Initial public offers have been extremely popular amongst investors who have made good money from the vast majority of them. Come this summer investors will get five more opportunities to invest in IPOS.
The last issue, Wigton Windfarm made several thousands investors happy, with the price rising as high as 90 percent over the IPO price of 50 cents. Even now that it is trading lower than the peak, investors are still more than 40 percent up on the initial price. Investors in the year’s first IPO, iCreate are not that lucky as the $1.01 they paid for the stock fell as low as 70 cents since and remains well below the IPO price.
Coming this summer are, The Lab that styles itself as a fully integrated 100 percent Jamaican born and bred advertising agency with global reach and an island swagger.
Kimala Bennett, Managing Director of The Lab.
Kimala Bennett is the company’s Managing Director. NCB Capital Markets are the brokers for The Lab, that could be looking at regional expansion. Clients include National Commercial Bank, JPS. Wendy’s Dominos, Supreme Ventures, Wray and Nephew, Grace Kennedy, Caribbean Broilers, Digicel. Persons in the know say this is one of those IPOs to plan for, as it is unique and profitable. NCB Capital Markets is also taking Eppley Property Fund, a company that owns property across the Caribbean, to market this summer as well as QWI Investments, a new company that invests in listed shares.
NCB Capital Markets is also brokers to Tropical Battery Company. The company expects to come to market in July, to raise around $200 million in an IPO our sources state. The company was founded in 1950 and later purchased by John Melville and remains in the family, since. The company’s core business is the sale of automotive batteries, complemented by the distribution of several local and world renowned automotive consumer brands. Tropical Battery’s headquarters is located in Kingston, with distribution centres in Kingston and Montego Bay.
Another that will be coming to market is Sagicor Select Funds Limited an Exchange Traded Fund that is going to market in June to raise $5 billion. The fund according to Sagicor Investment CEO, Kevin Donaldson, will track the JSE Financial Index and will be rebalanced if needed, monthly. Donaldson indicates that the fund currently has assets of $1.2 billion already. Sagicor Investments could have 2 to 3 additional listings before the year ends.
When completed, the new listings on the Jamaica Stock Exchange will raise the listed ordinary shares to more than 80 and total listings to more than 100 securities.
Trading levels declined on Wednesday compared to Tuesday, ending with 2,945,014 units valued at $13,949,439 changing hands, compared to 6,856,068 units valued $29,636,228 changing hands previously.
Iron Rock traded 21,150 units, with a loss of 15 cents at $3.50, ISP Finance dropped $4.50 to close at $15, in trading 4,300 shares, Jamaican Teas closed at $4.40, with 80,560 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2.09, trading 15,623 shares. Key Insurance closed with a loss of 15 cents at $3, after exchanging 10,563 stock units, Knutsford Express settled at $12.50, with 3,032 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors ended trading 395,342 shares at $3.50, Lasco Financial closed with a loss of 15 cents at $5, with 180,422 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing traded 210,979 stock units with a loss of 10 cents at $4, Medical Disposables lost 30 cents to end at $7.50, with an exchange of 4,950 shares, SSL Venture Capital ended at $1.65, with 200 shares trading, Stationery and Office settled at $9.20, with 300,150 stock units changing hands and tTech traded 1,245 shares with a loss of 40 cents at $5.30.
At the close of the market, Access Financial closed with a loss of 1 cent at $45, with 31,398 shares trading, AMG Packaging ended 2 cents higher at $2, with 16,403 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Cream ended trading 29,300 shares, with a loss of 68 cents at $5.27, Caribbean Producers ended at $4.80, in trading 5,220 units. Consolidated Bakeries closed at $2, with an exchange of 7,500 shares, Derrimon Trading ended with a loss of 2 cents at $2.79, with 5,400 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove traded of 10,000 shares, at $12, Everything Fresh settled with a loss of 1 cent at $1.59, with an exchange of 57,514 units. Elite Diagnostic jumped 52 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.24, trading 18,058 shares, Express Catering traded 59,094 shares with a loss of 8 cents to end at $6.90, FosRich Group lost 2 cents to end at $4.98, after exchanging 133,283 shares, Fontana closed 20 cents higher at $4.20, with 1,154,738 stock units changing hands. General Accident ended with a loss of 38 cents at $4.12, with an exchange of 101,873 units, GWest Corporation concluded trading of 600 shares at $1.31, Honey Bun closed at $5.95, with an exchange of 5,100 shares, iCreate settled with a loss of 3 cents at $0.77, with 4,350 shares changing hands. Indies Pharma ended trading 113,293 stock units with a loss of 15 cents to close at $3.15, Iron Rock traded 1,126 units, with a loss of 19 cents at $3.65, 
Jamaican Teas closed with a loss of 30 cents at $4.40, with 6,070 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation ended 1 cent higher at $2.10, with 3,775 shares trading. KLE Group finished at $1.90 after exchanging 250 units, Knutsford Express settled at $12.50, with an exchange of 5,034 shares, Lasco Distributors traded 136,188 shares, to end at $3.50, Lasco Financial ended at $5.15, with 307,241 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing traded 4,508,730 stock units with a rise of 10 cents to $4.10, Main Event closed at $5.88, with 12,483 units changing hands, Medical Disposables ended 35 cents higher at $7.80, with the trading of 1,236 shares, Paramount Trading concluded trading of 63,374 shares with a loss of 20 cents at $2. SSL Venture Capital finished 24 cents higher at $1.65, after exchanging 100 shares and Stationery and Office settled 16 cents higher at $9.20, with 57,337 stock units changing hands.
The Junior Market declined for the second day in trading on Monday following Friday’s slight fall but IC bid-offer Indicator reflect a negative reading, suggesting that the decline is not yet over. 
KLE Group finished with a loss of 25 cents to end a a 52 weeks’ low of $1.90, trading 964 units, Knutsford Express settled with a loss of 40 cents at $12.50, with and exchange of 4,966 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading of 24,765 shares and rose 20 cents to $3.50. Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to close at $5.15, trading 60,931 shares, Lasco Manufacturing finished trading 116,768 stock units after rising 9 cents to close at $4, Main Event closed 67 cents higher at $5.88, with an exchange of 28,376 units, Medical Disposables ended at $7.45, with 11,843 shares changing hands. SSL Venture Capital finished 11 cents higher at $1.41, with 13,129 shares crossing the exchange and Stationery and Office Supplies settled with a loss of 6 cents at $9.04, with 328,093 stock units trading.
iCreate settled with a loss of 5 cents at 75 cents, with an exchange of 30,573 shares, Indies Pharma ended trading with 172,000 stock units at $3.25, Jamaican Teas closed 5 cents higher at $4.55, in trading 72,555 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 5 cents at $1.95, with an exchange of 106,045 shares. Lasco Distributors ended trading 466,534 shares, with a loss of 20 cents at $3.30, Lasco Financial traded 1 cent higher at $5.10, with 135,551 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 6,752,501 stock units and rose 9 cents to $3.91, Main Event closed with a loss of 69 cents at $5.21, with an exchange of 37,554 units. Medical Disposables ended with a loss of 55 cents at $7.45, with 75,100 shares trading, Paramount Trading concluded trading of 250 shares, at $2.20, SSL Venture Capital finished with a loss of 10 cents at $1.30, with 6,871 shares crossing the exchange, Stationery and Office Supplies settled with a loss of 3 cents at $9.10, with an exchange of 56,796 stock units and Sweet River ended trading of 28,000 units at $2.56.
The Junior Market index make strong gains at the close of trading on Thursday with 483 percent more volume with 398 percent more value trading than on Wednesday. 
In contrast, April closed with an average of 81,626 units for an average of $311,248 for each security traded.
Knutsford Express settled at $12.90, with 180 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors traded 12,042,080 shares at $3.50. Lasco Financial exchanged 372,419 shares after rising 22 cents to $5.09, 
The Junior Market index was steady at the close of trading on Wednesday with advancing stocks just out pacing declining ones with reduced volume and value. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 166,588 shares carrying a value of 759,004 compared to 199,807 units valued at $918,256 previously. In contrast, May closed with an average of 81,626 units for an average of $311,248 for each security traded.
iCreate settled at 80 cents, with 135,224 shares changing hands. Indies Pharma ended trading with 193,782 stock units, after losing 14 cents to close at $3.16, Iron Rock traded 10 cents higher at $3.60, with an exchange of 66,000 units. Jamaican Teas closed at $4.50, with 9,975 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation ended 5 cents higher at $2, with 20,521 shares traded, KLE Group ended at $2.15, while trading 49,506 units, Lasco Distributors ended trading with 71,313 shares at $3.50. Lasco Financial exchanged 60,992 shares with a loss of 3 cents at $4.87, Lasco Manufacturing finished trading 158,687 stock units at $3.85, Main Event closed 10 cents higher at $5.90, with 16,600 units changing hands, Paramount Trading concluded trading of 100 shares and rose 10 cents to $2.20. SSL Venture Capital finished with a loss of 20 cents end at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.45, after exchanging 57,400 shares, Stationery and Office settled with a loss of 7 cents at $9.13, with an exchange of 52,600 stock units and tTech traded at $5.70, with 334 shares changing hands.
Knutsford Express settled with a loss of 70 cents at $11.80, with 27,000 shares changing hands, 
The Junior Market index advanced 9.59 points to close at 3,036.03 on Thursday, but with advancing stocks lagging those declining as the dollar value of trading jumping sharply by 235 percent and volume by 357 percent. 
Knutsford Express dived $1.40 to close at $10.90, trading 500 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading 260,827 shares at $3.70. Lasco Financial traded 17,682 shares and garnered 14 cents to close at $5, Lasco Manufacturing fell by 25 cents to end at $3.25, with an exchange of 17,700 stock units, Main Event closed 14 cents higher at $5.35, with 20,965 units changing hands, Medical Disposables ended with a loss of $1.35 at $5.50, with 25,000 shares trading. Paramount Trading concluded trading with 13,746 shares, at $2.10, SSL Venture Capital finished at $1.61, with an exchange of 5,215 shares, Stationery and Office settled with a loss of 46 cents at $9.04, with 21,200 stock units changing hands and tTech traded 22,000 shares with a loss of 2 cents to close at $5.71.
Jetcon Corporation ended 15 cents higher at $2, with an exchange of 8,565 shares, Key Insurance concluded trading with 5,000 stock units at $3.35. Knutsford Express settled at $12.30, with an exchange of 105 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading of 158,443 shares with a loss of 10 cents in closing at $3.70, Lasco Financial exchanged 10,500 shares and rose 1 cent to $4.86, Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading of 110,603 stock units and rose 45 cents to close at $3.50. Main Event closed at $5.21, with 6,836 units trading, Stationery and Office added 42 cents in closing at $9.50, with an exchange of 75,974 stock units and tTech traded 38,213 shares after rising 2 cents to end at $5.73.
