Trading in Jamaica’s foreign exchange market saw US$4.7 million more funds flowing out of the market than the amount entering on Wednesday but the Jamaican dollar held against the US and gained against others. At the close of trading, the equivalent of US$32,919,431 was bought by dealers, compared with US$38,773,432 on Tuesday, while they sold the equivalent of US$37,604,938 versus US$32,724,247 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$30,545,842 compared to US$33,795,098 on Tuesday. The buying rate for the US dollar decline 4 cents to $119.28 and US$35,916,393 was sold versus US$30,120,276 on Tuesday, the selling rate was unchanged at $119.87. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 73 cents to end at $87.47 with dealers buying C$1,021,907 and selling C$938,883, at an average rate that shed 29 cents to $89.30. The rate for buying the British Pound fell $1.64 to $177.97 for the purchase of £1,041,355, while £499,144 was sold, with the rate falling 98 cents to $179.59. At the end of trading, it took J$127.55 to purchase the Euro, a rise of 27 cents from Tuesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$125.05 for an increase of 39 cents from Tuesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$70,476 being bought, while US$241,278 was sold.
Highs & Lows| On Wednesday, the highest buying rate for the US dollar rose 12 cents to $120.10, the lowest buying rate was unchanged at $98.66 and the highest selling rate remained at $126.42. 
The lowest selling rate jumped $18.34 to $117. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar rose 40 cents to end at $91.40, the lowest buying rate gained 25 cents to $71.63, the highest selling rate is up 9 cents to at $92.34 and the lowest selling rate ended higher by 50 cents to $85.50. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, dropped $1.50 to end at $180.50. The lowest buying rate increased by 33 cents to $145.25, the highest selling rate dropped $2.69 to $184.23 and the lowest selling rate rose $1 to end at $175.
Archives for November 2015
J$ firm vs US up on others – Wednesday
Jamaica stock market pulls back – Wednesday
Pan Jam closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $95 on Wednesday.
A total of 18 securities rose and 10 declined with 5 stocks ending at 52 weeks’ closing highs and one stock closed at a 52 weeks’ low. The JSE Market Index declined 593.00 points to 139,946.79, the all Jamaica Composite Index lost 662.71 points to end at 155,354.72 and the JSE combined index fell by 902.50 points to end at 145,917.85.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with lower offers.
In trading, Berger Paints had 12,000 units changing hands at $3.70, Cable and Wireless closed with 1,325,036 units changing hands at $1.42 and gained of 2 cents. Caribbean Cement rebounded by $1.50 to $18 with 455,039 shares changing hands, Carreras closed at $59 with 18,454 units trading but by the close the stock was on offer at $56 to sell 37,012 units.
Ciboney had 1,186,460 units trading, to close at 16 cents for a 52 weeks’ high, but the stock closed with the bid at 16 cents to buy 1,813,540 shares as investor push to price up to levels not seen since 2004, when it traded at 32 cents. Desnoes & Geddes ended with 33,392 shares trading at $30, Jamaica Broilers traded 4,062,932 shares with the price rising 41 cents to close at $8.60. Jamaica Producers fell 82 cents while trading 5,000 shares to end at $29, The Jamaica Stock Exchange had 2,127 shares changing hands with a rise of 7 cents, to end at $13.28, JMMB Group fell by 62 cents while trading 33,991 shares to close at $10.20. Kingston Wharves ended with 10,720 shares changing hands at $11.47 for 2 cents decline, Mayberry Investments closed with 61,991 units trading with a fall of 80 cents and ended at $4, National Commercial Bank closed with a rise of 1 cent as 11,282 shares changed hands to end at $37.01.
Pan Jamaican Investments jumped to a new 52 weeks’ high of $95 with 3,000 units changing hands, but at the close the stock was on offer at $90 with 6,268. Pulse Investments traded 30,000 shares and ended at $3.65 after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $3.67, Sagicor Group lost 50 cents in trading 905,656 units at $16.50 at the close, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended with 1,176,791 shares trading with a rise of 25 cents at $10. Scotia Group had 97,148 shares changing hands and closed with a fall of 65 cents to $26.35 and Proven Investments ended at 22.9 US cents with 67,750 changing hands.
Juniors slip again on Wednesday
Knutsford Express ended at a new all-time high of $8.20
The market ended with 3 new 52 weeks’ closing highs and one 52 weeks closing low. Only 3 securities ended with no bids to buy and 10 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 4 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 3 closed with lower offers.
In trading, AMG Packaging traded 1,130 units at $6, C2W Music ended up with 41,000 units changing hands at a loss of 2 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of 37 cents, Cargo Handlers ended with 755 shares changing hands, for a gain of 80 cents and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $36, Caribbean Cream had 6,866 units changing hands and recovered 80 cents of the fall of $1.01 on Tuesday, to end at $4.30, Caribbean Flavours gained 27 cents in trading 7,574 units to end at $6.57. Caribbean Producers lost 50 cents in trading 715,339 units to end at $5. Consolidated Bakeries rose 5 cents at the close, to end at $1.40 with 33,814 units changing hands, Derrimon Trading ended with 4,211 units changing hands at $3.50 but was offered at $3.45 at the close, General Accident ended with 12,900 shares changing hands and closed at $1.90. Honey Bun with 17,265 shares changing hands and closed at $5,
Jamaican Teas had 500,000 shares trading at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $4.65, after rising by 35 cents, Knutsford Express rose 70 cents in trading 150,000 units at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $8.20. Lasco Distributors closed with 177,942 shares changing hands, to end with a loss of 21 cents at $4.11, Lasco Financial gained 14 cents to end at $3, with a total of 217,882 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing closed with a rise of 21 cents to $3.71 with 960,001 shares trading and Medical Disposables ended with 822,514 shares changing hands but lost 40 cents to end at $3.
Confidence Vote in Xfund & more
Hotel property owned by Sagicor Real Estate Fund
Most recent reports show that a director of Sagicor Real Estate X Fund demonstrated strong faith in the future of the company, by purchasing 121,500 shares on November 20 at $9.90. The fund reported consolidated net profit attributable to stockholders of $1.04 billion for the nine months to September or 63 cents per share with net profit for the September quarter ending at $349 million or 17 cents per share. The quarterly results include capital gains on financial assets and liabilities of $279 million and $746 million for the year to date. The net asset at the end of September amounts to $6.83 with the selling at a premium of 46 percent above net assets.
Elsewhere, at Caribbean Flavours connected parties, purchased 212,000 units of the company’s shares on November 17 at $5, the stock last traded at $6.30 and should go higher with recent results showing growth in profits.
Insiders purchased NCB shares recently.
Lasco Financial Services that is expanding into new areas, saw a connected party purchasing 393,189 shares between November 5 and 23. At Sagicor Group an Executive and two Officers collectively purchased 497,634 of the company’s shares under the Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme on November 16 and 17, but on November 18 an Executive sold 365,400 shares.
Not all insiders were buyers, as Kingston Wharves advised that connected parties sold 12,523 units of its shares on November 17 and 18, while at Mayberry Investments connected parties purchased 4,058,034 units of the company’s shares while a related party sold 3,500,000 units on November 17 and a connected party purchased 127,443 shares on November 18.
Caribbean Cream informed the stock exchange that a connected party sold 750,000 shares between October 28 to 30, while a related party purchased 2,895 shares on October 16.
J$ almost firm vs US on Tuesday
Trading of foreign currencies in Jamaica’s foreign exchange market saw US$6 million more funds flowing out of the market than the amount that entered on Tuesday leading to slippage in the rate for the Jamaican dollar against the US and the Canadian dollars. At the close of trading, the equivalent of US$38,773,432 was bought by dealers, compared with US$40,009,733 on Monday, while they sold the equivalent of US$32,724,247 versus US$32,908,156 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$33,795,098 compared to US$36,075,775 on Monday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 13 cents to $119.32 and US$30,120,276 was sold versus US$30,594,536 on Monday, the selling rate gained 1 cent to end at $119.87.
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 75 cents to end at $88.20 with dealers buying C$2,410,829 and selling C$2,031,958, at an average rate that gained 68 cents to $89.59. The rate for buying the British Pound rallied by $2.17 to $179.60 for the purchase of £2,018,586, while £659,747 was sold, with the rate falling 30 cents to $180.57. At the end of trading, it took J$127.28 to purchase the Euro, a fall of 70 cents from Monday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$124.66 for a decline $1.14 from Monday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$157,681 being bought, while US$91,605 was sold.
Highs & Lows| On Tuesday, the highest buying rate for the US dollar lost 12 cents to $119.98, the lowest buying rate gained 9 cents to $98.66, the highest selling rate remained at $126.42.
The lowest selling rate rose 9 cents to $98.66. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar rose 70 cents to end at $91, the lowest buying rate fell 25 cents to $71.38, the highest selling rate eased 9 cents to at $92.25 and the lowest selling rate ended lower by 40 cents to $85. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, gained 20 cents to end at $182. The lowest buying rate closed 75 cents lower at $144.92, the highest selling rate dropped 96 cents to $186.82 and the lowest selling rate rose 50 cents to end at $174.
Stocks pull back on JSE – Tuesday
Scotia Investments fell $6.30 on Tuesday to $28.
A total of 10 securities rose and 16 declined with no stock ending at 52 weeks’ closing highs and 4 trading at intraday 52 weeks’ high. The JSE Market Index climbed 268.21 points to 140,539.79, the all Jamaica Composite Index fallen 299.74 points to end at 156,017.43 and the JSE combined index fell by 550.73 points to end at 146,820.35.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
In trading, Barita Investments had 81,100 units changing hands at $4.05, for a 5 cents gain, Cable and Wireless closed with 1,556,426 units changing hands to close at $1.40, Caribbean Cement traded 373,682 shares changed hands at $16.50 with a gain of 40 cents, Carreras lost 98 to end at $59 with 15,413 units trading. Ciboney had 524,139 units trading, to close at 13 cents after hitting 15 cents earlier in the day, for an intraday 52 weeks’ high, Desnoes & Geddes ended with 31,699 shares trading at $30, Gleaner lost 15 cents in trading 394,044 shares at $1.85, Jamaica Broilers traded 124,540 shares with the price rising 69 cents to close at $8.19. Jamaica Producers fell 18 cents while trading 800 shares to end at $29.82, The Jamaica Stock Exchange had 13,157 shares changing hands with a loss of 29 cents, to end at $13.21, JMMB Group fell by 8 cents while trading 12,621 shares to close at $10.82. Kingston Wharves ended with 21,900 shares changing hands at $11.49, Mayberry Investments closed with 224,520 units trading for a rise of 80 cents and ended at $4.80, National Commercial Bank closed with a fall of 50 cents as 35,606 shares changed hands to end at $37.
Pulse Investments traded 67,850 shares and ended at $3.65 after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $3.67, Sagicor Group traded 752,961 units at $17 at the close, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended with 1,200 shares trading with a fall of 25 cents at $9.75. Scotia Group had 19,615 shares changing hands and closed with a gain of 50 cents, at $27, Scotia Investments dropped sharply by $6.30 to end at $28, with 9,540 shares changing hands, Seprod ended at $18.55 with 3,553 shares trading. Supreme Ventures ended at $4.89 after declining 6 cents with 37,706 shares changing hands and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.50% preference share traded 258,607 units with a loss of 6 cents to end at $3.49 but as traded at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of an $4.60.
7 TTSE’s stocks gain 3 lost on Tuesday
Trading on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange remains elevated on Tuesday, ending with 14 active securities of which 7 stocks closing higher, 3 declined and 4 remained unchanged as 146,401 shares changed hands for a value of $1,936,656.
At the close, the Composite Index ending with a rose of 0.29 points at 1,159.66 the
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund closed with 19,600 shares valued at $ 442,568 changing hands, 1 cent higher at $22.58, First Citizens Bank traded 2,733 shares to close with a gain of 2 cents at $35.02, Grace Kennedy had 10,345 units changing hands at $3.75, for a 15 cents gain. One Caribbean Media traded 100 shares and gained 5 cents to end at $22.05, Praetorian Property Mutual Fund contributed 10,000 shares and rose 2 cents to end at $3.09. Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with 2,726 shares changing hands at $6.03 for a 1 cent gain and Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed with a gain of 45 cents, at $22.01 as 48,585 shares changed hands for a value of $1,055,700.
Declines| Ansa Merchant Bank traded 887 units to close 2 cents lower at $38.65, Guardian Holdings with 14,116 shares changing hands, closed with a loss of 1 cent at $12.90 and JMMB Group fell 3 cents to end at 50 cents while trading 20,000 units.
Firm Trades| National Commercial Bank contributed 5,069 shares at a closing price of $1.95, Prestige Holdings traded 489 units to end at $10.05, Scotia Investments closed at $1.59, with 2,365 shares changing hands and infrequent trader L.J. Williams B share traded 9,386 units to close at 97 cents.
JSE falls in mid-morning
In early trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange market indices slipped with the all Jamaica Composite Index falling 368.56 points to 155,948.61 at 10.45 am on Tuesday morning. 
The JSE Market Index lost 329.79 points to 140,478.21, the JSE combined index fell 333.67 points to be at 147,037.41 and the junior market index shed 2.50 points to 1,613.18.
Trading volumes have been low with 75 minutes of the market opening. Cable & Wireless traded the most with 365,236 units and last traded at $1.40, Sagicor Group had 720,061 units trading at $16.90, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.50% preference share with 233,938 units at $4.60 with a huge gain of $1.05.
In trading 27 securities have changed hands with a volume of 1,926,677 units as 9 stocks gained and 12 declined.
Jump in Gleaner’s Q3 profits by 70%
The Gleaner Company, producers of Jamaica’s oldest newspaper, earned increased profits for its September quarter. The North Street based institution earned $27 million profit for the quarter, 70 per cent more profit than a year ago.
The 2015 results are commendable as its revenues dipped to $777 million or 9 percent less than a year earlier in the quarter, including a fall of $26 million in investment income to $54 million for the quarter while media income fell $68 million for the same period.
For the nine-months, the Gleaner made $130 million net profit or 122 per cent more than the $58.6 million earned a year earlier. Revenues continued its downward drift by 5.6 percent to $2.38 billion, partially helped by a fall of $34 million in investment income to $90 million while media income fell $120 million for the same period
Gleaner enjoyed other operating income of $61 million and $63 million in 2014 as a result of gains on foreign exchange on investments and Finance income includes interest on loans. Consequently, the profit resulted from efficiency gains in slashing administrative and ‘other operating’ expenses during the quarter.
Interestingly, however, with the jump in profit the company ended the quarter with $93 million in cash flow down from $164 million from operation in 2014 period and ended with $37.7 million cash in the bank at September 2015 and $42 million September 2014 and $772 million in investments up from $690 million at September 2014.
The Gleaner continues to prepare its media operations for the merger with the Radio Jamaica Group, another legacy media entity. It will create one of the largest broadcast and print media entities in the Anglophone Caribbean. Plans to merge were announced on August 5, 2015, with the merger is expected to be concluded by year-end, subject to the approval of a splintered shareholders of Radio Jamaica. There is little doubt that the Gleaner’s shareholders will not approve, with the company’s Chairman in control of a large block of the Gleaner’s shares.
Net asset at the end of September is $2.32 per share. The stock is priced at $1.90, with earnings per share of 10.76 cents for the nine months period and 2.27 cents for the quarter. The company seems on target to earn 20 cents per share, for the full year.
Gleaner’s shareholders will get the equivalent of a third of each of the RJR existing shares as well us retain shares in the remnants of the Gleaner with net assets around $1.70 per share, if the merger proceeds. But the overall gains will be well in above the current combined value of $3.53 based on the $5.20 price of RJR shares last sold at with indication of further rise to come, based on a big jump RJR’s revenues and profit in the September quarter.
6 TTSE’s stocks rise 1 fall on Monday
TCL closed at yet another new high on Monday
At the close, the Composite Index ending with a rose of 0.23 points at 1,159.37 the
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund closed with 18,450 shares valued at $416,416 changing hands 1 cent higher at $22.57, National Flour Mills gained 1 cent, to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.22 with 1,600 units changing hands. Prestige Holdings traded 8 units to end with a gain of 5 cents at $10.05, a new 52 weeks’ high. Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed with a gain of 1 cent, at $21.56 as 19,444 shares changed hands for a value of $419,200. Trinidad Cement gained 4 cents, in ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.20, with 75,700 units changing hands for $317,940 and Unilever Caribbean ended with 9,630 shares valued at $655,033 trading, to gain of 2 cents, for a new 52 weeks’ high of $68.03.
Declines| National Enterprises ended trading with 7,380 shares to close with a loss of 1 cent at $16.49, a new 52 weeks’ low.
Firm Trades| First Citizens Bank traded 12,214 shares to close at $35, Guardian Holdings with 2,200 shares changing hands closed at $12.91, National Commercial Bank contributed 46,000 shares at a closing price of $1.95,
One Caribbean Media traded 100 shares at $22. Republic Bank closed at $112 with 209 shares changing hands, Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with 2,350 shares changing hands at $6.02, Scotiabank ended with at $62.50 while 79,236 units for a value of $4,952,250 were traded. Scotia Investments closed at $1.59, with only 55 shares changing hands and infrequent trader L.J. Williams $0.10 A added 25,000 shares to close at 25 cents and West Indian Tobacco traded just 5,000 shares carrying a value of $630,745 to close at $126.11.
