Trading up sharply on Junior Market – Friday

Stationery & Office Supplies hit new high after posting good Q1 results.

Trading picked up on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading on Friday with 30 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 2,909,045 units valued at $13,268,308.
On Thursday 22 securities traded, resulting in 1,858,849 units valued at $9,781,521 changing hands.
Price changes were high with declining narrowly out pacing advancing ones. At the close of market activities on Friday, the prices of 10 securities advanced, 12 declined and 8 remained unchanged leading the Junior Market Index to advance 6.38 points to close at 2,924.07.
Market activity ended with Stationery and Office jumping to new high of $7.50 following the release of strong gains in first quarter profit, with earnings per share rising 70 percent to 17 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower offer.
Market activity ended with an average of 96,968 units for an average of $442,277 in contrast to 84,493 units for an average of $444,615 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 90,532 units with an average value of $363,661 and previously 89,483 units with an average value of $350,843. April closed with an average of 121,622 units at $506,803, for each security traded.
At the close of the market, Access Financial closed at $47.20, with 3,980 shares traded, AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 2 cents at $2, with 15,202 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading at $30, with 140 units, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 1 cent at $8, in the trading of 400 shares, Cargo Handlers settled with a loss of 10 cents at $9.75, with 1,000 shares. Caribbean Cream ended trading 10 cents higher at $4.80, with 500 shares, Caribbean Producers finished trading with a loss of 35 cents at $5.60, with 500,787 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed with a loss of 10 cents at $1.85, with 10,000 shares, C2W Music ended at 45 cents, with 43,154 shares. Derrimon Trading lost 11 cents to close at $9.64, with 38,768 shares, Dolphin Cove finished with a loss of $2.55 at $14.45, with 2,963 stock units, Elite Diagnostic settled at $3.26, with 50,456 units, Eppley ended trading with a loss of $1.06 at $8.14, with 1,000 shares. Express Catering traded with a loss of 1 cent at $5.64, with 22,300 shares, FosRich Group finished trading 5 cents higher at $2.40, with 191,345 shares, General Accident closed 14 cents higher at $3.38, with 12,890 stock units, Honey Bun rose 1 cent to $4.61, with 84,690 shares. Jamaican Teas ended trading at $4.50, with 40,039 stock units, Jetcon Corporation traded 10 cents higher at $4.10, with 863 units, Key Insurance finished trading after rising 60 cents to end at $4, with 3,000 shares, Knutsford Express ended 50 cents higher at $13, with 6,804 shares. Lasco Distributors concluded trading with a loss of 9 cents at $4.16, with 37,722 stock units, Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 5 cents at $5.45, with 36,739 units, Lasco Manufacturing settled 5 cents higher at $3.95, with 1,213,202 shares, Main Event ended trading at $7, with 195,584 shares. Paramount Trading finished trading 39 cents higher at $3.10, with 204,316 stock units, Stationery and Office rose 50 cents to a new high of $7.50, with 102,027 units changing hands and tTech concluded trading with a loss of 13 cents at $5.87, in exchanging 13,654 shares.
In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading 9% concluded trading at $1.90, with 27,020 units and Eppley 8.75% ended trading at $6, with 48,500 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Stocks closed down on TTSE – Friday

Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters

Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange ended on Friday with an exchange of 14 securities against 16 on Thursday, with 2 advancing, 4 declining and 8 remaining unchanged.
The market ended with 407,729 units valued at $7,221,428 compared to 83,130 shares at a value of $1,588,413 trading on Thursday.
At close of the market the, Composite Index the Composite Index fell 3.14 points on Friday to 1,238.59, the All T&T Index fell 1.74 points to 1,715.23, while the Cross Listed Index fell 0.63 points to close at 102.49. IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows the market continuing to be weak as it closed with 5 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 4 with lower offers, an indication of the continuation of a weak market currently.
Gains| Guardian Holdings finished 5 cents higher and settled at $15.30, after exchanging 52,314 shares and Republic Financial Holdings rose 1 cent and ended at $101.69, with 7,889 stock units changing hands.
Losses| Clico Investments shares fell 10 cents and completed trading at $20.10, with 29,890 units, JMMB Group fell 5 cents and ended at $1.75, with 77,724 stock units changing hands, Trinidad Cement shed 24 cents and settled at $2.75, after exchanging 6,892 shares and Unilever Caribbean lost 95 cents and ended at $34, after exchanging 2,151 shares.
Firm Traded| Angostura Holdings ended at $15.75, with 20 stock units changing hands, First Citizens concluded trading at $35, after exchanging 35,019 shares, Grace Kennedy completed trading at $3.15, with 11,000 units, Massy Holdings ended at $47.27, with 48,662 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial Group concluded market activity at $5.50, after exchanging 76,942 shares, One Caribbean Media ended at $12.40, with 450 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Financial completed trading at $7.75, with 42,483 units and Trinidad & Tobago NGL finished trading at $29.05, with 16,293 units exchanged.

Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

JSE main market pull back ends – Thursday

JSE slowly moving upwards.

The pull back from the record reached on Friday by Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a modest rise in the market index on Thursday as the price of 8 stocks rose, 9 declined and 11 traded firm.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose modestly and ended with an increased by 24.50 points at 328,387.59 and the JSE Index advanced by 22.32 points to 299,198.19.
Caribbean Cement shed $1.80 to close at $35.50, Grace Kennedy rose $1 to $49 and PanJam Investments traded at a new high of $46 with a rise of $1.
At the end of market activities, 28 securities traded, compared to 29 on Wednesday, in the main and US dollar markets and resulted in 5,201,225 units valued at $121,866,039 compared to 4,614,305 units valued at $109,133,839 changing hands in the main market, on Wednesday.
JMMB Group trade 2,027,120 units and accounted for 38.97 percent of trading volume, followed by Wisynco Group with 1,193,538 units and 22.95 percent of the volume and Caribbean Cement with 979,272 units and 18.83 percent of the day’s volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 200,047 units valued at an average of $4,687,155 for each security traded. In contrast to 170,900 units for an average of $4,041,993 on Wednesday. The average for the month to date is 367,467 shares with a value of $20,307,869 and previously 389,231 shares with a value of $49,857,592. In contrast, April closed with an average of 708,206 shares with a value of $6,395,518 for each security traded.
In the US dollar market, Proven Investments traded with 206.397 shares and fell 3 cents to 20 US cents and the market index dropped 8.89 ended at unchanged at 165.29. JMMB Group 5.75% US preference share traded 14,000 units at US$1.01, up by a cent.
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 1 closing with a lower offer.
For more details of market activities see – .

More Junior stocks rise than fall – Thursday

Caribbean Producers traded 52 weeks’ high on Thursday.

The Junior Market Index declined 15.45 points to close at 2,917.69, as 22 securities traded, with 9 stocks rising, 7 declining while 6 remained unchanged.
Market activity ended with two highs and 2 new lows as Caribbean Producers (CPJ) and Stationery and Office (SOS) jumped to new highs and GWest and Derrimon Trading 9% preference fell to new lows. Investors pushed SOS to new high based on expected good first quarter results while they responded to increased profits at CPJ.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower offer.
At the close of market activities, 1,858,849 units valued at $9,781,521 changed hands in contrast to Wednesday, when 19 securities were traded resulting in 1,096,815 units valued at $3,914,766.
Market activity ended with an average of 84,493 units for an average of $444,615 in contrast to 57,727 units for an average of $206,040 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 89,483 units with an average value of $350,843 and previously 90,161 units with an average value of $338,109. April closed with an average of 121,622 units at $506,803, for each security traded.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended 2 cents higher at $2.02, with 783 stock units traded, Caribbean Flavours closed at $12, while exchanging 12,323 stock units, Caribbean Producers finished trading 66 cents higher to a 52 weeks’ high of $5.95, with 154,000 units, Consolidated Bakeries rose 10 cents to $1.95, with 25,000 shares, C2W Music ended at 45 cents, with 83,363 shares. Derrimon Trading concluded trading 30 cents higher at $9.75, with 3,670 shares, Elite Diagnostic inched up by 1 cent at $3.26, with 34,366 units, Eppley ended trading with a loss of 2 cents at $9.20, with 438,296 shares, Express Catering traded at $5.65, with 116,168 shares. FosRich Group finished trading 5 cents higher at $2.35, with 40,874 shares, General Accident closed 9 cents higher at $3.24, with 14,650 stock units, GWest Corporation ended with a loss of 14 cents to end at a an all-time low at $2.16, with 95,500 units, Iron Rock finished at $3, with 400,000 shares. KLE Group closed with a loss of 15 cents at $2.35, with 511 shares, Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 50 cents at $12.50, with 10,000 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading with a loss of 6 cents at $4.25, with 51,461 stock units, Lasco Financial finished at $5.50, with 313,128 units. Lasco Manufacturing settled with a loss of 10 cents at $3.90, with 27,000 shares, Main Event ended trading 19 cents higher at $7, with 400 shares, Medical Disposables traded at $5, with 9,000 shares and Stationery and Office climbed by 70 cents to a an all-time high of $7, with 5,376 units. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading 9% ended with a loss of 10 cents close at an all-time low of $1.90, with 22,980 stock units, changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Stocks mixed on TTSE – Thursday

Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange ended on Wednesday with trading in 16 securities against 10 on Wednesday, with 5 advancing, 3 declining and 8 remaining unchanged.
The market ended with 83,130 shares at a value of $1,588,413 compared to 65,391 shares at a value of $850,279 on Wednesday.
At close of the market the, Composite Index fell 4.86 points on Thursday to 1,241.73, the All T&T Index rose 0.73 points to 1,716.97, while the Cross Listed Index fell 1.45 points to close at 103.12.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows the market continuing to be weak as it closed with 3 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 5 with lower offers, an indication of the continuation of a weak market currently.
Gains| Clico Investments concluded trading after rising 3 cents and settled at $20.20, with 15,277 units, Massy Holdings added 2 cents and completed trading at $47.27, with 1,200 stock units changing hands, National Flour increased 10 cents to $1.80, after exchanging 2,660 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 30 cents and settled at a 52 weeks’ high of $29.05, with 22,027 units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean closed with a gain of 95 cents and ended at $34.95, after exchanging 15 shares.
Losses| Guardian Holdings ended trading 5 cents lower at $15.25, after exchanging 10 shares, NCB Financial Group concluded trading with a loss of 25 cents and ended at $5.50, after exchanging 20,361 shares and Prestige Holdings traded with a loss of 15 cents and ended at $10.15, after 1,525 shares changed hands.
Firm Traded| Angostura Holdings completed trading at $15.75, with 210 stock units changing hands, First Caribbean International Bank concluded trading at $8.90, after exchanging 56 shares, First Citizens ended at $35, after exchanging 1,235 shares, Grace Kennedy settled at $3.15, with 6,608 units, JMMB Group completed trading at $1.80, with 2,200 stock units changing hands, Republic Financial Holdings ended trading at $101.68, with 2,688 stock units, Sagicor Financial settled at $7.75, with 6,058 units and Scotiabank concluded market activity at $63.24, after exchanging 1,000 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Q3 profit dipped at CPJ

Caribbean Producers profit fell in the March quarter but rose year to date.

Profit attributable to Caribbean Producers’ shareholders, suffered a decline after tax in the March quarter, to end at U$847,119 from $929,172 in 2017 even with much lower taxes booked in the 2018 quarter.
Profit rose nearly 5.5 percent for the quarter over the 2017 period and 13 percent for the nine months to March, to US$81.65 million from US$72.3 million in 2017.
The results led to earnings per share of 0.08 US cents for the quarter and 0.21 US cents for the six months period.
Gross profit rose faster than revenues, with an increase of 6.5 percent for the quarter to US$7.9 million but it grew below the growth in revenues for the nine months period with an increase of 10.5 percent to $22.3 million.
While depreciation and finance costs declined for the quarter and for the year to date, selling and administrative costs rose from $5.1 million to US$5.88 million and for the nine months from US$14.5 million to US$16.3 million.
At the end of March, shareholders’ equity stood at $23.7 million and borrowed funds were close behind at US$22.44 million. Current assets stood at US$47.9 million versus current liabilities of $21.5 million which includes borrowings of US$10 million. Net asset value per share stands at 2.3 US cents.
The stock last traded at J$5.40 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at the close on Wednesday.

Q2 profit doubles at Barita

Barita closed trading on Wednesday with the bid at $12.07.

Profit at Barita Investments more than doubled after tax in the March quarter, to $88 million from $43 million in 2017 with lower taxes booked in the 2018 quarter. 

Profit declined for the six months to March, profit dipped 8.5 percent to $49 million from $58 million in 2017, as the company recovered from a loss in the first quarter due mainly to foreign exchange losses.
Earnings per share came out at 20 cents for the quarter and 11 cents for the six months period.
Most major revenue streams rose nicely for the quarter, with net interest income climbing to $109 million from $69 million in 2017, fees and commission income was up more modestly from $117 in 20917 to $123 million and foreign exchange gains were nearly $29 million from $16 million in the 2017 quarter. Gains realized on trading investments fell to $69 million in the quarter from $103 million in 2017. Overall net income generated was just up to $329 million in the quarter versus $316 million in 2017. For the six months, net income generated was $490 million falling below $528 million in 2017.
Improvement in profit flowed from increased margin on money market instruments, reduced staff cost and the none recurrence of impairment losses which was $20 million in 2017 quarter and $40 in the 2017. Total cost fell from $226 million in the 2017 quarter to $204 million in the March quarter and to $370 for the half year to march this year versus $394 million last year.
In spite booking strong investments gains Barita still had $773 million of unrealized gains in reserves and is up from$605 million at the end of September last year.
At the end of March, shareholders’ equity stood at $2.9 billion with total assets of just over $16 billion and a net asset value of $6.40.
The stock last traded at $10.50 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and closed on Wednesday with the bid at $12.07.

Junior Market set for a bounce on Thursday

The Junior Market Index rose just 4.89 points to close at 2,933.14, trading just 19 securities but the closing bids and offers suggest that the market could enjoy a bigger bounce on Thursday.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Trading ended on Wednesday, with the prices of 5 securities gaining, 4 declining while 10 remained unchanged.
At the close of market activities, 1,096,815 units valued at $3,914,766 changed hands in contrast to Tuesday, when 27 securities and 1,399,513 units valued at $6,305,138 were traded.
Market activity ended with an average of 57,727 units for an average of $206,040 in contrast to 51,834 units for an average of $233,524 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 90,161 units with an average value of $338,109 and previously 94,470 units with an average value of $355,656. April closed with an average of 121,622 units at $506,803, for each security traded.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended at $2, trading 9,500 stock units, Blue Power concluded trading at $30, with 900 units, CAC 2000 finished at $8.01, with 200 shares, Cargo Handlers settled at $9.85, with 861 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cream ended trading 5 cents higher at $4.70, with 29,800 shares. Derrimon Trading lost of 70 cents to end at $9.45, with 10,547 shares, Elite Diagnostic settled at $3.25, with 35,042 units, Express Catering traded 69,261 shares and closed at $5.65, FosRich Group finished trading with a loss of 5 cents at $2.30, with 197,230 shares. GWest Corporation ended at $2.30, with 30,671 units, ISP Finance settled at $18, with 1,400 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading with a loss of 50 cents at $4.50, as 4,112 stock units changed hands, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4, with 9,814 units. Key Insurance finished trading with a loss of 50 cents at $3.40, exchanging 286,042 shares, KLE Group closed 25 cents higher at $2.50, with 201,200 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading at $4.311 after declining 1 cent, with 140,266 stock units, Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 2 cents at $5.50, trading 38,789 units and Lasco Manufacturing settled 5 cents higher at $4, with 1,180 shares. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 8.75% settled at $6, with 30,000 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

4 stocks rose 3 fell on TTSE – Wednesday

Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange ended on Wednesday with trading in 10 securities against 12 on Tuesday, with 4 advancing, 3 declining and 3 remaining unchanged.
The market ended with 65,391 shares at a value of $850,279, compared to 142,483 shares with a value of $2,071,522, on Tuesday.
At close of the market the, Composite Index increased 0.18 points on Tuesday to 1,246.59, the All T&T Index shed 0.46 points to 1,716.24, while the Cross Listed Index rose 0.11 points to close at 104.57.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows the market continuing to be weak as it closed with 3 stocks ending with higher bids than the last selling prices and 7 with lower offers, an indication of the continuation of a weak market currently.
Gains| Angostura Holdings rose 3 cents and ended at $15.75, with 127 stock units changing hands, Grace Kennedy rose 5 cents and completed trading at $3.15, with 12,507 units, Republic Financial Holdings gained 3 cents and ended at $101.68, with 242 stock units changing hands, Scotiabank finished trading with a gain of 1 cent at $63.24, after exchanging 1,661 shares.
Losses| Clico Investments shares fell 3 cents and completed trading at $20.17, with 12,182 units, National Flour closed with a loss of 15 cents and settled at $1.70, after exchanging 16,081 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 25 cents and completed trading at $28.75, with 9,987 units changing hands.
Firm Traded| Sagicor Financial completed trading at $7.75, with 12,054 units, Unilever Caribbean ended at $34, after exchanging 450 shares and West Indian Tobacco closed at $88.51, with 100 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.

Trading picks up on Junior Market – Tuesday

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed trading with 27 securities changing hands resulting in an exchange of 1,399,513 units valued at $6,305,138.
At the close of market activities on Monday 22 securities leading to 806,611 units valued at $3,430,741 being exchanged. Trading ended with the prices of 9 securities advancing, 10 declining while 7 remained unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index declined 4.43 points to 2,928.25.
Market activity ended with an average of 51,834 units for an average of $233,524 in contrast to 36,664 units for an average of $155,943 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 94,470 units with an average value of $355,656 and previously 104,394 units with an average value of $384,083. April closed with an average of 121,622 units at $506,803, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging ended at $2, with 18,131 stock units, CAC 2000 finished with a loss of 99 cents at $8.01, with 300 shares, Caribbean Cream ended trading 4 cents higher at $4.65, with 6,000 shares, Caribbean Flavours traded $1 higher at $12, with 10,600 stock units, Caribbean Producers finished trading at $5.29, with 4,750 units. Consolidated Bakeries closed at $1.85, with 4,506 shares, Derrimon Trading concluded trading with a loss of 35 cents at $10.15, with 5,800 shares, Dolphin Cove finished at $17, with 2,000 stock units, Elite Diagnostic settled at $3.25, with 167,349 units. Express Catering traded 14 cents higher at $5.65, with 304,276 shares, FosRich Group finished trading with a loss of 14 cents at $2.35, with 158,014 shares, General Accident closed at $3.15, with 5,029 stock units, GWest Corporation ended with a loss of 5 cents at an all-time closing low of $2.30, with 62,876 units. Honey Bun concluded trading with a loss of 20 cents at $4.60, with 33,064 shares, Iron Rock finished with a loss of 50 cents at $3, with 5,000 shares, Jamaican Teas ended trading 55 cents higher at $5, with 154,883 stock units, Jetcon Corporation traded at $4, with 15,158 units. KLE Group closed with a loss of 25 cents at $2.25, with 90,509 shares, Knutsford Express ended with a loss of 90 cents at $13, with 4,000 shares, Lasco Distributors concluded trading 2 cents higher at $4.30, with 5,249 stock units, Lasco Financial finished with a loss of 3 cents at $5.52, with 211,952 units. Lasco Manufacturing settled 21 cents higher at $3.95, with 5,324 shares, Main Event ended trading with a loss of 19 cents at $6.81, with 12,217 shares, Paramount Trading finished trading 1 cent higher at $2.71, with 100 stock units, Stationery and Office closed 10 cents higher at a all-time high of $6.30, with 95,993 units and tTech concluded trading 28 cents higher at $6, with 14,981 shares. In the junior market preference segment, Eppley 8.75% settled at $6, with 1,452 shares, changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.