Junior Market stocks closed the first quarter of the year with gains of 12.8 percent, recording the highest gain by far of the three market segment of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as the volume of stocks traded climbed 378 percent with 46 more value than Tuesday.
The market index climbed 13.95 points to finish at 2,982.95. Just 30 securities traded, down from 38 on Tuesday, resulting in 13 stocks rising, 12 declining and five closed unchanged, resulting in 14,376,733 shares trading for $36,855,263, up from 3,008,031 shares for $7,749,677 on Monday. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Derrimon 
Trading led trading with 74 percent, with a transfer of 10.7 million units, followed by Tropical Battery with one million units for 7 percent of the day’s trade and Mailpac with 3.9 percent after trading 566,794 shares,
Trading averaged 479,224 shares at $1,228,509, up from 79,159 units at $203,939 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 252,633 units at $717,051, compared to 243,918 units at $714,145 on Monday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $1.89 to $22.90 with an exchange of 23,197 shares, Blue Power slipped 3 cents to $3.75 with 1,475 units changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 17 cents to $2 with 266,053 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading lost 2 cents to end at $2.51 trading 10,631,676 stock units. Fontana fell 8 cents to $5.87 with 60,269 stocks crossing the exchange, Fosrich shed 7 cents to finish at $5.10 with 1,030 shares traded, Indies Pharma added 5 cents to end at $4 with 220,856 stock units changing hands. Knutsford Express shed 49 cents to close at $5.51 with 170 shares traded. Lasco Financial climbed 22 cents to $2.90 after trading 32,307 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 10 cents to end at $4.50 with 2,423 shares changing hands, 
Limners and Bards rose 6 cents to $2.75, with 257,417 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 7 cents to $2.30 with a transfer of 359,623 units, Mailpac Group picked up 4 cents to finish at $3.49 trading 566,794 stock units. Medical Disposables traded 200 shares but lost 55 cents to close at $4.15 and SSL Venture Capital rose 4 cents to 60 cents while trading 4.400 shares.
At the close, the market index slipped 3.41 points to finish at 2,969, with the market enjoying a 12.3 percent rise for the year, with just one more day left for the first quarter to end. This year’s performance contrast with a 32.7 fall in the market index at the same time in 2020. Since then, the market has gained 32 percent in value.
Trading averaged 79,159 units at $203,939, down from 195,011 at $497,993 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 243,918 units at $714,145, verusu 252,356 units at $740,275 on Monday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Limners and Bards fell 10 cents to $2.69, with 59,408 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 7 cents to $2.30 with a transfer of 359,623 units, Mailpac Group lost 5 cents to finish at $3.45 with an exchange of 165,721 stock units. Paramount Trading declined by 11 cents to end at $1.30 with investors swapping 22,050 units, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 20 cents to $5.50 with 47 units traded and tTech climbed 34 cents to $4.81 with 18,908 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading accounted for 37 securities, up from 33 on Friday, with the prices of six rising, 22 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The Junior Market Index shed 12.29 points to settle at 2,972.41. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, AMG Packaging fell 18 cents to $1.90 in trading 2,555 units, Cargo Handlers shed 21 cents to close at $8.50, with 3,013 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers finished 13 cents lower at $1.91, after 4,029 stocks cleared the market. Caribbean Cream lost 6 cents in closing at $4.99 in exchanging 10,846 units, Caribbean Flavours rose 37 cents to close at $2.27 trading 133,707 stocks, Dolphin Cove shed 42 cents to close at $8.03 in a transfer of 700 units, Elite Diagnostic lost 9 cents to settle at $3 trading 32,100 stocks. Express Catering gained 7 cents in closing at $3.80, after exchanging 68,617 shares, Fosrich ended 6 cents lower at $5.19 in exchanging 15,486 units, General Accident lost 6 cents to end at $5.50 with 448,517 stocks changing hands, Honey Bun slipped 7 cents to $5.02 with the swapping of 13,811 shares. iCreate lost 5 cents to end at 77 cents and finished with a transfer of 252,717 stock units, Indies Pharma gained 20 cents to close at $4 in the swapping of 180,504 units, Iron Rock Insurance fell 80 cents to $2.80 in switching ownership of 100 stocks. 
KLE Group shed 24 cents to end at $1 after 134,900 stocks crossed the exchange, Lasco Manufacturing lost 8 cents to end at $4.38 with an exchange of 25,019 stock units. Limners and Bards gained 4 cents in closing at $2.79 after trading 849,093 units and Mailpac Group picked up 5 cents to close at $3.50 with 1,058,633 shares changing hands.
TOP 10 stocks had a few changes during the past week, with Berger Paints back in the Main Market TOP10, replacing Sterling Investments that entered the list last week, while in the Junior Market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers returns to the TOP 10 as General Accident moved out.
Caribbean Producers is another that will definitely benefit from pick up in the tourist trade later in the year. Expect also companies such as Knutsford Express, Express Catering and Stationery and Office Supplies to be on that list.
This week’s focus: Future Energy Source Company Initial Public Offer of 500 million shares at 80 cents per share opens on Wednesday, with pretax earnings for the fiscal year to March this year around 7 cents per shares. The shares should be snapped up quickly by investors, with the company having long-term prospects for strong growth.
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.5 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.4 or 50 percent of the PE of that market.
Overall, 33 securities traded, similar to Thursday and closed with 18 stocks rising, eight declining and seven remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Knutsford Express rose 80 cents to $6.35 after exchanging 500 units, Lasco Distributors rose 8 cents to $4.14, with 49,688 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing lost 13 cents to end at $4.46 in an exchange of 101,862 stocks. Limners and Bards gained 5 cents to close at $2.75 with the swapping of 2,276,465 shares, Main Event rose 32 cents to $3.47, with 50,000 stocks hands and tTech finished 8 cents higher at $4.50 after transferring 40 units.
Trading averaged 237,883 units at $805,093, a fall from 337,793 at $1,021,945 on Wednesday.
Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to finish at $2.70 with a transfer of 824,921 units, Mailpac Group rose 6 cents to $3.45 with 617,187 shares traded, Main Event shed 32 cents to settle at $3.15 with 152,969 stocks passing through the market.Medical Disposables jumped 58 cents to $4.73 with a transfer of 270 units and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 27 cents to $5.30 with 4,150 shares crossing the exchange.
February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Jetcon Corporation fell 8 cents to 70 cents with 75,350 stocks traded, Lasco Manufacturing lost 8 cents to end at $4.41 with 32,473 units passing through the market, Limners and Bards rose 5 cents to $2.75 with a transfer of 398,797 shares. Lumber Depot fell 14 cents to $2.36 with 4,043,628 stocks passing through the market, Main Event climbed 35 cents to $3.47 with a transfer of 21,350 stock units and tTech dropped 28 cents to $4.42 with 19,083 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading averaged 444,544 units at $1,308,868, up from 110,643 at $340,001 on Monday. The month to date averaged 255,170 units at $741,265, versus 244,206 units at $708,404 on Monday. February averaged 365,365 units at $881,118.
Limners and Bards slipped 10 cents to $2.70 after a transfer of 10,916,426 shares. Lumber Depot gained 5 cents to end at $2.50 in trading 52,534 stocks. Medical Disposables fell 58 cents to $4.15 with 892 shares clearing the market and tTech shed 14 cents to end at $4.70 with 48,759 units changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Indies Pharma advanced 90 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $4.20 with 427,490 shares clearing the market. Knutsford Express rose 45 cents to $5.55, with 2,437 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors picked up 7 cents to close at to end at 52 weeks’ high of $4.15 in switching ownership of 125,573 stock units, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to $2.64, after transferring 3,146 shares. Lasco Manufacturing climbed 12 cents to $4.46, with 23,948 units changing hands, Lumber Depot dipped 13 cents to $2.45, after clearing the market with 176,529 stocks, Main Event ended 6 cents higher at $3.12 in an exchange of 50,000 units. Paramount Trading gained 12 cents to settle at $1.43 trading 1,000 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 96 cents to $5.58 trading 106 units and tTech gained 9 cents to close at $4.84, transferring 21,683 stocks.
The Main Market has a number in the list that have put out record profits or show signs of strong earnings in 2021, with the stocks clearly undervalued, these include, JMMB Group, Jamaica Broilers, 
This week’s focus:
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15 and the Junior Market 10, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.5 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.4 or 49 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.