Market activity recorded a big bounce on Monday, from Friday’s very low level of trading and ended with the volume of stocks traded surging 121 percent and the value up 436 percent over Friday’s tepid levels, with more stocks falling than rising, at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,972.70 points to 430,747.05, the Main Index shed 1,779.46 points to 392,649.46 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.32 points to 98.47.
Trading ended with 48 securities, down from 49 on Friday and closed with prices of 11 stocks rising, 23 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 15.4.
The market closed with 20,114,270 shares trading for $48,738,713, up from 3,755,183 units at $22,081,750 on Friday. Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 72.1 percent of total volume for 14.50 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 8.6 percent for 1.72 million units and Salada Foods with 3.8 percent market share for 765,951 units.
Trading averaged 419,047 units at $1,015,390, compared to 76,636 shares at $450,648 on Friday. Month to date trading averaged 230,411 units at $987,324, in contrast to 191,717 units at $981,567 on Friday. Trading month to date compares to 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 50 cents to $86.50 with 8,094 shares changing hands, Berger Paints fell 88 cents to close at $12.31 in the swapping of 5 shares, Caribbean Cement gained 38 cents to end at $72 with a transfer of 9,741 stocks. Carreras lost 20 cents to finish at $8.80, with 188,295 units clearing the market, Eppley dropped $4.09 to end at $30 after exchanging 160 shares. First Rock Capital rose 54 cents to $16.55 with 1,002 stock units crossing the market, Grace Kennedy shed 70 cents to close at $87.20 in exchanging 25,206 stock units, Jamaica Broilers declined 50 cents to $28.50 with investors switching ownership of 44,922 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange dipped 49 cents to $18 trading 1,565 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities finished 62 cents lower at $7.18 after exchanging 9,100 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $1 to a 52 weeks’ low of $129 after a transfer of two units, Palace Amusement climbed $16.01 to $814 with an exchange of 193 stocks. 
Proven Investments gained 50 cents to end at $35.50 with 4,266 shares clearing the market, Sagicor Group declined $2.30 to end at $47.70 in trading 24,000 stock units, Salada Foods fell 20 cents to $5 with 765,951 units changing hands. Scotia Group fell 70 cents to $40 in switching ownership of 48,277 shares, Supreme Ventures rose 60 cents to $16.10 in the swapping of 17,031 units and Wisynco Group lost 60 cents to close at $15 trading 102,762 stock units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% gained 14 cents to close at $1.59 after an exchange of 8,442 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The Junior Market and the Main Market continue to get support from technical indicators that point to robust gains ahead. Added to the technical indicators is limited supply of shares for some companies. One such is Caribbean Cream that currently has few offers on the board, the same goes for Elite Diagnostic, Stationery and Office Supplies, Lasco Financial Main Event, ISP Financial, Cargo Handlers. In the Main Market, it’s Radio Jamaica and Berger Paints.
With interest rates on government paper below 5 percent and likely to remain there for a few years, the likelihood is for the average PE ratios to climb higher during the next twelve months.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 251 percent and 181 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2021-22 earnings. IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2022 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.
which led to sharply reduced activity rising of 55 percent fewer shares with a value that was 49 percent less than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
Trading averaged 76,636 units at $450,648, compared to 174,888 shares at $896,044 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 191,717 units at $981,567, in contrast to 222,197 units at $1,122,189 on Thursday. Trading month to date compares adversely to March with an average of 354,107 units at $2,572,127. 
Proven Investments fell 94 cents to $35 with 82 shares passing through the market, Sagicor Group declined by $1 to close at $50 with 13,238 units changing hands, Seprod climbed $1.40 to $73.50 with 5,127 shares traded. Supreme Ventures fell 60 cents to $15.50 with a transfer of 291,969 stocks and Wisynco Group gained 43 cents to finish at $15.60 with 36,182 units crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 233.35 points to 433,000.56, the JSE Main Index rose 213.26 points to 394,522.77 and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.02 points higher to 99.20.
Trading averaged 174,888 units at $896,044, compared to 251,043 shares at $1,365,250 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 222,197 units at $1,122,189, in contrast to 238,773 units at $1,201,422 on Wednesday. March closed with an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
NCB Financial declined $2.15 to $137.01 in exchanging 21,614 units, Palace Amusement climbed $47.99 to $797.99, with 59 stock units crossing the exchange, Proven Investments advanced $1.94 to $35.94, with 34,871 units changing hands. Sagicor Group advanced $1 to $51, with 149,134 stocks clearing the market. Scotia Group shed $1.01 to close at $40.75, with 22,768 stock units changing hands and Seprod fell 90 cents to $72.10 in trading 4,269 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 749.69 points to 432,767.21, the Main Index shed 681.03 points to 394,309.51 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.32 points to 99.18.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Proven Investments gained 30 cents to end at $34 with 14,564 units crossing the market, Sagicor Group declined $1 to $50 with the transfer of 44,058 shares. Scotia Group shed 24 cents to $41.76 after exchanging 414,769 stocks, Supreme Ventures advanced $1 to $16 in trading 227,034 stock units and Wisynco Group gained 32 cents to close at $15.35 with 154,453 units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 2,556.74 points to close at 433,516.90, the Main Index declined 2,363.72 points to 394,990.54 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.60 points to settle at 99.50.
Month to date trading averaged 232,155 units at $1,113,065 in contrast to an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232 for March.
Palace Amusement climbed $74.35 to end at $799 in exchanging 160 stocks. Salada Foods shed 48 cents to $5.32 with an exchange of 573,683 shares, Scotia Group advanced $1.40 to $42 after transferring 301,254 stock units and Seprod fell $2 in closing at $73 in trading 16,367 units.
The top three stocks in the Junior Market are now SOS, followed by Elite Diagnostic Main Event and Jetcon Corporation. The top three Main Market stocks are Radio Jamaica, followed by PanJam and VM Investments. The top three junior Market stocks have the potential to gain between 295 to 318 percent and those in the main market with expected gains of 173 to 452 percent.
This week’s focus: Future Energy Source Company Initial Public Offer of 500 million shares, that ICInsider.com indicated last week should be snapped up quickly by investors, with the company having long-term prospects for strong growth, did just that. NCB Capital Markets, the brokers for the issue, reported on Thursday that the issue, priced at 80 cents per share and opened on Wednesday, closed on Thursday after another Junior Market IPO issue was oversubscribed. The successful closure of the issue will see the number of listed companies rising to 42 from the current 41.
The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating 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 5.4 at just 55 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 trades at a PE of 7.4 or 50 percent of the PE of that market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,214.49 points to 436,073.64, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,694.71 points to 397,354.26 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.47 points to settle at 100.10.
Trading averaged 223,243 units at $734,494, compared to 358,011 shares at $2,776,372 on Wednesday. March closed with an average of 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
NCB Financial declined $1.50 to $137.50 with the swapping of 8,595 stock units, Palace Amusement jumped $84.65 to $724.65 after exchanging 61 shares, PanJam Investment fell $3 to $62.50 with the transfer of 21,432 stocks. Proven Investments shed $1.30 to close at $33.70 after 1,955 stock units crossed the exchange, Sagicor Group fell 88 cents to $51 in exchanging 59,338 stocks. Salada Foods ended 95 cents lower at $5.80 with 490,267 shares changing hands, Scotia Group slid 92 cents to $40.60 trading 11,420 stock units, Seprod climbed $5.30 to settle at $75 in exchanging 28,048 units and Supreme Ventures shed 51 cents to $14.89 in the swapping of 13,785 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 2,324.91 points to 432,859.15, the Main Index rose 2,055.33 points to 394,659.55 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.40 points to settle at 99.63.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has twelve stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Proven Investments shed 90 cents to close at $35 with an exchange of 11,160 stocks, Sagicor Group advanced $1.89 to close at $51.88 in trading 480,479 shares, Salada Foods rose $1.30 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.75 with a transfer of 13,442 stocks, Scotia Group gained 37 cents to close at $41.52 trading 46,641 units. Supreme Ventures rose 40 cents to close at $15.40 with the swapping of 180,570 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments declined 47 cents to $14.50 trading 34,579 units, Victoria Mutual Investments advanced 44 cents to $5.89 with the swapping of 122,135 shares, Wisynco Group shed 34 cents to close at $15.11 in exchanging 62,400 shares.
Trading averaged 739,966 units at $5,962,582, up from an average of 279,882 shares at $2,106,961 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 354,133 units at $2,532,457, up from 338,336 units at $2,392,022 on Monday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660. 
NCB Financial rose $1.50 to $140 in exchanging 8,370 shares, Proven Investments gained $1.90 to $35.90 trading 53,710 stock units. Sagicor Group advanced 49 cents to $49.99 with the swapping of 7,945 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1.11 to $8.31 after a transfer of 300 stocks, Salada Foods jumped $1.05 to a record close of $5.45, trading 41,837 stock units. Seprod shed $1.50 to close at $69.60 in an exchange of 7,052 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 37 cents in ending at $14.97 trading 90,548 units and Wisynco Group fell 25 cents to $15.45 after a transfer of 20,763 shares.