Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday, with the market declining after falling stocks far outnumbered rising ones two to one as investors exchanged 35 percent fewer shares than on Wednesday, with a 28 percent fall in value.
The Junior Market Index steadily moving higher
In the end, 33 stocks traded, down from 36 on Wednesday with nine stocks rising, 19 declining and five remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index fell 14.42 points the first decline in seven trading days as the market settle at 2,972.19.
The average PE Ratio ended at 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 7,850,128 shares for $26,568,082, in contrast to 12,160,533 stock units at $36,790,003 on Wednesday. Lasco Distributors led trading with 19.8 percent of total volume as 1.55 million shares changed hands, followed by Lumber Depot 16.4 percent with 1.29 million units and Limners and Bards traded 824,921 units for 10.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 237,883 units at $805,093, a fall from 337,793 at $1,021,945 on Wednesday.
The Month to date average trade was 258,747 shares at $759,436, compared to 259,825 units at $757,078 on Wednesday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Producers rose 8 cents to $3.38 with investors swapping 730,312 shares, Consolidated Bakeries dropped 15 cents to $1.40 with an exchange of 100,000 stocks, Dolphin Cove shed 55 cents to end at $8.45, with 2,652 units changing hands. Fosrich gained 5 cents to close at $5.40, with the transfer of 76,249 stock units, iCreate slipped 5 cents to 76 cents, trading 5,786 shares, Indies Pharma fell 65 cents to $3.80 with 457,414 stocks passing through the market. Jetcon Corporation rose 7 cents to close at 77 cents while exchanging 17,831 units, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to settle at $2.69 with an exchange of 123,700 shares, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 18 cents to $4.59 with 517,865 stocks changing hands. 
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.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% gained 15 cents to close at $1.30 with 400 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The Junior Market Index surged 35.57 points to close at 2,981.55, just 19 points adrift of the 3,000 mark and shy of the previous best close of 2,994.69 points, on February 10, last year and recording a gain of 12.8 percent for the year to date.
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.
Junior Market stocks kept above the 2,900 mark of the market index only slipping below that level just one day during the week, as the market continues to consolidate in the move higher. Main Market stocks made attempts to break clear of the consolidation zone but the market is awaiting some strong profit results to move prices and that will not come until late April.
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.
At the close, 34 securities traded, down from 38 on Thursday, with prices of 14 rising, 10 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
The month to date averaged 253,478 units at $733,977, up from 241,183 units at $698,505 on Thursday. February averaged 365,365 units at $881,118.
Lasco Financial rose 8 cents to $2.59, trading 233,500 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 6 cents at $4.34 trading 121,330 units, Limners and Bards slipped 5 cents to $2.80 after an exchange of 3,012,301 stock units and Main Event shed 14 cents to close at $3.06 with the swapping of 10,952 units.
Trading averaged 210,216 units at $782,800, versus 394,569 at $1,213,758 on Wednesday. The month to date, averaged 241,183 units at $698,505, compared to 243,736 units at $691,556 on Wednesday. February averaged 365,365 units at $881,118.
Lasco Financial dropped 13 cents to $2.51 with 31,375 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards climbed 30 cents to $2.85, with 1,105,667 units traded, Lumber Depot rose 7 cents to $2.57 with a transfer of 384,692 shares. Main Event gained 5 cents to close at $3.20 with an exchange of 1,018,764 stocks, Paramount Trading fell 12 cents to $1.31 with 7,206 stock units changing hands, Tropical Battery lost 5 cents to end at $1.15 with 150,083 units traded and tTech rose 5 cents to $4.75 with 3,677 shares crossing the exchange.
In the end, 33 securities traded, up from 31 on Tuesday, with prices of 13 rising, nine declining and 11 remaining unchanged.
Trading month to date averaged 243,736 units at $691,556, up from 232,106 units at $651,293 on Tuesday. February averaged 365,365 units at $881,118.
Indies Pharma lost 8 cents to close at $3.32 with a transfer of 8,819 shares, Jetcon Corporation rose 6 cents to 78 cents with 6,881 stock units passing through the market. Lasco Manufacturing gained 10 cents to end at $4.40 with 51,179 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards added 5 cents to end at $2.55 with a transfer of 73,168 stock units and Main Event fell 25 cents to $3.15 with 4,496 units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 12 stocks rising, 17 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Financial slipped 5 cents to $2.64 after transferring 950 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 15 cents to close at $4.55, with 8,900 units changing hands. Lumber Depot shed 10 cents to $2.50 with investors switching ownership of 422,039 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 98 cents to $4.61, trading 5,357 stock units and tTech lost 5 cents to end at $4.70 after exchanging 809 shares.
The Junior Market TOP10 contains companies that suffered a sharp reversal of revenues and profit in 2020, with recovery projected for them in 2021. Green shoots are showing for some, with sales picking up in recent quarters with improving bottom-line. Some of these companies may require another quarter or two of improving fortunes before there is meaningful buying into them. The Main Market has a number in the list that has put out record profits or shows strong earnings in 2021, with the stocks clearly undervalued. These include JMMB Group, Jamaica Broilers, Sygnus Credit Investments and Grace Kennedy that are currently in the TOP10 Main Market listing and Caribbean Cement that is just outside.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market with the potential to gain between 292 to 312 percent are Elite Diagnostic, followed by Caribbean Producers and Caribbean Cream. With expected gains of 190 to 441 percent, the top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica, followed by VM Investments and PanJam Investment.
The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.5 or 50 percent of that market’s PE.
Trading ended with 35 securities compared to 39 on Tuesday and ended with just eight stocks rising, while 22 declined and five remained unchanged.
At the close, AMG Packaging dropped 15 cents to $1.75 with 6,125 shares traded, Blue Power fell 10 cents to $4 after trading 12,465 stock units, CAC 2000 shed $1.80 to $8.10 with 1,330 units changing hands. Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 33 cents to $1.87 with an exchange of 1,933 shares, Caribbean Cream dipped 8 cents to $4.80 with 55,585 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours slid 6 cents to $2.40 with 318,913 units traded. Caribbean Producers fell 18 cents to $3.05 trading 7,113 stock units, Elite Diagnostic lost 7 cents to end at $2.91 with 16,417 shares changing hands, Fontana rose 5 cents to $5.80 with 65,977 stocks trading. Fosrich declined 15 cents to close at $5.15 with 20,623 units passing through the market, General Accident slipped 5 cents to $5.90 with 156 stock units traded, GWest Corporation rose 10 cents to 97 cents with a transfer of 49,090 units. iCreate rose 6 cents to 85 cents with a transfer of 33,000 shares, Indies Pharma dropped 30 cents to $3 with a transfer of 1,752,216 units, Iron Rock Insurance shed 30 cents to close at $3 with 22,555 stock units changing hands. Jamaican Teas fell 19 cents to $3.09, trading 560,155 shares, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 17 cents to $4.57 with 127,545 stock units passing through the market, Lumber Depot declined 5 by cents to $2.48 with 327,170 units traded. 
Medical Disposables climbed 61 cents to $4.74 with a transfer of 8,800 shares, Paramount Trading fell 14 cents to $1.31 with 58,400 stocks switching hands, SSL Venture gained 8 cents to close at 64 cents with investors switching ownership of 48,857 units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed $1.04 to finish at $4.55 with 61,323 shares crossing the exchange.
