2021 was not a great year for equity linked Unit Trust schemes, with the highest returns being 10.51 percent and the next best was 8.74 percent that is not bad when viewed against the Jamaica Stock Exchange Composite Index in 2021 with a rise of a mere 2.2 percent.
Scotia Investments Capital Growth Fund was tops in 2021 following years of being tops in the past.
Scotia Investments one of the perennial top performers in past years, delivered another industry-beating best performance in 2021, based on information published just before the last day of the year with a return of 10.51 percent, followed by Sigma Equity with a return of 8.74 percent. VM Wealth US dollar fund ended with 11.43 percent but the Jamaican Equity fund ended with just 3.7 percent.
JMMB Group’s Capital Growth Fund returned 5.09 percent whilst its Optimum Capital Fund rose 6.86 percent. NCB Capital Market posted gains of 6.24 percent, Proven Investments Select Equity returned 6.11 percent gains for their clients, why JN Mutual Global Fund had returns of 4.56 percent and Barita Investments could only manage a return of 5.09 percent.
Cumax Wealth Management Jamaican equity fund delivered a negative return of 3.16 percent for the year.
Investors should not only focus on recent performance but how well the funds have done over a lon=ger period. For the 5 years to the end of 2018, the three best performing Funds were Sagicor’s Sigma Equity, Scotia’s Premium Growth and Barita’s Capital Growth, for the 10 years to 2018, the same three Funds have been the top performers.
The All Jamaican Composite Index gained 1,744.16 points to 442,248.26, the JSE Main Index surged 11,265.05 to 399,994.85 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.09 points to settle at 95.54.
At the close, Berger Paints rallied $1.15 in closing at $13 with an exchange of just 39 shares, Caribbean Cement popped 48 cents to close at $71.50 in trading 44,518 units, Eppley fell $2.80 to end at $40.10 in switching ownership of 209 stocks. First Rock Capital shed $1.60 to end at $11.30 with 18,000 stock units changing hands, GraceKennedy rose 97 cents to $103.98 after 296,200 shares crossed the market, Guardian Holdings fell $2 to end at $550 in transferring 20,116 stocks. JMMB Group rose $1 to $42 in switching ownership of 341,458 units, Kingston Properties advanced $1.30 in closing at $9.50 after exchanging 1,008 shares, Kingston Wharves fell $1 to $41 in trading 23,484 units. Margaritaville added $3 to close at $21.90 with 405 stocks crossing the market, Massy Holdings rose $28 to a 52 weeks’ high of $128, with the swapping of 34,490 shares, after a 20 to one stock split took effect on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday. Mayberry Investments lost 50 cents to finish at $6.50 with an exchange of 11,427 stock units. NCB Financial fell $1.19 to end at $118.81 in swapping 21,870 stocks, Palace Amusement climbed $51 to $1,030 in exchanging 8 shares, PanJam Investment lost 95 cents in ending at $68.55 with 9,553 stock units changing hands.
Proven Investments shed $1 in closing at $35 in transferring 31,588 units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.60 to end at $60 with 559,196 shares clearing the market, Sygnus Real Estate Finance shed 87 cents in ending at $16.68 in switching ownership of 16 units and Victoria Mutual Investments rose 80 cents to close at $6.90 in an exchange of 24,577 stocks.
A total of 42 securities traded on Thursday versus 40 on Wednesday and ended with 25 rising, 13 declining and four closing unchanged.
Spur Tree Spices traded 1.95 million units for 7.7 percent market share and Blue Power exchanged 1.45 million units for 5.7 percent market share.
Honey Bun rallied 14 cents to $8.90 in trading 14,224 units,Indies Pharma shed 18 cents in closing at $3 in switching ownership of 5,049,965 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance rose 21 cents to close at $3.31 after 290 shares crossed the exchange. ISP Finance gained $1.34 to end at $26.34 after exchanging 200 shares, Jamaican Teas declined 19 cents to end at $3.50 while exchanging 211,656 stock units, Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $7.90 after trading 9,694 stocks. Limners and Bards fell 14 cents to $3.44 after 10,795 units crossed the market, Main Event advanced 10 cents to $7.20 in an exchange of 107,369 stocks and tTech climbed 24 cents after ending at $4.25 with the swapping of 241 units.
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to easily assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices. Dividends payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts that show closing volume for the bids and offers.
The facility is a five years corporate bond to be listed on the Private Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with NCB Capital Markets acting as Arranger. The proceeds will be utilized including working capital, operating expenses and capital expenditure related to the expansion of its dealership network and service station footprint and funding the entry into the consumer cooking gas and LPG market.
A total of seven securities traded, the same as Wednesday with two rising, two declining and three ending unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital USD share dropped 0.28 of a cent to 7.95 US cents, with 156,069 shares changing hands, Margaritaville fell 0.1 of a cent to 15.9 US cents with 3,171 stock units clearing the market, Proven Investments inched 0.01 of a cent higher to close at 24 US cents after trading 143,283 units Sterling Investments finished at 2 US cents after exchanging 8,893 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share ended at 12.99 US cents in an exchange of 12,827 stocks, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share rallied 0.11 of a cent to end at 16 US cents after 103,497 units crossed the market and Transjamaican Highway remained at 0.88 US cents after 102,421 shares changed hands.
Forty securities traded on Wednesday against 41 on Tuesday and ended with 19 rising, 13 declining and eight closed unchanged.
At the close, Access Financial fell $1.55 in closing at $19.70, with 77,354 shares crossing the market, AMG Packaging popped 10 cents to $3.18 after an exchange of 744 stock units, Cargo Handlers gained 83 cents to close at 52 weeks’ closing high of $9.93 while exchanging 36,059 units but traded at an intraday high of $10.72. Caribbean Assurance Brokers rallied 13 cents to $2.30 with the swapping of 12,177 stocks, Caribbean Cream increased 15 cents to $4.82, with 3,600 stocks changing hands, Dolphin Cove rose $1.15 to $23.50, with 183,677 shares crossing the market. Everything Fresh popped 15 cents to end at $1.15 after exchanging 19,852 units, Express Catering advanced 10 cents in ending at $5.15 after trading 74,680 stock units, Fontana rose 18 cents to close at $9.80 with an exchange of 142,369 stock units. Future Energy Source dropped 22 cents in closing at $5.28 trading 3,637,389 shares, ISP Finance plunged $5 to close at $25 in an exchange of 634 units, Jamaican Teas advanced 13 cents in closing at $3.69 after trading 479,945 stocks. KLE Group shed 51 cents to end at $2.25, with 6,000 stock units clearing the market, Knutsford Express rallied 10 cents to $8 with an exchange of 10,000 shares, Lasco Distributors increased 12 cents to $3.50 in switching ownership of 5,100 stocks. 
Main Event gained 39 cents to close at $7.10 in trading 143,281 units, Paramount Trading climbed 21 cents to $1.82 in exchanging 6,010 shares, Spur Tree Spices lost 19 cents to end at $3.98 in exchanging 2,940,031 stock units. Tropical Battery popped 19 cents in ending at $2.19 with 3,483,706 stocks changing hands and tTech dropped 24 cents in closing at $4.01 with 1,870 units clearing the market.
Similar to Tuesday seven securities traded, with two rising, two declining and three ending unchanged. The JSE US Denominated Equities Index gained 0.92 points to end at 205.81.
At the close, First Rock Capital USD share rose 0.53 of a cent to 8.23 US cents trading just one share, Margaritaville ended unchanged at 16 US cents in exchanging 8,085 stock units, Proven Investments climbed 0.97 of one cent to end at 23.99 US cents while trading 15,615 stocks. Sterling Investments lost 0.04 of a cent after ending at 2 US cents with the swapping of 41,285 units, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share finished at 12.99 US cents with 46,608 stocks changing hands, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share remained at 15.89 US cents after trading 1,055 shares and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.01 of a cent to end at 0.88 US cents in an exchange of 46,167 units.
Trading on Wednesday averaged 309,050 units at $8,148,393 compared to 314,956 shares at $4,531,373 on Tuesday and month to date an average of 532,587 units at $9,187,397, compared to 578,123 units at $9,399,046 on the previous trading day. February closed with an average of 392,520 units at $3,199,976.
Proven Investments rallied $1 to $36, with 6,195 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group fell $1.60 to end at $58.40 with an exchange of 237,461 stock units, Scotia Group lost 50 cents at $34.50 after swapping 134,753 stocks. Supreme Ventures lost 50 cents in closing at $18 after switching ownership of 19,897 shares, Sygnus Real Estate Finance rose 87 cents to close at $17.55 with a transfer of 450 units and Victoria Mutual Investments shed 50 cents to settle at $6.10 in an exchange of 279,035 stock units.
Investors should make use of the chart to help make rational investment decisions, by investing in stocks that are close to the average for the sector and not going too far from it, unless there are compelling reasons to do so. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock. This approach helps to take emotions out of the investment decision and put in on fundamentals while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors.
