Investors showed modest interest in the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday, with only two securities changing hands compared to three on Monday and closed with the prices of no stock rising and two declining.
Trading activities plunged at the close, with an exchange of 34,727 shares, accounting for US$7,273 compared to 1,684,769 units at US$20,156 on Monday.
The JSE USD Equities Index advanced by 2.35 points to settle at 186.26, and the average PE Ratio of the market ended at 13.2 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The average trade of 17,364 units changing hands at US$3,636 on Tuesday, in contrast to an average of 561,590 shares at US$6,719 on Monday. Trading ended, with an average of 70,965 units at US$3,980 for the month to date, in contrast to 73,027 units at US$3,993 to Monday. By comparison, July ended with an average of 133,150 units for US$18,282.
IC bid-offer Indicator| 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 none with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Proven Investments carved out a loss of 1.5 US cents to end at 23 US cents with investors trading 22,068 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments declined by 1 US cent to close at 15 US cents in exchanging 12,659 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
This week’s focus: 138 Students Living reported a 44 percent increase in revenues to hit $334 million from $223 million in the June 2019 quarter and a 60 percent rise in the nine months to $1.09 billion. The company moved from a loss of $17 million in the 2019 third quarter to a profit of $132 million in 2020 and from a loss of $60 million in the nine months to June, to a profit of $402 million. Operating cost fell in both periods compared with the 2019 cost. The big problem is that the company continues the extremely poor practice of not showing operating and administrative expenses separately, making it impossible to see what gross margins are. The significant increase in profit is due to claims made on the University going back to 2019, which are booked in the current year that distorts earnings from ongoing operations. 
While earnings per share for the quarter is an attractive 32 cents and year to date 97 cents. Earnings from ongoing operations suggest that the full year’s results should be in the order of 40 cents after a regular tax charge.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 278 percent, and 152 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication of potentially more significant gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
At the close of the market, trading ended with four securities changing hands compared to seven on Wednesday and ended with the prices of no stocks rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
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 one with a lower offer.
At the close of the market, trading ended with seven securities changing hands compared to six on Tuesday and ended with the prices of two stocks rising, two declining and three remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment settled at 9 US cents, in exchanging 37,051 stock units, Margaritaville closed at 14 US cents, with 97 shares changing hands. Proven Investments ended at 24.5 US cents in an exchange of 11,414 stock units, Sterling Investments lost two-tenths of a cent to end at 2.69 US cents and trading 1,006 units. Sygnus Credit Investments climbed 1.5 US cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of 16.7 US cents with investors switching ownership of 1,061 stocks and Transjamaican Highway slipped from 0.09 cent and closed at 0.093 US of a cent in trading 25,782 stock units.
At the close of the market, trading ended with six securities changing hands compared to five on Monday and ended with the prices of one stock rising, three declining and two remaining unchanged.
Proven Investments lost three-tenths of a cent to close at 24.5 US cents, with 2,425 units crossing the market Sterling Investments increased six-tenths of a US cent to close at 2.85 US cents trading 5,500 units. Sygnus Credit Investments dropped by 1.8 US cents to settle at 15.2 US cents in an exchange of 229 units and Transjamaican Highway closed at 0.95 of a US cent while exchanging 4,000 stock units.
At the close of the market, trading ended with five securities changing hands compared to six on Friday and ended with the prices of two stocks rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the JSE US Dollar market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Caribbean Producers heads the list, followed by Lasco Financial and Stationery and Office Supplies.
The company declared a dividend of $2.216 per share payable on October 7, with an Ex-dividend date, of September 21.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 257 percent, for the Junior Market and 149 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is the potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
At the close of the market, trading ended with six securities changing hands with the prices of four stocks rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
Sterling Investments gained seven-tenth of a US cent to end at 2.65 US cents with investors exchanging 10,000 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 1.3 US cents to close at 16.5 US cents, with 9,237 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway lost a fraction of a cent to close at 0.93 of a US cent while exchanging 300,000 shares.
At the close of the market, trading ended with seven securities changing hands with the prices of three stocks rising, one declining and three remaining unchanged.
First Rock Capital Investment advanced 1.5 US cents in ending at 9 US cents, with 7,555 stock units crossing the market, Margaritaville closed at 14 US cents, after 1,500 units passed through the market. Proven Investments climbed 1.98 cents to settle at 24.97 US cents trading 61,906 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments rose two-tenths of a cent closed at 15 US cents changing hands 5,400 stocks and Transjamaican Highway stayed at 1 US cent exchanging 4,146 stocks.
At the close of the market, trading ended with five securities changing hands with the prices of one stock rising, four declining and none remaining unchanged.
Proven Investments fell 0.51 US cent to settle at 22.99 US cents while 143,753 stocks changed hands, Sygnus Credit Investments climbed US 1.2 cents in closing at 15 US cents and trading 13,000 stocks and Transjamaican Highway closed at 0.95 US cent with 110,000 stock units passing through the market after the price slipped from 0.097 cents.