Trading closed on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday with 15 securities changing hands including 1,000 units of the US Mutual fund, compared to 13 on Tuesday.
At the close 5 stocks advanced, 4 declined and 6 were unchanged as 235,696 shares traded at a value of $9,843,087 compared to Tuesday’s 113,158 shares valued at $864,641.
The Composite Index lost 0.44 points to 1,233.29, the All T&T Index gained 0.08 points to 1,802.90 and the Cross Listed Index declined 0.013 points to close at 89.06.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 9 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investment gained 1 cent to close at $22.51 trading 62,153 units valued at $1,399,060, JMMB Group closed at $1.31, with a 1 cent gain exchanging 3,705 shares, Readymix advanced 62 cents, closing at $12.62, with 912 shares changing hands. Sagicor Financial closed at $9.05, gaining 3 cents with trades of 2,271 shares and Scotiabank added 6 cents to close at $58.06 with 60,000 units traded at a value of $3,483,600.
Losses| First Caribbean International closed at $8.57, with a loss of 3 cents trading 200 shares and Guardian Holdings traded 1 cent lower to close at $15.44 exchanging 103 units, 
West Indian Tobacco lost 1 cent and closed at $126.99 trading 35,490 shares valued at $4,506,880 and Bourse Brazil Latin Fund traded 1,000 units at a 52 weeks’ low of US$8.08, after losing 2 cents.
Firm Trades| First Citizens closed at $32 with 232 units traded, even as reports out of Trinidad suggest that the block of shares the government placed on the market was not fully taken up. Massy Holdings closed at $15.43 exchanging 82 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $3.99 with trades of 34,800 shares, One Caribbean Media traded a mere 10 shares at $16.85, Scotia Investments closed at $2.75 with 29,000 units changing owners and Trinidad & Tobago NGL exchanged 5,738 units at $22.50.
Advancing stocks just ahead in Trinidad
14 stocks fell on Wednesday
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday with 25 securities changing hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 7 stocks advanced and 14 declined.
Trading levels in the main market ended at 2,673,775 units valued at $51,217,614 compared to 5,505,950 units valued at $95,998,334 at the close on Tuesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 168,860 units valued at US$50,658.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 1,021.50 points to close at 247,892.32 the JSE Market Index fell 930.70 points to finish at 225,857.99 and the JSE US dollar market index remained unchanged at 219 points.
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 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 53,047 units valued at $2,048,705 per traded security compared to an average of 158,066 units valued at $4,173,841 on Tuesday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 398,555 units with an average value of $4,907,331 versus at 421,588 units with an average value of $5,097,906 on the prior trading day.
The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
In market activity, Barita Investments closed at $7 with a loss of 10 cents exchanging 100 shares, Berger Paints closed $1.48 lower to $13.52 trading 215,248 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.31, after losing 4 cents with 19,178 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 50 cents lower to $30.50 with 233,626 units trading Carreras closed at $75, with a loss of 10 cents while exchanging 97,395 shares, Grace Kennedy gained $2 to close at $43 trading 27,300 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $16.90, gaining 10 cents with an exchange of 1,023,770 shares, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.50 exchanging 3,187 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 40 cents lower at $8, with trades of 22,332 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.22, after losing 9 cents trading 79,664 units, Kingston Wharves closed at $29.40, with a loss of $2.60 in exchanging 1,718 units, Mayberry Investments exchanged 11,000 shares at $4.75, NCB Financial Group traded at $65, with 65,310 shares changing hands, 
1834 Investments lost 15 cents to close at $1.70, with an exchange of 124,196 shares, 138 Student Living traded 1 cent higher to close at S4.49 with 21,860 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment closed 80 cents lower to $34.20 with trades of 25,244 shares. Radio Jamaica gained 5 cents to close at $1.70 trading 76,000 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32 exchanging 55,909 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $10.35, with gains of 5 cents trading 35,276 shares, Scotia Group closed at $41, gaining $1.88 with 121,490 units changing ownership, Scotia Investments traded $1.89 lower to close at $36.11 with an exchange of 4,420 shares, Seprod gained 1 cent to close at $36 trading 7,853 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.30, losing 8 cents exchanging 62,444 shares. Proven Investments closed at 30 US cents with trades of 168,860 ordinary shares, and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 20 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.30 exchanging 40,000 units.
A new record close for Junior market
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading at yet another record closing high with a big gain of 43.64 points, with an increase of 1.36 percent to 3,247.20 points on Wednesday.
Key Insurance closed trading at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.95 after rising 90 cents with 1,986 shares. Jamaican Teas was in good demand and ended as the market leader with over 500,000 shares.
By close, declining stocks outnumber advancing stocks 9 to 4 with 17 securities changing hands versus 20 on Tuesday with 1,523,004 valued at $8,929,450 versus changing hands compared to 1,591,968 units valued at $9,438,771 on Tuesday.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 89,588 units for an average value of $525,262 traded, compared to 348,288 units for an average value of $2,052,746 on the previous trading day.
The average volume and value for the month to date are 557,888 units and $3,070,123. The average volume and value for the month to the previous trading day ended at 587,157 units and $3,229,177. The average volume and value for March was 137,459 units and $1,313,411.
Trading ended with 10 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and none ending with a lower offer, than the last traded price.
At the close of the market on Tuesday, AMG Packaging closed at $5 with 173,191 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers traded 1,500 shares to close at $20.50, Caribbean Producers gained 5 cents to end at $3.75 with 54,114 shares trading, Consolidated Bakeries ended trading with a loss of 5 cents with 10,702 shares changing hands, to close at $2.85. 
General Insurance fell 10 cents and ended at $3.20 with 106,550 shares trading, Honey Bun rose 15 cents with 14,965 shares changing hands, to close at $7.55, ISP Finance lost 3 cents to end $17 with 74,496 units changing hands after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $17.51. Jamaican Teas added 3 cents trading 500,072 shares, to close at $4.75, Jetcon Corporation put on 15 cents and ended at $12.95 with 8,344 shares trading, KLE Group ended at $2.80 with 5,670 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express closed trading with 3,265 shares at $41, Lasco Distributors rose 2 cents and ended with 80,680 units trading at $7, Lasco Financial rose 29 cents and ended with 78,156 shares changing hands at $4.80, Lasco Manufacturing gained 33 cents to close at $5.59 while trading 359,883 shares, Main Event rose 11 cents trading 1,264 shares to close at $6.10 and Medical Disposables closed at $6 with 48,166 units trading.
Juniors up 44 points to record close
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading at yet another record closing high with a big gain of 43.64 points, with an increase of 1.36 percent to 3,247.20 points on Wednesday. The market surged over 72 points to a record close on Tuesday.
Key Insurance traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.95 while Jamaican Teas was in good demand and ended as the market leader with over 500,000 shares.
Dividend consideration for Berger
The audited financial s
tatements for Berger Paints Jamaica will be considered at a meeting of the company’s Board of Directors at a meeting scheduled for Friday, April 28.
The board is expected to approve the audited statements for the year ended March 31 and to consider payment of a Dividend.
In 2016 the company made net profit of $122 million compared to $67 million in 2015 and earnings per stock unit 57 cents in 2016 and 31 cents in 2015. A dividend of 20 cents per share amounting to $42.86 million and representing 35 percent of profit for the year ended March 2016 was paid on July 14, 2016 and a dividend of 12 cents per share amounting to $25.7 million or 38.35 percent of 2015 profit was paid in 2015. IC Insider.com forecast is for earnings of $1.30 per share for 2016 and $1.90 for 2018 that should result in dividend of approximately 50 cents per share for 2016 and around 70 cents for 2018.
$190m JSE dividends for 2016
The Jamaica Stock Exchange announced the payment a final dividend for 2016 of 3.56 cents per share in May, bringing the for 2016 profits and $190.2 million, Mrs. Marlene Street-Forrest, newly promoted Managing Director of Stock Exchange informed IC Insider.com.
In 2015 we paid $140.2 million, representing 80 percent of consolidated profit and $190.2 million of the 2016 profits a total of 85 percent of group profits Street-Forrest stated. The payments over the last two years is in contrast with the stated dividend policy is no less 20 percent of profits to be paid in each year.
The payment was approved at a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors held on April 25 and is payable on May 31, 2017 to shareholders of record on May 11. The stock will start trading ex-dividend on May 9, 2017.
Last year, the JSE paid a dividend of 12.96 cents per share in December and a dividend of 53 cents per share, on May 6, 2016 based on number of shares in issue at the time. The JSE later in the year split their issued shares into 5 for each one.
The JSE will need to enjoy another big break in 2017, if they are to beat the results of $224 million made in 2016 from revenues of $921 million. In the first quarter of 2016, the JSE earned one off income estimated by IC Insider.com around $110 million from the sales of the Desnoes and Geddes shares to Heineken after the latter acquired majority shares in the local company.
JSE falls sharply on Tuesday
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday with 23 securities changing hands with 2 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 8 stocks advanced and 9 declined.
Trading levels in main market ended at 5,505,950 units valued at $95,998,334 compared to 1,892,384 units valued at $17,691,277 at the close on Monday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 10,079 units valued at US$5,123.
The All Jamaica Composite Index dropped 2,960.08 points to close at 248,913.82 the JSE Market Index slid 2,696.97 points to finish at 226,788.69 and the JSE US dollar market index remained unchanged at 219 points.
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 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 158,066 units valued at $680,434 per traded security compared to an average of 258,710 units carrying an average value of $3,912,692 on Monday. 
The average volume for the month to date ended at 440,411 units with an average value of $5,163,911 versus 454,388 units with an average value of $5,508,794 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
In market activity, Barita Investments closed at $7.10 with an exchange of 73,748 shares, Berger Paints closed at $15, gaining 1 cent in exchanging 75,342 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.35, losing 1 cent with 1,116,376 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded $1 higher to $31 with trades of 20,823 units. Carreras closed at $75.10, with a loss of 80 cents while 2,840 shares were swapped, Grace Kennedy tumbled to $41, losing $3 in trading 1,204,283 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $16.80 with 8,414 shares changing owners, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.50 with an exchange of 68,731 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 40 cents higher to $8.40, with trades of 2,120,627 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.31, while gaining 32 cents trading 119,977 units, Kingston Wharves closed at $32 exchanging 5,700 units, NCB Financial Group traded at $65, with 65,960 shares changing hands, 
1834 Investments gained 20 cents to close at $1.85, with an exchange of 10,000 shares, 138 Student Living traded 2 cents higher to close at S4.48 with 2,050 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment closed 60 cents lower to $35 with trades of 10,169 shares. Pulse Investments closed at $8.04 with an exchange of 70,000 shares, Radio Jamaica lost 10 cents to close at $1.65 trading 48,055 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32, losing $1 in exchanging 38,500 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $10.30, with a loss of 20 cents trading 25,072 shares, Scotia Group closed with a loss of $1.88 at $39.12, with 255,649 units changing owners, Scotia Investments gained 92 cents to close at $38 with trades of 126,000 shares, Seprod lost 1 cent to close at $35.99 trading 5,420 shares, and Supreme Ventures closed at $6.38, gaining 3 cents exchanging 32,214 shares. Proven Investments closed at 30 US cents with trades of 8,330 ordinary shares and JMMB Group USD5.75% preference share closed at US$1.50 with trades of 1,749 units.
Junior market jumps 2.3% by 72 points
Lasco Manufacturing traded at an intraday high of $6.25 on Tuesday.
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange traded up more than 129 points just after midday on Tuesday, to hit a new intraday record high of 3,261.11 points with Lasco Manufacturing trading at a new high of $6.25 with over 4 million shares trading and Lasco Distributors trading up to $7.30 with 569,000 shares well ahead of the close.
The market index has since slipped back to close sharply up by 2.3 percent or 71.93 points, to end at 3,203.56 with a 6,965,751 shares valued at $41,054,916 trading. By close, declining stocks outnumber advancing stocks 9 to 4 with 20 securities changing hands versus 21 on Monday with 1,591,968 units valued at $9,438,771 changing hands.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 348,288 units for an average value of $2,052,746 traded, compared to 75,808 units for an average value of $449,465 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date are 587,157 units and $3,229,177. The average volume and value for the month to the previous trading day ended at 603,081 units and $3,307,605. The average volume and value for March was 137,459 units and $1,313,411.
Trading ended with 9 stocks having bids higher than their last sale prices and 2 ending with lower offers, than their last traded price.At the close of the market on Monday, Access Financial Services jumped $4.75 to $41.75 in trading traded 2,000 units, AMG Packaging lost 50 cents in closing at $5 with 13,814 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers traded 23,977 shares to close at $20.50, Caribbean Cream lost 44 cents in trading 188 units to end at $7.54, Caribbean Flavours ended at $12.50 with 1,000 shares trading, Caribbean Producers lost 1 cent and ended at $3.70 with 365,081 shares trading, Consolidated Bakeries ended trading with a gain of 4 cents with 339,160 shares changing hands, to close at $2.90. C2W Music had 27,386 units changing hands to close at 37 cents, Dolphin Cove rose 8 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $20.08 with 240 shares changing hands, General Insurance ended at $3.30 with 1,500 shares trading,
Honey Bun had 3,944 shares changing hands, to close at $7.40, ISP Finance rose 93 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $17.03 with 500 units. Jamaican Teas fell 13 cents trading101,650 shares, to close at $4.72, Jetcon Corporation fell 4 cents and ended at $12.80 with 24,015 shares trading, Knutsford Express closed trading with 61,726 shares at $41, Lasco Distributors rose 8 cents and ended with 621,283 units trading at $6.98, Lasco Financial lost 24 cents and ended with 10,000 shares changing hands at $4.51, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 49 cents to close at $5.26 while trading 5,336,241 shares, Main Event lost 1 cent trading 16,340 shares to close at $5.99, Medical Disposables dropped 50 cents and closed at $6 with 42,173 units trading and Eppley 9.5% preference shares traded 1,419 units at $6.02.
Falling stocks 2 to 1 over gainers
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange resulted in 13 securities changing hands on Tuesday compared to 9 on Monday. Market activity led to 3 stocks advancing, 6 declining and 4 unchanged with 113,158 shares traded at a value of $864,641 compared to Monday’s 50,550 shares valued at $1,371,638.
The Composite Index lost 0.12 points to 1,233.73, the All T&T Index declined 0.28 points to 1,802.82 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.01 point to close at 89.19.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 8 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Gains| Sagicor Financial gained 2 cents to close at $9.02 exchanging 1,000 units, Scotia Investments closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.75, with gains of 5 cents, trading 11,000 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL added 1 cent, closing at $22.50, with 250 shares changing hands.
Losses| Clico Investment closed at $22.50, with a loss of 1 cent trading 19,179 shares valued at $431,534, JMMB Group traded 1 cent lower to close at $1.30 exchanging 71,262 units, 
National Flour Mills lost 2 cents to close at $2.53 with 800 shares changing hands. Readymix traded at $12, losing 62 cents with an exchange of 5,583 units, Republic Financial Holdings closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $101.90, with a 10 cent loss, trading 1,047 shares and Trinidad Cement lost 1 cent to close at $4.21 with trades of 116 units.
Firm Trades| First Citizens closed at $32 with 920 units changing owners, Guardian Holdings closed at $15.45 with trades of 100 shares, Massy Holdings closed at $51.43 exchanging 1,611 shares and One Caribbean Media traded 290 shares at $16.85.
Junior Market jumps sharply to new record
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange traded up more than 129 points after midday on Tuesday.
The market index hit a new intraday record high of 3,261.11 points with Lasco Manufacturing trading at a new high of $6.25 with over 4 million shares trading and Lasco Distributors trading up to $7.30 with 569,000 shares. The Junior Market index has since slipped back to 3,212.92, up 81.29 for the day at 12:30 but the All Jamaica Composite index dropped 3,016.25 points to 248,857.65.
