The All Jamaica and the Junior Market indices closed the week higher than the previous week but with the Junior Market trading at its lowest since early June this year. The Main Market index which includes overseas companies, slipped back during the week. Stocks measured by the All Jamaica Index recorded gains of 4,565 points from the end of October in the past week and traded at a near two months high and have been flashing bullish signals with a sharp breakout looking very likely.
Some positives are visible in the market, with a sharp decline in the volume of some stocks being sold. Scotia Group is one such stock, as it approaches the release of full year results and an announcement on dividends, but buying interest is currently low keyed. The stock trades at an extremely low PE of 5.7 times projected 2023 earnings. AMG Packaging trades at 6.5 times 2024 earnings with a very limited supply of stocks on offer.
Even as the Main Market index rose in the past week, winners were hard to find the Main Market ICTOP10, with the highest riser up just 3 percent as Key Insurance dropped 20 percent to $2, followed by Palace Amusement down 14 percent to $1.12 and Sygnus Credit Investments declining 7 percent to $11.11.
The Junior Market has 6 stocks gaining, with Iron Rock Insurance jumping 20 percent to $2.65, Express Catering rallying 7 percent to $4 and AMG Packaging rising 4 percent to $2.59 while Caribbean Creamfell 16 percent to $3.10.
There was just one new addition to the ICTOP10 with a listing for the Junior Market with Access Financial dropping out of the list and replaced by Honey Bun, with projected earnings per share of 70 cents for the fiscal year ended September and $1 for 2024.
Indications of where stock prices could be by May 2024 can be seen from stocks with the highest values in the Main and Junior Markets.
The average PE for the JSE Main Market ICTOP 10 stands at 5, well below the market average of 12.9. The Main Market ICTOP10 is projected to gain an average of 302 percent by May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings and now provides better values than the Junior Market.
In the Main Market ICTOP 10, a total of 15 of the most highly valued stocks representing 31 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 108, with an average of 29 and 19 excluding the highest PE ratios, and a PE of 23 for the top half and 20 excluding the stocks with overweight values.
The PE of the Junior Market TOP10 sits at 6.9, over half of the market, with an average of 13.1. There are 15 stocks, or 30 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 49, averaging 20 that are well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 18, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, with the market projected to rise by 200 percent on or around May 2024.
Of import is that the averages of both markets are now converging around a PE of 20 for close to a third of the market, as the year is coming to a close and with more information available on the full year’s earnings.
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 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 and result 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.
Trading slipped to a mere 6,383,376 shares being exchanged for just $32,170,003 down from 16,736,165 units at $57,402,800 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
Proven Investments shed $1.48 to end at $22.01 in an exchange of 15,848 shares, Sagicor Group popped 95 cents in closing at $41.95 with traders dealing in 175,260 units, Scotia Group gained $1.14 and ended at $33.99 after an exchange of 5,240 stocks. Seprod dipped $3.89 to $74, with 27,420 stock units crossing the market, Supreme Ventures rose 49 cents in closing at $26.99 in switching ownership of 11,913 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments fell 64 cents to end at $11.11 after exchanging 20,349 units.
Jamaica Public Service 7% shed $1 to close at $45, with 198 stocks clearing the market and JMMB Group 7% preference share lost 36 cents and ended at $2.04 with a transfer of 3,435 stock units.
Investors traded 4,811,921 shares for $11,579,633 compared with 20,658,101 units at $44,997,586 on Thursday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Jamaican Teas lost 10 cents to close at $2.38 after 115 stocks crossed the exchange, JFP Ltd declined 17 cents to $1.41 with investors trading 290,287 units, KLE Group rose 15 cents to $1.64 while exchanging 11 stock units. Knutsford Express gained 19 cents in closing at $12.94 after a transfer of 933 shares, Limners and Bards shed 14 cents to end at $1.60 as investors traded 12,021 stock units, Lumber Depot dropped 18 cents to close at $2.39 with a transfer of 37,032 stocks. MFS Capital Partners rallied 38 cents to $2.48 after exchanging 70,032 units, 
Regency Petroleum fell 24 cents to close at $2.25 with investors transferring 1,064,663 stocks and Spur Tree Spices skidded 19 cents to end at $2.30 after an exchange of 39,063 shares.
Overall, 37,877 shares were traded, for US$2,504 compared with 826,627 units at US$14,407 on Thursday. Trading on Friday averaged 6,313 units at US$417, versus 165,325 shares at US$2,881 on Thursday down from November with an average of 249,102 units for US$14,204.
Sterling Investments ended at 1.6 US cents after trading 12,626 shares and Transjamaican Highway popped 0.02 of a cent to end trading at 1.71 US cents with stakeholders exchanging 21,144 units.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index popped 366.08 points to close at 328,951.43, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,439.55 points to end the final month of the year at 351,375.40, the JSE Main Index rose 521.37 points to close at 315,669.00. The Junior Market Index after it surged 76.62 points on Thursday, dipped 14.05 points to close at 3,757.04 on Friday as trading fell sharply in the market to start the final month of the year of trading negatively and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 1.01 points to wrap-up trading for the week at 226.85.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.8 on 2022-23 earnings and 14 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Trading ended after 16,736,165 shares were traded for $57,402,800 compared to 9,982,907 units at $279,360,313 on Wednesday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,968.81 points to 349,935.85, the JSE Main Index climbed 1,982.67 points to conclude trading at 315,147.63 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.40 points to end trading at 68.40.
Kingston Wharves climbed $1.95 to end at $28.45 after an exchange of 505 shares, Margaritaville dipped 40 cents to $17 after 25 stocks were traded. Massy Holdings rose $1.40 to end at $90 with an exchange of 1,574 units, NCB Financial advanced $1.20 in closing at $69.20 with, 38,317 stock units changing hands, 138 Student Living shed 31 cents to close at $3.91 in trading 12,055 shares. Pan Jamaica popped $3.75 and ended at $49, with 64,091 stock units crossing the exchange, Proven Investments gained 99 cents to close at $23.49 after a transfer of 873 stocks, Seprod rallied $5.79 and ended at $77.89 while exchanging 60,013 units. Supreme Ventures popped 50 cents in closing at $26.50, as 120,308 stocks passed through the market and Wisynco Group rallied 31 cents to close at $20 as investors exchanged 327,965 shares.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rose 51 cents to end at $107, with 10,581 stock units clearing the market.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 76.62 points to lock up trading at 3,771.09 with the market closing 91.78 points lower than the October close and is down 5.4 percent for the year to date.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.4, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2024.
ISP Finance rallied 50 cents to close at $31.50, with a mere 2 stocks clearing the market, JFP Ltd increased 18 cents to $1.58 after exchanging 1,011,951 stock units, Knutsford Express climbed 55 cents to close at $12.75 with investors dealing in 24,601 shares. Lasco Distributors popped 20 cents and ended at $4.10 with a transfer of 31,102 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 30 cents to end at $4.20 after an exchange of 16,971 units, Lumber Depot advanced 18 cents in closing at $2.57 with shareholders swapping 18,272 stock units. Main Event fell 35 cents to $13.55 and closed after an exchange of 11,214 stock units, MFS Capital Partners rose 9 cents to close at $2.10 with traders dealing in 169,754 shares, Paramount Trading gained 22 cents in closing at $1.70 after switching 11,000 stocks. 
Regency Petroleum rallied 20 cents to end at $2.49 after 3,431,680 units changed hands, Spur Tree Spices rose 24 cents and ended at $2.49 as investors exchanged 3,151,885 stock units and tTech advanced 12 cents to $2.22 in trading 11 shares.
The JSE Combined Market Index popped 2,530.12 points to finish at 328,585.35, at the same time the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,968.81 points to 349,935.85, the JSE Main Index rallied 1,982.67 points to 315,147.63. The Junior Market Index surged 76.62 points to lock up trading at 3,771.09 and the JSE USD Market Index lost 0.40 points to end at 227.86.
In the preference segment, there were no stocks trading with notable price movements.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Overall, 9,982,907 shares were traded at $279,360,313 compared with 5,126,354 units at $42,703,699 on Tuesday.
the JSE Main Index gained 939.00 points to close at 313,164.96 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.70 points to 68.00.
Kingston Properties rose 49 cents to $7.49 after investors exchanged 63,164 units. Kingston Wharves declined $1.95 to close at $26.50 with stakeholders exchanging 2,398 stocks, NCB Financial gained $1 to end at $68 in trading 20,469 stock units, Pan Jamaica lost $4.30 in closing at $45.25, with 3,329 shares crossing the market. Proven Investments skidded $2.54 and ended at $22.50 after an exchange of 200 stocks, Seprod fell $3.23 to $72.10 in switching ownership of 1,243 units and Supreme Ventures dropped 50 cents to close at $26 as investors exchanged 151,520 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 70 cents and ended at $6.20 after 87 shares crossed the market and 138 Student Living preference share rallied $17.21 to close at $106.49 after an exchange of 39 stocks.
Overall, 22,289,394 shares were traded, for US$1,286,713 compared to 132,328 units at US$8,195 on Tuesday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share inched 0.2 of a cent higher to 4.44 US cents after an exchange of 19,350,000 units, Margaritaville rose 1.79 cent to close at 13.79 US cents after a mere one stock passed through the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy ended at 57 US cents with 1,187 shares changing hands, Proven Investments ended at 15 US cents after an exchange of 2,771,930 stock units, Sterling Investments advanced 0.1 of a cent to end at 1.6 US cents after 1,206 shares were traded, Sygnus Credit Investments remained at 8.71 US cents in an exchange of 65,266 units and Transjamaican Highway popped 0.01 of a cent to 1.56 US cents, with 99,804 stocks changing hands.
