Trading jumped sharply at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, with the volume of shares trading rising 115 percent and the value surging 260 percent higher than on Tuesday, but the market indices eked out a modest rise as declining stocks edged those rising.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 226.34 points to 439,509.52, the JSE Main Index squeezed out a gain of 3.56 points to end at 397,383.58 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.16 points to settle at 96.28.
Trading ended with 49 securities compared to 53 on Tuesday, with 19 rising, 20 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.7. The PE ratio for the JSE Main and USD Market closing quotes are based on earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with financial years ending between the current year and August 2022.
Trading ended with 21,573,918 shares changing hands for $444,836,346 versus 10,040,879 units at $123,722,251 on Tuesday. Carreras led trading with 39.9 percent of total volume after exchanging 8.60 million shares followed by JMMB Group with 13.4 percent for 2.89 million units, PanJam Investment held 9.3 percent with 2.02 million units, Sagicor Select Financial Fund accounted for 7.8 percent, with 1.68 million units and Wisynco Group with 5 percent with a transfer of 1.09 million units.
Trading averages 440,284 units at $9,078,293, compared to 189,451 shares at $2,334,382 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 273,987 units at $2,968,998, up from 260,759 units at $2,483,031 on Tuesday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 15 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement popped $1 to close at $104 with 13,207 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Producers fell 75 cents to $8.75 after trading 979,439 stock units, GraceKennedy lost 30 cents to end at $98.70 in exchanging 293,347 stocks. Guardian Holdings declined $5 to finish at $525 with the swapping of 297 units, Jamaica Broilers advanced $1.30 to $30, with 15,077 stock units crossing the market, Jamaica Producers shed 60 cents to end at $21.60 in switching ownership of 450 units. 
JMMB Group fell $1.65 in closing at $38.80 with 2,893,439 shares crossing the exchange, Kingston Wharves rallied 50 cents to $47 in trading 2,100 stocks, Margaritaville advanced $1.41 to $17.84 in an exchange of 11,007 stock units. NCB Financial popped $2 to close at $118 in transferring 60,945 units, Palace Amusement dropped $24 to close at $1,000 after an exchange of 63 stocks, PanJam Investment gained 50 cents in closing at $70 after trading 2,015,921 shares. Proven Investments climbed 49 cents to $33.49 with 9,015 units changing hands, Sagicor Group popped $1.76 to end at $54.76 after 802,872 stock units crossed the market and Sygnus Credit Investments dipped 29 cents to $16.01 with a transfer of 144,549 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 1,731.22 points to 439,283.18, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,587.35 points to 397,380.02 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.70 points to end at 96.12.
Trading averaged 189,451 units at $2,334,382, compared to 311,171 shares at $2,962,626 on Monday and month to date, an average of 260,759 units at $2,483,031, compared to 267,472 units at $2,497,025 on Monday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
PanJam Investment spiked $1.50 to close at $69.50 with the swapping of 7,698 shares, Proven Investments gained 49 cents to end at $33 with an exchange of 6,359 units. Sagicor Group declined $1.50 to $53 after 668,437 stocks cleared the market, Salada Foods lost 46 cents in ending at $7 in trading 815 units, Scotia Group popped $2 to $36.50 in transferring 33,791 shares. Seprod gained 45 cents in closing at $63.95 after exchanging 8,641 stock units, Supreme Ventures shed 46 cents to end at $17 in switching ownership of 161,242 units and Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1 to $16.30 with 183,314 stock units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 92.62 points to 437,551.96, the JSE Main Index fell 378.65 points to 394,792.67 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.10 points to end at 95.42.
Trading averaged 311,171 units at $2,962,626, compared to 219,447 shares at $3,368,215 on Friday and month to date, an average of 267,472 units at $2,497,025, compared to 262,931 units at $2,448,639 on Friday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
NCB Financial rose $1.98 to $117 while exchanging 31,547 stock units, Palace Amusement rallied $40 to $1000, trading 157 units, PanJam Investment popped $1.70 to $68 with 24,886 shares changing hands. Proven Investments declined 99 cents to $32.51, with 8,710 stock units clearing the market, Sagicor Group climbed 50 cents in closing at $54.50 in exchanging 218,439 shares, Salada Foods popped 46 cents to $7.46 after 22,641 stocks crossed the exchange. Scotia Group rose 45 cents to $34.50 after trades of 138,131 units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost $1.60 to $17.30, with 335,969 shares changing hands.
During the past week, Caribbean Brokers jumped 30 percent to close at $2.32 after hitting $2.96 on Thursday, following the company’s surprise to the market with outstanding results for the nine months to September. Elite Diagnostic rose 15 percent ahead of the release of the first quarter results that show increased sales over the June quarter and ended with a loss of $500,000 in the quarter versus a $10million loss in 2020, but the company generated cash inflows of $27 million for the quarter, slightly more than the dividend they recently paid. General Accident rose 8 percent ahead of quarterly results, Stationery & Office Supplies gained 7 percent, following improved nine months results. In the Main Market, Caribbean Producers jumped 24 percent following a big spike in September quarterly profit, but the stock has much more to do with earnings upgraded to J$1.65 per share for the year. Proven rose 6 percent, the rest were mostly downhill with a 10 percent fall for Guardian Holdings, VM Investments fell 7 percent and Radio Jamaica slipped 8 percent as investors reacted hurriedly to half year results that show the company is on track to reach ICInsider.com forecast of 45 cents per share.
The top three Main Market stocks are Guardian Holdings, Berger Paints and Caribbean Producers. These stocks are projected to gain between 227 to 261 percent expected versus last weeks’ 220 to 230 percent.
The latest results show that there are many undervalued stocks, but investors should focus on these stocks that could deliver good earnings growth in 2022.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market is 15.5, which is 23 percent less than the PE of 19 at the end of March and 29 percent below the target of 20 to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 average PE is 8, representing a 51 percent discount to the market and well below the potential of 20. A total of 12 stocks or 25 percent of the market trade at or above a PE of 19, with most over 20, for an average PE of 25.5, suggesting that the accepted multiple maybe around 25 times the current year’s earnings.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,854.98 points to 437,644.58, the JSE Main Index declined 2,810.34 points to 395,171.32 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.88 points to end at 95.52.
At the close, Caribbean Cement fell $2.20 to $100 trading 17,409 shares, Eppley fell 79 cents to $37 with 265 units crossing the market, GraceKennedy slipped 94 cents to $99 after exchanging 387,356 stock units. Guardian Holdings declined $10 to $510, with 889 stocks crossing the exchange, Jamaica Producers advanced $1.40 to $23.40, after 3,880 units cleared the market, JMMB Group gained 30 cents after ending at $37.80 after an exchange of 116,390 shares. Kingston Properties lost 43 cents to close at $8.57 in trading 738 stock units, Margaritaville dipped 60 cents to $15.30 with a transfer of 74,498 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 61 cents to $9.12, in swapping of 1,900 units. NCB Financial declined $4.68 to a 52 weeks’ closing low of $115.02 in transferring 34,177 shares, Palace Amusement dropped $20 to $960 after trading two stocks, PanJam Investment fell $1.70 to $66.30 with the swapping of 6,504 stock units.
Proven Investments advanced $1.99 to $33.50 with 1,706 units changing hands, Radio Jamaica shed 70 cents in closing at $3.50 with the swapping of 2,014,280 stocks, following the release of record six months results, Sagicor Group lost 50 cents to finish at $54 in trading 404 stock units. Salada Foods slipped 50 cents to $7 with an exchange of 45,736 shares, Scotia Group fell $1.95 to end at $34.05 after trading 2,680,542 stock units, Supreme Ventures shed 71 cents to close at $17.23 in switching ownership of 18,990 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 78 cents to $18.90 in an exchange of 143,034 units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance declined $1.99 in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $16 with 10,981 shares clearing the market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 1,608.31 points to 440,499.56, the JSE Main Index rose 1,916.17 points to 397,981.66 and the Financial Index popped 0.93 points to end at 96.40.
Trading averages 575,346 units at $3,582,646, compared to 175,120 shares at $1,797,342 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 267,974 units at $2,341,992, versus 231,059 units at $2,192,992 on Wednesday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
Sagicor Group rose 50 cents to $54.50 in switching ownership of 71,078 stocks, Salada Foods rallied 51 cents to $7.50 with 6,846 stock units crossing the market, Scotia Group gained 50 cents in ending at $36 with the swapping of 35,147 shares. Seprod spiked $2.20 in closing at $63.30 in exchanging 1,361 units, Stanley Motta rose 43 cents to end at $5.50 after 24,289 stock units changed hands, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 33 cents to close at $18.12 trading 52,125 units and Wisynco Group declined $1.10 to $16.65 in an exchange of 127,695 stock units.
At the close, Barita Investments lost 32 cents to end at $92.98 in switching ownership of 9,641 shares, Caribbean Cement rallied $1.34 to $104.85 with 4,946 stock units changing hands, Eppley rose 99 cents in closing at $37.99 after trading 16 units. First Rock Capital fell 50 cents to close at $11.45 with an exchange of 52,964 stocks, GraceKennedy spiked $1 to $99 after 194,437 shares cleared the market, Guardian Holdings advanced $2.99 to $539.99 in trading 213 stock units. Jamaica Producers popped $1.70 to $23.45 with 1,633 stocks crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 56 cents ending at $17.56 with the swapping of 28,342 units, Key Insurance lost 26 cents in closing at $4.12 with 2,016 stocks changing hands. Kingston Properties rose 50 cents to close at $8.50 in trading 138,717 shares, Kingston Wharves fell 95 cents to $46 after exchanging 248 units, Mayberry Investments shed $1.71 to end at $7.06, with 1,346,670 shares crossing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $5 to $115 with a transfer of 15 stock units, Palace Amusement climbed $19 to $1,019 after exchanging 102 units, PanJam Investment spiked $6.90 to close at $69.90 in trading 2,111 shares. 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 60 cents in closing at $8 in switching ownership of 54,271 stocks, Salada Foods shed 56 cents to close at $7 with 27,736 stock units crossing the market, Scotia Group gained 28 cents to end at $36.49 with the swapping of 57,141 shares. Seprod advanced $3.10 to $63.25 after trading 7,942 stocks, Sygnus Real Estate Finance lost 50 cents to $17.50 in transferring 1,990 units and Wisynco Group slipped 39 cents to $16.61 switching ownership of 301,777 units.
The heavily weighted NCB Financial and Guardian Holdings prices dived sharply, they took a big bite out of the market index, leaving the All Jamaican Composite Index dropping 1,922.10 points to 440,860.68, the JSE Main Index plunging 2,974.64 points to 399,148.35 and the JSE Financial Index to fall 1.26 points to end at 96.49.
Trading averaged 188,685 units at $1,125,453 compared to 178,628 shares at $2,434,276 on Friday and month to date, an average of 241,013 units at $2,372,257, compared to 252,197 units at $2,638,711 on Friday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
Palace Amusement dropped $23 to $1,000 with the swapping of 205 stock units, PanJam Investment shed $3.49 to end at $63 in an exchange of 12,453 shares, Sagicor Group lost 50 cents in ending at $53 in transferring 3,972 stocks. Seprod fell $3.35 to $60.15 in switching ownership of 22,913 units, Wisynco Group popped $1.20 to $17 after trading 198,417 stocks.
This week’s focus: QWI investments, one of ICInsdier.com TOP15 stocks for 2021, now boast a Net Asset Value of $1.43 at the end of the past week, the highest value since it was listed in 2019, but the stock is selling at 92 cents on the Main Market at a huge 36 percent discount to NAV, even as the composition of the portfolio suggests further increase in value is likely before the end of 2021. The NAV is up 23 percent from $1.16 at the end of December last year, just below the Junior Market gains for the year to date and well ahead of the Composite index rise. The stock price has increased by 19.4 percent from 77 cents at the end of 2020 to Friday. It seems that investors don’t buy into the concept of buying stocks when blood is in the streets.
Investors’ focus should now be on 2022 for the local stocks and the current year’s values to determine the appropriate values of each stock for a hold or fold decision.
The Junior Market can gain 52 percent to March next year, based on an average PE of 20 and 25 percent based on an average PE of 17. Seven stocks representing 15 percent of all Junior Market stocks with positive earnings are trading at or above this level, down from nine last week, indicating that many others will rise above the 17 mark in the weeks ahead.
ICTOP10 focuses on potential yearly winners; accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 496.38 points to 442,782.78, the JSE Main Index rallied 522.37 points to 402,122.99 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.28 points to end at 97.75.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Salada Foods rose 73 cents in closing at $7.48 after 62,505 units changed hands, Scotia Group slipped 40 cents to $36 with the swapping of 798,805 stocks, Seprod gained 25 cents to settle at $63.50 in exchanging 20,477 stock units. Stanley Motta lost 44 cents in ending at $5.10 with 30,000 shares crossing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 46 cents to end at $18.05 in switching ownership of 115,748 stocks, Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell 50 cents to $18 in trading 2,289 shares.