Lumber Depot is back in TOP 10 with the price at $1.50.
Jamaican stocks are off to a positive start for 2020, with the JSE all Jamaica Composite Index rising 2,715.02 points and Junior Market adding 29.23 points in two days.
This year’s movements are much stronger than for the same period in 2019 when the All Jamaica Index rose 796.77 points and the Junior Market gained 14.52 points.
Word reaching IC Insider.com is that the prospectus for the Initial Public Offer for Caribbean Assurance Brokers should be out in a matter of days, but it could be as early as Monday.
At the close of the market this past Friday, the Junior Market had two new listings while the Main Market listings remained unchanged. Lasco Distributors and Lumber Depot that fell to $1.50, reentered the TOP 10, replacing Honey Bun that closed the week at $8.49 and tTech that ended the week at $5.50.
The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 21.2 and the Junior Market 14.6, based on current 2019 earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages 9.4 with the Main Market 10.2.
The targeted average PE ratio is 25, with several stocks trading at that level or just under, in 22 times region, currently. The TOP 10 stocks now trade at a discount of 37 percent of the average for Junior Market and Main Market stocks trade at a discount of 48 percent to the overall market.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 177 percent for the Junior Market and 132 percent for JSE Main Market based mostly on 2019 earnings.
The top three Junior Market stocks currently are Medical Disposables with projected gains of 257 percent, followed by Main Event with 246 percent and Jamaican Teas with 204 percent likely capital growth.
Radio Jamaica still holds on to the lead of Main Market stocks with projected gains with 178 percent, followed by Carreras in the number two spot, with 174 percent and Sygnus US dollar-denominated stock, with 167 percent.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns to March next year. Forecasted earnings and PE ratio for the current fiscal year are in determining potential gains. The projected increase for each stock is ranked, with highest-ranked being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis as new information is received that can result in changes in and out of the list.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.
The Junior Market Index advanced 14.04 points to 3,378.19, with the prices of 17 securities rising against nine that fell, leaving five stocks trading with unchanged prices. 
By the close of trading, AMG Packaging added 15 cents to close at $2.25 with 15,392 shares changing hands, Blue Power lost 20 cents trading 1,100 units at $4.80, Cargo Handlers exchanged 3,452 units and rose 55 cents to close at $9.50. Investors exchanged 57,928 shares of Caribbean Cream, pushing the price up by 70 cents to $4.30, Caribbean Producers lost 20 cents to end at $5 with 8,354 stock units crossing the exchange. Dolphin Cove rose 4 cents to close at $11.15 with 13,101 units changing hands. Everything Fresh gained 5 cents to end at $1.20, trading 13,968 stock units. Express Catering gained 5 cents to close at $6.65, with an exchange of 3,000 stock units, Fontana climbed 34 cents to $7.35, after trading 109,600 shares, FosRich had 13,217 stock units changing hands and rose 5 cents to close at $4.50, General Accident added 10 cents to end at $7.10, with 3,200 units crossing the market. GWest Corporation exchanged 206,075 shares after gaining 7 cents to close at $1.07, Honey Bun rose 49 cents to settle at $8.45, after trading 51,959 shares, iCreate fell 1 cent to 70 cents with 187,342 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance gained 41 cents to end at $4 with 1,226 stock units changing hands, 
Jetcon Corporation rose 13 cents while exchanging 9,460 shares and ended at $1.78. Knutsford Express gained 35 cents to end at $10.60 with 2,259 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents trading 23,300 shares to end at $3.30, Lasco Financial ended with 49,800 stock units crossing the exchange after falling 3 cents to end at $4.30. Lasco Manufacturing lost 2 cents to settle at $4.66, with 74,436 shares changing hands. Limners & Bards lost 2 cents with 199,350 stock units changing hands at $3. Lumber Depot fell 10 cents to end at $1.50 with a transfer of 1,616,977 stock units, MailPac gained 3 cents trading 496,288 shares to settle at $2.12, SSL Venture Capital gained 7 cents to end at $1.20 with a mere 200 stock units trading and tTech dropped $1.02 to end at $5.50, in a transfer of 865 shares.
Caribbean Producers lost 10 cents to end at $5.20 with 16,686 stock units crossing the exchange. Consolidated Bakeries rose 14 cents to settle at $1.80 with 12,000 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading lost 1 cent to close at $2.59 with 37,262 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic fell 9 cents to end at $4.90 while trading 15,473 shares, Everything Fresh lost 7 cents to end at $1.15 in trading 12,500 stock units. Express Catering fell 6 cents to close at $6.60, with an exchange of 24,736 stock units, Fontana shed 29 cents to end at $7.01, after trading 67,069 shares, FosRich exchanged 82,276 stock units and rose 13 cents to close at $4.45, General Accident fell 10 cents to end at $7, with 2,763 units crossing the market. Honey Bun climbed 10 cents to settle at $8, after trading 3,500 shares, iCreate rose by a cent to 71 cents with 24,391shares changing hands, Indies Pharma lost 35 cents and closed at $3.15 with 62,440 stock units crossing the exchange. Iron Rock Insurance gained 7 cents to end at $3.59 with just one stock unit changing hands, 
Jamaican Teas exchanged 165,465 shares and rose 30 cents to end at $6.60. Lasco Distributors gained 4 cents trading 16,930 shares to end at $3.25, Lasco Financial swapped 11,200 stock units after falling 16 cents to end at $4.33. Lasco Manufacturing lost 1 cent to settle at $4.68, with 4,036 shares changing hands. Lumber Depot lost 1 cent to end at $1.60 with a transfer of 3,793,154 stock units, MailPac slipped 2 cents trading 511,531 shares to settle at $2.09, Medical Disposables jumped 75 cents to end at $7.55 with 6,400 stock units trading and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 10 cents to end at $11, in transferring 1,000 shares.
The Junior Market recovered nearly 45 of 77 points fall suffered at the close on Monday, with investors pushing the prices of 15 securities higher against eight that declined, leaving 12 stocks trading unchanged. 
FosRich swapped 55,290 stock units and rose 2 cents to close at $4.32, GWest Corporation fell 1 cent to end at $1, with 14,464 units crossing the market, Honey Bun jumped $1.90 to settle at $7.90, after trading 21,220 shares. Iron Rock Insurance gained 7 cents to close at $3.52 with 31,434 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma gained 30 cents and closed at $3.50 with 361,999 stock units crossing the exchange. Jamaican Teas exchanged 30,265 shares and rose 20 cents to end at $6.30, Jetcon Corporation lost 15 cents trading 55,060 shares to end at $1.65, Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to end at $4.49, with 387,091 stock units changing hands Lasco Manufacturing jumped 54 cents to settle at $4.69 with 8,731 shares changing hands, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to end at $1.61 with a transfer of 1,212,706 stock units. MailPac slipped 1 cent trading 281,140 shares to settle at $2.11, Medical Disposables lost 10 cents to end at $6.80 with 92,777 stock units trading and Paramount Trading rose 10 cents to end at $2.10, in transferring 104,000 shares and tTech climbed $1.02 to close at $6.52 with 46,414 shares trading.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investors Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Indies Pharma gained 29 cents and closed at $3.20 with 22,227 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaican Teas transferred 315,700 shares and lost 10 cents to end at $6.10, Lasco Distributors traded 14,000 stock units after falling 29 cents to end at $3.21, Lasco Manufacturing dived 85 cents to settle at $4.15 with 49,928 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 10 cents to end at $3 with 23,000 stock units crossing the exchange. Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to end at $1.68 with a transfer of 2,090,343 stock units, MailPac gained 4 cents in trading 1,725,404 shares to settle at $2.12 changing hands, Main Event dropped 35 cents to settle at $6.15 with 94,667 shares crossing the exchange. Medical Disposables lost 10 cents to end at $6.90 with 2,000 stock units trading and Paramount Trading slipped 5 cents to end at $2 in transferring 2,500 shares.
With the final days of 2019 draws to a close, investors looking back must ponder how the JSE Main Market stocks outperformed the Junior Stocks by a considerable margin, by growth in the market indices and the number of shares with triple-digit gains.
Still, they were replaced this week, by Honey Bun and tTech, in at number 9 and 10 positions, respectively. There were no changes to the TOP 10 listing for Main Market stocks.
Forecasted earnings and PE ratio for the current fiscal year are in determining potential gains. Possible gains for each stock are ranked in descending order, with the highest-ranked being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis as new information is received that can result in changes in and out of the list.
Lasco Financial rose 40 cents to end at $4.40, trading 10,600 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 25 cents to settle at $5 with 41,544 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards lost 10 cents to end at $2.90 with 75,820 stock units crossing the exchange. Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to end at $1.75, transferring 1,704,385 stock units, MailPac traded 882,679 shares to settle at $2.08 changing hands after falling 22 cents, Main Event climbed 35 to settle at $6.50 with 9,000 shares changing hands. Medical Disposables lost 40 cents to end at $7 with 35,328 stock units trading, Paramount Trading gained 5 cents to end at $2.05, in transferring 13,706 shares and SSL Venture Capital rose 2 cents to end at $1.13 with 121,562 stock units changing hands.
In contrast, November closed with an average of 120,579 shares at $506,880 for each security traded.
Knutsford Express exchanged 33,258 shares and declined 30 cents to end at $9.30, Lasco Distributors dropped 38 cents with 275,192 shares crossing the exchange to close at $3.101, Lasco Financial traded 20,660 stock units and gained 45 cents in closing at $3.90. Limners & Bards lost 5 cents in exchanging 113,993 stock units at $3, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to close at $1.83 with 1,720,435 units crossing the exchange, MailPac rose 10 cents to settle at $2.30 while exchanging 71 million shares. Main Event traded 2,455 units but fell 5 cents to $6.15, Paramount Trading climbed 20 cents to close at $2 with 18,465 shares crossing the market, Stationery & Office Supplies rose 60 cents with just 1,001 units changing hands at $10.50 and tTech traded 3,785 shares but lost 45 cents to $5.50.
The Junior Market Index declined again at the close of trading on Monday, bringing the four days’ fall to 139 points, cutting the year to date gains for the market at a mere 0.8 percent after hitting a record on August 14 when it was up 12.8 percent to 3,662.94 points.
Lasco Financial traded 26,465 stock units and gained 35 cents in closing at $4.35, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 7,935 shares and fell 15 cents to close at $4.75, Lumber Depot lost a cent to close at $1.90 with 1,392,924 units crossing the exchange, MailPac rose 7 cents to settle at $2.20 while exchanging 589,347 shares. Main Event traded 2,455 units but fell 5 cents to $6.15, Paramount Trading climbed 24 cents to close at $1.80 with 4,817 shares crossing the market, SSL Venture Capital rose 1 cent in exchanging 10,000 stock units at $1.11. Stationery & Office Supplies lost 49 cents with 32,356 units changing hands at $10.50 and tTech traded just six shares but rose 45 cents to end at $5.95.
The JSE Main Market TOP 10 had just stock leaving with 
Radio Jamaica still holds on to the lead for Main Market stocks, with an expected increase of 236 percent, followed by Pulse Investments in the number two spot with projected growth of 205 percent and Sygnus US dollar-denominated stock with likely gains of 186 percent, is next.
