The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday, with the market declining after slightly more stocks rose than fell after 78 percent more shares traded than Thursday.
Trading resulted in the same number of securities on Thursday and Friday changing hands with 31 each day and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 11 declining and seven remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 11.17 points to settle at 2,497.10. The average PE Ratio of ended at 10.6 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 3,117,697 shares for $4,670,235 compared to 1,750,144 units at $6,183,716 on Thursday. Lumber Depot led trading with 80 percent of total volume after 2.50 million shares changed hands, followed by Mailpac Group with 7.2 percent or 223,047 units and General Accident with 70,442 units for 2.3 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 100,571 units at $150,653 compared to 56,456 at $199,475 on Thursday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 104,252 units at $235,332 compared to 104,530 units at $241,734 on Thursday. Trading in August resulted in an average of 104,426 units at $321,996.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial gained 44 cents to settle at $22, in an exchange of 4,740 shares, AMG Packaging lost 1 cent to close at $1.79 trading 600 units, Blue Power rose 9 cents to $3.59 while exchanging 100 stock units. Cargo Handlers dropped $1.34 to $6.16, in transferring 1,000 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 1 cent and ended at $1.93 with 6,276 stock units crossing the exchange. Caribbean Producers closed at $2.35, after gaining 3 cents trading 500 shares, Consolidated Bakeries ended 14 cents higher at $1.49, with 3,513 stock units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic lost 23 cents to finish at $3.05, with 5,000 units crossing the exchange. Express Catering gained 10 cents in clearing the market with 8,156 stocks to end at $4.30, Fontana lost 5 cents to settle at $4.70, after 32,958 shares crossed the exchange, Fosrich finished 31 cents higher at $3.95, in exchanging 16,662 stock units. Honey Bun slipped 9 cents to $5, with 2,200 units passing through the market, iCreate lost 6 cents to end at 62 cents and clearing the market with 62,218 shares, Indies Pharma rose 9 cents in closing at $2.84 while trading 1,903 stock units. 
Iron Rock Insurance gained 12 cents to settle at $3, with an exchange of 6,681 units, ISP Finance dropped $3 to $12 with 100 shares clearing the market, Knutsford Express gained 5 cents to close at $6.90 with an exchange of 4,334 stock units. Lasco Distributors lost 7 cents, finishing at $3, exchanging 48,120 shares, Lasco Manufacturing shed 13 cents to settle at $3.52, in trading 49,975 stocks, Limners and Bards fell by 13 cents to end at $2.57, in exchanging 43,120 shares. Lumber Depot gained 5 cents to close at $1.09, in finishing with a transfer of 2,495,326 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 2 cents to settle at $2.08 trading 223,047 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 2 cents in closing at $5.58, with investors switching ownership of 10 stocks.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000, 9.5% preference shares gained 1 cent to close at $1.02 with 18 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 29 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 17 stocks rising, the prices of 10 stocks declining and four, with remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Honey Bun gained 38 cents to settle at $5.09 with 200 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas advanced 50 cents to close at $4.55 while exchanging 192 stocks, Knutsford Express lost 5 cents to finish at $6.85 with 1,100 stocks traded. Lasco Distributors increased 7 cents to end at $3.07 with 2,862 stock units passing through the market, Lasco Financial slipped 3 cents to $2.10 with investors transferring 22,581 shares Lasco Manufacturing advanced 12 cents to close at $3.65 with 123,555 stocks changing hands. Limners and Bards lost 17 cents to finish at $2.70 with an exchange of 7,432 stock units, Lumber Depot declined by 5 cents to settle at $1.04 with investors switching ownership 0f 58,541 shares, Mailpac Group traded 510,609 stock units and rose 1 cent to end at $2.06. Medical Disposables climbed 15 cents to $5.14 in an exchange of 50,000 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 2 cents to finish at $5.60 with investors transferring 1,200 stock units and tTech gained 5 cents to settle at $5.80 with 123 stocks crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 29 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and concluded with the prices of nine stocks rising, the prices of 16 stocks declining and four with prices remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, Access Financial gained 7 cents to end at $21.58 in an exchange of 200 shares, Blue Power shed 31 cents to settle at $3.04 with 1,000 stock units traded, Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined by 14 cents to finish at $1.91 with 44,013 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours fell 70 cents to close at $17.60 with investors transferring 28,500 shares, Caribbean Producers rose 4 cents to end at $2.35 with 7,015 stocks passing through the market, Derrimon Trading advanced 34 cents to finish at $2.90 in an exchange of 84,733 stocks. Elite Diagnostic lost 3 cents to close at $3.25, with investors switching ownership of 450 stocks, Express Catering climbed 35 cents to settle at $4.35 with 357,000 stock units traded, Fontana advanced 5 cents to end at $4.75 with 22,975 shares passing through the market. Fosrich dropped 35 cents to finish at $3.60 with 14,243 units changing hands, General Accident shed $1 to close at $6.30 in an exchange of 60,500 stocks, Honey Bun declined by 39 cents to settle at $4.71 with investors switching ownership of 2,153 stocks iCreate finished 2 cents lower at 68 cents with an exchange of 17,460 stock units, Indies Pharma fell 5 cents to end at $2.75 with 1,000 stock units passing through the market, Jamaican Teas declined by 55 cents, trading 210,090 units to close at $4.05. 
Jetcon Corporation gained 1 cent to settle at 86 cents with an exchange of 1,100 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 2 cents to end at $2.13 with 2,320 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing lost 17 cents to close at $3.53 with investors switching ownership of 21,700 shares. Limners and Bards climbed 22 cents to finish at $2.87 with 37,700 stock units passing through the market, Mailpac Group declined by 4 cents to end at $2.05 in an exchange of 169,935 shares, Main Event slipped 1 cent to $3.38 with investors transferring 884 stock units. Medical Disposables advanced 19 cents to close at $4.99 with 2,185 stocks passing through the market, SSL Venture fell 5 cents to settle at 70 cents with 10,000 stocks changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies declined by 2 cents to finish at $5.58 with 1,000 shares crossing the exchange.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Honey Bun gained 39 cents to end at $5.10, with 4,000 units crossing the exchange, Indies Pharma closed at $2.80, after gaining 18 cents in transferring 1,778 units. Iron Rock Insurance gained of 3 cents to close at $2.88, after 7,808 units crossed the market, Jamaican Teas shed 9 cents in closing at $4.60, after an exchange of 80,819 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 5 cents to end at $3, with 64,640 stock units changing hands. Lasco Financial lost 1 cent to settle at $2.11 and crossing the exchange with 75,065 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing was down 9 cents to $3.70 trading 524 units, Limners and Bards rose 17 cents to $2.65, in transferring 214,286 stock units. Lumber Depot lost 1 cent to close at $1.09, clearing the market with 3,062,441 shares, MailPac Group finished 9 cents higher at $2.09 after exchanging 99,853 stocks, Medical Disposables rose 9 cents to $4.80, with 20,170 stock units changing hands. Paramount Trading shed 20 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.30 after crossing the exchange with 50,157 stock units, SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 75 cents, with investors swapping 1,106 units and Stationery and Office Supplies settled at $5.60, with gains of 40 cents exchanging 153,622 shares.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
GWest Corporation rose 2 cents to end at 98 cents with 24,000 stocks traded, Honey Bun shed 29 cents to close at $4.71 with investors transferring 5,000 units, Indies Pharma dropped 23 cents to settle at $2.62 in an exchange of 206,274 units. Lasco Distributors slipped 8 cents to close at $3.05 with 7,092 units changing hands, Lasco Financial declined by 2 cents to finish at $2.12 with 70,935 stocks traded, Lasco Manufacturing gained 6 cents to end at $3.79 with 32,978 shares passing through the market. Limners and Bards dropped 32 cents to close at $2.48 with investors switching ownership of 61,016 units, Lumber Depot exchanged 11,123,785 shares and advanced 5 cents to settle at $1.10, Mailpac Group slipped 1 cent to $2 with 181,248 stock units traded. Main Event fell 11 cents to end at $3.39 with 2,418 stocks switching hands, Medical Disposables finished 1 cent higher at $4.71 with an exchange of 1,123 shares, Paramount Trading lost 5 cents to settle at $1.50 with investors switching ownership of 146,900 stock units. SSL Venture fell 1 cent to close at 70 cents in an exchange of 35,144 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 39 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.20 with a mere 11 stock units trading and tTech jumped 75 cents in finishing at $5.75 with 281 units crossing the exchange.
Retail loan grew 5 percent year over year, driven by strong mortgage growth of 16 percent. Total revenues, excluding expected credit losses for the nine months, ended July at $32.1 billion, a reduction of $1.7 billion or 5.1 percent, compared to 2019. For the July 2020 quarter, gross revenues fell from $12.4 billion to $11 billion, with non-interest income contributing $1.1 billion to the decline. Administrative and other expenses were essentially flat at $5.8 billion year over year, a $2 billion increase in provision for expected loan loss helped push profit down in the quarter, to $1.55 billion from $4.2 billion in 2019. Notably, while loans amounting to $221 billion at the end of July grew 12 percent year over year, loans declined modestly from $223 billion at the end of April, the result of the increased credit loss provisioning.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, an indication of the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.1 and the Junior Market 10.9, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6 at just 55 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.2 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 279 percent, and 153 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication of potentially, greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
At the close of the market, Access Financial dropped $4.49 to end at $21.51 in an exchange of just 11 shares, AMG Packaging dropped 22 cents to finish at $1.76 with a mere ten units trading, Blue Power fell 12 cents to settle at $3.30 with 1,500 stock units passing through the market. Cargo Handlers lost 30 cents to close at $7, trading 10,000 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 14 cents to end at $2.05 with 116,159 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream shed 40 cents to finish at $4 with investors switching ownership of 36,150 shares. Caribbean Flavours fell 3 cents to settle at $18.44 with 3,309 stocks passing through the market, Derrimon Trading advanced 34 cents to end at $2.85 in an exchange of 18,707 shares, Elite Diagnostic closed 33 cents higher at $3.39 with investors transferring 10,050 units. Express Catering slipped 2 cents to $3.93 with 19,201 stock units traded, Fontana lost 3 cents to finish at $4.74 with 138,448 shares passing through the market, General Accident gained 8 cents to end at $6.08 in an exchange of 868 stock units. iCreate rose 4 cents to settle at 70 cents with 3,306 stocks changing hands, Indies Pharma gained 7 cents to close at $2.85 with135,634 stock units traded, Jamaican Teas gained 14 cents to finish at $4.69 with investors switching ownership of 48,000 stock units. 
Jetcon Corporation lost 7 cents to end at 85 cents in an exchange of 2,550 shares, KLE Group declined by 6 cents to finish at $1.36 with 1,000 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors traded 539,293 stock units and advanced 10 cents to settle at $3.13. Lasco Financial rose 2 cents to close at $2.14 with investors transferring 3,750 units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 6 cents to end at $3.73 in an exchange of 1,136 shares, Limners and Bards slid 2 cents to $2.80 with 75,975 shares passing through the market. Lumber Depot finished 1 cent higher at $1.05 with 158,533 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group traded 639,248 stock units and gained 1 cent to settle at $2.01, Main Event rose 5 cents to end at $3.50 in an exchange of 501 shares. Medical Disposables advanced 8 cents to end at $4.70 with investors switching ownership of 500 stocks and Paramount Trading fell 5 cents to settle at $1.55 with 14,333 units crossing the exchange.
At the close of the market, Access Financial jumped $4.50 to finish at $26 with investors trading 8,406 shares, AMG Packaging fell 13 cents to $1.98 with 501 units changing hands, Blue Power ended 1 cent higher at $3.42 with a mere four shares passing through the market. Caribbean Flavours advanced 17 cents to $18.47 in an exchange of 25,819 units, Caribbean Producers rose 4 cents to close at $2.36 with 2,254 shares traded, Consolidated Bakeries gained 5 cents to settle at $1.50 with investors switching ownership of 300 stock units. Derrimon Trading added 1 cent to finish at $2.51 with an exchange of 400 shares, Elite Diagnostic lost 14 cents to end at $3.06 with 2,046 units passing through the market, Everything Fresh gained 3 cents and traded 220,271 shares to close at 71 cents. Express Catering declined 40 cents to settle at $3.95, with 40,000 stocks changing hands, Fontana rose 1 cent to finish at $4.77 with investors transferring 7,385 shares, Fosrich increased 5 cents to settle at $3.65 in an exchange of 1,061 stock units. General Accident shed 37 cents and traded 33,582 stock units to end at $6, GWest Corporation lost 3 cents to close at 96 cents with 100 shares changing hands, Honey Bun advanced 29 cents to finish at $5 with investors switching ownership of 5,359 stock units. Indies Pharma climbed 27 cents to settle at $2.78 with 128,963 stock units passing through the market, Jamaican Teas fell 5 cents to close at $4.55 with 1,423 stocks traded, Jetcon Corporation finished 1 cent lower at 92 cents in an exchange of 5,600 shares. 
Lasco Distributors rose 2 cents to end at $3.03 with 161,025 stock units changing hands, Lasco Financial rose 4 cents and traded 24,216 stock units to close at $2.12, Lasco Manufacturing gained 4 cents to end at $3.79 with investors switching ownership of 2,263 stocks. Limners and Bards fell 3 cents to settle at $2.82 with an exchange of 76,057 shares, Lumber Depot rose 4 cents to close at $1.04 with 76,089 stock units passing through the market, Mailpac Group traded 2,614,710 stock units and declined 9 cents to end at $2.Medical Disposables climbed 12 cents to settle at $4.62 with 500 units changing hands, Paramount Trading gained 6 cents to close at $1.60 in an exchange of 20,000 stock units, SSL Venture declined by 4 cents to close at 71 cents with 22,156 stocks traded. Stationery and Office Supplies slipped 1 cent to $5.59, with investors switching ownership of 2,240 shares and tTech gained 99 cents to end at $5, with 1,080 stock units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 30 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 10 declining and seven remaining unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 17.95 points to settle at 2,486.06. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.6 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging gained 11 cents to end at $2.11 in trading 15,758 shares, Blue Power rose 12 cents in closing at $3.41, with 2,000 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers picked up 2 cents to finish at $7.30 in trading 468 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers ended at $1.91 after gaining 1 cent with an exchange of 39,656 shares, Caribbean Cream rose 34 cents to settle at $4.40, after 21,897 stock units passed through the market, Caribbean Flavours lost 19 cents ending at $18.30, with 50,609 shares changing hands. Caribbean Producers lost 4 cents trading 21,578 stock units to settle at $2.32, Dolphin Cove shed 50 cents to finish at $6, with an exchange of 7,924 stock units, Elite Diagnostic gained 15 cents in transferring 6,000 stock units and closed at $3.20. Everything Fresh ended at 68 cents, with gains of 3 cents after exchanging 6,300 units, Express Catering rose 40 cents to $4.35 in trading 468,000 shares, Fontana picked up 1 cent to close at $4.76, with 66,012 units crossing the exchange. 
General Accident lost 5 cents to end at $6.37, in trading 6,482 stock units, Honey Bun lost 25 cents to close at $4.71 after 1,728 units crossed the market, Indies Pharma shed 27 cents in closing at $2.51, with 186,538 shares crossing the exchange. Lasco Financial lost 7 cents to end at $2.08 after exchanging 35,513 shares, Lasco Manufacturing shed 4 cents to close at $3.75, after trading 22,855 shares, Limners and Bards gained 9 cents to end at $2.85, exchanging 9,935 stock units. MailPac Group gained 4 cents to end at $2.09, with 198,740 shares changing hands, Main Event rose 5 cents to end at $3.45, in an exchange of 1,098 units, Medical Disposables shed 30 cents to finish at $4.50 trading 64,000 stock units. Paramount Trading gained 2 cents to end at $1.54, with 1,700 units changing hands and tTech fell 76 cents to $4.01, with 123 shares clearing the market.
Stationery and Office Supplies and Jetcon Corporation dropped out of the Junior Market list, the former earning, was revised down for 2020, with the loss incurred in the June quarter while Jetcon price inched up, to be squeezed out of the top stocks.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profit of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, an indication of the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15 and the Junior Market 10.8, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. 
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6 at just 56 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.1 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
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 will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.