Bulls stampeding Jamaican stocks

Stock prices followed Friday’s surge on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, moving the market higher, with gains of 9.5 percent for the year to date, after the main market started the year with moderate gains.
The movement over the past three trading days has brought the gains in the market in line with the junior market that previously had gains that were 3 times that of the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market.
At the close, the all All Jamaica Composite Index leapt 3,931.57 points to close at 230,053.06, the JSE Market Index surged 3,515.51 points to finish at 210,082.88 and the JSE combined index climbed sharply by 3,283.99 points, to close at 223,917.56.
Trading resulted in 12,789,852 units valued at $79,186,131 changing hands, compared to 2,882,798 units valued at $55,189,818 changing hands on Friday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 426,481 units valued at $2,702,243.
The market closed with 42 securities changing hands, with 24 stocks rising and 9 falling in the overall market, including 10 stocks rising and 2 falling, in the junior market. A total of 8 securities ended at new 52 weeks’ closing highs.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 149,740 shares compared to an average of 111,605 units traded on Friday. For the month to date, an average of 175,757 shares compared to an average of 201,775 units on the previous trading day. The average for the month of December ended at 549,379 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator was at its highest level with reading shows 26 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
In market activity, Berger Paints traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $10.56 but declined by 5 cents in closing at $10.46 after trading 10,000 shares, Cable and Wireless closed with 221,233 units changing hands at $1.20, Caribbean Cement lost 39 cents and traded 39,262 shares to close at $33.51. Carreras closed at $66.75, gaining 5 cents with 8,652 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy had 32,126 units trading to close at $40.50, after losing 14 cents, Jamaica Broilers gained 7 cents and closed at $15.20 with 11,700 shares changing hands. Jamaica Producers traded 7,647 shares, rising 56 cents to end a new closing high of $13.06, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $5.60 having traded 178,916 shares, JMMB Group climbed to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $16.90 with gains of 90 cents and 8,633 units trade. Kingston Wharves retreated slightly from the rarefied heights to end trading 4,625 units and losing $1, to close at $33, Mayberry Investments traded 1,020 shares with a loss of 25 cents to close at $5, National Commercial Bank climbed higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $60, gaining $2 after swapping 61,840 shares. Pan Jamaican gained 10 cents and closed at $30 with 27,659 units being exchanged, Portland JSX closed at $9 with 10,000 units trading. Pulse Investments traded 12,500 units, gaining 83 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.00, Radio Jamaica rose 5 cents, closing at $1.35 with 27,693 shares traded, Sagicor Group closed with 112,763 shares changing hands with a gain of 99 cents at $30. Sagicor Real Estate fund traded 12,627 units and closed at $10, Salada closed at $8 having traded 148,787 shares, Scotia Group ended with 9,771 shares changing hands at $39. Scotia Investments traded 14,891 units, losing 49 cents to close at $33, Sterling Investments lost 15 cents to close at $15.60 after trading 124,700 units, Supreme Ventures traded 11,259,836 shares and closed at $5.21 and Proven Investments traded 15,300 ordinary shares to close at 23 US cents.