The Jamaica Stock Exchange continues to enjoy wide participation of securities with 42 changing hands on Wednesday in all market segments but with sharply higher value compared with recent trading days. At the close, 14 securities in the combined markets gained and 14 declined but price changes overall were moderate.
Three stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs and two traded at intraday high as 26,456,207 units valued at $400,593,508 changed hands in all markets, Mayberry Investments traded 10.7 million units and the Jamaica Stock Exchange with 5.9 million units and 4 others trading over 1 million units each. The junior market accounted for 1,738,498 units, valued at $9,189,436.
The JSE Market Index eked out an increase of 71.84 points to 155,817.53, the all Jamaica Composite Index closed with an increase of 80.29 points to end at 173,091.18 and the JSE combined index rose by 42.84 points to close at 167,212.92.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reached an elevated level indicating several rising prices ahead with reading of 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 5 with lower offers.
In trading, Barita Investments traded 2,000 shares and gained 68 cents to close at $5.28, for a 52 weeks’ high. Berger Paints closed at $3.60 as the price slipped 10 cents with 1,808 units trading, Cable and Wireless ended with 897,000 units changing hands to close at $1.50, Caribbean Cement rose $3.48 to close at $25, with 16,132 shares changing hands. Carreras gained 1 cent in trading 38,550 shares at $61, Gleaner Company traded 29,321 units at $2.68, Grace Kennedy lost 48 cents and closed at $82.02, with 265,024 units changing hands. Jamaica Broilers closed at $12.51 with 46,648 shares changing hands to record a gain of 25 cents. Jamaica Producers had 24,840 shares trading, the price closed at $33.13 after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $33.18, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 60 cents to close at $19.80 while trading 5,864,920 shares, JMMB Group traded 2,067,358 units to end with a loss of 3 cents at $11.80, Kingston Wharves rose 4 cents, in trading 3,665 units to close at $11.05. Margaritaville Turks traded 94,500 shares at 11 US cents. Mayberry Investments traded 10,687,021 shares and gained 2 cents to end at $4.87, National Commercial Bank ended with a fall of 10 cents at $40.90, with 6,160 units changing hands, Pan Jamaican Investments climbed $2 to close at $96 with 1,217,051 shares trading.
Radio Jamaica traded 25,800 shares but fell 70 cents to $4.80, Sagicor Group declined by 40 cents to close at $21.60 with 230,143 units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $11.60 with 152,000 shares traded, Scotia Group rose 8 cents with 1,288,197 shares changing hands to close at $30.48. Scotia Investments lost 50 cents, with 200,115 shares changing hands to close at $28, Supreme Ventures lost 10 cents to end at $5.15 with 1,076,108 units changing hands after the price reached an intraday high of $5.50. Proven Investments ordinary share traded 52,900 units at 22.99 US cents, Proven Investments preference share traded 400,000 units at $8 and Jamaica Money Market 7.25% preference share traded 26,000 units with a gain of 34 cents, to end at $2.40.
Inflows of FX below norm on Monday
Trading in the Jamaican foreign exchange market on Monday was well below the levels expected for the first day of a week in the winter months. Dealers bought the equivalent of just US$27,603,340 and sold US$28,177,563, compared with US$58,820,996 purchased and US$48,672,598 sold on Friday.
In US dollars trading, dealers bought US$23,407,422 compared to US$55,716,976 on Friday with the buying rate for the US dollar falling 68 cents to $119.63. A total of US$26,363,858 was sold versus US$45,573,684 on Friday as the selling rate climbed by just 2 cents to $120.80.
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 28 cents to end at $80.79 with dealers buying C$2,421,519 and selling C$980,032, at an average rate that declined by $1.50 to $82.16. The rate for buying the British Pound dropped $3.03 to $169.10 for the purchase of £1,645,063, while £689,638 was sold, with the rate falling 22 cents to $171.32. At the end of trading, it took J$132.28 to purchase the Euro, for a jump of $1.37 on Friday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$129.79 for a rise of $1.53 on Friday’s rate.
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$235,202 being bought, while US$169,063 was sold.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest rates the currencies traded at are, a fall of $2.30 in the highest selling rate of the Canadian dollar to $86.20 and the lowest selling rate falling by $1.55 to $78.15, the British Pound, dropping $3.10 of the highest buying rate to $173.45 and an increase of $1.34 in the highest selling rate to $178.90.
JSE had a sharp jump on Monday
Seven stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs and 1 at intraday highs as 3,242,483 units valued at $29,602,537 changed hands in all markets, with the junior market accounting for 1,767,220 units changed hands, valued at $8,897,090.
The main market indices climbed sharply again as Scotia Group shot up to $34.99 in early trading, to help push up the indices by the big moves, but the indices could fall back on Tuesday The JSE Market Index climbed 3,705.74 points to 159,979.58, the all Jamaica Composite Index is down with a jump of 4,141.39 points to end at 177,742.51 and the JSE combined index surged by 3,281.87 points to close at 171,105.92.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reached an elevated level indicating several rising prices ahead with reading of 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers.
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In trading, Barita Investments traded 12,000 shares and gained 10 cents to close at $4.50, for a 52 weeks’ high, Berger Paints closed at $3.30 as the price fell 45 cents with 27,730 units trading, Cable and Wireless ended with 166,850 units changing hands to close with a loss of 2 cent to $1.43. Caribbean Cement traded with an increase of 49 cents and closed at $24.49 with 26,583 shares trading. Ciboney traded 104,035 units with a fall 1 cent to end at 24 cents, Gleaner Company traded 4,573 shares and lost 2 cents to close at $2.68, Grace Kennedy closed at $80.21, with 5,653 units changing hands. Jamaica Broilers rose 25 cents to close at $11.75 with 34,714 shares changing hands. Jamaica Producers had 39,294 shares trading as the price rose by 70 cents to $33, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $20 while trading 26,333 shares, JMMB Group traded 287,100 units to end with a loss of 27 cents at $11.50. Kingston Properties traded 20,000 units and lost 24 cents to close at $6.80, Kingston Wharves lost 14 cents in trading 52,797 units to close at $11.01, Mayberry
Investments traded 101,452 shares and gained 5 cents to end at $4.75, National Commercial Bank ended with a rise of 59 cents at $41.10, with 51,157 units changing hands. Pan Jamaican Investments fell 5 cents to close at $94.01 with 15,238 shares trading. Radio Jamaica lost 50 cents in trading 11,303 shares to close at $5.50. Sagicor Group rose 17 cents to close at $22.97 with 16,782 units changing hands. Scotia Group rose 51 cents with 291,386 shares changing hands to close at $30.60 after trading earlier at $34.99, Supreme Ventures gained 42 cents to end at $5.12 with 171,360 units changing hands at a new 52 weeks’ closing high and Proven Investments ordinary share traded 32,550 units at 21 US cents, down from 22 US cents on Friday.
More decline for JSE on Friday
Trading levels on the Jamaica Stock Exchange continues to be buoyant with 40 securities changing hands on Friday in all market segments. At the close 17 securities in the combined markets gained and 15 declined.
Eight stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs and 3 at intraday highs as 6,458,590 units valued at $100,762,294 changed hands in all markets, with the junior market accounting for 2,572,307 units that changed hands, valued at $13,732,252.
While all main market indices fell the declines were less than on Thursday, with the JSE Market Index dropping 1,351.93 points to 156,273.84, the all Jamaica Composite Index falling with 1,510.87 points to end at 173,601.12 and the JSE combined index diving 1,405.00 points to close at 167,824.05.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reached an elevated level indicating several rising prices ahead with reading of 19 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers.
In trading, Barita Investments traded 134,925 shares and gained 50 cents to close at $4.40, Berger Paints closed at $3.75 as the price rose 55 cents with 18,500 units trading, Cable and Wireless ended with 257,600 units changing hands to close with a gain of 1 cent to $1.45. Caribbean Cement traded more orderly on Friday, than it did on Thursday when there were wild price swings and closed today with an increase of $2 to $24 with 4,884 shares trading. Carreras fell 5 cents to end at $60 with 60,210 units changing hands, Gleaner Company traded 7,400 shares to gain 30 cents to close at $2.70, Grace Kennedy closed at $80.21, with 20,240 units changing hands. Jamaica Broilers fell $1.51 to close at $11.50 with 256,650 shares changing hands. Jamaica Producers had 3,570 shares trading as the price rose by 10 cents to $32.30, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained $1 and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $20 while trading 200,000 shares, JMMB Group traded 83,100 units to end with a loss of 18 cents at $11.77. Kingston Wharves traded 8,341 units to close at $11.15, Margaritaville Turks came into its own after reporting profits of US$518,134 in the six months to November last year versus $279,000 in 2014. The stock traded 1,128,920 units at 10.5 US cents each. Mayberry Investments traded 327,979 shares and lost 2 cents to end at $4.70, National Commercial Bank ended with a loss of 99 cents at $40.51 with 257,266 units changing hands, Pan Jamaican Investments fell 9 cents to close at $94.06 with 8,528 shares trading. 
138 Student Living Jamaica traded 985 shares at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.10, after rising by 35 cents, Radio Jamaica gained 40 cents in trading 32,400 shares to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6. Sagicor Group fell 65 cents to close at $22.80 with 365,894 units changing hands, Scotia Group dropped $4.90 with 346,798 shares changing hands to close at $30.09, Scotia Investments recovered the $3.10 it lost on Thursday to close at $29.90 after 18,469 units traded. Seprod dropped $2.49 with 83,600 shares trading and closed at $18.51, Supreme Ventures gained 4 cents to end at $4.70 with 70,820 units changing hands, Proven Investments ordinary share traded 40,730 units at 22 US cents, down from 22.99 US cents.
Jamaica Public Service 9.5% preference share traded for the first time in months, with 33,000 units valued at $39,633,000 changing hands to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1,201, for an increase of $76 and Proven Investments 8% preference shares traded 100,000 units at $5.
JSE pulls back sharply in early trading
The stock market pulled back with the indices falling in junior and the main markets. Scotia Group traded at $31 compared to nearly $35 on which the main market indices
were based on Wednesday but the stock is up from the last traded price of $30.10 and Caribbean Cement closed down at $22 from $25.10 at yesterday’s close and Carreras fell $1 to trade at $59.
Sagicor Group traded a large amount of 5,000,160 units up to $24 but last traded at $23.01, Lasco Distributors traded 306,099 units at $8.50, Lasco Manufacturing had 218,219 trading at $5.15 and recently listed tTech has so far traded 226,147 shares at $5.49.
In trading 35 securities were active and accounted for 6,574,092 units changed hands after 90 minutes of the market’s opening with 13 stocks rising and 11 falling.
The all Jamaica Composite Index plunged 2,760.15 points to 175,952.24 the JSE Market Index tumbled 2,469.81 points to 158,377.63 the JSE combined index dropped 2,647.40 points to 169,292.43 and the junior market index fell 35.27 points to 2,320.00.
















