Monday, 5th August, 2013 | The JSE market closed today with stocks of 27 companies traded resulting in a volume of 2.8 million shares valued at just $17 million. There were 6 stocks advancing and 7 declining as all the indices with price changes lost value moderately, in what seems to be a holiday mode market. Price changes were low with only Carreras with a 50 cent gain to $51.11 being the most pronounced movement as 44,487 units of that stock traded, valued at $2.28 million.
Main market trades of note | The all Jamaica Index shed 68 points and the JSE market index dropped 38.72 points. Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded just over 100,000 shares to close at $8.20, a gain of 11 cents on the day. Sagicor Life traded over 72,000 shares and lost 15 cents as it closed at $8.85. Scotia Group traded 266,649 units closing at $21.12 with a value of $5.64 million. Seprod traded 87,200 units valued at $1.285 million as the stock closed at $14.75 the same as on Friday. Mayberry Investments chipped in with 287,609 units at $2.60, accounting for $748,000.
Caribbean Cement cemented the gains over the last few weeks as the company reported a profit in the June quarter and investors cheered the results by bidding the stock up to $1.12 at the end of trading but bought all that was available at $1 and 99 cents. The stock closed up 10 cents on a volume of 471,000 units.
Junior market | Trading took place in the shares of 9 companies as the index shed 5 points. Honey Bun which traded 10,100 at $4 reported results to the June quarter which was flat with the nine months for 2012 but the results for the quarter showed a 4 percent sales increase but that was inadequate to prevent a reduction in profits which declined from $7.5 million to $2.34 million in the quarter. The stock has no bid at the end of trading.
KLE Group dropped 20 cents to trade at an all-time low of $1.80 but only 4,000 shares changed hands. Lasco Distributors traded 279,350 units and closed down 2 cents to $1.48, Lasco Financial traded 184,737 shares to end up 5 cents more than the opening price to close at $1.55 while Lasco Manufacturing traded 110,160 units and dropped 8 cents to close at $1.52 after trading as high as $1.60.
Eppley shares that were listed last week still have not traded and have no bids or offers at the close of trading.
Proven Investment Preference shares traded 532,000 units valued at $5.09 valued at $2.7 million while there was a small volume traded in the ordinary shares.
IC bid-offer Indicator | At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer market sentiment indicator shows that bids for 7 stocks were higher with 2 stocks having offers lower than their last selling price.
