Authorized dealers stock pile US$32M

Trading levels fell below a normal Monday with a subdued amount of inflows and outflows coming off heavy inflows on Friday. In the process the Jamaica dollar remained stable against the United States dollar but slipped versus the Pound and Canadian, with trading leading to a 6th straight day of more buying of foreign currency by dealers than selling.
The foreign exchange market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$7 million more than the amount sold in all currencies, bringing the surplus purchased in the last six days to just under US$32 million, with the amount bought by dealers bringing US$$34,816,027 while they sold US$27,530,551, compared to US$63,555,858 purchased and US$42,928,790 sold on Friday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$32,597,751 compared to US$61,641,959 on Friday as the buying rate for the US dollar fell 53 cents to $125.40. A total of US$26,126,325 was sold versus US$41,808,480 on Friday with the selling rate remaining unchanged at $126.28. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose by 19 cents to end at $94.07 with dealers buying C$1,008,510 and selling C$971,896, at an average rate that climbed $2.80 to $99.14. The average rate for buying the British Pound dipped $1.67 to $162.15 for the purchase of £1,031,175, while £447,195 was sold, with the rate jumping $1.16 to $168.54.
At the end of trading, the selling rate for Euro, rose 17 cents to close at J$140.57 from Friday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$138.08, for a rise of 45 cents from Friday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded amounts to US$128,393 being bought, while US$44,402 was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the Jamaican dollar in the foreign exchange market on Monday include, a sharp rise of $6.56 in the highest buying rate of the US dollar to close at $133.16, a drop of $10.96 in the lowest buying rate to $92 and a fall $9.91 in the lowest selling rate to end at $93. There was a rise of $3.18 in the highest buying rate of the Canadian Dollar to $100.98, a rise of 90 cents in the lowest selling rate to close at $91.60. The British Pound suffered losses, with the highest buying rate dropping $2.42 to $167.58, the lowest buying rate dropped $1.42 at $134.29 and the highest selling rate dived $6.26 to close at $174.74.