For a second consecutive week, there were no changes in the companies on the IC TOP 10 listings, with the markets going sideways and little or no significant price moving news.
Barita public stock offer pulled money away from other JSE stocks.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange market activity was negatively affected by funds diverted away from the as investors moved money into the successful Barita Investments issue of new shares. The Issue closed on Wednesday gone and was upsized to $13.5 billion, resulting in a more than doubling of the issued shares from $10.88 billion to $24.38 billion and the overall equity capital to $28.74 billion.
The past week that saw the local market trading in a narrow range, with the Junior Market closing slightly down for the week after ending the previous week at the highest point since August 28 and the Main Market had the highest weekly close since the end of August.
The top three stocks in each market saw no change in ranking, leaving the top three Junior Market stocks, with the potential to gain between 292 to 695 percent by March 2021. Caribbean Producers heads the list, followed by Lasco Financial and Elite Diagnostic. 
The focus on all three is on the 2021 fiscal year results projected to show recovery from the 2020 financial year final numbers. The top three Main Market stocks, with expected gains of 204 to 228 percent, are Radio Jamaica, followed by Berger Paints, with the price rising 7 percent during the week and JMMB Group.
This week’s focus – Tropical Battery issue for 325 million ordinary shares at $1 each of with up to 187.5 million units reserved for priority applications, opens Tuesday, September 22, with the scheduled closing of September 30, subject to the right of the Company to close it earlier. With earnings per share around 7.7 cents, the stock is priced around a PE ratio of 13 times 2020 earnings, leaving little or no room for short term gains as it is priced 19 percent above the market average.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level, indicating the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.3 and the Junior Market 11, based on IC Insider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The average PE ratio of the Junior Market has been slowly rising, with better profit opportunities than the Main Market and narrowing the gap. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere six at just 55 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 8.2 or 54 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 280 percent, and 151 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, indicates potentially more significant gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
IC TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on possible 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 will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index carved out a gain of 2,653.46 points to 403,299.57, the Main Index increased 2,608.75 points to 368,392.30 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.17 points to settle at 96.99.
Trading closed with an average of 312,322 units changing hands at $5,584,515 for each security compared to an average of 145,458 shares at $942,732 on Thursday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 217,776 units at $1,474,275 for each security, in contrast to 211.084 units at $1,183,350. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Key Insurance climbed 75 cents to $8.48 after exchanging 73,209 shares. Kingston Wharves declined $4 in closing at $46, after an exchange of 4,004,829 shares, Mayberry Investments lost 43 cents to finish at $5.17, with 16,500 stock units passing through the market, NCB Financial Group fell to $132, after losing $1 and trading 42,183 stock units. 138 Student Living gained 49 cents to close at $5, with an exchange of 30 shares, Palace Amusement dropped $125 to end at $1,495 in an exchange of 13 units, Proven Investments lost 64 cents to settle at $38.50, in transferring 1,631 units, Sagicor Group lost 40 cents to close at $44.30, with investors swapping 35,333 shares. Scotia Group advanced by $3.75, ending at $50 while exchanging 47,493 shares, Seprod lost 89 cents to close at $55, with investors switching ownership of 2,229 stock units and Wisynco Group rose $1.34, in ending at $16.50, with 25,039 stock units changing hands.
Trading resulted in the same number of securities on Thursday and Friday changing hands with 31 each day and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 11 declining and seven remaining unchanged.
Iron Rock Insurance gained 12 cents to settle at $3, with an exchange of 6,681 units, ISP Finance dropped $3 to $12 with 100 shares clearing the market, Knutsford Express gained 5 cents to close at $6.90 with an exchange of 4,334 stock units. Lasco Distributors lost 7 cents, finishing at $3, exchanging 48,120 shares, Lasco Manufacturing shed 13 cents to settle at $3.52, in trading 49,975 stocks, Limners and Bards fell by 13 cents to end at $2.57, in exchanging 43,120 shares. Lumber Depot gained 5 cents to close at $1.09, in finishing with a transfer of 2,495,326 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 2 cents to settle at $2.08 trading 223,047 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 2 cents in closing at $5.58, with investors switching ownership of 10 stocks.
At the close of the market, trading ended similar to Thursday, with five securities changing hands and ended with the prices of one stock rising, three declining and one remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital Investment lost 0.49 of a cent to close at 8.5 US cents with investors switching ownership of 5,000 shares, Proven Investments gained 1.5 US cents, after ending at 27.5 US cents in exchanging 606 units. Sygnus Credit Investments declined by 1.5 US cents to close at 12 US cents trading 104,750 shares and Transjamaican Highway slipped 0.07 of a cent to 0.81 of a US cent, with 750,000 shares passing through the market.
The T&T Composite Index declined by 5.59 points to 1,318.36, The All T&T Index added 4.65 points to 1,801.51, while the Cross Listed Index fell by 2.18 points to close at 112.77.
Massy Holdings fell 31 cents to $58.69, after transferring 6,845 units, NCB Financial Group settled at $7.70, with a loss of 30 cents in an exchange of 500 units. One Caribbean Media shed 14 cents trading 2,000 units to finish at $5.06, Scotiabank closed 9 cents lower at $54.90, with 500 shares crossing the market and Trinidad and Tobago NGL lost 7 cents to close at $6.03, in exchanging 600 stock units.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 29 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 17 stocks rising, the prices of 10 stocks declining and four, with remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Honey Bun gained 38 cents to settle at $5.09 with 200 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas advanced 50 cents to close at $4.55 while exchanging 192 stocks, Knutsford Express lost 5 cents to finish at $6.85 with 1,100 stocks traded. Lasco Distributors increased 7 cents to end at $3.07 with 2,862 stock units passing through the market, Lasco Financial slipped 3 cents to $2.10 with investors transferring 22,581 shares Lasco Manufacturing advanced 12 cents to close at $3.65 with 123,555 stocks changing hands. Limners and Bards lost 17 cents to finish at $2.70 with an exchange of 7,432 stock units, Lumber Depot declined by 5 cents to settle at $1.04 with investors switching ownership 0f 58,541 shares, Mailpac Group traded 510,609 stock units and rose 1 cent to end at $2.06. Medical Disposables climbed 15 cents to $5.14 in an exchange of 50,000 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 2 cents to finish at $5.60 with investors transferring 1,200 stock units and tTech gained 5 cents to settle at $5.80 with 123 stocks crossing the exchange.
The average trade for the month to date ended at 211,084 units at $1,183,350 for each security, in contrast to 216,639 units at $1,203,718. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s 497,441 units at $3,201,918. 
First Rock Capital fell 75 cents to $12.45, with the swapping of 8,821 stock units, Jamaica Broilers gained 60 cents to end at $25.50 trading 7,334 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 60 cents to finish at $19, exchanging 5,121 units, Palace Amusement dropped $80 to close at $1,620, with investors switching ownership of just seven stock units, Proven Investments advanced $2.97 to $39.14 and clearing the market with 6,561 units. Salada Foods climbed $2.98 to $27.99, in an exchange of 56 stock units, Scotia Group declined $1.25 to settle at $46.25, with 101,459 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group dropped $1.19 to end at $15.16 trading 808,615 shares.
At the close of the market, trading ended with five securities changing hands compared to two on Wednesday and ended with the prices of one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Massy Holdings finished 95 cents higher at $59, trading 6,307 stock units and West Indian Tobacco climbed $1.39 to $36.40, with 814 units changing hands.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 3,653.98 points to 399,521.22. The Main Index fell by 3,312.47 points to 364,705.28, the JSE Financial Index shed 1.02 points to settle at 96.19.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Kingston Properties shed $1.10 to settle at $6.30 with investors swapping 50 units. Kingston Wharves jumped $6.90 to settle at $49.90 after 350 units crossed the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $8 to $155, in an exchange of 321 units, Portland JSX lost 48 cents in closing at $7.02 and trading 2,400 stock units. Proven Investments fell $1.82 to $36.17, with investors swapping 3,366 stock units, Salada Foods declined by $3.74 to $25.01, with an exchange of 6,979 stock units, Scotia Group shed 50 cents to settle at $47.50, in transferring 117,147 shares. Seprod rose to $55.89, after climbing $1.89 and exchanging 22,839 shares, Supreme Ventures gained 65 cents to close at $14, trading 24,670 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 47 cents to $17.97, with 26,303 shares changing hands.
