At the end of trading on Friday, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 stock with the offer lower.
This is the strongest signal flashed for some time, but investors would need to see a continuation of this positive ratio to say whether this is an indication of what can be expected in the not too distant future. With Bank of Jamaica sending a powerful signal in the forex market that the top for the Jamaican dollar may be nigh, investors could well be sensing that the time for buying stocks may not be far off. What is known is that the majority of market rallies have their genesis in July or August.
Main Market| In Friday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the main market indices advanced, with The JSE Market Index rising by 193.15 points to 70,617.93, up more than 700 points for the wee and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up by 215.98 points to close at 77,671.87, to be up 800 points for the week. The prices of 4 stocks rose and 6 declined as 20 securities changed hands, resulting in 8,773,022 shares trading, valued at $20,787,406. KLE Group dominated trading with 7,181,043 units sold by Craig Powell, one of the company’s directors.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market, are Sagicor Group with 586,363 shares, to close with a gain of 4 cents at $9.09 and Sagicor Real Estate Fund, with 20,000 units changing hands, as the price gained 15 cents at to end at $6.25.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price, are Caribbean Cement with 18,248 shares to end at $2.20, Desnoes & Geddes 4,017 units to close at $4.25, Grace Kennedy with 13,251 shares to end at $56, Jamaica Broilers 3,920 units, to close at $4.57, National Commercial Bank 9,160 shares, to end at $18 and Scotia Group with 900 units, to close at $18.40.
Preference| There was no trading in the preference section.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market, are Carreras that traded 22,764 shares to close 5 cents down, at $35, followed by Jamaica Producers with 2,062 shares trading, for a fall of 50 cents, in closing at $17.50 and Jamaica Stock Exchange with 250 shares, declined by a cent, to close $1.88.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined sharply by 3.81 percent as it lost 26.75 points to close at 675.01 with 9 stocks traded, with 2 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market, are Blue Power with 718,136 units to close up 4 cents, at $9.05 and Lasco Financial with 12,500 units as the price gained 5 cents, to 95 cents.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before, are AMG Packaging that traded 1,500 shares as the price closed at $3.10, Dolphin Cove with 14,071 units, to close at $8.30, General Accident with 25,000 shares, to end at $1.50 and Jamaican Teas with 22,000 ordinary shares, to close at $3.25
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading, are Access Financial trading 541 units, to close down $3.50, at $10, Caribbean Producers dropped a cent in trading 117,296 shares, to close at $2.65, and KLE Group lost 3 cents, with 7,181,043 changing hands, to end a an all-time low of 90 cents.
