IC Insider.com Junior Market TOP 10 stocks for 2018
The Junior Market rose just 5.3 percent at the end of the year, down from a high of 31 percent in May.
The pull back of the index from its peak pushed the market into very negative technical readings. The first negative is a head and shoulder pattern, then the deadly cross where the short and medium term moving averages have fallen below the long term moving average and to that is an examination of the potential gains for individual stocks show that more two third of them are valued around or above the market average for 2017 earnings. That means that there is not much ammunition left to seriously push this market much higher based on 2017 profit out turn. Weighting down on the juniors is a series of company results that are not reflected positive price driven data.
General Accident could be a leader in the Junior Market in 2018 as they benefit from higher premium rates.
The reports include, Paramount Trading with strong rise in revenues for the November quarter but lower profits as administrative cost rise Caribbean Cream enjoyed a strong 18 percent increase in revenues but that could not overcome a rise in administrative and direct cost in the November quarter, resulting in profit falling from $19 million in 2016 to less than $1 million in 2017 and helped to push six months profit to $71 million versus $137 million in 2016. AMG Packaging revenues jumped 24 percent in the quarter to November but increased cost wipe the sales gains away and more to leave a profit of $10 million versus $18 in the prior year period.
Express Catering is continuing to deliver strong increased earnings but the stock is already well priced and so too is Knutsford Express at which revenues rose by 18 percent in the November quarter but at a slower pace than in the prior year. For the August quarter and profit grew by just 15 percent, with half year earnings per share coming in at 19 cents, full year earnings should come close to 50 cents but the stock is already a high price relative to the overall market.
The positives in the market is that the 45 days moving average is now over stretched and should enjoy some rebound sooner than later. Looking fully at 2018 thinks appear brighter with IC Insider.com pointing to 14 stocks including the IPO, Elite Diagnostics that could double in price and around 8 that could gain over 50 percent.
Elite Diagnostics could be in the Junior Market TOP 10 by the end of 2018.
Based on projected earnings for 2018, the average PE ratio suggests that Junior Market stock prices should grow by 36 percent. Technical readings have the junior market moving to 3,900 points, 43 percent higher than the end of 2017, before major resistance sets in.
The Top 10 Junior market stocks are taken from those listed at the start of 2018. The list therefore excludes Elite Diagnostics which should end in the top of 2018 best Junior Market stocks at the end of the year.
The list comprise some 2017 under performers, insurance companies that should benefit from increased premium income and in the case of Key Insurance reduced administrative cost. Paramount Trading is adding new product lines that should not only boost top line but with bottom-line growth, while Caribbean Producers and Dolphin Cove will benefit from the strong growth in tourism.
Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Monday with the market Index advancing 28.59 points to close at 2,726.11 as 18 securities changed hands, just a few less that the 21 that traded on Friday. 
December closed with an average of 568,732 units valued at $3,447,957 for each security traded.
Recent Junior Market listing, 
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and 3 with lower offers.
Jamaican Teas settled at $4.50, with 15,800 shares. Jetcon Corporation ended trading with a loss of 44 cents at $4.01, with 39,761 stock units, Knutsford Express closed at $15, with 1,108 shares, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 14 cents at $3.45, with 16,150 shares, Lasco Financial concluded trading with a loss of 10 cents at $5.25, with 71,609 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing finished 14 cents higher at $3.49, with 7,500 units, Medical Disposables ended trading at $4.95, with 560 shares and tTech ended at $6.38, with 4,300 shares. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 9.5% finished at $7.20, with 4,000 shares,
The Junior Market Index fell for the 5th straight days, at the close of trading on Tuesday, slipping just 4.35 points to at 2,698.25, in another moderate trading session, resulting from an exchange of 1,258,859 units valued at $5,181,599 compared to 1,730,062 units valued at $6,203,084 on Wednesday.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 1 stock ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and 8 with lower offers.
The Junior Market Index fell at the close of trading on Wednesday, slipping 14.95 points to close at 2,702.60, in a moderate trading session of an exchange of 1,730,062 units valued at $6,203,083 compared to 1,755,909 units valued at $6,431,725 from 21 securities changing hands on Tuesday. 
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended 5 cents higher at $2.55, with 1,114 stock units, CAC 2000 finished 69 cents higher at $8, with 6,528 shares, Cargo Handlers settled at $10, with 3,000 shares, Caribbean Cream ended trading at $5, with 6,000 shares, Caribbean Flavours traded at $11.50, with 500 stock units. Caribbean Producers finished trading 2 cents higher at $4.30, with 80,304 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed 70 cents higher at $2.70, with 39,666 shares, Derrimon Trading concluded trading at $7, with 34,800 shares, Express Catering ended trading at $4.50, with 13,900 shares. FosRich Group traded at $2.50, with 85,073 shares, GWest Corporation closed 1 cent higher at $2.82, with 604,000 stock units, Honey Bun ended 14 cents higher at $4.14, with 40,711 units, Iron Rock concluded trading at $2.86, with 590 shares. Jamaican Teas settled with a loss of 11 cents at $4.50, with 17,808 shares,
KLE Group finished trading at $2.30, with 12,195 shares, Knutsford Express closed at $15, with 40,562 shares, Lasco Distributors ended 34 cents higher at $3.50, with 592,136 shares. Lasco Financial concluded trading with a loss of 21 cents at $5.09, with 17,282 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing finished with a loss of 8 cents at $3.40, with 103,187 units, Main Event settled with a loss of 1 cent at $5.40, with 600 shares, Medical Disposables ended trading with a loss of 5 cents at $4.95, with 3,926 shares. Paramount Trading traded with a loss of 1 cent at $3.49, with 9,400 shares and Stationery and Office finished trading at $4.80, with 16,680 stock units. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 9.5% finished at $7.20, with 100 shares changing hands.
The Junior Market Index fell at the close of trading on Tuesday, easing 11.64 points to close at 2,717.55, in a moderate trading session of an exchange of 1,755,909 units valued at $6,431,725 compared to 1,326,412 units valued at $4,542,759 from 21 securities changing hands on Monday. 
At the close of the market, 
The Junior Market Index fell at the close of trading on Monday, falling points to close at 2,729.19, following gains in the prices of 5 securities, declines in 10 with prices 6 closing unchanged.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended at $2.55, with 55,936 stock units, 
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ending with bids higher than the last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
KLE Group finished trading at $2.30, with 100 shares. Knutsford Express closed 15 cents higher at $15, with 6,798 shares, Lasco Distributors ended 13 cents higher at $3.63, with 2,958,400 shares but traded at an intraday cents at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.08, Lasco Financial concluded trading 9 cents higher at $5.50, with 32,202 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing finished with a loss of 20 cents at $3.35, with 55,901 units. Main Event settled with a loss of 77 cents at $5.03, in trading 53,695 shares, Medical Disposables ended trading 5 cents higher at $5, with 500 shares, Paramount Trading traded 12 cents higher at $3.59, with 1,175 shares and Stationery and Office finished trading 1 cent higher at $4.90, with 91,557 stock units. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 10% ended 2 cents higher at $6.02, with 100 stock units and Eppley 8.25% concluded trading with a loss of 5 cents at cents at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.45, with 8,850 units trading.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended 2 cents higher at $2.72, with 10,000 stock units trading, 
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ending with bids higher than the last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.