The volume of stocks trading on Wednesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange fell below Tuesday’s level, but with a higher value as the market’s activity ended with winning stocks edging out those declining.
The number of securities trading slipped to 41 compared to 43 on Tuesday and ended with 17 rising, 16 declining and eight unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 5.30 points to close at 4,013.93.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 17.9. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 13,064,259 shares traded for $60,163,205 compared to 14,490,567 units at $57,197,212 on Tuesday. Future Energy Source led trading with 2.98 million shares for 22.8 percent of the total volume followed by Spur Tree Spices, 2.22 million units, with 17 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Manufacturing with 1.09 million units for 8.3 percent market share.
Trading averaged 318,640 shares at $1,467,395 against 336,990 shares at $1,330,168 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 424,334 units at $1,722,356, down from 441,196 units at $1,763,030 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 319,395 units at $1,181,136.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial climbed 50 cents to $21.50, with 5,917 shares crossing the exchange, Cargo Handlers dropped 80 cents to end at $7.20 trading 202,489 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 15 cents ending at $3.24 in exchanging 462,958 stocks. Caribbean Cream shed 30 cents to close at $4.99 after exchanging 14,536 stock units, Dolphin Cove increased 29 cents in closing at $29.79, with 308,853 shares clearing the market, Express Catering rallied 50 cents to end at $6 after exchanging 56,683 stock units. Fosrich declined 10 cents to $14.30 after 144,270 units crossed the market, Future Energy Source rose 30 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $4.79 with 2,981,292 stocks changing hands, General Accident lost 38 cents to close at $6.72 while exchanging 2,304 units. Honey Bun advanced 44 cents to $10.29 in an exchange of 150,454 shares, Indies Pharma fell 17 cents to close at $3 in switching ownership of 97,311 stock units, ISP Finance lost $5.07 ending at $28 after an exchange of 95 stocks. 
Jamaican Teas popped 25 cents to end at $4.30 in trading 392,880 units, Limners and Bards popped 45 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $4, with 288,567 shares crossing the market, Lumber Depot rose 13 cents in closing at $3.63 with an exchange of 504,499 stock units. Main Event climbed 45 cents to close at $4.95 with 5,199 stocks changing hands, Medical Disposables dropped 77 cents ending at $6.75 with the swapping of 23,819 shares, SSL Venture shed 18 cents in closing at $1.80 while exchanging 41,966 units and Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 25 cents to end at $7 in switching ownership of 250,562 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,410.71 points to close at 447,833.02, the JSE Main Index dived 3,555.14 points to 394,577.81 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 1.10 points to 95.17.
At the close, Barita Investments lost 49 cents to end at $91.50 in exchanging 27,856 shares, Berger Paints fell 40 cents in closing at $13.10 after trading 740 units, Caribbean Cement shed $1 in ending at $80 with 31,142 stocks crossing the exchange. Caribbean Producers declined 82 cents to finish at $19.08 with 226,511 stock units clearing the market, GraceKennedy shed $1.98 to close at $103 in switching ownership of 531,538 stock units, Guardian Holdings climbed $14 to close at $550 with the swapping of 4,120 shares. Jamaica Broilers gained 35 cents after ending at $27.85 trading 25,929 stocks, Jamaica Producers rose 59 cents to $23.50 with 28,773 units changing hands, Kingston Properties shed 83 cents in closing at $8.91 after a transfer of 100 stocks. Massy Holdings declined $5 to end at an all-time low of $1,945 in switching ownership of 67,225 stock units, Mayberry Investments lost 50 cents to end at $6.55 with 2,026 shares crossing the market, NCB Financial advanced $7 in closing at $126 with the transfer of 44,264 units. Palace Amusement dropped $15 to $910 with an exchange of 56 units, Portland JSX fell $1.25 to $7.90 in trading 350 stocks, Salada Foods lost 51 cents to close at $7.99 with the swapping of 164,190 shares. 
Scotia Group fell $1.48 to $35.52 in switching ownership of 204,060 stock units, Seprod rallied $2 to $63 in exchanging 16,367 stocks, Stanley Motta shed 68 cents in closing at $5.30 in trading 2,251 stock units and Wisynco Group popped 30 cents to close at $19.80 with 304,609 shares clearing the market.
Trading ended with four securities changing hands, compared to six on Tuesday with prices of three rising and one declining.
At the close, Margaritaville climbed 2 cents to 22 US cents with the swapping of 3,650 shares, Proven Investments advanced 0.93of a cent to 22.93 US cents in an exchange of 99,048 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share shed 0.85 of a cent to end at 12 US cents with 85,283 stocks changing hands and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.02 of a cent in closing at 0.8 of one US cent in switching ownership of 310,100 units.
The All Jamaican Composite Index gained 994.99 points to end at 451,243.73, the Main Index slipped 12.55 points to 398,132.95 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.12 points to close at 96.27.
At the close, Barita Investments declined 99 cents to close at $91.99 in trading 19,797 units, Caribbean Cement advanced $2 to $81 with the swapping of 37,613 stock units. Eppley rose $1.75 to $36 in exchanging 1,598 stocks, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $3.90 to $38.10 after transferring 777 shares, GraceKennedy rose $1.48 to close at $104.98 with 56,839 units changing hands. Guardian Holdings lost $39 after ending at $536 with a transfer of 1,849 stocks, Jamaica Broilers gained 50 cents in closing at $27.50 in switching ownership of 96,266 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange rallied 30 cents to $18 after trading 1,674 shares. JMMB Group popped $1.10 to end at $43 in switching ownership of 631,294 stock units, Kingston Wharves fell $1.98 to close at $40 with an exchange of 5,447 stocks, Massy Holdings dropped $44 after ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $1,950 with 6,497 units clearing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose 33 cents in closing at $119.50 after an exchange of 137 units, NCB Financial dropped $11.01 to end at $119 with the swapping of 325,401 stocks, 138 Student Living gained 36 cents in closing at $4.96 with 39,625 shares clearing the market, Palace Amusement declined $5 to $925 after an exchange of 2 stock units. 
Portland JSX advanced $2.23 to $9.15 in transferring one share, Sagicor Group fell $1.98 to close at $53.02 in switching ownership of 16,348 stocks, Salada Foods popped $1.60 to $8.50 in trading 475,812 shares. Scotia Group rose $1.49 in closing at $37 with 3,732 stock units crossing the market, Seprod shed 50 cents after ending at $61 with 12,953 units changing hands and Wisynco Group gained 47 cents to end at $19.50 with 272,939 stocks traded.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared to eight on Monday with prices of two rising, three declining and one ending unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital USD share shed 0.01 of a cent in closing at 6.99 US cents after an exchange of 552 shares, Margaritaville increased 2 cents to 20 US cents trading 1,860 stocks, Productive Business Solutions fell 7 cents to US$1.09, with 27 stock units crossing the market. Proven Investments traded 45,841 units to finish at 22 US cents, Sterling Investments popped 0.01 of a cent to close at 2.31 US cents, with 12,100 shares changing hands and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.11 of a cent in ending at 0.78 US cents in an exchange of 961,305 stocks.
The big improvement in results owes a lot to the dislocation the company suffered in the 2020 period resulting in a 22 percent fall in revenues and the small profit shown above. Salada does not sell to the end users so disruption in sales in one period may only be a shift from one period to the next. So it was not surprising the sales jump 29 in the second quarter last year to $353 million, with a profit of $51 million
Administrative expenses rose 11 percent to $33.4 million from $30 million. Marketing and sales expenses increased 10 percent to $16 million. Finance income rose to $13 million from $1.25 million in 2020. Taxation on profits jumped from $4.6 million to $14 million.
Net current assets ended the period $759 million well over Payables of $254 million.
At the close, Access Financial declined 50 cents to close at $21 in trading 5,225 shares,Cargo Handlers aadded 50 cents in closing at $8 in an exchange of 110,833 stock units, Caribbean Cream climbed 27 cents to $5.29 trading 64,184 units. Consolidated Bakeries rose 10 cents to $1.15 after exchanging 209,652 stocks, Dolphin Cove popped 50 cents to end at $29.50 in exchanging 115,036 shares, Elite Diagnostic increased 15 cents to close at $3.45 in switching ownership of 169,185 units. Express Catering lost 10 cents to end at $5.50 with the swapping of 114,749 stocks, Fontana dropped 58 cents in ending at $11 with 640,950 stock units changing hands, Fosrich rallied 20 cents to $14.40 after trading 14,076 stock units. Future Energy Source gained 20 cents in ending at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $4.49 after trading at an intraday record high of $4.94, as 1,930,904 stocks crossed the market, General Accident rose 90 cents to close at $7.10 while exchanging 100,269 shares, Honey Bun fell 30 cents to end at $9.85 with 163,425 units clearing the market. Indies Pharma rallied 12 cents in closing at $3.17 trading 104,117 units, ISP Finance advanced $3.07 to $33.07 after trading 147 shares, Jamaican Teas shed 10 cents to end at $4.05with 603,815 stock units crossing the market. 
Lasco Financial increased 13 cents to $3.30 after exchanging 141,961 stocks, Limners and Bards climbed 10 cents to end at $3.55 with an exchange of 593,001 units, Lumber Depot dropped 15 cents in closing at $3.50 after 1,278,433 stock units crossed the exchange. Paramount Trading popped 35 cents to close at $2 with an exchange of 7,721 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies gained 39 cents ending at $6.75 after exchanging 10,532 stocks and tTech dipped 27 cents to $4.11 13,266 shares crossing the market.
Guardian Holdings popped 1 cent to $29.76 after finishing trading of 6,562 stock units, JMMB Group remained at $2.50, with 13,373 shares changing hands, Massy Holdings slipped 1 cent to end at $105.99, with 9,888 shares crossing the exchange. National Flour Mills ended at $1.87 after exchanging 15,532 units, NCB Financial Group finished trading 218,979 stock units at $8, One Caribbean Media remained at $4.15 with an exchange of 2,035 stocks. Prestige Holdings dropped 4 cents to $7 after 2,440 stocks passed through the market, Republic Financial Holdings ended unchanged at $142.86 in trading 3,510 units, Scotiabank ended in switching ownership of 6,624 stock units at $72.01. Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 72 cents to close at $19.25 with the swapping of 1,801 shares, Trinidad Cement gained 10 cents after ending at $3.90 in exchanging 450 stock units, Unilever Caribbean remained at $16 with the swapping of 2,680 shares and West Indian Tobacco finished trading of 21,645 units at $26.06.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,714.09 points to 450,248.74, the JSE Main Index rallied 1,343.48 points to end at 398,145.50 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.08 points to settle at 96.39.
QWI Investments led trading with 28.4 percent of total volume for an exchange of 4.93 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm, 13.2 percent with 2.29 million units, Sagicor Select Financial Fund, 11.7 percent, with 2.03 million units, Transjamaican Highway accounted for 11 percent with 1.91 million units, JMMB Group 7.25% preference share with 7.1 percent for 1.23 million units and Carreras with 6.8 percent after trading 1.18 million units.
Proven Investments picked up 48 cents in ending at $33.48 after exchanging 67,415 shares, Sagicor Group rose $1 to close at $55 in transferring 129,595 units, Scotia Group declined $2.09 to end at $35.51 with 14,043 stock units changing hands. Seprod lost 60 cents to settle at $61.50 after 7,226 stock units crossed the market, Supreme Ventures popped 30 cents in closing at $18.30 in trading 179,005 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 43 cents to end at $14.80 with the swapping of 61,345 stocks. Victoria Mutual Investments rallied 36 cents to $7.10 in switching ownership of 237,292 units, Wisynco Group shed 97 cents in closing at $19.03 with 286,810 shares clearing the market.
Margaritaville remained at 18 US cents after exchanging one unit, Proven Investments advanced 0.8 of a cent to 22 US cents and exchanging 20,281 stocks. Sterling Investments climbed 0.2 of a cent to 2.3 US cents with the swapping of 62,791 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share shed 1 cent to end at 13 US cents in exchanging 21,724 stocks, Transjamaican Highway rallied 0.01 of a cent in closing at 0.89 US cents in an exchange of 300,000 units.
