Trading volume fell while the market index rose at the close of market activity on the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday after 90 percent fewer shares changed hands than Friday.
Trading ended with four securities changing hands, compared to five on Friday resulting in the prices of two stocks rising, none declining and two remaining unchanged.
The JSE USD Equities Index gained 3.36 points to settle at 192.11. The average PE Ratio ended at 13.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended with 23,463 shares changing hands at US$11,820 compared to 229,703 units at US$40,318 on Friday. The average trade amounts to 5,866 units changing hands at US$2,955, versus an average of 45,941 shares at US$8,064 on Friday. Trading averaged 40,956 units for the month to date at US$7,019 in contrast to 47,974 units at US$7,832. November ended with an average of 51,134 units for US$4,516.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows one stock ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Proven Investments gained 1.87 cents to land at 25.87 US cents, in clearing the market with 2,311 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 0.01 US cent to settle at 17 US cents in trading 12,002 stock units and Transjamaican Highway closed at 0.90 of a US cent, with an exchange of 150 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share closed at US$1.02, with 9,000 stock units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Wisynco Group’s performance was on a roll, with revenues up 27.5 percent in the nine months to March this year, and 24 percent in the March quarter, but gross profit margin slipped in the March quarter while rising Administration and other expenses squeezed profits even more. Sales dipped slightly in the June and September quarters, but the September 2019 quarter, includes sales of $503 million from a discontinued operation, leaving flat sales from ongoing operations. Net Profits Attributable to Stockholders from continuing operations was $851 million or 23 cents per stock unit compared to $932 million or 25 cents per stock unit for the corresponding period of the prior year. Revenues for the quarter from continuing operations of $8.1 billion fell 6.1 percent from $8.6 billion in the 2019 quarter. 
The company expects to have lower energy costs with the successfully commissioning of the Cogeneration plant in July 2020, with the company seeing a positive contribution from the implementation through reduced energy costs.
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6.9 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9 or 56 percent of the PE of that market.
Five securities traded similar to Thursday, resulting in the prices of two stocks rising, none declining and three remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment closed at 9 US cents with an exchange of 200 shares, Margaritaville remained at 13 cents with the trading of 3,500 stocks, Proven Investments rose 1.87 cents to close at 25.87 US cents, with an exchange of 21,245 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments carved out a gain of 0.099 of a cent to settle at 16.99 US cents in trading 204,503 stocks.
Trading closed, with five securities changing hands similar to Wednesday and closed with the prices of two rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged.
Sterling Investments lost 0.4 cents to close at 2.1 US cents, in exchanging 79,400 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments advanced by 1.2 cents to settle at 16.9 US cents trading 17,122 stock units. Transjamaican Highway gained 0.04 cents to close at 0.90 US cent, with investors swapping 89,948 shares.
At the close of the market, trading ended with five securities changing hands compared to five on Tuesday and ended with the price of one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands compared to eight on Monday and closed with prices of two rising, one declining and two remaining unchanged.
Proven Investments lost 1.99 cents and ended at 24 US cents, after exchanging 75,413 shares, Sterling Investments lost half a cent to end at 2.45 US cents, with 5,000 stock units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments gained one-tenth of a cent to end at 16.6 US cents, in crossing the market with 47,956 shares and Transjamaican Highway ended at 0.90 of a US cent, trading 18,529 stock units.
Productive Business Solutions gained 18 cents to end at 84 US cents after trading 5,952 stock units, Proven Investments advanced 0.99 of a US cent to finish at 25.99 US cents, after 14,259 shares crossed the exchange, Sterling Investments lost nine-tenths of a US cent to close at 2 US cents, with investors swapping 350,000 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments advanced 0.51 of a US cent to settle at 16.5 US cents after 51,732 shares crossed the market and Transjamaican Highway remained at 0.90 of a US cent, with 122,500 shares changing hands.
Access Financial, Caribbean Producers, Express Catering, Elite Diagnostic, 
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.5, The Junior Market 13.3, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.2 at just 54 percent to the average of the Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9 or 58 percent of the PE of that market.
based on 2020-21 earnings, indicating greater likely gains for Junior Market stocks than the Main Market.
At the close of the market, trading ended with six securities changing hands, the same as on Thursday and ended with the price of one rising and the five remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment closed at 8.65 US cents trading 234 units, Margaritaville remained at 13 US cents, in crossing the exchange with 100 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy ended at US$1.15 after trading 30 units. Proven Investments closed at 25 US cents, after exchanging 19,400 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.49 of a cent to 15.99 US cents, with an exchange of 36,236 shares and Transjamaican Highway settled at 0.90 of 1 US cent, in a transfer of 371,882 shares.
At the close of trading, Margaritaville closed at 13 US cents, trading 524 shares, Productive Business Solutions remained at 66 US cents, with an exchange of 29 units. Proven Investments ended at 25 US cents after a transfer of 22,692 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments remained at 15.50 US cents trading 8,753 stock units and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.03 of a cent to settle at 0.90 of 1 US cent with an exchange of 4,500 units.