The JSE junior market fell on Friday while 7 stocks declined and only 1 advanced out of 12 securities that traded, resulting in 1,272,996 units, valued at $2,909,186 changing hands. The market lost 24.71 points to close at 982.87.
At the close 4 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 4 had no stocks being offered for sale and 3 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 with the offers being lower.
Stocks trading are, Access Financial Services traded 367 shares to close at $13, with a fall of $2.51, AMG Packaging closed at $3.65 with only 733 units changing hands, Blue Power closed with 3,568 units changing hands at $12.28, Caribbean Cream traded 215,075 units to close 30 cents lower at $1.99. Caribbean Flavours traded 459,138 units with the price dropping 5 cents to $2.75. Caribbean Producers traded just 2,000 units for an 8 cents fall to $2.72, General Accident Insurance traded 46,569 units with the price closing 5 
cents lower, to a 52 weeks’ low of $1.25, the bid was at $1.45 to buy 220,000 shares and offered at $1.50 for sale of 273,438 units. Honey Bun with 11,526 shares changing hands and closed with a loss of 5 cents at $3.65, Lasco Distributors closed with 14,650 units trading, 16 cents lower at $1.79, Lasco Financial ended with 290,485 shares changing hands at $1.66 for a fall of 14 cents, at the close the bid was at $1.70 to buy 30,000 shares. Lasco Manufacturing with 175,657 units changing hands, closed at $1.84 and Medical Disposables traded 45,653 shares to close at $2.50.
Only 2 price changes on TTSE
In overall trading Friday on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange, 6 securities changed hands, the price of 1 rose, 1 declined and 4 traded with prices unchanged as a total of 106,169 shares traded, valued at $949,980.
At the close, the Composite Index rose 0.17 points to 1,145.78, the All T&T Index was unchanged at 1,954.54 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.04 points to close at 44.19.
Gains| JMMB Group traded 12,000 shares to close 1 cent higher at 42 cents.
Losses| Sagicor Financial Corporation closed with a fall of 50 cents with 42,135 shares changing hands at $5.50, for a value of $252,743.
Firm Trades|, Clico Investment Fund traded 18,370 shares valued at $413,509 and closed at $22.51.
Guardian Holdings added 20,000 shares to close at $12.90, National Commercial Bank traded 5,664 shares at $1.52 and Scotia Investments had 8,000 shares changing hands at $1.51 at the close.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 3 stocks with offers that were lower.
Increased activity on junior market
Access fell $2.99 to $15.51on Thursday
At the close 4 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 3 had no stocks being offered for sale and 3 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 3 with the offers being lower.
Stocks trading are, Access Financial Services traded 200 shares to close at $15.51 with a fall of $2.99, AMG Packaging closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.95 with 31,398 units changing hands 30 cents higher, Cargo Handlers ended with 950 shares changing hands and closed at $31, Caribbean Cream traded 10,100 units at $1.99, after gaining 19 cents. Dolphin Cove traded 150 shares and closed at $13, General Accident Insurance traded 2,150 units with the price closing 15 cents lower to a 52 weeks’ low of $1.30, Honey Bun with 46,734 shares
changing hands, closed with a loss of 30 cents at $3.70, Knutsford Express had 518 shares trading to close at $6. Lasco Distributors closed with 283,526 units trading, 15 cents higher at $1.95, Lasco Financial ended with 85,300 shares changing hands to end at $1.80. Lasco Manufacturing with 291,740 units changing hands, closed at $1.84 after dropping a cent, Medical Disposables traded 102,000 shares to close with a gain of 25 cents at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.50 but closed with the offer at $2.30 to sell 13,085 units and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 88,300 units changing hands at $6.05.
JSE drops sharply on Wednesday
The Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday closed with main market indices recording big losses, cancelling out the gains made in yesterday’s trading. The market closed with a fairly high participation rate of 33 securities changing hands accounting for 3,862,624 units trading, valued at $45,895,747 with 9 stocks rising, 16 declining with 1 stock closing at 52 weeks high, in all market segments.
At the close, the JSE Market Index fell 2,316.03 points to 99,099.31, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index dived 2,588.67 points to close at 109,705.40 and the JSE combined index dropped 2,164.74 points to end at 102,674.88.
The eve of and the actual Treasury bill auction days, historically have not been good for the local stock market. Stockbrokers main focus is on the outcome of the auction and interest rates out turn as well as how successful their bidding was. Wednesday’s sluggishness and pull back in prices could be related to this development with today being the day when Treasury bill bids are opened. At the close of trading on Tuesday the signals were for a weaker market on Wednesday as such today’s declines should come as no great surprise.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading that is better than Tuesday’s reading, with only of 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 9 with offers that were lower. Today’s reading is 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with offers that were lower, a reading that still carries some negative undertone.
In trading, Cable and Wireless had 306,499 shares changing hands with a loss of 3 cents, to end at 40 cents, Caribbean Cement had 19,000 units changing hands at $8, Gleaner closed with 23,326 shares and fell 17 cents to $2. Grace Kennedy traded firm at $64 with 54,439 shares, Jamaica Broilers traded at $6.05 with 42,876 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded at $18.25 with 4,000 shares changing ownership with a loss of 25 cents. JMMB Group traded 5,909 shares at $7.95 to add 22 cents, with the company reporting strong increase in profit for the first quarter. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost altitude and traded with a decline of $1.50 to $7.50 with only 7,100 shares changing hands.
Mayberry Investments had 242,254 shares trading down 26 cents to $3.14, National Commercial Bank traded 421,180 shares to end at $30, Palace Amusement gained $10 in trading 2,500 shares to end at $75, Pan Jamaican Investment closed at $60.70 after trading 1,539 shares with a loss of $1.30. Sagicor Group with 1,077,602 shares changing hands, closed 50 cents up, at $13.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 95 cents to close at $8.75 while trading 10,095 units, Scotia Group traded 471,710 units to close at $23.70, down 80 cents, Supreme Ventures ended at $3.50 with 56,004 units to be down by $1 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 150,200 units at $2.
Moderate trading on junior market
The JSE junior market fell on Wednesday with 2 stocks declining and 1 advancing, only 7 securities traded, resulting in 931,475 units, valued at $2,060,574 changing hands. The market regained 2.10 points to close at 1,019.85.
The market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy, while 4 had no stocks being offered for sale and 3 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and only 2 with the offers being lower.
Stocks trading are, Caribbean Flavours traded 28,657 units at $2.82, after falling 18 cents, Derrimon Trading ended 
with 11,054 shares changing hands to end 10 cents higher at $2.60, for a new 52 weeks’ high, the stock traded earlier at $2.70. Dolphin Cove traded 1,000 shares and closed at $13, General Accident Insurance traded 15,000 units with the price closing at $1.45, Jamaican Teas had 244,745 shares trading to close at $3.10, Lasco Distributors closed with 316,929 units trading, 1 cent lower at $1.80 and Lasco Manufacturing with 314,090 units changing hands, closed at $1.85.
2 up 3 down on TTSE
In overall trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday,13 securities changed hands, 2 stocks rose, 3 declined and 8 traded with prices unchanged as a total of 157,041 shares traded, valued at $3,411,444.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index slid 1.54 points to 1,147.67, the All T&T Index remained unchanged at 1,957.29 and the Cross Listed Index fell 0.41 points to close at 44.33.
Gains| ANSA McAL contributed 1,203 shares and closed at $67.26 with a gain of a cent and Scotiabank had 4,550 shares changing hands at $62.32, up 1 cent.
Losses| Agostini’s traded 1,470 units at $17.25 down 1 cents, Massy Holdings traded 18,284 shares valued at to close at $67.02 after declining by 6 cents, National Commercial Bank also fell but by 6 cents to end at $1.52 with 7,000 shares changing hands.
Firm Trades| Angostura Holdings with 1,940 shares changing hands, to close at $14, Clico Investment Fund traded 26,590 shares valued at $598,395 and closed at $22.50, First Citizens Bank with 10,434 shares changing hands for a value of $365,190 and 
closed at $35 while Guardian Holdings added 18,284 shares valued at $515,124, to close at $12.90. National Enterprises with 3,500 shares changing hands, closed at $17.09, National Flour Mills with 2,056 shares traded closed at $2.20, Sagicor Financial Corporation added 39,682 shares valued at $238,092 to end at $6, and West Indian Tobacco traded 400 shares to close at $126.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
J$ slips on Tuesday
Purchases by dealers of foreign currencies on Tuesday, resulted in the Jamaican currency selling rate mostly slipping. The market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$30,886,074 in contrast to US$47,062,033 on Monday, while they sold the equivalent of US$46,140,237, previously US$45,274,288.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$27,806,629 compared to US$42,791,535 on Monday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 13 cents to $116.90 and US$44,707,607 was sold versus US$42,919,455 on Monday, the selling rate increased 5 cents to $117.48. The Canadian dollar buying rate gained 32 cents to $87.74 with dealers buying C$1,368,158 and selling C$831,468, at an average rate 
that rose 2 cents to $89.37. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed 93 cents to $181.02 for the purchase of £1,223,641, while £391,072 was sold, at an average rate that dipped 1 cent to $182.42. At the end of trading, it took J$130.04 to purchase the Euro, with a decline of 45 cents from Monday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$127.38 for a fall of 48 cents off Monday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$157,751, while the equivalent of US$192,856 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, rose 17 cents to $117.75 while the lowest buying, the highest and lowest selling rates were 
unchanged at $96.19, $123.26 and $96.19 respectively. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar jumped $1.50 to $91.50. The lowest buying rate lost 49 cents to $70.97, the highest selling rate added 16 cents to end at $92.50 and the lowest selling rate declined 40 cents to $85.70. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, dropped $4.06 to $184, the lowest buying rate fell 17 cents to $147.45, the highest selling rate dipped 21 cents to $190.09 and the lowest selling rate fell 20 cents to $177.65.
J$ gains all round on Monday
Purchases by dealers of foreign currencies on Monday, resulted in the Jamaican currency selling rates making gains on all currencies. The market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$47,062,033 in contrast to US$29,745,740 on Friday, while they sold the equivalent of US$45,274,288, previously US$28,648,727.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$42,791,535 compared to US$27,282,457 on Friday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 6 cents to $116.77 and US$42,919,455 was sold versus US$27,192,334 on Friday, the selling rate decreased 1 cent to $117.43. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 14 cents to $87.42 with dealers buying C$1,881,308 and selling C$1,381,874, at an average rate 
that dropped 49 cents to $89.35. The rate for buying the British Pound dropped 34 cents to $180.09 for the purchase of £1,483,662, while £606,987 was sold, at an average rate that dipped 3 cents to $182.43. At the end of trading, it took J$130.49 to purchase the Euro, with a decline of 18 cents on Friday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$127.86 for a fall of 25 cents on Friday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$573,877, while the equivalent of US$360,399 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, fell 2 cents to $117.58 while the lowest buying and the highest rates were unchanged at 
$96.19 and $123.26 respectively and lowest selling rate rose 4 cents to $96.19. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar declined 10 cents to $90. The lowest buying rate lost 17 cents to $71.46, the highest selling rate remained at $92.34 and the lowest selling rate declined 90 cents to $86.10. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, jumped $4.86 to $188.06, the lowest buying rate rose 29 cents to $147.62, the highest selling rate climbed 38 cents to $190.30 and the lowest selling rate fell 15 cents to $177.85.
J$ trades relatively stable on Friday
Purchases by dealers of foreign currencies on Friday, resulted in the Jamaican currency selling rates being relatively stable. The market closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$29,745,740 in contrast to US$39,692,814 on Thursday, while they sold the equivalent of US$28,648,727, previously US$37,409,650.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$27,282,457 compared to US$34,834,813 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 6 cents to $116.83 and US$27,192,334 was sold versus US$35,232,533 on Thursday, the selling rate increased 1 cent to $117.44. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell just 2 cents to $87.56 with dealers buying C$1,050,607 and selling C$777,391, at an average rate 
that rose 7 cents to $89.84. The rate for buying the British Pound dropped 31 cents to $180.43 for the purchase of £981,454, while £471,119 was sold, at an average rate that dipped 16 cents to $182.46. At the end of trading, it took J$130.67 to purchase the Euro, with a decline of 71 cents on Thursday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$128.12 for a fall of 59 cents on Thursday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$160,191, while the equivalent of US$129,744 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest and lowest buying rates, the highest and lowest selling rates for the US dollar,were unchanged at $117.60, $96.19, 
$123.26 and $96.15 respectively. The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar declined 90 cents to $90.10. The lowest buying rate remained at $71.63, the highest selling rate lost 16 cents to $92.34 and the lowest selling rate rose 70 cents to $87. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, was unchanged at $183.20, the lowest buying rate rose just 5 cents to $147.33, the highest selling rate climbed $3 to $189.92 and the lowest selling rate grew $2 to $178.
Scotia Group fall hits JSE indices
Scotia lost $2 on Friday
At the close, the JSE Market Index dropped 1,377.83 points to 100,808.67, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index shed 1,540.03 points to close at 111,615.98 and the JSE combined index dipped 1,378.55 points to end at 104,363.81.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with offers that were lower.In trading, Cable and Wireless ended with 636,069 units changing hands to close 5 cents higher at 45 cents, Caribbean Cement stock rose 35 cents to close at $7.50 with 353,986 units traded, Gleaner closed with 127,400 shares traded to close at $2.71 for a loss of 1 cent, Jamaica Broilers traded at $7 with 18,345 shares changing ownership. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 14,875 shares at a new all-time high of $8.30 to gain $1.29, JMMB Group
traded 6,545 units with the price rising 30 cents to end at $7.80, National Commercial Bank traded only 7,843 shares at $30.10. Pan Jamaican Investment closed at $61 after trading 5,484 shares, 9 cents higher, Proven Investments closed at 18.55 US cents after declining 0.45 US cents with 40,884 shares changing hand. Pulse Investments lost 15 cents in trading 62,750 shares to end at 45 cents, Radio Jamaica traded just 20,296 shares to end at $3.95, for a 5 cents fall, Sagicor Group ended trading with 46,300 units at $13 to fall by 10 cents. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $8.30 while trading 15,274 units, Scotia Group lost $2 and ended with 89,612 units trading at $24 and Jamaica Money Market 7.5% preference ended at $2 with 54,500 units changing hands.
