The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed down on Tuesday after ending at a record closing high on Monday after Scotia Group and NCB Financial prices fell and helped to pull back the index.
Main market activity ended with 24 securities changing hands, with just 7 securities rising, 10 falling, 7 trading firm and closed with 9,664,260 units valued at over $708,128,861.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived 1,583.39 points to 322,981.60 and the JSE Index dropped 1,442.64 points to 294,272.76.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed at $9, with 8,729 shares, Carreras finished with a loss of 5 cents at $10.90, with 109,260 shares, Caribbean Cement settled with a loss of $2.39 at $32.61, with 9,561 shares, Grace Kennedy traded 10 cents higher at $45.60, with 2,303 stock units, 
Jamaica Broilers finished trading 50 cents higher at $19.50, with 6,339 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 20 cents at $6.30, with 3,200 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading at $26.50, with 258,232 shares, Kingston Wharves settled at $39.50, with 2,082 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading 15 cents higher at $5.15, with 11,043 shares. NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of $1.30 at $98.20, with 6,813,889 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading 3 cents higher at $1.18, with 31,000 shares, PanJam Investment ended 10 cents higher at $41.10, with 3,122 units, Pulse Investments finished 5 cents higher at $1.85, with 2,655 shares. Radio Jamaica settled at $1.06, with 14,401 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $36.10, with 126,997 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 40 cents at $15.10, with 70,864 shares, 
Salada Foods traded at $12.05, with 25,000 units, Scotia Group finished trading with a loss of $1.50 at $55.50, with 33,156 shares. Seprod closed at $30.01, with 745 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 51 cents at $11.99, with 482,227 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished with a loss of 5 cents at $4.50, with 1,464,709 units and Wisynco Group settled 5 cents higher at $10.75, with 77,913 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.25% ended trading at $2.55, with 11,031 shares, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% traded with a loss of 5 cents at $1.90, with 95,802 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE pulls back from record – Tuesday.”
Scotia pushes JSE to record close – Monday
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading at record close on Monday with Scotia Group climbing to $57 being the main factor behind the rally along with several others that rose.
Scotia Group rise follows the release of first quarter results showing increased profit flowing mainly from gains from sale of CrediScotia operations and major savings from reduced loan loss provision.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,831.01 points to a record close of 324,564.99 and the JSE Index shot up by 2,579.37 points to 295,715.40. Trading on Friday closed with 28 securities changing hands, leading to 11 advancing, 10 declining and 6 trading firm, in the main and US dollar markets. There was a big $3 rise in Scotia Group, Barita Investments rose 90 cents to close at $9, ScotiaGroup closed with a rise of $3 to $57 & pushed the JSE a record close.
Trading resulted in only a few securities with the large price changes at the close.
Grace Kennedy gained 70 cents to $45.50 and Supreme Ventures closed with a rise of 60 cents to $12.50.
Main market activity ended with 5,874,620 units valued at over $102,596,766 changing hands, versus 6,404,825 units valued at $87,957,828 on Friday. Wisynco Group closed with 1,470,306 units accounting for 25.03 percent of the day’s trades with 1,362,000 units and 21.27 percent of shares traded, followed by Jamaica Broilers with 976,153 shares with 14.9 percent of traded shares and Victoria Mutual Investments with 640,453 units for 10.9 percent of volume traded on Monday.
Trading results in an average of 267,028 shares valued at 4,663,489 for each security traded, compared to 237,216 shares valued at 3,257,697 on Friday.
For the month to date an average of 747,070 units with an average value at $10,075,319 traded, compared to 796,886 units with an average value at $10,718,888 traded on the previous trading day.In contrast, February closed with average of 213,336 units valued at $3,392,475 for each security traded.Trading in the US dollar market ended with Proven Investments concluded trading with a rise of 0.10 cents at 22 US cents with 2,900 units changing hands and JMMB Group 6% USD preference shares close with 900 units trading resulting in 3,800 units valued at $1,524, as the market index rose 2.47 points to close at 167.86.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with a lower offer.
For more details of market activities see – JSE erases October record close – Monday.
Junior Market flashing bullish sign- Monday
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange index closed trading on Monday with a 40.83 points rise to close at 2,956.96 with the prices of 6 securities advancing, 10 declining and 7 remaining unchanged.
The market closed with a bullish short term signal with 21 securities closing with bids that are the same or higher than the last traded price, suggesting that a wide number of prices will have to increase to get orders filled.
Market activity resulted in 22 securities changing hands, compared to 26 trading on Friday, with an exchange of 996,521 units valued at $4,200,325 versus 3,564,305 units valued at $13,411,844 on Friday.
Trading ended with an average of 45,296 units for an average of $190,924 compared to an average of 137,089 units for an average of $249,136 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date, amounts to 105,226 units at $426,586, compared to an average of 113,074 units at $457,447 on the previous trading day. February closed with an average of 338,697 units at an average value of $1,495,774 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 3 stocks ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and 7 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial jumped $5 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $56, with 5,000 shares, AMG Packaging ended at $2, with 119,595 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading at $33.01, with 3,267 units, Caribbean Cream ended trading 10 cents higher at $7.10, with 10,000 shares, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 1 cent at $4.40, with 3,661 units. Elite Diagnostic settled with a loss of 1 cent at $3, with 318,518 units, Eppley ended trading 50 cents higher at $10, with 50,000 shares, Express Catering traded with a loss of 2 cents at $4.80, with 6,690 shares, FosRich Group finished trading at $2.68, with 39,164 shares. General Accident closed with a loss of 40 cents at $2.90, with 103,754 stock units, Honey Bun concluded trading with a loss of 55 cents at $4.30, with 30,402 shares, Iron Rock finished at $3, with 3,000 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading with a loss of 5 cents at $4.50, with 17,590 stock units. Jetcon Corporation traded 12 cents higher at $4, with 18,846 units,
Lasco Distributors concluded trading 3 cents higher at $4.18, with 38,811 stock units, Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 20 cents at $4.80, with 34,940 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled with a loss of 5 cents at $4.20, with 79,450 shares. Main Event ended trading with a loss of 39 cents at $5.81, with 21,909 shares, Medical Disposables traded at $4.90, with 2,500 shares, Paramount Trading finished trading 1 cent higher at $3.20, with 4,452 stock units and Stationery and Office closed at $5.50, with 83,972 units. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading closed with a loss of 15 cents at $2, with 1,000 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Jamaican$ value rises against US dollar – Monday
The selling rate of US dollar fell against the Jamaican dollar by 5 cents on Monday, with the rate dealers bought the US dollar costing 11 cents less than the closing rate on Friday.
On Monday, Inflows of all currencies, totaled US$49.63 million, versus US$41.47 million on Friday with the selling of US$53.75 million in contrast to US$37.21 million previously traded.
In US dollar trading, dealers sold US$50.2 million at an average of J$128.76, at the close, compared to US$36.10 million at an average of J$128.81 on Friday. Purchases of the US currency by dealers, amounted to US$46.11 million at an average of $127.14 at the close, compared US$39.08 million at an average of $127.45.
At mid-day on Monday dealers purchased US$26.57 million at an average rate of J$127.84 and sold US$17.58 million at an average of J$128.65. At mid-day on Friday dealers purchased US$9.99 million at an average rate of J$127.73 and sold US$15.10 million at an average of J$128.78.
The selling rate on Monday, for the Canadian dollar rose to J$100.55 from J$98.16 at the close on Friday, the selling rate for the British Pound slipped to J$176.24 from J$176.66 previously and the euro jumped against the Jamaican dollar at J$158.23 to buy the European common currency, versus the prior selling rate of J$159.18.
JSE erases October record close – Monday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange rose sharply on Monday and erased the previous record close at the end of October and closed at a new record closing high on Monday as Scotia group jumped $3 to $57 with 11 other ordinary shares rising.
Main market activity ended with 22 securities changing hands, with just 12 securities rising, 4 falling, 6 trading firm on Monday. Trading closed with 5,874,620 units valued at over $102,596,766.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,831.01 points to a record close of 324,564.99 and the JSE Index shot up by 2,579.37 points to a record close of 295,715.40, bettering the previous closing high on the last day of October 2017.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed 90 cents higher at $9, with 5,500 shares, Berger Paints ended at $17, with 29,606 stock units, Carreras finished 5 cents higher at $10.95, with 460,585 shares, Caribbean Cement settled at $35, with 625,462 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading at 11 cents, with 585,846 shares. Grace Kennedy traded 70 cents higher at $45.50, with 6,275 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $19, with 876,153 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.50, with 16,510 shares, JMMB Group rose 50 cents to end at $26.50, with 57,960 shares. Kingston Wharves settled with a loss of 50 cents at $39.50, with 2,843 units, NCB Financial Group traded 50 cents higher at $99.50, with 99,158 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading 5 cents higher at $1.15, with 1,830 shares, Radio Jamaica settled 1 cent higher at $1.06, with 153,637 shares. Sagicor Group ended trading 10 cents higher at $36.20, with 609,821 stock units,
Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading 50 cents higher at $15.50, with 9,936 share, Scotia Group finished trading $3 higher at $57, with 84,125 shares, Seprod closed at $30.01, with 9,360 shares, Sterling Investments ended with a loss of 11 cents at $13.89, with 150 shares. Supreme Ventures concluded trading $12.50 higher at $12.50, with 128,604 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments lost 5 cents and closed at $4.55, with 640,453 units, Wisynco Group settled 15 cents higher at $10.70, exchanging 1,470,306 shares and in the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.25% ended trading with a loss of 5 cents at $2.55, with 500 shares, changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “Scotia pushes JSE to record close – Monday.”
Only 10 securities trade on TTSE – Monday
Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Monday ended with 10 securities trading as oppose to 16 on Friday.
The market closed with 403,022 shares valued at $11,039,167 trading, compared to 200,883 shares valued at $1,445,272 on Friday. The prices of 4 stocks rose, 3 declined and 3 remained unchanged. The Composite Index rose 1.44 points on Monday to 1,268.83, the All T&T Index closed with a gain of 2.55 points to 1,697.26, while the Cross Listed Index added 0.04 points to close at 113.42.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, on Monday, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| First Caribbean International Bank closed with an increase of 2 cents and completed trading at $9.30, after exchanging 127,455 shares, Guardian Holdings ended trading with a rise of 50 cents to $16, after exchanging 13,000 shares, 
Trinidad & Tobago NGL finished trading 10 cents higher and settled at $27.75, after exchanging 5,563 shares and Unilever Caribbean rose 30 cents and ended at $30.30, with 480 units changing hands.
Losses| Ansa Mcal shed 95 cents and ended at $60.05, with 50,334 units, First Citizens lost 3 cents and settled at $32.17, after exchanging 1,615 shares and JMMB Group ended trading 2 cents lower at $1.98, with 134,136 stock units changing hands.
Firm Traded| Republic Financial Holdings concluded market activity at $101.52, with 610 stock units changing hands, Scotiabank completed trading at $62.01, after exchanging 3,949 shares and West Indian Tobacco closed at $88.50, after exchanging 65,880 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Iron Rock & 2 others in TOP 10
The Junior Market continues to fight for the 2018 rally to take root and grow even as interest rates are at their lowest in decades. Technical reading of this market shows the short term 45 day moving average (DMA) has crossed over the 120 DMA, a bullish sign as the market is coming from an oversold position.
With many Junior Market stocks having risen sharply in the last twelve months, it would require gains in profit above most of the recent postings to have pushed prices much higher in the short term. In a number of instances, some junior listed companies are focusing on expansion that will not bear fruit immediately and with some of the stocks pricing in these development into prices already, there are no new information to move prices in the short term. Results for the 2018 first quarter will therefore be critical in determining the performance of the market for the first half of the year.
Stationery and Office Supplies got a shot in the arm from audited financial statements to December 2018, showing strong gains in revenues and profit, compared to 2016 and saw the price moving back up to $5.50 and its position in the TOP list down to 8 from number 2 in February. It won’t be long before it drops out of the list as demand push the price higher. General insurance underwriters Iron Rock is now in the list, following improved 2017 results that benefited from strong revenues growth that augurs well for earnings in 2018. The company should also benefit from rising premium rates. Paramount Trading is back in the list and so too is AMG Packaging having disposed of its machinery in the tissue operations and cut cost it in it as well from the closure of that business line. 
Going into the 2019 fiscal year it should be rid of most of the cost of that operations and therefore focus on the container boxes to meet the existing increased demand. Out goes Dolphin Cove with lower than projected earnings being reported for 2017, followed by Blue Power and tTech with lower results for 2017 than previously projected, that will likely negatively affect 2018 earnings for these companies.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks ended at 6.3 compared to an average PE for the overall main market is 10 based on 2018 estimated earnings.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 37 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be, of 20 times earnings.
$2,800 per share for Palace Amusement!
Palace Amusement seems set to be a big surprise as the stock could exceed $2,000 this year with enormous success that Black Panther is forging.
At the close on Friday the bid had moved up to $730 and should be heading higher based on the good fortune being enjoyed with the Black Panther movie. IC Insider.com projects big rise in revenues for the current quarter a sizable jump in profit as well to levels never before seen by this company. Profit for the year to June should be well into the $100 per share range as the company increase showings of the extremely popular movie but is still booked out into the future. Cable & Wireless should be the number one choice for main market TOP 10 stocks based on a nearly $2 billion reduction in interest cost this year resulting from the fall in local interest rates and increasing revenues. But uncertainty lies about continued listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in a year when the company is likely to see significant profit for the first time in nearly a decade.
The number one remains with Barita Investments on the basis that management will start to seriously extract the benefits of the assets that it manages. Despite the fall in profits in the December quarter for Berger Paints, from slightly lower revenues compared to 2016, the stock is still expected to benefit from improving demand for paints as economic improvements take deeper root.
Caribbean Cement continues to struggle to break out of the $35 region but investors may have to wait until around mid-April just ahead of the first quarter results to witness a break out. Grace Kennedy results when the prior year’s one off gain from sale of investment is factored out showed continued progress in increasing profit. The stock has become scarce and seems headed for the over $50 range.
The PE ratio of the TOP 10 is 6.6 times 2018 earnings compared to 12 currently for the main market and an expected 20 by March 2019, this means these stocks have lots of room to grow.
Jamaican$ gains against US currency – Friday
The selling rate of US dollar fell against the Jamaican dollar by 5 cents on Friday, with the rate dealers bought the US dollar costing 5 cents less than the closing rate on Thursday.
On Friday, Inflows of all currencies, totaled US$41.47 million, versus US$36.59 million on Thursday with the selling of US$37.21 million in contrast to US$38.85 million previously traded.
In US dollar trading, dealers sold US$36.10 million at an average of J$128.81, at the close, compared to US$37.48 million at an average of J$128.86 on Thursday. Purchases of the US currency by dealers, amounted to US$39.08 million at an average of $127.45 at the close, compared US$33.45 million at an average of $127.50.
At mid-day on Friday dealers purchased US$9.99 million at an average rate of J$127.73 and sold US$15.10 million at an average of J$128.78. At mid-day on Thursday dealers purchased US$12.85 million at an average rate of J$128.07 and sold US$10.34 million at an average of J$128.95.
The selling rate on Friday, for the Canadian dollar rose to J$99.16 from J$98.25 at the close on Thursday, the selling rate for the British Pound slipped to J$176.66 from J$177.54 previously and the euro jumped against the Jamaican dollar at J$159.18 to buy the European common currency, versus the prior selling rate of J$154.53.
Big advantage to falling JSE stocks – Friday
Scotia Group climbed $2 to end at $54 on Friday.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded gains in the major indices but declining prices out weighted rising ones on Friday, as the indices flirted with record highs, failing to hold onto the strong morning gains to close with much smaller gains.
Main market activity ended with 27 securities changing hands, with just 6 securities rising, 12 falling, 9 trading firm on Thursday. Trading closed with 6,404,825 units valued at $87,957,828.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,729.22 points to 321,733.98and the JSE Index shot up by 2,486.63 points to 293,136.03.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed 10 cents higher at $8.10, with 3,301 shares, Berger Paints ended with a loss of 50 cents at $17, with 702 stock units, Carreras finished with a loss of 5 cents at $10.90, with 798,192 shares,
Caribbean Cement settled at $35, with 12,087 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading at $0.11, with 1,362,000 shares. Grace Kennedy traded at $44.80, with 12,580 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $19, with 52,115 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $15, with 1,101,566 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.50, with 15,405 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 45 cents at $26, with 10,967 shares, Kingston Wharves settled $1.38 higher at $40, with 15,882 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 35 cents at $5, with 4,470 shares, NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 50 cents at $99, with 18,860 shares. 1834 Investments lost 2 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.10, with 289,200 shares, 138 Student Living concluded trading 10 cents higher at $5.50, with 1,500 shares, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of 95 cents at $41, with 9,835 units, Pulse Investments finished at $1.80, with 198,900 shares, Radio Jamaica settled with a loss of 3 cents at $1.05, with 15,118 shares. 
Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 40 cents at $36.10, with 726,317 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 1.99 cents at $15, with 170,860 shares, Salada Foods traded at $12.05, with 7,500 units, Scotia Group finished trading $2 higher at $54, with 348,524 shares, Seprod concluded trading with a loss of $1.99 at $30.01, with 900 stock units. Supreme Ventures closed 5 cents higher at $11.90, with 236,420 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments gained 2 cents to end at $4.60, with 570,504 units, Wisynco Group settled with a loss of 17 cents at $10.55, with 253,420 shares and in the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% closed at $1.02, with 167,700 shares, changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “Scotia pushes JSE to intraday record high – Friday.”
