JSE on a gallop to 31/2 year high

As if to make up for lost time the Jamaica Stock Exchange is now on a gallop, putting in another day of outsized gains. The market unlike most of the past 5 days, shot out of the box with a number of trades within 5 minutes of opening. By the close the prices of 16 securities rose with 8 of them closing at 52 weeks’ high and pushing the market to its highest level since mid-November 2011.
The prices of only 2 stocks declined as 23 securities changed hands, ending in 3,992,674 units trading, valued at $35,124,269, in all market segments. Even the junior market that has been a laggard this year, moved up sharply on Friday and is now just 29 points away from its all-time high reached in 2013.
The JSE Market Index gained 2,824.66 points to 96,089.09, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,158.10 points to close at 106,150.35, just below the level reached on November 11, 2011 and the JSE Combined Index leaped 2,890.21 points to close at 97,932.95.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and with offers that were lower.
In trading, Cable & Wireless ended with 1,037,588 units to close lower by 4 cents at 48 cents, Caribbean Cement with 902,807 shares changing hands, closed higher by 15 cents to $4,in continued response to excellent Q1 results. Carreras finished with 8,774 shares trading with a gain of 42 cents to a new 52 weeks’ high of $47.50, Desnoes & Geddes finished trading with only 28,000 shares, gaining 47 cents to a new 52 weeks’ high of $6.49, Grace Kennedy concluded trading with 172,590 shares but the price dropped 39 cents to $63.60, Jamaica Broilers ended up trading 66,500 units to close with a gain of 35 cents to $5.10. Jamaica Producers finished trading with just 2,812 shares, with the price rising $1.25 to $18.50. There was dealing in 168,500 units of Mayberry Investments as the stock put on 5 cents to close at a new 52 weeks’ high of $2.65, National Commercial Bank contributed 433,054 shares to end with an increase of 42 cents to close at a new 52 weeks’ high of $30.50, the stock traded as high as $31. Sagicor Group ended with 212,335 units changing hands and put on 52 cents, to a new 52 weeks’ high of $11.53 after trading as high as $12.20. Scotia Group closed with 8,627 units and put on $2.26 to a new 52 weeks’ high of $25.49, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 140,900 units to end at $2.30 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share had 80,000 units changing hands at $3.20.