Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Monday with 26 securities changing hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 8 declined with the main market ending in 2,884,030 units valued at $64,356,186 trading compared to 4,838,789 units valued at $105,278,278 at the close on Wednesday.
Trading in the US dollar market accounted for only 1,502 units valued at US$450. The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 144.74 points to close at 257,591.70, the JSE Market Index fell 131.87 points to finish at 234,695.22 and the JSE US dollar market index closed unchanged at 218.99 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The main market ended trading with an average of 110,924 units valued at $2,475,238 per security traded, compared to an average of 256,060 units valued at $2,718,995 on Friday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 188,647 units with an average value of $3,859,708 versus 204,192 units with an average value of $4,136,602 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
In market activity, Berger Paints lost 5 cents to close at $16.85, in trading of 17,380 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.34, with 353,181 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded $1 higher to close at $29 with an exchange of 13,220 units, Carreras closed at $77 exchanging 57,323 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $42.50, after gaining 25 cents and trading 800,378 units. Jamaica Broilers closed at $17.50, with gains of 50 cents trading 64,249 shares, Jamaica Producers closed $1 lower to $17.60 exchanging 223,675 shares and Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7.75, with a loss of 25 cents, trading 12,138 shares, JMMB Group closed at $21.25, losing 25 cents with trades of 11,790 units, Kingston Wharves traded 90 cents lower to close at $30, with 11,511 shares changing hands. Mayberry Investments gained 5 cents to close at $4.55 with an exchange of 78,234 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $71, after exchanging 143,410 shares, 1834 Investments gained 6 cents to close at $1.50, trading 4,300 shares, 138 Student Living traded 100 units at $4.50,
PanJam Investment closed 19 cents higher to $35.20, in exchanging 7,317 shares, Portland JSX Fund closed at $10.60 trading 800 units. Pulse Investments closed trading at $9.10 in gaining $1.05 with 113,536 shares swapping owners, Radio Jamaica gained 2 cents and closed at $1.67, with 43,300 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.50, to record a gain of 45 cents in trading 29,153 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 5 cents to close at $10.35 while exchanging 8,200 units, coffee processors, Salada Foods traded 2,700 units at $8, Scotia Group closed 50 cents lower at $43, with 29,579 units changing hands, Seprod shed $3.50 to close at $36, trading 15,860 shares Sterling Investments lost 1 cent to close at $17 with an exchange of 500 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.38, with trades of 678,489 shares and Proven Investments exchanged 1,502 ordinary shares at 30 US cents.
JSE majors slipped slightly on Monday
2c for Honey Bun’s shareholders
Honey Bun, at a Board of Directors’ meeting held on May 3, declared an interim dividend of two cents per share payable on June 1, to shareholders on record as at May 17.
The stock will start trading ex-dividend, on May 15, 2017. The company last paid a dividend of 2 cents on January 9, 2017, in June 2016 the company paid 3 cents per share in dividend. The stocks traded at $7.80 at the close on Friday, following half year’s results that are lower than in 2016.
50c dividend for Berger
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The board of Berger Paints Jamaica approved a Special Dividend of Twenty Cents and a final of Thirty Cents per ordinary stock unit to be recommended to shareholders at the 2017 annual general meeting.
The payment is expected to be on August 4, to shareholders on the Company’s register at the close of business July 21, 2017. The ex-dividend date is set for July 19.
The proposed payment is exactly in line with IC Insider.com’s forecast. IC Insider forecasted earnings of $1.30 per share for 2016 and $1.90 for 2018 and suggested that the results equated to dividend of approximately 50 cents per share for 2016 and around 70 cents for 2018.
In 2016, the company made net profit of $122 million compared to $67 million in 2015 and earnings per stock unit 57 cents in 2016 and 31 cents in 2015. A dividend of 20 cents per share amounting to $42.86 million and representing 35 percent of profit for the year ended March 2016 was paid on July 14, 2016 and a dividend of 12 cents per share amounting to $25.7 million or 38.35 percent of 2015 profit was paid in 2015.
The stock traded on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $16.51.
Split coming for Pulse shares
Kingsley Cooper Chairman of Pulse
Pulse Investments’ directors propose to consider the splitting of the issued shares of the company into two units for each one currently issued. The Board Meeting is set to be held on Monday, May 22.
The resolution, if passed by the Board, would go to a General Meeting to be voted on by the shareholders of Pulse Investments. The company currently has 271,789,674 issued shares, the split would put the total up to 543,579,348 units.
The company’s stock last traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange at $8.05 and carries a PE of 6 compared to 13 for the main market.
During 2016 the company passed a resolution agreeing to issue additional shares by way of a rights issue. From all indications, with the PE well below the general market the company must be awaiting a greater uptick in stock price before going back to shareholders for more funds.
NCB spawns big surge in JSE indices – Friday
NCB Financial jumped $3.75 on Friday to push marekt up sharply.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange had one of its biggest index movement in the main market on Friday as a big jump in the profit of NCB Financial Group pushed the stock sharply thus helping to spike the market.
At the closed on Friday 27 securities changed hands as 14 stocks advanced and 7 declined. There was no trading in the US dollar market
Trading levels in the main market ended at 6,987,999 units valued at $137,346,087 compared to 7,307,280 units valued at $263,394,539 at the close on Thursday.
The All Jamaica Composite Index jumped 7,046.25 points to close at 253,995.90 the JSE Market Index surged 6,419.93 points to finish at 231,419.04 and the JSE US dollar market index remained at 219 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 258,815 units valued at $5,086,892 per security that traded, compared to an average of 304,470 units valued at $10,974,772 on Thursday. 
The average volume for the month to date, ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387 versus at 390,038 units with an average value of $5,264,239 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
In market activity, Berger Paints closed $2 higher to $16 trading 61,718 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.31, with 65,000 shares changing hands, and Caribbean Cement traded $4 lower to $26 with trades of 36,720 units. Carreras gained $2.50 to close at $77.50 exchanging 2,221 shares, Grace Kennedy gained 10 cents to close at $44 trading 32,916 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $16.50, gaining 1 cent with an exchange of 56,098 shares, Jamaica Producers closed $1.65 higher to $17.65 exchanging 60,114 shares and Jamaica Stock Exchange closed $1.37 higher to $8.40, with trades of 376,194 shares. JMMB Group closed at $22.88, gaining 38 cents trading 31,800 units, Kingston Properties closed at $16 Trading 500 units, Kingston Wharves closed at $30.75, with a loss of 25 cents exchanging 2,000 units,
Mayberry Investments closed 15 cents lower to $4.60 with an exchange of 19,050 shares, NCB Financial Group traded at $67.50, gaining $3.75 with 138,083 shares changing hands, 1834 Investments gained 1 cent to close at $1.81, with an exchange of 3,000 shares, PanJam Investment closed 85 cents higher to $35 with trades of 3,250 shares. Portland JSX lost 20 cents to close at $10 exchanging 11,500 shares, Pulse Investments closed at $8.05 with trades of 3,873 units, Radio Jamaica lost 2 cents to close at $1.68 exchanging 6,750 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32.50, with a loss of $1.01 trading 15,000 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $10.35 trading 8,689 units, Scotia Group closed at $42, gaining $1.50 with 2,685,790 units changing owners, Scotia Investments advanced $2.14 to close at $38.25 with an exchange of 34,747 shares, Sterling Investments traded at $17.01, losing 14 cents with 11,000 shares exchanged and Supreme Ventures closed at $6.38, with gains of 8 cents trading 68,278 shares. JMMB 7.5% preference share gained closed at $1.98 exchanging 2,900 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10 with gains of 5 cents trading 3,200,000 units.
NCB buy rated for growth
NCB Financial Group’s shares look likely to rise.
NCB Financial Group (NCBFG) reported net profit of $9.5 billion for the six months ended March 31, 2017, an increase of 58 percent over the prior year, with profit for the quarter to March, ended with a 63 percent increase to $5.9 billion, up from $3.59 billion in 2016.
Operating income amounted to $29.2 billion, an improvement of $3.8 billion or 15 percent over the similar period in 2016. The increase the Group said “was driven gains realised on investment activities increasing by $1.8 billion or 96 percent mainly due to improved investor confidence as a result of the improved macroeconomic fundamentals of Jamaica. Net fee & commission income increasing by $1.7 billion or 33 percent, primarily due to credit related fees from volume growth in loan product sales, point of sale and e-commerce commissions, coupled with corporate finance and unit trust fees.”
Loans the main driver of profits, increased by $34.6 billion or a strong 20 percent to $207.3 billion at the end of March over a year ago. The increase was driven by a 22 percent in Retail Banking and 17 percent increase in Corporate Banking portfolio, Patrick Hylton, the Managing director, advised investors in a report accompanying the results.
Operating profit rose about the similar period in 2016 by 150 percent for Retail & SME divisio0n, 16 percent for payment services, 77 percent for Corporate Banking. Treasury and Correspondent Banking enjoyed a 46 percent rise, Wealth, Asset Investment Banking operating profit jumped 67 percent, Life Insurance and Pension Fund Management rose 50 percent general insurance grew 42 percent and other 45 percent
The Group approved an interim dividend of 60 cents per ordinary stock unit at its board of directors meeting on April 27. The dividend will result in a total payment of $1.48 billion. Earnings per share ended at 42.39 for the March quarter and $3.84 for the six months and seems on target to exceed IC Insider.com target of $8 for the full year to September.
In trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the group’s stock traded at $63.75 and at TT$3.99 on the Trinidad Stock Market.
JSE main market slips on Thursday
JPS 9.5% preference sharejumped $23.50 to $1,300on Thursday.
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday with 24 securities changing hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 6 declined.
Trading levels in the main market ended at 7,307,280 units valued at $263,394,539 compared to 2,673,775 units valued at $51,217,614 at the close on Wednesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 6,100 units valued at US$1,830.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 942.67 points to close at 246,949.65 the JSE Market Index fell 858.88 points to finish at 224,999.11 and the JSE US dollar market index remained at 219 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 122,740 units valued at $10,974,772 per security that traded, compared to an average of 53,047 units valued at $2,048,705 on Wednesday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 382,330 units with an average value of $5,264,239 versus at 398,555 units with an average value of $4,907,331 on the prior trading day.
The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
In market activity, Barita Investments closed at $7 exchanging 22,700 shares, Berger Paints closed 48 cents higher at $14 trading 4,900 shares, after trading at an intraday high of $15.50, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.31, with 508,000 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 50 cents lower at $30 with trades of 5,600 units. Carreras closed at $75 exchanging 8,770 shares, the stock traded during the day at an intraday high of $77.50, Grace Kennedy gained 90 cents to close at $43.90 trading 4,692,199 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $16.49, losing 41 cents with an exchange of 924,823 shares, Jamaica Producers closed 50 cents higher at $16, exchanging 87,300 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 97 cents lower at $7.03, with trades of 6,500 shares. JMMB Group closed at $22.50, gaining $2.28 trading 25,788 units, Kingston Wharves closed at $31, with gains of $1.60 exchanging 15,650 units, NCB Financial Group lost $1.25 to end at $63.75, with 93,122 shares changing hands, 
1834 Investments gained 10 cents to close at $1.80, with an exchange of 41,856 shares, 138 Student Living closed at S4.49 with 40,000 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment closed 5 cents lower to $34.15 with trades of 30,466 shares. Pulse Investments gained 1 cent to close at $8.05 trading 5,000 units, Sagicor Group closed at $33.51, with gains of $1.51, trading 63,150 shares, Scotia Group closed at $40.50, losing 50 cents with 234,146 units changing owners, Seprod closed at $36 trading 2,900 shares, Sterling Investments closed at $17.15 with an exchange of 6,020 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.30 exchanging 700 shares. Proven Investments closed at 30 US cents with trades of 6,100 ordinary shares, JMMB 7.5% preference share gained 10 cents to close at $1.98 exchanging 11,000 units, Jamaica Public Service Company 9.5% preference share traded $23.50 higher at $1,300 with 14,000 units changing hands and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.05 trading 462,690 units.
$1.5B for NCB Group shareholders
NCBFG paying 60C in dividend in May.
NCB Financial Group approved an interim dividend of 60 cents per ordinary stock unit at its board of directors meeting on April 27. The dividend will result in a total payment of $1.48 billion.
The dividend is payable on May 29, 2017 to stockholders on record as at May 12, 2017. In 2016, NCB paid a dividend in December of 90 cents per share, that brought the full year payment to $2.40 for a pay-out of 38 percent of profit. In January this year, a dividend of 60 cent was paid to shareholders. On May 27, last year, an interim dividend of 50 cents per share was paid to the group’s shareholders. This year’s payments come against a 58 percent jump in profit over the prior year to March to $9.5 billion.
In trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the group’s stock traded at $63.75 and at TT$3.99 on the Trinidad Stock Market.
Dolphin Cove another 2017 dividend
Dolphin Cove shareholders are in for another early 2017 dividend, as the company’s directors at a meeting held on April 25, approved an interim dividend of Twenty Cents per share payable on Tuesday, May 30, to shareholders on record on May 10.
The upcoming payment brings the payment for 2017 to 40 cents as the company paid an interim dividend of 20 cents per share on April 4, 2017. Based on the latest proposed payment, the stock will trade ex-dividend on May 8.
The company paid dividends of 20 cents per stock unit in May, August and November last year. The stock last traded at $20.08 on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and is up from $15.50 at the start of 2017.
14 stocks fell on Wednesday
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday with 25 securities changing hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 7 stocks advanced and 14 declined.
Trading levels in the main market ended at 2,673,775 units valued at $51,217,614 compared to 5,505,950 units valued at $95,998,334 at the close on Tuesday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 168,860 units valued at US$50,658.
The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 1,021.50 points to close at 247,892.32 the JSE Market Index fell 930.70 points to finish at 225,857.99 and the JSE US dollar market index remained unchanged at 219 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 53,047 units valued at $2,048,705 per traded security compared to an average of 158,066 units valued at $4,173,841 on Tuesday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 398,555 units with an average value of $4,907,331 versus at 421,588 units with an average value of $5,097,906 on the prior trading day.
The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
In market activity, Barita Investments closed at $7 with a loss of 10 cents exchanging 100 shares, Berger Paints closed $1.48 lower to $13.52 trading 215,248 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.31, after losing 4 cents with 19,178 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded 50 cents lower to $30.50 with 233,626 units trading Carreras closed at $75, with a loss of 10 cents while exchanging 97,395 shares, Grace Kennedy gained $2 to close at $43 trading 27,300 units, Jamaica Broilers closed at $16.90, gaining 10 cents with an exchange of 1,023,770 shares, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.50 exchanging 3,187 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 40 cents lower at $8, with trades of 22,332 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20.22, after losing 9 cents trading 79,664 units, Kingston Wharves closed at $29.40, with a loss of $2.60 in exchanging 1,718 units, Mayberry Investments exchanged 11,000 shares at $4.75, NCB Financial Group traded at $65, with 65,310 shares changing hands, 
1834 Investments lost 15 cents to close at $1.70, with an exchange of 124,196 shares, 138 Student Living traded 1 cent higher to close at S4.49 with 21,860 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment closed 80 cents lower to $34.20 with trades of 25,244 shares. Radio Jamaica gained 5 cents to close at $1.70 trading 76,000 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32 exchanging 55,909 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $10.35, with gains of 5 cents trading 35,276 shares, Scotia Group closed at $41, gaining $1.88 with 121,490 units changing ownership, Scotia Investments traded $1.89 lower to close at $36.11 with an exchange of 4,420 shares, Seprod gained 1 cent to close at $36 trading 7,853 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.30, losing 8 cents exchanging 62,444 shares. Proven Investments closed at 30 US cents with trades of 168,860 ordinary shares, and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 20 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.30 exchanging 40,000 units.