Stocks eked out a modest 6.79 points rise on Tuesday to close at 2,821.49 after the market rose to 2,851.80 after almost 80 minutes of the Junior Market opening but closed with the more stocks rising than falling after an exchange of 30 percent more shares than on Monday, with a 37 percent increase in value.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands, down from 37 on Monday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 12 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
At the close, the average PE Ratio ended at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with an exchange of 16,011,856 shares for $49,037,518 compared to 12,352,006 units at $35,748,528 on Monday. Derrimon Trading led trading with 35 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 5.60 million shares followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 25.4 percent for 4.07 million units and Lumber Depot with 13.7 percent of the day’s trade for 2.20 million units.
Trading averaged 457,482 units at $1,401,072 in contrast to 333,838 at $966,176 on Monday. Month to date, averaged 332,075 units at $915,371, exceeding 311,941 units at $837,392 on Monday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Access Financial lost 16 cents in closing at $21.84 and exchanging 32 shares, Derrimon Trading gained 9 cents to end at $2.60, in trading 5,601,035 stock units, Dolphin Cove rose 86 cents to $8, with investors swapping 234 units. Everything Fresh lost 9 cents in closing at 67 cents, with 435,085 shares crossing the exchange, Express Catering gained 10 cents to end at $3.70, in the swapping of 117,789 units, Fontana picked up 20 cents to end at $6.20 trading 131,692 stocks. Fosrich fell 15 cents to $4.30, with 26,624 stock units changing hands, General Accident slipped 12 cents to $5.81, in transferring 139,890 shares, Jamaican Teas ended 12 cents higher at $2.93, with 922,035 stock units crossing the market, Knutsford Express shed 33 cents in ending at $6.42, with an exchange of 7,132 units. Lasco Distributors gained 15 cents to close at $3.30, with 45,100 stocks clearing the market, Lasco Financial settled at $2.75, with gains of 14 cents trading 616,128 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents to close at $4.20, after 4,069,352 stock units crossed the exchange.
Limners and Bards finished 5 cents lower at $2.50, with 232,334 units changing hands, Mailpac Group gained 19 cents to close at an all-time closing high of $4.15, in the transfer of 695,450 stocks and Medical Disposables picked up 6 cents to end at $4.40, with 5,595 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share shed 18 cents to close at $1.02, in an exchange of 634 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors finished 25 cents lower at $3.15, after the switching ownership of 24,743 shares, Lumber Depot dropped 2 cents in closing at $1.96 in trading 718,529 stock units. Medical Disposables closed at $4.34, with a loss of 16 cents in exchanging 262 units. Stationery and Office Supplies gained 24 cents to close at $4.53 in transferring 400 stocks and tTech fell 15 cents to $4.70 trading 890 units.
The market index closed just under 2,800 points, on Friday with a 5.8 percent gain for the year to date.
Lasco Distributors earnings were also adjusted down, with the release of the nine months results showing earnings per share of 21 cents and 7 cents for the December quarter, putting the full-year numbers at 30 cents per share.
The current TOP 10 report is based on earnings for 2020/21 as there are substantial gains ahead, for many stocks in the listings.
Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
Trading averaged 189,064 units at $559,890 in contrast to 686,300 at $1,842,459 on Thursday. Month to date trading averaged 307,465 units at $811,066, compared to 338,928 units at $877,812 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express closed at $6.75, with gains of 45 cents after trading 3,557 stock units, Lasco Distributors picked up 15 cents to end at $3.40 in exchanging 55,501 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 12 cents to finish at $4.32, with 157,640 stocks clearing the market and Medical Disposables rose 30 cents ending at $4.50, with 36,214 shares crossing the market.
Trading averaged 686,300 units at $1,842,459 in contrast to 142,018 at $366,205 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 338,928 units at $877,812, compared to an average of 230,573 units at $576,913 on Wednesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express dipped 45 cents to $6.30 trading 1,765 units, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents to $3.25, in an exchange of 5,001 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing rose 32 cents to $4.20, after 279,289 stock units crossed the market. Limners and Bards slipped 15 cents to end at $2.55, with 10,790,026 stocks changing hands, Main Event settled at $3.49, with gains of 19 cents trading 59,352 shares, Medical Disposables finished 21 cents higher at $4.20 in exchanging 100 stocks and tTech gained 29 cents to close at $4.85, with investors swapping 10,005 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Financial fell 10 cents to $2.60 in trading 375,036 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 17 cents to $3.88 with 93,150 units passing through the market. Main Event climbed 18 cents to $3.30 with a transfer of 171,000 units, Medical Disposables dropped 21 cents to $3.99 with 25,194 stocks passing through the market and tTech advanced 16 cents to $4.56 with 5,377 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 456,371 units at $1,065,980 in contrast to 113,255 at $343,282 on Monday. The month to date, averaged 279,911 units at $694,307. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Manufacturing gained 4 cents to end at $3.71 with 174,629 shares traded, Limners and Bards advanced 15 cents to $2.72 with a transfer of 46,156 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $4.28 with 7,402 shares changing hands and tTech shed 45 cents to close at $4.40 with 14,623 stock units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, the same as on Friday and closed, with 18 stocks rising, 16 declining and two remaining unchanged.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to close at $1.85, in transferring 1,777 units, Caribbean Cream rose 60 cents $5.10, after crossing the market with 92,827 stocks, Caribbean Flavours lost 7 cents to close at $1.98, in switching ownership of 585,096 shares. Caribbean Producers ended 10 cents higher at $2.80, with 173,336 stock units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries rose 20 cents to $1.52, with 983 shares crossing the market, Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents to settle at $7.50 trading 703 stocks. Elite Diagnostic closed at $2.95, with gains of 20 cents after transferring 181 shares, Express Catering rose 9 cents to $3.74, with 6,857 units changing hands. General Accident lost 25 cents to end at $6 after exchanging 2,000 stocks. iCreate gained 6 cents to close at 62 cents, after clearing the market with 16,077 stock units, Indies Pharma slipped 22 cents to $2.57, with investors switching ownership of 102,450 units. Jamaican Teas gained 11 cents to settle at $2.99, in trading 398,882 shares, Knutsford Express dipped 5 cents to $6.70 in exchanging 221 units. Lasco Distributors picked up 9 cents to finish at $3.20, with 6,285 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing shed 23 cents to close at $3.67, with an exchange of 371,615 shares. 
Limners and Bards was down 18 cents to $2.57, in crossing the exchange with 2,850 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 8 cents ending at $1.97 trading 504,964 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 20 cents to $4.20 trading 40 stock units, Paramount Trading lost 16 cents in closing at $1.29 in exchanging a mere one unit. Stationery and Office Supplies rose 42 cents to $4.54, in trading 1,200 stocks and tTech finished at $4.85, with gains of 76 cents after 982 units crossed the market.
While the Junior Market had a new addition, the Main Market TOP10 continued with the same stocks as the week before but Grace Kennedy price rose from $68 to $73.45 with the stock moving from 5th spot to 7th.
In this regard, based on 2020 release of results, interim financials are expected this week, from Access Financial, Barita Investments, Iron Rock Insurance, NCB Financial, the Lasco group of companies and Jamaican Teas.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 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 18.9 and the Junior Market 14.8, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.8 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 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.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, down from 39 on Thursday with prices of 19 rising, 13 declining and four remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Knutsford Express ended 15 cents higher at $6.75, after trading 2,147 units, Lasco Distributors lost 8 cents in closing at $3.11, in crossing the market with 126,660 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing shed 5 cents to $3.90 trading 7,821 units. Limners and Bards gained 9 cents to close at $2.75, with a transfer of 635,373 shares, Lumber Depot lost 9 cents to settle at $1.89, with 383,034 stock units clearing the market. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to end at $3.97 exchanging 359,576 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 5 cents in closing at $1.45, after transferring 54 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 5 cents in ending at $1.15, trading 900,187 shares.