Trading on the Main Market and the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded trading on Monday with 26 securities changing hands, 8 advanced, 12 declined and 6 traded firm.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropped by 1,137.09 points to close at 314,851.62 and the JSE Index sank by 1,036.02 points to close at 286,865.44. The US dollar market index fell 6.90 points to 161.90 as 3 securities traded in this market with a volume of 119,502 units valued at US$33,226.
The main market closed with 4,115,612 units valued at $48,667,070 trading compared to 6,563,781 units valued at $52,758,651 on Friday. Trading ended with an average of 178,940 units for an average of $2,115,960 in contrast to 262,551 units for an average of $2,110,346 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 284,400 units valued at $3,346,771. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 292,432 units valued at $3,440,509 and previously 292,432 units valued at $3,440,509. In contrast, October closed with average of 185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Major movements took place in Caribbean Cement with an increase of $2, followed by JMMB Group that rose 79 cents, Kingston Wharves traded with a loss of 99 cents, NCB Financial Group fell $1, Sagicor Group lost $1.40 Scotia Group declined by $1.50, Seprod jumped $1.99 and Supreme Ventures dropped by $1. Ciboney traded at a 52 weeks’ high of 29 cents before ending at a 52 weeks’ closing high of 27 cents.
Derrimon & Main Event in TOP 10
Main Event moved into the top list of Junior market stocks along with Derrimon Trading, this week, replacing Jamaican Teas and Caribbean Cream that entered the list last week and Pulse Investments and Sagicor Group are in the Main market listing.
Main Event fell back to $5.50 at the end of the past week, from $5.75, the week before, to reenter the list, while Jamaican Teas came in for some buying that lifted the price slightly, to $4.10, to see it leaving. Radio Jamaica is removed from the list as six months’ results suggest that earnings will be hard pressed to exceed the 6 cents reported for the 2017 fiscal year. Also out is Cable & Wireless, with nine months’ results suggesting lower profit than originally projected for the full year to December.
Derrimon Trading reported net profit for this three months to September from core business, jumping 56 percent to $27 million over the $17.5 million reported for the corresponding period in 2016. The consolidated net profit for the nine months was $132 million, up 22 percent over the corresponding period in 2016.
Earnings per share amounted to 48 cents for the nine months and seems on track to end the year at 60 cents.
On Friday Lasco Financial, a former TOP 10 stock, hit a new record high of $6.60 following the reported profit that more than doubled in the September quarter to $100 million and up 63 percent to $167 million for the six months as well as from news of the acquisition of CrediScotia operations.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 9 and a PE at 8.5 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market is 15 and 14 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 35 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 43 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for Caribbean Cement, Cable & Wireless that appears scarce under $1, NCB Financial, Berger Paints, JMMB Group, Lasco Financial, Paramount Trading, Derrimon Trading and Stationery and Office.
JSE main market closes up – Friday
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange finished on Friday with 25 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 5 declined and 6 traded firm with 6,563,781 units valued at $52,758,651 compared to only 3,755,947 units valued at a mere $24,471,583 on Thursday.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped by 2,423.90 points to close at 315,988.71 and the JSE Index climbed by 2,208.45 points to close at 287,901.46. The US dollar market index rose 2.47 points to 168.80 as just one stock traded in this market.
Trading ended with an average of 262,551 units for an average of $2,110,346 in contrast to 163,302 units for an average of $1,063,982 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 292,432 units valued at $3,440,509 and previously 282,348 units valued at $3,560,559. 
In contrast, October closed with average of 185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded. IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 1 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Barita Investments gained $1, JMMB Group jumped $2.11, Scotia Group traded $1.50 higher while JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 40 percent of the total volume traded for the day with 2.66 million units, followed by Cable and Wireless with 841,666 units, Salada Foods 742,613 units and Mayberry Investments with 618,785 shares.
JSE stocks mostly rose – Friday
JMMB rose $2.11 on Friday
The majority of stocks trading rose on Friday with 13 gaining, 5 declining and 7 traded firm on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as 5 stocks gaining a dollar or more and the largest decline being 60 cents.
The market 25 securities with 6,563,781 units valued at $52,758,651 and ended with the market indices rising strongly, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 2,423.90 points to close at 315,988.71 and the JSE Index climbing 2,208.45 points to 287,901.46.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments jumped $1 to close at $9, with 124,043 units trading, Berger Paints traded at $16, with 24,851 shares, Cable & Wireless ended trading 8 cents higher at $1.05, with 841,666 shares after trading at $1.10 earlier in the trading session, 
Caribbean Cement closed at $33, with 9,531 stock units, Carreras ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $11.40, with 321,630 units. Ciboney Group traded 3 cents higher at 25 cents, with 50,000 shares, Grace Kennedy settled at $43, with 11,784 shares, Jamaica Broilers fell 19 cents to $18.80, with 16,868 stock units, Jamaica Producers finished with a loss of 5 cents at $15.50, with 24,241 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 1 cent higher at $7.01, with 6,500 shares, JMMB Group climbed $2.11 to $28.61, with 70,640 shares, Kingston Wharves settled 99 cents higher at $33.99, with 1,106 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 60 cents at $5.20, with 618,785 shares. NCB Financial Group rose 50 cents to close at $104, with 84,758 shares, 
PanJam Investment ended trading with a gain of 40 cents at $42, with 43,044 units, Pulse Investments finished trading 4 cents higher at $1.79, with 27,000 shares, Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 3 cents at $1.10, with 28,903 stock units. Sagicor Group traded 95,697 units and gained $1 to end at $37, Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished trading at $15, with 35,480 shares, Salada Foods Jamaica settled $1 higher at $8.50, with 742,613 shares, Scotia Group added $1.50 to end at $53.50, with 189,107 stock units. Seprod ended trading at $30, with 8,350 units, Sterling Investments closed 75 cents higher at $13, with 2,959 shares and Supreme Ventures ended at $11.80, with 524,225 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% ended $1.10, with 2,660,00 stock units, while Proven Investments traded 8,552 ordinary share in the US dollar market at 21 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Profit taking hits majors – Tuesday
NCB Financial Group dropped $3 to help pull JSE down.
With most companies having reported earnings for the third quarter the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange failed to be inspire investors to buy into the stocks aggressively, leading profit taking in a number of stocks on Tuesday, with prices mostly falling.
At the end of trading to market closed with a total of 23 securities changing hands with 5 advancing, 11 declining and 7 traded firm as 17,396,748 units valued at $218,089,928 changed hands.
Market activity concluded with a fall in the All Jamaican Composite Index by 1,833.47 points to 319,343.62 and a dip in the JSE Index by 1,670.50 points to close at 290,958.16.
In market activity, Barita Investments finished with a loss of 55 cents to end at $8.30, in exchanging 5,860 units, Berger Paints closed $1.25 higher at $16.25, with 30,850 shares, Cable & Wireless settled 3 cents higher at $1.08, with 1,502,200 shares. 
Carreras closed with a loss of 50 cents at $11, trading 130,758 units, Grace Kennedy settled with a loss of 51 cents at $41.50, with 51,585 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended at $18.50, with 16,125 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading with a loss of 45 cents at $15.10, with 26,605 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 10 cents to $6.80, with 14,785 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading 10 cents higher at $29, with 39,907 shares, Kingston Properties traded 6,096 stock units at $8, Kingston Wharves concluded trading at $33, with 9,767 units. Mayberry Investments traded 50 cents higher at $5.50, with 236,821 shares, NCB Financial Group dropped $3 to $104, with 79,253 shares, 1834 Investments concluded trading with a loss of 7 cents at $1.41, with 115,372 stock units, 138 Student Living ended trading at $6, with 10,000 shares, 
PanJam Investment finished trading 50 cents higher at $43, with 20,683 units, Pulse Investments finished with a loss of 20 cents at $1.80, exchanging 8,688 shares. Sagicor Group traded 1,145,023 units with a loss of $2.90 to end at $34.60, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading with a loss of 35 cents at $15.45, with 17,074 shares, Scotia Group finished with a loss of 50 cents at $51, with 84,315 stock units, Seprod finished at $30, with 3,792 units and Supreme Ventures traded 13,741,689 shares to settled at $11.80. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers finished trading at $1.85 with 99,500 stock units and in the US equity market, Proven Investments traded 1,369 ordinary shares and lost 1 US cents to end at 22 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Kremi & Jamaican Teas in TOP 10
Main Event rose in price and Medical Disposables (Meds) dropped out of the TOP 10 and were replaced by Caribbean Cream and Jamaican Teas.
Main Event rose from $5.50 to $5.75 on Friday, enough to lift them out of the Top list. Earnings at Meds were lowered with the release of the 6 months results with a 21 percent increased sales, in the September quarter but a reduction in profit margin and net profit.
JMMB Group rose from $29.50 to a record close of $30.50 and is sitting at the lower end of the main market list. Grace Kennedy reported good September quarter results, excluding one off gains while Berger Paints‘ six months results show revenues for the September quarter rising 21 percent and profit is up approximately 70 percent when the cost associated with the offer from Ansa Coatings offer is taken out. Berger traded to close on Friday at $15 and is one to watch in the week.
This coming week should see a raft of company results that could shake up the top 10 in both markets. On Friday Lasco Financial, a former TOP 10 stock, reported profit that more than doubled in September quarter to $100 million and up 63 percent to $167 million for the six months. These results could encouraged increased buying in the stock.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 9.1 and a PE at 7.3 for the main market TOP 10.
The average PE for the overall main market trades at 14 and 13.7 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 39 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 48 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for Caribbean Cement, Cable & Wireless that is expected to post improved profit in the latest quarter from increasing revenues, NCB Financial, Berger Paints, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident that is expected to benefit from a rise in premium rates, Lasco Financial, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.
Stationery & Office Supplies back in TOP 10
Stationery & Office Supplies back in IC Insider.com TOP 10
There is just one change in and out of the IC Insider.com TOP 10. Lasco Distributors dropped out, resulting from the Judge’s ruling in their claim against Pfizer, suggesting that damages will be substantially lower than the amount claimed.
Lasco is replaced by Stationery and Office Supplies returning after just one week out of the top list. The company should report results for the nine months during the coming week. BUY RATED Caribbean Cement that was expected to exit the top list during the past week remains with the price retreating to close the week at $31 as investors failed to follow through on the pick up in price in the prior week in response to the third quarter results to September. Berger Paints also slipped back, with the price falling from $17 last week to end at $14 this past week, 
but it traded during the week as high as $18.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.4 and a PE at 7.3 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 43 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 48 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for, Cable & Wireless that is expected to post improved profit in the latest quarter from increasing revenues, 
NCB Financial, Berger Paints that should release September results early this week, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident that is expected to benefit from a rise in premium rates, Paramount Trading after the company announced new expansion into chlorine and bleach production and Stationery and Office with September results early this week.
JSE record sharp gains
Sharp gains in the prices of NCB Financial, PanJam Investments and Scotia Group ensured the continuation of the bull run in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday.
At the close 20 securities traded in the main market, 10 advanced, 4 declined and 6 traded firm with 1,993,979 units valued at $25,589,860. The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 2,606.73 points to close at a record 323,606.90 and the JSE Index jumped 2,375.03 points for a record close of 294,842.48.
In the market activity, Barita Investments lost 1 cent to end at $8.99, with 1,000 units trading, 
Berger Paints fell $1 to end at $16, with 55,939 stock units trading, Cable & Wireless ended trading with a loss of 3 cents at $1.03, after trading 372,654 units, Caribbean Cement traded 85 cents higher at $36.95, with 27,939 shares, Carreras concluded trading at $11.50, with 323,179 stock units. Grace Kennedy traded 17 cents higher at $43, with 3,100 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed 44 cents higher at $18.50, with 84,500 stock units, Jamaica Producers ended trading at $16, with 12,221 units, JMMB Group closed 10 cents higher at a new closing high of $28.10, with 177,182 shares, after it traded at a new intraday high of $29.99 in early trading activities. Kingston Wharves settled at $33, with 2,980 stock units, a $3 jump in the price of 
NCB Financial pushed it to a record close of $108 while trading 25,163 shares, PanJam Investment climbed $1.99 to $44, with 2,000 shares, Radio Jamaica ended trading 526,148 stock units at $1.15, Sagicor Group closed at $39, with 30,015 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $14.40, with 8,498 shares, Scotia Group traded $2 higher at $52, with 107,093 shares, Seprod finished trading at $30, with 3,884 shares and Supreme Ventures settled at $12, with 161,330 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers finished trading with a loss of 5 cents at $1.85, with 14,454 shares, JMMB Group settled 1 cent higher at $1.11, with 54,700 stock units changing hands and 8,700 units of JMMB 6% US dollar preference shares traded with a gain of 2 cents at US$1.12.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Cement to head out of TOP 10
Caribbean Cement increased sales by 14% in Q3 2017.
IC Insider.com BUY RATED Caribbean Cement that showed all the signs of a big pay day is set to break out of the TOP this coming week as investors belated respond to this year’s results.
The company posted earnings of 88 cents for the September quarter, from a 15 percent increase in volume sales and should earn over $3 per share for 2017 and seems set to earn more than $4 in 2018 as it benefits from an upsurge in construction activity that will accelerate next year. The stock climbed to trade at a 52 weeks’ high of $40 on Friday, but closed at $36.10, a strong 33 percent ahead of the close of the previous week. Berger Paints is up 21 percent from last week’s close and is heading higher with very good prospects for increased profits this fiscal year and the next, as construction activity continues to benefit from increased demand, helped by falling interest rates that will make home ownership less costly than before.
Pulse Investments dropped out of the Top tier and Cable and Wireless has returned, the next set of results should help to move this stock higher. The Junior Market saw one change with Main Event entering, just edging out Stationery and Office Supplies.
The main market enjoyed the fourth consecutive weekly record close, driving the All Jamaica Composite Index to a record 321,000.17. 
The market is well clear of resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index and continues heading to the next major resistance at the 360,000 points range, on its way to the 500,000 points mark in 2018.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.3 and a PE at 8 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 14.2 and 13.8 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 40 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 44 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for Caribbean Cement, Cable & Wireless, NCB, Berger Paints, Jamaica Broilers, JMMB Group, Access Financial, General Accident, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.
NCB jumps TOP 10
NCB Financial Group closed at a record $107 on Friday.
NCB Financial returned to the main market list last week, but with a jump of $16 to $107 during the week, it ii no longer in the top list.
Barita Investments traded up to $9 and is now out of the listing. Pulse Investments and Seprod replaced NCB and Barita as the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at new record high on Friday, the third consecutive week of record close, driving the All Jamaica Composite Index 313,990.54.
While the main market is making new highs, with gains of 49 percent for 2017, the junior market with gains of just 12 percent at the end of the previous week is now up 17 percent as the market moved higher for the past week helped by strong results by Paramount Trading, Express Catering and increased buying of Stationery and Office Supplies that pushed the price to $5.50 to sit at 10th spot and could well be off the list by the end of the coming week.
The Junior Market list had no movement in or out in the past week. Trading in Berger Paints shares recommenced on Tuesday, after just 6.6 million units were sold by investors in response to the buyout offer by Ansa Coatings at $10.88 per share with the price closing at $14 on Friday and seemingly poised to rise further during the coming week as investors attempted to trade it at $17 which was outside the daily price limit of 30 percent above the last price. The stock has much room to climb, with the March 2018 full year’s earnings that should hit $2.30 per share.
The main market blast well clear of resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index and heading much higher to the next major resistance at the 360,000 points range.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 8.1 and a PE at 7.5 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.9 and 13.8 for Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 41 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 45 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should keep a keen eye for NCB, Berger, Jamaica Broiler, General Accident, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office.