17 new highs for JSE stocks on Thursday

Bulls pushed the stock market hard on Thursday, with the all market indices surging to new record highs on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with 17 securities ending at new 52 weeks’ closing highs.
The market closed Thursday, as 48 securities changed hands in the overall market, ending with 26 stocks rising and 12 falling, including 16 stocks gaining and 3 declining, in the junior market.
The All Jamaica Composite Index surged 7,266.97 points to close at record 256,749.20, the JSE Market Index jumped 6,497.96 points to finish at record close of 227,455.97 and the JSE combined index climbed sharply by 6,919.27 points, to close at new closing high of 248,994.38. The movement of the main market, for the year to date, resulted to gains of 22.2 percent, for the all Jamaica Composite Index, with the JSE Market Index up 18.7 percent. The moves in the indices are subject to change as the stock exchange daily postings indicate that there are errors in the reports since the new trading system was activated on Monday.
At the close, 13,502,301 units valued at $265,917,085 changed hands, compared to $146,199,269 units valued at $265,917,085 changing hands on Wednesday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 7,916,160 units valued at over $42,290,565.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 200,657 shares compared to an average of 355,210 units on Wednesday. For the month to date, an average of 188,419 shares traded compared to an average of 176,182 units up to the prior trading day. January ended with an average of 592,602 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
In market activity, Berger Paints advanced $1.75 to a new 52 weeks’ high of $12, while trading 6,101 shares, Cable and Wireless lost 3 cents to close at $1.14 with trades of 273,176 units, Caribbean Cement closed at $32 with an exchange of 124,119 shares. Carreras traded 18,307 units, gaining 24 cents and closed at $66.99, Investors pushed 1834 Investments up by 16 cents to close at $1.86 in trading 28,194 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $40, in losing 65 cents with trades of 33,486 units. Jamaica Broilers gained 25 cents with an exchange of 21,495 shares to close at 52 weeks’ high of $16.25, Jamaica Producers advanced $1.50 to close at 52 weeks’ high of $21 with 37,466 units changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 60 cents to close at 52 weeks’ high of $10.60 with 21,813 shares traded. JMMB Group lost 1 cent to close at $19.99 with 61,718 units traded, Kingston Wharves closed at $30 with trades of 8,200 units, Mayberry Investments lost 10 cents to close at $5.80 with 251,786 shares changing hands, National Commercial Bank fell by $1, closing at $64 after swapping 425,055 shares. 138 Student Living traded 6,277 units at $4.50, Pan Jamaican advanced $1.02 trading 22,345 shares and closed at 52 weeks’ high of $35.02, Pulse Investments added 1 cent to close at $7.01 with 38,925 units changing hands. Radio Jamaica lost 10 cents and closed at $1.40 trading 806,081 units, after trading as high as $1.70, Sagicor Group gained $2, closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $35, with trades of 13,935 units, Sagicor Real Estate climbed to $10.50, by gaining 30 cents with an exchange of 2,438,682 units. Scotia Group ended trading with gains of $3.51 closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $47.51 having traded 206,153 shares, Scotia Investments closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $41.41 with gains of $5.41, after trading 60,100 units, Seprod closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $31 with trades of just 130 units. Supreme Ventures added 4 cents to close at $5.54 with 105,474 shares traded, Proven Investments traded 569,727 ordinary shares to close with a gain of 4 cents at a 52 weeks’ high of 35 US cents and JMMB Group 7.5 preference share closed at $2.06, a gain of 2 cents with 3,296 units exchanged.