Trading picked up on the junior Market as 8 securities traded, the highest number for some time. At the close of the market, trading activity led to 2,405,521 units valued at $2,877,589 changing hands.
The JSE Junior Market Index increased 0.32 points to close at 663.86 as 3 stocks advanced and 3 declined with Knutsford Express closing at a new all time high.
At the end of trading, there were 3 stocks with their bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower. Although the number of securities trading picked up, the junior market still continues to show signs of weakness with 9 stocks closing with no bids to buy. On the other hand there were 7 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
At the close, Access Financial Services traded 2,295 shares to end with a decline of 2 cents at $10.48, Dolphin Cove with 3000 units trading closed at $8, Knutsford Express with 7,726 shares closed at $5.50 to gain 50 cents, the highest price since listing in January, Lasco Distributors put in 1,000,000 units at $1.15, Lasco Financial Services traded 919,500 at 97 cents, with a 3 cents decline, Lasco Manufacturing lost 6 cents while trading 220,647 units to close at 98 cents, Medical Disposables had 245,000 units changing hands at $2, up 10 cents and Paramount Trading gained 20 cents in trading 7,353 units at $2.70.
Knutsford Express at new high
Low trading in junior market
The Junior Market had trading in only 404,855 units valued at $754,027. The JSE Junior Market Index fell 3.57 points to close at 664.33 as 6 stocks traded including one from the Preference section, with 2 advancing and 2 declining.
At the close of the market there were 4 stocks with the bids higher than the last selling price and 5 stocks with offers that were lower. The junior market continues to exhibit weakness with 10 stocks closing no bids to buy against 6 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Lasco Financial traded 50,000 shares at $1 by gaining 5 cents followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 60,000 units to gain 2 cents to end at $1.02, Dolphin Cove traded 20,000 units at $8, Caribbean Producers traded 71,805 shares with the loss of 15 cents to end at $2.45 and General Accident traded 202,600 shares at $1.50, in losing 12 cents. Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 450 units at $6.10.
No sign of Junior Market movement
Heating of raw material to make bottles for Lasco’s new drinks
At the close of the market there was 2 stocks with the bid higher than the last selling price and 6 stocks with offers that were lower. The likelihood of continuing weakness is reflected in the 10 stocks that had no bids to buy against 7 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Lasco Distributors with 278,128 units, closed 1 cent lower at $1.15, Dolphin Cove traded 1,470 units at $8, Lasco Financial 4,657 shares at 95 cents and Lasco Manufacturing 278,832 units at $1.
Junior market participation picks up but…
The number of securities trading in the Junior Market, picked up today to 6, from very low levels previously, but with very low volume. At the close of trading, the price of 1 stock advanced and 1 declined, with a total volume trading was 30,562 units. The JSE Junior Market Index fell 2.73 points to close at 666.29.
At the close the market there only moderate interest in junior market stocks with no bids to buy 10 stocks and no offer to sell 7 out of the 24 listings in this market segment. There was only one stock with the bid that was higher than the last selling price but 4 stocks had offers that were lower.
Gains| Caribbean Cream the sole stock to gain in the junior market, traded 5,000 with a gain of 5 cents, to close at 70 cents.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, Dolphin Cove with 200 shares at $8, Lasco Distributors traded 2,300 units at $1.15 Lasco Financial 1,500 shares at $1 and Lasco Manufacturing managed to exchange 3,982 units at $1.
Declines| General Accident with 20,500 shares changing hands lost 1 cent to end at $1.58 is the only stock declining in the junior market at the end of trading.
Trading picks up a bit Junior Market
The number of stocks trading in the Junior Market, rose to 5 from only three on Tuesday, with 2 advancing and 1 declining. The junior market Index increased 0.96 points to close at 654.75. Total volume traded is 322,674 units valued at $586,079.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are, Lasco Financial 4,515 shares changing hands gained 13 cents to $1 and General Accident with 194,088 shares closed 4 cents higher at $1.59
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, Dolphin Cove with 5,000 shares at $8 and Medical Disposables 114,336 shares ended at $2.
Declines| Lasco Distributors is the sole stock declining in the junior market at the end of trading with 4,735 shares closing with a 3 cents loss at $1.15.
At the close of trading 3 junior market stocks ended with bids to buy above the last traded prices and 3 with offers that were lower.
Profit on the rise for Dolphin Cove
The fast growing Jamaican north coast entertainment company Dolphin Cove, is reporting increased profits for the six months ended June, this year. Profit rose 30 percent to $287 million over the $221 million in the 2013 comparative period, according to the unaudited six months financial report.
For the June quarter, Dolphin made profit that is 34 percent ahead of that of 2013 to hit $139 million up from $103 million last year.
“This rise in profits is mainly as a result of the growth in revenues and supported by cost containment measures which resulted in operating expenses increasing by a lower percentage than the growth in sales. The decision to increase our investments in sales and marketing in the June 2014 quarter produced the desired results, as sales increased by 17 percent above that of 2013 and also surpassed the 11 percent increase in revenue which was experienced in the first quarter,” Manager said in a release of the results to shareholders.
Total revenues climbed 15 percent to $923.4 million for the half year, from $800 million and $471 million versus $400 million in June 2013 quarter, for an 18 percent increase.
The company would have benefited from the fall in the value of the local currency as its income is denominated in United States dollars, but much of its cost are in Jamaican dollars. The end may be in sight for a sharp fall of the local currency, even as the country in now in the period of low inflows and high demand for US dollars. So far the inflows have been buoyant, meeting demand up to the end of September with a stable rate so far. The company’s income is substantially reliant on developments in the tourism sector as it get the bulk of its income from overseas visitors for meals and the attraction of dolphins, sharks and stingrays.
IC Insider’s forecast for earnings, is $1.20 per share, for the current year ending December. In 2013 the company earned 82 cents. Based on the rise in profit, the company pushed dividends up by 50 percent for this year to date and works out at a yield of 8 percent on the stock price of $8.
Equity stood at $1.57 billion at the end of June with borrowed funds at only $355 million.
50% hike in dividends at Dolphin Cove
Dolphin Cove hiked the amount being paid out as dividends this year, continuing to pay out 50 percent more than they did in 2013.
The latest dividend to be paid will be on Wednesday October 22, 2014, has moved from 10 cents last year, to 15 cents per share to shareholders on record at October 3, 2014. The stock trades Ex-dividend on October 1.
Previously, Dolphin Cove earlier this year, pushed up the dividend payment by 50 percent when they paid interim dividends of 15 cents per share, on June 30 and on April 9 this year. In 2013, 10 cents per share was paid on December 4, September 16, on June 6 and March 28.
The increase comes against the back ground of a continued rise in profit for the entertainment company, with profits for the six months ended June 2014, increasing 30 percent to $287 million, over the $221 million in the 2013 comparative period.
Only 6 junior market stocks traded
The JSE Junior Market Index declined 9.77 points to close at 651.96 as 6 stocks traded with 2 advancing and 2 declining. A total of $2,499,970 was expended on 2,297,589 shares in this market. Two Lasco companies accounted for the bulk of the stocks to trade.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are, Lasco Financial 1,681,491 units with a gain of 3 cents to 98 cents and Lasco Manufacturing with 529,226 units, to close a cent higher at 97 cents.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, General Accident with 25,000 shares ended at $1.46 and Honey Bun had just 7,058 units trading at $2.12.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading, are Caribbean Producers 31,000 shares, ending at $2.40 after losing 10 cents and Dolphin Cove with 23,814 units, losing 80 cents to end at $8.
Stocks continue upward move on JSE
Thursday’s activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, resulted in the prices of 9 stocks rising and 3 declining as 24 securities changed hands, resulting in 6,462,363 units trading, valued at $54,606,207.
Main Market| At the close of the market the JSE Market Index gained 321.86 points to 72,682.82 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 359.90 points to close at 79,980.79.
Gains| Stocks gaining, with the last traded prices, at the close in the main market are, Jamaica Broilers with 10,500 shares, rising 5 cents to $4.70, Kingston Wharves with 5,250 shares changing hands, lost a cent at $5.01, Sagicor Real Estate Fund had 17,000 shares changing hands, 3 cents higher at $7.14 and Scotia Investments 22,050 shares at 20 cents more at $21.70.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in last traded price are, Cable & Wireless with 3,317 units at 30 cents, Carreras 275,340 shares at $34.65, Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 4,525,000 ordinary shares, closed at $6.95, Jamaica Producers with 788 units ended at $15.08, Proven Investments 5,350 ordinary shares closed at 17.99 US cents, Sagicor Group 570,000 shares closed at $9.75 and Supreme Ventures with 31,000 units at $1.95.
Declines| The last traded prices of stocks with losses, at the at the end of trading in the main market are, Grace Kennedy with 1,623 shares, lost $1 to end at $60, National Commercial Bank traded 256,643 units at $17.86, a loss of 4 cents and Scotia Group with 65,819 shares, closed 6 cents lower at $19.20.
Preference| Eppley 9.5% preference share traded units 12,167 at $6.10, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share put through 30,000 units at $3.01 and Proven Investments 8% preference share, traded 43,500 units at $5.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index increased 4.01 points to close at 668.07 as 8 stocks traded with 5 advancing and none declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are, Blue Power traded 121 units 5 cents higher at $9.05, Dolphin Cove 348 shares closed 30 higher at $8.80, General Accident closed with 239,024 shares and gained 5 cents to $1.50, Lasco Financial 172,400 units, increased 1 cent to 98 cents and Lasco Manufacturing had 16,000 units trading 1 cent higher at $1.02.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, KLE with 127,123 shares at $1 and Lasco Distributors with 32,000 shares changing hands at $1.12.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 7 stocks with offers that were lower.
Advances equal declines on JSE
In Wednesday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the prices of 7 stocks rose and 7 declined, as 26 securities changed hands, resulting in 4,526,977 shares trading, valued at $49,182,081.
Gains| The volume and last traded prices of stocks with gains, at the end of trading in the main market, are, Desnoes & Geddes with 1,500,500 shares to close with a gain of 11 cents, at $4.70, Carreras with 17,515 gained 10 cents, to close at $34.60, Scotia Investments with 283 shares gained 10 cents to $21.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund, 120 units closed with a 9 cents increase at $7, Scotia Group had 101,748 units changing hands at 6 cents higher, to close at $19.06 and Jamaica Producers produced a gain of 2 cents, in closing at $15.60 while trading 2,393 shares.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a price change, with volume and last traded prices are, Barita Investments with only 100 units, closed at $2.20, Caribbean Cement with 1,500 shares, closed at $2.70, Ciboney with 6,000 shares ended at 7 cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 136,940 ordinary shares, closed at $6.95, Pan Jamaican Investment 9,250 units end at $49 and Sagicor Group had only 3,400 shares trading to end at $9.30.
Declines| The volume and last traded prices of stocks with losses at the end of trading in the main market are, Grace Kennedy dropping $2.50 in trading 12,400 shares to end at $58, National Commercial Bank had 1,607,153 shares passing through the market, for 20 cents less at $18, Proven Investments ordinary traded 12,780 shares, to lose 0.25 US cents and end at 17 US cents and Seprod lost 48 cents to end at $10.52 while trading 600,000 shares.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 100,000 units at $3.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index gained 3.64 points to close at 660.51 as 9 stocks traded, with 1 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| The only stock gaining at the end of trading in the junior market, is General Accident with 224,031 units, with an increase of 4 cents, to close at $1.40.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, Dolphin Cove having only 760 shares traded at $8.50, Honey Bun 1,200 at $2.34, Jamaican Teas had 2,915 units changing hands at $3.30, in the case of Lasco Manufacturing it was 9,039 shares at $1.04 and Paramount Trading 10,350 shares changing hands at $2.52.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading are, Blue Power losing 5 cents to end at $9 with 150,000 shares, Lasco Distributors with 6,000 shares, closed with a loss of a cent, to end at $1.12 and Lasco Financial with 10,600 shares, closing 3 cents lower at 97 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
