JPSCo trades at new high on Monday at $1,247.
Investors pushed the price of 16 stocks in the overall market up, 11 down, including 5 stocks rising and 6 declining, from the junior market.
The JSE Market Index jumped 1,484.96 points to end at 153,251.61. The all Jamaica Composite Index shot up 1,660.74 points to close at 170,223.05 and the JSE combined index rose 1,336.47 points, to close at 164,523.28.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading showed 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.At the end of market activities, Cable & Wireless lost 2 cents and closed at $1.47 after trading 132,302 units, Ciboney traded 100,000 shares to close at 13 cents. Grace Kennedy shot up $4.49 with 14,300 shares trading to close at $90. Jamaica Broilers ended at $14.50 while trading 306,339 shares, Jamaica Producers fell 90 cents to $32 with 58,803 units changing hands on a day the company advised the stock exchange that the directors will be meeting to consider a stock bonus. Jamaica Stock Exchange had 35,549 shares trading at $21, JMMB Group traded 94,284 shares at $9.99, for a 14 cents gain. National Commercial Bank traded just 5,551 shares, to close with a gain of 25 cents at $40,
Pan Jamaican Investment jumped $5 to close trading at $125 with 26,773 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica traded 67,645 shares at $1.10, Sagicor Group ended with 145,082 shares changing hands, but lost 20 cents, to end at $22.80. Scotia Group closed at $30.50 while only 3,000 units changed hands after gaining 49 cents, Supreme Ventures closed at $4.50 with 21,308,893 shares valued at $96,057,185 changing hands after declining by 97 cents. Proven Investments traded 25,980 shares at 17.50 US cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share ended with 366,900 units trading at $2.14 and Jamaica Public Service 9.5% preference share climbed $46, in trading 81,662 units with a value of $101,832,514, to end at a record of $1,247.
Jamaica’s commercial bank customers could face a $5,000 charge for each transaction made through banks above the threshold of $1 million by way of cheques commencing May 2, this year. The central bank – 
Knutsford Express had 19,430 shares trading, but lost $1.90 to end at $17, 
Jamaican Teas traded 8,900 shares and lost 9 cents to end at $3.91, Jetcon Corporation ended at $2.90 while 608,524 units traded. Key Insurance traded 25,121 shares to end at $2.80, Knutsford Express had 2,900 shares trading unchanged at $16.80. Lasco Distributors gained 10 cents and ended at $7.60 with 130,860 shares trading, Lasco Financial gained 10 cents to close at $3.50 with 120,661 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing lost 1 cent to close at $4.59 with 78,836 shares trading, Medical Disposables traded 1,200 shares to close 22 cents higher at $3.42 and Paramount Trading fell 15 cents to end with 71,000 shares changing hands at $10.85.
Berger Paints traded 132,384 shares to gain 10 cents to $4.10 and was the only one other security trading over 100,000 shares. Honey Bun trading just 2,000 shares hit a new high of $18.
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday ended with sharply reduced volumes compared the levels traded on Friday and in recent weeks and months, with 37 securities changed hands, accounting for only 1,377,118 units valued at a mere $23,284,334, in all market segments. The junior market accounted for 534,047 shares valued at $3,394,975 as 15 stocks in the overall market gained, 12 declined including 8 of the stocks rising and 3 declining, from the junior market. 
close at 170,501.41 and the JSE combined index jumped 4,179.76 points, to close at 164,537.72.
Mayberry Investments traded 32,088 shares but gained 10 cents to close at $3.40. National Commercial Bank declined by 50 cents while 20,586 shares traded, to close at $40.50, Pan Jamaican closed at $88 with 2,616 shares changing hands. Radio Jamaica traded 34,500 shares and climbed 5 cents to close at $1.20, Sagicor Group fell 10 cents to end with 5,705 shares changing hands at $22.40, Scotia Group closed with a rise of 50 cents, to end at $30.50 while 491,344 units changed hands. Scotia Investments closed with 8,374 shares trading with a gain of 50 cents to $26, Seprod ended with 19,777 units trading with a loss of $1.30 at $15.60 and Supreme Ventures fell 6 cents and closed at $5 with 9,000 shares changing hands. 
Iron Rock Insurance traded at $3.40 at the close while 4,000 shares changed hands, with a gain of 5 cents,
$1m for 2016, $1.5m in 2017
Minister of Finance Audley Shaw should announce a $1m plan for 2016 and $1.5m for 2017 in his budget presentation today.
At the same time, interest cost on the government debt, will decline as interest rates fall, notwithstanding the increased amount in the budget this time around for interest. The increase is to accommodate the interest on the Petrocaribe Fund debt which will be recovered from the Fund.
Interestingly, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding and an active participant in the 2016 election campaign for the JLP gave a speech in April in which he suggested that the implementation should be done to maintain simplicity and equity in the system. He made two proposals. The more important one was for an across the board threshold of $1 million. It would appear that Golding was testing the waters for a modification in the $1.5 million plan at least initially, that would have affected only some on the PAYE system.
Jamaicans should get the news that for 2016 the PAYE threshold will be $1 million, with it going to $1.5 million during 2017. It is unclear if the $1.5 million will be across the board or not. But with tax reform to be implemented probably in 2017, it seems as if it will be an across the board threshold.