Trading on Thursday saw continued heightened of securities being active, but the volume and value of the overall trade dropped 30 percent and the value dipped 34 percent from Wednesday, but more than twice the stocks advanced than declined when trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 233.35 points to 433,000.56, the JSE Main Index rose 213.26 points to 394,522.77 and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.02 points higher to 99.20.
A total of 48 securities traded similar to Wednesday and closed with prices of 24 stocks rising, 11 declining and 13 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 15.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 8,394,618 shares trading for $43,010,092 compared to 12,050,050 units at $65,532,009 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 32.1 percent of total volume in exchanging 2.7 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 11.7 percent for 979,870 units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund 10.2 percent, with 851,678 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 174,888 units at $896,044, compared to 251,043 shares at $1,365,250 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 222,197 units at $1,122,189, in contrast to 238,773 units at $1,201,422 on Wednesday. March closed with an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator showss nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments rose 60 cents to $87, with 25,732 shares crossing the market, Berger Paints gained 23 cents in closing at $12.30, with 2,572 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Cement advanced $1.98 to $73.98 in trading 12,810 stocks. First Rock Capital shed 49 cents to $16, with a transfer of 3,540 shares, Grace Kennedy rose 80 cents to $88 after an exchange of 24,534 stocks. Jamaica Broilers gained 30 cents in ending at $29.30, trading 11,394 units, Jamaica Producers advanced $1.42 to $22 after 953 shares crossed the market, JMMB Group gained 20 cents to finish at $32.70 with the swapping of 28,273 units. Key Insurance shed 40 cents in ending at $5.50 after clearing the market with 351,114 stocks, Kingston Wharves closed 30 cents higher at $43.90 with a transfer of 12,116 stock units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose 50 cents to $130 in switching ownership of 1,046 stock units.
NCB Financial declined $2.15 to $137.01 in exchanging 21,614 units, Palace Amusement climbed $47.99 to $797.99, with 59 stock units crossing the exchange, Proven Investments advanced $1.94 to $35.94, with 34,871 units changing hands. Sagicor Group advanced $1 to $51, with 149,134 stocks clearing the market. Scotia Group shed $1.01 to close at $40.75, with 22,768 stock units changing hands and Seprod fell 90 cents to $72.10 in trading 4,269 stocks.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living Preference share lost 11 cents to close at $5.44, trading 153 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 749.69 points to 432,767.21, the Main Index shed 681.03 points to 394,309.51 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.32 points to 99.18.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Proven Investments gained 30 cents to end at $34 with 14,564 units crossing the market, Sagicor Group declined $1 to $50 with the transfer of 44,058 shares. Scotia Group shed 24 cents to $41.76 after exchanging 414,769 stocks, Supreme Ventures advanced $1 to $16 in trading 227,034 stock units and Wisynco Group gained 32 cents to close at $15.35 with 154,453 units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 2,556.74 points to close at 433,516.90, the Main Index declined 2,363.72 points to 394,990.54 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.60 points to settle at 99.50.
Month to date trading averaged 232,155 units at $1,113,065 in contrast to an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232 for March.
Palace Amusement climbed $74.35 to end at $799 in exchanging 160 stocks. Salada Foods shed 48 cents to $5.32 with an exchange of 573,683 shares, Scotia Group advanced $1.40 to $42 after transferring 301,254 stock units and Seprod fell $2 in closing at $73 in trading 16,367 units.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are now SOS, followed by Elite Diagnostic Main Event and Jetcon Corporation. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica, followed by PanJam and VM Investments. The top three junior Market stocks have the potential to gain between 295 to 318 percent and those in the main market with expected gains of 173 to 452 percent.
This week’s focus: Future Energy Source Company Initial Public Offer of 500 million shares, that ICInsider.com indicated last week should be snapped up quickly by investors, with the company having long-term prospects for strong growth, did just that. NCB Capital Markets, the brokers for the issue, reported on Thursday that the issue, priced at 80 cents per share and opened on Wednesday, closed on Thursday after another Junior Market IPO issue was oversubscribed. The successful closure of the issue will see the number of listed companies rising to 42 from the current 41.
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 14.7 and the Junior Market 9.8, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.4 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.4 or 50 percent of the PE of that market.
At the same time, the JSE Main Market, while trading above the March 2001 low, is nowhere near the 2020 high and closed out the first quarter marginally down on the 2020 closing.
In the meantime, the JSE Main Market failed to move higher in 2021, ending the first quarter 0.20 percent lower than the December close. It is still a bit lower than the 442,905.76 reached on the All Jamaica Composite Index after the early rebound from the 2020 low of 375,091.09 reached on March 25 last year, or the 438,045.18 reached subsequently on November 30.
The Main Market recorded gains in 16 stocks that beat the market’s average move in 2021, with 26 falling below. Main market stocks with healthy gains are Ciboney with a stunning 142 percent rise, followed by Salada Foods with 125 percent gain aided by a 10 to one stock split, Grace Kennedy 37 percent, First Rock 31 percent and proven Investments 27 percent. Palace Amusement Company that the Covid-19 dislocation has badly hurt is the worst-performing stock with a 51 percent decline, followed by Portland JSX with a loss of 25 percent and Radio Jamaica with 22 percent. Wisynco lost 14 percent and Wigton Windfarm 13 percent.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,214.49 points to 436,073.64, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,694.71 points to 397,354.26 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.47 points to settle at 100.10.
Trading averaged 223,243 units at $734,494, compared to 358,011 shares at $2,776,372 on Wednesday. March closed with an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
NCB Financial declined $1.50 to $137.50 with the swapping of 8,595 stock units, Palace Amusement jumped $84.65 to $724.65 after exchanging 61 shares, PanJam Investment fell $3 to $62.50 with the transfer of 21,432 stocks. Proven Investments shed $1.30 to close at $33.70 after 1,955 stock units crossed the exchange, Sagicor Group fell 88 cents to $51 in exchanging 59,338 stocks. Salada Foods ended 95 cents lower at $5.80 with 490,267 shares changing hands, Scotia Group slid 92 cents to $40.60 trading 11,420 stock units, Seprod climbed $5.30 to settle at $75 in exchanging 28,048 units and Supreme Ventures shed 51 cents to $14.89 in the swapping of 13,785 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 2,324.91 points to 432,859.15, the Main Index rose 2,055.33 points to 394,659.55 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.40 points to settle at 99.63.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has twelve stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Proven Investments shed 90 cents to close at $35 with an exchange of 11,160 stocks, Sagicor Group advanced $1.89 to close at $51.88 in trading 480,479 shares, Salada Foods rose $1.30 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.75 with a transfer of 13,442 stocks, Scotia Group gained 37 cents to close at $41.52 trading 46,641 units. Supreme Ventures rose 40 cents to close at $15.40 with the swapping of 180,570 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 47 cents to $14.50 trading 34,579 units, Victoria Mutual Investments advanced 44 cents to $5.89 with the swapping of 122,135 shares, Wisynco Group shed 34 cents to close at $15.11 in exchanging 62,400 shares.
Trading averaged 739,966 units at $5,962,582, up from an average of 279,882 shares at $2,106,961 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 354,133 units at $2,532,457, up from 338,336 units at $2,392,022 on Monday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660. 
NCB Financial rose $1.50 to $140 in exchanging 8,370 shares, Proven Investments gained $1.90 to $35.90 trading 53,710 stock units. Sagicor Group advanced 49 cents to $49.99 with the swapping of 7,945 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1.11 to $8.31 after a transfer of 300 stocks, Salada Foods jumped $1.05 to a record close of $5.45, trading 41,837 stock units. Seprod shed $1.50 to close at $69.60 in an exchange of 7,052 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 37 cents in ending at $14.97 trading 90,548 units and Wisynco Group fell 25 cents to $15.45 after a transfer of 20,763 shares.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,805.24 points to 431,621.60, the JSE Main Index retreated 1,581.94 points to 393,571.93 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.58 points to close at 98.88.
Trading month to date averaged 338,137 units at $2,423,642, in contrast to 341,423 units at $2,407,074 on Friday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660. 
Salada Foods lost 50 to finish at $44 with 63,894 stock units crossing the market, Seprod advanced $2.10 to $71.10 with 6,110 units changing hands. Supreme Ventures lost 30 cents to end at $15 with the swapping of 47,761 shares and Wisynco Group rose 40 cents to $15.70 with an exchange of 19,151 stock units.
TOP 10 stocks had a few changes during the past week, with Berger Paints back in the Main Market TOP10, replacing Sterling Investments that entered the list last week, while in the Junior Market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers returns to the TOP 10 as General Accident moved out.
Caribbean Producers is another that will definitely benefit from pick up in the tourist trade later in the year. Expect also companies such as Knutsford Express, Express Catering and Stationery and Office Supplies to be on that list.
This week’s focus: Future Energy Source Company Initial Public Offer of 500 million shares at 80 cents per share opens on Wednesday, with pretax earnings for the fiscal year to March this year around 7 cents per shares. The shares should be snapped up quickly by investors, with the company having long-term prospects for strong growth.
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 50 percent of the PE of that market.