Trading dropped to start off the new month but investors pushed prices higher to end the first trading day in May with a solid rise in the market index at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday. The volume of stocks traded declined 68 percent and the value plunged 70 percent lower than on Friday with trading in 42 securities compared with 44 on Friday and ending with 18 rising, 14 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 5,316,848 shares at $13,649,412 versus 16,843,959 units at $45,142,781 on Friday.
Trading averaged 126,592 shares at $324,986, down from 382,817 shares at 1,025,972 on Friday compared to April with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 1.76 million shares for 33 percent of total volume following the release of impressive full year results on Friday. Spur Tree Spices followed with 753,997 units for 14.2 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 393,395 units for 7.4 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 45.29 points to end at 3,783.21 after rising by more than 40 points on two consecutive days.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.7. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rallied 93 cents in closing at $25.98, with 56 shares crossing the market, Blue Power rose 32 cents to end at $2.44 as investors exchanged 1,924 units, CAC 2000 climbed 9 cents to $8.09 after trading 345 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries advanced 22 cents to close at $2.39 with a transfer of 41,884 stocks. Dolla Financial popped 7 cents to $2.74 while exchanging 41,403 units, EduFocal lost 12 cents in closing at $1.96, with 3,500 stock units crossing the market, Everything Fresh gained 19 cents and ended at $1.69 with investors transferring 375,654 shares, Express Catering increased by 16 cents to close at $5.35 after exchanging 16,082 stocks. General Accident declined 40 cents to $5 in an exchange of 95,100 shares, GWest Corporation popped 9 cents to end at $1.04 after an exchange of 20,309 stock units, Honey Bun rallied 9 cents to close at $6.40 in switching ownership of 38,448 units, 
iCreate increased 10 cents to end at $1.50 after 260,734 stocks passed through the market. Image Plus Consultants popped 10 cents to $2.05 in trading 1,755,637 stocks, Indies Pharma dropped 42 cents to $3.13, with 16,650 shares crossing the exchange, Jetcon Corporation climbed 12 cents to $1.19 after a transfer of 896 stock units, JFP Ltd dipped 10 cents to close at $1.81 in an exchange of 69,748 units. Knutsford Express gained 89 cents to end at $11.39, with 2,482 shares clearing the market, Lasco Distributors rose 36 cents to $2.65 with the swapping of 110,580 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 11 cents to $4.11, with 79,651 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards fell 27 cents in closing at $2.26 after investors swapped 34,059 units. Medical Disposables shed 10 cents after ending at $6 with an exchange of 301 shares, MFS Capital Partners fell 10 cents to close at $3.50 with 393,395 stock units changing hands, 
Paramount Trading popped 17 cents to $2.32, with 1,459 stocks crossing the market. Regency Petroleum shed 12 cents to end at $2.53 in trading 218,338 units and Spur Tree Spices dropped 16 cents in closing at $2.62 after a transfer of 753,997 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
iCreate in ICTOP10 Image Plus EPS jumps
The markets are changing, with the Main Market up for three consecutive weeks but the Junior Market meandering for the last four weeks. Against this backdrop, there was one change to the TOP10, with iCreate coming in and Dolla Financial falling out, but Dolla and Honey Bun, that slipped out the previous week, sit immediately below the TOP10.
There were no significant winners for the past week in both markets’ TOP10 as losers dominated. The Junior market had Consolidated Bakeries falling 11 percent to $2.17 and general Accident down 10 percent to $5.40 and Lasco Distributors down 3 percent, with the stock selling at just 5.5 times 2023 estimated earnings and only 8.5 times the company’s nine month results. By any stretch, the stock is considerably undervalued and there are more profits to come in the current fiscal year.
Main Market stocks had a 13 percent fall in Key Insurance after the price closed at $3.08, Berger Paints contracted by 9 percent to $7.54 and 138 Student Living slipped 5 percent to $5.03, while Jamaica Broilers rose just 3 percent to $37.
Stocks are being prepped to rally, with early signals that interest rates will be declining across the board sooner than later. This stems from the continued slide of rates on BOJ CDs since March, that saw the rate falling by 23 percent to 8.11 percent against a background where inflation since November last year is running at less than one percent per annum.
At the week’s close, Image Plus released full year results showing profit after tax jumping 125.6 percent to $213 million or 21 cents per share. ICInsider.com revised earnings for the current fiscal year to 35 cents from 30 cents previously.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index this past week, with the supply of some stocks falling sharply.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.4, well below the market average of 13.8, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 257 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 280 percent to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15to 27, averaging 21, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 17, suggesting that this may currently be the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks.
The 18 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 115, with an average of 29 and 20 excluding the highest PE stocks and 20 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
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, resulting 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.
Transjamaican heads Stocks to Watch
Some positive signs are emerging in the local stock market, with a few stocks in the Main Market making new highs repeatedly. Elsewhere, inflation is down and the fall in BOJ CD rates since early March from 10.54 percent to this week’s 8.11 percent, a 23 percent fall, are signs that interest rates locally have softened and set to fall across the board before long.
The above are positive signals for stocks. Some stocks are worth holding or watching as they possess the assets and earnings potential to deliver above average returns in stock value for patient investors but are not likely to gain as much as those in the ICTOP10 lists.
These stocks are Transjamaican Highway, Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Honey Bun, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing, Main Event, Stationery and Office Supplies and Wigton Windfarm.
In the stock market, there is a time to hold, a time to fold and be bold that is the case of investing in Transjamaican Highway. The stock that came to the market in 2020 at $1.41, which many touted as reasonably priced, lagged the IPO price until this year and is worth seriously considering.
Transjamaican Highway has moved away from the zone of the IPO price of $1.41 at the end of March and now sits at $1.77, with the stock trading in high volume. Why would a stock that the company reported a loss of US$7 million? First, acquiring the majority shares in Jamaica Infrastructure Operators resulted in a onetime loss of US$13.7 million, the only reason for the company to report a loss for the year. The transaction will result in future cost savings expected to significantly reduce Operating Expenses by more than 50 percent or US$12 million per annum and increase profitability in the future. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of 0.016 US cents or J$0.24. A technical indicator is pointing to a short term price around $2.40.
Staff members of Main Event
Main Event has been on a tear following impressive first quarter results of $118 million or 39 cents per share. The stock gained 64 percent for 2023 to date and 227 since the start of 2021. ICInsider.com projects earnings per share of $1.70 for the current year and a stock price hitting $30 by the end of 2023. Interestingly, while revenues for the recent quarter were a record $626 million, marginally up on the $597 million generated in the 2019 first quarter, there is more room for growth as the economy returns to normal levels since the contraction over the past two years. it is noted that the company is involved in the staging of JMEA expo this year and that will bring in added revenues that were not there last year.
Honey Bun just dropped out of the ICInsider.com TOP10 but has room for more upside price movement, with revenues up 23 percent for the first quarter to December last year and profit surging 64 percent to 94 million before taxation. ICInsider.com projects a 25 percent rise in revenues for the current year, with earnings doubling to 90 cents per share over that of 2022. Those numbers should be enough to increase investors’ interest in the stock with an improved gross profit margin that slipped last year, helping boost profit.
With the first quarter results due out over the next three weeks for Access Financial, Dolphin Cove, Stationery and Office Supplies and full year results for Lasco Financial and Lasco Manufacturing, investors will see that these stocks are seriously undervalued.
Wigton Windfarm has been quietly hitting new 52 weeks highs. It could go higher as investors buy up what has become limited supply in recent weeks as the company venture into additional business activities. Technically the stock has broken out of a long consolidation phase and the trend indicates a higher price of around 90 cents before it is stopped.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on.
Sharp jump for Junior Market
Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping 170 percent and the value 197 percent more than on Thursday with 44 securities trading compared with 46 on Thursday and ended with 26 rising, just six declining and 12 left unchanged.
Investors traded 16,843,959 shares for $45,142,781 up sharply from 6,242,982 units at $15,183,837 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 382,817 shares at $1,025,972 compared with 135,717 shares at $330,083 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 266,661 units at $2,583,503 compared to 259,810 stock units at $2,675,368 on the previous day. Trading in March ended with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 3.52 million shares for 20.9 percent of total volume followed by Jamaican Teas with 2.85 million units for 16.9 percent of the day’s trade, JFP Ltd with 2.76 million units for 16.4 percent market share, Regency Petroleum with 1.46 million units for 8.7 percent market share and Indies Pharma with 1.37 million units for 8.1 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 49.17 points to close at 3,737.92.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing stock values, averages 11.4. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased $2.05 to close at $25.05 after an exchange of 13,833 shares, Blue Power popped 9 cents to end at $2.12 with the swapping of 42,033 stocks, CAC 2000 lost 9 cents to close at $8 with 100 units passing through the market, Caribbean Cream rose 30 cents to $3.30, with 961 stock units crossing the market. Dolphin Cove fell 37 cents in closing at $14.95, with 58,427 stocks changing hands, Elite Diagnostic advanced 9 cents in closing at $2.59 after ownership was switched for 11,100 shares, Express Catering gained 43 cents to close at $5.19 with investors transferring 14,547 units, 
Fontana climbed 16 cents to end at $8.50 closed with an exchange of 29,337 stock units. Fosrich shed 7 cents in ending at $2.70 after investors traded 394,931 stocks, Indies Pharma rallied 45 cents to $3.55 with an exchange of 1,369,691 shares, ISP Finance climbed $1.48 to end at $22.98 after an exchange of 20 units, JFP Ltd gained 7 cents in closing at $1.91 in an exchange of 2,764,674 stock units. Lasco Distributors popped 8 cents and ended at $2.29 with 171,499 shares clearing the market, Lasco Manufacturing rallied 20 cents to close at $4 after a transfer of 24,554 stock units, Limners and Bards gained 28 cents to close at $2.53, with 372,225 units crossing the market, Mailpac Group rose 10 cents to $2.24 after 102,442 stocks crossed the exchange. Main Event dipped 33 cents in ending at $13.15 as investors exchanged 3,582 stocks, MFS Capital Partners advanced 30 cents to end at $3.60 while exchanging 365,191 stock units, 
Regency Petroleum gained 25 cents to close at record high of $2.65 in an exchange of 1,459,284 units and Stationery and Office Supplies increased $2.47 in closing at $15.75 with a transfer of 121,763 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Slippage for Junior Market
Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 22 percent with a 15 percent lower value than on Wednesday following trading activities in 46 securities compared with 44 on Wednesday and the market ended with prices of 15 rising, 24 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Investors traded 6,242,982 shares for $15,183,837 against 7,960,577 units at $17,940,729 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 135,717 shares at $330,083 compared with 180,922 shares at $407,744 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 259,810 units at $2,675,368 versus 267,964 stock units at $2,829,487 on the previous day. March closed with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 1.63 million shares for 26.1 percent of total volume followed by Image Plus Consultants with 767,094 units for 12.3 percent of the day’s trade and Mailpac Group with 508,167 units for 8.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index slipped 4.17 points to finish at 3,688.75.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.1. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial shed 99 cents to close at $23, with 100 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging declined 40 cents to $2.60 with investors transferring 1,536 stocks, Cargo Handlers popped 30 cents in ended at $13.80 as investors exchanged 3,877 stock units, Caribbean Cream dipped 49 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $3, with 20,453 units crossing the exchange. Consolidated Bakeries dropped 24 cents in closing at $2.16 with an exchange of 31,161 stocks, Dolla Financial fell 8 cents to $2.67 after 273,722 stock units crossed the market, Elite Diagnostic lost 10 cents at $2.50 while exchanging 3,959 shares, Express Catering fell 66 cents to end at $4.76 in trading 104,299 units, but the price hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $3.90 before bouncing up sharply after trading in stock resumed after an hour suspension. Fosrich rallied 7 cents to close at $2.77 after an exchange of 187,045 stocks, 
General Accident shed 10 cents in closing at $5.40 as 31,204 units passed through the market, GWest Corporation declined 14 cents to close at 90 cents with 28,645 stock units crossing the market, Indies Pharma dipped 25 cents to $3.10 after exchanging 59,779 shares. Jamaican Teas climbed 13 cents to end at $2.38 after a transfer of 1,628,405 units, Lasco Distributors dropped 21 cents in closing at $2.21 in an exchange of 113,504 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 25 cents to end at $3.80 with the swapping of 70,117 shares, Limners and Bards dipped 7 cents to close at $2.25 with 52,548 stocks clearing the market. Mailpac Group gained 17 cents to $2.14 after trading 508,167 shares, Medical Disposables rose 96 cents to end at $6.10 in an exchange of 79,831 stocks, MFS Capital Partners advanced 20 cents in closing at $3.30 in switching ownership of 316,695 stock units, 
Paramount Trading shed 17 cents and ended at $2.15 in trading 2,450 units, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 83 cents to $13.28 with a transfer of 2,865 shares and tTech fell 26 cents to $2.27 with a transfer of 3,506 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Consolidation continues for Junior Market
Trading picked up on Wednesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a 66 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded with the value climbing 52 percent over that on Tuesday with investors trading in 44 securities similar to Tuesday and ended with prices of 18 rising, 14 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 7,960,577 shares for $17,940,729, up from 4,787,609 units at $11,820,076 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 180,922 shares at $407,744 compared with 108,809 shares at $268,638 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 267,964 units at $2,829,487 compared with 273,803 stock units at $2,991,921 on the previous day, which is well up on March, with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 1.95 million shares for 24.5 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot, with 1.51 million units for 18.9 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 879,036 units for 11 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 7.59 points to 3,692.92.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power dipped 40 cents to close at $2.03 with investors transferring 11,729 shares, Cargo Handler lost 20 cents after ending at $13.50 and investors trading 1,000 stock units, Dolphin Cove popped 32 cents in closing at $15.32 after exchanging 184 stocks. 
Elite Diagnostic gained 20 cents to close at $2.60, with 9,873 units changing hands, Everything Fresh shed 6 cents to end at $1.45 after investors exchanged 11,885 units, Express Catering dropped 8 cents to $5.42 with a transfer of 98,289 stocks. General Accident rose 50 cents in closing at $5.50 after an exchange of 53,052 shares, Honey Bun declined 16 cents to end at $6.32 with 1,439 stock units changing hands, Image Plus Consultants fell 11 cents after ending at $1.89, with 879,036 units crossing the market. ISP Finance popped $1.99 to close at $21.50 while exchanging just 10 shares, Jamaican Teas climbed 15 cents to $2.25 in trading 1,952,779 stock units, Knutsford Express declined 54 cents in closing at $10.55, with 12,002 stocks crossing the market. Lasco Distributors increased 11 cents to end at $2.42 with the swapping of 155,467 units, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 39 cents to $4.05 in an exchange of 31,717 stock units, 
Main Event lost 51 cents to close at $13.49 as investors exchanged 7,268 stocks. Medical Disposables gained 14 cents to end at $5.14, with 1,212 shares crossing the exchange and Regency Petroleum rose 6 cents in closing at $2.45 after a transfer of 144,832 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market drops
Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Tuesday, with the volume of stocks traded slipping 42 percent and the value 42 percent lower than on Monday with 44 securities trading, down from with 47 on Monday and ended with prices of 12 rising, 13 declining and 19 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 4,787,609 shares for $11,820,076 versus 8,185,073 units at $20,337,892 on Monday.
Trading averaged 108,809 shares at $268,638, down from 174,150 shares at $432,721 on Monday with a month to date, average of273,803 units at $2,991,921 compared with 285,665 stock units at $3,187,712 on the previous day and much higher than March with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Lumber Depot led trading with 2.52 million shares for 52.6 percent of total volume, Spur Tree Spices followed with 408,695 units for 8.5 percent of the day’s trade and JFP Ltd with 326,393 units for 6.8 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 34.25 points close at 3,700.51.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.5. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and six with lower offers.
At the close, Cargo Handlers dropped 25 cents to close at $13.70 after a transfer of 1,011 shares, Derrimon Trading advanced 5 cents in closing at $2.10 in an exchange of 32,930 stocks, Dolphin Cove popped 5 cents to $15 in switching ownership of 7,877 units. Elite Diagnostic lost 10 cents to end at $2.40 with the swapping of 134,561 stock units, Future Energy Source climbed 13 cents after ending at $4.13 and trading 78,546 stocks, General Accident declined 80 cents after ending at $5, with 17,081 stocks crossing the exchange. JFP Ltd rose 6 cents to end at $1.79 in an exchange of 326,393 shares, Knutsford Express fell 30 cents to $11.09 after 5,184 units changed hands, Lasco Distributors shed 9 cents to close at $2.31, with 15,650 stocks clearing the market. Lasco Manufacturing dipped 45 cents in closing at $3.66 with an exchange of 41,304 stock units, Main Event gained 50 cents to close at $14 after exchanging 7,603 shares. 
MFS Capital Partners dipped 7 cents to end at $3.08 while exchanging 258,159 units and Tropical Battery increased 5 cents in closing at $1.94, with and exchange of 84,307 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market drops to commence week
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday, pulled back at the start of the week as declining stocks clobbered those rising even as the volume of stocks traded jumped 123 percent and the value surged 117 percent more than on Friday following trading in 47 securities up from 40 on Friday and ended with 13 rising, 27 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Investors traded 8,185,073 shares for $20,337,892 up from 3,670,324 units at $9,384,503 on Friday.
Trading averaged 174,150 shares at $432,721, up from 91,758 shares at $234,613 on Friday, with a month to date average of 285,665 units at $3,187,712 compared with 294,941 stock units at $3,416,889 on the previous trading day. March closed with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Dolla Financial led trading with 1.91 million shares for 23.3 percent of total volume, Derrimon Trading followed with 1.80 million units for 22 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 707,184 units for 8.6 percent market share.
The Junior Market Index lost 39.60 points at the close and concluded trading at 3,734.76.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.5. 
The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging rallied 20 cents after to end at $3, with 10,212 shares crossing the market, CAC 2000 popped 33 cents in closing at $8.10 with a transfer of 391 stocks, Caribbean Cream advanced 19 cents to end at $3.49 after trading 1,101 units. EduFocal lost 9 cents to end at $2.10 in trading 19,133 stock units, Elite Diagnostic rose 10 cents to close at $2.50 while exchanging 1,874 shares, Future Energy Source fell 10 cents in closing at $4, with 651,264 stocks crossing the exchange. 
General Accident shed 18 cents in ending at $5.80 after investors swapped 1,252 units, Honey Bun dipped 9 cents to close at $6.48, with 15,978 stock units clearing the market, iCreate dropped 14 cents to $1.45 in an exchange of 172,094 shares. ISP Finance dropped $1.49 to $19.51 as investors traded 83 stock units, Jetcon Corporation fell 24 cents to close at $1.06, with 2,925 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express lost 30 cents in closing at $11.39 after an exchange of 1,470 stocks. Limners and Bards gained 10 cents to $2.32 as 151 stock units passed through the market, Main Event dropped $1.20 after ending at $13.50 with an exchange of 19,614 stocks,
Spur Tree Spices shed 9 cents to end at $2.80 after exchanging 258,268 units and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 89 cents in closing at $14.11 and closed, with an exchange of 10,980 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Honey Bun rises 8% to exit ICTOP10
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded solid gains during the past week as the Main Market declined, resulting in three solid gains for the ICTOP10 Junior Market stocks and just one notable move in the performance of the ICTOP10 Main Market as General Accident added 18 percent to its value to be the best performing stock for the week.
General Accident selling supply of stocks is down sharply.
The Junior Market had one change in the TOP10 as Honey Bun moved out for a second time in weeks with a rise of 8 percent, allowing Dolla Financial to come in at number 10. Dolla is likely to enjoy a doubling in profit for the current year, having expanded the loan portfolio dramatically since taking on the billion dollar loan. Investors in the stock can look forward to healthy gains in the stock price during the year.
Main Event, one of the previous week’s top performers that exited the Top 10 with a 6 percent gain to close at $12.95, keeps on rolling on and climbed another 13.5 percent this week to $14.70, up 63.5 percent for the year to date as investors continue to applaud the company’s performance by buying up the stocks as they see more profits to come this year, with the economy fully opened up for entertainment.
The other major price movements during the week were a 9 percent rise for Lasco Distributors, that ended at $2.36 and Honey Bun, up 8 percent to $6.57. There are only two stocks with losses of two percent or less.
In the Main Market, only three stocks recorded declines, but Berger Paints was the only stock with a meaningful move, gaining 8 percent to $8.30.
Interest rates on Bank of Jamaica CDs dipped again at this past week’s auction that, which saw the average rate slipping to 8.21 percent from 8.41 percent at the previous week’s auction. Over the past five months, inflation has been running at less than one percent per annum, which has set the stage for BOJ to act quickly to slash interest rates, a positive development for the market.
The Junior Market’s long history of rising around a month before the release of quarterly results and declining shortly after results are released seems to be starting with a rise of 108 points in the market index this past week, with the supply of some stocks falling sharply.
Honey Bun’s fall from the TOP10 Junior Market list is not the end of the road for this outstanding performer with increased investors’ interest with an expected jump in revenues and profits for the first quarter with the Easter coming at the beginning of April versus the 17th of April last year as well as improvement of gross profit margin that slipped previous year. ICInsider.com expects the price to increase by up to 200 percent this year.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.5, well below the market average of 13.7, while the Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.9 compared with the market at 11.6. The differences are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks. The Junior Market is projected to rise by 246 percent and the Main Market TOP10 by an average of 273 percent, by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The Junior Market has 13 stocks representing 27 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 27, averaging 19, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, suggesting this may be the current lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks.
The 16 highest valued Main Market stocks are priced at a PE of 15 to 114, with an average of 31 and 21 excluding the highest PE stocks and 20 for the top half excluding the stocks with the highest valuation.
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 will likely 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, resulting 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.
Junior Market climbs 108 points for the week
Trading closed out the week on a positive note with the market index having 108 points for the week at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Friday, with the volume of stocks trading falling well short of Thursday outcome and ending with 47 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded with a 39 percent lower the value than on Thursday following trading in 40 securities compared with 38 on Thursday and ended with 16 rising, 13 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 3,670,324 shares for $9,384,503 down from 6,971,908 units at $15,464,261 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 91,758 shares at $234,613, versus 183,471 shares at $406,954 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 294,941 units at $3,416,889 compared with 310,422 stocks at $3,659,348 on the previous day. March closed with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 570,434 shares for 15.5 percent of total volume followed by Regency Petroleum with 540,995 units for 14.7 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 466,106 units for 12.7 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 20.92 points to conclude trading at 3,774.36.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and seven with lower offers.
At the close of trading price changes were mostly large or very small, with CAC 2000 being one of the larger moves as the price rallied $1.77 to $7.77 with a mere 2 shares crossing the market, Consolidated Bakeries advanced 33 cents in closing at $2.44 as 8,103 stock units passed through the market, Dolphin Cove popped 10 cents after ending at $15 with a transfer of 2,132 stocks, 
EduFocal climbed 14 cents to $2.19 in switching ownership of 3,000 units, Elite Diagnostic fell 6 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.40 with the swapping of 221,031 stock units, Honey Bun gained 32 cents in closing at $6.57, with 33,555 units crossing the market, Iron Rock Insurance increased 6 cents to end at $2.26 trading 3,932 stocks, Jamaican Teas rose 6 cents to $2.09 with investors transferring 132,792 shares, Lasco Financial lost 9 cents to close at $2.40 with an exchange of 2,247 stocks, Main Event increased 80 cents after ending at a record closing high of $14.70 with 51,499 shares changing hands, MFS Capital Partners climbed 23 cents to $3.19 after a transfer of 466,106 stock units, 
Stationery and Office Supplies gained 50 cents to close at $15 while exchanging 9,020 units and Tropical Battery rallied 6 cents to $1.94 after an exchange of 224,231 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.