Natalia Gobin-Gunter Chairman and Deputy Managing director inserting name strip to indicate listing of Key Insurance on the junior market.
The survey findings of carried out amongst Jamaica’s business executives, show wild swings in their views on current conditions since the start of the data in 2005, while the index of future business conditions was far more predictive of actual business developments. The attached chart shows this up quite clearly. Other findings of the survey also points out that the top management of the various companies were was off the mark when it came to inflation, interest rates and the rate of exchange of the local dollar. One of the clearest measures to test what the executives say and do, is a comparison of the sentiments on business conditions and the performance of the stock market.
When it came time for the business community to put their money where their mouth is, it turned out to be vastly different from what they were saying in the Business Condition Survey. One measure of the business community’s bet on the future, is shown in the attached graph. The graph shows future expectations are is much more aligned with future business conditions than with current ones.
What the business sector did, reflected itself in a much smoother monthly movement than what they said about the future. When it comes to money, the stock market reflects what people are doing with their money as opposed to what they say. The chart shows the movement in the all Jamaica Composite Index, plotted against the two business surveys published by the country’s central bank.The movement of the stock market seems a better predictor of future expectations, than the surveys, as shown by the smoother movement of the stock market compared with the sentiments data. What is also true, is that the future expectations and the stock market movements are fairly closely aligned with each other.
Trading in the Jamaican foreign exchange market saw dealers purchasing US$8 more than they sold on Friday, with trading levels back to normal, compared to over US$120 million dollar changing hands on Thursday. The rate of the local dollar saw a very slight erosion, climbing to $123.15 for the selling rate of the US dollar. The Jamaican dollar declined against the Canadian dollar and gained against the Pound. 
A total of US$24,056,712 was sold versus US$120,998,074 on Thursday with the selling rate rising 1 cent to $123.15. The Canadian dollar buying rate jumped $1.24 to end at $95.16 with dealers buying C$1,262,941 and selling C$580,684, at an average rate that rose 51 cents to $97.53. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 83 cents to $175.90 for the purchase of £1,478,725, while £475,362 was sold, as the rate dropped $2.70 to $177.03.
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded amounts to US$76,225 being bought, while US$238,349 was sold.
Trading jumped sharply in the Jamaican foreign exchange market on Thursday with over US$120 million dollar changing hands for an unusually high level of trading. The rate of the local dollar saw further erosion climbing to $123.14 for the selling rate for the US dollar. The Jamaican dollar declined against the Pound and gained against the Canadian dollar. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate declined by 17 cents to end at $93.92 with dealers buying C$883,954 and selling C$612,031, at an average rate that fell 33 cents to $97.02. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 3 cents to $176.73 for the purchase of £1,759,249, while £830,527 was sold, as the rate rose $1.16 to $179.73.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the Jamaican dollar against the main currencies on Thursday are, a fall of $6.53 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to end at $93.50, a fall of $3.78 in the lowest buying rate of the Canadian dollar to $73 and a rise of $2 in the lowest selling rate to end at $90. A fall of $1 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $180.50, a rise of $1.72 in the highest selling rate to $185.76 and a rise of $1 in the lowest selling rate to $168.
the Jamaican dollar crossed over the 123 level to the US dollar in trading in the foreign exchange market on Wednesday to a record low of $123.11 as the Jamaican dollar declined against the three majors, the trade against, compared to the closing rates on Tuesday. The market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$40,752,667 and selling US$33,016,027, in contrast to US$37,190,702 purchased and US$42,292,086 sold on Tuesday. 
A total of US$31,727,298 was sold versus US$35,486,211 on Tuesday, that did not prevent the selling rate from rising 22 cents to $123.11. The Canadian dollar buying rate declined by $2.59 to end at $94.09 with dealers buying C$912,746 and selling C$640,401, at an average rate that fell $2.60 to $97.35. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed 44 cents to $176.76 for the purchase of £1,651,764, while £495,529 was sold, as the rate slipped $1.04 to $178.57.
traded was an unusually large amount of US$4,643,557 being bought, while US$63,620 was sold.
Trading in the foreign exchange market on Tuesday resulted in the Jamaican dollar declining against the three majors, the Jamaican dollar trade against, compared to the closing rates on Monday. The market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$37,190,702 and selling US$42,292,086, in contrast to US$47,848,516 purchased and US$41,089,504 sold on Monday. 
A total of US$35,486,211 was sold versus US$34,358,438 on Monday, the selling rate rose 21 cents to $122.89. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 71 cents to end at $96.68 with dealers buying C$2,340,556 and selling C$5,564,128, at an average rate that rose $1.30 to $99.95. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed $2.29 to $176.32 for the purchase of £2,753,016, while £1,523,771 was sold, as the rate rose $2.82 to $179.61.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the currencies on Tuesday are, a fall of $1.81 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to end at $100.03, a rise of $1 in the lowest selling rate of the Canadian dollar to $91, a rise of $3.20 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $181.50 and a rise of $1.24, in the highest selling rate to $184.30 and a rise of $4 in the lowest selling rate to $170.
The Canadian dollar buying rate jumped $3.04 to end at $95.97 with dealers buying C$2,945,603 and selling C$5,217,053, at an average rate that rose $1 to $98.65. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed $1.78 to $174.03 for the purchase of £2,205,859, while £1,504,411 was sold, as the rate rose $1.76 to $176.79.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the currencies on Monday are, a jump of $1.97 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to end at $101.84, a rise of $2 in the lowest selling rate of the Canadian dollar to $90, a rise of $1.10 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $178.30 and a fall of $2.50, in the lowest selling rate to $166. 
The improvement in both indices reflected increases in the number of respondents of the view that conditions were or will be “better” while there were declines in the number of respondents indicating that conditions were “worse” the BOJ report stated. The recent improvement is reflective of a gradual improvement since the latter half of 2013 and it been on the increase since with the occasional slip as occurred in July 2015.
A total of US$33,977,802 was sold versus US$26,974,270 on Thursday, the selling rate rose 3 cents to $122.67. The Canadian dollar buying rate dropped $2 to end at $92.93 with dealers buying C$816,887 and selling C$1,804,263, at an average rate that remained at $97.65. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 2 cents to $172.25 for the purchase of £1,153,927, while only £484,850 was sold, as the rate rose $2 to $175.03.
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$285,474 being bought, while US$221,219 was sold.
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 25 cents to end at $94.93 with dealers buying C$1,587,124 and selling C$5,087,645, at an average rate that was up 74 cents to $97.65. The rate for buying the British Pound rose 4 cents to $172.27 for the purchase of £1,109,310, while only £337,379 was sold, as the rate fell $1.84 to $173.03. At the end of trading, the selling rate for Euro, fell 42 cents to close at J$138.89, from Wednesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$136.05 for a fall of 13 cents on Wednesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$66,687 being bought, while US$63,768 was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the currencies on Thursday are, a fall of $15.61 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to $84.26, a rise of $1 in the lowest selling rate of the Canadian dollar to $88, a decline of $1.30 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $176.20 and an increase of $1 in the lowest selling rate to $166. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 20 cents to end at $94.68 with dealers buying C$1,476,932 and selling C$1,354,910, at an average rate that fell 59 cents to $96.91. The rate for buying the British Pound rose by 68 cents to $172.23 for the purchase of £1,299,462, while £637,723 was sold, as the rate rose $2.08 to $174.87. At the end of trading, the selling rate for Euro, rose 72 cents to close at J$139.31, from Tuesday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$136.19 for a rise of 40 cents on Tuesday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$134,236 being bought, while US$308,070 was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the currencies on Wednesday are, a jump of $16.57 in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar to $118.80, a rise of $1 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $177.50, an increase of $1.03 in the lowest buying rate to $140.06, a rise in the in the highest selling rate by $1.35 to $182.25, while the lowest selling rate fell $1 to $165.