Jamaica tourism arrival numbers are approaching 80 percent of the 2019 figures. That is good news for the country, workers in the industry, and businesses close to the hotel areas and has major implications for listed companies.
Caribbean Producers back in TOP 10
Recent data of inward bound passengers through the country’s international airports suggest that tourist arrivals for 2021 will be robust and at levels that far surpass that of 2020. Not only will the numbers exceed that of 2020, but the most lucrative period of December to April when visitor arrival numbers are some of the best monthly patronages, but the rates paid to visit are at the highest for the year.
The rebound means more revenues for the government, more foreign exchange earnings for the country, more wages paid to workers and more income for persons and companies providing goods and services to the sector.
The big winners for listed companies are Caribbean Producers, a major supplier of goods to sector in Jamaica and St Lucia. Everything Fresh is also a significant supplier to the sector in Jamaica and should see a rise in sales, Express Catering generates all its income from the industry, with its locations within the Sangster International Airport and Dolphin Cove with its attractions being a big draw for tourists.
Dolphin Cove
Others to benefit to a lesser degree are GraceKennedy, Wisynco, Jamaica Broilers, Knutsford Express and Fontana, the latter, with stores in Ocho Rios and Montego that sell to the visitors.
The rebound has significant implications for the foreign exchange market in 2022. In 2019, the tourism sector earned around $3 billion and just $1 billion in 2020. A return to 2019 visitor arrival number should see another $2 billion gross generated by the country than for 2020 and 2021, along with the billion increase in remittances since 2019 if maintained into 2022, should result in one of the most buoyant foreign exchange environment for the county.
Overall, 36 securities traded compared to 34 on Thursday with 17 rising, eight declining and 11, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index rose 26.84 points to 3,248.47 in closing marginally down from the previous week’s close.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ending, with a bid higher than the last selling price and one with a lower offer.
Indies Pharma advanced 23 cents to $3.40 after exchanging 250 units, Lasco Distributors dropped 17 cents to close at $3.70, with 24,848 stock units changing hands, Limners and Bards fell 18 cents to $3.80 after exchanging 762,073 units. Lumber Depot climbed 7 cents to $3, trading 634,727 stock units, Main Event popped 44 cents to $4.20 while exchanging 500 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies increased 69 cents to $6.60 after 1,444 units crossed the market and tTech rose 30 cents to $4.50 in exchanging 749 stock units.
Rising stocks beat out those declining by 15 to 11, with eight closing unchanged as 34 securities traded, up from 33 on Wednesday, with the volume and value of stocks trading slipping marginally on Thursday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Mailpac Group dropped 10 cents to $3.52 in switching ownership of 98,002 shares, Main Event dived 44 cents to $3.76 after exchanging 3,395 shares. Medical Disposables increased 33 cents to $4.94 after exchanging 4,030 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 10 cents to $5.91 in an exchange of 4,000 stocks and tTech declined 42 cents to $4.20 after trading 2,731 stocks.
Market activity led to 33 securities trading compared to 35 on Tuesday, with nine rising, 15 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to close at $2.80, with 1,628,060 shares crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies shed $1.14 in ending at $5.81, with 10,610 units crossing the market.
Market activity led to 35 securities trading compared to 36 on Monday and ended, with 12 rising, 14 declining and nine closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index fell 17.99 points to 3,262.98. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending, with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
hands. Lasco Financial fell 4 cents to close at $3.15 after trading at 23,500 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing lost 11 cents to end at $4.85 in trading 6,905 stocks, Lumber Depot dropped 32 cents to $2.75, with 3,844,851 units crossing the market, Mailpac Group rallied 13 cents to $3.64 while exchanging 651,442 shares, Medical Disposables popped 16 cents to end at $4.61 in switching ownership of 50,517 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 10 cents to $1.11 in an exchange of 566,220 units, Stationery and Office Supplies fell 7 cents to $6.95 trading 35,904 shares and tTech spiked 42 cents to $4.62, with 7,776 stock units clearing the market.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Lumber Depot shed 11 cents to close at $3.07 after trading 4,795,471 units, Mailpac Group fell 15 cents to $3.51 with 193,419 stocks traded, Medical Disposables dipped 16 cents to $4.45 with 74,483 stock units changing hands. Paramount Trading declined 14 cents to $1.01 with a transfer of 212,785 units, SSL Venture lost 14 cents to close at 64 cents with investors switching ownership of 20,000 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies spiked $1.27 to $7.02 with 3,000 units crossing the exchange.
Blue Power suffered a reversal in fortunes, with a suspension of exports of soaps to Caricom, following a decision of the Jamaica Government to stop issuing Certificates of Origin for soaps manufactured in Jamaica, using imported soap noodles.
Market activity led to 33 securities trading down from 38 on Thursday, with 13 rising, 11 declining and nine, closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors shed 23 cents to end at $3.77, with 105,089 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Manufacturing increased 14 cents to $4.96 after 5,704 stocks changed hands, Limners and Bards advanced 42 cents to $3.62, with 53,305 stocks crossing the market. Lumber Depot popped 2 cents to $3.18 while exchanging 2,440,430 units as a major shareholder seems to be offloading stocks and Main Event climbed 15 cents in closing at $4.20 in trading 11,789 stock units.
At the close, Access Financial jumped $1 to $21 in trading 178 shares, Blue Power popped 30 cents to $3.30 with an exchange of 14,930 stocks, Cargo Handlers dropped 50 cents to $7.65 with 16,948 stock units changing hands. Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 15 cents to $1.75 with 1,848 units traded after the stock traded at an intraday low of $1.52. Caribbean Cream gained 50 cents to close at $6.60 with a transfer of 66,547 shares, Caribbean Flavours slipped 8 cents to $1.90 with 121,050 stocks passing through the market. Consolidated Bakeries lost 10 cents to end at $1.69 with an exchange of 31,780 units, Derrimon Trading declined 5 cents to $2.25, with 189,209 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove fell $1.20 to $9 with 35,498 stocks traded. Express Catering dropped 30 cents to $4.90 with a transfer of 3,902 units, Fontana advanced 10 cents to $6.10 with investor switching ownership of 109,548 stock units, Future Energy Source rose 8 cents to $2.50 with an exchange of 4,342,763 shares. General Accident slipped 8 cents to $5.37 with 250,000 units changing hands, GWest Corporation increased 6 cents to 99 cents with 27,930 stock units traded, Honey Bun gained 15 cents to close at $8.70 with a transfer of 4,220 shares. Jamaican Teas slipped 6 cents to $3.74 with 78,300 stocks passing through the market, Knutsford Express climbed 10 cents to $7 with an exchange of 2,006 units, Limners and Bards shed 45 cents to close at $3.20 with 254,789 stock units changing hands. 
Lumber Depot rose 10 cents to $3.16 with 24,379,081 shares traded, Main Event dropped 20 cents to $4.05 with a transfer of 2,777 units, Medical Disposables added 9 cents to $4.61 with a transfer of 31,223 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 75 cents to finish at $5.75 with investors switching ownership of 3,500 stocks, Tropical Battery lost 6 cents to end at $1.30 with 41,134 units changing hands and tTech fell 30 cents to $4.20 with 32,292 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity led to 40 securities trading compared to 36 on Tuesday and ended with 12 rising, 13 declining and 15 closing unchanged, leading to the Junior Market Index slipping 2.42 points to 3,281.81. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 11.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Knutsford Express lost 10 cents to close at $6.90 with 2,027 shares traded, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 14 cents to $4.85, with investors switching ownership of 9,651 stocks, Limners and Bards increased by 10 cents to $3.65 with a transfer of 4,023 units. Lumber Depot rose 7 cents to $3.06, with 1,031,956 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables shed 57 cents to $4.52, with 40,000 stocks traded and tTech dropped 20 cents to $4.50 with 9,000 shares crossing the exchange.
