Natalia Gobin-Gunter Chairman and Deputy Managing director inserting name strip to indicate listing of Key Insurance on the junior market.
The survey findings of carried out amongst Jamaica’s business executives, show wild swings in their views on current conditions since the start of the data in 2005, while the index of future business conditions was far more predictive of actual business developments. The attached chart shows this up quite clearly. Other findings of the survey also points out that the top management of the various companies were was off the mark when it came to inflation, interest rates and the rate of exchange of the local dollar. One of the clearest measures to test what the executives say and do, is a comparison of the sentiments on business conditions and the performance of the stock market.
When it came time for the business community to put their money where their mouth is, it turned out to be vastly different from what they were saying in the Business Condition Survey. One measure of the business community’s bet on the future, is shown in the attached graph. The graph shows future expectations are is much more aligned with future business conditions than with current ones.
What the business sector did, reflected itself in a much smoother monthly movement than what they said about the future. When it comes to money, the stock market reflects what people are doing with their money as opposed to what they say. The chart shows the movement in the all Jamaica Composite Index, plotted against the two business surveys published by the country’s central bank.The movement of the stock market seems a better predictor of future expectations, than the surveys, as shown by the smoother movement of the stock market compared with the sentiments data. What is also true, is that the future expectations and the stock market movements are fairly closely aligned with each other.
The insurance premium financer 
National Commercial Bank gained $1.20 while 180,965 shares traded, to close at $41, after the company released improved results for the March quarter, Pan Jamaican lost $1 to close at $88 with 4,860 shares changing hands. Radio Jamaica traded 94,200 shares and climbed 7 cents to close at $1.15. Sagicor Group gained 45 cents to end with 12,844 shares changing hands at $22.50, Scotia Group closed with a loss of $1, to end at $30 while 10,421 units changed hands, Supreme Ventures gained 1 cent and closed at $5.06 with 160,489 shares changing hands. Proven Investments closed with 8,677 ordinary shares trading at 20 US cents and JMMB Group 6% preference share ended with 62,630 units trading with a loss of 5 cents at $1.10.
Trading in the Jamaican foreign exchange market saw dealers purchasing US$8 more than they sold on Friday, with trading levels back to normal, compared to over US$120 million dollar changing hands on Thursday. The rate of the local dollar saw a very slight erosion, climbing to $123.15 for the selling rate of the US dollar. The Jamaican dollar declined against the Canadian dollar and gained against the Pound. 
A total of US$24,056,712 was sold versus US$120,998,074 on Thursday with the selling rate rising 1 cent to $123.15. The Canadian dollar buying rate jumped $1.24 to end at $95.16 with dealers buying C$1,262,941 and selling C$580,684, at an average rate that rose 51 cents to $97.53. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 83 cents to $175.90 for the purchase of £1,478,725, while £475,362 was sold, as the rate dropped $2.70 to $177.03.
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded amounts to US$76,225 being bought, while US$238,349 was sold.
Massy Holdings lost 71 cents to close at 52 weeks’ low of $51.50 with 5,083 shares changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings declined by 1 cent to close at $108.99, with 25 shares changing hands, at a 52 weeks’ low.
the mid-morning session on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. Other trades of import are Lasco Distributors with 684,917 units at $7.20 and Lasco Financial Services 422,346 units at $3. 
Trading jumped sharply in the Jamaican foreign exchange market on Thursday with over US$120 million dollar changing hands for an unusually high level of trading. The rate of the local dollar saw further erosion climbing to $123.14 for the selling rate for the US dollar. The Jamaican dollar declined against the Pound and gained against the Canadian dollar. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate declined by 17 cents to end at $93.92 with dealers buying C$883,954 and selling C$612,031, at an average rate that fell 33 cents to $97.02. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 3 cents to $176.73 for the purchase of £1,759,249, while £830,527 was sold, as the rate rose $1.16 to $179.73.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the Jamaican dollar against the main currencies on Thursday are, a fall of $6.53 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to end at $93.50, a fall of $3.78 in the lowest buying rate of the Canadian dollar to $73 and a rise of $2 in the lowest selling rate to end at $90. A fall of $1 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $180.50, a rise of $1.72 in the highest selling rate to $185.76 and a rise of $1 in the lowest selling rate to $168.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading showed 19 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers. The higher bids jumped sharply, but that is most likely associated with month end widow dressing.
Pulse Investments traded 185,515 shares with a fall of 30 cents to close at $2.50, Radio Jamaica traded 94,200 shares and climbed 7 cents to close at $1.15, Sagicor Group fell 15 cents to end with 605,440 shares changing hands at $22.05, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 25,645 shares to close at $10.15 after falling 10 cents, Scotia Group closed with a loss of $2.99 to end at $31 while 20,164 units changed hands, Scotia Investments traded 115,465 shares to close at $25.50 and Supreme Ventures closed at $5.39 with 240,047 shares changing hands for a loss of 34 cents, Proven Investments closed with 24,500 ordinary shares trading and gained 2 US cents to 20 US cents and JMMB Group 7.50% preference shares ended with 1500,00 units trading at $1.04.
