After clearing the near 11 year record high set back in January 2005 on Monday on Jamaica Stock Exchange bulls continued their rampage and pushed the market on Tuesday to a new record high of 143,154 points after adding 2,959.73 points on the all Jamaica Composite Index.
A total of 24 stocks rose, 10 declined as 40 securities, totalling 6,809,889 units valued at $47,476,253 changed hands, in all market segments. A total of 12 stocks ended at 52 weeks’ closing highs and 3 traded at 52 weeks’ intraday high. The JSE Market Index shot up 2,648.39 points to 129,029.81, a new closing high. JSE combined index climbed 2,323.43, points to end at a new closing high of 133,399.90.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with offers that were lower.
In trading, Berger Paints traded 15,000 shares and gained 40 cents to close at $3.40 for a 52 weeks’ high, Cable and Wireless closed with a gain of 24 cents as with 338,626 shares changed hands to end at 52 weeks’ high of $1.26. The stock closed 76,499 units on the bid at $1.27 and with over 2,168,716 million shares on the bid at $1.26. Caribbean Cement gained $1 to end at $18.50 for a new 52 weeks’ closing high, with 193,583 shares changing hands.
Cement closed with seven lots being offered amounting to just over 400,000 shares between $18.50 and $24. Carreras ended at 52 weeks’ high with 5,000 share trading at $53 after adding 98 cents, Ciboney Group traded 200,000 shares to end at 9 cents after gaining 1 cent. Desnoes & Geddes had 451,515 units changing hands to close at $30, Grace Kennedy exchanged 1,200 shares at $67.50 to close at a new 52 weeks High as the price gained $2.40, Jamaica Broilers traded 162,859 shares to close at $8.01. JMMB Group lost 45 cents in trading 115,050 shares to close at $9.75, Mayberry Investments traded 49,431 shares and gained 31 cents to end at a 52 weeks high of $3.81, National Commercial Bank rose 12 cents to end with 73,630 shares trading at $31.50. Pan Jamaican price traded 12,771 shares to end at $80, Pulse Investments traded 118,971 and close at 5 by gaining 4 cents, Sagicor Group lost 20 cents with 68,757 shares trading to close at $14.30.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 25,000 units as the price gained 80 cents to close at $10 for a 52 weeks’ high. Scotia Group ended with 125,411 shares trading closed at $26.50 after rising by 50 cents, Seprod traded 31,400 shares at $14.96, Sterling Investments traded 216,400 shares to close at $13, Supreme Ventures ended at $3.90 with 808,203 units changing hands and lost 10 cents. Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share, had 100,000 units changing hands at $2.70 and Proven Investments 8% preference share closed with a loss of 10 cents as 120,500 units traded to end at $4.95.
JSE closing on record for Jamaican stocks
The Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday with the All Jamaican Index just under 2,500 points away from the old record 138,917.59 reached on 24th of January 2005.
By the close 4 stocks ended trading, at 52 weeks’ closing highs and Desnoes and Geddes traded during the day at intraday high of $30.25. A total of 14 stocks rose, with 10 declined as 29 securities, totalling 5,416,421 units valued at $103,069,379 changed hands, in all market segments. The JSE Market Index shot up 355.39 points to 123,026.73, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index gained 397.16 to end at 136,445.59 and the JSE combined index climbed 435.35, points to end at a new high of 127,702.70.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with offers that were lower.In trading, Cable and Wireless closed with a gain of 5 cents as 368,000 shares changed hands to end at 52 weeks’ high of 67 cents, Caribbean Cement gained 38 cents to end at $14.18 for a new 52 weeks’ closing high, with 137,325 shares changing hands. Carreras fell 50 cents while trading 219,140 shares to end at $52, Desnoes & Geddes had 2,001,720 units changing hands, to close at $30, Grace Kennedy exchanged 63,262 shares at $64.75 to gain 19 cents, Jamaica Broilers lost 20 cents in trading 62,885 shares to close at $7.80, JMMB Group gained 55 cents in trading 231,000 shares to close at $10.
Kingston Wharves traded 13,300 shares to close at $9, National Commercial Bank closed with a loss of 60 cents with 259,300 shares trading to end at $31. Pan Jamaican price jumped $2 in trading 20,000 shares to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $72, Radio Jamaica traded 55,799 units but the price fell 50 cents to close at $3.50, Scotia Group ended with 61,695 shares trading at $25 after falling $1. Scotia Investments ended with 20,000 shares trading at $26, Proven Investments ordinary share traded 170,644 units with a loss of 0.50 cent to end at of 24.5 US cents and Supreme Ventures gained 15 cents and ended at $3.90 with 372,698 units changing hands.
More gains for JSE Thursday morning
The Jamaica stock market after 90 minutes of trading, recorded another morning of increases in the indices on Thursday morning, but just being barely up after being up by a fair amount up to 11am. Trading resulted in 23 securities changing hands with a volume of 3,586,645 units as 9 stocks gained and 8 declined.
The All Jamaican Composite index jumped 66.87 points to 135,115.30
JSE Market Index rose 59.84 points to 122,731.18 the JSE combined index rose 145.04 points to be at 127,412.39 and the junior market index rose 9.91 points to 1,291.86.
In trading, Desnoes & Geddes exchanged 2,000,220 between $30 and $30.25 and now trades at $30, Jamaica Broilers exchanged 62,885 shares at $7.80, down by 20 cents, Caribbean Flavours traded at a new high of $3.80 with 400,000 shares as the stock gained 30 cents Lasco Financial Services had 439,750 units trading down to $2.41 after opening at $2.60 and lost 19 cents in the process.
Jamaica dollar rose vs US on Tuesday
Trading of foreign currency into the forex market on Tuesday, had the US dollar selling rate ground falling against the Jamaican dollar and the pound and Canadian dollar rising versus the local currency. The equivalent of US$48,785,985 was bought by dealers, compared with US$28,906,392 on Friday, while they sold the equivalent of US$39,217,475 versus US$23,735,150 previously.
In US dollar trading , dealers bought US$45,101,656 compared to US$25,241,490 on Friday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 6 cents to $119 and US$36,870,724 was sold versus US$22,798,959 on Friday, the selling rate fell 2 cents to $119.57.
The Canadian dollar buying rate declined 57 cents to end at $89.73 with dealers buying C$1,388,271 and selling C$1,587,771, at an average rate that rose 54 cents to $92.80. The rate for buying the British Pound fell 21 cents to $181.44 for the purchase of £1,644,669, while £660,786 was sold, at an average rate that gained $2.20 to $183.70. At the end of trading, it took J$136.06 to purchase the Euro, with a fall of 12 cents from Friday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$133.29 for a fall of 53 cents on Friday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$141,716 being bought, while US$99,228 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying and highest selling rates for the US dollar ended unchanged at $119.90 and $125.78 respectively, but the lowest buying rate ended 4 cents higher at $98.15 and lowest selling rate jumped sharply by $9.20 to $98.15.
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar fell 84 cents to $92.90, the lowest buying rate remained at $73.75, the highest selling rate added 24 cents to end at $95.07 and the lowest selling rate dropped 90 cents to $87.10. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, climbed $2 to end at $186.50. The lowest buying rate was unchanged at $148.74, the highest selling rate rose $2.68 to $191.74 and the lowest selling rate closed $1 higher to end at $177.50.
191% profit surge for Jamaica Broilers
Jamaica Broilers stock traded at $8 for a gain of 98 percent this year to date, partially spurred by 191 percent jump in after tax profit for the July quarter, to $331 million from $114 million in 2014.
Revenues for the quarter climbed 13 percent to $9 billion which, compared to the $7.8 billion in 2014. Earnings per stock amounts to 27.58 cents against 9.47 cents in the corresponding period last year.
Gross profit grew much faster than revenues at 32 percent to $2.28 billion over the corresponding quarter last year and gross profit margin rose to 25.54 percent from 21.88 percent in 2014. The fall in world market prices for energy and corn along with the closure of the ethanol operation would have contributed to some of the reduction in direct cost. Distribution and selling cost climbed to $248 million from $226 million and administration and other expenses rose by 17.5 percent to $1.5 billion.
Free cash flow from operations generated $851 million leading to cash and investments of $1.8 billion at the end of the quarter, down from $2.3 billion in 2014 as the company repaid just over $300 million in loans and $545 million in payables while receivables growth consumes $380 million, year over year.
Segment results show the Jamaican operations enjoying a marked improvement over 2014 with segment profit of $697 million in the 2015 July quarter, from $448 million reported last year. “We are recording increased sale volumes in poultry and feed products. In addition our focus on cost containment and improvements in the production processes for poultry and feed are bearing fruit,” the company said in its report to shareholders. The US segment show 31 percent sales growth to $2.07 billion from $1.58 billion in 2014 but slightly lower segment profit of $266 million versus $271 million while the Haitian operation performed below that of the prior year period.
The company stated that “Operations are now at an optimal level with respect to the sale of our main product –fertile eggs for the broiler industry. We expect steady growth in other product lines in this segment. In the Other Caribbean Operations, Haiti Broilers SA has increased production and sale of table eggs to 13 percent of the market, compared to 8 percent at the end of the first quarter last year. The positive effect of this volume growth has however been neutralized by significant increases in operating costs due to the depreciation of the Haitian Gourde against the US dollars during this quarter. Our move into sustained profitability in Haiti has therefore been delayed. This segment was also impacted by impairment and mark- to- market adjustments, amounting to $44 million, on certain financial assets in two of our St. Lucian subsidiaries”.
Jamaica Broilers should end up with earnings in the region of $1.30 for the 2016 fiscal year ending April compared with 86.4 cents for 2015. The PE for the stock is just over 6 at the current price of $8. The company declared the payment of an interim dividend of 10 cents per share, payable on November 13. In May this year a payment of 9 cents per share was paid.








The Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday with the All Jamaican Index is now 4,000 points away from the old record 138,917.59 reached on 24th of January 2005. By the close 7 stocks ended trading at 52 weeks’ closing highs. A total of 14 stocks rose, with 10 declining as 31 securities, totaling 3,337,233 units valued at $31,552,287 changing hands, in all market segments.


