Trading in the foreign market on Friday resulted in a slight rise in the value of the Jamaican dollar against the US dollar as US$42.5 million of the US dollar was sold by dealers at an average rate of $127.11 to the US dollar.
On Thursday, US$40.1 million was purchased at an average rate of $127.20. US currency purchases amounted to US$44.48 million on Friday, at an average rate of $126.29 compared to Thursday, with US$39.2 million at $126.31.
Dealers purchased US$57.4 million, versus US$46.3 million on Thursday in all currencies in Jamaica’s forex market and sold US$73.4 million compared with US$46.1 million of all currencies sold previously.
At Midday, dealers bought US$14.4 million at J$126.66 and sold US$17.1 million at J$127.12.
The selling rate for the Canadian dollar climbed to J$99.92 from J$98.14 at the close on Thursday. The selling rate for the British Pound dropped to J$165.27 versus J$167.14 on Thursday and the euro lost value against the Jamaican dollar, to J$147 to buy the European common currency, versus J$149.42 previously.
Jamaican$ gained modestly vs US – Friday
Lasco Distributors knocks Junior Market
Lasco’s ICool drinks.
The Junior Market Index declined by 53.97 points to close at 3,174.88 on Friday as investors reacted negatively to the interim court findings on the Lasco Distributors’ claim against Pfizer pulling the price down by $1.14 down to $7.
At the close of the Junior Market activities, 15 securities changing hands, versus 18 on Thursday as the prices of 4 securities advanced, 6 declined and 5 remained unchanged. Trading ended in an exchange of 1,983,899 units valued at $10,827,572, compared to 1,808,817 units valued at $8,566,954 on Thursday.
Trading ended with an average of 132,260 units for an average of $721,838 in contrast to 100,490 units for an average of $475,942 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 80,157 units valued at $358,761 and previously 61,095 units valued at $292,203. 
In contrast, October closed with average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging settled at $3.50, with 17,905 stock units, Caribbean Flavours finished trading at $12, with 243 shares, Cargo Handlers concluded trading with a loss of 20 cents at $10.80, with 2,819 stock units being exchanged, Caribbean Producers traded 5 cents higher at $3.75, with 5,000 units, Derrimon Trading slipped 1 cent to $6.99, with 131,130 shares changing hands. 
Express Catering ended with a loss of 9 cents at $4.66, trading 27,258 stock units, General Accident settled with a loss of 21 cents at $2.80, with 155,155 shares, Honey Bun closed at $4.60, trading 1,863 shares, Jetcon Corporation closed unchanged at $4.80, with 539,189 shares. Lasco Distributors closed with a loss of $1.14 at $7, with 521,025 shares after the court handed down an interim ruling in the case against Pfizer, Lasco Financial concluded trading at $5, with 502,835 stock units, after trading as high as $5.15, Lasco Manufacturing closed 10 cents higher at $4.50, with 22,372 units, Main Event ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $5.50, with 14,976 shares. Paramount Trading traded 1 cent higher at $3, with 15,325 units and Stationery and Office finished trading 15 cents higher at $5, with 26,804 stock units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Prices mostly slipped on TTSE – Friday
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange closed on Friday with 14 securities changing hands compared to 15 on Thursday and ended with 1 advancing, 4 declining and 9 holding firm.
Market activity resulted in 909,312 shares traded at a value of $3,281,614 compared to Thursday’s trades of 329,493 valued at $2,207,158.
The Composite Index was down 0.75 points to 1,283.07, the All T&T Index declined 1.82 points to 1,754.27 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.05 points to close at 109.42.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 3 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| First Citizens was the sole stock rising and ended with a gain of 10 cents, closing at $31.90 with 1,139 units.
Losses| JMMB Group pulled back from its recent record run to end with a loss of 4 cents, and closed at $2.11 with 592,986 shares valued at $1,270,760 traing. Massy Holdings settled at $49.98, losing 2 cents with 197 units, National Flour Mills closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.95, down 3 cents exchanging 26,307 shares and Republic Financial Holdings traded 76 cents lower to a 52 weeks’ low of $101, with a mere 10 units.
Firm Trades| The stocks traded unchanged at the close of trading are Clico Investment that closed at $21 with trades of 18,800 shares valued at $394,801, First Caribbean International Bank exchanged 5,100 shares at $9, Grace Kennedy remained at $2.95 with 194,500 shares valued at $573,775. NCB Financial Group closed at $6.20 trading 35,052 shares, Readymix closed at $11 with 280 units.Sagicor Financial traded 14,776 shares at $7.95, Scotiabank exchanged 2,559 shares at $58.10, Trinidad Cement closed at $4 with 200 units and Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $23.50 with17,406 shares valued at $410,465.
Lasco Distributors drop to $7
Lasco Distributors shares dropped to $7 with 257,123 units trading after the courts handed partial judgement in its case for damages against Pfizer resulting from an injunction from selling the drug Salts of Las Amlodipine in 2005.
Lasco’s claimed US$300 million but the court is saying that the amount is too high based on the evidence presented.
In an interview with Lascelles Chin in 2014, he confirmed that the amount was sales estimated to be lost. In such cases the amount to be claimed would be loss of profits. From all indications, the loss is unlikely to be more than 50 percent of this amount. Based on the exchange rate of J$59.06 used to compute the inventory losses from disposal of the drug for Medimpex, the loss is likely to be priced using this rate with interest to be computed at the local interest rates.
Lasco damages to be computed
Lasco Distributors who won the case against Pfizer for damages resulting from an injunction preventing Lasco from selling Salts of Las Amlodipine in Jamaica from 2005 until 2014 is awarded J$155,738 for disposal of inventories.
The major part of the claim, that of loss of profit, is to be computed and presented on the November 24. The court awarded interest to be computed at a rate of 8.23 percent from 2005 to 2017 on the disposal of the inventory at the time the injunction was made.
Medimpex has been awarded US$77,000 to be converted at the rate of J$69.06 to the US dollar, for inventories with interest to be computed. The Judge states that the claims by the two Jamaican firms are too high based on the evidence while the amount suggested by Pfizer was too low. Lasco’s claim was for US$300 million in lost sales plus interest and cost and Medimpex US$15 million. The award for partial damages was handed down by Justice Viviene Harris today after presentations by Pfizer, Lasco and Medimpex, a third party to the claim.
Lasco who won the case in the Jamaican courts ultimately won the matter after Pfizer appealed the decision to the Privy Council in the UK. Based on the ruling Lasco resumed sale of the product in 2012.
The suit claimed that Pfizer was the registered proprietor of Jamaican Patent No. 3247 granted by the Governor General of Jamaica on the 22nd January, 2002 to Pfizer’s agent, Maurice Robinson for the protection of the invention “Salts of Amlodipine/Amlodipine Besylate. 
Robinson assigned the Patent to Pfizer on the 22nd March 2000.
The Company began to sell “Las Amlodipine” which contained Salts of Amlodipine in Jamaica in May, 2002. In 2003 Pfizer joined the Company in a suite that Pfizer had commenced in Jamaica in 2002 under action No. P040 of 2002, to protect its rights under the Jamaican Letters Patent and the Company was constrained to cease selling Las Amlodipine by an injunction granted on the 31st March, 2005 in that action. The weight of the defense mounted by the company was that under the provisions of the Patent Act of Jamaica, the Jamaican Patent was not in force when the Company started to market its own product, Las Amlodipine since an earlier patent No. 18266 granted to Pfizer in Egypt had expired on the 30th March 1997.
Lasco Distributors products.
The court in 2009 found that the case for Pfizer for an infringement of Jamaican Patent No. 3247 failed for the reason that it was not valid and subsisting because Letters Patent 19266 for the same substance filed in Egypt in March, 1987 had expired on March, 1997 prior to the grant of Letters Patent 3247 in Jamaica on 22nd January, 2002. For this reason the court gave judgment in favour of the Company.
Lasco had previously committed to pay a portion of the amount to shareholders as dividend but has so far not stated the likely amount.
Lasco Distributors is listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and traded at $8.01 on Thursday and was priced for a big settlement.
Juniors resume rally
Trading picked up on the Junior Market on Thursday with almost three times the levels on Wednesday as 18 securities changed hands, resulting in an exchange of 1,808,817 units valued at $8,566,954.
A total of 23 securities traded on Wednesday, accounting 696,098 units valued at $3,413,352. At the close of market activities, the prices of 5 securities advanced, 7 declined and 6 remained unchanged, leading to the Junior Market Index advancing 19.87 points, to close at 3,228.85.
Trading ended with an average of 100,490 units for an average of $475,942 in contrast to 30,265 units for an average of $148,407 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 61,095 units valued at $292,202. 
In contrast, October closed with an average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice| bid-offer indicator reading shows 2 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power concluded trading at $45, with 1,000 units, CAC 2000 settled 45 cents higher at $6.95, with 1,103 shares, Caribbean Flavours traded 10 cents higher at $12, with 3,205 shares, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 9 cents at $3.70, with 27,500 units, Express Catering traded 25 cents higher at $4.75, with 18,300 stock units. General Accident settled with a loss of 10 cents at $3.01, with 7,324 shares, 
Honey Bun finished with a loss of 30 cents at $4.60, with 500 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading at $4.10, with 25,971 units, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 4 cents at $4.80, with 159,841 shares. Knutsford Express ended trading at $14.80, with 4,226 shares, Caribbean Cream finished at $5.50, with 20,000 shares, Lasco Distributors settled 13 cents higher at $8.14, with 299,753 shares, Lasco Financial finished at $5, with 145,831 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing finished 1 cent higher at $4.40, with 150,582 units, Medical Disposables settled with a loss of 15 cents at $5.65, with 2,784 shares, Main Event finished at $5.60, with 82,039 shares, Paramount Trading finished trading with a loss of 1 cent to close at $2.99, with 684,249 units and Stationery and Office settled with a loss of 45 cents at $4.85, with 174,609 stock units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
All Jamaica in major recovery – Thursday
NCB closes at new record high of $109 on Thursday.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 2,455.94 points to close at 321,590.29 and the JSE Index advanced 2,237.64 points to close at 293,005.13 as NCB Financial jumped $2.99 to a record close of $109.
Trading ended on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday with 25 securities changing hands, 8 advanced, 8 declined and 9 traded firm with 7,356,609 units valued at $123,516,599.
There was trading in 2 securities In the US dollar market leading to the JSE US dollar Index falling 4.82 points to 180.88 as 5,802 shares with a value of US$1,474, bringing the total trades in the two markets to J$123,703,808. Wednesday’s trading in contrast to the increase trading on Thursday was 2,932,638 units valued at $60,248,652 on Wednesday.
Trading ended with an average of 294,264 units for an average of $4,940,664 in contrast to 133,302 units for an average of $2,738,575 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 218,920 units valued at $3,909,899 previously.
In contrast, October closed with average of 1,185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the main and US dollar market shows 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
In the main activity Berger Paints closed 30 cents higher at $16.30, with 16,296 shares, Cable & Wireless ended trading at $1.10, with 530,316 shares, Caribbean Cement climbed $3.44 higher at $34.95, with 2,500 stock units. Carreras settled at $11.50, with 712,762 units, Grace Kennedy ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $41.99, with 97,977 shares, Jamaica Broilers traded at $18.60, with 354,001 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading with a loss of 10 cents at $15.80 and with 4,035,262 units trading. Jamaica Stock Exchange settled 4 cents higher at $6.80, with 16,170 shares, JMMB Group ended with a loss of $1.19 at $28.51, with 84,297 shares, Kingston Properties concluded trading at $8, with 15,950 stock units, Kingston Wharves finished trading with a loss of 15 cents at $32.50, with 35,770 units. 
Mayberry Investments finished trading 5 cents higher at $4.35, with 306,697 shares, NCB Financial Group ended $2.99 higher at a record close of $109, with 60,063 shares, 138 Student Living closed with a loss of 10 cents at $5.40, with 22,900 shares, 1834 Investments finished with a loss of 20 cents at $1.15, with 109,594 stock units, PanJam Investment closed at $42, with 82,529 units, Pulse Investments concluded trading with a loss of 6 cents at $1.90, with 4,064 shares. Radio Jamaica settled at $1.15, with 161,673 stock units, Sagicor Group settled 95 cents higher at $39, with 407,273 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund settled 30 cents higher at $14.50, with 75,122 shares, Salada Foods Jamaica settled with a loss of $1.30 at $8.50, with 10,000 shares. Scotia Group ended $1.28 higher at $51.79, with 131,230 stock units and Supreme Ventures settled at $11.80, with 42,177 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group ended with a loss of 1.19 cents at $28.51, with 84,297 stock units, and in the US dollar market Productivity Business Solutions traded 402 units at 58 US cents and Proven Investments traded 5,400 units at 23.99 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Jamaican$ inched higher vs US – Thursday
Trading in the foreign market on Thursday resulted in a slight slippage of the value of the Jamaican dollar against the US dollar as US$40.1 million of the US dollar was sold by dealers at an average rate of $127.20 to the US dollar.
On Wednesday US$42.5 million was sold by dealers at an average rate of $127.18. US currency purchases amounted to US$39.2 million on Thursday, at an average rate of $126.31 compared to Wednesday, with US$41 million at $126.29.
Dealers purchased US$46.3 million, versus US$45.3 million on Wednesday in all currencies in Jamaica’s forex market and sold US$46.1 million compared with US$44.8 million of all currencies sold previously.
The selling rate for the Canadian dollar slipped to J$99.14 from J$98.16 at the close on Wednesday. The selling rate for the British Pound dropped to J$167.53 versus J$168.48 on Wednesday and the euro gained value against the Jamaican dollar, to J$149.42 to buy the European common currency, versus J$148.92 previously.
JMMB Group heads to new high
JMMB traded a new high on the TTSE.
JMMB Group closed at a new record high of $2.15 in Thursday’s trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange. Market activity ended with 17 securities changing hands compared to 12 on Wednesday with 2 stocks posting gains, 3 declining and 12 unchanged.
At the close, 328,493 shares traded at a value of $2,207,158 compared to Wednesday’s trades of 382,785 valued at $4,215,303.
The Composite Index dropped 2.51 points to 1,283.82, the All T&T Index declined by 5.64 points to 1,756.09 and the Cross Listed Index advanced 0.09 points to 109.37.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 4 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
Gains| In trading on Thursday Angostura Holdings ended with a 5 cents gain, to close at $15.05 with 1,350 units and JMMB Group surpassed the previous day’s 52 weeks’ high to close at a new high of $2.15,after rising 5 cents with 67,087 shares trading.
Losses| Securities closing with losses are Clico Investment that traded 46 cents lower to $21 while exchanging 16,680 shares valued at $350,280, Guardian Holdings dropping 50 cents, and closed at $15 with 1,713 units and 
West Indian Tobacco dropped $2 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $121, trading only 8 units.
Firm Trades| At the close of trading First Citizens closed at $31.80 with 1,061 units, Grace Kennedy held firm at $2.95 with 2,200 shares changing hands, Massy Holdings exchanged 3,331 shares at $50, National Flour Millsclosed at $1.98 with 2,500 shares. NCB Financial Group remained at $6.20 trading 125,205 shares valued at $776,301, One Caribbean Media closed at $14 with 195 units, Republic Financial Holdings settled at $101.76 with 1,873 shares trading. Sagicor Financial closed at $7.95 with trades of 4,290 shares, Trinidad Cement exchanged 100,000 shares at $4 valued at $400,000 and Bourse Brazil Latin Fund US Dollar shares closed at $8.08 with 1,000 units changing hands.
Wisynco Group IPO is imminent
NCB Capital Markets Manager, Origination and Structuring Stanley Thompson (left) exchanges laughs with Wisynco Group Chairman William Mahfood during a signing of the IPO agreement. Sharing in the moment, too, are Wisynco Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mahfood and PriceWaterhouseCoopers Director Fiona Hyman
Wisynco Group today announced its intention to offer shares in the company by way of an initial public offering (IPO), confirming IC Insider.com report yesterday.
Information gleaned is that the draft prospectus is being vetted by the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the Financial Securities Commission and the Company Office of Jamaica with the IPO expected to come to market before the end of this year and could happen in November.
Founded in 1965 by the Mahfood family, West Indies Synthetic Company (WISYNCO) began manufacturing ‘Iron Man’ water boots from a 6,000 square foot factory in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine. The company now ”owns and manufactures a portfolio of category-leading beverage brands such as WATA and its extension of cranberry flavoured-WATA, BOOM Energy Drink and BIGGA Soft Drink. In addition to its owned brands, Wisynco is the exclusive local bottler for the Coca-Cola Company, as well as third-party beverage brands such as SqueezZ and Hawaiian Punch also distributing for global giants such as Red Bull, Tru Juice, Freshhh, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Nestlé and others.
A rapidly-growing company, Wisynco has increased sales significantly in recent years moving from JMD 12.6 billion in 2013 to $21.2 billion in 2017. 
Over the last five years the company’s year-to-year sales growth has ranged between 9 – 21% with a compound annual growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.06% over the same period. The business has a strong gross profit margins, averaging approximately 36% since 2012.
Wisynco’s revenues are just under the $22.8 billion generated by Lasco Manufacturing and Distributor combined. With the above profit margin, gross profit would be $7.5 billion. The two Lasco companies have administrative, selling and distribution cost of $4 billion to March this year. IC Insider.com puts the cost for Wisynco at $4.5 billion per annum which would result in a pretax profit in the order of $3 million and after tax around $2.5 billion. If the company came to market around the mid-range of PE of 12, this would value it at $30 billion. An issue of 20 percent in the IPO, would target inflows be around $6 billion, but IC Insider.com gathers that a vastly smaller sum is being targeted to be raised by the company but some existing shareholders may seek to divest some of their shares.
According to William Mahfood, Chairman of the Wisynco Group, “the IPO will allow us to share the growth and
Wata produced by Wisynco
success of our business with a wide cross section of our customers and employees, especially following on the outpouring of wishes and support after the fire last year”
With over 350,000 square feet of warehouse, 110,000 square feet of factory space the company has over 700 sales-related full time employees.
We are a proud Jamaican company with a deeply rooted commitment to the country’s development.” Mahfood said. “Our stated mission is to improve the lives of our people which extends to all stakeholders –team members, customers, partners and now with the planned IPO to fellow Jamaicans alike,” Mahfood said.
NCB Capital Markets has been engaged as arranger and broker for the transaction with PricewaterhouseCoopers acting as financial advisors to the company.
