The GraceKennedy a wholly owned subsidiary – GK Investments Limited, purchased 60,000,000 units of shares in Spur Tree Spices thereby increasing its ownership to 20.18 percent. this was the objective Grace had before the company went public.
On Wednesday Spur Tree reported that two directors sold 30 million units each, which seems to have met the demand from Grace, but it may not be the last of the big trades for the company whose products have strong appeal internationally.
The company has been struggling to grow its profit since listing on the Junior Market in 2022. Profit of $116 million fell to $88 million in 2023, with earnings per share of 5 cents last year and 7 cents in 2022.
Spur Three stock traded at $2.42, up 2 cents on the junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday.
Profit bolts 79% at AMG
Profit continued to surge at AMG Packaging in the February quarter, up 79 percent to $32 million from $18 million in 2023, the performance is better than the 72 percent rise in the first quarter. For the six months to February, profit was also up 79 percent to $84 million from $47 million in 2023.
Sale revenues rose by just one percent for the quarter, to $250 million from $247 million and popped 4 percent for the year to date, to $522 million from $501 million in 2023.
Two main features are at play resulting in improved performance. The company installed new multi-coloured machinery in early 2023 that measures and determine the cut for boxes which has helped in cutting operating costs as it is far more efficient than the original ones. Secondly, the price of paper declined in 2023 from 2022 and has carried over into the current year, the result is that raw material costs declined to 41 percent of revenues in the second quarter from 53 percent in 2023.
Historically, profit was stuck for years between $37 million and $62 million from 2017 to 2021 . In 2022 profit jumped to $105 million following a revenues surge of 41 percent over 2021 but fell back to $89 million in 2023 with some one-off cost, helping in pushing the profit down, otherwise it would have exceeded that of 2022. ICInsider.com projects profit to come in around $225 million for this fiscal year ending in August.
Manufacturing costs declined by 12 percent in the February quarter to $154 million from $175 million and by 9 percent year to date, to $325 million from $356 million. Gross profit margin rose a significant 36 percent in the quarter to $96 million from $72 million and climbed even more for the half year to 39 percent to $197 million from $145 million in 2024.
Administrative expenses rose 18 percent to $33 million in the quarter and increased 19 percent in the six months to $66 million. Depreciation charges increased by 26 percent to $13.5 million in the quarter, and the half year to $26 million. Finance cost declined in the quarter, to $1.8 million from $2 million in 2024 and from $4.2 million to $3.6 million for the six months.
The operations generated $130 million in Gross cash flow, after paying dividends of $51 million and increased working capital needs, net flows were negative and pulled down the cash on hand from of $297 million in 2023 to $252 million.
Current assets ended the period at $651 million and include trade and other receivables of $143 million, up from $123 million in 2023, and cash and bank balances of $252 million, representing an increase over $144 million in 2023. Inventories rose a bit from $240 million to $255 million. Current liabilities at the half way marker amount to $152 million. Net current assets ended the period at $500 million.
At the end of February, shareholders’ equity amounts to $1.29 billion with long term borrowings of just at $66 million and short term at $19 million.
Earnings per share for the quarter amounts to 6 cents and 14 cents for the half year. IC Insider.com computation projects earnings around 45 cents per share for the current fiscal year, with a PE of 8 times the current year’s earnings based on the price of $3.59 the stock traded at on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market. Net asset value ended the period at $2.53 with the stock selling at a premium of 41 percent to book value.
In market activity during the week, the only price movement of note in the Main Market is Margaritaville, up 10 percent to $15.53. On the other hand, the Junior Market ICTOP10 has 5 stocks with price changes of note. Iron Rock Insurance topped the list with a gain of 15 percent to $2.52 followed by AMG Packaging up 12 percent to $3.59. Caribbean Cream climbed 9 percent to $4.24, while Consolidated Bakeries popped 8 percent to $2.18 and Access Financial gained 6 percent to $21.12. Two declining Junior Market stocks suffered losses of 3 and 2 percent.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.5, well below the market average of 13.2 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 7.4 over half of the market, with an average of 12.6.
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.
Trading closed with an exchange of 1,594,451 shares for $3,409,014 down sharply from 8,355,224 stock units at $15,074,942 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows none ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
Jetcon Corporation increased 10 cents to end at 95 cents and closed after an exchange of 309 stocks, Knutsford Express sank 9 cents in closing at $11.41 after an exchange of 324 units. Lumber Depot popped 9 cents higher and ended at $2.65 with investors trading 45,776 stocks, Main Event dipped 9 cents to finish at $13.90 after an exchange of 5,640 shares. Spur Tree Spices advanced 8 cents to close at $2.50 in trading 344,879 stock units, Tropical Battery increased 5 cents to end at $2.20 with investors transferring 53,344 stocks and tTech shed 6 cents to close at $2.20 after trading 20 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading on the overall market ended as the number and value of stocks changing hands dropped, from the previous trading day, resulting in prices of 37 shares rising and 31 declining.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share gained $4.99 to finish at $115.
Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The market closed with trading of 8,355,224 shares for $15,074,942 up from just 3,592,810 units at $6,363,318 on Wednesday.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index popped 1.44 points to 3,758.39.
Express Catering rose 19 cents to end at $4.09 with investors transferring 250 units, Fontana climbed 30 cents in closing at $8.90 in an exchange of 5,101 shares. Honey Bun popped 65 cents to $8.10 with investors trading 48,537 stocks, Jetcon Corporation declined 10 cents to end at 85 cents in switching ownership of 150,026 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced 10 cents in closing at $11.50 after 11,920 shares passed through the exchange and MFS Capital Partners rallied 13 cents to close at $1.75 in trading 193,271 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 1,198.94 points to 336,962.83, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,030.08 points to 362,251.00, the JSE Main Index rose 1,240.26 points to conclude trading at 324,184.12. The Junior Market Index squeezed out a gain of 1.44 points to close trading at 3,758.39 and the JSE USD Market Index rose 1.69 points to settle at 240.75.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 19.9 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.3 times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
Trading netted 3,592,810 shares for $6,363,318 compared with 3,102,805 units at $5,901,970 on Tuesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Iron Rock Insurance rose 10 cents to close at $2.52 with 214 units passing through the exchange, Jamaican Teas slipped 22 cents to finish at $2.44 in trading 3,618 stocks, Jetcon Corporation rallied 5 cents and ended at 95 cents, with 27,645 stock units changing hands. Knutsford Express declined 10 cents to $11.40 with investors transferring 11,430 shares, Limners and Bards advanced 7 cents to close at $1.54 after 6,805 units were traded, MFS Capital Partners gained 12 cents and ended at $1.62 in switching ownership of 300 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies popped 12 cents in closing at $1.68 with trading in 4,131 stock units, Tropical Battery advanced 6 cents to finish at $2.12 with investors dealing in 327 shares and tTech rose 23 cents to end at $2.27 with 1,899 stocks crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.