As was the case last week, the Jamaica stock market continues to consolidate as it awaits developments that will push investors to act decisively. At the same time, the Main Market traded heavily and sat below the close of the previous week but the Junior Market mostly traded above the prior week’s close.
After just one week in the ICTOP10, Tropical Battery price rose this week and resulted in the stock falling outside the top flight, to be replaced by Lasco Manufacturing that dropped out during the previous week. In the Main Market, Scotia Group slipped out of the TOP10 and Radio Jamaica reentered.
At the end of the week, Tropical Battery rose 9 percent to $2.60, Image Plus Consultants gained 6 percent to close at $2.05, Paramount Trading rallied 5 percent to $2.20 and Iron Rock Insurance rose 4 percent to end at $2.50. Honey Bun fell 8 percent to $7.07 and was the only one of only two stocks to decline for the week, with the other slipping by just one percent.
In the Main Market, 138 Student Living popped 11 percent to $5.56, while Berger Paints fell 8 percent to $9.75, followed by a 5 percent decline for Jamaica Broilers to close at $30.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.6, well below the market average of 14.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 6.6 versus the market at 12.8, important indicators of the level of the undervaluation of the ICTOP10 stocks currently. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 208 percent and the Main Market TOP10 an average of 275 percent, to May this year. The major concern for the Main Market achieving such gains by May is that the list is dominated by financial companies that are out of favour and may need to see the summer months before full interest of investor start to show.
The Junior Market has 16 stocks representing 33 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 31, averaging 21 compared with the above average of the market. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18. The above average shows the extent of potential gains for the TOP 10 stocks. The situation in the Main Market is similar, with the 18 highest valued stocks priced at a PE of 15 to 116, with an average of 28 and 21 excluding the highest valued stocks and 28 for the top half excluding the highest valued stock.
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 are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2023 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.
A total of 6,415,297 shares were exchanged for $16,382,248 against 5,986,665 units at $16,728,284 on Thursday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Honey Bun shed 36 cents in ending at $7.07 in switching ownership of 3,327 shares, iCreate rose 22 cents to $2.15 with the swapping of 927,094 stocks, following a release of the company signing an agreement to acquire Visual Ideas Execution Limited, ISP Finance popped 44 cents to $27.94 after exchanging 721 units. JFP Ltd gained 7 cents to settle at $1.77, with 293,494 shares crossing the market, Knutsford Express fell $1.50 to $11 with 1,948 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rose 64 cents to $4.70 with a transfer of 28,371 stock units. Main Event fell $1.04 to $9.20 after 7,713 units passed through the market, Medical Disposables shed 80 cents to close at $4.61 after trading 20,474 stocks, MFS Capital Partners gained 20 cents in closing at $3.21 after an exchange of 441,437 stock units.
Stationery and Office Supplies popped 50 cents to end at $15.50 with investors transferring just 1,627 shares and Tropical Battery gained 15 cents in closing at $2.60 after 1,515,045 stock units cleared the market.
A total of 5,986,665 shares were traded for $16,728,284 versus 10,060,543 units at $24,020,110 on Wednesday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years that end between November 2022 and August 2023.
Elite Diagnostic popped 9 cents to close at $3.19 with 1,374 units changing hands, Express Catering lost 25 cents to end at $5 in switching ownership of 20,271 stock units, Fontana gained 10 cents to settle at $8.60 after swapping of 27,725 stocks. Fosrich dipped 16 cents to end at $3.53 in trading 224,651 shares, General Accident popped 53 cents to finish at $4.99 after 3,000 stock units cleared the market, Honey Bun advanced 19 cents to $7.43 after an exchange of 10,701 units, iCreate rallied 24 cents to $1.93 after trading 455,165 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 20 cents in ending at $3 with 11,248 units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance rose 33 cents to close at $2.50 as investors exchanged 100 shares. ISP Finance climbed $2.50 in closing at $27.50 after a transfer of 11 stock units, KLE Group gained 19 cents to settle at $1.90 after an exchange of 32,543 units, Lasco Manufacturing declined 54 cents to end at $4.06 after 33,289 stock units passed through the market. 
Limners and Bards dipped 39 cents to close at $2.35 in an exchange of 69,019 stocks, Mailpac Group shed 15 cents to $2.05 with a transfer of 54,898 shares, Medical Disposables rose 41 cents to $5.41 with the swapping of 10,254 stocks. Regency Petroleum lost 10 cents ending at $1.81, trading 304,679 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 15 cents to close at $15 in exchanging 2,320 units and Tropical Battery gained 9 cents to end at $2.45 with the swapping of 650,135 stock units.
A total of 10,060,543 shares were traded for $24,020,110 compared to 17,230,599 units at $84,183,965 on Tuesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Future Energy Source lost 9 cents in ending at $4.77 afte365,816 stock units were traded, GWest Corporation fell 16 cents to end at 97 cents with 10,000 shares crossing the market. Honey Bun dipped 20 cents to $7.24 as investors exchanged 73,077 stocks, iCreate lost 10 cents to close at $1.69 after a transfer of 103,865 units, Indies Pharma shed 48 cents in closing at $2.80 with 19,857 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance fell 23 cents to finish at $2.17 trading 140 stock units, ISP Finance declined $1 ending at $25 after clearing the market with 126 stocks, Knutsford Express advanced $1.50 to $12.50 with investors transferring 7,526 stock units. MFS Capital Partners gained 18 cents to end at $3.04 with 909,926 shares changing hands, 
Spur Tree Spices lost 40 cents in closing at $2.95 with the swapping of 100,088 units and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 70 cents to $15.15 after transferring 2,000 units.
A total of 17,230,599 shares were traded for $84,183,965, compared with 14,577,720 units at $34,703,364 on Monday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Knutsford Express fell $1.47 to close at $11 with an exchange of 2,016,500 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 35 cents to finish at $4.60 after 14,215 shares cleared the market, Limners and Bards rallied 33 cents to end at $2.80 in an exchange of 640,442 shares. Mailpac Group gained 17 cents in ending at $2.15 after investors transferred 801,490 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5 in trading 112 units, Paramount Trading rallied 18 cents to $2.19 trading 500 stocks. Regency Petroleum popped 17 cents to end at $1.92 after 2,583,810 stock units passed through the market, Spur Tree Spices gained 34 cents in closing at $3.35 with the swapping of 3,785,671 stocks and 
Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $2.95 to close at $15.85 with the swapping of 1,023,291 units.
A total of 14,577,720 shares were traded for $34,703,364, up from 10,955,295 units at $27,089,084 on Friday.
At the close, Access Financial rose 45 cents in closing at $25.99 after trading 8,427 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 17 cents to settle at $2.17 in a transfer of 1,000 stocks, Caribbean Cream dipped 25 cents to $3.50 after investors exchanged 12,936 units. Consolidated Bakeries advanced 26 cents to $2.11 after 3,272 stock units cleared the market, EduFocal lost 11 cents to end at $2.19 with 46,458 shares changing hands, Everything Fresh gained 7 cents in ending at $1.47 after 59,072 stock units passed through the market. Express Catering rallied 28 cents to $5 after an exchange of 51,999 units, Fosrich popped 45 cents to close at $3.80 with 1,807,371 stocks changing hands, General Accident fell 53 cents to $4.46 in switching ownership of 3,724 shares. 
Regency Petroleum rose 15 cents to $1.75 trading 903,498 units, Spur Tree Spices gained 19 cents to end at $3.01 in exchanging 747,070 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped $1.60 in closing at $12.90 in switching ownership of 7,846 stock units and Tropical Battery lost 7 cents in ending at $2.32 after 27,229 units were traded.
All other movements in the Junior Market TOP10 were 3 percent or less. The Main Market Berger Paints popped 12 percent to $10.60, followed by a 9 percent rise for 
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.
Investors traded 10,955,295 shares for $27,089,084 compared with 12,623,385 units at $31,723,485 on Thursday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks use ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Future Energy Source lost 14 cents to end at $4.64 after 640,143 shares passed through the market, General Accident popped 89 cents in closing at $4.99, trading 313 units, Honey Bun gained 19 cents to settle at $7.69 in switching ownership of 6,915 stocks. Indies Pharma shed 30 cents to close at $2.30 with the swapping of 299,425 units, KLE Group fell 19 cents to close at $1.71 in exchanging 1,900 stock units, Knutsford Express advanced $2.34 to $12.44 after 2,804 shares crossed the exchange. Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5, trading 31,703 shares, 
MFS Capital Partners lost 13 cents in closing at $2.83 as investors exchanged 289,128 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 9 cents to end at $2.39 in switching ownership of 207,578 units.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 35.91 points to settle at 3,940.68.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Express Catering gained 8 cents to end at $5.08 in switching ownership of 44,901 stock units, Fontana rallied 40 cents in ending at $8.90 in an exchange of 33,298 units. Fosrich fell 12 cents to $3.27 after 804,631 shares passed through the market, Future Energy Source lost 7 cents to end at $4.78 trading 476,514 stock units, General Accident rose 22 cents to close at $5.30 in exchanging 48,612 stocks. Iron Rock Insurance popped 22 cents in ending at $2.39 with 1,000 stock units being traded, Jetcon Corporation gained 7 cents in closing at $1.13, with 135,605 stocks changing hands, Knutsford Express fell $1.90 to $10.10 with the swapping of 20,344 shares. Lasco Distributors gained 15 cents in closing at $2.71 in exchanging 8,753 units, Lasco Financial advanced 31 cents to $2.84 in trading 3,105 units, and Lasco Manufacturing popped 64 cents to close at $4.80 with 57,968 shares changing hands. 
Lumber Depot rallied 7 cents in ending at $2.37 with an exchange of 3,479 stocks, Main Event rose 80 cents to $10 after clearing the market with 41,403 stock units and Tropical Battery lost 8 cents to end at $2.33 with a transfer of 760,527 units.
A total of 16,319,167 shares were exchanged for $40,158,085 compared with 15,746,039 units at $40,681,154 on Monday.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Fosrich lost 15 cents in ending at $3.39 trading 1,163,398 shares, General Accident rose 37 cents to end at $5.08 after a transfer of 23,988 units, GWest Corporation lost 9 cents to finish at $1 with an exchange of 18,833 stocks. Image Plus Consultants dipped 10 cents to an all time low of $1.90 in switching ownership of 6,233,417 shares, Indies Pharma shed 19 cents in closing at $2.76 with 6,218 stocks changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance fell 23 cents to $2.17 after 381 units crossed the market. ISP Finance declined $1 to close at $27 with investors transferring 33 stock units, JFP Ltd gained 17 cents in ending at $1.79 with an exchange of 474,334 stocks, Knutsford Express declined 49 cents in closing at $12 after 9,100 units cleared the market. Lasco Financial dropped 31 cents to end at $2.53 as investors exchanged 86,710 stock units, Limners and Bards dipped 17 cents to $2.40 in trading 5,620 shares, Lumber Depot lost 16 cents after ending at $2.30 in switching ownership of 70,202 units. Main Event rallied 10 cents to $9.20 with a transfer of 24,720 stocks, 
Paramount Trading shed 18 cents in closing at $2.15 in an exchange of 2,156 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 74 cents to end at $14.25 while trading 17,420 stock units and tTech fell 35 cents to close at $2.50 with investors transferring 4,262 shares.