Bulls pushing Jamaican stock to new highs almost daily for 2017.
Prices surged on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday resulted in the daily highest points gain in history of the market.
The huge move was the result mainly of sharp gains in the prices of National Commercial Bank, Scotia Group, Kingston Wharves, Jamaica Producers Group. It was a day when both the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the junior market closed at record levels as the bull market which had its genesis in late 2014, continues to build momentum with the supply of stocks on the wane, while demand builds.
At the close, the All Jamaica Composite Index jumped sharply by 9,082.60 points, to close at 226,121.49, the JSE Market Index surged 8,121.44 points to finish at 206,567.37 and the JSE combined index climbed 7,716.24 points to close at 220,633.57.
For the consecutive trading day, volume going through the market was moderate, with less than $100 million of trading. At the close, 2,882,798 units valued at $55,189,818 changed hands, compared to 3,687,829 units valued at $80,933,897 changing hands on Thursday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 204,282 units valued at $1,106,948.
The market closed with 42 securities changing hands, with 24 stocks rising and 9 falling in the overall market, including 10 stocks rising and 2 falling, in the junior market. A total of 8 securities ended at new 52 weeks’ closing highs.
The average trade for the day in the main market, ended at 111,605 shares, compared to an average of 116,490 units traded on Thursday. For the month to date, an average of 201,775 shares traded compared to an average of 291,945 units on the previous trading day. The average for the month of December ended at 549,379 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 21 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
In market activity, Berger Paints gained just 1 cent to end a new closing high at $10.51 while trading 11,500 shares, Cable and Wireless ended with 137,034 units at $1.20, after rising 2 cents, Caribbean Cement dropped $2.60 in trading 79,400 shares in closing at $33.90. Carreras closed at $66.70 with 26,859 shares changing hands, 1834 Investments gained 4 cents in trading 2,419 units at $1.34, Grace Kennedy had 6,092 units trading to close at $40.64, after declining 1 cent, Jamaica Broilers rose 13 cents and closed at $15.13 with 4,787 shares changing hands. Jamaica Producers traded 27,986 shares after rising by $1 to end at a new high of $12.50, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 10 cents to close at $5.60, 
having traded 127,613 shares, JMMB Group jumped to a new closing 52 weeks’ high of $16 in trading 27,146 units, after rising by 50 cents. Kingston Wharves jumped sharply by $6.25, to end trading with 6,500 units and closed at 52 weeks’ high of $34, Mayberry Investments traded 500,000 shares with gains of 25 cents, to close at $5.25, National Commercial Bank surged $5.98 to close at an all-time high of $58 after swapping 38,550 shares. 138 Student Living traded 100,000 units at $4.50, Pan Jamaican shed 10 cents and closed at $29.90, with 765,562 units traded, Portland JSX closed at $9 while trading 6,000 units, Pulse Investments traded 42,700 units, falling 13 cents to close at $5.17 after it traded at an intraday high of $5.65. Radio Jamaica lost 5 cents, closing at $1.30 with 35,778 shares traded, Sagicor Group closed with 8,935 shares changing hands, with a fall of 99 cents to $19.01, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 50 cents in trading 9,333 units and closed at $10. Scotia Group, with 470,682 shares changing hands jumped $2.89 cents to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $39. Supreme Ventures gained 11 cents in trading 39,240 shares to close at $5.21 and JMMB Group 7.50% preference shares traded 200,000 units to close at $1.10.
