Having fallen badly in the previous week, the Junior Market rallied a solid 5.2 percent the past week to end up above 3,800 points on Thursday and Friday and the Main Market rose 1.2 percent to close out the week, with the Junior Market ICTOP 10 blazing a trail with some lofty gains and the Main Market posting just two stocks with notable gains and a few losses of size, with one new stock entering the TOP10.
Other than the b moves in the TOP10, the market got some good news this past week. For one Jamaica Broilers reported positive full year results that were helped by a $2.3 billion one off gain, excluding those gains normal profits would have been in the order of $4.80 when taxes relating to the capital gains are excluded. The other positive news is that the Bank of Jamaica will officially start to ease the tight monetary policy pursued over the past three years. In reality, they commenced easing in early May, with CD rates falling from 11.59 percent in early April to mostly under 10 percent during June.
The other news of worth is that GDP growth for the March quarter was 1.4 percent, but that reflects a slowdown from last year and an even slower December quarter that was 1.7 percent. The latest GPD data and other available information suggest the evidence of a slow down. These include reduced first quarter results of several companies and a decline in tourist arrivals in the second quarter, suggesting that the second quarter is likely to grow at an even slower pace than the first. The positive take from any economic slowdown is that the tight monetary policy that the country is in will be eased further.
JSE Main Market had three winners and four losers. The Junior Market ended with six winners and three losers.
The Junior Market ICTOP10 saw Dolla Financial surging 30 percent to $3 followed by Consolidated Bakeries’ big recovery from last week’s big 28 percent fall and ended with a gain of 28 percent to $1.98, Access Financial gained 15 percent to end at $21.93, Caribbean Cream popped 7 percent to $3.80 and Stationery and Office Supplies rose 7 percent to close at $1.70. Declining stocks include Caribbean Assurance Brokers down 13 percent to close at $3.31 and tTech falling 9 percent to $2.10.
JMMB Group was the star performer in the Main Market TOP10, climbing 13 percent to $25.10 and Berger Paints was up 6 percent in closing at $8.52. Declining stocks are 138 Student Living and Pulse Investments dipping 6 percent to $3.86 and $1.50 respectively and Guardian Holdings dropped 4 percent to close at $345.
Dolla Financial with a 30 percent surge, dropped out of the ICTOP10 for the week and is replaced by One Great Studio.
One Great Studio was listed in September 2023 at $1 per share, the price has since slipped to a low of 80 cents per share following first quarter profit that fell 55 percent to $10 million from $23 million in 2023, following a fall in revenues from $115 million to $91 million.
The principal activities of the Group are to provide search engine optimisation, web design and development and software development services, with clients based in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and other countries. The company is looking to add other services by way of a possible acquisition in the future to benefit from synergies.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5.1, well below the market average of 13.9 and the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 6.7, just over half of the market, with an average of 13.3.
The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 303 percent by May 2025, based on 2024 forecasted earnings and providing better values than the Junior Market with the potential to achieve 215 percent over the same period.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 17 of the most highly valued stocks representing 33 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 102, with an average of 30 and 19 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 24 for the top half and 16 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
In the Junior Market IC TOP10 are 14 stocks, or 30 percent of the market, with PEs ranging from 15 to 53, averaging 21, well above the market’s average. The average PE for the top half of the market is 18, possibly the lowest fair value measure for stocks currently.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but this is not always so. 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 will likely deliver the best returns on or around May 2025 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.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,166.41 points to close at 358,136.59, the JSE Main Index rose 1,525.91 points to close trading at 318,919.87 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.56 points to close at 66.85.
Caribbean Producers popped 60 cents to end at $9.60 with investors trading 878,024 units, Eppley fell $2.38 to close at $36.50, with 1,125 shares crossing the exchange, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $2.99 to finish at $40 in trading 291 units. Guardian Holdings shed $5 and ended at $345 after 346 stocks passed through the market, Jamaica Broilers rose $2.50 to $35.50 with an exchange of 819,391 stock units, Jamaica Producers advanced 50 cents to finish at $25 with 142,941 shares clearing the market. Kingston Wharves dropped 49 cents in closing at $26 as investors exchanged 82,906 stock units, Mayberry Group lost 69 cents to close at $7.31 after a transfer of 324 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities slipped 49 cents to end at $9 in the trading of 40,000 units. NCB Financial sank $1.16 to end at a multiyear closing low of $54.84 after an exchange of 30,415 stocks and trading as low as $52.90, 
Pan Jamaica declined $4.47 to finish at $46 with investors trading 360,819 shares, Sagicor Group climbed 50 cents and ended at $41 after an exchange of 93,948 stock units. Seprod popped $7.90 in closing at $87.90 after 54,417 units raced across the market and Supreme Ventures climbed $2.90 to end at $26 in an exchange of 1,563,786 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,447,374 shares for US$79,036 compared to 245,101 units at US$5,275 on Thursday.
Proven Investments rose 0.55 of one cent to close at 13 US cents in switching ownership of 27,407 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 0.25 of a cent to end at 6.75 US cents with investors dealing in 9,832 stocks and Transjamaican Highway rallied 0.11 of a cent in closing at 2.09 US cents after 1,350,865 units crossed the market.
The market closed with a 159 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded, with a 26 percent rise in value over Thursday with trading of 50,135,125 shares for $113,211,858 up from 19,386,471 units at $89,851,378 on Thursday.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $1.18 to end at $21.93 in switching ownership of 2,505 stock shares, AMG Packaging popped 12 cents to $3.29, with 16,168 shares changing hands, Blue Power rallied 49 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.38 as 470,096 stocks passed through the market. Caribbean Assurance Brokers skidded 44 cents and ended at $3.31 in trading 5,953 units, Consolidated Bakeries increased 9 cents in closing at $1.98 with just 6 shares clearing the market, Derrimon Trading rose 7 cents to close at $2.27 with investors dealing in 111,331 stocks. Dolla Financial gained 58 cents to close at $3 in an exchange of 11,327,707 units, with the price hitting a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $3.05, before pulling back. Edufocal ended trading 2,187,391 at a 52 weeks’ closing low of 56 cents but traded as low as 51 cents as the price slipped by 2 cents at the close. Fosrich advanced 9 cents and ended at $2.39 in trading 2,582,919 stock units, Future Energy popped 40 cents in closing at $3.65 after a transfer of 4,638,302 shares. 
Honey Bun lost 12 cents to finish at $8.87 with investors swapping 23,909 units, Indies Pharma gained 14 cents to end at $2.79 after an exchange of 426,862 stocks, ISP Finance rose $4.99 to close at $29.95, with 10,795 stock units crossing the market. Knutsford Express dipped $1.47 to close at $10 with investors trading 106 shares, Lasco Financial rallied 25 cents to finish at $1.95 in an exchange of 2,723,094 units, Limners and Bards sank 12 cents and ended at $1.55 after 500 stocks changed hands. Main Event slipped 19 cents to close at $12.50 after an exchange of 510 stock units, Paramount Trading fell 16 cents in closing at $1.15, with 58,293 shares crossing the market, Regency Petroleum increased 16 cents to end at $2.45 with an exchange of 2,324,619 stock units. Spur Tree Spices shed 10 cents in closing at $2.30, with 276,471 stocks crossing the exchange and tTech declined 39 cents to $2.10 with traders dealing in 1,715 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 1,723.87 points to 332,526.55, the All Jamaican Composite Index increased 3,166.41 points to 358,136.59, the JSE Main Index climbed 1,525.91 points to close trading at 318,919.87. The Junior Market Index popped 37.12 points to 3,843.23, fractionally higher than the close in June and the JSE USD Market Index rallied 1.70 points to settle at 236.67.
In the Junior Market, Dolla Financial led trading with 11.33 million shares followed by Express Catering with 5.20 million units, Omni Industries was next with 5.12 million stocks, Future Energy ended with 4.64 million shares, Lasco Financial closed with 2.72 million stock units and Jetcon Corporation with 2.63 million units.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and place them on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
Trading ended with an exchange of 257,576 shares at $2,612,858 versus 207,388 stock units at $4,103,821 on Thursday.
Calypso Macro Investment Fund slipped 1 cent in closing at $23.99 with just 3 stock units clearing the market, First Citizens Group closed at $42.50 following trading of 2,069 shares, FirstCaribbean International Bank fell 4 cents to end at $6.90, with 53,350 stock units passing through the exchange. GraceKennedy ended at $3.55 with a transfer of 1,391 units, Guardian Holdings skidded 88 cents to $16 after an exchange of 2,161 stocks, JMMB Group lost 3 cents and ended at $1.21 with investors trading 3,000 shares. Massy Holdings slipped 3 cents to end at $4.02 with 121,434 stocks passing through the market, National Enterprises remained at $3.34 with investors dealing in 4,577 units, NCB Financial advanced 8 cents to finish at $2.75 after an exchange of 40,000 stock units.
One Caribbean Media ended at $3.68 with investors trading 6,948 shares, Prestige Holdings shed 3 cents to close at $12.82, with 470 units crossing the market, Republic Financial dropped $1.95 in to $115.55 with an exchange of 8,399 stocks. Scotiabank popped 5 cents to finish at $65.25, with investors trading 232 stock units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL slipped 3 cents to end at $7 as investors exchanged 1,236 shares, Trinidad Cement gained 7 cents to close at $2.97 with 4,136 stocks passing through the market. Unilever Caribbean remained at $11.25 with investors swapping 6 stocks and West Indian Tobacco ended at $8.50, with 1,049 units changing hands.
The market closed with an exchange of 245,101 shares for US$5,275 compared to 137,354 units at US$22,495 on Wednesday.
Sterling Investments dipped 0.01 of a cent and ended at 1.53 US cents with 8,930 stock units crossing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 1 cent to finish at 7 US cents in an exchange of 1,829 units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share shed 0.87 of one cent to close at 10.12 US cents after 196 stocks passed through the market and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.02 of a cent to 1.98 US cents after 225,515 shares crossed the exchange.
The market closed with 13,687,861 shares being traded for $100,043,332 compared to 13,147,467 stock units at $113,060,902 on Wednesday.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.9. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts done by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Scotia Group climbed $1 to end at $45 with 86,230 shares clearing the market. Supreme Ventures dropped 89 cents to end at $23.10 in an exchange of 34,131 units and Wisynco Group popped 66 cents and ended at $21.22 with investors trading 40,955 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed on Thursday with an exchange of 19,386,471 shares at $89,851,378 up from 13,584,564 units at $21,955,901 on Wednesday.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2, based on last traded prices and earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial year ending around August 2025.
Honey Bun gained 69 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $8.99 after an exchange of 8,079,113 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 28 cents to end at $2.18 with investors trading just one stock unit, Jetcon Corporation advanced 10 cents in closing at 95 cents in an exchange of 921,548 shares. Knutsford Express popped 37 cents and ended at $11.47, with 10,000 stock units crossing the market, Omni Industries rose 10 cents to finish at $1.20 in switching ownership of 44,862 units and Paramount Trading climbed 11 cents to close at $1.31 after an exchange of 34,285 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 1,917.96 points to 330,802.68, the All Jamaican Composite Index skidded 2,566.82 points to 354,970.18, the JSE Main Index fell 2,262.58 points to conclude trading at 317,393.96. The Junior Market Index advanced by 34.92 points to 3,806.11 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 1.23 points to wrap up trading at 234.97.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% sank $6.49 to close at $41.50. JMMB Group 7% preference share slipped 90 cents to $2.34 and 138 Student Living preference share rallied $44.71 in closing at $180.45.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and place them on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
