ISP Finance closed at a new high of $8.50 on Monday.
With today’s movement of the index, the junior market is up 37 percent for the year to date and appears to be poised to trade higher based on the number of bids closing above the last traded prices versus those that have offers lower than the last sale prices.
At the close the prices of 6 stocks rose and 2 declined with 10 securities trading, compared to 12 on Friday. The volume of stocks traded dipped on Monday by 28 percent, from Friday’s level, ending with 1,021,062 units changing hands, valued at $5,305,996, down 16 percent from $6,281,632 on Friday.
Market activities ended with 8 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 5 ending with lower offers.An average of 102,106 units with an average value of $530,600 traded, compared to 118,101 units with an average value of $523,469 on the preceding trading day. The average for December to date is 124,545 units, at an average of $570,520. The average for December to Friday is 127,751 units at an average of $576,223. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
In trading activity, Caribbean Cream traded 214,730 shares and closed at $7.50, Caribbean Producers gained 5 cents with 86,169 shares changing hands at $3.25, Honey Bun had 8,000 shares changing hands to close with a loss of 5 cents at $5.95, ISP Finance rose 50 cents to end at an all-time high of $8.50 with 10,000 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance traded 6,063 units as the price jumped 50 cents to $4 shares. KLE Group closed trading with 78,500 units at $1.85, Lasco Distributors had 185,996 shares changing hands to close at $6.80,
Lasco Financial Services traded 403,497 units and declined by 25 cents to $3.25. At the close, there were two bids to buy 1,003,050 units of Lasco Financial at $3.10 and an offer to sell 9,000 units at $3.40 and offers to buy 1,083,388 units at $3.50. Lasco Manufacturing gained just 2 cents and ended at $4.60 with 327,218 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables fell 31 cents while 41,586 shares traded, to close at $3.70 and Paramount Trading rose 18 cents with 62,800 units changing hands to close at $3.40.
Radio Jamaica with 130,000 shares at $1.25. In the junior market Caribbean Cream traded 214,330 shares at $7.50 and Medical Disposables with 41,186 units at $4.18.
In the IC Insider’s TOP 5, the candidates remain unchanged but Caribbean Cement benefited from an announcement that the Cemex Group who are offering to but majority stake in Trinidad, if successful may consider delisting shares in Barbados and Jamaica including subsidiaries after a full review of the Caribbean operations. Carib Cement moved to 4th position and is worth watching in the week to come. There are 6 offers in the market at the close of trading on Friday, ranging from $36.48 to sell 10,000 units, 10,000 units at $37, the next is 2,300 shares at $44 with the next being at $45 and $60. Bids for the stocks are not very aggressive with the only meaningful one being at $34.01 to buy 69,000 shares.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 152,905 shares compared to an average of 171,733 units traded on Thursday with the average for the month to date being 170,913 units compared to 188,922 units for the month up to Thursday. November ended with an average of 208,466 units.
National Commercial Bank shed 75 cents and ended at $49 with 44,300 shares changing hands, PANJAM Investment traded 50,335 shares and gained 60 cents to close at $24.50, Radio Jamaica traded 115,343 units while losing 10 cents to close at $1.20. Sagicor Group closed with 97,235 shares changing hands to close with a rise of 1 cent at $26.02, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 18,425 units with the price holding at $10.24, Scotia Group fell by 50 cents, with 405,160 shares changing hands, to close at $33.50. Scotia Investments gained 10 cents with 6,000 units changing hands, to close at $33, Sterling Investments ended at $15.70 with 20,410 shares being swapped by investors, Supreme Ventures lost 30 cents and ended at $4.70 with 13,605 units changing hands and Proven Investments traded 65,900 shares at 18.56 US cents.
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange resulted in declines in activity on Friday with a mere 6 securities changing hands compared to 10 on Thursday. Trading ended with 1 stock rising, 3 falling and 2 trading with the price unchanged.
Gains| Praetorian Property Mutual Fund closed at $2.76, having gained 6 cents with 43,328 shares changing ownership.
The Jamaican dollar made more gains against the US dollar and the euro in foreign exchange trading on Friday, following gains made on Thursday but lost value against the British pound and the Canadian dollar. At the close of the market, dealers bought the equivalent of US$32,880,249 of all currencies and sold US$32,936,449, compared to US$27,160,634 purchased and US$26,921,870 sold on Thursday. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 13 cents to $94.67, with dealers buying C$2,044,327 and selling C$3,142,188 at an average rate that increased by $1.51 to finish at $98.17. The average rate for buying the British Pound dropped 66 cents to $158.80 for the purchase of £1,563,019 while £452,709 was sold with a rise of 32 cents to end at $161.77.
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$7,523 being bought and selling of US$5,442.
Market activities ended with 7 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 4 ending with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors had 183,544 shares changing hands to close with a loss of 0 cents at $6.60, Lasco Financial Services traded 403,497 units and declined by 25 cents to $3.25. At the close, there was a bid to buy 1,003,050 units Lasco Financial at $3.10 and an offer to sell 1,059,388 units at $3.50. Lasco Manufacturing gained just 2 cents and ended at $4.60 with 616,264 shares changing hands and Medical Disposables fell 4 cents while 63,918 shares traded, to close at $4.01.
Cargo Handlers 5,000 at a new all-time high of $15 with a jump of $2, Lasco Manufacturing traded 92,000 at $4.57, Caribbean Cement traded 50,213 units at $36.38, Mayberry Investments climbed by 50 cents to $4.50 with 138,386 shares changing hands.
The Jamaican dollar made more gains against all four major foreign currencies on Thursday, following gains it made on Wednesday. At the close of the market, dealers bought the equivalent of US$27,160,634 of all currencies and sold US$26,921,870, compared to US$34,294,467 purchased and US$30,046,671 sold on Wednesday. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 91 cents to $94.80, with dealers buying C$1,776,682 and selling C$1,342,067 at an average rate that declined by 28 cents to $96.66. The average rate for buying the British Pound dropped $2.01 to $159.46 for the purchase of £1,805,624 while £470,139 was sold with a slip of $1.77, to end at $161.45.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest rates for the regularly traded foreign currencies on Thursday, include a fall of $1 in the lowest selling rate for the US dollar to end at $123. The highest buying rate for the British Pound dropped $5.55 to $162.20, the lowest buying rate fell $1.66 to$131.14, the highest selling rate climbed $4.04 to $170.64, while the lowest selling rate slipped $1.84 to end at $155.50 and the highest buying rate for the Euro jumped $6.58 to $144.18. 
The average for December to Wednesday is 144,548 units at an average of $659,983. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
Consolidated Bakeries had 54,000 units changing hands with a loss of 3 cents to end at $2.20. Honey Bun had 15,116 shares changing hands to close at $6, Jetcon Corporation lost 5 cents in trading 48,526 shares to close at $5.95, Lasco Distributors had just 1,227 shares changing hands to close at $6.80. Lasco Financial Services traded 300,625 units and rose by 25 cents to $3.50, Lasco Manufacturing gained just 1 cent and ended at $4.58 with 101,000 shares changing hands, Paramount Trading fell 58 cents while 18,989 shares traded, to close at $3.22 and Derrimon Trading preference share lost 37 cents, ending with 22,875 units changing hands to close at $2.12.
