Trading closed on Wednesday, with rising prices dominating declining stocks, after an exchange of 107 percent more stocks valued 43 percent greater than on Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market, and leading to a rise in the market index of 15.46 points to close at 3,337.47.
A total of 38 securities traded, similar to Tuesday, with 16 rising, 13 declining and nine closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio averaged 12.2 based on ICInsider.com’s earnings forecast for 2021-22.
Trading amassed 7,559,997 shares at $18,853,382 up from 3,647,436 units at $13,200,802 on Tuesday.
Future Energy Source led trading with 39.1 percent of total volume for 2.96 million shares, followed by Iron Rock Insurance 10.8 percent, with 814,000 units and AMG Packaging with 6.1 percent with an exchange of 458,866 units.
Trading averaged 198,947 units at $496,142 in contrast to 95,985 at $347,390 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 147,466 units at $421,766, May closed with an average of 318,089 units at $760,337.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial climbed 40 cents to close at $22.40 after trading 5,000 shares, Cargo Handlers fell 10 cents to $8.59 with 3,459 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 11 cents to end at $2.01 with an exchange of 144,338 units. Caribbean Cream advanced 10 cents to finish at $5.70 with 8,918 stock units passing through the market, Caribbean Flavours gained 5 cents to close at $2.10 with a transfer of 244,330 shares, Caribbean Producers increased 10 cents to $3.95 with investors switching ownership of 41,335 stocks. Dolphin Cove dropped 50 cents to end at $7.50 with 860 units traded, Express Catering climbed 39 cents to $5.09 with 2,250 stock units changing hands, Fontana advanced 20 cents to $6.15, with an exchange of 349,930 shares. Fosrich fell 20 cents to $8.30 with 70,408 stocks passing through the market, Honey Bun climbed 25 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $7 with a transfer of 161,537 units, Indies Pharma rose 9 cents to $3.99 with investors switching ownership of 8,058 stock units. 
Lasco Distributors fell 14 cents to end at $4 with 10,382 shares traded, Lasco Financial lost 12 cents to finish at $3.87 with 236,100 units changing hands, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks high of $4.20. Lasco Manufacturing slipped 9 cents to $5.51, with a transfer of 45,005 stocks, Medical Disposables fell 5 cents to $5 with investors switching ownership of 1,000 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 51 cents to close at $7.64 with the 500 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Overall, 38 securities traded compared to 39 on Monday and ended, with 13 rising, 17 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing rose 8 cents to $5.60 with 580,585 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables jumped 65 cents to $5.05 with 679 stocks passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents to end at $8.15 with 10,860 units traded and tTech dropped $1.18 to close at $5.07 with 2,600 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading, down from 41 on Friday, with 21 rising, 11 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Trading averaged 354,111 units at $751,806, down from 148,909 at $414,611 on Friday. The month to date averaged 318,089 units at $760,337, compared to 316,141 units at $760,798 on Friday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Lumber Depot advanced 10 cents to $3.40 with 155,164 shares passing through the market, Mailpac Group rose 5 cents to $3.76 with 248,853 units changing hands, Medical Disposables shed 60 cents to close at $4.40 with 18,477 stock units traded. SSL Venture gained 8 cents to end at 63 cents with investors swapping 6,366 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 20 cents to $8 with a transfer of 10,501 units and Tropical Battery fell 7 cents to $1.15 with 583,616 shares crossing the exchange.
All Jamaica Composite Index ended at 454,375.81 on Friday, marginally lower than 454,479.33 at the close of the previous week.
The impression given in the group’s December quarterly report is that the sharp fall in direct operating, selling and marketing costs were directly related to the fall off in revenues. That of course is only part of the story. The fall in cost has been far greater than the reduction in revenues suggesting that actual cost cutting was effected. ICInsider.com confirmed that the group that made some staff redundant also made changes by discontinuing unprofitable programs and publications. “Regarding cost reductions, some changes in the distribution network and workflows are permanent,” this publication was informed but revenues for some of the newspapers continue to run below pre Covid-19 levels.
Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Market stocks and 19 times for the Main Market.
trades at a PE of 7.8 or 48 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.
Trading averaged 148,909 units at $414,611, down from 258,025 at $550,419 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 316,141 units at $760,798, compared to 326,224 units at $781,671 on Thursday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Honey Bun lost 17 cents in trading 7,181 stock units at $6.80, Iron Rock Insurance gained 5 cents to finish at $3.25 with 200,000 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express rose 30 cents to $8.30 with 14,497 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors lost 5 cents in closing at $4.25 with the swapping of 27,858 stocks. Lasco Financial ended 35 cents higher at $3.75 after exchanging 171,636 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 15 cents in closing at $5.50 with the swapping of 160,799 shares, Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to settle at $3.15 in exchanging 454,746 units. Main Event rose 45 cents to $4.65 after a transfer of 125 stocks, SSL Venture fell 8 cents to 55 cents in exchanging 10,100 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents in closing at $8.20 with investors switching ownership of 1,000 stock units.
A total of 37 securities traded versus 36 on Wednesday, with 12 rising, 19 declining and six closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with the bid higher than its last selling price and four with lower offers.
KLE Group climbed 28 cents to $1.30 with 68,000 stocks passing through the market, Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $8 with 500 shares traded, Lasco Distributors rose 11 cents to $4.30 with an exchange of 118,363 units. Lasco Manufacturing dropped 14 cents to $5.35 with 73,518 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards slipped 5 cents to $3.20 with a transfer of 149,575 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 10 cents to settle at $3.30 with 373,843 stocks traded and Main Event advanced 20 cents to $4.20 with 1,582 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $1.96 to finish at $22.16, trading 49 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dropped 11 cents to close at $1.89, after 7,131 stock units crossed the market, Caribbean Cream fell 14 cents to $5.52, with 43,307 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours dropped 10 cents to end at $2.05 in exchanging 134,970 units. Caribbean Producers shed 20 cents to close at $3.55, with 60,909 stocks clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries shed 20 cents in ending at $1.50 after exchanging 35,150 shares, Derrimon Trading dropped 6 cents to $2.44, with 203,827 stock units changing hands. Dolphin Cove lost 11 cents to end at $7.50 after trading 1,583 stock units, Express Catering lost $1.08 to end at $4.42 with an exchange of 35,563 units. Fontana climbed 9 cents to $6.15, trading 98,368 stocks, Gwest Corporation climbed 20 cents to $1 in switching ownership of 487,358 units. Jetcon Corporation shed 7 cents in closing at 95 cents after trading 101,563 units, Knutsford Express fell 5 cents to $8.30 in switching ownership of 2,107 stock units, Lasco Distributors lost 15 cents to end at $4 with an exchange of 49,113 stocks.
Lasco Financial fell 14 cents to $3.16, with 29,785 stock units crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards fell 15 cents to $3.21 after 148,066 units cleared the exchange. Mailpac Group rose 6 cents $3.81 after exchanging 216,045 units, SSL Venture declined 9 cents to 55 cents in an exchange of 50,318 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 20 cents to $8.10, trading 27,915 shares.
The Junior Market has to decidedly break through the upper limit of the trading channel, to free it to move on to the next area of resistance, just over 4,000 mark, but the Main Market has room to run for a few thousand points before it hits the channel top at 460,000 points.
The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica in the number one spot, followed by Wisynco and PanJam Investments, with expected gains of 151 to 344 percent.
At the close, Access Financial fell $1.95 to $20.20 after exchanging 142 shares, Blue Power climbed 27 cents to $3.97, trading 608 shares. Cargo Handlers rose 70 cents to $8.70, with one stock unit changing hands, Caribbean Cream dropped 34 cents $5.66 in exchanging 2,750 units, Caribbean Flavours increased 5 cents to $2.15, with 9,558 stock units crossing the market. Caribbean Producers advanced 10 cents to end at $3.75 with the swapping of 73,746 units, Dolphin Cove lost 39 cents to end at $7.61 in trading 40,788 units. Elite Diagnostic fell 20 cents to $3 in switching ownership of 223,848 units, Fontana advanced 6 cents to $6.06 while exchanging 102,677 stocks. Fosrich advanced 11 cents to $8.50, trading 53,297 units, Future Energy Source climbed 3 cents to $1.05 in exchanging 4,624,020 units, Honey Bun fell 24 cents to $6.75 with the swapping of 51,683 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance declined 80 cents to $3.20 with the swapping of 7,150 stock units. Jamaican Teas rose 7 cents to $4.03, with 451,911 stocks hanging hands, Jetcon Corporation lost 8 cents in ending at $1.02 after exchanging 669,133 stock units, KLE Group rose 19 cents to close at $1.21 with an exchange of 800 stocks.
Knutsford Express declined 9 cents to $8.35 while exchanging 53,847 stock units, Lasco Financial lost 10 cents in closing at $3.30, with 295,424 stocks switching ownership, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 8 cents to $5.48 in trading 165,451 units. Limners and Bards gained 6 cents to close at $3.36 after 77,292 units changed hands, Mailpac Group declined 12 cents to $3.75 in an exchange of 105,978 stocks. Main Event declined 39 cents in closing at $4.30 after trading 41,268 shares and tTech rose 25 cents to $6.25 with 1,398 shares clearing the market.
Lasco Manufacturing was next, with 9.5 percent of total volume after trading 1.95 million units, while Lumber Depot accounted for 4.1 percent of total volume with an exchange of market 847,830 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with the bid higher than its last selling price and one with a lower offer.
Lasco Manufacturing increased by 5 cents to close at $5.40 with 1,948,675 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards fell 10 cents to $3.30 with 213,795 shares traded, Main Event advanced 19 cents to $4.69 with 35,831 units passing through the market. Paramount Trading fell 12 cents to $1.30 with investors switching ownership of 3,000 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 22 cents to $8.28 with a transfer of 36,669 stock units and tTech jumped $1 to $6 with 6,211 shares crossing the exchange.
