Black Panther mash up Palace bottom-line with a huge increase in profit that pushed to stock to no 1 for 2018 in the main market.
Investors shunned Junior Market stocks in 2018 for the older more established Main market stocks. At least that is what the data from the exchange is showing.
According to the Jamaica Stock Exchange report of trading to the end of July, volume and value on the main market is up while that on the junior market is well down on 2017 figures, even as the gains in the overall market shows juniors up 14 percent for the year to the end of July and 9 percent for the main market.
Junior Market volume is down year to July by a stunning 69 percent to 571 million units while the value fell 64 percent to $2.69 billion, less than half of the $6.6 billion traded for all of 2017. In contrast main market stocks traded 1.57 billion units, up 28.5 percent over 2017, for a total value of $32 billion, a strong 79.4 percent increase over 2017 and just shy of the $35.7 million traded for all of 2017.
The big winners for the year to July are, Palace with an increase of 154 percent, that was helped by the huge success of the Black Panther film that ran for several months, Pulse Investments up 67 percent, Kingston Wharves 60 percent, Jamaica Broilers 45 percent and Salada Foods 41 percent, as investors responded to improved profit. In the Junior Market, C2W Music and Derrimon Trading beat all others by huge margins, rising 233 percent after it announced a 10 to 1 stock split and 197 percent respectively. Express Catering climbed 86 percent, Stationery and Office Supplies up 65 percent and CAC 2000 up 51 percent.
The big losers in the main market are, Ciboney, having sold off the property it owned and paid out most of the proceeds as a dividend is down 68 percent, 138 Student Living fell 35 percent, Kingston Properties 31 percent, Wisynco Group 24 percent, Portland JSX 20 percent and in the Junior Market, GWEST Corporation down 36 percent, AMG Packaging 33 percent, tTech 23 percent, Knutsford Express 23 percent and Eppley 17 percent.
The Junior Market Index climbed higher by 19.74 points to close at 3,130.20 on Friday as 23 securities changed hands, compared to 19 on Thursday, with 9 advancing, 8 falling and 6 remaining unchanged. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 49,641 units valued at $202,520. Trading in July, averaged 154,060 units valued at $655,146 for each security traded.
The Junior Market Index inched higher by 8.32 points to 3,110.46 on Thursday as just 19 securities changed hands, compared to 28 on Tuesday, with 10 advancing, 7 falling and 2 remaining unchanged. 
At the close of trading, Access Financial closed at $47, with 1,558 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging ended 1 cent higher at $2, in exchanging 2,615 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading of just 328 units at $40, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 89 cents at $9, trading 5,300 shares, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 10 cents at $5.90, after 37,091 units were exchanged but traded earlier at an intraday high of $6.22, C2W Music ended 1 cent higher at $1.71, with 45,715 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading dropped of $2.87 to close at $20.63, trading 2,625 shares, Elite Diagnostic settled with a loss of 7 cents at $2.90, with 156,163 units, Everything Fresh traded 184,163 shares and gained 10 cents to end at $2, Express Catering traded 19 cents higher at $8, with 40,299 shares changing hands. FosRich Group finished trading 24,747 shares and rose 25 cents to $2.97, 
Jamaican Teas declined of 15 cents the close at $3.85, with 19,700 stock units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation traded 11 cents higher at $4.11, trading 84,913 units, Lasco Distributors concluded trading with a loss of 2 cents at $3.98, in exchanging 14,100 stock units. Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 1 cent at $5.20, as 47,330 units changed hands, Lasco Manufacturing gained 1 cent to close at $4.02, with 66,800 shares, Main Event ended trading 5 cents higher at $7.50, with 7,428 shares, Paramount Trading rose 25 cents to $3, exchanging 2,500 stock units and Stationery and Office added 10 cents to close at $8.10, with 28,100 units changing hands.
At the close of trading, Access Financial closed at $47, with 723 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging ended at $1.99 after rising 3 cents in trading 78,745 stock units, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 11 cents at $9.89, while trading 12,197 shares, Cargo Handlers settled with 3,600 shares trading at $10.89, Caribbean Cream ended trading 10,000 shares and rose 47 cents to $5.77. Caribbean Producers finished 1 cent higher at $6, trading 43,477 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed at $2.10, with 4,000 shares changing hands, C2W Music ended with 3,600 shares and lost 1 cent to close at $1.70, Derrimon Trading closed at $23.50 trading 2,000 shares. Elite Diagnostic settled 12 cents higher at $2.97, with 33,526 units, Everything Fresh traded 86,132 shares and lost 5 cents to end at an all-time low of $1.90. Express Catering traded 23,000 shares with a loss of 14 cents to end at $7.81, FosRich Group finished trading with a loss of 25 cents at $2.72, swapping 29,250 shares, General Accident closed 18 cents higher at $3.33, trading 22,000 stock units. GWest Corporation ended at $2.20, with 3,411 units, Honey Bun concluded trading of 5,366 shares and rose 15 cents to $4.65, Iron Rock finished 5 cents higher at $3.15, with 5,000 shares trading, Jamaican Teas lost 75 cents to close at $4 in exchanging 1,122,839 stock units. 
Jetcon Corporation traded 216,062 units at $4, KLE Group closed 10 cents higher at $3, exchanging 7,034 shares, Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 9 cents at $11.51, trading 4,271 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading 263,097 stock units and rose 26 cents to $4, with. Lasco Financial finished 15 cents higher at $5.21, with 1,533,871 units, changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing settled with a loss of 1 cent at $4.01, switching ownership of 10,564 shares, Main Event traded 6,194 shares at $7.45, Medical Disposables closed 20 cents higher at $5.80, exchanging 2,000 shares and Paramount Trading finished trading with a loss of 21 cents at $2.75, with 101,007 stock units, after the company posted a decline in profit for the year to May of $59 million versus $101 million. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 8.75% traded 26,700 shares at $6.
The Junior Market Index rose 13.46 points to close at 3,106.56, the highest point since closing at 3,126.33 points on November 6, last year. 
Trading in June, ended with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
Jetcon Corporation traded at $4, with 170,000 units. Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 35 cents at $11.60, with 13,153 shares trading, Lasco Distributors concluded trading with a loss of 6 cents at $3.74, with 41,946 stock units, Lasco Financial finished 1 cent higher at $5.06, trading 1,070,500 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled with a loss of 3 cents at $4.02, after exchanging 40,991 shares. Main Event ended trading 1,630 shares at $7.45, Medical Disposables traded 15,000 shares and rose 9 cents to $5.60, Paramount Trading finished trading with a loss of 4 cents at $2.96, while exchanging 40,000 stock units and Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 50 cents at $8, trading 8,959 units. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 9.5% finished with a loss of 2 cents at $5.98, with 8,153 shares changing hands.
At the close of trading, Access Financial closed at $46.70, trading 2,500 shares, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 2 cents at $1.98, in exchanging 56,013 stock units, CAC 2000 rose 10 cents to end at $9.10, with 2,407 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers gained 33 cents to close at $10.33, trading 179,074 shares, Caribbean Cream ended trading with a loss of 50 cents at $5.30, with 65,795 shares. Caribbean Flavours traded 60 cents higher at $12.70, with 6,000 stock units being exchanged, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 10 cents at $5.70, with 2,000 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed 5 cents higher at $2.10, with 7,500 shares, C2W Music ended at $2, with 2,250 shares. Derrimon Trading concluded trading at $20.50, with 7,545 shares, Elite Diagnostic settled at $2.90, with 29,475 units changing hands, Everything Fresh traded 91,598 shares and gained 8 cents to end at $2.08, Express Catering traded 10 cents higher at $7.80, with 12,945 shares, FosRich Group finished trading with a gain of 55 cents at $2.97, with 40,147 shares. General Accident closed 5 cents higher at $3.15, with 48,812 stock units trading, 
GWest Corporation ended with a loss of 5 cents at $2.35, exchanging 3,869 units, Honey Bun concluded trading with a loss of 4 cents at $4.96, after 1,272 shares changed hands, Jamaican Teas declined 49 cents to $4.51, with 29,000 stock units trading. Jetcon Corporation traded 44,268 units and lost 10 cents to close at $4, KLE Group closed at $2.90, trading 30,137 shares, Knutsford Express ended 40 cents higher at $11.95, exchanging 8,585 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading at $3.80, with 296,375 stock units changing hands. Lasco Financial traded just 262 units and finished with a loss of 5 cents at $5.05, Main Event ended trading at $7.45, with 17,284 shares, Medical Disposables traded 48,807 shares with a loss of 49 cents at $5.51, Paramount Trading finished trading 16,539 stock units at $3 and Stationery and Office rose 50 cents to $8.50, exchanging 6,420 units. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading 9% preference share ended at $2.50, with 50,292 stock units changing hands.
The evenness of the advance decline ratio in trading on Thursday pretty much sums up trading on the Junior Market as the market index hardly moved, closing just 1.20 points down to close at 3,086.75 after the prices of 9 securities advanced, 9 declined and 4 remained unchanged. 
Caribbean Flavours traded with a rise of 10 cents to $12.10, with 2,900 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Producers added 30 cents in exchanging 5,000 units at $5.80, C2W Music ended at $2, with 10,200 shares traded. Derrimon Trading concluded trading with a loss of 50 cents at $20.50, with 1,500 shares, Elite Diagnostic settled 10 cents higher at $2.90, with 29,004 units, Express Catering traded with a loss of 10 cents at $7.70, with 2,538 shares changing hands, FosRich Group fell 13 cents to $2.42, trading 34,309 shares. Honey Bun concluded trading 30 cents higher at $5, with 8,300 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas traded 6,406 stock units at $5, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4.10, with 29,139 units, Key Insurance climbed 45 cents to $3.47, exchanging just 1,000 shares. KLE Group closed at $2.90, with 72,767 shares, 
Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 5 cents at $11.55, with 3,133 shares, Lasco Distributors declined 20 cents to $3.80, trading 1,227,017 stock units, Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 10 cents at $5.10, with 2,100 units. Lasco Manufacturing settled 5 cents higher at $4.05, with 86,223 shares, Main Event ended trading with a loss of 20 cents at $7.45, after 3,079 shares crossed over the exchnage, Medical Disposables jumped 98 cents to $6, with just 200 shares being traded, while Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 50 cents at $8, as investors sold off 656,458 shares and tTech concluded trading with a loss of 15 cents at $5.25, with 16,900 shares changing hands.
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 172,947 units valued at $702,449 and previously, 179,299 units valued at $726,731. Trading in June, ended with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
General Accident closed at $3.10, with 200,000 stock units changing hands. Honey Bun concluded trading 1,005 shares and rose 5 cents to $4.70, ISP Finance settled at $16 after $1 with 5,597 shares trading, Jamaican Teas ended trading 13,938 stock units at $5, Jetcon Corporation traded 31,940 units at $4.10. Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents to close at $4, in exchanging 58,355 stock units, Lasco Financial close with 6,069 units trading and rose 20 cents to end at $5.20, Lasco Manufacturing settled at $4, exchanging 36,120 shares and Stationery and Office closed 55 cents higher at $8.50, with 502 units changing hands.
The Junior Market closed trading on Tuesday with 23 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of just 1,131,911 units valued $4,659,737, compared to 363,861 shares valued $1,682,885, from 24 securities changing hands on Monday. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 179,299 units valued at $726,731 and previously 187,823 units valued at $761,076. Trading in June, ended with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
General Accident closed 5 cents higher at $3.10, with 19,696 stock units changing hands, GWest Corporation ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2.40, trading 244,676 units, Honey Bun concluded trading 13 cents higher at $4.65, exchanging 74,653 shares. Iron Rock finished at $3.10, with 27,100 shares, Jamaican Teas ended with a loss of 29 cents at $5, trading 17,659 stock units, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4.10, trading 2,500 units, Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 40 cents at $11.60, with 3,394 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors concluded trading 45,118 stock units and rose 3 cents to $3.95, Lasco Financial finished exchanging 206,700 units at $5, Lasco Manufacturing settled at $4, trading 5,880 shares, Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 4 cents at $7.95, with 3,692 units and tTech concluded trading 8 cents higher at $5.40, with 19,023 shares changing hands.
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 200,496 units valued at $811,788 and previously 232,964 units valued at $869,841. June closed with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
FosRich Group finished trading with 49,576 shares at a loss of 24 cents to $2.71, General Accident closed 2 cents higher at $3.05, after 3,835 stock units crossed the exchange platform, GWest Corporation ended 1 cent higher at $2.41, with 20,000 units. Honey Bun concluded trading with 39,515 shares and rose 1 cent to $4.52, Jamaican Teas ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $5.29, with 1,790 stock units, Jetcon Corporation traded 12,747 units with a loss of 13 cents at $4.15, Knutsford Express ended 49 cents higher at $12, trading 2,685 shares. Lasco Distributors rose 20 cents to $4.20, with 37,200 stock units trading, Lasco Financial finished at $5, with 38,577 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled 15 cents higher at $4, in exchanging 4,068 shares, Main Event ended trading 1,240 shares, gaining 55 cents to $7.65, Medical Disposables traded 5 cents higher at $5.25, with 20,000 shares, Paramount Trading closed at $2.98, with 12,235 stock units, Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 10 cents at $7.97, as 35,280 units changed ownership and tTech concluded trading with a loss of 18 cents at $5.32, after 36,965 shares changing hands.
