The vast majority of stock trading on Monday dropped, overpowering those rising by a wide margin, with the funds passing through the market plunging 52 percent from Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, but Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator is flashing positive signals at the close.
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 ended with 53 securities compared to 51 on Friday, with 13 rising, 30 declining and 10 ending unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.9. Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows positive signs at the close, with 18 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers. Additionally, there are signs that the supply of stocks for many companies is declining.
The PE ratio for the JSE Main and USD Market closing quotes are based on ICInsider.com’s earnings forecast for companies with financial years ending between the current year and August 2022.
Trading ended with 10,000,311 shares changing hands for $59,648,996 versus 9,110,023 units at $124,148,064 n Friday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 18.6 percent of total volume for an exchange of 1.86 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 15.2 percent after 1.52 million units traded, Ciboney Group with 11.7 percent after 1.17 million units changed hands and QWI Investments with 11 percent after trading 1.1 million shares.
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.
At the close, Eppley dropped $1 to end at $37 after trading 289 shares, GraceKennedy shed $1.94 to $98 in exchanging 30,599 stock units, Guardian Holdings dived $28 to close at $537 with the swapping of 169 units. Jamaica Broilers shed $1.30 to end at $28.70 in switching owner hip of 125,618 stocks, Jamaica Producers fell $1.75 to $21.75 in exchanging 159,063 shares, JMMB Group lost 32 cents to finish at $37 in trading 193,596 stocks. Key Insurance gained 26 cents ending at $4.38 after 75,107 shares changed hands, Kingston Properties shed 85 cents to settle at $8 with an exchange of 110,734 units, Mayberry Investments dipped 43 cents to close at $8.77 in transferring 513,349 stock units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities spiked 50 cents to $9 with 25,400 stocks crossing the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined $5 to close at $110 with 310 shares changing hands, NCB Financial fell $5.03 to a 52 weeks’ low of $120 after crossing the exchange with 57,180 units and trading as low as $110. 
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.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share lost 47 cents to end at $6.03 in an exchange of 11,902 shares and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference shares advanced $2.10 to close at $72.10 in trading 6,150 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Eight securities changed hands compared to seven on Friday, with four rising, three declining and one ending unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital USD share popped 0.1 of a cent to end at 7 US cents with an exchange of 43,116 shares, Proven Investments gained 1.19 cents to finish at 23.99 US cents with a transfer of 23,969 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share advanced 0.89 of a cent to close at 12.97 US cents with 55,479 stocks changing hands. Sygnus Real Estate Finance US share declined by 1 cent to15 US cents with investors switching ownership of 20 units while Transjamaican Highway shed 0.05 of a cent to finish at 0.79 US cents with 200,000 shares crossing the exchange.
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 $1.16 at the end of December last year, just below the Junior Market gains for the year to date and well ahead of the Composite index rise. The stock price has increased by 19.4 percent from 77 cents at the end of 2020 to Friday. It seems that investors don’t buy into the concept of buying stocks when blood is in the streets.
Investors’ focus should now be on 2022 for the local stocks and the current year’s values to determine the appropriate values of each stock for a hold or fold decision.
The Junior Market can gain 52 percent to March next year, based on an average PE of 20 and 25 percent based on an average PE of 17. Seven stocks representing 15 percent of all Junior Market stocks with positive earnings are trading at or above this level, down from nine last week, indicating that many others will rise above the 17 mark in the weeks ahead.
ICTOP10 focuses on potential yearly winners; accordingly, the list may or may not include the best companies in the market. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
Trading ended with seven securities changing hands, compared to seven on Thursday with prices of two rising, one declining and four ending unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital US share traded 1,527 shares at 6.9 US cents, Productive Business Solutions gained 3 cents to end at 98 US cents with 11 units clearing the market, Proven Investments ended at 22.8 US cents, with 12,237 stocks changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments US$ share shed 0.9 of a cent to close at 12.08 US cents after trading 20,232 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share advanced 1 cent in closing at 16 US cents after an exchange of 26 units.
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.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,775.99 points to settle at 443,279.16 after the market opened at just over 445,891, the JSE Main Index shed 1,470.55 points to 401,600.62 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.68 points to end at 97.47.
Trading averages 237,535 units at $3,648,026, compared to 165,974 shares a $1,738,591 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 271,242 units at $2,691,636, compared to 282,402 units at $2,374,994 on Wednesday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
NCB Financial dropped $5.89 to $125 in trading 118,380 stocks, PanJam Investment popped $1 to $64 after exchanging 10,452 stock units, Proven Investments rose 45 cents to $33 with the swapping of 11,026 stocks, Sagicor Group declined $2.99 to close at $53.01 in switching ownership of 8,069 stock units. Seprod shed 69 cents to end at $63.25 in transferring 1,744 shares, Supreme Ventures gained 49 cents to end at $17.99 after trading 7,153,341 units, Sygnus Credit Investments popped 51 cents to $18.51 with an exchange of 188,476 shares, Sygnus Real Estate Finance gained 49 cents in closing at $18.50 trading 11,052 stocks and VM Investments advanced 44 cents to $6.19 in exchanging 50,688 stock units.
The JSE US Denominated Equities Index lost 2.16 points to end at 194.93.
At the close, First Rock Capital US fell 0.1 of a cent to 6.9 US cents with an exchange of 150 shares, Margaritaville dropped 0.45 of a cent to 9 US cents with 11,073 stock units passing through the market, Proven Investments lost 0.2 of a cent to end at 22.8 US cents with 27,763 units changing hands. Sterling Investments fell 0.09 of a cent to close at 2 US cents with 660 shares traded, Sygnus Credit Investments USD declined 0.01 of a cent to finish at 12.98 US cents with investors switching ownership of 3,504 stocks and Transjamaican Highway shed 0.04 of a cent to end at 0.84 US cents with 56,609 units crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,026.18 points to 445,055.15, the JSE Main Index rose 582.88 points to 403,071.17 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.73 points to end at 98.15.
Trading averages 165,974 shares at $1,738,591 versus 160,698 shares at $2,001,270 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 282,402 units at $2,374,994 compared to 340,028 units at $2,689,981 on Tuesday. October averaged 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
NCB Financial climbed $4.39 to $130.89 with the swapping of 378,991 stocks, Proven Investments advanced $1.34 to close at $32.55 in trading 4,644 units, Sagicor Group increased $3 to $56 with 9,039 shares changing hands. Scotia Group popped 69 cents to end at $36.49 after 10,433 units crossed the market, Supreme Ventures fell 50 cents to $17.50 in trading 36,986 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments lost 52 cents in closing at $5.75 after exchanging 147,743 units and Wisynco Group dipped 35 cents to $15.80 with 92,947 stocks clearing the market.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, the same number as on Monday, with prices of one rising, two declining and two ending unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two stocks with lower offers.
Market activity plunged on Tuesday, with the volume of shares trading declining 71 percent, with the value dipping 45 percent lower than on Monday, at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market. Trading ended, with rising stocks were just edged out by those declining, but the market closed with a strong bullish signal for Wednesday, as shown by the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator below. 
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 17 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Seprod picked up 25 cents to finish at $63.95 with 7,044 stocks crossing the market, Supreme Ventures popped 25 cents to $18 with 10,361 stock units changing hands, Victoria Mutual Investments rose 60 cents to $6.27 in trading 72,519 shares and Wisynco Group lost 30 cents to settle at $16.15 after an exchange of 49,323 units.