Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Friday ended with 17 securities changing hands against 12 on Thursday, leading to 75,042 units valued $1,676,375 being exchanged compared to 151,203 units valued just $700,274 on Thursday.
Trading closed with 5 securities rising, 5 declining and 7 remaining unchanged. The Composite Index rose 0.15 points to 1,226.46, the All T&T Index lost 0.51 points to 1,719.82 and the Cross Listed Index rose 0.11 points to close at 98.46.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows market sentiment with 3 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Gains| First Caribbean International Bank rose 9 cents and ended at $8.10, with 434 units changing hands, First Citizens added 1 cent and completed trading at $34.9
2, after exchanging 4,573 shares, Guardian Holdings gained 9 cents and ended at $16.60, with 18,191 units, One Caribbean Media rose 10 cents and settled at $12.10, after exchanging 2,372 shares and Republic Financial Holdings closed with a gain of 2 cents at 52 weeks’ high of $102.79, after exchanging 6,441 shares.
Losses| Grace Kennedy lost 10 cents and concluded trading at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.80, with 15,119 stock units changing hands, Point Lisas ended trading 10 cents lower at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.70, with 466 stock units changing hands, Scotiabank concluded trading with a loss of 5 cents at $65.05, with 1,000 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL declined 10 cents and ended at $29.56, after exchanging 2,370 shares and Trinidad Cement fell 5 cents and closed at $2.90, after 6,300 shares traded.
Firm Trades| Ansa McAl ended at $58, in exchanging 413 units, Clico Investments concluded market activity at $20.43, with 11,406 stock units changing hands, Massy Holdings settled at $46.95, after exchanging 311 shares, National Enterprises closed at $9.55, with 2,000 stock units changing hands, National Flour traded 1,844 units at $1.75, Sagicor Financial concluded trading at $7.80, with 1,602 stock units changing hands and West Indian Tobacco ended at $87 trading 200 units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
TTSE volume traded down value up – Friday
All Jamaica nears record 341,000 points
NCB Financial climbed to $99.80 and Jamaica Broilers at a record $30 after just after 11 on Friday morning and pushed the main market to a new record high, surpassing the record reached last week Friday.
At minutes after 11, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,522.73 points to a record 340,798.92 surpassing the record of 340,315.50 reached last Friday with the JSE Index rising 2,298.49 points to 310,506.28 versus a record 310,065.85 last week. . The Junior Market added 23.66 points to trade at 3,064.01. the main market rose further to 340,893.72 points on the All Jamaican Composite Index and the JSE Index climbed to 310,624.04 at 11:15 am.
Carreras traded 612.643 shares at $9.20 and NCB Financial traded 274,733 units and now trades at $95. In the Junior Market C2W Music traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.70.
JSE jumped on Thursday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recovered the losses of the previous two days and added more to the indices in the process on Thursday as trading remains subdued with less than half the value traded on Wednesday.
Trading in the main market ended with 2,808,119 units valued $38,691,449 compared to 2,665,607 units valued $71,318,160 on Wednesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 1,768.07 points to 338,276.19. and the JSE Index climbed 1,610.91 points to 308,207.79.
Activities in the main market and US dollar market resulted in 24 securities trading including 2 from the US dollar market, compared to 26 securities trading on Wednesday. At the end of trading, the prices of 8 stocks advanced, 9 declined and 7 closed unchanged.
The day’s volume was led by, JMMB Group with 25.3 percent of trading in an exchange of 711,490 shares, followed by Ciboney Group with 687,852 units accounting for 24.5 percent of the day’s volume and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share with 500,000 shares or just under 18 percent.
Stocks with major price changes are, Caribbean Cement gained 99 cents to finish at $40, exchanging 66,139 shares, Jamaica Broilers jumped $2.54 to $26.50, with 50,891 stock units trading, JMMB Group gained 44 cents and ended at $30, trading 711,490 shares, Jamaica Producers shed 50 cents to $17 trading 30,582 units. Mayberry Investments fell 49 cents and settled at $6.50, with 53,128 units, Proven Investments lost 50 cents trading 750 shares in the Jamaican market to close at $26.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 90 cents and closed at $14.10, exchanging 10,100 shares, Pulse Investments rose 45 cents trading 98,245 shares to close at $3.40, Scotia Group rose 50 cents to $51, with 1,830 units.
Trading resulted in an average of 122,092 units valued at over $1,682,237, in contrast to 111,067 shares valued at $2,971,590 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts 151,016 units valued at $2,952,092 compared to 152,906 units valued at $3,041,409 on Wednesday. June closed with an average of 250,168 shares with a value of $5,895,281, for each security traded.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 10,150 units valued at $1,252. Sygnus Credit was the only stock trading in the US market, the price rose 1.47 cents to 12.48 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 1.39 points up to 141.04.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 closing with lower offers.
Losing streak broken for Junior Market
The Junior Market Index climbed 19.37 points to close at 3,040.35 on Thursday, breaking three unbroken days of decline to Wednesday.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, The signs were good for a continuation of gains on Friday with a very positive Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading of 7 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 2,301,169 units valued at $10,750,562 compared to 1,512,347 units valued at $7,031,079 on Wednesday as 22 securities changed hands, compared to 20 on Wednesday. At the close of the market. The prices of 11 securities advanced, 5 declined and 6 traded unchanged.
Trading closed with an average of 104,599 units for an average of $488,662 in contrast to 75,617 units for an average of $351,554 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 232,964 units valued at $869,841 and previously 223,946 units valued at $899,898. June closed with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2, trading 855 stock units, Caribbean Flavours traded 9 cents higher at $11.69, with 14,645 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Producers traded 2,746 units at $5.36, Consolidated Bakeries closed at $2, in exchanging 48,713 shares, Derrimon Trading concluded trading $2.90 higher at $22.90, with 30,366 shares. Elite Diagnostic settled at $2.95, with 37,206 units, Eppley climbed $2 to $10, trading 4,000 shares, Express Catering traded 55,414 shares at $7.30, FosRich Group exchanged 104,100 shares and rose 35 cents to $2.95. General Accident closed with a loss of 2 cents at $3.03, after 29,410 stock units traded, Honey Bun concluded trading with a loss of 51 cents at $4.51, with 76,640 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading 3,800 stock units at $5.30, Jetcon Corporation traded 28 cents higher at $4.28, with 1,454,186 units. 
Knutsford Express ended 1 cent higher at $11.51, in an exchange of 16,510 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading with a loss of 20 cents at $4, in exchanging 72,070 stock units, Lasco Financial finished 10 cents higher at $5, with 80,609 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled at $3.85, with 24,731 shares. Main Event ended trading 25 cents higher at $7.10, with 10,182 shares, Medical Disposables traded 13 cents higher at $5.20, with 16,442 shares and Stationery and Office closed 7 cents higher at $8.07 trading 8,890 units. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 8.25% concluded trading 11 cents higher at $6.11, with 171,500 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Trading subdued on TTSE – Thursday
Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters
Trading activity fell on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday with trading in only 12 securities against 10 on Wednesday, leading to 151,203 units valued just $700,274 compared to 98,449 shares valued at $2,541,743 changing hands on Wednesday.
Trading closed with 2 securities advancing, 3 declining and 7 remaining unchanged and the Composite Index rose 2.42 points to 1,226.31, the All T&T Index lost 0.22 points to 1,720.33 and the Cross Listed Index put on 0.70 points to close at 98.35.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows market sentiment with 3 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Gains| NCB Financial Group gained 10 cents and settled at $5.50, after exchanging 1,000 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 11 cents and ended at $29.66, with 3,490 stock units changing hands.
Losses| First Citizens traded with a loss of 9 cents and settled at $34.91, after exchanging 1,541 shares, Massy Holdings shares fell 5 cents and ended at $46.95, after exchanging 2,221 shares and National Flour closed with a loss of 5 cents and completed trading at $1.75, with 58,803 units.
Firm Trades| Clico Investments ended at $20.43, with 2,100 stock units changing hands, Grace Kennedy ended trading 55,385 stock units at $2.90, JMMB Group closed at $1.85, after exchanging 19,785 shares, One Caribbean Media concluded trading at $12, after exchanging 756 shares, Readymix settled at $11, in trading 4,792 shares, Sagicor Financial ended at $7.80, with 630 stock units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean closed trading at $29.23, after exchanging 700 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
$9.20 offered for 75% of Barita shares
Barita last traded on the JSE on Wednesday at $9.
The long awaited formal offer to acquire majority shares in Barita Investments has been released.
Cornerstone Investments Holdings is offering $9.20 per share for 334.4 million Barita shares to acquire no more and no less than 75 percent of the company. The intention is for the company to remain listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange
The offer opens on July 26 will cost $3 billion. The company signed a lock up agreement with Rita Humphries-Lewin and Karl Lewin who have 77.5 percent of the shares to sell amounts to allow for the 75 percent acquisition as such the offer is all but done.
The company has 445.877 million shares issued contributing to shareholders’ equity of $2.86 billion or $6.40 per share.
For the March quarter comprehensive income was $165 million and $492 million for the half year or just over $1 per share and puts the purchase price at about 5 times earnings. But the acquisition is even more attractive to the buyers. Both Humphries will cease being executives that will result in cost savings. The new link up could see a more aggressive stance taken in increasing business and profit within a relatively short time frame from existing offerings as well as new ones. The Unit Trust business is a potential storehouse of huge income down the road while more can be eked out of the portfolio of investments. Investors who hold on to their shares will benefit from a promised 80 percent pay out of profit going forward.
Profit almost doubles for JSE
Profit at the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) almost doubled for the half year to June with profit after tax jumping 97 percent in the June quarter to $90 million and up 88 percent for the half year to $191 million.
Revenues grew 34 percent for the quarter to $316 million and 39 percent to $666 million. Expenses rose 14 percent for the quarter to $191 million and is up 21 percent for the half year to $398 million. Earnings per share for the June quarter ended at 13 cents and 37 cents for the six months period and should end the year around 70 cents per share. The stock that trades around $7.50 is therefore attractive with eys focused on 2019 when business should increase with more listings and hopefully more business activities.
The JSE ended the quarter with total equity of $1.03 billion. Cash and investments stood at $420 million. Property and other fixed assets climbed to $410 million from $264 million.
JSE falls again on Wednesday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange suffered more declines on Wednesday, following losses on Tuesday and the All Jamaican Composite Index lost 724.91 points to close at 336,508.12 and the JSE Index declined 660.48 points to 306,596.88.
Trading in the main market ended with 2,665,607 units valued $71,318,160 compared to 2,832,561 units valued at over $81,949,830 on Tuesday.
Activities in the main market and US dollar market resulted in 26 securities trading including 2 from the US dollar market, compared to 30 securities trading on Tuesday. At the end of trading, the prices of 10 stocks advanced, 12 declined and 4 closed unchanged.
The day’s volume was led by, Caribbean Cement led with 37.64 percent of trading in an exchange of 1,003,349 shares, followed by Barita Investments with 500,653 units and Sagicor Group with 461,652 shares.
Stocks with major price changes are, Berger Paints lost $1.50 to close at $19.50 trading just 1,637 shares, Caribbean Cement lost $2.14 and finished at $39.01, exchanging 1,003,349 shares, Grace Kennedy rose $1.48 to $53, trading 1,000 shares, Jamaica Producers added 50 cents to $17.50 trading 116,704 units. Kingston Wharves dropped $3.12 and closed at $50.85 with 350 stock units, NCB Financial Grouprose $1.75 to $98, trading 14,980 shares, Pulse Investments rose 65 cents trading 25,000 shares to close at $2.95, Sterling Investments fell 51 cents to $10.50 with the trading of 2,700 units.
Trading resulted in an average of 111,067 units valued at an average of $2,971,590 for each security traded. 
In contrast to 108,945 units for an average of $3,151,917 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts 152,906 units valued at $3,041,409 compared to 155,968 units valued at $3,046,939 on Tuesday. June closed with an average of 250,168 shares with a value of $5,895,281, for each security traded.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 62,614 units valued at $7,800 as Proven Investments rose marginally to close at 15.01 US cents trading 22,614 shares and Sygnus Credit traded 40,000 units and inched up to 11.01 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 0.09 points up to 139.65.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.
Treasury bill rates plunged
Treasury bill rates plunged at the latest auction to raise $1.4 billion for Government of Jamaica held today.
At the latest Treasury bill auction the rate on the 91 days bill declined by just over 58 basis points to just 1.9596 from to 2.544 percent at the June auction, while the 182 days instrument average rate dipped 65 basis points to 2.07 percent from 2.656 percent from the June Auction. The two offerings of $700 million each attracted a total of just over $6.2 billion up from $5.3 billion in June, an indication of continued high liquidity in the market. The latest fall in rate follows a recent 50 basis point drop in Bank of Jamaica’s (BOJ) overnight rate to 2 percent and is almost certain to trigger another cut in the BOJ overnight rate.
The continued fall in rates comes against the back ground of negative inflation of 0.3 percent for the first half of the year. The sharp fall in rates is bound to be reflected in increased demand for stocks and real estate going forward as investors seek higher returns on their investments. Technical indicators point to a big break out for local stocks starting in August and the recent fall in rates will be a critical fuel for it.
More Junior Market losers than winners
Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined on Wednesday compared with Tuesday’s levels as only 20 securities trading and no company contributing a large trade as occurred on Tuesday.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 1,512,347 units valued at $7,031,079 compared to 3,567,155 units valued at $16,970,111 on Tuesday as 20 securities changed hands, compared to 21 on Tuesday. At the close of the market the prices of 4 securities rose, 7 declined and 9 traded unchanged leading to the market Index declining 8.96 points to close at 3,020.98.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with a lower offer.
Trading closed with an average of 75,617 units for an average of $351,554 in contrast to 169,865 units for an average of $808,100 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 223,946 units valued at $899,898 and previously 235,400 units valued at $942,241. June closed with an average of 139,543 units, valued at $671,002 for each security traded.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging ended market activity with a loss of 5 cents at $2.01, trading 5,000 stock units, Caribbean Flavours lost 7 cents to close at $11.60, with 1,500 stock units, Caribbean Producers finished trading 1 cent higher at $5.36, with 734 units, Derrimon Trading concluded trading at $20, with 21,004 shares, Elite Diagnostic settled at $2.95, with 16,011 units. Everything Fresh traded 23,000 shares and lost 5 cents to close at $2.10, FosRich Group finished trading at $2.60, with 8,415 shares, GWest Corporation ended trading 10,919 units at $2.40, Honey Bun closed 2 cents higher at $5.02, trading 10,000 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading 1,770 stock units at $5.30. 
Jetcon Corporation traded with a loss of 10 cents at $4, exchanging 35,000 units, KLE Group closed at $2.85, with 550 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express ended at $11.50, with 1,158 shares, Lasco Distributors closed 20 cents higher at $4.20, trading 825,000 stock units. Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 20 cents at $4.90, after exchanging 50,000 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled with a loss of 5 cents at $3.85, with 17,000 shares, Medical Disposables traded 7 cents higher at $5.07, with 423,467 shares being exchanged, Paramount Trading finished trading 3,105 stock units at $2.98 and Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 10 cents at $8, after trading 50,073 units. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 9.5% preference share ended trading at $6, with 8,641 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.