The volume traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined sharply on Monday to 3,063,437 units valued at $29,501,732 compared to a much larger 16,726,086 shares valued at $358,993,001 on Friday.
Market activities in the main and US dollar markets resulted in 30 securities trading including 5 from the US dollar market. At the close, the price of just 6 stocks advanced, 13 declined and 11 closing unchanged, compared to 24 securities trading on Friday.
At the close on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,910.31 points to 333,653.33 while the JSE Index dived 1,740.51 points to end at 303,995.85.
Monday’s volume was led by Wisynco Group with 1,365,496 units accounting for 44.57 percent of the day’s volume, followed by Pulse Investments with 545,254 units or 17.80 percent of total volume.
Stocks with major price changes are, Carreras fell 45 cents and closed at $9.55, Mayberry Investments rose 45 cents to $6.50, NCB Financial dropped $2.70 to $95.30, PanJam Investment dropped $4.12 to close at $53.45, Pulse Investments climbed 70 cents to $2.50, Scotia Group lost 90 cents to end at $50.10 and Wisynco Group lost 73 cents and ended at $9.22.
In the US dollar market, 144,201 units traded valued at $24,829 with JMMB 5.75% preference share closed at US$2.25 trading 6,866 shares and JMMB 6% preference share $1 completed trading at $1 with 3,800 stock units, Margaritaville lost 2 cents and finished trading 18 US cents with 1,000 shares, Proven Investments traded 77,535 units and fell 2.5 cents to 17.5 cents and Sygnus Credit traded 55,000 units and closed with the price rising 1 cent to end at 12 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index closed with a rise of just 0.04 points to 155.04.
Trading resulted in an average of 122,537 units valued at an average of $1,180,069 for each security traded, in contrast to 727,221 units valued at an average of $15,608,391 on Friday. June closed with an average of 250,168 shares with a value of $5,895,281, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 closing with lower offers.
5 TTSE stocks fell just 1 rose – Monday
Securities trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange fell on Monday to just 11 against 11 on Friday, resulting in 1 advancing, 5 declining and 5 remaining unchanged.
At close of the market the Composite Index lost 2.01 points on Monday to 1,233.22. The All T&T Index rose 0.03 points to 1,727.40, while the Cross Listed Index declined 0.56 points to close at 99.29.
Trading ended with 268,229 shares valued at $9,961,998 compared to 146,647 shares valued at $5,989,827 changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows market sentiment to be closely matched between advancing and declining stocks as the market closed with 5 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| Angostura Holdings gained 2 cents and completed trading at $15.75, with 1,311 stock units changing hands.
Losses| Massy Holdings ended trading 1 cent lower at $47.19, after exchanging 200,500 shares, NCB Financial Group lost 8 cents to end at $5.37, after exchanging 5,171 shares, Prestige Holdings traded with a loss of 1 cent and settled at $10, with 660 units trading, Sagicor Financial fell 4 cents and completed trading at $7.81, with 28,536 stock units changing hands and West Indian Tobacco fell 1 cent and ended at $88.49, after exchanging 100 shares.
Firm Trades| Clico Investments completed trading at $20.50, with 5,139 stock units changing hands, First Citizens concluded trading at $35, after exchanging 1,789 shares, JMMB Group ended at $1.75, after exchanging 25,000 shares, Scotiabank settled at $65.01, with 10 units and Unilever Caribbean concluded market activity at $29.23, after exchanging 13 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. Daily
Just 11 TTSE stocks traded – Friday
Securities trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange fell on Friday to just 11 against 18 on Thursday, resulting in 2 advancing, 3 declining and 6 remaining unchanged.
At close of the market the Composite Index lost 0.54 points on Friday to 1,235.23. The All T&T Index rose 0.70 points to 1,727.37, while the Cross Listed Index declined 0.25 points to close at 99.85.
Trading ended with 146,647 shares valued at $5,989,827 compared to 280,762 shares at a value of $4,894,546 changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows market sentiment to be closely matched between advancing and declining stocks as the market closed with 4 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investments finished 22 cents higher and closed at $20.50, with 500 shares changing hands and Sagicor Financial gained 10 cents and concluded trading at $7.85, with 49,294 stock units changing hands.
Losses| NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 4 cents at $5.45, after exchanging 564 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL fell 43 cents and ended at $29.56, with 13,467 stock units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean closed with a loss of 2 cents and completed trading at $29.23, after exchanging 200 shares.
Firm Trades| Ansa Mcal ended at $58, with 10,270 units trading, First Citizens completed trading at $35, after exchanging 1,540 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $2.92, with 300 stock units changing hands, Massy Holdings settled at $47.20, after exchanging 42,520 shares, Republic Financial Holdings settled at $102.76, in trading 3,180 shares, West Indian Tobacco settled at $88.50, after 24,812 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
BOJ chops policy rate
The overnight policy rate was chopped by an unusually large 20 percent by Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) to take effect on Thursday 28 June 2018, as local prices deflated for the year to May.
BOJ announced its decision to lower the policy rate by an above the more accepted 25 basis points by slashing the rate by 50 basis points to 2 percent. The falls also come as a result on the continued fall in June’s Treasury bill rates that had fallen just around the overnight rate and against a high level of liquidity in the financial system.
Bank of Jamaica’s decision to increase monetary policy accommodation reflects its assessment that, inflation over the June to December 2018 quarters is likely to remain below the target of 4 percent to 6 percent and that the previously projected increase in inflation towards the centre of the target in the March 2019 quarter is at risk of coming in at a lower level.
According to the BOJ,” in March, April and May 2018, inflation fell below the lower end of the Bank’s inflation target of 4 percent to 6 percent.” Data released by Statistical Institute of Jamaica reported Jamaica as having recorded a period of deflation for the three months. BOJ also stated that “core inflation (measured by changes in the CPI excluding agriculture and fuel) has also been low, in the region of 2 percent to 3 percent. The main factors that contributed to inflation being lower than the target included a stronger-than-anticipated recovery in agricultural supplies following adverse weather shocks in 2017, lower-than-forecasted imported inflation (associated with an appreciation in the Jamaican dollar over the year to April 2018 and a reduction in the pass-through of oil prices to inflation) and weaker-than anticipated domestic demand.”
The Bank’s view on inflation for the remainder of 2018 is largely predicated on expectations for continued weak domestic demand, which is being constrained by tight fiscal policy and increased uncertainties about global trade. The assessment also reflects the expectation for agricultural food prices to remain low for longer than previously anticipated and the possibility that international oil prices could be lower than previously projected. In the medium-term, the Bank’s outlook for inflation continues to reflect a sluggish recovery in economic activity.
The decision to loosen the policy stance is aimed at fostering greater credit expansion and a faster pace of GDP growth which will support inflation returning to the target of 4 percent to 6 percent.