Rising stocks pushed the market indices higher on Thursday to end with the All Jamaican Composite Index at the highest level since the middle of March last year as the market continues to move higher in recovering the big losses in 2020. At the close, the volume traded rose 18 percent, but the value dropped 46 percent on Wednesday levels on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,110.77 points to 451,625.91, the Main Index rose 732.14 points to 427,434.05, and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.15 points up to settle at 106.89.
Trading ended with 47 securities compared to 53 on Wednesday and closed with prices of 17 stocks rising, 23 declining and seven remaining unchanged.
The PE Ratio averages 16.4 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 14,522,547 shares trading for $83,441,774 compared to 12,295,253 units at $154,483,246 on Wednesday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 34.2 percent of total volume for an exchange of 4.97 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 17.9 percent for 2.60 million units, Transjamaican Highway with 9.1 percent for 1.33 million units and Mayberry Investments with 8.3 percent for 1.23 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 308,990 units at $1,775,357, compared to 231,986 shares at $2,914,778 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 289,678 units at $3,227,079, in contrast to 287,442 units at $3,395,135 on Wednesday. April averaged 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eleven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement shed $1 in closing at $86 after 46,436 shares traded, Eppley ended $1 lower at $34 in an exchange of 17,549 units, Grace Kennedy gained 35 cents to close at $88.85 in a transfer of 93,344 stocks. Jamaica Broilers slid 50 cents to $35.50 after exchanging 8,606 units, Jamaica Producers declined $2.35 to close at $25 with the swapping of 706,751 shares, Key Insurance lost 49 cents to settle at $5.51 with an exchange of 259,038 stocks, Kingston Wharves advanced $2 to $47 with the swapping of 5,246 units, Margaritaville gained 50 cents to end at $15.50 in trading 211 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities ended 45 cents higher at $8 in exchanging 50,000 stocks. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $3 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $124 with 66 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial rose $1.22 to finish at $140 in transferring 41,935 shares, Palace Amusement advanced $2 to $910 after clearing the market of 44 units. 
138 Student Living fell 30 cents to close at $5 with 3,999 stock units crossing the market, Pan Jam Investment rose $2 to close at $65.50 in exchanging 11,859 stocks, Proven Investments fell 89 cents to $37.01 in the swapping of 17,979 stock units, Pulse Investments gained 30 cents to $4.60 in switching ownership of 345,178 shares. Sagicor Group declined $1.99 to $50.01 in an exchange of 200,381 units, Salada Foods lost 20 cents to finish at $6.80 with a transfer of 117,419 stocks, Seprod gained 88 cents to close at $77.88 in trading 12,866 shares, Supreme Ventures gained 49 cents to settle at $19 with the swapping of 48,842 stock units and Wisynco Group lost 40 cents in ending at $15.60 after trading 197,460 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The JSE Main Index gained 314.36 points to 426,701.91 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.05 points to settle at 106.74.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Pulse Investments lost 40 cents in closing at $4.30 in an exchange of 411,205 units, Sagicor Group climbed $2.51 to $52 with 2,279,348 shares crossing the market, Salada Foods dropped 20 cents to $7 in transferring 206,193 stock units, Seprod slid 88 cents to end at $77 in switching ownership of 4,451 shares, Supreme Ventures fell $1.44 to $18.51 with 73,026 units changing hands and Wisynco Group rose 50 cents to $16 after exchanging 45,650 units.
Trading activity led to a nice rise in the All Jamaican Composite Index that climbed 2,013.60 points to settle at 449,734.73. The Main Index gained 1,725.03 points to 426,387.55 and The JSE Financial Index inched 0.10 points higher to 106.79.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Stanley Motta shed 30 cents to close at $5.85 with 1,392 units changing hands, Sterling Investments gained 23 cents to end at $2.98 in switching ownership of 20,900 stocks, Supreme Ventures rose $2.64 to a 52 weeks’ high of $19.95 in exchanging 113,998 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments lost 24 cents in ending at $14.65 with the swapping of 15,776 stock units and Wisynco Group lost 50 cents at $15.50 in an exchange of 107,145 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 1,335.19 points to 447,721.13, the Main Index dropped 4,869.78 points to 424,662.52 and the JSE Financial Index shed 1.85 points to settle at 106.69.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Salada Foods dipped 30 cents to close at $9, trading 144,058 stock units, Scotia Group fell $1.29 to $40.51 in exchanging 61,843 shares, Seprod declined $4 to close at $71 after 17,111 units crossed the exchange. Supreme Ventures shed 49 cents to settle at $17.31 after an exchange of 136,667 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 29 cents to end at $14.89 with 34,847 units changing hands.
The Junior Market had some major shakeup in some of the listings this past week as investors keep their eyes solidly on opportunities in this market, having slowly eating away at the above-average gains available in the market and driving prices of many stocks up and pushing the market back to early January 2020 level. 
Medical Disposables dropped from the third position with a gain of 19 percent to $5.28, Stationery & Office rose from $5.71 to $6.45 and taking it from 5th to 7th position, while Lasco Financial moved up to 6th position from 9th last week, with no price change, Caribbean Producers moved up from 8th last week to 3rd this week and Caribbean Cream shifted from 7th to 2nd this week.
The bullish tone of the two markets continues, with technical indicators and fundamentals of many companies keep on powering prices higher with many investors looking to the future with the recovery of the economy in mind and the impact that it will have on stocks.
The targeted PE ratio for the market averages 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2022. Fiscal 2020-21 ended March 2021 with the average PE at 17 for Junior Stocks and 19 times for the Main Market. With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The JSE Main Market ended the week with an overall PE of 16.5, some distance from the 19 the market ended March, suggesting a 15 percent rise from now to March 2022. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.7 or 47 percent of the PE of that market and well off the potential of 20.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,717.09 points to 449,056.32, the Main Index advanced 6,789.24 points to 429,532.30 and the JSE Financial Index gained 2.78 points to settle at 108.54.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Proven Investments rose $1.01 to $38.78 with the swapping of 112,652 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund slipped 25 cents to close at $7.95 with the transfer of 3,366 stocks, Salada Foods lost 40 cents in closing at $9.30 in trading 145,990 units, Seprod dropped $3 to finish at $75 with 105,935 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures rose 56 cents to end at $17.80 in switching ownership of 98,891 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 39 cents ending at $14.60 in trading 39,721 units.
Trading ended with 51 securities compared to 50 on Wednesday and closed with prices of 21 stocks rising, 16 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 16.5.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
PanJam Investment rose $1.25 to $63.50 in exchanging 22,174 units, Proven Investments gained 75 cents to finish at $37.77 trading 7,198 stock units, Sagicor Group rose 99 cents to end at $49.49 after crossing the market with 50,855 units. Salada Foods lost 28 cents in closing at $9.70 in transferring 261,746 stock units, Stanley Motta gained 20 cents to close at $6.20 with an exchange of 3,100 shares. Supreme Ventures lost 26 cents to end at $17.24 after crossing the market with 69,748 stock units and Wisynco Group gained 52 cents to close at $15.90 with the swapping of 134,365 stock units.
In the private bond market, Guardian Holdings 2025 Bond traded 104,000 units at $101.28 each.
Wigton Windfarm was the second major trading stock with 11.5 percent for 1.65 million units, Mayberry Investments followed with 10.6 percent for 1.52 million units, Transjamaican Highway controlled 8.2 percent, with 1.18 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund ended with 7.9 percent after 1.14 million units change hands.
Proven Investments shed 98 cents to close at $37.02 after exchanging 40,040 shares, Salada Foods gained 48 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $9.98 in switching ownership of 352,739 stock units. Scotia Group picked up 20 cents in closing at $42 after clearing the market with 670,305 shares, Seprod fell $2 to $78 in transferring 340,678 stock units, Supreme Ventures shed 45 cents to close at $17.50 in an exchange of 67,054 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 9,180.51 points to 444,936.95 after the index rose to a high in the morning session to 449,375.45. The Main Index advanced 8,254.00 points to 405,057.23 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.11 points to settle at 99.34.
Trading averaged 276,094 units at $1,896,465, compared to 730,264 shares at $13,580,781 on Monday. Month to date trading averages 512,262 units at $7,972,309. April averaged 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Palace Amusement climbed $49.50 to $900 with 252 stocks changing hands, PanJam Investment fell $3 in closing at $61 in trading 133,113 shares, Sagicor Group rose $1.01 to end at $48.51 after exchanging 47,529 stocks, Salada Foods continues its relentless rise, with a gain of 35 cents in ending at 52 weeks’ high of $9.50 in an exchange of 270,188 shares. Scotia Group advanced $2.30 to $41.80 with the transfer of 224,092 stocks, Seprod gained 55 cents to close at $80 in switching ownership of 24,938 shares, Stanley Motta ended 50 cents higher at $6 trading 4,665 stocks. Supreme Ventures picked up 48 cents to finish at $17.95 in swapping 721,683 shares and Wisynco Group lost 40 cents to end at $15.35 with 272,429 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 730,264 units at $13,580,781, compared to an average of 320,310 shares at $2,668,368 on Friday. April averaged 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Salada Foods gained $1.74 in ending at a record close of $9.15 in an exchange of 128,211 stock units, Scotia Group shed $2.50 to close at $39.50 in trading 1,279,986 shares. Seprod fell 55 cents to end at $79.45 after 50,221 stock units cleared the market and Stanley Motta lost 40 cents to close at $5.50 with an exchange of 50,000 shares.