Stocks plunged sharply at the close of trading on Tuesday, with the Market Index plunging 47.41 points to 2,853.20 as 20 stocks lost value on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as volume and value of trading relatively close to Monday’s levels.
Trading ended with 40 securities compared to 36 on Monday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 20 declining and six ending unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 8,845,580 shares for $27,670,299 compared to 8,754,737 units at $22,843,556 on Monday. Fosrich led trading with 35.2 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 3.12 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 11.9 percent for 1.05 million units and SSL Venture with 11.3 percent market share for 999,222 units.
Trading averaged 221,140 units at $691,757 in contrast to 243,187 at $634,543 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 231,583 units at $664,656. Trading in February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial shed 15 cents to close at $23 with 446 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.51 to $7.20 after trading 32,684 stock units. Caribbean Cream fell 14 cents to $4.65 after exchanging 69,212 stocks, Caribbean Flavours rose 20 cents to $2.10, in transferring 641,175 shares, Caribbean Producers picked up 8 cents at $3.03, in switching ownership of 37,966 stocks. Dolphin Cove advanced $1 to $9, after an exchange of 600 units, Everything Fresh shed 21 cents to close at $1 in exchanging 244,987 stocks, after the company reported poor 2020 results with a big loss, Express Catering fell 55 cents to close at $3.07 trading 35,200 stock units, Fontana declined 7 cents to $5.89, with 70,801 units changing hands. Fosrich lost 5 cents to close at $4.60, in trading 3,117,229 shares, General Accident gained 5 cents to close at $5.55 in exchanging 14,000 units, GWest Corporation ended 9 cents higher at 91 cents, with the swapping of 2,437 units. iCreate lost 10 cents in closing at 80 cents after trading 644,148 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance rose 20 cents to end at $3.80 with 41 shares crossing the exchange. Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $6.70 in transferring 34,497 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing lost 7 cents to close at $4.26 with 95,408 shares crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards dipped 14 cents to $2.65 in trading 47,543 units, Lumber Depot picked up 8 cents to end at $2.65, with the swapping of 582,767 shares. 
Mailpac Group shed 21 cents to end at $3.35, exchanging 1,054,580 stock units, Main Event gained 10 cents to end at $3.15, with 2,990 stocks changing hands, Medical Disposables fell 20 cents to $4.30 in transferring 174 units. SSL Venture lost 6 cents to close at 64 cents, after an exchange of 999,222 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 53 cents to $4.53 trading 320 stocks and tTech lost 5 cents in closing at $4.30, in switching ownership of 72,465 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 24 securities changing hands, the most in more than two years and compares to 15 on Monday. Three stocks rose, six declined and 15 remained unchanged. The Composite Index surged 17.24 points to 1,338.96, but the All T and T Index slipped 0.35 points to 1,758.31 and the Cross Listed Index jumped 4.78 points to 124.45.
Grace Kennedy carved out a gain of 21 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.20 in trading 1,002 stocks, Guardian Holdings closed at $21.75, with 764 shares clearing the market, JMMB Group remained at $1.83 with 20,780 stock units changing hands. Massy Holdings rose $1.20 to $62.50 in swapping 3,958 stocks, National Enterprises settled at $3.12 in trading 15,762 units, National Flour Mills remained at $2.35 after 2,712 stocks crossed the exchange. NCB Financial Group increased 70 cents $9 after trading 273 stock units, One Caribbean Media ended at $4.81 trading 9,531 shares, Point Lisas closed at $3.01, with 830 units crossing the market. Prestige Holdings closed at $7.70 with an exchange of 5,105 stocks, Republic Financial Holdings remained at $134.55, with 15,347 stocks changing hands, Scotiabank fell 5 cents to close at $55.95 in switching ownership of 3,347 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $15.50 with an exchange of 22,627 units. Trinidad Cement declined 10 cents to $3.40, with 500 shares clearing the market. Unilever Caribbean stayed at $16.30, trading 291 shares and West Indian Tobacco ended at $34 after 1,042 shares changed hands.
Several stocks posted strong gains leading the market into positive for the year to date, for only the second time since the start of the year, with January 5th being the only other day the market recorded gains over the 2020 close. The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,304.98 points to 436,954.70 at the close, the Main Index advanced 3,840.76 points to 398,369.57, but the JSE Financial Index slipped 037 points to 100.35.
Palace Amusement dropped $49 to $801, with 683 shares crossing the market, PanJam Investments rose $1 to $65, in an exchange of 13,660 stocks, Portland JSX ended $1.40 higher at $8.50, with the swapping of 2,000 units, 
JSE USD Equity Index slipped 1.63 points to end at 199.09 and the average PE Ratio ends at 13.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close, First Rock Capital dropped 0.1 of a cent to close at 8.9 US cents in trading 15,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 0.44 of a cent to close at 24.56 US cents trading 1,900 stocks, Sterling Investments fell 0.1 of one cent to 2.1 US cents with the swapping of 1,800 units and Sygnus Credit Investments shed 0.012 of a cent to 14.88 US cents after exchanging 17,308 shares.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Friday and closed with the prices of 13 rising, 14 declining and two ending unchanged.
At the close, Access Financial lost 15 cents to close at $23.15 trading 6,220 shares, Cargo Handlers gained 10 cents to end at $8.71, with 2,016 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers picked up 5 cents to settle at $1.85 after 13,440 shares cleared the market. Caribbean Flavours shed 21 cents to finish at $1.90, with 77,359 units crossing the market, Caribbean Producers ended 44 cents lower at $2.95 in an exchange of 165,544 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries fell 20 cents to $1.31 in trading 10,100 stock units, Derrimon Trading lost 7 cents to close at $2.51 after a transferring of 2,724,910 units, Elite Diagnostics gained 20 cents to finish at $3, with an exchange of 98,020 shares. Everything Fresh gained 9 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.21, trading 461,735 stock units, Fosrich fell 74 cents to $4.65 in an exchange of 84,486 shares, General Accident declined 44 cents to $5.50 with the swapping of 15,900 units. Honey Bun lost 7 cents to end at $5.12, with 9,230 units crossing the market, Indies Pharma rose 39 cents to $3.40 with the swapping of 664,045 shares, ISP Finance closed 29 cents lower at $25 trading 1,500 units. 
Lasco Distributors shed 26 cents to $3.61 after an exchange of 17,214 units, Lasco Financial ended 14 cents lower at $2.51, with 314,948 stock units crossing the exchange. Lasco Manufacturing lost 28 cents to $4.33, finishing with 118,342 units changing hands, Medical Disposables added 20 cents to close at $4.50, with an exchange of 4,700 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50, with the swapping of 2,242 units and SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 70 cents trading 78,600 shares.
Trading ended with 15 active securities, down from 17 on Friday, with four rising, six declining and five remaining unchanged. The Composite Index dropped 13.99 to 1,321.72, the All T&T Index slipped 3.95 points to 1,758.66, and the Cross Listed Index lost 3.29 points to 119.67.
NCB Financial Group fell 55 cents to $8.30 trading 5,933 stocks, One Caribbean Media traded 25 stock units at $4.81. Prestige Holdings traded 190 units at $7.70, Republic Financial Holdings closed at $134.55, with 2,259 shares changing hands. Scotiabank rose 5 cents to $56 trading 1,345 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 50 cents to end at $15.50 with 3,827 shares crossing the exchange, Trinidad Cement closed at $3.50 in trading 50 stock units and Unilever Caribbean slipped 3 cents to $16.30 in exchanging 10 stock units.
Coming into the TOP10 are Fesco, the latest IPO that is expected to come to market shortly, with the prospectus having been released but temporarily withdrawn to correct some errors. JMMB Group and Sygnus Credit Investments are now in the TOP10 Main market listing.
This week’s focus: Grace Kennedy had outstanding results for 2020 with much more to come in 2021; expect the price to move sharply over the next few weeks. Caribbean Cement reported a 70 percent rise in profit for 2020 and is projected to earn $6.70 for 2021, the stock is an ideal candidate to move higher in the weeks ahead.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, up to the second quarter of 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, a clear indication of strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14.7 and the Junior Market 9.8 based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2021-22 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 5.2 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 7.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 289 percent and 204 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2021-22 earnings. IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
The market should move higher during the coming week following record breaking results by 
Trading for the day averaged 759,048 units at $2,394,191, Thursday ended with an average of 338,795 shares at $1,351,229. Trading month to date averaged 419,015 units at $2,509,660 for each security, in contrast to 399,667 units at $2,516,231 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund picked up 48 cents to close at $8.30, after 155,883 shares crossed the market, Salada Foods climbed $3.50 to $44, exchanging 97 stocks. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in ending at $42.50 trading 34,852 units, Seprod shed 54 cents to $69, with the swapping of 8,011 shares, Stanley Motta gained 35 cents to settle at $5.35, with 50 units clearing the market. Sterling Investments ended 36 cents higher at $3 in an exchange of 33,207 stock units and Supreme Ventures climbed $1.60 to $16.90 with 138,316 units changing hands.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands compared to 41 on Thursday, with 17 stocks rising, 11 declining and nine ending unchanged. The market closed with Everything Fresh, Fosrich and iCreate, ending at 52 weeks’ highs.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents in closing at $4.61, with 26,997 units changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 25 cents to $2.75, after trading 167,072 stock units, Mailpac Group lost 6 cents in closing at $3.56 with an exchange of 694,920 shares. Medical Disposables gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 after transferring 183,901 units, Paramount Trading lost 17 cents to end at $1.32 with the swapping of 5,800 units, SSL Venture rose 10 cents to 65 cents trading 916,152 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 30 cents in closing at $4, with 57,150 stock units crossing the exchange.
Similar to Thursday, five securities traded with two stocks rising, one declining and two ending unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 13.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital remained at 9 US cents trading 11,088 shares, Productive Business Solutions rose 11.85 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of 90.85 US cents in an exchange of 153 units, Proven Investments was unchanged at 25 US cents, after 4,020 stock units crossed the exchange. Sygnus Credit Investments gained 0.87 of a cent to close at 14.89 US cents in switching ownership of 1,176 units and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.02 of a cent in closing at 0.93 of a US cent with 219,519 stocks changing hands.
