Monday, 9th September 2013 | The stock market recorded positive moves in the three main indices on the first trading day of the week as Pan Caribbean Financial Services crossed 1,794,816 valued at $38,947,507 and 205,184 units valued at $4.45 million of Scotia Group Jamaica at $21.70 each in early trading. In the end, Scotia Group Jamaica traded 2,085,241 valued at $42.23 million, the price closed at $21.30 off 19 cents in a very slow day’s trading.

The Main Market Index closed at 85,010.18 up 169.49, the All Jamaica Index ended at 85,268.80 for an increase of 298.22 and the Junior Market Index seems to be closing in the 800 points level once more with a rise of 6.91 to end at 791.58. The market closed as 22 stocks traded with 3,350,127 units changing hands at a value of $50.4 million.

Jamaica Broilers gained 10 cents to $5.10 but with only 5,000 units, eyes will be out for this stock on Wednesday as the company is expected to release results for the first quarter of the new fiscal year on Tuesday. Based on the last quarter of the 2013 fiscal year when profits jumped by 114 percent, expectations are that this latest quarter to July should be up strongly primarily based on results from the ethanol operations.

Jamaica Money Market Brokers traded 332,375 units valued at $2.8 million as the price closed firm at $8.50 and Sagicor Life saw only 38,550 shares trading $8.51 for a 1 cent gain. Pan Jam Investments Trust lost 22 cents in a continued sea saw of price movements over several days. Scotia Investments which is back up at over J$32 in Trinidad today, lost 50 cents on the JSE to close at $27 but only 1,000 units traded.

Junior Market | The Junior Market seems to be holding out for a while as investors sense when the market will start to factor in the next set of interim results and starting buying ahead of the release of the results staring in late October. In today’s trading, Access Financial Services 99,250 units traded firm at $8.38; Blue Power Group 14,918 units closed at $9.4 an 11 cents increase; Caribbean Producers 58548 units closed at $2.10; Consolidated Bakeries 21,030 units traded firm at $1.40; Lasco Distributors 147,971 units closed at $1.49, down a cent; Lasco Financial Services 14,450 units closed at $1.40 up 10 cents and Lasco Manufacturing 83,288 units at $1.65 a 5 cents increase.

IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator has strengthened on Monday compared to Friday with bids for 10 stocks being higher with 5 stocks having offers lower than their last selling price.

Friday, 6th September 2013 | Advancing stocks outpaced declining ones for the 4th day running, but volumes remain low even as supplies continue to dwindle for many of the more popular issues. The main indices climbed at the end of trading with the all Jamaica index up 434.93 to 84,970.58 and the main market index up 247.20 to 84,840.69. While the main market indices closed at the second highest levels for the week, the junior market index slipped marginally by 1.74 to 784.67. Investors traded 5.76 million units valued at $30.73 million on a day when 24 stocks traded, 9 stocks advanced to 4 that declined in price.

Post Carreras’ annual general meeting, which was held on Wednesday, buying came in for the stock as it traded 112,924 units valued at $5,262,988 and closed at $47 up $1.50; Caribbean Cement commenced the rebound on Friday with 571,692 units valued at $1,257,722 trading up by 17 cents to close at $2.20; Grace Kennedy did not trade much with 29,204 units valued at $1,645,283 as the price remained firm, at $57; Jamaica Money Market Brokers was the day’s big trade with 2,017,957 units valued at $17,116,815 as the price closed up 49 cents, to close at $8.50. Kingston Wharves added 66,755 to the total and closed firm at $7, the stock seems to be under some selling pressure. Mayberry Investments, 88,385 units resulted in a 5 cents gain as it closed at $2.65. National Commercial Bank continues the fight to move forward as there is a decent gap between buyers and sellers with just 27,255 changing hands to close at $18.55. Sagicor Life chipped in with 59,727 units as the price closed at $8.50 up 23 cents; Scotia Group Jamaica participated in the low volume that traded with just 19,859 units as the price closed at $21.50 for a gain of 24 cents while its sub, Scotia Investments, exchanged a mere 14,494 units but closed up $1.30 at $27.50. Proven Investments 8% accounted for 834,650 trading firm at $5.09 as $4.25 million was invested in it.

Junior Market | The market had good participation from 7 stocks as 8 stocks traded on the final trading day of the week. Caribbean Cream exchanged 343,901 units as the price closed firm at $1.02; Caribbean Producers, fresh from recent full year results which showed a big jump in the last quarter’s earnings is gaining some traction resulting in 214,000 units trading with the price moving up 8 cents to $2.11 at the close; Consolidated Bakeries chipped in with 16,360 units to close firm at $1.40; General Accident 160,632 units resulted in a 2 cents fall in price at the end of trading to $1.75; Lasco Distributors 44,960 units traded but closed at $1.50 off by 10 cents while Lasco Financial Services had a busy day with 1,009,433 units trading as the price gave up 5 cents at the close $1.30 at the end. Lasco Manufacturing 69,386 units as the price gained 5 cents at $1.60 at the end.

IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator has weakened somewhat and shows that bids for 5 stocks were higher with 4 stocks having offers lower than their last selling price.

Thursday, 5th September 2013 | The main market indices fell on Thursday as the junior index moved up with 11 stock prices gaining to 6 that fell as 2,761,996 units traded valued at $16.1 million continuing a light period of trading for a number of days since August. The all Jamaica index fell 313.07 to 84,535.65, the Main index was down 177.94 to close at 84,593.49 and the junior market index gained 6.24 to close at 786.41.

Barita Investments seems to be attracting a little interest as it traded 18,156 at $2.50 while Caribbean Cement Company could have bottomed as it traded 121,158 units to close at $2.03 an increase of 3 cents; Gleaner Company logged 605,000 units at a firm price of $1.20; Jamaica Money Market Brokers kicked in with a strong 1,140,850 units as the price closed 1 cent up at $8;  Jamaica Stock Exchange 11,000 units resulted in a 5 cent drop to the IPO price of $2.85; Kingston Wharves traded 13,400 firm at $7; National Commercial Bank still struggling to move forward traded 117,295 shares at $18.55 up 5 cents; Pan Jamaican Investment Trust accounted for 13,415 units and closed at $51.42; Scotia Group Jamaica made good with 41,757 units and closed at $21.26 a gain of 6 cents while Seprod contributed 20,000 units at $13.

Access Financial Services had 100,000 shares being exchanged as the price closed at $8.38 up 18 cents; Consolidated Bakeries chipped in with 26,916 units to close at $1.40 down 5 cents; Cargo Handlers was up $1 to $14, a new all-time high.

General Accident Insurance traded 56,000 units at $1.77 for a 6 cents gain as Lasco Distributors 47,420 units traded firm at $1.50; Lasco Financial Services 109,450 units closed at $1.40 down 2 cents and Lasco Manufacturing 35,475 units with the price closing at $1.65 up 2 cents.

IC bid-offer Indicator | At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows that bids for 6 stocks were higher with 2 stocks having offers lower than their last selling price.

Wednesday, 4th September 2013 | Trading activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange was moderate notwithstanding the 4.667 million units which traded at a value of $25.7 million. Trading took place in only 25 stocks with 1 from the preference sector resulting in 8 stocks advancing to 4 declining. The index for the main market fell as the all Jamaica index being off the most by 1,041.87 to close at 84,848.72 and the main market index off 592.14 to end at 84,771.43. As indicated on Tuesday, this was expected to happen with that day’s movement in Scotia Group hitting $23.49 but closing at $22. Today, it closed at $21.20, giving back all the gains it had on Tuesday.

Caribbean Cement traded  38,155 units firm at $2; Grace traded 10,905 units at $56.60 up 10 cents; Jamaica Money Market Brokers exchanged 172,923 units and closed firm at $8; National Commercial Bank traded 87,412 units at $18.55 up 5 cents, while Sagicor Life enjoyed a big day with 865,150 units gained 44 cents to close at $8.60; Scotia Group traded 127,072 to closed down 80 cents at $21.20; Scotia Investments chipped in with 34,800 to close at $26.20 up 4 cents and Proven preference shares delivered 1,465,850 units firm at $5.09.

The junior market index slipped 2.20 to close at 780.17. Caribbean Creams traded 320,700 units to close at $1.02 a gain of 2 cents; Caribbean Producers exchanged 510,000 units firm at $2.03; General Accident chipped in with 66,000 units to close at $1.71 for a 1 cent gain; Jamaican Teas lost 20 cents to close at $4.20 as it traded 22,043 units; Lasco Financial Services traded 297,535 and closed at $1.42, down 2 cents, while Lasco manufacturing closed at $1.60 a 2 cents decline with 277,428 units and Paramount Trading 66,305 units firm at $3.30.

IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows that bids for 5 stocks were higher with 2 stocks having offers lower than their last selling price.