The main market the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed higher on Thursday with the All Jamaica Composite Index jumping 2,646.72 points to a record close at 293,186.46, the JSE Market Index climbed 2,411.46 points to record close of 267,126.05 after trading much higher in the morning session.
The sharp rise was due primarily to gains in Scotia Group as the advance decline ratio was a negative 3 to 1.
In market activity, the volume of securities trading with their last prices are: Barita Investments with a loss of $1, closed at $8 with 18,827 shares, Berger Paints falling 40 cents to close at $12.10 with 137,727 stock units, Cable and Wireless with a loss of 3 cents, to $1.03 with 686,724 shares. Caribbean Cement closed at $28, dropping $2.05 with 81,597 units,Carreras closed at $108 with 51,674 shares, Grace Kennedy traded at $42.90 with 16,980 shares. Jamaica Broilers closed at $18.50 with 1,846,484 stocks, Jamaica Producers lost 70 cents and closed at $15 with 32,069 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $6.30, with a loss of 5 cents and exchanging 35,994 units, JMMB Group traded 193,740 shares at $21.90. Kingston Properties closed 50 cents lower to $7 with 88,633 stock units, 
Kingston Wharves added 85 cents to close at $30.85 with 8,125 shares, Mayberry Investments closed at $4.50, losing 35 cents with 501,020 shares changing hands, NCB Financial Group traded $1.50 lower to $89.50 with 104,077 stock units, 1834 Investments closed at $1.40 with 1,402 shares. PanJam Investment added 1 cent to close at $33.48 with 17,094 units, Portland JSX exchanged 14,800 shares at $9.25, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.25, while losing 4 cents with 89,511 stocks, Sagicor Group ended at $33.25, with gains of 39 cents trading 46,363 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $10.99, gaining 1 cent with 30,998 shares, Salada Foods with a loss of 10 cents, closed at $8.50 with 53,870 units, Scotia Group traded 136,129 shares at $57.99, Seprod lost 60 cents, closing at $29.90 with 12,330 shares, Sterling Investments gained 60 cents, closing at $12.90 with 500 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $11.01, losing 99 cents with 31,370 shares. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 23.99 US cents with 16,400 units, Productive Business Solutions US ordinary shares closed at 60 US cents with 3,210 units, JMMB Group US 6% preference share ended at US$1.12 with 800 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% cumulative redeemable preference share traded $5 lower to $100 with 89,100 units.
More losses than gains on TTSE
Massy stock price recovers on Wednesday from Tuesday’s drop.
Trading levels on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday rose above Wednesday’s with 14 securities changing hands compared to 15 on Wednesday.
At the close, 2 stocks advanced, 4 declined and 8 were unchanged as 478,341 shares traded at a value of $14,743,320 compared to Wednesday’s trades of 270,045 valued at $9,569,576. Massy Holdings dominated with 51 percent of the volume traded and 81 percent of the value of trades.
The Composite Index fell 0.28 points to 1,241.69, the All T&T Index declined 0.56 points to 1,788.86 and the Cross Listed Index closed at 93.28 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 4 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Gains|Agostini’s closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $20.52, after gaining 1 cent with 40,000 shares valued at $820,800 trading and Republic Financial Holdings ended trading 600 shares and gained of 2 cents to close at $101.92.
Losses| The last traded prices of securities declining and the volume changing hands are Clico Investment that dropped to a new 52 weeks’ low of $20.50, losing 9 cents with 18,127 shares valued at $371,604, National Flour Mills with a loss of 5 cents, and closed at $2.05 with 1,000 units trading, 
Point Lisas closed 10 cents lower to $3.90 with 1,050 shares and Scotiabank closed at $58.02, losing 8 cents trading 30 shares.
Firm Trades| The last traded prices of securities and the volume traded unchanged at the close of trading are Berger Paints that closed at $4.05 with 800 shares, First Citizens trading 1,710 shares at $31.68. Grace Kennedy closed at $2.85 with 1,000 stock units, Guardian Holdings held firm at $16.60 with 7,500 shares. Massy Holdings closed at $48.92 with 245,331 units valued at $12,001,593, National Enterprisesexchanged 500 shares at $10.48, Sagicor Financial remained at $8.50 with 148,693 shares valued at $1,263,891 and Scotia Investments closed at $2.20 with 12,000 shares.
Scotia stars again
Jacqueline Sharp
Scotia Group remains the star performer on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and is almost the sole stock resulting in the main market hitting new record highs in the past two weeks.
Although the stock traded at $57.99 with a gain of nearly $3 and the advance decline ratio was strongly positive, the market indices slipped at the close on Wednesday.
In wider market activity, the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are: Barita Investments with a loss of 50 cents in closing at $9 with just 350 shares, Berger Paints closing 34 cents higher to $12.50 with 56,008 shares. Cable and Wireless gained 1 cent, to end at $1.06 with 14,000 shares, Caribbean Cement with a gains of $3.55, closed at $30.05 with 51,576 stock units,Carreras closing at $108 with 65,566 shares, Grace Kennedy added 90 cents and closed at $42.90 with 273,004 shares. Jamaica Broilers rose 79 cents, to $18.50 with 2,900 shares, Jamaica Producers ended with a loss of 10 cents, at $15.70 with 630 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $6.35 with 4,292 shares and JMMB Group traded 90 cents higher to $21.90 with 92,900 shares. Kingston Wharves gained 47 cents to close at $30 with 12,645 shares, Mayberry Investments closed at $4.85 with 101,445 shares, NCB Financial Group closed $2.50 higher to $91 with 51,608 shares, 138 Student Living closed at $4.75 with 1,216 shares, 1834 Investments gained 6 cents to close at $1.40 with 1,898 shares. 
PanJam Investment added 44 cents to close at $33.47 with 10,550 stock units, Radio Jamaica rose 7 cents to $1.29, with 5,719 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32.86 trading 927,951 units, Salada Foods closed at $8.60 with 100,500 shares, Scotia Group traded $2.99 higher to close at a new high of $57.99 with 153,874 shares, Scotia Investments exchanged 2,025 shares at $35.50, Seprod closed at $30.50 with 2,850 shares, Sterling Investments with a loss of 50 cents, closed at $12.30 with 998,453 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $12, losing 65 cents with 5,514 shares changing hands. erotic job escorts near me. Margaritaville Turks US ordinary shares closed at 30 US cents with 3,970 units traded, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 23.99 US cents, down from 24 cents, with 1,050,020 units, Productive Business Solutions US ordinary shares closed at 60 US cents with 900 units and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share ended at $2 with 242,935 units trading.
Broilers dominates Monday’s trading
Trading activity rose on Monday in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange with 9,375,844 units valued at $169,350,761 changing hands, but one stock, Jamaica Broilers dominated trading, accounting for 7.49 million units and 80 percent of the volume traded.
Three stocks ended trading at record closing prices as demand grows for a selective group of companies.
At the close of the market the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are: Barita Investments with gains of $2.15 and closing trading $10.25 with 45,000 units changing hands, Berger Paints closed 90 cents higher to $11.50 with 2,600 shares, Cable and Wireless gained 3 cents in closing at $1.08 with 142,022 shares, Caribbean Cement ending with a loss of 50 cents, to $26.50 with 499,169 units. Carreras closed at $107.55, losing 45 cents with 18,336 stock units, Grace Kennedy with a loss of 80 cents, closed at $41.20 with 9,576 shares. Jamaica Broilers traded $1.10 lower to $17.85 with 7,492,431 shares, Jamaica Producers gained 5 cents to close at $15.10 with 2,190 shares, JMMB Group lost 9 cents to close at $21.40 with 20,818 shares. Kingston Wharves closed at $30.79 with 2,955 shares, Mayberry Investments with gains of 16 cents, closed at $4.46 with 5,470 shares, NCB Financial Group fell 50 cents to close at $89.50 with 6,379 shares, 1834 Investments closed at $1.34 with 27,300 shares. 
Portland JSX exchanged 2,000 shares at $9.25, Pulse Investments lost 4 cents, closing at $1.95 with 195,848 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.23, adding 1 cent with 36,482 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed $1.25 lower to $32.85 trading 8,070 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $10.99, after losing 97 cents with 10,000 shares trading, Salada Foods closed at $8.50 with 200,000 shares, Scotia Group jumped $2, to a record close of $52 with 93,121 shares traded, Sterling Investments gained 10 cents, closing at $12.85 with 100 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $12.90 with 505,077 shares. Margaritaville Turks US ordinary share closed at 30 US cents with 2,904 units, Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents with 2,298 units, recently listed Productive Business Solutions US ordinary share closed at a record high of 72 US cents, gaining US12 cents with 500 units, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share ended at $1.16 with 50,000 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% cumulative redeemable share closed with a gain of $5 at a record high of $105 with 900 shares.
Keep an eye on Scotia Group
With cut in Bank of Jamaica benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in the last week of August and fall in the August Treasury bill rates, new life was brought to the main market last week with a number of days of record high.
The entire main market is on IC Insider.com’s watch list as the all Jamaica Composite Index could move to the 300,000 points mark before long.
The most noted move in the Jamaica Stock Exchange last week was Scotia Group racing to a record high of $52 but ending the week without any stock being offered for sale. This stock has to head the stocks to watch list this week.
Others on the list are Barita Investments and Berger Paints two stocks that are subject of takeover offers, both stocks fell back sharply during the week, moves that appear unwarranted. Others on the list are, JMMB Group, NCB Financial Group with just 47,000 units on offer between $90 and $100, Sagicor Group and Supreme Ventures with a 41 percent rise in half year profit.
In the Junior Market, Caribbean Producers with improved 2017 results over 2016 with profit doubling, Jetcon Corporation that came under some selling pressure last week and fell to $4.50 and Stationery & Office Supplies complete the watch list.
2 new entrants to TOP 10
“The biggest change to stocks this coming week may well be guided by the recent cut in interest rates, with Treasury bill rates falling and Bank of Jamaica cutting its overnight rate by 25 basis points.” That was part of last week’s opening statement for the TOP 10 stocks report by IC Insider.com.
During the week main market stocks surged to record levels on 3 days with Friday closing with the third highest daily gain in the market’s history. The main market sits just below the critical 290,000 point mark and seems headed to break through that level, based on the shortage of supply for Scotia Group shares on Friday with a closing bid of $52. The cut in BOJ’s bench mark rate would translate to the all Jamaica Composite Index climbing to 298,000 points.
At the close of last week, there were no changes to the TOP 10 Junior list but two new companies swapped places in the main market with Barita Investments returning, as investors cooled on the stock following a run up in the price following news out of the company that the directors were considering a bid to acquire majority shares. Based on the third quarter results showing unrealized investment gains more than doubling the level at the end of September last year to $1.1 billion at June, the company should see major gains going forward in this area, with falling interest rates and rising stock prices. 
Salada Foods fell in price to $8.50 and along with Barita pushed out Sagicor Group and Pan Jam Investment, both of which rose in price during the week.
The average PE ratio for the Junior Market Top stocks is at 7.3 and the PE for the main market TOP 10, ends the week at 6.9. The average PE for the overall main market trades at 13.4 and 13.3 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 45 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and it remains at 48 percent for the main market.
JSE falters on Monday with 3 new highs
Scotia ended at a new closing high of $52 on Monday.
The market closed with 3 new closing highs, as Scotia Group ended at $52, up from $50 on Friday, recently listed Productivity Business Solutions (PBS) US dollar ordinary climbed to 72 cents while the preference share traded a small amount at $105. Jamaica Broilers was the dominant trade by far accounting for 7.49 million units amounting to 80 percent of the volume traded on Monday.
The All Jamaica Composite Index fell 1,185.82 points to close at 288,061.31, the JSE Market Index declined 1,080.42 points to 262,456.46 and the JSE US dollar market index advanced 11.04 points to 198.22 as PBS gained on Friday’s closing price.
At the close of trading, 24 securities changed hands in the main market with 3 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 10 stocks advancing and 8 declining. The main market ended with 9,375,844 units valued at $169,350,761 changing hands compared to 1,353,000 units valued at $37,486,124 at the close on Friday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 5,702 units valued at US$1,783 bringing the total of all trades to J$169,580,732.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 390,660 units valued at $7,056,282 for each security traded compared to an average of 54,120 units valued at $1,499,145. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at $222,390 units with an average value of $4,277,863 compared with an average of 54,120 units valued at $1,499,145 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for August ended at 184,094 units with an average value of $4,336,090.Some of the stocks to watch when trading resumes on Tuesday are Barita Investments that closed at $10.25 but has a bid of $9.50 to sell 50,000 units, Berger Paints with buying at $12 for over 9,000 units with the last price on Monday being $11.50, Scotia Group and Supreme Ventures.
Finance companies blast JSE indices
Sagiocr Group was one of the big contributors to the JSE rise on Friday with a rise of $2.30.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange started trading for September in a very bullish mode and closed the day with a huge jump in the market indices, thanks to 2 to 1 advance decline ratio, but more so by movements in the three large capitalisation stocks, NCB Financial, Sagicor Group and Scotia Group.
The All Jamaica Composite Index surged 8,689.74 points, at the close of trading the third highest in the markets history and the JSE Market Index climbed 7,917.33 points. The market sits just under a major resistance level at 290,000 points on the All Jamaica Composite Index, a meaningful break out this coming week could open the market up for a huge rally for the balance of the year.
At the close of market activity, the volume of stocks changing hands and their last traded price are Barita Investments with gains of 5 cents to end at $8.10 with 9,501 shares, Berger Paints closed $2.50 lower to $10.60 with 30,378 shares as investors responded negatively to the buyout offer for the minority shareholdings while ignoring the fundamentals of the company. Cable and Wireless gained 5 cents, closing at $1.05 with 18,094 shares, Caribbean Cement traded 40,150 shares at $27, Carreras closed at $108 with 30,352 stock units, Ciboney exchanged just 200 shares at 17 cents, Grace Kennedy added 2 cents to close at $42 with 14,115 shares. Jamaica Broilers lost 5 cents and closed at $18.95 with 26,278 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $6.35, rising of 50 cents in trading 850 shares,JMMB Group gained 49 cents to close at $21.49 with 11,653 units. Kingston Properties closed at $7.50, rising 30 cents with 742 stock units, Kingston Wharves traded 6 cents lower to $30.79 with 1,503 shares, 
Mayberry Investments lost 20 cents, closing at $4.30 with 199,098 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed $1.01 to close at $90 with 42,492 shares, 1834 Investments ended with a gain of 4 cents, closed at $1.34, with 31,474 shares and 138 Student Living lost 70 cents to close at $4.75 with 100 stock units. Radio Jamaica closed at $1.22 with 25,927 units changing hands, Sagicor Group jumped $2.30 to $34.10 trading 331,028 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $11.96, after falling 9 cents with 17,729 shares, Salada Foods gained 50 cents, closing at $8.50 with 100,000 shares, Scotia Group closed at $50 with 255,822 shares, after trading earlier at $52. The market closed with no stock being offered for sale ahead of the third quarter results due in the coming week. Seprod traded 4,000 shares at $33, Supreme Ventures closed at a record $12.90, gaining 90 cents with 81,771 units. Newly listed Productive Business Solutions US ordinary shares rose 5 cents and closed at a record 60 US cents while trading just 100 units, Proven Investments US ordinary share closed at 24 US cents with 14,100 units, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share traded 45,100 units at $2 and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share gained 1 cent to close at $1.16 with 34,643 units.
Major end of month JSE moves
Supreme Ventures closed at record high of $12 on Thursday.
In an active day of market activities, 29 securities traded with Scotia Group hitting a record high of $50 ahead of the third quarter results due for release within a week and Supreme Ventures (SVL) closed at a high of $12 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange
Investors continue to respond positively to SVL half year results that rose 41 percent but Sterling Investments dropped to a 52 weeks’ low of $12.75.
Elsewhere in the main market overvalued Jamaica Producers traded 1,082,752 shares to close at $15.99 after adding 5 cents and 138 Student Living gained 30 cents to close at $5.45 with 1,589,048 shares. Productive Business Solutions that went to the public to raise fresh capital had the US dollar ordinary shares and the preference shares were listed at the start of the day but there was no trading in them.
PBS shares were listed on Thursday.
Pulse Investments gained 4 cents, closing at $1.99 with 4,826 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.22 with 1,000 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $31.80 with gains of 20 cents trading 44,472 units, Sagicor Real Estate fund ended at $12.05, after gaining 5 cents with 500 shares, Salada Foods dropped $2 to $8 with 100,000 shares, Scotia Group advanced $3 to $50 with 75,994 shares, Scotia Investments eased 1 cent to $35.50 with 200 shares, Seprod traded 2,500 shares at $33, Sterling Investments declined $1.25 to $12.75 with 2,000 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $12, gaining $1.01 with 114,906 shares. Margaritaville Turks US ordinary shares closed at 30 US cents with 1,000 units, Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents with 51,749 units, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share with gains of 15 cents, closed at $2 with 745,140 units and Proven 8.25% cumulative redeemable preference share gained 40 cents to close at $5.50 with 21,000 units.
Sharp movement in some JSE stocks
Scotia Group closed at a new high of $50 on Thursday.
Scotia Group jumped $3 to hit an all-time high of $50 and Supreme Ventures hit a new high of $12 but the movements were inadequate to prevent to market index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange from slipping at the close on Thursday.
Sterling Investments dropped to a 52 weeks’ low of $12.75 while Investors sold Berger Paints shares down to $13 on Thursday from $15.80 close on Wednesday with a low offer by the Ansa McAl group of $10.88 per share, to buy out the minority shareholders.
Productive Business Solutions that went to the public to raise fresh capital had the US dollar ordinary shares and the preference shares were listed at the start of the day but there was no trading in them.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 252.73 points to close at 280,557.39, the JSE Market Index gained 230.27 points to 255,619.55 and the JSE US dollar market index rose 3.69 points to 182.58.
At the close of trading, 29 securities changed hands in the main market with 2 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 14 stocks advancing and 11 declining. The main market ended with 5,056,094 units valued at $68,305,370 changing hands compared to 4,844,593 units valued at $284,429,479 at the close on Wednesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 52,749 units valued at US$12,720 bringing the total of all trades to J$69,946,219.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 174,348 units valued at $2,355,358 for each security traded compared to an average of 210,634 units valued at $12,366,499. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at $184,094 units with an average value of $4,336,090 compared with an average of 184,581 units with an average value of $4,435,127 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for July ended at 160,668 units with an average value of $2,691,438.