The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market started September off on a bright the market continued from the record breaker run on Friday to end at yet another record close.
The market closed with the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 1,754.66 points to end at 363,321.33 and the JSE Index climbed 1,598.70 points to 331,026.80.
Market activities resulted in 32 securities trading including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 34 securities trading on Friday. At the end of trading, the prices of 9 stocks rose, 12 declined and 11 closed trading, unchanged.
Trading in the main market ended with 2,406,576 units valued $39,771,123, compared to 8,271,949 units valued at $100,951,929, on Friday.
The day’s volume was led by, Sygnus Credit Investments with 576,849 shares accounting for 23.97 percent of the volume traded, followed by Carreras with 444,645 units 18.48 percent of the day’s volume and Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 440,810 units 18.32 percent of main market volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 82,985 units valued at $1,371,418, in contrast to 266,837 shares valued at $3,256,514 on Friday. August closed, with an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints lost 50 cents and ended at $21, in exchanging 5,775 stock units, Caribbean Cement jumped $1 to finish at $51, with while trading 31,442 shares, Jamaica Producers finished trading 14,365 units and rose $1.35 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $19.85, , Jamaica Broilers 
lost 90 cents in trading 10,639 stock units at $26.10, Kingston Wharves climbed $2.49 and finished at $64.29, after trading 8,792 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost $1.45 and settled at $11.05, in trading 440,810 shares, Supreme Ventures gained 50 cents and closed at $15.50, exchanging 26,543 shares and Wisynco Group lost 29 cents and concluded trading at $9.20, with 46,051 stock units changing hands.
Stanley Motta closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $4.40 having lost 17 percent of its value since listing in August.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 19,140 units valued US$6,248. Trading ended with JMMB group6% preference share ended trading 2,286 shares at 59 US cents, Proven Investments exchanging 16,425 shares to close at 23 US centsSygnus Credit Investments traded 429 shares and lost 0.06 cent to 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index unchanged at 173.74.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 closing with lower offers.
Junior Market opens September positively
Cargo Handlers hits 52 weeks’ high.
Trading slipped on the Junior Market on the first trading day of September, with 26 securities being active down from 30 on Friday as well as a fall in volume and value trading, leading to 10 advancing, 7 declining and 9 remained unchanged.
The market closed with the index rising 21.55 points to close at 3,272.02. A volume of 2,306,821 units valued at $10,660,960 changed hands, compared to 4,503,036 units valued at $56,383,723, on Friday.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 4 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, 3 closed with lower offers.
Trading closed with an average of 88,724 units for an average of $410,037 in contrast to 150,101 units for an average of $1,879,457 on Friday. Trading in August, averaged 244,613 units at $1,348,298 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, Access Financial closed with a loss of $1.82 at $41.50, trading 1,000 shares, AMG Packaging ended 1 cent higher at $1.94, with 27,913 stock units changing hands, Blue Power concluded trading at $5, swapping 87,428 units, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 5 cents at $9, exchanging 1,640 shares, Cargo Handlers settled 50 cents higher to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $13, trading 100 shares. Caribbean Cream ended trading 21,839 shares, 30 cents higher to $6, Caribbean Flavours traded with 50,000 stock units $1 higher to $19, Caribbean Producers finished trading at $6.50, with 787,109 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries closed at $2.50, exchanging 5,200 shares. 
Derrimon Trading ended with a loss of 1 cent at $23, trading 20,000 shares, Everything Fresh rose 10 cents trading 747,370 shares to end at $2.20, Express Catering ended trading 16,578 shares with a loss of 18 cents to $8, FosRich Group traded at $2.99, with 41,661 shares changing hands, General Accident finished trading 12,100 shares 5 cents higher at $3.85, with. Indies Pharma traded at a new high of $2.80 but pulled back to close at $2.69 after adding 9 cents and exchanging 141,895 shares, Iron Rock concluded trading of 17,500 shares and rose 5 cents to $3.25, Jetcon Corporation ended trading with a loss of 2 cents at $4, in exchanging 59,711 stock units, 
Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 5 cents at $4, with 34,918 shares changing hands, Lasco Financial concluded trading 1,737 stock units at $5.80. Lasco Manufacturing finished at $3.90, with 49,500 units, Main Event settled with a loss of 1 cent at $7.10, with 207 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $6.67, with 15,300 shares, after trading earlier at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.70, Paramount Trading climbed 40 cents higher to $3, trading 3,000 shares, Stationery and Office finished trading at $8.50, with 6,157 stock units and tTech ended 50 cents higher at $6, after 11,000 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Big price fall on TTSE – Monday
The collapse of Unilever share price.
After closing for the Independence holiday on Friday, the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange got shook up, with sharp decline in the prices of a series of securities in trading on Monday.
When the market closed, First Citizens lost 84 cents and completed trading at $34.01, after exchanging 5,443 shares, Massy Holdings fell 90 cents and closed at $47, trading 1,101 shares, NCB Financial Group lost 47 cents and completed trading of 3,590 shares at $5.67, Scotiabank dropped 64 cents to end at $64.36, trading 1,460 units and Unilever Caribbean closed with 3,450 shares changing hands as the price dropped $1.75 to end at $25, the lowest price since May 11, 2011.
The market closed with 15 securities changing hands against 18 on Thursday, 2 advanced, 5 declined and 8 remained unchanged and trading of 168,289 shares at a value of $2,804,863, compared to 1,412,439 shares at a value of $53,377,248, previously traded.
At close of the market the, Composite Index the Composite Index dropped 14.06 points to 1,223.10, the All T&T Index declined 4.56 points to 1,696.74, while the Cross Listed Index lost 3.26 points to close at 100.75.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading closed with 2 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Stocks closing with gains| JMMB Group added just 1 cent to settle at $1.71, after exchanging 7,633 shares and Republic Financial Holdings gained 2 cents 
settled at a 52 weeks’ high of $103.52, after exchanging 10 shares but closed with the bid at $105 to buy just 10 units.
Stocks trading with no price change| Agostini’s settled at $21.11, after exchanging 9,315 shares, Clico Investments closed at $20, with 376 stock units changing hands, First Caribbean International Bank traded 463 units to finish at $8.49, Grace Kennedy concluded trading at $2.82, with 32,514 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings closed at $17 exchanging 84,280 units, One Caribbean Media closed at $12.11, after exchanging 163 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL concluded trading at $29.50, after exchanging 17,235 shares and West Indian Tobacco ended at $87.90, trading 1,256 units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
NCB Financial remains on high alert
The Jamaican stock market, scaled new heights last week, helped by NCB Financial hitting a record high of $115, as supply of the stock being sold remains limited.
More buying came in for the stock on Friday and investors should be on the watch again as the price could go higher during the current week.
Grace Kennedy is another of the main market stocks to keep an eye on, as it slowly tries to move higher. Caribbean Cement moved back to $50, on Friday and could go further in this week as increased demand came in for the stock. It clearly one to watch but investors will need to determine if Friday’s move is a part of the usual month end window dressing. Kingston Wharves closed at $61.80 but traded as high as $65, supply remains low, thus favouring further price gains, even as the stock is carries by far the highest PE in the market. Watch for Scotia Group that should be releasing third quarter results, this week Thursday and Sygnus Credit Investments that posted full year results in line with expectations of US$1.4 million.
In the Junior market, Indies continue with strong demand existing for the stock, with news of potential acquisition and new products, the stock is worth watching for more gains. General Accident could move higher as more demand comes in for it with limited selling.
Caribbean Flavours seems to be following its parent, Derrimon Trading, continuing to rise with limited volume on sale currently. Medical Disposables, declined during the previous week, recovered last week and .should be moving higher going forward, continue to watch this one, as well as Derrimon Trading that has contracted to distribute products of a Trinidad producer.
Kingston Wharves jumped to close at $60 on Tuesday.
Stocks with scarce supplies that could spring surprises include Barita Investments, Grace Kennedy, NCB Financial, Berger Paints, Caribbean Cement, Kingston Wharves, PanJam Investment, Sagicor Group, Salada Foods, Seprod and Scotia Group. The main market is not the only segment with limited supplies. The Junior Market supplies continue to be limited for many of the listings. The list includes, Caribbean Flavours, Cargo Handlers, Derrimon Trading, Express Catering, General Accident, Caribbean Cream, Medical Disposables, Stationery and Office Supplies and tTech.
An overall view of stocks indicates that the main market continues to be steered higher by an upward sloping support line as well the 45 and 125 day moving averages, lending support just below. The Junior Market now at a 15 months’ high, is being steered by an upward rising long-term support line and a golden cross. The golden cross is a very strong bullish long-term signal.
Under 1,000 investors bought Stanley Motta
Stanley Motta shares were recently listed on the Main Market Jamaica Stock Exchange in late August after a successful initial public offering (IPO), which raised $4 billion for the Musson Jamaica, the sellers of the shares.
Investors were given the opportunity to be a part property rental business located at 58 Half-Way-Tree Road next door to New Kingston, the country’s premier business centre. The IPO which opened July 6 and closed on July 20, attracted just under 1,000 investors and is one of the issues since 2018 with the lowest number of investors who bought into the issue. That is not surprising as the issue was geared to long term investors. Since listing the stock that was sold at $5.31 has fallen in price and last traded at $4.60 but could well increase significantly, as it now boast a PE ratio of just 10 at the latest price.
58 Half Way Tree Road, boasts five buildings with more than 230,000 square feet of office space for BPOs and other technology-based companies.
Access, Fosrich, JMMB now in IC TOP 10
Both the Jamaica Stock Exchange, main and Junior markets reached higher levels during the past week, with the main market hitting a series of new record highs. The coming weeks should see more gains as investors seek out opportunities as fixed interest returns have tanked.
The Top 10 has 3 changes, with Medical Disposables and Caribbean Producers moving out and making space for Access Financial and Fosrich Group in the Junior Market and JMMB Group coming in for is Berger Paints, with the latter jumping to $21.50 by the end of the week from $18 the week before.
Access Financial produced decent June quarter results with profit rising 16 percent to $217 million from $188 million for the 2017 quarter. 
The company is in the process of another acquisition, this time overseas, this should continue to help boost profit going forward. Fosrich posted good second quarter results and is on target to reach IC Insider.com’s forecasted earnings of 30 cents per share. Fosrich too, could be making an acquisition later this year, or early 2019, unofficial, but credible reports suggest. JMMB Group posted good first quarter results with a 59 percent increase in net profit. Some of the strong gains came from the relatively sharp fall in the value of the Jamaican dollar in the period that is not expected to continue.
The PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks average 8.5 up marginally from 8.4 last week, as the market continues to revalue the multiple higher. The latest valuation compares to an average PE for the overall market of 13, based on 2018 estimated earnings. The main market PE is now 8.5 and is up from 8, last week, for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 13.7, a clear indication of the level of potential gains that can be made by owning these stocks.
Work done by IC Insider.com suggests that the PE ratio is likely to end 2018 around 16 to 18 times earnings, as investors continue to upgrade the multiple they are prepared to pay for stocks, which would lift prices sharply over the next several months from current levels. The latest government bond offer with a 4.58 years tenor, was heavily oversubscribed, resulting in rates dropping to 3.95 percent, suggesting that investors are satisfied that the economic policies will continue to lead to low inflation for a considerable time. These rates suggest more funds will be going into stocks as liquidity remains high in the financial system.
The TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 35 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be of 20 times earnings and main market stocks traded at a discount of 38 percent to the market.
TOP 10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns within a 12 months period. Stocks are selected based on projected earnings for each company’s current fiscal year. Based on an assumed PE for each, the likely gains are determined and then ranked, with the stocks with the highest potential gains ranked first followed by the rest, in descending order. Potential values will change as stock prices fluctuate and will result in movements of the selection in and out of the lists for most weeks. Earnings per share are revised on an ongoing basis based on new information received that can result in changes in and out of the list as well.
Record August close for JSE main market
JSE main market broke through the 360,000 points level and now heading for 380,000 before any major resistance is likely to set in.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended August on a high and a 14.2 percent gain for the first 8 months of the year. The market chalked up no less than 8 record highs on the final day of the month and ended at a new closing high.
The market closed with the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 6,899.76 points to end at 361,566.65 and the JSE Index jumped 6,286.47 points to 329,428.09.
Market activities resulted in 34 securities trading including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 30 securities trading on Thursday. At the end of trading, the prices of 18 stocks rose, 9 declined and 7 closed trading, unchanged.
Trading in the main market ended with 8,271,949 units valued at $100,951,929, compared to 11,133,718 units valued at $276,180,979 on Thursday. The day’s volume was led by, Sygnus Credit Investments with 2,997,650 shares accounting for 36.24 percent of the volume traded, followed by WISYNCO Group with 1,451,195 units and 17.54 percent of the day’s volume and JMMB Group 7.50% preference share with 921,715 units and 11.14 percent of main market volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 266,837 units valued at over $3,256,514, in contrast to 383,921 shares valued at $9,523,482 on Thursday. For the month to date an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285 versus 222,224 units valued at $4,137,703 on Thursday. July closed with an average of 169,022 units valued at $3,514,756, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints rose 50 cents and ended at $21.50, trading just 300 stock units, Caribbean Cement jumped $3.50 to finish at $50 while trading 88,250 shares, Grace Kennedy ended trading 221,853 shares and rose $1 to close at $60, Jamaica Broilers lost 90 cents in trading 10,639 stock units at $26.10, Kingston Wharves lost $1.20 and finished at $61.80, after trading at a historical high of $65 in exchanging 55,088 stock units, NCB Financial Group declined by $1 to end trading 16,305 shares at $112 after trading at a new record high of $115, PanJam Investment jumped $2.70 and closed at $55 with 52,511 stock units changing hands, Pulse Investments concluded trading 3,947 shares at $2.80, after rising 40 cents, Sagicor Group gained $1 in exchanging 28,332 shares, to close at $39.05, 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1.50 and settled at $12.50, trading 770,200 shares, Scotia Group traded 21,049 units and rose 50 cents to end at $53, Seprod climbed $2 and finished trading 2,100 shares to end at $45, Sygnus Credit Investments traded 1,451,195 units and rose 50 cents to close at $12, Wisynco Group concluded trading 1,451,195 stock units, rising 54 cents to end at $9.49.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 60,399 units valued US$13,825. Trading ended with Productivity Business ended trading 15,376 shares at 59 US cents, Proven Investments exchanging 3,000 shares to close at 23 US centsSygnus Credit Investments traded 42,023 shares and lost 0.06 cent to 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index unchanged at 173.74.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.
Junior Market up 19% for 2018 – Friday
Trading picked up on the Junior Market with 30 securities being active up from 27 on Thursday leading to 14 advancing, 8 declining and 8 remained unchanged.
The market closed with the market index rising 32.89 points to close at 3,250.47, lifting the market 5.5 percent for August and 19 percent for the year to date. A volume of 4,503,036 units valued at $56,383,723 hanged hands, compared to 3,136,408 units valued at $17,262,540, on Thursday. The stocks with the leading trades were Caribbean Flavours, Caribbean Producers and Derrimon Trading with more than a million units each.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading had 8 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices, none closed with a lower offer.
Trading closed with an average of 150,101 units for an average of $1,879,457 in contrast to 116,163 units for an average of $639,353 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 244,613 units at $1,348,298, compared to 254,559 units at $1,270,673 on the previous trading day. Trading in July, averaged 154,060 units valued at $655,146 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, Access Financial traded 483 shares and closed 32 cents higher at $43.32, AMG Packaging gained 3 cents to end at $1.93, trading 5,976 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading at $5, with 14,091 units changing hands, Cargo Handlers ended 50 cents higher to close at $12.50, trading 7,520 stock units, Caribbean Cream settled 40 cents higher at $5.70, exchanging 50,000 shares, Caribbean Flavours ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $18, with 1,108,594 shares changing hands. Caribbean Producers traded 1,265,538 shares with a loss of 30 cents at $6.50, Derrimon Trading closed 50 cents higher at $24, exchanging 1,031,000 shares, Dolphin Cove finished with 8,090 shares changing hands and rose 50 cents to $17, Elite Diagnostic ended with a loss of 9 cents at $3.01, trading 31,215 shares, Everything Fresh fell 2 cents in trading 250,585 shares to end at $2.10, Express Catering concluded trading 13,125 shares and rose 17 cents to close at $8.18. FosRich Group finished at $2.99, with 3,000 stock units changing hands, General Accident settled with a loss of 65 cents at $3.80, with 103,000 units traded,
GWest Corporation ended trading 10,000 shares, with a loss of 6 cents to $2.12, Honey Bun traded with a loss of 13 cents at $4.30, exchanging 67,455 shares. Indies Pharma traded 867,462 shares but fell 10 cents to end at $2.60, Iron Rock finished trading with a loss of 5 cents at $3.20, in exchanging 37,200 shares, ISP Finance closed $4 higher at $20, with 1,367 stock units changing hands, Jamaican Teas ended 21 cents higher at $4.20, with 33,821 unit being traded, Knutsford Express closed 10 cents higher at $12.60, with 20,000 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation concluded trading of 11,676 shares at $4.02, KLE Group settled at $3.30, with 1,400 shares trading, Lasco Distributors ended trading 15 cents higher at $4.05, with 2,595 stock units changing hands, Lasco Financial traded at $5.80, with 22,192 units, Lasco Manufacturing finished trading with a loss of 10 cents at $3.90, while exchanging 21,200 shares. Main Event closed at $7.11, with 23,654 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables climbed $1.58 higher to $6.68, with 32,868 shares, Stationery and Office finished 35 cents higher at $8.50, exchanging 19,132 units and tTech ended trading 30 cents higher at $5.50, as 73,800 shares changed hands.
All Jamaica leaps to record 363,496
The Jamaica Stock Exchange continues to scale new heights on the last trading day of August as the bulls take control of the market. At midday the All Jamaican Composite Index has surged more than 8,829 points to pass 363,000 points.
The All Jamaican Composite Index has jumped 8,829.47 points to an intraday high 363,496.38 and the JSE Index surged 8,044.65 points to a record 331,186.28. The Junior Market index rose 36.05 points to 3,253.63.
NCB Financial had jumped earlier to a record $115 from a close of $113 on Thursday, to make the first big move on the index, but Caribbean Cement climbed to $50 from $46.50 on Thursday, Sagicor Group rose from $38.05 to $39.75 while Kingston Wharves jumped from $63 to a record $65 and helped push sharply higher beyond the 363,000 mark.
In the Junior Market, Derrimon Trading having just over 1 million shares trading at $24 and Caribbean Producers traded 1.26 million shares at $6.50.
All Jamaica leaps 7,789 points to cross 362,000
The All Jamaican Composite Index has surged more than 7,789 points at 20 minutes past 11 am on Friday morning on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to break through the 362,000 points mark.
NCB Financial had jumped earlier to a record $115 from a close of $113 on Thursday, to make the first big move on the index, but Caribbean cement climbed to $50 from $46.50 on Thursday, Sagicor Group rose from $38.05 to $39.75 and helped push sharply higher beyond the 362,000 mark.
The All Jamaican Composite Index has jumped 7,789.19 to an intraday high 362,456.10 and the JSE Index surged 7,096.83 points to a record 330,238.46. The Junior Market index rose 35.93 points to 3,253.51 with Derrimon Trading having just over 1 million shares trading at $24 and Caribbean Producers traded 1.25 million shares at $6.50.