Trading activity rose on Monday in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with 9,375,844 units valued at $169,350,761 changing hands, but one stock, Jamaica Broilers dominated trading, accounting for 7.49 million units and 80 percent of the volume traded.
Three stocks ended trading at record closing prices as demand grows for a selective group of companies.
At the close of the market the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are: Barita Investments with gains of $2.15 and closing trading $10.25 with 45,000 units changing hands, Berger Paints closed 90 cents higher to $11.50 with 2,600 shares, Cable and Wireless gained 3 cents in closing at $1.08 with 142,022 shares, Caribbean Cement ending with a loss of 50 cents, to $26.50 with 499,169 units. Carreras closed at $107.55, losing 45 cents with 18,336 stock units, Grace Kennedy with a loss of 80 cents, closed at $41.20 with 9,576 shares. Jamaica Broilers traded $1.10 lower to $17.85 with 7,492,431 shares, Jamaica Producers gained 5 cents to close at $15.10 with 2,190 shares, JMMB Group lost 9 cents to close at $21.40 with 20,818 shares. Kingston Wharves closed at $30.79 with 2,955 shares, Mayberry Investments with gains of 16 cents, closed at $4.46 with 5,470 shares, NCB Financial Group fell 50 cents to close at $89.50 with 6,379 shares, 1834 Investments closed at $1.34 with 27,300 shares. 
Portland JSX exchanged 2,000 shares at $9.25, Pulse Investments lost 4 cents, closing at $1.95 with 195,848 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.23, adding 1 cent with 36,482 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed $1.25 lower to $32.85 trading 8,070 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $10.99, after losing 97 cents with 10,000 shares trading, Salada Foods closed at $8.50 with 200,000 shares, Scotia Group jumped $2, to a record close of $52 with 93,121 shares traded, Sterling Investments gained 10 cents, closing at $12.85 with 100 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $12.90 with 505,077 shares. Margaritaville Turks US ordinary share closed at 30 US cents with 2,904 units, Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents with 2,298 units, recently listed Productive Business Solutions US ordinary share closed at a record high of 72 US cents, gaining US12 cents with 500 units, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share ended at $1.16 with 50,000 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% cumulative redeemable share closed with a gain of $5 at a record high of $105 with 900 shares.
JSE falters on Monday with 3 new highs
Scotia ended at a new closing high of $52 on Monday.
The market closed with 3 new closing highs, as Scotia Group ended at $52, up from $50 on Friday, recently listed Productivity Business Solutions (PBS) US dollar ordinary climbed to 72 cents while the preference share traded a small amount at $105. Jamaica Broilers was the dominant trade by far accounting for 7.49 million units amounting to 80 percent of the volume traded on Monday.
The All Jamaica Composite Index fell 1,185.82 points to close at 288,061.31, the JSE Market Index declined 1,080.42 points to 262,456.46 and the JSE US dollar market index advanced 11.04 points to 198.22 as PBS gained on Friday’s closing price.
At the close of trading, 24 securities changed hands in the main market with 3 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 10 stocks advancing and 8 declining. The main market ended with 9,375,844 units valued at $169,350,761 changing hands compared to 1,353,000 units valued at $37,486,124 at the close on Friday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 5,702 units valued at US$1,783 bringing the total of all trades to J$169,580,732.
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 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 390,660 units valued at $7,056,282 for each security traded compared to an average of 54,120 units valued at $1,499,145. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at $222,390 units with an average value of $4,277,863 compared with an average of 54,120 units valued at $1,499,145 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for August ended at 184,094 units with an average value of $4,336,090.Some of the stocks to watch when trading resumes on Tuesday are Barita Investments that closed at $10.25 but has a bid of $9.50 to sell 50,000 units, Berger Paints with buying at $12 for over 9,000 units with the last price on Monday being $11.50, Scotia Group and Supreme Ventures.
Finance companies blast JSE indices
Sagiocr Group was one of the big contributors to the JSE rise on Friday with a rise of $2.30.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange started trading for September in a very bullish mode and closed the day with a huge jump in the market indices, thanks to 2 to 1 advance decline ratio, but more so by movements in the three large capitalisation stocks, NCB Financial, Sagicor Group and Scotia Group.
The All Jamaica Composite Index surged 8,689.74 points, at the close of trading the third highest in the markets history and the JSE Market Index climbed 7,917.33 points. The market sits just under a major resistance level at 290,000 points on the All Jamaica Composite Index, a meaningful break out this coming week could open the market up for a huge rally for the balance of the year.
At the close of market activity, the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are Barita Investments with gains of 5 cents to end at $8.10 with 9,501 shares, Berger Paints closed $2.50 lower to $10.60 with 30,378 shares as investors responded negatively to the buyout offer for the minority shareholdings while ignoring the fundamentals of the company. Cable and Wireless gained 5 cents, closing at $1.05 with 18,094 shares, Caribbean Cement traded 40,150 shares at $27, Carreras closed at $108 with 30,352 stock units, Ciboney exchanged just 200 shares at 17 cents, Grace Kennedy added 2 cents to close at $42 with 14,115 shares. Jamaica Broilers lost 5 cents and closed at $18.95 with 26,278 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $6.35, rising of 50 cents in trading 850 shares,JMMB Group gained 49 cents to close at $21.49 with 11,653 units. Kingston Properties closed at $7.50, rising 30 cents with 742 stock units, Kingston Wharves traded 6 cents lower to $30.79 with 1,503 shares, 
Mayberry Investments lost 20 cents, closing at $4.30 with 199,098 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed $1.01 to close at $90 with 42,492 shares, 1834 Investments ended with a gain of 4 cents, closed at $1.34, with 31,474 shares and 138 Student Living lost 70 cents to close at $4.75 with 100 stock units. Radio Jamaica closed at $1.22 with 25,927 units changing hands, Sagicor Group jumped $2.30 to $34.10 trading 331,028 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $11.96, after falling 9 cents with 17,729 shares, Salada Foods gained 50 cents, closing at $8.50 with 100,000 shares, Scotia Group closed at $50 with 255,822 shares, after trading earlier at $52. The market closed with no stock being offered for sale ahead of the third quarter results due in the coming week. Seprod traded 4,000 shares at $33, Supreme Ventures closed at a record $12.90, gaining 90 cents with 81,771 units. Newly listed Productive Business Solutions US ordinary shares rose 5 cents and closed at a record 60 US cents while trading just 100 units, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 24 US cents with 14,100 units, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share traded 45,100 units at $2 and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share gained 1 cent to close at $1.16 with 34,643 units.
Huge 8,689 points jump in JSE index – Friday
Scotiabank traded at a new $52 added around 5,000 points in the big surge in the indices on Friday.
A huge surge in a number of main market stock indices of the Jamaica Stock Exchange saw the All Jamaica Composite Index soared 8,689.74 points to close at 289,247.13 on Friday as Scotia group traded as high as $52 and NCG Financial jumped back $90.
The JSE Market Index climbed 7,917.33 points to 263,536.88 and the JSE US dollar market index rose 4.60 points to 187.18. Friday’s close is the third highest in the history of the market and is only bettered by 9,082.60 points rise on January 27 and 9,076.76 points on February 9 this year, the next in line is 7,697.11 points gain in October 2015.
At the close of trading, 25 securities changed hands in the main market with 2 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 13 stocks advancing and 6 declining as 3 securities traded at record highs during the day and 2 closing at record highs with Scotia Group trading at a high of $52 during trading but ended back at $50, the closing price on Thursday while Supreme Ventures moved to $12.90 and Productivity Business Solutions traded at 60 US cents up from the IPO price of 55 cents but with just 100 units trading.
The main market ended with 1353,000 units valued at $37,486,124 changing hands compared to 5,056,094 units valued at $68,305,370 at the close on Thursday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 14,200 units valued at 
US$3,444 bringing the total of all trades to J$37,930,400.
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 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 54,120 units valued at $1,499,445 for each security traded compared to an average of 174,348 units valued at $2,355,358 on Thursday. The average volume and value for August ended at 184,094 units with an average value of $4,336,090.
Major end of month JSE moves
Supreme Ventures closed at record high of $12 on Thursday.
In an active day of market activities, 29 securities traded with Scotia Group hitting a record high of $50 ahead of the third quarter results due for release within a week and Supreme Ventures (SVL) closed at a high of $12 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange
Investors continue to respond positively to SVL half year results that rose 41 percent but Sterling Investments dropped to a 52 weeks’ low of $12.75.
Elsewhere in the main market overvalued Jamaica Producers traded 1,082,752 shares to close at $15.99 after adding 5 cents and 138 Student Living gained 30 cents to close at $5.45 with 1,589,048 shares. Productive Business Solutions that went to the public to raise fresh capital had the US dollar ordinary shares and the preference shares were listed at the start of the day but there was no trading in them.
PBS shares were listed on Thursday.
Pulse Investments gained 4 cents, closing at $1.99 with 4,826 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.22 with 1,000 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $31.80 with gains of 20 cents trading 44,472 units, Sagicor Real Estate fund ended at $12.05, after gaining 5 cents with 500 shares, Salada Foods dropped $2 to $8 with 100,000 shares, Scotia Group advanced $3 to $50 with 75,994 shares, Scotia Investments eased 1 cent to $35.50 with 200 shares, Seprod traded 2,500 shares at $33, Sterling Investments declined $1.25 to $12.75 with 2,000 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $12, gaining $1.01 with 114,906 shares. Margaritaville Turks US ordinary shares closed at 30 US cents with 1,000 units, Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents with 51,749 units, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share with gains of 15 cents, closed at $2 with 745,140 units and Proven 8.25% cumulative redeemable preference share gained 40 cents to close at $5.50 with 21,000 units.
Sharp movement in some JSE stocks
Scotia Group closed at a new high of $50 on Thursday.
Scotia Group jumped $3 to hit an all-time high of $50 and Supreme Ventures hit a new high of $12 but the movements were inadequate to prevent to market index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange from slipping at the close on Thursday.
Sterling Investments dropped to a 52 weeks’ low of $12.75 while Investors sold Berger Paints shares down to $13 on Thursday from $15.80 close on Wednesday with a low offer by the Ansa McAl group of $10.88 per share, to buy out the minority shareholders.
Productive Business Solutions that went to the public to raise fresh capital had the US dollar ordinary shares and the preference shares were listed at the start of the day but there was no trading in them.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 252.73 points to close at 280,557.39, the JSE Market Index gained 230.27 points to 255,619.55 and the JSE US dollar market index rose 3.69 points to 182.58.
At the close of trading, 29 securities changed hands in the main market with 2 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 14 stocks advancing and 11 declining. The main market ended with 5,056,094 units valued at $68,305,370 changing hands compared to 4,844,593 units valued at $284,429,479 at the close on Wednesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 52,749 units valued at US$12,720 bringing the total of all trades to J$69,946,219.
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 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 174,348 units valued at $2,355,358 for each security traded compared to an average of 210,634 units valued at $12,366,499. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at $184,094 units with an average value of $4,336,090 compared with an average of 184,581 units with an average value of $4,435,127 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for July ended at 160,668 units with an average value of $2,691,438.
Offer for Berger not serious
Minority shareholders in the Jamaican based Berger Paints have been made an offer to purchase the 104,990,171 ordinary shares that are not owned by the Trinidad based, Ansa McAl group.
The offer is priced at $10.88 per share, well below the price the stock has been trading at for most of 2017 and ever since the company posted strong increased nine months results in early February, re-enforced by earnings of $1.47 per shares for the full year to March, from a 15 percent increase in revenue. With an 11 percent increase in the first quarter to June this year to $23.4 million even as sales declined due to what the company says to inadequate cement supplies.
According to the offer document, from February 12 and March 11 this year, 659,600 units were traded between $10.99 and $13.56. A total of 834,100 units were traded from March 12 to April 11 at $11.41 to $14.49, thereafter until August 11, the trading range was $13.01 to a high of $23.90 with more than 2 million shares trading. In trading in the early morning session on Thursday 65,035 units were sold down to $13.
Berger Paints traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $23.50 earlier this year.
The offer document states that if the group gets 80 percent or more of issued shares, then they will apply to the Jamaica Stock Exchange to have the shares delisted. That of course is an unlikely development at the current offer price. More than 64 million shares or 30 percent of the issued shares are owned by savvy investors comprising 6 shareholders who are unlikely to accept such a low offer. Any success must have the consent of the majority of these holders.
Local stocks are trading at an average of more than 13 times 2017 earnings and that would place a value of Berger shares at $19 to $22 per share. Going forward, with economic activities picking up, profits should rise even more than at the current levels and would put the value of the stock at a higher level than the above range.
NCB accounts for 61% of trade on Wednesday
NCB Financial traded 3m shares on Wednesday on the JSE.
On another record breaking day with the all Jamaica Composite index closing over 280,000 points for the first time, NCB Financial Group led the market with 61 percent of the volume traded, accounting for 3,011,045 shares with the price inching 1 cent higher to $87.55.
Elsewhere at the close of market activity, on a day when there were less securities rising than declining the securities changing hands with the last traded price and volume exchanged are:Barita Investments that lost 1 cent, to close at $9 with 17,951 shares, Cable and Wireless ending at $1 after losing 5 cents with 755,957 shares. Caribbean Cement traded $1 lower to $29 with 59,177 shares, Carreras closed 50 cents lower to $107.50 with 100,008 stock units, Grace Kennedy with gains of 50 cents, closed at $41.50 with 12,349 shares. Jamaica Broilers closed at $18.20 with 21,335 units, overvalued Jamaica Producers added 50 cents, in closing at $15 with 1,936 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $6.35, with a loss of 14 cents in trading 91,633 shares, 
JMMB Group gained of 20 cents and closed at $20.95 with 19,820 shares. Kingston Wharves closed at $32 with 150 shares, Mayberry Investments exchanged 97,980 shares at $4.60, 1834 Investments ended with a loss of 10 cents, closed at $1.30 with 342,520 shares, PanJam Investment climbed $1.52 to $34.50 with 6,000 shares. Pulse Investments fell 4 cents to $1.95 with 109,500 shares, Radio Jamaica lost 8 cents to close at $1.22 with 3,611 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $31.60 with a loss of 40 cents trading 43,720 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $12 with 8,983 shares, Scotia Group closed $1 higher at $47 with 29,941 shares, Seprod traded 5,000 shares at $33, Sterling Investments exchanged 7,000 shares at $14, Supreme Ventures slipped 1 cent to $10.99, with 81,268 shares. Proven Investments US ordinary shares gained 1 US cent to close at 24 US cents with 60,480 units and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% preference share closed at $2.51 with 17,709 units.
JSE surge to a new record on Wednesday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange claimed another record at the close of trading on Wednesday. The All Jamaica Composite Index advanced 1,319.06 points to a record close of 280,810.12 and the JSE Market Index gained 1,201.81 points to a record 255,849.82.
Trading in the US dollar market was moderate but the index rose 1.37 points to end at 178.89 as trading resulted in one security changing hands and accounted for 60,480 units valued at US$14,039.
The main market crossed over a resistance level at 273,000 points on the all Jamaica Composite index recently and have its eyes 
focused on 290,000, the next level to take out before the market enters open waters that seem to have no resistance level, going back to the late 1980s which suggest a major bull run ahead, supported by low interest rates, increasing profits and a growing economy.
At the close of trading on Wednesday, 23 securities changed hands in the main market and ended with 4,844,593 units valued at $284,429,479 changing hands compared to 3,871,868 units valued at $124,392,766 at the close on Tuesday. The total of all trades in both markets was to J$286,276,435 with NCB Financial Group trading over 3 million shares valued at $264 million. At the close market, leading to 7 stocks advancing and 10 declining in both markets.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer
NCB Financial Group traded 3m shares on Wednesday worth $264m.
indicator reading shows 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 210,634 units valued at $12,366,499 for each security traded compared to an average of 143,403 units valued at $4,607,139. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at $184,581 units with an average value of $4,435,127 compared with an average of 183,210 units with an average value of $4,017,686 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for July ended at 160,668 units with an average value of $2,691,438.
Trading activity picks up on JSE
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange saw increased trading on Tuesday over Monday’s activity, with higher values and volumes. The market closed at a new record high with the gains for the year to date being 33 percent based on the All Jamaica Composite Index that advanced 1,183.31 points by the close of trading.
In trading Cable Bahamas Jamaica dollar denominated preference share, traded for the first time with 3 units changing hands at $1,000,000 each.
Elsewhere, at the close of market activity, the securities changing hands, the last price and volume traded for the day are, Barita Investments with a fall of $1.48 to $9.01 with 6,099 shares, after investors seemed to have lost interest in it, following the announcement of a buyout of majority shares. Berger Paints closed at $15.80, losing 20 cents with 60,636 shares, Cable and Wireless lost 5 cents to close at $1.05 with 905,749 shares, Caribbean Cement exchanged 5,388 shares at $30, Carreras held firm at $108 with 730,722 shares, Grace Kennedy ending with a loss of 50 cents, t0 $41 with 5,213 shares. 
Jamaica Broilers rising 45 cents, to $18.20 with 234,394 shares, Jamaica Producers with a loss of 48 cents, closed at $14.50 with 326,105 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange jumped 79 cents to $6.49, in trading 5,300 shares, JMMB Group lost 15 cents to $20.75 with 284,052 shares. Kingston Properties closed at $7.50, after losing 50 cents with 10,325 shares, Kingston Wharves climbed $1.15, to $32 with 164,207 shares, Mayberry Investments gained 10 cents to finish at $4.60 with 12,020 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $87.54, losing 45 cents with 110,532 shares, PanJam Investment lost 2 cents to close at $32.98 with 150,000 shares. Pulse Investments closed with a loss of 1 cent, at $1.99 trading 20,701 shares, Radio Jamaica gained 10 cents to $1.30 with 54,276 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32 with 55,233 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $12 trading 8,200 shares, Salada Foods exchnaged 7,705 shares at $10, Scotia Group closed 50 cents higher to $46 with 16,854 stock units, Seprod climbed $3.25 to close at $33 with 9,091 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at record high of $11, gaining $1.49 with 34,580 shares. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 23 US cents with 2,420 units, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share, closed at $1.85 with 74,950 units, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed with 300,000 shares at $1.15 and Proven 8.25% preference share gained 10 cents to close at $5.10 with 279,533 units.