The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange bounced on Friday with the market index rising the most since May 28 when it put on a 48 points rally. The market index closed the week with a rise of 41.62 points to close at 2,613.41, the highest level since the start of June.
At the close of market activities, the prices of 12 securities advanced, eight declined and 11 remained unchanged. The PE ratio of the market ended at 9.8 times IC Insider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended, with 32 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 2,764,337 units at $7,742,462, down from 5,176,803 units for $13,735,351 on Thursday.
The average stock trading on Friday at 86,386 units at $241,952 was well below recent levels and around half the amounts in April and contrast with an average of 161,775 units for $429,230 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 175,086 units valued at $408,136 and previously 186,349 units valued at $429,239. Trading in May closed with an average of 150,274 units at $491,077 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial jumped $2.24 to settle at $24.75 with just 100 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging ended trading with 100 shares, after rising 11 cents to settle at $1.70, Cargo Handlers gained 49 cents in exchanging 300 units at $7. Caribbean Flavours climbed $2.80 to settle at $14.50 with 22,728 shares trading, Dolphin Cove lost 47 cents in trading of 8,148 units at $7.80. Express Catering fell by 10 cents trading 48,700 units at $4.20, Fontana lost 2cents trading 56,326 units at $5.97, Fosrich closed 38 cents higher at $3.80, with an exchange of 1,050 stock units, General Accident declined by 5cents to settle at $5.50 exchanging 21,536 shares. iCreate ended trading 565,798 shares, after rising 4 cents to close at 58 cents, Indies Pharma closed 4 cents higher at $2.93, with 188,296 stock units trading, Jamaican Teas shed 20cents in switching ownership of 506,540 shares at $4.50.
Knutsford Express closed 11 cents higher at $8.11, with 3,861 stock units changing hands, Lasco Distributors closed trading of 598 units and gained 6 cents to end at $2.96, Lasco Financial ended with gains of 14 cents in exchanging 12,256 shares and closed at $2.64. Lasco Manufacturing closed trading of 200,000 shares and gained 10 cents to end at $4.05. Limners and Bards shed 5 cents in trading of 4,500 units at $2.15, Mailpac Group gained 2 cents trading 402,322 shares at $1.88, Medical Disposables fell 11 cents in trading of 46,152 units at $6.69 and Stationery and Office Supplies closed with a loss of 2 cents at $6in swapping 74,999 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise
Junior Main Market stocks pulled back this week, resulting in few changes to the IC Insider.com TOP 10 lists as the market may be caught in the usual early summer of consolidation ahead of the release of second-quarter results.
In the Main Market, Radio Jamaica continues to lead, followed by Berger Paints and JMMB Group with projected gains of 165 to 210 percent.
The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.1 at 53 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.6 or 60 percent of the PE of the market.
The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to
This week’s focus: 
The rise in the market during the past week did little for IC TOP 10 stocks, resulting in no movement in or out of the TOP 10.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after the second quarter of 2020 up to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14 and the Junior Market at just 9.6, based on current 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.1 at just 53 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.7 or 62 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 330 percent, for the Junior Market and 138 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is greater potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
In the Main Market, Proven Investments dropped out of the TOP 10 and replaced by Victoria Mutual Investments.
The new subsidiary, Trinidad based MotorOne Insurance made a small loss of $2 million in the quarter, an indication that not much contribution to profit is expected from it for the current year, it could add to 2021 profit for the group. Total assets of the company grew substantially since March last year from $7.5 billion to $12 billion in the current year, with liabilities rising by $3.5 billion.
One company that has seen an uptick in business, Jamaican Teas, had to lay on new work shifts and extra production days to keep up with export demand.
The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.2 with or 55 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.7 or 62 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The three top Junior Market stocks with the potential to gain between 355 to 663 percent by 2021 are
he targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after this year’s second quarter and up to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 13.6 and the Junior Market a mere 8.9, based on current 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5 with the Main Market at a much higher level of 8.4.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns to March 2021. Forecasted earnings and PE ratio for the current fiscal year are in determining potential gains. The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Wisynco Group generated EPS of 78 cents vs 61 cents for the nine months to March. General Accident released 2019 audited accounts that showed for the first time the impact of the acquisition of their 55 percent interest in the Trinidad based Motor One insurance company at $238 million.
This week’s focus: Seprod released first quarter results after trading closed on Friday, with ongoing operating profits more than doubling from $312 million to $632 million for the 2020 first quarter, with EPS of 86 cents. Revenues climbed 6 percent from continuing operations to $9.14 billion, an increase of $544 million. The big improvement arose from the closure of the sugar manufacturing operations and improvement in profit margin. The Sugar operations generated a loss of nearly $140 million in 2019 and just $15 million in the latest quarter while gross profit margin jumped to 30 percent from 26.6 percent in 2019. The first quarter results are in line with ICInsider.com’s forecast of $4 per share earnings for this year and put the PE at just 11 times current year’s earnings.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 338 percent, for the Junior Market and 139 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings.
The three top Junior Market stocks with the potential to gain between 344 to 660 percent by 2021 are Caribbean Producers leading, followed by Lasco Financial and KLE Group. In the Main Market, Radio Jamaica continues to lead, followed by Berger Paints and JMMB Group, with projected gains of 173 to 213 percent.
Revenues grew around 12 percent from 2013 to 2016, then increased to 17.4 percent for 2018 and 14.5 percent for 2019. The company has an excellent management team that is growth-oriented as such investors can look forward to revenues growing in the 15-20 percent range going forward. In pursuit of this objective, the company is putting in place additional storage facilities to accommodate a robust expansion of sales. Investors should not rule out the possibility that they could expand from acquisitions as well as was the case with the addition of the business making the
the Main Market, Berger Paints leads the pact, followed by Radio Jamaica and Sygnus Credit Investments with projected gains of 180 to 186 percent.
The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 13 and the Junior Market a mere 9, based on current 2020/21 earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a just 5.4 with the Main Market at a much higher level of 8.2.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns to March 2021. Forecasted earnings and PE ratio for the current fiscal year are in determining potential gains. The ranking of stocks is in order of likely increases, with the highest-ranked, being the most attractive. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis as new information is received that can result in changes in and out of the list.
The current IC Insider.com TOP 10 list is based on the profit of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after 2020 second quarter and up to the second quarter in 2021.
The three top Junior Market selections are Caribbean Producers, KLE Group and Lasco Financial with the potential to gain between 270 to 533 percent by 2021. In the Main Market, Berger Paints leads the pact followed by Radio Jamaica and then Carreras with projected gains of 146 to 170 percent.
Junior Market and 139 percent from 153 percent last week for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020/21 earnings.
The Junior Market returned to normal trading levels on Thursday after investors exchanged 432 million shares in Derrimon Trading on Wednesday to swell the total volume passing through the market. 
Jetcon Corporation closed trading of 1,857,700 units and gained 25 cents to end at $2.10. KLE Group shed 5 cents in trading of 500 units at $1.95, Limners and Bards ended market activity exchanging 270,872 shares to close at $3 after falling 11 cents, Lasco Distributors dipped 20 cents in trading of 60,055 units at $3.30, Lasco Manufacturing lost 99 cents in trading 222,904 shares to close at 5.01 cents. Medical Disposables ended trading with 21,400 shares, after rising 70 cents to end at $8.10, Paramount Trading ended with a rise of 22 cents with $2.2073,425 shares changing hands and tTech Limited ended market activity exchanging 16,000 shares to close at $5.80 after falling $1.14.