.
Reports reaching IC Insider.com is that Jamaican based Berger Paints is in play with more than one interested party eyeing the profitable target one source within the financial community stated.
I know as a fact that an offer was made on Thursday but was rejected by Berger as inadequate and would not involve taking over the staff. Another source indicates that the parties are in discussion on terms with the price of $20 that the stock traded at today being within the ball park of where an offer could be at. By next week a clearer picture should emerge our source advises.
One name said to be associated with the one of the offers is Josef Bogdanovich one of the investors involved in the takeover of Hardware and Lumber.
It’s unclear if the planned acquisition by Bogdanovich if successful would be placed under the Hardware and Lumber umbrella which would make economic sense as it would lead to economies of scale in a number of different areas.
The interest comes against the back ground of Berger having recorded the highest level of profit ever at $316 million up from $122 million in 2016, with IC Insider forecasting earnings of $2 per share or $430 million for the year ending March 2018.
Berger closed trading at $6 at the end of 2016 and is up 233 percent for the year to date and is the second best performing main market stock for the year second only to Pulse Investment that is up 360 percent. Berger has been in IC Insider.com TOP 10 since this year and in the TOP 5 Main market from inception on September 9 last year.
$2,768,003.
Jetcon Corporation jumped $2.25 and ended at record $15.50 with 97,862 shares trading, KLE Group lost 5 cents and ended at $2.85 with 1,630 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express traded 1,000 shares and shed 50 cents to end at $59.50. Lasco Financial lost 50 cents and ended with 2,938 shares changing hands at $4, Lasco Manufacturing rose 1 cent and closed at $5.13 while trading 17,600 shares, Main Event gained 20 cents and ended trading 34,462 shares at $7, Medical Disposables ended at $6.50 with 1,500 units trading, Paramount Trading shed 5 cents and ended with 192 shares changing hands at $3.10, Sweet River ended with 2,647 units changing hands at $3.50 and Derrimon Trading preference share, traded 48,600 units to end at $2.22.
The main market ended trading with an average of 288,464 units valued at an average of $3,733,346 compared to an average of 192,632 units and $4,626,660 on Tuesday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 201,622 units with an average value of $3,939,782 versus 204,192 units and $4,136,602 on the prior trading. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units and $5,254,387.
At the close of the market, Access Financial Services rose 10 cents and closed at $47 in trading 1,200 shares, AMG Packaging regained 16 cents to close at $5 with a mere 920 units changing hands, Blue Power closed at $39 with 4,662 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers traded 100 shares at $20, Caribbean Cream closed trading with 7,238 units at $7.85. Caribbean Producers rose 10 cents trading 159,891 shares changing hands, to close at $4, after trading earlier at $4.50, Investors responded positively to improved third quarter results with profit after tax of US$968,000 versus US$642,000 but with slightly lower nine months profit. Consolidated Bakeries lost 20 cents in trading 60,000 shares to close at $2.65, Dolphin Cove fell 50 cents and ended at $20 with 2,559 shares changing hands, General Accident fell 13 cents and closed trading with 229,764 shares at $3.12, Honey Bun lost 20 cents with 26,800 shares changing hands, to close at $7.80, ISP Finance climbed $1.01 to end at a record closing high of $24 with 2,900 units changing hands. Jamaican Teasclimbed 35 cents in trading 134,800 shares, to close at a record high of $5.10, Jetcon Corporation dropped 75 cents and ended at $13.25 with 10,325 shares trading,
KLE Group ended at $2.85 with 1,000 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express traded 13,163 shares and gained $5 to end at a record close of $60. Lasco Distributors ended with 52,131 units trading with a loss of 14 cents at $7.01, Lasco Financial lost 50 cents and ended with 2,938 shares changing hands at $4, Lasco Manufacturing declined by 38 cents and closed at $5.12 while trading 154,589 shares, Main Event rose 45 cents and ended trading 20,177 shares at $6.80, Medical Disposables ended at $6.50 with 2,020 units trading, Paramount Trading gained 10 cents and ended with 1,000 shares changing hands at $3.15, tTech fell 5 cents and ended with 19,251 units changing hands at $7.15, Eppley 8.25% preference share, traded 41,000 units to end at $6.09 and Eppley 9.5% preference share, traded 31,150 units to end at $6.15.
cents to close at $4.84 with 200 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers dipped 50 cents in trading 1,500 shares at $20, Caribbean Cream rose 35 cents and closed trading with 102,161 units at $7.85. Caribbean Flavours gained 90 cents in trading 30,000 units to end at $9.50, Caribbean Producers rose 10 cents trading 10,024 shares changing hands, to close at $3.90, Consolidated Bakeries lost 15 cents in trading 18,332 shares to close at $2.85, C2W Music had 10,000 units changing hands to close at 50 cents, Derrimon Trading fell 25 cents and ended at $8.25 with 4,905 shares changing hands, General Accident rose 10 cents and closed trading with 16,790 shares at $3.25, Honey Bun rose 10 cents with 76,556 shares changing hands, to close at $8, ISP Finance climbed $2.99 to end at a record closing high of $22.99 with 90,602 units changing hands. 
Jamaican Teas traded 7,900 shares, to close at $4.75, Jetcon Corporation dropped $1 and ended at $14 with 137,146 shares trading Knutsford Express traded 3,077 shares and gained $4 to end at a record close of $55. Lasco Distributors ended with 371,382 units trading with a loss of 30 cents at $7.15, Lasco Financial rose 40 cents and ended with 4,000 shares changing hands at $4.50, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 40 cents and closed at $5.50 while trading 88,171 shares, Main Event dropped 75 cents and ended trading 79,566 shares at $6.35, Medical Disposables climbed 50 cents and ended at $6.50 with 81,715 units trading, Paramount Trading ended with 500 shares changing hands at $3.05, tTech rose 20 cents and ended with 3,300 units changing hands at $7.20 and Eppley 8.25% preference share, traded 34,196 units to end at $6.10.
with less than 700,000 shares being exchanged. 
At the close of the market, Access Financial Services closed at $47 in trading 8,000 shares, AMG Packaging closed at $5 with 12,958 units changing hands, Blue Power climbed $2 and closed at $39 with 200 shares trading,Cargo Handlers clawed back 50 cents in trading 120,000 shares at $20.60, Caribbean Cream closed trading with 83,828 units at $7.50. Consolidated Bakeries rose 2 cents in trading 9,473 shares to close at $3, General Accident closed trading with 17,100 shares at $3.15, Honey Bun rose 10 cents with 23,924 shares changing hands, to close at $7.90, ISP Finance climbed $1.50 to end at a record high of $20 with 4,000 units changing hands after the price hit an intraday high of $24. Jamaican Teastraded 203,560 shares, to close at $4.75, 
Jetcon Corporation jumped $1.75 and ended at $15 with 3,849 shares trading Knutsford Express traded 1,050 shares at $51, the bid on the stock closed at $53. Lasco Distributors ended with 2,644 units trading with a gain of 15 cents at $7.45, Lasco Financial fell 45 cents and ended with 7,562 shares changing hands at $4.10, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 52 cents and closed at $5.10 while trading 33,874 shares, Main Event rose 35 cents and ended trading of 114,129 shares at all-time closing high of $7.10, Paramount Trading ended with 15,787 shares changing hands and fell 38 cents to $3.05, tTech lost 50 cents and ended with 2,000 units changing hands at $7 and Eppley 9.5% preference share, traded 850 units to end at $6.15.
At the close of the market 25 securities changed hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market as 15 stocks advanced and 3 declined.
The average volume and value for the month to date are 86,809 units and $653,199 while at the close of the prior day it was 99,447 units and $705,342. The average volume and value for April ended at 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
Key Insurance traded 15,090 units to close at $3.80 after losing 9 cents, Knutsford Express jumped $5 in trading 150 shares at $51, Lasco Distributors ended with 7,968 units trading with a loss of 10 cents at $7.30, Lasco Financial climbs 55 cents and ended with 30,000 shares changing hands at $4.55, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 17 cents and closed at $5.62 while trading 7,615 shares, Main Event rose 46 cents and ended trading of 98,731 shares at all-time closing high of $6.75, after earlier trading at an all-time high of $6.99, Paramount Trading ended with 1,325 shares changing hands and fell 2 cents to $3.43 and tTech ended with 91,201 units changing hands at $7.50, Derrimon Trading preference share rose 17 cents and ended with 150 units changing hands to close at $2.22 and Eppley 9.5% preference share, traded 4,000 units and rose 5 cents to end at $6.15.
The average volume and value for April ended at 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
Key Insurance lost 1 cent in trading 37,910 units to close at $3.89, Knutsford Express jumped $4.99 and traded 200 shares at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $46,Lasco Distributors ended with 500,029 units trading with a fall of 5 cents at $7.20, Lasco Financial fell 5 cents and ended with 199,629 shares changing hands at $4.55, Lasco Manufacturing fell 2 cents and closed at $5.48 while trading 77,707 shares, Main Event rose 31 cents and ended trading 9,400 shares, to end at $6.31, Medical Disposables ended at $6 with 16,700 units trading, Paramount Trading ended with 156,063 shares changing hands and lost 5 cents to $3.40, tTech ended with 4,405 units changing hands at $7.49 after rising 35 cents to $7.49 and Eppley 10% preference share, ended with 133,118 units changing hands at $6.50 after falling 30 cents.
