Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Monday with a sharp fall in volume and value traded and a drop in the market indices. The All Jamaica Composite Index declining 1,197.69 points to close at 262,775.04, the JSE Market Index fell 1,091.23 points to 239,417.82 and the JSE US dollar market index closed at 215.54.
At the close of trading, 31 securities changed hands with 2 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 10 stocks advancing and 9 declining. Trading in the main market ended with 1,059,661 units valued at just $8,670,794 changing hands, compared to a much higher, 3,774,318 units valued at $94,412,872 at the close on Friday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 98,500 units valued at US$28,311.
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 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 36,540 units valued at a mere $298,993 for every security traded, compared to an average of 145,166 units valued at $3,631,264 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 97,758 units with an average value of $2,120,059 compared with an average of 128,368 units and $3,030,592 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Berger Paints closed at $18, with a loss of 64 cents exchanging 41,750 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.30 trading 62,785 stock units, Caribbean Cement traded 99 cents lower to close at $29, with an exchange of 3,486 shares, Carreras lost $5 with 950 shares changing hands and closed at $84, Grace Kennedy advanced $2.01 to close at $43, trading 28,738 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $17.96, gaining 6 cents with 38,773 shares being exchanged, Jamaica Producers lost 50 cents to close at $16 trading 43,524 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7.39 with an exchange of 21,947 shares, JMMB Group traded 36,475 units at $20.50, Kingston Properties traded 49 cents higher to close at $11.49, with 1,224 shares changing owners, Kingston Wharves exchanged 1,108 shares at $32, Mayberry Investments lost 5 cents to close at $4.70, with an exchange of 50,700 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $70.55, losing 44 cents after exchanging 6,431 shares, 138 Student Living exchanged 2,900 stock units at $4.49 and 1834 Investments gained 10 cents to close at $1.50 trading 16,000 shares. 
PanJam Investment closed at $35 trading 3,430 shares, Portland JSX lost 35 cents to close at $10.15, with 3,700 shares changing hands, Pulse Investments traded $2 lower to close at $16, with 9,313 shares, Radio Jamaica exchanged 145,825 shares at $1.70, Sagicor Group added 5 cents to close at $34.25 trading 39,824 shares and Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 82 cents to close at $11.50, with 2,177 shares changing hands. Salada Foodsgained 55 cents, closing at $9.02, with an exchange of 350 shares, after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $10. Scotia Group dropped $2.10 and closed at $43.80, exchanging 6,424 shares, Scotia Investments traded $1.35 lower to close at $36.50, with 750 shares changing ownership, Seprod closed at $29.90, with gains of 38 cents trading 500 shares, Sterling Investments closed at $16.90, gaining $1.40 with 5,000 shares changing hands while Supreme Ventures added 29 cents to close at $7.49 exchanging 62,690 shares. Margaritaville Turks exchanged 4,500 units at 34 US cents, Proven Investments traded 94,000 ordinary shares at 28.49 US cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share closed at $2 with trades of 5,984 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.15 exchanging 415,000 units.
the close of the market, Blue Power lost $2 to close at $53 with 696 units changing hands, CAC 2000 rose 2 cents and closed at $7.22 with 4,640 shares trading, Cargo Handlers eased by 10 cents and closed at $17.90 with 1,063 shares trading, Caribbean Flavours traded 1,513 units to end at $12, Caribbean Producers traded 487,000 units at $3.50, Derrimon Trading rose 50 cents and ended at record close of $9.50 with 170,374 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove fell 2 cents and ended at $19.98 with 983 shares being swapped, General Accident closed trading with 50,000 shares to end at $2.90, Honey Bun climbed by 56 cents with just 9,225 shares changing hands to close at $6.10, 
Teas closed trading with 2,200 shares, at $4.50. Jetcon Corporation ended at $14.88 with 110,950 shares trading, after adding 88 cents, Knutsford Express traded 81,774 shares and gained 89 cents, in closing at a record high of $16.89, Lasco Distributors lost 30 cents and ended trading 4,127 units at $7.20, Lasco Financial fell 25 cents, with 11,325 shares changing hands to end at $4.05, Lasco Manufacturing fell 23 cents closed at $4.85 in trading 37,127 shares. Main Event lost 10 cents and ended trading 10,531 shares at $6.90, Medical Disposables ended at $6 with 1,407 units crossing the exchange, Paramount Trading rose 3 cents and ended with 12,200 shares changing hands at $3.04 and tTech had just 216 units changing hands at $8 after gaining 49 cents.
The main market ended trading with an average of 145,166 units valued at $3,631,264 for each security traded, compared to an average of 111,569 units valued at $2,429,919 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date, are 128,368 units and $3,030,592. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
Kingston Properties traded 50 cents lower to close at $11, with 15,277 shares, Kingston Wharves exchanged 15,524 shares at $32, Mayberry Investments lost 5 cents to close at $4.75, with an exchange of 39,790 shares, NCB Financial Group was down 1 cent to $70.99, after exchanging 69,538 shares, 138 Student Living exchanged 2,900 shares at $4.49. PanJam Investment closed at $35, with gains of 50 cents trading 5,955 shares, Portland JSX added 35 cents to close at $10.50, with 1,417 shares changing ownership, Pulse Investments traded 1,000 shares at $18, Radio Jamaica exchanged 7,216 shares at $1.70, Sagicor Group lost 40 cents to close at $34.20, with trades of 179,803 units. Scotia Group closed at $45.90, with gains of $1.91 exchanging 430,372 shares, Seprod closed at $29.52, with a loss of 48 cents trading 1,221 stock units, Sterling Investments closed at $15.50, with 350,890 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures gained 20 cents to close at $7.20 exchanging 306,881 shares. Proven Investments traded 27,750 ordinary shares at 28 US cents, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% preference share gained 18 cents, closing at $2 with trades of 2,500 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.15, with a gain of 5 cents in exchanging 165,880 units.
The Junior Market enjoyed a day with a positive index move on Thursday as two stocks traded at intraday highs but with closing prices mostly down as 4 advanced and 8 declined as a total of 19 securities traded compared to 20 on Wednesday.
May ended with averages of 89,339 units and $596,722.
Jetcon Corporation lost 80 cents to end at $14 with 1,001,600 shares trading, KLE Group closed with 25,676 shares trading at $1.80 with a loss of 22 cents. Lasco Distributors lost 20 cents and ended with 1,169,175, units trading at $7, Lasco Financial fell 3 cents, with 30,050 shares changing hands, to end at $4.37, Lasco Manufacturing shed 12 cents and closed at $5.08 in trading 2,114,373 shares. Main Event ended trading of 106,775 shares at $6.50, Medical Disposables jumped 85 cents and ended at $6 with 12,393 units trading, Paramount Trading ended with 988 shares changed hands at $3.10, tTech had 126,334 units changing hands at $7.50 and Eppley 10% preference share, ended with 22,000 units changing hands at $6.60 after rising 10 cents.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average of 63,380 units for an average value of $376,439 compared to 108,081 units for an average value of $639,908, on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date are 89,339 units and $596,722 while at the close of the prior trading day it was 90,467 units and $607,211, well below the levels for April with averages of 502,597 units and $2,768,003.
The main indices of the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange surged again on Wednesday pushing them within striking distance from the record high reached recently. At the close 27 securities changed hands in the main market with 3 trading in the US dollar market with 9 stocks advancing and 6 declining. 
the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
NCB Financial Group closed at $71, with gains of 40 cents after exchanging 29,295 shares, 1834 Investments traded 3,304 shares at $1.40,138 Student Living exchanged 3,772 shares at $4.49. PanJam Investment closed at $34.90, after a loss of 10 cents with 41,600 shares traded, Portland JSX exchanged 600 shares at $10.15, Pulse Investments traded 15,460 shares at $14.50, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.70, while 44,844 shares traded, Sagicor Group exchanged 36,564 shares at $34, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $11, with 14,795 units changing hands. Scotia Group jumped $2.50 and closed at $45, in exchanging 93,110 units, Scotia Investments gained $1.35 to close at $37.85 trading 600 shares, Seprod exchanged 15,669 shares at $30, Supreme Ventures added 25 cents to close at $7.50 trading 93,457 shares. Margaritaville Turks closed at 34 US cents exchanging 730 units, Proven Investments traded at 28.50 US cents, with an exchange of 33,500 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.5% preference share lost 18 cents to close at $1.82 trading 8,507 units and JMMB Group USD 6% preference share gained 0.01 US cent, closing at $1.13 with 3,400 units changing hands.
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Monday with main indices rising as 24 securities changed hands and with 2 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 8 stocks advanced and 6 declined with very low level of trading. 
The main market ended trading with an average of 34,836 units valued at $616,041 per security traded, compared to an average of 152,336 units valued at $2,520,428 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 374,915 units with an average value of $5,236,889 compared with an average of 392,814 units with an average value of $5,480,092 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
138 Student Living exchanged 43,375 shares at $4.49, PanJam Investment closed at $35.50, losing 12 cents trading 65,096 shares. Pulse Investments traded 10,614 shares at $14.50, Radio Jamaica gained 5 cents to close at $1.70, with trades of 18,582 shares, Sagicor Group added 48 cents to close at $33.50 exchanging 14,500 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 20 cents, closing at $10.60, with 9,981 units changing hands. Salada Foods closed at $8.50 trading 4,000 shares, Scotia Group closed at $42, with an exchange of 1,700 units, Sterling Investments closed at $15.50 trading 30,000 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 24 cents to close at $7.25 exchanging 10,893 shares. Proven Investments 8.25% preference share traded 29,000 units and rose 79 cents to $6, Proven Investments ordinary shares closed at 29 US cents, with 330 shares and JMMB Group USD 6% preference share gained 0.01 US cent to close at US$1.12, with 6,100 units changing hands.
At the close of the market, Access Financial climbed $2 and closed at $44 with 7,950 units changing hands, Blue Power ended at $52 with 1,097 units changing hands, CAC 2000 traded only 269 shares to close with a rise of 30 cents at $8, Caribbean Cream closed trading with 8,370 units to end at $8, after falling 40 cents, Caribbean Producers had 119,253 units changing hands, compared more than 3 million units each on Wednesday and Thursday, the price remained at $3.50 at the close, Consolidated Bakeries dropped 48 cents trading 107,952 shares to close at $2.52, strong> Derrimon Trading ended at $8.75 with 12,000 shares changing hands, Eppley had 51,213 units changing hands to close of $12, General Accident fell 10 cents and closed trading with 27,562 shares to end at $2.90 after attempts were made to trade the stock at $1.48
as demand thinned out, the trade was cancelled after the market closed. ISP Finance ended back at $28 with 450 units changing hands, after rising $1.50. Jamaican Teas rose 13 cents and closed trading with 8,000 shares, at $4.65. Jetcon Corporation ended at $14.90 with 30,149 shares trading, Knutsford Express fell $2 and closed with 9,938 shares trading at $68. Lasco Distributors added 5 cents and ended with 90,745 units trading at $7.10, Lasco Financial gained 5 cents to end with 2,881 shares changing hands at $4.05, Lasco Manufacturing lost 20 cents to close at $5 while trading 68,897 shares, Main Event lost 80 cents and ended trading of 48,063 shares at $7.20, Paramount Trading ended with a fall of 25 cents as 200,000 shares changed hands at $2.80 and tTech had 108,877 units changing hands at $7.50.
Well it was not until late 2016 that the price exceeded the 2005 high. 
Is the end of king sugar nigh?
What is happening to the local sugar industry is a disaster, one made worse by the Chinese taking over the country’s two largest factories.
To read that the already ridiculously low forecast of just 100,000 tons of sugar is being lowered to 91,000, says eloquently, that the industry is in a major crisis and in urgent need of major surgery.
Frome Sugar Factory the report states, closed the crop with only 20,451 tons of sugar from 247,000 of canes, that is a yield of 12 tonnes of cane to a ton of sugar which can be considered poor. In the late 1970s and very early 1980s, Frome produced over 70,000 tonnes of sugar and Monymusk around 50,000 tonnes.
What is really happening in the industry? Long Pond in Trelawny, use to produce around 15,000 tonnes per crop and Dunkenfield just under that. Canes that went to Bernard Lodge that use to produce over 40,000 tonnes of sugar was going to Monymusk. What the data is indicating is that the three smaller factories are producing close to their historical norm, so what exactly is happening why the two big factories are dying.
Pricing maybe a problem but it appears that weak management with lack of experience is the major reason. The reality is that even if Frome continued production to the end of the crop, they cannot be profitable at roughly a third of capacity. Whatever, the factors, the government needs to pay urgent attention to the two large factories. In reality there are just not enough canes in the fields to make for a viable factory operation at either Frome or Monymusk and there are no signs that this critical aspect of the industry is being addressed in the areas close to these factories.