Market activity was very moderate in Tuesday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the prices of 11 stocks rose and 6 declined as 26 securities changed hands, resulting in 1,088,746 shares trading, valued at $15,721,500.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 521.80 points, to close at 70,786.13 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up 583.46 points, to close at 77,859.94.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market, are Cable & Wireless with 30,000 shares, to close with a gain of a cent, at 30 cents, Caribbean Cement with 5,959 units changing hands and close with a 5 cents gain, at $2.25, Carreras with 78,543 shares, closed with a gain of 35 cents, at $35.10, Desnoes & Geddes traded 25,000 units and gained 30 cents, to close at $4.55, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 6,700 shares helped to add 10 cents on the price to end at $7, National Commercial Bank with 72,545 shares, closed with a $1 increase to $18.50, Sagicor Group exchanged 193,523 shares with the price rising 4 cents to $9.03, Sagicor Real Estate Fund 25,000 units while gaining 15 cents to close at $6.40, Salada Foods with 20,000 shares as it gained 10 cents to end at $7.90 and Scotia Group 326,180 shares helped to garner 10 cents to close at $18.50.
Firm| There were only 3 stocks in the main market to close without a change in price with Berger Paints trading 6,780 units at $1.60 followed by Gleaner with 3,400 shares to end at $1.11 and Jamaica Broilers with 12,000 units at $4.57.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 10,000 units to close at $3.03 and Jamaica Public Service 5% D preference share traded 3,000 units at 35 cents.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market are Kingston Wharves with 10,589 shares, as the p[rice declined by 75 cents to end at $5.25, Pan Jamaican Investment traded 57,174 units and closed with a loss of 49 cents at $48.01, Proven Investments ordinary shares traded 12,600 units to close with a loss of 0.0005 US cents and ended at 17.95 US cents, Seprod with 5,000 shares closed with a loss of 30 cents at $10.50 and Supreme Ventures with 2,000 shares changing hands closed with a decline of 2 cents at $1.95
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index inched up by 0.26 points to close at 692.66 as only 6 stocks traded with 1 advancing and 1 declining.
Gains| The only stock recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market was Lasco Financial Services with 19,000 shares as the price gained 5 cents to close at $1.
Firm Trades| Junior market stocks that traded at the close at the same price as the previous trading day are Caribbean Cream in trading 38,300 units to close at 70 cents, Consolidated Bakeries with 41,047 shares to close at 80 cents, Lasco Distributors 4,740 units while closing at $1.30 and Lasco Manufacturing with 55,500 units, to close at $1.10.
Declines| The only junior market stocks declining at the end of trading was General Accident with 24,166 shares while losing 5 cents to end at $1.45.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
Advancing stocks out pace decliners on JSE 11 to 6
Jamaican stocks flashing positive signal
At the end of trading on Friday, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 stock with the offer lower.
This is the strongest signal flashed for some time, but investors would need to see a continuation of this positive ratio to say whether this is an indication of what can be expected in the not too distant future. With Bank of Jamaica sending a powerful signal in the forex market that the top for the Jamaican dollar may be nigh, investors could well be sensing that the time for buying stocks may not be far off. What is known is that the majority of market rallies have their genesis in July or August.
Main Market| In Friday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the main market indices advanced, with The JSE Market Index rising by 193.15 points to 70,617.93, up more than 700 points for the wee and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up by 215.98 points to close at 77,671.87, to be up 800 points for the week. The prices of 4 stocks rose and 6 declined as 20 securities changed hands, resulting in 8,773,022 shares trading, valued at $20,787,406. KLE Group dominated trading with 7,181,043 units sold by Craig Powell, one of the company’s directors.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market, are Sagicor Group with 586,363 shares, to close with a gain of 4 cents at $9.09 and Sagicor Real Estate Fund, with 20,000 units changing hands, as the price gained 15 cents at to end at $6.25.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price, are Caribbean Cement with 18,248 shares to end at $2.20, Desnoes & Geddes 4,017 units to close at $4.25, Grace Kennedy with 13,251 shares to end at $56, Jamaica Broilers 3,920 units, to close at $4.57, National Commercial Bank 9,160 shares, to end at $18 and Scotia Group with 900 units, to close at $18.40.
Preference| There was no trading in the preference section.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market, are Carreras that traded 22,764 shares to close 5 cents down, at $35, followed by Jamaica Producers with 2,062 shares trading, for a fall of 50 cents, in closing at $17.50 and Jamaica Stock Exchange with 250 shares, declined by a cent, to close $1.88.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined sharply by 3.81 percent as it lost 26.75 points to close at 675.01 with 9 stocks traded, with 2 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market, are Blue Power with 718,136 units to close up 4 cents, at $9.05 and Lasco Financial with 12,500 units as the price gained 5 cents, to 95 cents.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before, are AMG Packaging that traded 1,500 shares as the price closed at $3.10, Dolphin Cove with 14,071 units, to close at $8.30, General Accident with 25,000 shares, to end at $1.50 and Jamaican Teas with 22,000 ordinary shares, to close at $3.25
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading, are Access Financial trading 541 units, to close down $3.50, at $10, Caribbean Producers dropped a cent in trading 117,296 shares, to close at $2.65, and KLE Group lost 3 cents, with 7,181,043 changing hands, to end a an all-time low of 90 cents.
Gary Powell KLE director dumps shares
Craig Powell, a director and second largest shareholder in KLE Group dumped part of his holdings in the floundering group, during Friday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Stocks and Securities acting as brokers, on behalf of the seller and buyer executed the trade at 90 cents each, for the 7,181,043 units that Powell owned. Powell should pocket just under $6,462,938 from the sale, down substantially, from the $26.6 million value placed on it, at the time of the IPO. The amount represents a portion of 10,693,750 that the company’s prospectus said he held prior to the issuing shares to the public in 2012, and now leaves him holding 3,201,343 units. At the time of the IPO, the amount represented 14.64 percent of the total issued shares, after the issue it would have come down to 10.70 percent, the prospectus stated. Powell’s holding after the public issue was second only to Gary Matalon’s holdings of 13.69 percent. At the time of the public issue Usain Bolt’s Sherwood Holdings Limited held 6,757,000 in the company. KLE’s 2013 annual report, lists Sherwood as still owning them.
Who is Powell?| The KLE prospectus list Powell’s credentials as follows: “Non-Executive Director he was appointed September 8th, 2008. Powell has over twenty-four (24) years’ experience in management and event marketing and promotions. Powell’s work experience spans operations management at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Hotel, regional sales and marketing at Amalgamated Distributors Limited and management at Midel Distributors Limited.
Powell also has a wealth of experience in the event-planning and entertainment industry, having been a principal in many of Jamaica’s premier entertainment attractions and events, such as The Appleton Estate All-Jamaica Grill-Off, which is perhaps the only event of its kind in Jamaica.
Powell also has substantial agricultural investments, which includes the production and export of produce and has an interest in Jamaica Hydroponics Ltd., a company that grows and distributes vegetables to hotels and retail outlets. Jamaica Hydroponics Limited owns and operates the largest hydroponics farm in Jamaica.”
KLE Group has been bleeding badly, having made a loss of $56 million in 2013, it followed that up with a loss of $13 million in the March quarter this year, but this was an improvement on the $17 million loss they suffered in the March 2013 period.
Few gains as market declined moderately
In Thursday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the prices of only 2 stocks rose and 9 declined with 24 securities changing hands, resulting in 3,236,728 stock units trading, valued at $17,661,162. Price changes were moderate and is reflected in moderate declines in the market indices.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index fell by 168.40 points to 70,424.78 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index declined by 188.30 points to close at 77,455.89.
Gains| Only Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained at the end of trading in the main market with 87,160 shares to close with a gain of 10 cents at $6.10.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price are Cable & Wireless with a mere 735 units to close at 29 cents, Caribbean Cement 5,936 shares to close at $2.20, Jamaica Broilers 24,427 units and closed at $4.57, Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 1,000,000 shares to close at $7, Kingston Wharves 5,132 units to end trading at $6, National Commercial Bank with 51,246 shares trading, to close at $18, Pan Jamaican Investment 9,500 units that traded to close at $48.02 and Scotia Group with 17,500 shares trading to close at $18.40.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share with 436,000 units traded to close at $2 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share, 343,347 units traded to close at $3.03.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market are Berger Paints with 5,939 shares, declined by 5 cents to close at $1.60, Carreras with 25,536 units changing hands, to close 15 cents lower, at $35.05, Desnoes & Geddes 600 shares closing at 15cents down at $4.25, Jamaica Producers with 3,023 units traded down 24 cents to close at $18 and Sagicor Group with 481,750 shares closed at $9.05 with a 4 cents fall.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 9.89 points to close at 701.76 as 8 stocks traded with only 1 advancing and 4 declining.
Gains| General Accident Insurance was the only stock in the junior market to record an increase in price as 414,536 shares were traded to close 5 cents higher at $1.50.
Firm Trades| The stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before Blue Power with 7,100 shares traded to close at $9.01, Consolidated Bakeries 5,000 shares traded to close at 70 cents, Lasco Distributors with 206,900 shares trading, to close at $1.20.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading are Caribbean Producers traded 2,000 units to close with a 17 cents fall to $2.66, Dolphin Cove had 961 shares changing hands but declined by 20 to end at $8.30, Lasco Financial had 5,400 units to close with a 10 cents decline at 90 cents, a 52 weeks low and Lasco Manufacturing with 97,000 shares to close 8 cents off at $1.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
More stocks up than down for 3rd day
In Wednesday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the prices of 9 stocks rose and 7 declined, the third consecutive day with more stocks rising than falling as 28 securities changed hands, resulting in 3,679,094 shares trading, valued at $40,219,824.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 396.20 points to close at 70,593.18 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up by 443.48 points to close at 77,644.19.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Carreras with 13,570 shares changing hands, with a gain of 20 cents, to close at $35.20, Kingston Wharves 4,000 shares while gaining of 80 cents to close at $6, Mayberry Investments with only 1,020 units and gained 2 cents, to close at $1.50, Sagicor Group 590,364 units with a gain of 19 cents, to close at $9.09, Sagicor Real Estate Fund 4,930 units as the price gained of 5 cents, to close at $6 and Scotia Investments 16,500 shares, gained 80 cents, to close at $21.90.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price are Berger Paints, with 5,025 shares closing at $1.65, Cable & Wireless 19,705 shares, closing at 29 cents, Ciboney with 5,000 shares to close at 8 cents, Grace Kennedy 8,194 shares, closing at $56, Jamaica Broilers with 9,318 shares, to close at $4.57, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 1,009,508 shares closing at $7 and Radio Jamaica with 9,292 units, closing at $1.28
Preference| Access Financial 9% Short Term Note traded 5,000 units at $100 each, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share 384,621 units, to close at $3.03 and Proven Investments 8% preference share, 100 units to close at $5.07.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market are Caribbean Cement with 15,358 units and closed 5 cents down, at $2.20, Desnoes & Geddes with 600 shares closed at $4.40 with a decline of 5 cents, Kingston Properties 10,000 units, closing at $3.85 after shedding 15 cents, National Commercial Bank with 38,330 units and closed at $18, for a 35 cents fall, Pan Jamaican Investment 3,500 shares to close at $48.02 with a decline of 8 cents and Scotia Group with 1,274,586 shares after losing 21 cents to end at $18.40.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 4.96 points to close at 711.65 as 6 stocks traded with 3 advancing and 1 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are, General Accident with 100,000 units, with a gain of 5 cents, to close at $1.45, Lasco Distributors 55,007 shares, gained 1 cent to close at $1.20 and Lasco Manufacturing had 26,566 shares changing hands with a gain of 8 cents, to close at $1.08.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded and closed at the same price as the previous trading day are, Blue Power with 1,000 shares, in closing at $9.01 and Lasco Financial 60,000 shares to close at $1.
Declines| Only one stocks declined in the junior market at the end of trading with Consolidated Bakeries having 13,000 units changing hands and closed 10 cents lower, at 70 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Prices of 9 stocks rose & 4 declined
In Tuesday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the prices of 9 stocks rose and 4 declined, 25 securities changed hands resulting in 3,183,862 shares trading, valued at $36,706,402.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index rose by 449.66 points to 70,196.56 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up by 02.81 points to close at 77200.71.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are, Desnoes & Geddes with 30,000 units to close 15 cents higher at $4.45 followed by Mayberry Investments with 1,980 units as the price gained 2 cents to end at $1.48, National Commercial Bank 830,055 shares at a 85 cents hike to $18.35, Proven Investments with 10,450 ordinary shares as the price inched up by 0.0001 US cents to 18 US cents, Sagicor Group with 1,148,990 shares gained 10 cents and closed at $8.90, Sagicor Real Estate Fund 84,313 shares with the price rising 10 cents to $5.95, Scotia Group with 250,930 units changing hands, gained 11 cents to close at $18.61 and Seprod with 55,472 shares changing hands and closed 10 cents higher at $10.80.
Firm| Stocks trading in the main market to close without a change in price are Cable & Wireless with 11,981 shares to close at 29 cents, Caribbean Cement 6,244 shares at $2.25, Carreras 2,192 shares at $35, Grace Kennedy 420 shares and closed at $56, Radio Jamaica with 1,790 shares closing at $1.28.
Preference| in the fixed income market, Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 16,800 units to close at $6.10, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share, 10,000 units at $2, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share with 176,600 units at $3.03 and Jamaica Teas debenture dote with 3,000 units to trade at $100 each.
Declines| The number of stocks that declined in the main market are Gleaner with 120,000 shares, to close 8 cents lower at $1.10 and Pan Jamaican Investment with 84,470 shares at 40 cents lower to end at $48.10.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 8.11 points to close at 706.69 as 7 stocks traded with 1 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| The only stock that gained at the end of trading in the junior market is Caribbean Producers with 8,845 shares, to close with a gain of 18 cents at $2.83.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, AMG Packaging with 2,500 shares to close at $3.10, Lasco Distributors with 74,000 shares to close at $1.19 and Lasco Financial with 65,500 units to close at $1.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading are Honey Bun traded 500 shares but fell 12 cents to $2.90 for a 52 weeks low and Lasco Manufacturing 189,830 shares, as it closed lower by 12 cents at $1.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 2 stocks with higher bids than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
Gleaner & Sagicor inside trades
The latest in inside trades on the Jamaican stock exchange have been released. These traded can be great guides as to the likely fortunes of a company, this is not always the case and investors will need to make their own assessment of each trade or a series of trades together, to determine what may be about to unfold.
In the latest insider trades a Director of the Gleaner Company purchased 384,900 shares on July 4, 2014 the Company advised the stock exchange.
Sagicor Group in which there has been a series of inside trading in the stock advised that a senior manager sold 50,000 shares on June 26, 2014 under the SJ Executive Long Term Incentive Scheme.
Huge 61% JSE fee hike but stocks drop 45%
Investors in public listed companies on the Jamaica Stock Exchange got a huge 25 percent hike in cess they have to pay for trading on the stock exchange effective July 1, 2014. The Jamaican Stock Exchange hiked the fee investors are charged by when trading shares from 0.20 percent on each side of a trade to 0.25 percent. Since 2004 the exchange hiked fees by 61 percent while stock values are down around 45 percent since peaking in 2005.
Worse, stock investors who were getting dividends tax free, saw the re-enactment of two tax increases in the past three years. Stock market investors have gotten hit on all fronts with less income form share ownership over the past several year as they see their investment shrink in most cases. Customers of the exchange without whom the stock exchange cannot be viable, have been buffeted on all sides with no entity looking after their interest.
The fee levied on transactions across the floor of the Exchange will be increased by 0.10 percentage points or 0.05 percentage points on each side of a transaction.
The cess charge will be reflected on brokers, Contract Notes for each transaction will be 0.25 percentage points on each side of a transaction effective July 1, 2014 a release from the Jamaican Stock Exchange stated. The recent increase the second such increase from 2012 and the third since 2004.
In 2012 shareholders of public listed Companies on the Jamaica Stock Exchange started paying additional charges effective March 1, 2012 when the cess levied on transactions across the floor of the Exchange was increased by 0.0075 percentage points, or 0.00375 percentage points on each side of a transaction. The cess charge will be 0.2 percentage point on each side of a transaction. On October 1, 2004 the JSE increased its cess from 0.15625 percent to 0.19625 percent.
Only 13 securities trade on the JSE
Only 3 stocks rose in Friday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and 6 declined as a mere 13 securities changed hands resulting in 2,903,200 shares trading valued at $40,743,114.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index dropped by 589.94 points to 69,902.33 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved down 659.67 points to close at 76,871.70
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the main market are Carreras with 107,250 shares as the price gained 25 to $34.75 and Gleaner 384,900 units with an 8 cents rise to $1.18.
Firm| The stocks in the main market to close without a change in price are Jamaica Broilers with 3,728 units to close at $4.57 and Proven Investments ordinary share traded 20,000 units at 18 US cents.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 811,504 units at $3.02 and Jamaican Teas debenture note saw 19,000 units trading at $100 each.
Declines| Stocks that declined in the main market are National Commercial Bank with 149,678 units, closing 5 cents lower at $17.95, Pan Jamaican Investment with 200,375 shares, the price slipped 50 cents to $48.50, Sagicor Group with 237,115 shares, the price declined by 10 cents to end at $8.80, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 23,000 shares to lose 15 cents to end at $5.85 and Scotia Group with 927,200 shares lost 50 cents to close at $18.50.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index edged up by 1.08 points to close at 709.35 as only 2 stocks traded with 1 advancing and 1 declining.
Gains| Lasco Manufacturing with 37,450 shares was the only stock that gained at the end of trading in the junior market, with the price inching up a cent, to close at $1.07.
Declines| Cargo Handlers lost a cent in trading 1,000 shares, to close at $14 and was the only stock in the junior market that traded to close at a lower price at the end of the trading day.
Firm Trades| No stock declined in the junior market at the end of trading.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
Scotia Group dominates with $83M on JSE

In Thursday’s trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange the prices of 3 stocks rose and 8 declined as 27 securities changed hands resulting in 8,283,873 shares trading valued at $115,640,825.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index inched up by 10.40 points to 70,492.27 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index moved up 11.64 points to close at 77,531.37, after being up by 1,658 points to 79,177.73 at 10.12 AM, in early trading, with Scotia Group traded as high as $21.70.
Gains| Only one stock gained at the end of trading, in the main market with National Commercial Bank trading 61,078 units to close with an increase of 40 cents at $18.
Firm| Stocks in the main market to close without a change in price are Berger Paints with 5,000 units to close at $1.65, Cable & Wireless 16,000 units to close at 29 cents, Caribbean Cement 6,820 shares to close at $2.20, Gleaner 163,282 units to close at$1.10, Jamaica Broilers with 23,170 shares in closing at $4.57, Kingston Wharves 650 units to close at $5.20, Pan Jamaican Investment 100,000 shares to close at $49, Proven Investments 280 units to close at 18 US cents, Radio Jamaica 2,814 units to close at $1.29 and Scotia Group with 4,310,653 units valued at $82,811,277 to close at $19. The bulk of the trades were conducted by stockbroker, Scotia Investments.
Preference| Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 1,297 units to close at $2, and the Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share, 431,000 units to close at $3.02.
Declines| The stocks that declined in the main market are Carreras with 200,000 units while losing 75 cents to end at $34.50, Grace Kennedy with 100 shares, declined by $3.75 to $54.05, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 1,002,596 ordinary shares traded but the price declined 12 cents to $6.88, Jamaica Producers had 13,114 shares changing hands, the price declined by a cent to $18.24, Sagicor Group had 1,030,623 units changing hands to close 10 cents lower at $8.90, Scotia Investments with 7,800 units close 40 cents down to a new 52 weeks low of $21.10.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index declined by 8.32 points to close at 708.27 points as 8 stocks traded with 2 advancing and 2 declining.
Gains| Stocks recording gains at the end of trading in the junior market are General Accident Insurance with 147,000 units, closing with a gain of 3 cents at $1.40 and Lasco Manufacturing with 14,500 shares to close a cent higher at $1.06.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are Access Financial Services with 1,925 units to close at $13.50, Blue Power with 100,000 shares to close at $9.01, Consolidated Bakeries with 458,761 units to end at 80 cents and Lasco Financial 10,000 shares to close at $1.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading are Lasco Distributors 169,410 shares, declined by 12 cents to $1.18 and Medical Disposables with 6,000 shares changing hands declined by 5 cents $2.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bids higher than the last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.