Junior Market stocks put in an outstanding performance ranging from 13 to 38 percent, with declines being far lower, with the top losers suffering a ten percent fall after five stocks slipped on the ICOP10 and three stocks recorded strong gains. The Main Market TOP10 was far less robust, with gainers hitting 13 percent at the top and losers 6 percent and less.
Margaritaville Turks could land big gains.
With the healthy price movements, three new additions to the TOP10 lists are added this week. Margaritaville is now topping the Main Market Top 10, with potential gains of 820 percent as the company made a major leap forward in fortunes, following the rebound in tourism traffic in the region and Caribbean Producers fell out of the TOP10 with a 4 percent price rise for the week. Image Plus Consultants and Iron Rock Insurance return to the Junior Market ICTOP10 as Dolla Financial and Elite Diagnostics enjoyed considerable price recoveries and dropped out.
For the week, five Junior Market TOP10 stocks rose and five declined, while the Main Market ended with four rising and only two falling.
In the Junior Market, Dolla Financial was the star performer as it recovered from a 9 percent drop last to $2.08 to post a stunning 38 percent jump to $2.88, following news that Supreme Ventures acquired 15 percent of the company, but before a report that the CEO Kadeen Mairs resigned. Elite Diagnostics jumped 29 percent to $2 after falling the previous week to $1.55 and Dolphin Cove rose 13 percent to $16.88, also rising are iCreate and OneonOne, with gains of 5 percent to $1.05, respectively. Falling stocks include Everything Fresh, down 10 percent to $1.37, Caribbean Cream, followed by shedding 8 percent to $4.15, General Accident, fell 6 percent to $4.70 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers, lost 4 percent to end at $2.99.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement climbed 13 percent to $57.60, but that was before the company released six months’ results, with profit ending at $2.87 following a blowout second quarter with earnings of $2.53 per share and now seems on target for $8 for the year. Sygnus Credit Investments rose nine percent to $12.12, but JMMB Group fell six percent to $27.20 and Guardian Holdings slipped 4 percent to $438.
Elsewhere in the market, Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing released first quarter results, with a rise in profits for both. Pretax profit at Lasco Distributors jumped a robust 57 percent to $602 million and post-tax climbed a solid 38 percent to $448 million and resulted in ICInsider.com upgrading earnings for the full year to 65 cents from 55 cents previously. Lasco Manufacturing’s performance was more subdued, with pretax profit rising 28 percent and aftertax 27 percent to $721 million and $526 million, respectively and are in line with ICInsider.com’s full year’s forecast of 70 cents per share. Both companies are just outside the ICTOP10 but are ICBUYRATED with good upside potential.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 326 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks representing 30 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 95, with an average of 30 and 21 excluding the highest PE ratios, with a PE of 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 11. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 39, averaging 20, well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the level of likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
A total of 394,211 shares were traded at US$7,160 compared to 1,106,224 units at US$42,488 on Thursday.
At the close, Margaritaville fell 0.28 of one cent to 8.72 US cents as investors exchanged 2,802 shares, Proven Investments fell 0.4 of a cent to 14.5 US cents with investors trading 2,344 units. Sygnus Credit Investments dipped 0.01 of a cent to 10.92 US cents, with 564 stocks changing hands, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share ended at 10.4 US cents after 4 stock units passed through the market and Transjamaican Highway added 0.01 of a cent in closing at 1.8 US cents, with stakeholders exchanging 388,497 stocks.
Overall, 329,260 shares were traded for US$12,513 compared to 199,644 units at US$11,531 on Monday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share ended at 4 US cents while exchanging 25,107 shares, Margaritaville shed 0.35 of a cent to close at 9 US cents, with 400 stocks changing hands, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy ended at 57 US cents in trading 63 stock units. Proven Investments advanced 0.05 of a cent to 14.85 US cents as investors exchanged 200 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 0.02 of a cent to end at 10.93 US cents, with 150 stocks clearing the market and Transjamaican Highway dipped 0.01 of a cent and finished at 1.63 US cents with shareholders swapping 302,852 stock units.
A total of 199,644 shares were traded at US$11,531 compared with 584,142 units at US$30,721 on Friday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share remained at 4 US cents, with investors trading 1,300 shares, Productive Business Solutions ended at US$1.80, with nine stocks crossing the market, Proven Investments gained 0.8 of a cent to close at 14.8 US cents in trading 8,284 units. Sygnus Credit Investments increased 2.95 cents and ended at 10.95 US cents one stock crossing the market and Transjamaican Highway advanced 0.09 of a cent in closing at 1.64 US cents with 189,500 stocks changing hands.
Investments fell 12 percent to $11.17 and Caribbean Cement slipped 9 percent to $50.03.
Investors continue to nibble away at a number of stocks and gradually reducing the supply of several of them that are attractively priced as the market moves through the summer months, the start of the stock market year when new results will be coming to the market for investors to assess and determine what to do.
A total of 584,142 shares were traded for US$30,721 up from 477,710 units at US$21,075 on Thursday.
Proven Investments ended at 14 US cents after a transfer of 1,051 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 1.05 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 8 US cents in an exchange of 18,859 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share shed 0.6 of one cent to 10.4 US cents as investors exchanged 29 stocks and Transjamaican Highway popped 0.03 of a cent in closing at 1.55 US cents after an exchange of 547,150 units.
A total of 477,710 shares were traded for US$21,075 compared to 372,527 units at US$9,733 on Wednesday.
At the close, Margaritaville ended at 9.35 US cents in an exchange of 12,050 shares, Proven Investments remained at 14 US cents in trading 33,162 units, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 0.4 of a cents to close at 9.05 US cents in switching ownership of 11,752 stocks and Transjamaican Highway dipped 0.33 of a cent to close at 1.52 US cents after 417,000 stock units passed through the market.
Sterling Investments rose 0.16 of a cent to 2 US cents after exchanging 12,100 units, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 1.5 cents to 9.45 US cents in switching owners for 1,850 shares and Transjamaican Highway ended at 1.85 US cents with shareholders swapping 885,269 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
In the Junior Market, iCreate dropped 12 percent to $1.14, followed by a 10 percent decline in 
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.