Investors in Proven Investments US ordinary shares a strong message to the management of the group by talking with their money. Last week, the company’s shares were sold at $20 and less in the Jamaican dollars on the main market of the stock exchange when the price in the US dollar market was near J$31.
On Tuesday 550,000 shares were sold at J$24 in the JSE main market while 1.83 million units traded, with the stock closing at 23 US cents, 1 US cent less than the price of the right issue. The price has suffered a steep fall since the company released the full year results to March and got worse since the announcement of the rights.
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday with the market indices rising, even as advancing stocks were fewer than declining stocks. At the close, the All Jamaica Composite Index advanced 898.62 points to close at 259,352.76, the JSE Market Index gained 818.75 points to 236,299.73 but the JSE US dollar market index lost 5.93 points to close at 181.40.
At the close of trading, 24 securities changed hands in the main market of the exchange with 1 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 9 stocks advancing and 12 declining. Trading in the main market ended with 2,115,285 units valued at $50,230,238 changing hands compared to 1,709,564 units valued at $44,534,888 at the close on Monday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 1,828,601 units valued at US$421,790.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The main market ended trading with an average of 88,137 units valued at $2,092,927 for every security traded compared to an average of 74,329 units valued at $1,781,396 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 243,952 units with an average value of $4,245,530 compared with an average of 252,609 units with an average value of $4,365,119 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Berger Paints closed at $13, losing $1.30 trading 7,842 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.13, with 23,303 stock units changing owners, Caribbean Cement traded $3 higher to close at $28 exchanging 26,007 shares, Carreras lost 30 cents to close at $86.50, with trades of 916 units, Grace Kennedy closed at $42, gaining $1 with an exchange of 11,922 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $18, with gains of 9 cents trading 120,579 shares, Jamaica Producers exchanged 17,174 units to close at $16. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 1 cent, closing at $6.99 trading 115,220 shares, JMMB Group gained $1.47 to close at $18.50, with 301,494 units changing owners and Kingston Wharves lost $1.10 to close at $28.90 trading 8,540 shares. Mayberry Investments closed at $4.55, losing 45 cents with trades of 5,600 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $70, with gains of $1.40 after exchanging 93,364 shares and PanJam Investment gained 79 cents to close at $34.89, with trades of 26,073 shares. Proven Investments traded $3 higher to close at $24 exchanging 550,000 shares, 
Pulse Investments closed at $17.99, losing 1 cent with an exchange of 500 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $34.53, gaining 43 cents trading 48,115 shares and Sagicor Real Estate fund lost 60 cents to close at $11, with 146,392 shares changing hands. Scotia Group closed at $45.50, with gains of $2.99 exchanging 324,221 shares, Scotia Investments closed at $36.58, with a loss of 42 cents trading 194 units, Seprod traded $2 lower to close at $28, with an exchange of 6,700 shares while Supreme Ventures closed at $7.65, gaining 24 cents with 86,000 shares changing owners. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 23 US cents, losing 0.01 US cent with trades of 1,828,601 units, JMMB 7.5% preference share lost 5 cents to close at $1.85 exchanging 75,500 shares, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.13 trading 329 units and Proven Investments 8.25% preference share traded 119,300 units at $5.17.
Junior Market volume drops on Tuesday
Volume traded on the Junior Market fell back sharply on Tuesday from Monday’s level with 727,972 units valued at $5,314,008 traded, compared with the 6,755,849 units valued at $46,027,135 passing through the market on Monday.
Trading ended with 19 securities versus 25 on Monday leading to just 8 stocks rising and 7 declining.
The market index rose 23.73 points to end at 3,206.95.
The market closed with 1 stock having a higher bid than the last sale price and 4 closing with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 38,314 units for an average value of $279,685 compared to of 270,234 units for an average value of $1,841,085 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date is 446,666 units valued at $1,992,490 compared with 469,353 units valued at $2,087,646, previously, in contrast, May closed with averages of just 89,339 units at $596,722.
At the close of the market, stocks trading and their last traded price are: Access Financial Services rose 30 cents and closed at $46.50 in trading 5,500 units, AMG Packaging fell 10 cents to close at $4 with 53,706 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers traded 6,693 shares to end at $15.99, Caribbean Cream shed 25 cents in trading 1,400 units to end at $7.25, Derrimon Trading ended at $8.50 with 27,504 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended at $20 with 55,000 shares trading, Eppley dropped 95 cents with 20,199 units changing hands to close at $12. Honey Bun dropped 1 cent with 30,726 shares changing hands and closed at $6.04, Jamaican Teas traded 53,671 shares but rose 15 cents to end at $4.30, 
Jetcon Corporation rose 2 cents and ended at $6 with 113,149 shares trading, KLE Group ended at $2.15 with 3,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express traded 29,497 shares and lost 20 cents to end at $15.80, Lasco Distributors ended with a rise of 20 cents to $7, trading 54,671 units, Lasco Financial lost 5 cents with 106,286 shares changing hands to end at $3.85, Lasco Manufacturing gained 15 cents and ended with 123,940 shares trading and closed at $5.05. Main Event fell 26 cents and ended trading 3,236 shares at $6.50, Medical Disposablesadded 49 cents and ended at $5.50 with 2,000 units trading, Paramount Trading gained 29 cents and ended with 32,463 shares changing hands at $2.99 and tTech recovered 10 cents lost on Monday and ended with 5,331 units changing hands at $8.
No spike in TTSE trading after holiday
All three market indices closed higher at the end of trading, on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday, after trading resumed following the closure on Monday for a public holiday. The market closed with only 7 securities being exchanged compared to 8 on Friday.
At the end of trading 68,846 securities traded valued at $1,366,738 in contrast to Friday’s trades of 507,698 units, valued at $10,611,513. Market activity led to 3 stocks advancing, 2 declining and 2 were unchanged. Clico Investment dominated with 86 percent of the market’s value.
The Composite Index gained 0.47 points to 1,211.53, the All T&T Index rose 0.55 points to 1,790.61 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.05 points to close at 84.76.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 5 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| Ansa McAL gained 1 cent to close at $66.01 exchanging 100 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.06, gaining 5 cents in trading 5,000 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL traded 25 cents higher, closing at $21.50 with 6,575 units changing hands.
Losses| Clico Investment closed at $22.50, losing 1 cent with an exchange of 52,500 shares valued at $1,181,252 and Scotia Investments traded 32 cents lower to close at $2.13, with 2,300 units changing hands, with the price coming closer to the price of J$38 approximately TT$2 being offered by Scotia Group.
Firm Trades| First Citizens exchanged 311 shares at $31.65 and JMMB Group closed at $1.26, with 2,060 units trading.
JSE main market ends down on Monday
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Monday with a number of stocks declining out pacing those rising. The volume and value of stocks trading declined compared to that on Friday and the market indices trended lower.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 165.52 points to close at 258,454.14, the JSE Market Index fell 150.81 points to 235,480.98 and the JSE US dollar market index gained 3.32 points to close at 187.33.
At the close of trading, 23 securities changed hands in the main market, plus one bond and 1 stock in the US dollar market traded leading to 7 stocks advancing and 12 declining. Trading in the main market ended with 1,709,564 units valued at $44,534,888 changing hands compared to 2,161,083 units valued at $46,263,769 at the close on Friday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 203,960 units valued at US$48,949 and the bond market had 425,000 units trading at $42,500,000.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 74,329 units valued at a mere $1,781,396 for every security traded compared to an average of 77,182 units valued at a mere $5,040,005 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 252,609 units with an average value of $4,365,119 compared with an average of 263,096 units with an average value of $4,517,103 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Berger Paints recovered $2.25 of last weeks’ losses to close at $14.30, while trading 27,337 shares, Cable and Wireless added 1 cent to close at $1.13, with 42,747 stock units changing owners, Caribbean Cement closed at $25, with a loss of $1 exchanging 144,428 shares, Carreras traded $1.80 higher to close at $86.80, with an exchange of 5,259 units, Grace Kennedy closed at $41, losing 50 cents with trades of 243,861 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $17.51, with a loss of 49 cents trading 375,624 shares, Jamaica Producers exchanged 50,500 units to close at $16. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7 trading 31,599 shares, JMMB Group lost 3 cents to close at $19.97, with 19,674 units trading, 
Kingston Properties closed at $9.95 losing 5 cents exchanging 2,000 shares, Kingston Wharves jumped $4 higher to close at $30 trading 3,402 shares. Mayberry Investments closed at $5, losing 19 cents with 2,000 shares traded, NCB Financial Group closed at $70, with a loss of $1.50 after exchanging 34,098 shares and falling to $68 in early morning trading. 1834 Investments closed at $1.45, losing 5 cents with 33,000 units changing hands, 138 Student Living exchanged 10,600 units at $4.50, PanJam Investment gained 10 cents to close at $34.10, with trades of 6,287 shares. Proven Investments traded $2 higher to close at record high of J$21, in exchanging 48,000 shares in the main market, Pulse Investments closed at $18, with an exchange of 4,048 shares, Radio Jamaica traded 185,000 shares at $1.50, Sagicor Group closed at $34.10, losing 9 cents trading 93,100 shares. Scotia Group dropped $2.19 to close at $42.51, exchanging 336,471 shares while Supreme Ventures closed at $7.41, losing 9 cents with 6,058 shares changing owners. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents, with trades of 203,960 units, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.13, gaining 1 cent with an exchange of 4,471 units and Jamaica Producers traded 425,000 units of corporate bond at $100 each.
Jamaican dollar records more gains
The Jamaican dollar gained more ground versus the United States dollar on Monday with the selling rate dipped to J$128.89 to US$1 as US dollar inflows reached US$45.15 million and selling accounted for $39.14.
Inflows were just US$1 less than entered the market on Monday June 19. Overall, total foreign exchange of all currencies entering the market totaled US$50.79 million with US$42.2 million sold.
The buying rate for the US dollar fell to JS$128 from $128.15 at the end of trading on Friday.
The selling rate for the Canadian dollar declined to J$97.32 compared to J$97.83 at the close on Friday while the British Pound cost more at the close on Monday with J$163.71 buying the British currency versus J$162.63 on Friday and the Jamaican dollar gained value against the euro it taking J$144.89 to buy the European common currency on Monday versus Friday’s J$145.84.
2 Lasco stocks & Derrimon 90% of market
Lasco Manufacturing & Lasco Distributors, combined, traded most shares on Monday.
Volume traded on the Junior Market rose on Monday with 3 securities accounting for 90 percent of volume traded. At the close 6,755,849 units valued at $46,027,135 traded, compared with the 8,427,903 units valued at $36,346,358 passing through the market on Friday.
Trading ended with 25 securities versus 21 on Friday leading to just 6 stocks rising and 12 declining and one closed at a new high. The market index dropped 27.02 points to end at 3,183.22.
The market closed with 4 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 270,234 units for an average value of $1,841,085 compared to of 401,329 units for an average value of $1,730,779 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date is 469,353 units valued at $2,087,646 compared with 481,066 units valued at $2,102,149, previously, in contrast, May closed with averages of just 89,339 units at $596,722.
At the close of the market, stocks trading and their last traded price are: Access Financial Services closed at $46.20 in trading traded 1,500 units AMG Packaging fell 5 cents to close at $4.10 with 35,157 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers traded 332,360 shares and fell 1 cents to end at $15.99, Caribbean Cream added 25 cents in trading 16,629 units to end at $7.50, Consolidated Bakeries lost 30 cents in trading 2,000 units to end at $2.70. C2W Music lost 2 cents and closed at 43 cents with 2,000 shares trading, Derrimon Trading dropped 10 cents and ended at $8.50 with 2,031,926 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended at $20 with 3,060 shares trading, Eppley jumped 95 cents with 200 units changing hands to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $12.95. General Accident had 3,780 units changing hands to close at $2.70 after falling 30 cents, Honey Bun dropped 6 cents with just 2,034 shares changing hands and closed at $6.05, Jamaican Teas traded 70,000 shares but lost 15 cents to end at $4.15, 
Jetcon Corporation rose 8 cents and ended at $5.98 with 64,262 shares trading, Key Insurance traded 1,000 units to close at $3.05, KLE Group lost 35 cents and ended at $2.15 with 2,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express traded 20,188 shares and rose 10 cents to end at $16, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 20 cents at $6.80, trading 829,150 units, Lasco Financial rose 10 cents with 94,495 shares changing hands to end at $3.90, Lasco Manufacturing ended with 3,189,335 shares trading and closed at $4.90. Main Event rose 76 cents and ended trading 4,789 shares at $6.76, Medical Disposables lost 49 cents and ended at $5.01 with 625 units trading, Paramount Trading ended with 28,300 shares changing hands at $2.70, tTech lost 10 cents and ended with 8,000 units changing hands to end at $7.90, Derrimon Trading preference share ended at $2.50 with 12,029 shares changing hands and Eppley 9.5% preference share, ended with 1,000 units changing hands at $6.10.
Scotia Equity Fund tops at 39%
Scotia Investments Capital growth Fund tops in last 12 months.
Getting the best out of one’s investment requires regular reviews and sometimes changes to what we may consider prime holdings. A look at some of the high flying Jamaica Stock Exchange listings this year, tells the story pretty well.
The prices of many rose to exceedingly high valuations, on the back of strong buying, only to see prices fall back later with selling exceeding buying, as investors who bought low, offloaded their holdings, booking profit in the process.
That many may go on to recover losses incurred as a result of buying close to or near the top. In a number of cases, it may take quite some time to recover fully, while other opportunities to profit may go by. The Jamaica Stock Exchange share traded at $13.50 but now trades at $7 or Cargo Handlers trading at a high of $30, and is now at $16 and could fall some more with the price still seeming to be about 50 percent too high. Getting back to the top for these two will be challenging in the short term.
What then is happening to securities that move in a more mild-mannered than stocks but better than money market instruments? Unit trusts are a pooled investment vehicle that are managed by experienced persons.
Many persons only want to know that their investment grow at a reasonable pace and not so much on the rate of return, that will not be good stewardship of their resources. Investors should review their portfolio at least once per year and make changes where needed.
A close look at the Unit Trust bi weekly report that are published in the Jamaica Observer and Jamaica’s Daily Gleaner is revealing. Not all stocks are alike so it is with the pooled Unit Trust investment funds.
The performance of the Unit Trust funds vary from one to another. The equity based growth funds varied from 39 percent growth in case of Scotia Investments Premium Growth Fund, to a low of 28.47 percent for Sagicor Sigma Equity Fund for the last 12 months to date. Coming second, is Barita Investments Capital Growth with 34.55 percent. For 2017 to June 22, NCB Capital Markets equity fund delivered 29 percent for the last 12 months, but is the leading equity linked Unit Trust funds with gains of 21 percent, Scotia Investments Premium Growth Fund, is just behind, at 20.4 percent, edging out Barita Investments with 19.7 percent. JMMB Fund Managers landed 31 percent for the last 12 months and 18.9 percent since January with their Income and Growth Fund.
Sagicor and VM Unit Trust lag in the equity category, while Barita Investments FX Growth Portfolio fell 10 percent for the last 12 months and 5.7 percent since 2017 and the real estate fund, slipped 3 percent for the last 12 months and 5.7 percent for 2017 to date.
Returns on money market funds have been much more competitive with returns mostly around 5 percent annualized.
AMG eases Dolphin Cove out of TOP 10
AMG Packaging back in IC TOP 10.
Only one change occurred in the TOP 10 list for the past week with AMG Packaging reentering the list and Dolphin Cove moving out, as the price of the latter moved back to $20 from $18, the week before.
In the main market Berger Paints jumps to third position from 7 with the price tumbling from $17.31 to $12.50 during the week after trading at a low of $12.05.
The other news worthy development of the week was the increase in the price of former TOP 10 Junior Market listing, Jetcon Corporation that drop out of the top list last week. The stock closed at a new high during the past week but ended at $5.90 after 3 for 1 stock split took effect on
Thursday, with attempts to trade at $7.40 on Friday thwarted by the circuit breaker rules. The trade was cancelled after the market closed.
Market movement continues to be constrained by near term resistance levels but it does not prevent stocks from moving in either direction, but it will tend to keep prices overall from big movements upwards.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is 7.3 and 6.9 in the main market, these compare favourably with 13.5 for the overall main market and 13 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings. 
Several stocks are trading below these averages, and have potential for more gains in the months ahead, barring major negative developments.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the Junior Market average, while those in the main market are trading at a 49 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving stocks with room for growth in the months ahead. At the end of April the reading was 35 percent discount for the juniors and 53 percent for the majors.
Big gains for 2016 IPOS
I$P Finance is up 1,100% since listing in March 2016 but hit an all time high of $35 earlier this year to be up 1,650% at that time.
Initial Public listings have been very popular in the Jamaican stock market. Most of them enjoyed strong gains within a few years of issue.
Investors have bought heavily into most of the issues resulting in most closing on the first day of the issue.
No doubt investors will be avidly awaiting issues to come in the second half of this year. Expecting this week is Productivity Business Solution IPO should be available of subscription in the first week of July and Express Catering should be coming pretty soon as well.
A series of others should be following later in 2017 and in 2018 with Stationery and Supplies expected to follow shortly after the above two, as they iron out a few issues before coming to market, while UCC Online still has issues to resolve. Others that have been recently mentioned publicly and a few that have not yet made public statements, should add to the excitement when they do make it and swell the choices available in the market for ongoing investment.
How have recent IPOS done since listing? Stocks sold to the publish and listed since the start of 2016 had mixed fortunes, with startup entities delivering little gains with 
one trading lower than the IPO price but four have gained 200 percent or more including one with more than 1,000 percent, one rising 64 percent and one with 34 percent, up to last Friday.
Little known micro finance company, ISP Finance gained a stunning 1,100 percent, since listing in March 2016. Pre-owned car dealer, Jetcon Corporation is up with gains of 687 percent since March last year with information technology, company tTech coming in with gains of 220 percent.
Portland JSX Fund lost 18 percent, while start up general insurance company, Iron Rock is up just 7 percent. All stocks traded at higher prices than the closing ones on Friday.
Ansa’s Berger T&T holdings to hit 81%
Carib Beer brewed in Trinidad by Ansa McAl Group
Trinidad based conglomerate, ANSA McAL is set to acquire an additional 9.7 percent of Berger Paints in Trinidad. The acquisition if concluded, will give the group just under 81 percent of the company.
The group through subsidiary, ANSA Coatings International, through an International Business Company established in St Lucia, entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Chan Ramlal Limited for the acquisition of 500,000 shares in Berger T&T, a release to the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange stated. The ANSA McAL group already holds, 60,606 ordinary shares representing 1.17 percent in Berger.
On 16th June, 2017, ANSA McAL entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Berger International Private for the acquisition of all of the 1,869,805 ordinary shares in Lewis Berger (Overseas Holdings). Lewis Berger owns 3,613,011 ordinary shares in Berger Trinidad, representing 70 percent of the shareholding, 100 percent of the 376,000 equity shares, of Berger Paints Barbados and 109,332,222 ordinary shares, representing 51 percent of the shareholding of Berger Paints Jamaica.
