While Junior Market stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange chalked up gains of just 18.8 percent overall for 2018, but 5 companies’ stock rose between 104 to 282 percent for the year.
SSl Venture Capital, formerly C2W Music raced to a gain of 282 percent to remain in the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks for the second consecutive year. The stock benefitted from new life given it, when Stocks and Securities acquired controlling interest in it, for use as a venture capital vehicle. The next best performing stock delivered gains of 213 percent as investors pushed Derrimon Trading to new heights after the company announced a 10 for one stock split and the acquisition of a subsidiary. CAC2000 captured the number 3 best performing spot, rising by 160 percent for the year, followed by the 2018new listing, Indies Pharma, with gains of 113 percent, after investors drove the price to a record high of $4.10 to a gain of 173 percent from the IPO price of $1.50. Express Catering gained 104 percent to be one of 3 stocks to reappear 
in the top 10 for two consecutive years. Caribbean Flavours landed the 6th spot with a gain of 73 percent. Statinery & Office Supplies reappeared in the Top 10 with a rise of 69 percent. ISP Financial chipped in with a rise of 67 percent in 8th spot to be followed by the Montego Bay based, Cargo Handlers that chipped in with 50 percent and the early 2018 listed Elite Diagnostic, was tenth after rising 48 percent.
The worst performing stocks for 2018 included, GWest Corporation down 56 percent due mainly to the much lower revenues than previously forecasted and greater losses. Jetcon Corporation, one of the 2017 Top 10 stocks, came next with a loss of 39 percent as the company reported lower profits for the nine months to September than the prior year. The new 2018 listing, Everything Fresh, ended the first year on the Junior Market as the third worst performing stock with a fall of 39 percent, helped by poor third quarter results as well as coming to the market at an excessive valuation. AMG Packaging ended as the 4th worst performer as the price 
reflected the losses caused by the toilet tissue operations with a decline in the stock price by 37 percent as it followed tTech with a decline of 33 percent. Eppley that migrated to the main market on the last day of 2018, declined 24 percent to the 6th worse performer, while Lasco Financial lost altitude to close out 2018 as the 7th worse performing the Junior Market stock, with a loss of 15 percent, just ahead of Knutsford Express at the 8th spot, with a fall of 13 percent, Sweat River fell 9 percent and Consolidated Bakeries ended at the 10th spot with a loss of 6 percent.
units trading but fell $2 to $72, Sagicor Group rose 99 cents to end at $39.99, trading 16,220 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund declined $1.63 after trading 63,513 shares to end at $14.07. Salada Foods traded 10,000 but fell $3.50 to close at $31.50, Scotia Group traded 1,620 shares with a loss of $1 to close at $54, Supreme Ventures lost $1.50 to close at $16.50 trading 13,430 shares and Wisynco Group lost 49 cents and ended at $10.50 with 25,118 shares changing hands.
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Index rose on the first day of the new year, with the market index rising 17.84 points to 3,264.68, as the price of 10 securities rose 8 declined and 3 remained unchanged. 
$3.62, with 4,523 stock units changing hands. Indies Pharma rose 5 cents in trading 16,005 shares to close at $3.25, Jamaican Teas finished 60 cents down to $3.90, in exchanging 55,680 shares, Jetcon Corporation settled with rise of 39 cents at $3.43, with 162,415 shares changing hands but only after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $2.50. KLE Group traded 300 units with a loss of 20 cents to close at $3. Lasco Distributors lost 9 cents and closed at $3.90, with an exchange of 97,487 shares, Lasco Financial added 25 cents and ended at $4.75, trading 25,500 shares, Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading of 134,261 stock units, 28 cents higher at $3.98. SSL Venture Capital traded 500 shares to end at $1.95 and Stationery and Office traded 20 cents lower at $8.15, with 25,972 shares changing hands.
Trading ended on the Trinidad Stock Exchange closed on the first day of 2019 with all three main indices ending with modest gains. 
211 percent rise in contrast to the stunning gains by Barita. Salada Foods ended the year with a jump in price to $35 on strong gains in profit, to capture the number 2 best performing spot rising by 211 percent for the year, followed by Palace Amusement with gains of 159 percent, the third year in a row that it is occupying the top 10 list. Kingston Wharves grew 135 percent to be one of 4 stocks to reappear in the top 10 for two consecutive years. Jamaica Broilers gained 67 percent. Pulse Investments reappeared in the Top 10 with a rise of 66 percent and heavy weight, PanJam Investment put in a strong showing of 65 percent, while Supreme Ventures chipped in with 57 percent, Mayberry Investments rose 52 percent and NCB Financial with 50 percent to retain one of the Top 10 spots for the second year in a row.
with most of the proceeds distributed as a dividend thus reducing the value of its assets to a few million dollars. 138 Student Living was next with a fall of 42 percent with Portland JSX ending with a loss for the year of 25 percent following on from Kingston Properties with 22 percent and Sygnus Credit Investments with 20 percent from it 2018 IPO price. Both Ciboney and Carreras that are in the top 10 worst performing stocks in 2018 are coming from the top 10 in 2017.
