The Jamaica dollar continues it relentless ride to the 120 mark on Thursday with trading ending with the equivalent of US$26,599,436 bought by dealers, compared with US$32,289,465 on Wednesday, while they sold the equivalent of US$24,162,219 versus US$34,427,833 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$24,360,712 compared to US$28,863,222 on Wednesday. The buying rate for the US dollar climbed 7 cents to $118.68 and US$23,208,561 was sold versus US$33,034,094 on Wednesday, the selling rate rose 3 cents to $119.35. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 18 cents to end at $88.49, with dealers buying C$790,481 and selling C$459,950, at an average rate that rose 16 cents to $90.66. 
The rate for buying the British Pound fell 50 cents to $178.39 for the purchase of £928,508, while £330,961 was sold, at an average rate that eased 4 cents to $180.53. At the end of trading, it took J$134.08 to purchase the Euro, with a decline of 21 cents from Wednesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$131.28, for a fall of 10 cents from Wednesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$253,631 being bought, while US$103,650 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar gained 10 cents on Thursday to end at $119.65, the lowest buying rate ended unchanged at $97.82, the highest selling added 11 cents to close at $125.46 and the lowest selling rate clawed back $18.71 to be at $116.40.
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar climbed $2.55 to $93.85, the lowest buying rate remained at $71.80, the highest selling rate rose $1 to end at $94.85 and the lowest selling rate jumped $4 to $87.50. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, rose 60 cents to end at $182.80. The lowest buying rate rose $1.33 to $146.95, the highest selling rate dropped 84 cents to $186.89 and the lowest selling rate shed $2.10 to close at $173.90.
Jamaican $ slippage continues Thursday
20 JSE stocks rose 3 fell Thursday
NCB traded 5.7m shares as high as $32.50 for an intraday 52 weeks’ high.
The main market indices enjoyed another day of decent gains. The JSE Market Index climbed 699.38 points to 99,772.07, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 781.60 points to 110,457.19 and the JSE combined index jumped 1,035.02 to end at 104,016.00 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior
markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with offers that were lower.In trading, Cable and Wireless added 2 cents, with 981,889 shares changing hands to close at 53 cents, Carreras traded 257,755 shares to close 6 cents higher at $50.31, Caribbean Cement stock, gained 49 cents with 63,483 shares changing hands at $8.50, Desnoes and Geddes did not trade, the stock closed with a bid of $10.58 to buy 2,744,725 units. Jamaica Broilers closed at $6.50 with 119,681 shares changing ownership, Jamaica Producers gained $1.30 in trading 12,014 shares to end at $18, JMMB Group traded just 8,546 shares at $8 with a 35 cents gain. The stock closed with the bid at $8 to buy 1,754 shares but with 100,000 units on the bid at $7.90 and 466,490 at $7.80, the closest amounts being offered are 51,500 and 100,000 shares at $8.50. Mayberry Investments traded just 1,020 units at $2.35,
but the stock that fell sharply during the week to $2.20 now has more than 1 million units on the bid at $2.35, the lowest offer is at $2.70. National Commercial Bank rose $1.01 to $30.02 with 5,710,591 shares trading as high as $32.50 for an intraday 52 weeks’ high. Pan Jamaican Investments traded 14,123 shares at $61.25 having gained 25 cents, Radio Jamaica traded 46,000 shares to close at $4, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended with 40,900 shares trading at $7.51, Scotia Investments lost $1.95 in ending at $26.50 while 202,000 shares traded and Supreme Ventures gained 3 cents with 154,935 units changing hands to close at $3.63.
New record close for juniors on Thursday
The junior market ended on Thursday at a new closing high of 1,099.30 for index which gained 41.97 points, earlier in the morning session the index crossed over the 1,100 market and was at 1,105.75. A total of 10 stocks advanced, 2 declined as 14 securities traded while three new all-time highs were recorded at the close. The market ended with 571,293 units, valued at $1,595,810 changing hands.
At the close 4 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 8 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 5 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and one closed with a lower offer.
In trading, Access Financial gained 20 cents and closed at $12.70, with 2,000 units changing hands, AMG Packaging closed with a gain of 5 cents to end at $3.70 with 5,553 units trading, Blue Power closed with 21,475 units changing hands, the price rose of 30 cents to $12.50. Caribbean Cream traded at a new all-time closing high by gaining 20 cents of $2.80 with 39,528 shares changing hands, Caribbean Producers traded 10,088 shares at $2.10, Consolidated Bakeries ended with just 200 units changing hands at $1.14, with a gain of 4 cents. 
Dolphin Cove gained 20 cents to end at $11.70 while trading 2,500 units, General Accident Insurance traded 14,000 units at $1.58 to gain 8 cents, Honey Bun with 17,364 shares changing hands, fell 62 cents to end at $4.38. Jamaican Teas had 5,574 shares trading to close at $3.10 with a loss of 10 cents, Lasco Distributors closed at a new record high of $2.25 with 206,920 units trading for a gain of 25 cents, Lasco Financial gained 15 cents with 186,279 shares changing hands to end at $1.95, Lasco Manufacturing traded 55,812 shares to end at $2.95 after gaining 15 cents for a new all-time high and Paramount Trading had 4,000 units changing hands at $6.50.
Junior market index jumps to new record of 1,105
The junior market index jumped to new record of 1,105.75 as investors buy up Lasco manufacturing at a new high of $2.95 and Lasco Distributors and Lasco Financial added 10 cents each. Investors attention is focused on some selective stocks currently with the J$31 offer proposed by Heineken to buy out all the minority shares in Desnoes & Geddes is the main focus, with the bid on the stock now at $13 and one offer at $28.
Elsewhere, trading National Commercial Bank traded 4,933,508 shares at $30, s Sagicor Investments sold the stock to First Global as the buying broker, with both sides on behalf of clients. Other trades of note are Cable & Wireless with 788,739 up to 53 cents, Carreras with 245,970 shares at $51, Lasco Financial Services with 135,279 units at $1.90.
Overall 17 securities have traded at 10.30 am with a volume of a mere 6,286,448 units, 2 stocks declined and 13 gained.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index 581.75 points to 99,654.44. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 650.15points to 110,325.74, the JSE combined index 981.86 points to be at 103,962.84 and the junior market up 48.42 points to 1,105.75 for a new record.
3 stocks rise for TTSE
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday ended with 10 securities trading, 3 closing higher, none declined and 7 remained unchanged as a total of 380,173 units traded, valued at $12,071,382.
At the close the Composite Index ending with a modest rose 1.19 at 1,147.35, the All T&T Index gained 0.11 to 1,948.41 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.28 to close at 45.44.
Gain| Guardian Holdings with 22,233 shares with a value of $291,694 changing hands closed 1 cents higher at $13.12, National Commercial Bank gained 4 cents in trading 10,000 shares at $1.67 and Point Lisas traded 400 shares and gained 1 cent to close at $3.97.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment Fund closed with 237,600 shares valued at $5,346,033 changing hands at $22.50, First Citizens Bank traded 5,862 shares to close at $35, Prestige Holdings with 300 units changing hands ended at $9.90, 
Republic Bank closed at $112 with 53,511 shares trading valued at $5,993,232. Scotiabank closed with 1,133 shares changing hands unchanged at $62.50, Scotia Investments traded 7,500 shares and closed at $1.60 and Trinidad Cement closed with 10,366 shares changing hands at $3.15.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
J$ slippage resumes on Wednesday
Jamaica’s forex market remained normal on Wednesday, with volumes in the thirty million dollar region. Trading ended with the equivalent of US$32,289,465 bought by dealers, compared with US$23,638,977 on Tuesday, while they sold the equivalent of US$34,427,833 versus US$26,888,583 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$28,863,222 compared to US$21,150,981 on Tuesday. The buying rate for the US dollar climbed 19 cents to $118.61 and US$33,034,094 was sold versus US$25,239,896 on Tuesday, the selling rate rose 9 cents to $119.32. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 76 cents to end at $88.67, with dealers buying C$1,012,619 and selling C$319,641, at an average rate that fell 25 cents to $90.50. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed 84 cents to $178.89 for the purchase of £1,707,051, while £590,251 was sold, at an average rate that eased 3 cents to $180.57. At the end of trading, it took J$134.29 to purchase the Euro, with an increase of 61 cents on Tuesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$131.38, for a rise of 4 cents on Tuesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$94,506 being bought, while US$258,026 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar fell 25 cents on Wednesday to $119.55, the lowest buying and the highest selling rates ended unchanged at $97.82 and $125.35 respectively and the lowest selling rate fell back $18.41 to $97.69.
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar climbed 20 cents to $91.30, the lowest buying rate fell 20 cents to $71.80, the highest selling rate rose 69 cents to end at $93.85 and the lowest selling rate dropped $3.25 to $83.50. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, rose $1 to end at $182.20. The lowest buying rate was unchanged at $145.62, the highest selling rate jumped $2.63 to $187.73 and the lowest selling rate climbed $2 to close at $176.
J$31 offer for D&G shares spikes market
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange indices jumped on the back of a $1 movement in the price of Desnoes & Geddes in response to an offer by Heineken for approximately J$31 per share for the shares it does not now own. At the close, there were 14 stocks rising, 3 declining with 21 securities totalling 2,920,468 units, valued at $33,633,857 changing hands, in all market segments, and with three junior market stocks ending at new 52 weeks’ closing high.
The main market indices enjoyed a day of decent gains. The JSE Market Index climbed 1,270.20 points to 99,072.69, the JSE All Jamaican Composite indexjumped 1,419.52 points to 109,675.59 and the JSE combined index jumped 1,316.98 to end at 102,980.98 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with offers that were lower.
In trading, Cable and Wireless added 1 cent with 8,000 shares changing hands to close at 51 cents, Carreras traded 70,682 shares to close $1.25 higher at $50.25, Desnoes and Geddes (D&G) traded just 3,000 shares to close at $8, after gaining $1. The D&G stock closed with a bid of $9.20 to buy the stock Jamaica Broilers closed at $6.50 with 29,188 shares changing ownership while gaining 41 cents, JMMB Group is worth watching having traded just 7,850 shares at $7.65 with a 1 cent gain but closed with the .
bid at $7.80 to buy 468,490 units with the closest amount offered being 51,500 shares at $8.50, the next amount offered is 9,171 units at $9.50. Kingston Wharves ended with a gain of 38 cents, to close at $7 with 301,000 shares changing hands. Sagicor Group with 1,659,265 shares trading, closed at $13.05, with a 5 cents rise, Scotia Group added 10 cents in ending at $24 while 164,793 shares traded and Proven Investments lost 2 cents with 25,000 units changing hands to close at 20 US cents.
Lasco & Kremi push juniors to new record close
Caribbean Cream ended at a new closing all-time high on Wednesday of $2.60.
At the close 3 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 10 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and none closed with a lower offer.
In trading, Caribbean Cream traded to end at a new all-time closing high of $2.60 with 75,013 shares changing hands, after gaining 5 cents. Investors were responding to a sharp increase in profit of $46 million versus $1.3 million in the prior year for the August quarter.
Caribbean Producers lost 25 cents in trading 367,000 shares at $2.10, KLE Group ended with 4,999 units changing hands at 43 cents, Lasco Distributors with 26,944 units trading, ended 4 cent up to $2. Lasco Financial had 31,370 shares changing hands to end at $1.80, Lasco Manufacturing traded 66,880 shares to end at a new high of $2.80 after gaining 30 cents for a new all-time high. Paramount Trading gained 50 cents while 10,000 units changed hands at a new high of $6.50 and Derrimon Trading Company 11.75% preference share ended with 63,000 units changing hands at $2.23.
D&G offer pushes JSE, juniors at new high
Activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday morning has been slow but the news dominating the market is a J$31 offer proposed by Heineken to buy out all the shares in Desnoes & Geddes it does not now own. Heineken bought out the subsidiary of Diageo that owned the shares in Desnoes & Geddes thus giving them majority holdings in the local company. D&G traded at $8 with an increase of $1, the bid is now quoted at $10.50.
Elsewhere, trading so far has seen the junior market at a new all-time high with only a few of the stocks being active. Overall only 10 securities have traded at 11:15 am with a volume of a mere 57,540 units, 2 stocks declined and 6 gained.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index 535.63 points to 98,338.12. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 598.60 points to 108,854.67, the JSE combined index 617.64 points to be at 102,281.64 and the junior market is up 12.53 points to 1,056.68 for a new record and is not very far off from the all-time high of 1,040.59.
Jamaica’s forex returns to normal on Tuesday
Jamaica’s forex market returned to normal on Tuesday, with volumes being low at this time of the year. Trading ended in the foreign exchange market with the equivalent of US$23,638,977 bought by dealers, compared with US$87,964,632 on Monday, while they sold the equivalent of US$26,888,583 versus US$82,948,742 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$21,150,981 compared to US$84,551,283 on Monday. The buying rate for the US dollar declined 51 cents to $118.42 and US$25,239,896 was sold versus US$81,821,341 on Monday, the selling rate was unchanged at $119.23. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 10 cents to end at $87.91, with dealers buying C$1,071,330 and selling C$926,454, at an average rate that rose 57 cents to $90.75. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed 93 cents to $178.05 for the purchase of £1,023,198, while £506,853 was sold, at an average rate that climbed $1.15 to $180.60. At the end of trading, it took J$133.68 to purchase the Euro, with a decline of 77 cents from Monday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$131.34, for a fall of 23 cents from Monday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$154,247 being bought, while US$175,823 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar rose 35 cents on Tuesday to $119.80, the lowest buying rate put on 21 cents to end at $97.82, the highest selling rate gained 16 cents to end at $125.35 and lowest selling rate jumped $18.41 to $116.10. 
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar dropped 90 cents to $91.10, the lowest buying rate gained 58 cents to $72, the highest selling rate fell $1.04 to end at $93.16 and the lowest selling rate jumped $2.75 to $86.75. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, rose 65 cents to end at $181.20. The lowest buying rate leapt $4.42 to $145.62, the highest selling rate dived $2.20 to $185.10 and the lowest selling rate climbed $11.70 to close at $174.
