All three Jamaica Stock Exchange markets popped moderately higher on Monday, resulting from a rise in the volume and value of stocks traded compared to trading on Friday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 853.16 points to end at 337,762.22, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 160.74 points to 359,757.85, the JSE Main Index gained 837.98 points to finish at 323,107.77, while the Junior Market Index recovered just 7.79 points of 61.50 points drop on Friday to close at 3,963.41 and the JSE USD Market Index rose 3.47 points to settle at 255.96.
Trading of Preference shares with notable price movements not included in the TOP10 graphs are Productive Business 10.50% preference share that rose $25 to close at $1150 Jamaica Public Service 7% advancing $8.25 to $63.25, while Jamaica Public Service 9.5% dived $792.17 to $2975.
At the close, investors exchanged 17,713,805 shares, in all three markets, compared with 12,429,324 stocks on Friday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was $104.07 million compared to $78.5 million on Friday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 258,699 shares for US$6.551 from 112,148 units at US$3,750 on Friday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 18.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.4 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to navigate numerous investment options in the local stock market successfully. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Transjamaican out of ICTOP10
With a continually rising price, Transjamacian Highway rose 11 percent during the week to $2.78, up 57 percent since added to the Market Watch list in April and dropped out of the TOP10 this past week, while Everything Fresh closed at $1.60 and dropped out of the Junior Market TOP10.
Transjamaican Highway Gained 57% since the end of April, with more gains to come.
The Main Market continues to struggle and closed at its lowest level since the end of August 2018 based on the All Jamaica Composite Index that is down 10.7 percent for the year to date, to be highly oversold. The Junior Market fell sharply on Friday as the market pulled back from the 4,000 mark level with a modest fall year to date thus reversing last week’s positive outcome.
The Junior Market is still up 10 percent since the low in March and is currently on a big bull run over the coming months, signalled by two indicators. The Main Market is likely bottoming after the traditional sell off in May before settling off in the early summer ahead of a rebound later. The action is now with the Junior Market with more potential for growth.
For the week, 6 stocks declined and only one rose on the Junior Market and the Main Market ended with two rising and seven declining, with Caribbean Cement coming into the Main Market TOP10 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers returning to the Junior Market TOP10.
In the Junior Market, iCreate dropped 12 percent to $1.14, followed by a 10 percent decline in Caribbean Cream to $4.07, before the company released first quarter results showing marked improvements in some critical areas that lead to increased profit. Dolla Financial shed 6 percent to $2.28 after posting improved Q2 results over 2022, with profit almost doubling to $105 million and the half year climbing 92 percent to $227 million. Image Plus fell 5 percent to $2.09 following first quarter results that showed profit falling from $88 million pretax to $64 million as revenues were up 6.8 percent to $300 million. Administrative costs climbed 29 percent to $117 million.
Everything Fresh remained at $1.60, but that was all it needed to drop out of the TOP10 as Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped from $3.30 to close at $3.09 to return to the TOP10.
While Transjamaican was the highest mover in the Main Market with the most significant change during the week and had much more room to run, Guardian Holdings declined 10 percent to $377, while Caribbean Producers fell 9 percent to $10, with all other price changes being 3 percent or less.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6, well below the market average of 13.2. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 264 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 31 and 21 excluding the highest PE stocks, 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.6 compared with the market at 11.4. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 44, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 259 percent by May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
In the market generally, Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and, in the process, gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year, when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. 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 up to the end of 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, resulting 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.
Bloodletting on the Jamaica Stock Exchange
All three Jamaica Stock Exchange markets dropped on Friday, with the Junior Market even as the volume and value of stocks traded jumped compared to that of Thursday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index dived 2,496.96 points to 336,909.06, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,694.92 points to close at 359,918.59, the JSE Main Index declined 2,072.71 points to 322,269.79, while the Junior Market Index plunged 61.50 points to close at 3,955.62 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 3.33 points to 252.49.
The only Preference share with a notable price movement but not in the TOP10 graphs is Jamaica Public Service 7% rose $9.31 to end at $55.
At the close, investors traded 12,429,324 shares in all three markets, compared with 13,544,737 stocks on Thursday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was $78.5 million, in comparison to $47.8 million on Thursday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging shares for US$3,750 from 112,148 units at US$10,192 on Thursday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.4 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Junior Market surges higher into black
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange jumped back into the black on Thursday, following a 56.73 points surge in the Market Index to 4,017.12 resulting from a 91 percent fall in the 
volume of stocks traded after the value plunged 85 percent below Wednesday and ended with 44 securities trading compared to 45 on Wednesday and closed with 23 rising, 13 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investors traded 4,727,854 shares for $15,265,121 compared to 54,864,891 units at $98,761,702 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 107,451 shares at $346,935, compared with 1,219,220 shares at $2,194,704 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 267,041 units at $690,139 compared to 286,710 stock units at $732,439 on the previous day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Dolla Financial led trading with 1.36 million shares for 28.8 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 656,811 units for 13.9 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 487,029 units for 10.3 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial popped $1.99 to end at $24.99 with 300 shares clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries rose 18 cents and ended at $2.98 while 1,662 stock units passed through the market, Express Catering gained 42 cents in closing at $5.42 in an exchange of 1,381 stocks. iCreate increased 12 cents to close at $1.15, with 487,029 units crossing the market, 
Indies Pharma fell 9 cents to $3.11 with a transfer of 4,442 shares, ISP Finance climbed $3.30 in closing at $23 in switching ownership of 22 stocks, Jamaican Teas advanced 14 cents and ended at $2.34 while exchanging 521 stock units. Knutsford Express rallied 30 cents to close at $11.95, with 6,707 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors dropped 10 cents to end at $3.89 with an exchange of 52,773 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 25 cents to $4.90 as investors exchanged 656,811 units. MFS Capital Partners rallied 15 cents in closing at $2.80, with 129,215 shares crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $2.10 after exchanging 54,734 stocks,
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 80 cents and ended at $28.35 in an exchange of 89,719 shares and Tropical Battery declined 8 cents to end at $1.91 after a transfer of 1,382 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Juniors & JSE USD markets jump Main Market falls
Investors pushed the Junior and the JSE USD markets much higher at the close of trading on Thursday but left the Main market languishing for support with the market sliding at the close to lower landing following a sharp fall in the volume and value of stocks traded compared to that of Wednesday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index fell 286.71 points to close at 339,406.02, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 1,227.06 points to close at 361,613.51, the JSE Main Index dropped 863.88 points to close at 324,342.50, while the Junior Market Index jumped 56.73 points to close at 4,017.12 and the JSE USD Market Index added 8.38 points to settle at 255.82.
Preference shares with notable price movements but are in the TOP10 graphs are Productive Business 10.50% preference share that jumped $24.99 to $1125 while Jamaica Public Service 7% rose $4.15 to end at $45.69.
At the close, investors exchanged 13,544,737 shares in all three markets, up from 71,109,240 stocks on Wednesday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was a mere $47.8 million, down from $190.27 million on Wednesday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 112,148 shares for US$10,192 from 929,491 units at US$16,864 on Wednesday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.8 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.5 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Modest movement in all JSE market indices
All markets fell at the close of trading on Wednesday with modest movements in all three market indices following a sharp rise in the volume and value of stocks traded compared to that of Tuesday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index added 17.26 points to close at 339,692.73, the All Jamaican Composite Index slipped 41.48 points to conclude trading at 362,840.57, the JSE Main Index fell 77.50 points to finish at 325,206.38, while the Junior Market Index popped 9.79 points to end at 3,960.39 and the JSE USD Market Index added 0.41 points to settle at 247.44.
Preference shares with notable price movements but are not in the TOP10 graphs are Eppley 5% preference share that popped $1 in closing at $21, Eppley 7.25% preference share rising $2.33 to $18.52, Jamaica Public Service 7% fell 96 cents to end at $41.54, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% rallied $342.47 to a record high of $3767.17 and 138 Student Living preference share dropped $15.75 to end at $89.24.
At the close, investors exchanged 71,109,240 shares in all three markets, up from 16,768,963 stocks on Tuesday. 
The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was a mere $190.27 million, from $45.2 million on Tuesday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 929,491 shares for US$16,864 from 965,788 units at US$23,655 on Tuesday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.5 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.5 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
All JSE markets fall as trading drops
All markets fell at the close of trading on Tuesday following a sharp fall in the volume and value of stocks traded compared to that of Monday even as trading in the USD market exceeded that on Monday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index fell 558.24 points to 339,675.47, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 497.53 points to 362,882.05, the JSE Main Index popped 82.35 points to end at 325,283.88, while the Junior Market Index dropped 69.39 points to settle at 3,950.60 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 0.60 points to settle at 247.03.
The Preference shares closed with no stocks ending with notable price movements.
At the close, investors exchanged 16,768,963 shares in all three markets, up from 28,770,036 stocks on Monday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was a mere $45.2 million, from $96.24 million on Monday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 965,788 shares for US$23,655 from 628,194 units at US$15,064 on Monday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.5 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Juniors marching slowly higher
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange moved one step closer to taking out January 2023 high as it continues its quiet rally that started since mid March as it added more gains in the market index on Monday, accompanied by a 39 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, with the value 28 percent lower than on Friday after trading in 45 securities compared with 42 on Friday and ended with 14 rising, 21 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 3,691,376 shares for $12,494,675 compared with 6,035,265 units at $17,244,300 on Friday.
Trading averaged 82,031 shares at $277,659 compared to 143,697 stocks at $410,579 on Friday with a month to date average of 152,985 stock units at $548,796 in comparison to 167,368 shares at $603,757 on the previous trading day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Dolla Financial led trading with 1.07 million shares for 29 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational, with 365,478 units for 9.9 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants ended with 287,072 units for 7.8 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 8.76 points to conclude trading at 4,019.99.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $2.28 to $24.99 after a transfer of just 100 shares, Cargo Handlers gained $1 to close at $19, with 1,105 stocks crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cream rallied 13 cents to end at $4.65 after 6,830 stock units passed through the market, Consolidated Bakeries slipped 20 cents to $2.60 with stakeholders exchanging 1,363 units. Dolphin Cove fell 10 cents to $16.70 after just 910 stocks crossed the market and the price hit an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $17.35, Everything Fresh climbed 8 cents to close trading at $1.68 in switching ownership of 50,314 shares, Express Catering dropped 10 cents to $5.30 with a transfer of 276 units, GWest Corporation rose 13 cents to close at $1.18 after trading 12,820 stock units. Honey Bun lost 33 cents to end at $6.34 in 8,350 shares changing hands,
iCreate fell 11 cents in closing at $1.19 with an exchange of 30,972 units, ISP Finance rose $4.38 to $24.39 in an exchange of just one stock, Lasco Distributors declined 18 cents to $3.89 as investors traded 11,343 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing lost 54 cents in ending at $4.25 while 9,050 shares passed through the market, Main Event declined 35 cents to $16.14 while exchanging 27,845 units, Medical Disposables popped 47 cents in closing at $5.21 after 100 stock units changed hands, MFS Capital Partners dipped 9 cents to end at $2.61 with shareholders swapping 136,715 stocks. Paramount Trading fell 54 cents to $1.56, with 14,285 stock units changing hands, Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $2.10 after exchanging 262,762 stocks, 
Tropical Battery dipped 13 cents in closing at $1.92 after an exchange of 118,523 shares and tTech shed 14 cents to close at $2.11 with investors transferring 2,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Gains for Junior Market, Main Market ends lower
The Junior Market climbed even higher than Friday’s close to its highest level since the end of January this year and the JSE USD market closed higher but the Main Market slipped, with volume and value trading rising moderately above that of Friday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index fell 1,248.89 points to close at 340,233.71, the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 91.60 points to end at 363,379.58, the JSE Main Index shed 1,424.39 points to close at 325,201.53, while the Junior Market Index added 8.76 points to end trading at 4,019.99 and the JSE USD Market Index popped 3.80 points to close at 247.63.
Preference shares with notable price movements but not in the Main Market TOP10 graphs are Jamaica Public Service 7% lost $7.50 to close at $42.50 and Jamaica Public Service 9.5% surged $446.70 to $3424.70.
At the close, investors exchanged 28,770,036 shares in all three markets, up from 18,632,454 stocks on Friday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was $96.24 million, from $59.33 million on Friday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 628,194 shares for US$15,064 from 684,072 units at US$37,141 on Friday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.7 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.5 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Gains continue for ICTOP10
The Junior Market wiped all 2023 losses this past week, with the market index reclaiming the 4,000 mark for the first time since January and wiping out all of the 2023 losses recorded up to Thursday. The Main Market continues to struggle and has remained down 8 percent for the year to date.
Jamaica Broilers is now in at 3 on ICTOP10.
The Junior Market is now up 11.6 percent since the low in March and is on what will be a big bull ride over the coming months that is signalled by two indicators. The Main Market is likely bottoming after a traditional sell off in May before settling off in the early summer ahead of a rebound later. The action is now with the Junior Market with more potential for growth.
The Junior Market had 5 stocks for the week, each rising and falling. The Main Market ended with 3 rising and three declining, with the most significant change being a loss of 9 percent for JMMB Group to $30 and Berger Paints with a five percent fall being the biggest losers as all other changes were just one percent.
In the Junior Market, iCreate rose 18 percent to $1.30, Dolla Financial rallied 8 percent to $2.43, Everything Fresh popped 5 percent to $1.60, and Edufocal and Image Plus rose 3 percent. OneonOne slipped 10 percent to $1.10, while Iron Rock Insurance and Caribbean Cream fell 4 percent.
During the week whole, year results came out for Jamaica Broilers, with earnings of $4.43 including the write off of the Haitian operations, with revenues rising 23 percent but excluding the Haitian operations, earnings were $5.40 per share, with just over $7 projected by ICInsider.com for the current year, making it a compelling buy at current prices. The stock now sits at the number 3 position on the ICTOP10.
Dollar Financial reported second quarter profit after trading ended on Friday, showing a profit of $105 million compared with $59 million in the 2022 June quarter and $227 million for the six months to June versus $119 million in 2022. Earnings per share ended at 4 cents in the latest quarter and 9 cents year to date. The period shows a small amount set aside for expected credit losses, but the cash flow shows that only 75 percent of interest earned was paid during the period, down from 77 percent for the 2022 first half and 80 percent for the 2022 full year.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 6.1, well below the market average of 13.3. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 252 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 15 most highly valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 110, with an average of 29 and 20 excluding the highest PE stocks, 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 11.4. There are 10 stocks representing 21 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 44, averaging 21, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently. Junior Market is projected to rise by 240 percent by May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners. Accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market but not always. 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 up to the end of 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, resulting 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.