Paramount new designed offices.
Junior Market listed Paramount Trading, enjoyed a big turn-around in profit for the first quarter to August this year, with an increase of 126 percent, to $34 million from a 31 percent increase in revenues to $331 million.
Importantly, Paramount incurred exceptional expenses in the first quarter, last year, as the company celebrated its 25 anniversary, IC Insider.com estimates the cost to be around $20 million, excluding this one off cost, profit would have been flat, in both periods.
Administrative and other expenses jumped from $44 million to $62.7 million, but selling and marketing cost dropped from $24 million to $2.8 million. Direct cost rose 35 percent, reducing gross profit margin with gross profit rising slower than the increase in revenues, at 23 percent to reach $101 million.
Earnings per share amounts to 2.2 cents. IC Insider.com places full year’s earnings at 19 cents and for the 2019 fiscal year to May 30 cents with the coming on stream of the joint venture lubricant plant.
The directors’ report stated that they have “an optimistic outlook for the rest of the year and is very excited by the opportunities that will be realized. The construction of the blending plant and laboratory, in conjunction with Alllegheny Petroleum is slated to be complete during the next quarter.”
The balance sheet shows net current assets of US$463 million, including inventories of $338 million, receivables of $283 million and cash funds and investments at $97 million. Borrowings are at $55 million up from only $16 million in August 2016.
The stock currently trades at a PE ratio of 15 with the price at $2.90 on the Junior Market against the market average of 14 and seems to be line with the market. What is true, is the nimbleness of management to identify new income generated opportunities that makes staying close to the stock potentially profitable.
The market is well clear of resistance around 300,000 points on the all Jamaica Index and continues heading to the next major resistance at the 360,000 points range, on its way to the 500,000 points mark in 2018.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange surged on Friday to the fourth week record closing in as many weeks. At the end the All Jamaica Composite Index pushed sharply higher by 4,673.29 points to close at record 321,000.17. 
Cable & Wireless rose 4 cents and closed at $1.06, with 539,939 stock units, Caribbean Cement ended $3.10 higher at $36.10, with 22,557 units, Carreras ended with a loss of $1.50 at $11.50, with 129,369 shares. Ciboney Group ended trading with a loss of 3 cents at 15 cents, with 10,600 stock units, Grace Kennedy ended at $42.83, trading 6,745 units, Jamaica Broilers finished with a loss of 43 cents at $18.06, with 7,883 shares, Jamaica Producers closed at $16, with 2,637 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded with a loss of 5 cents at $6.45, with 9,838 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading at $28, with 224,609 stock units, Kingston Properties finished 80 cents higher at $8, with 1,244 units, Kingston Wharves gained 50 cents to end at $33, with 20,949 stock units, Mayberry Investments concluded trading 10 cents higher at $4.30, with 2,993 stock units. NCB Financial lost 65 cents and closed at $105 with 157,631 shares trading, 138 Student Living settled at $5.40, with 2,119 units, 
1834 Investments ended with a loss of 3 cents at $1.37, with 22,200 stock units, PanJam Investment finished 1 cent higher at $42.01, with 250,435 shares, Portland JSX settled at $9.15, with 2,000 units. Pulse Investments finished 10 cents higher at $1.90, while trading 34,000 stock units. Radio Jamaica added 2 cents and ended at $1.15, with 123,400 shares, Sagicor Group jumped $4.47 to $39, with 29,209 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished 10 cents higher at $14.50, with 18,319 shares, Scotia Group ended trading at $50, with 139,016 units and Supreme Ventures ended 1 cent higher at $12, with 45,257 shares.
When the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Friday with big gains in both major market indices, it marked the fourth week on a trot that the market was ending at record weekly highs.
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traded 75 cents higher at $16.75, with 149,835 units, 54 percent above the Ansa Coatings offer price. Cable & Wireless closed 1 cent higher at $1.02, with just 6,715 shares, Caribbean Cement traded $3.99 higher to $33, with 55,758 stock units trading, Carreras rose $1.50 to $13, with 375,369 shares, Grace Kennedy concluded trading 7 cents higher at $42.83, with 100,966 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended with a gain of 49 cents to $18.49, with 1,126,834 units. Jamaica Producers closed 40 cents higher at $16, with 109,041 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading with a loss of 47 cents at $6.50, with 4,072 units, JMMB Group ended trading 40 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $28, with 110,531 shares, Kingston Wharves ended with a loss of 49 cents at $32.50, with 5,657 shares,
NCB Financial lost 36 cents and closed at $105.65 with 157,631 shares trading, 138 Student Living closed at $5.40, with 10,000 units, PanJam Investment traded 50 cents higher at $42, with 1,500 shares, Pulse Investments finished 19 cents higher at $1.80, with 105,000 units, Radio Jamaica ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $1.13, with 125,960 shares, Sagicor Group finished trading with a loss of 3.47 cents at $34.53, with 24,735 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $14.40, with 21,217 stock units, Scotia Group traded with a loss of $2 at $50, with 281,355 units, Seprod traded $1.25 higher at $30, with 12,346 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures ended trading at $11.99, with 67,955 stock units and in the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% closed at $1.10, with 20,000 stock units, while Productivity Business Solutions traded 1,100 US dollar denominated ordinary shares at 57.5 US cents.
The main market closed with 8 securities rising, 8 falling and 7 traded firm with 3,975,709 units valued at $69,965,883 compared to 10,920,273 units valued at $178,163,037 on Tuesday.
Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 3 cents at $6.97, with 220 units, JMMB Group ended 60 cents higher at $27.60, with 157,825 stock units, Kingston Wharves settled $1.49 higher at $32.99, with 1,950 shares trading. Mayberry Investments concluded trading at $4.20, with 20,194 stock units, 1834 Investments finished at $1.40, with 2,079 units, PanJam Investment settled $1.50 higher at $41.50, with 285,310 units, Portland JSX ended trading at $9.15, with 2,000 shares, Pulse Investments concluded trading 1 cent higher at $1.61, with 47,439 units. 
Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.14, with 36,167 shares trading, Sagicor Group finished with a loss of $1.99 at $38, with 33,719 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading 35 cents higher at $14.50, with 1,209 units, Scotia Group finished trading $1 higher at $52, with 478,019 shares, Seprod finished trading with a loss of $1.25 at $28.75 as 626 stock units traded. Supreme Ventures rose 1 cent and concluded trading at $11.99, with 366,286 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% settled at $1.11, with 1,087,990 units In the US dollar market segment, Proven Investments closed with 11,330 units trading at 23.5 US cents.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange continues its bullish mood as trading closed with the 8 consecutive record on Tuesday, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 1,582.36 points to a record 316,696.32 and the JSE Index advancing 1,441.71 points to a record 288,546.16.
Grace Kennedy settled 20 cents higher at $43, with 3,036 stock units, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 49 cents at $18, after trading 13,309 units, Jamaica Producers finished at $16, with 5,905 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 30 cents higher at $7, with 12,934 shares, JMMB Group closed with a loss of 50 cents at $27, trading 264,989 units, Kingston Wharves ended at $31.50, with 8,255 shares, Mayberry Investments closed with a loss of 40 cents at $4.20, with 73,720 stock units trading, 
138 Student Living ended trading 9,581 shares at $5.40. PanJam Investment settled with a loss of $1.99 at $40, exchanging 925 units, Portland JSX gained 15 cents to end at $9.15, with 1,800 stock units, Pulse Investments concluded trading with a loss of 40 cents at $1.60, with 2,750 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica settled at $1.15, with 50,837 stock units, Sagicor Group jumped 99 cents higher to $39.99, with 18,676 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund settled 15 cents higher at $14.15, with 580,923 stock units, Scotia Group closed 50 cents higher at $51, with 2,453,400 units trading, Seprod closed at $30, with 38,390 shares and Supreme Ventures finished 9 cents higher at $11.99, with 763,256 stock units. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group finished trading with a loss of 1 cent at $1.10, with 5,568,368 units.