Stocks are off to a cautious trading in with few major price changes. The most significant price change is Scotia Group with a price of $25.90 up from $25.16 on Friday.
Caribbean Cement traded 227,030 at $5 compared with a close of $4.21 on Friday. Sagicor Group traded 727,037 units and the price slipped to $11 from$12 on Friday. Proven Investments 8% preference share traded 8,000 and gained 50 cents to $5.50. Interest in National Commercial Bank has slowed with the bid in to buy 100,860 at $28.20 compared with the last sale of 52,070 units at $30. Twenty six stocks have traded so far with ten from the junior market. Caribbean Cream trading 100,000 units at $1.20, Jamaican Teas 194,500 shares at $3 after languishing at $2.55 for a long time.
Slow Monday morning session
New record close for junior market
The junior market closed at a new all-time high, after Lasco Distributors shot up to close at $1.70, a new 52 weeks high. A total of 10 securities traded ending with 200,026 units changing hands valued at $378,709. The JSE Junior Market Index advanced by 7.47 points to close at 844.30, surpassing the previous high of 840.18 reached on July 9, 2013.
The market closed with the price of 5 stocks advancing and 2 declining and 3 closing at 52 weeks’ high. At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers. The junior market ended with 3 securities closing with no bids to buy and 6 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial ending with only 200 shares changing hands to close unchanged at $15.10, after almost doubling pretax profit for the March Quarter.
Cargo Handlers finished with 600 units to close at $22, Caribbean Flavours with 4,750 shares trading closed 12 cents higher at $2, Dolphin Cove finished trading with 300 shares to close 20 cents higher at a new 52 weeks’ high of $10.20. Jamaican Teas concluded trading with 26,442 shares changing hands to close 4 cents higher at $2.65. Lasco Distributors traded 5,000 shares trading, 20 cents higher, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $1.70, Lasco Financial Services finished trading 36,575 units, the price rose 10 cents to $1.40. There was dealing in 8,840 Lasco Manufacturing’s shares as the stock traded lower by 1 cent to $1.34, Medical Disposables contributed 8,000 shares with the price falling 10 cents, to $1.80 and Eppley 9.5% preference share closed trading with 5,000 units at $6.01.
Junior market inches away from high
Trading picked up on the Junior Market with 10 securities trading, the most for some time, and ended with 1,459,016 units changing hands valued at $$1,840,696. The JSE Junior Market Index rose 12.24 points to close at 836.83, juts 4 points from the all-time high. The price of 5 stocks advanced, none declined with 1 closing at a 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers. The junior market ended with 3 securities closing with no bids to buy and 7 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with 15,100 shares changing hands at $3.30, Caribbean Cream trading 1,020,000 shares at 96 cents for a new 52 days closing high but traded as high as $1.05. Caribbean Producers with 11,000 shares trading, closed higher by 12 cents at $2.90. Consolidated Bakeries traded only 100 units at $1, Derrimon Trading finished with 2,335 shares to close unchanged at $2.04, Jamaican Teas ending trading 12,700 shares to gain 6 cents to $2.61, Lasco Distributors ended with 133,688 shares trading, 3 cents higher at $1.50, Lasco Financial Services finished trading with 19,575 units, the price was unchanged at $1.30. There was dealing in 216,282 Lasco Manufacturing’s shares as the stock traded higher by 1 cent to $1.35 and Eppley 2019 preference share exchanged 28,236 units at $6.
Juniors gain with 5 stocks rising
An indicator of the state of the market at the close, can be seen by the number of stocks with bids versus offers, as well as the numbers that close with bids being higher or lower than the last sale price. AT the close there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower. The junior market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 9 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Blue Power trading 6,000 units and gained $1.30 to end at $8.81. Caribbean Cream had 11,000 units changing hands and ending 16 cents higher at 81 cents, Caribbean Producers had 80,935 shares trading at $2.99 with a loss of 11 cents. Cargo Handlers closing at an all-time high of $21, while trading 10,000 units, to gain 89 cents. Honey Bun gained 2 cents, in trading 1,500 shares to end at $1.90, up 8 cents, Jamaican Teas had 12,422 units changing hands at $2.55, Knutsford Express closed with 7,016 units changing hands at $6, Lasco Distributors had 523,076 shares trading to close at $1.45 with no stock on offer at the close. Lasco Financial Services had 3,500 units changing hands traded at the close at $1.30, Lasco Manufacturing traded 821,444 shares and closed at $1.35 and Medical Disposables ended with 300,000 trading at $1.70.
7 junior stocks set to rise
At the close of the market, there were 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with the offer that was lower. The junior market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 12 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale. Noted amongst the stocks with higher bids are AMG Packaging with a bid of $2.50 against the last selling price of $2.26. The company reported 35 percent increase in 6 months profit and an even greater increase in the November quarter Caribbean Cream reported increased profit for the full year and the February quarter of $49 million or 13 cents for the twelve months and 5 cents for the quarter or $18 million. .The bid for the stock is 66 cents versus the last price of 65 cents. Caribbean Flavours, Lasco Financial, Lasco Manufacturing and Medical Disposables all have bids higher than the last selling prices. The three Lasco companies should be reporting full year results at the end of April.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Cargo Handlers that gained 10 cents in trading 2,200 shares, to close at an all-time high of $20.10. Caribbean Producers with 2,100 units put on 5 cents to $2.35, Jamaican Teas gained 2 cents to end at $2.55 while trading 11,606 shares, 15,400 Lasco Distributors’ shares traded at $1.37 and Lasco Manufacturing lost 5 cents in closing at $1.05 while trading 63,531 shares.
Juniors still cannot pull out traders
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 3 securities traded ending with 152,220 units changing hands valued at $179,347. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 0.09 points to close at 732.58, with the price of no stock advancing and 2 declining.
While there is only a limited amount of securities that have traded, what is of import is the increased number of stocks closing with higher bids than the last selling prices, coupled with the lack of volume for nearly half of the listings, a pretty clear indicator for rising prices ahead.
At the close of the market, there were 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with the offer lower. The junior market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 11 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial Services trading 900 shares at $13.22, Jamaican Teas lost 2 cents in closing at $2.53 with only 1,720 shares changing hands and Lasco Financial Services trading 150,000 shares in closing at $1.09.
Investors selling less junior stocks
Activity on the Junior market closed with only 3 securities trading and ending with 69,733 units changing hands valued at $96,919 due to a combination of less and less stocks being offered for sale and investors trying to hold out at prevailing buy prices.
The JSE Junior Market Index advanced 1.69 points to close at 732.67, with the price of 2 stocks advancing and none declining.
At the close of the market, there were 8 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower offer. The junior market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and 11 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, General Accident Insurance gained 5 cents to $1.70 with 15,000 shares Lasco Financial traded 110,00 shares at $1.10 while putting on 1 cent and Jamaican Teas had 7,733 shares changing hands at $2.55.
Juniors’ most active day
At the close of the market, there were 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer. The junior market ended with 5 securities closing with no bids to buy and there were 8 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging finishing with 579 units to close with a gain of 1 cent to $2.26, Caribbean Producers closing with 130,050 shares to end with an increase of 5 cents at $2.15, Consolidated Bakeries finishing trading with 27,954 shares while gaining 8 cents to 90 cents. Dolphin Cove finishing with 10,000 shares traded, with a gain of 20 cents, to a 52 weeks’ high of $9.20. General Accident completing trading 13,416 units as the price gained 3 cents to $1.70, Jamaican Teas while exchanging 400 units, closed higher by 4 cents at $2.55, Lasco Financial finishing trading with 26,370 shares changing hands, 1 cent higher to $1.08, Lasco Manufacturing closing with 751,302 shares unchanged at $1.15, Caribbean Cream closing with 10,000 units, the price slipped to 65 cents, for a 10 cents loss and Lasco Distributors concluding trading with 719,397 units to close lower by 10 cents to $1.35
Trading picked up on junior market
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 10 securities traded, ending with 1,402,202 units changing hands valued at $2,643,265. The JSE Junior Market Index gained 0.09 points to close at 715.75, with the prices of 2 stocks advancing and 3 declining.
At the close of the market, there was 1 stock with the bid higher than the last selling price and 2 stocks with offers that were lower. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 7 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Blue Power closing with 127,163 shares to end with an increase of 5 cents at $6.35, Caribbean Producers closing with 78,145 shares, the price gained 5 cents to $2.15, Jamaican Teas finished with 32,214 shares changing hands to close 5 cents lower to $2.51, KLE Group closed with 54,000 shares trading 1 cent down at 99 cents, Lasco Financial ending trading with 500 shares 5 cents lower to $1.15. Derrimon Trading ended up closing with 100 shares changing hands, at $2.04. General Accident closed with 100 shares trading at $1.70, Consolidated Bakeries had 220 units trading at 90 cents, Caribbean Cream closing with 1,000 shares changing hands at 76 cents, Eppley 9.5% preference share ending with 13,235 units trading at $6, Honey Bun finishing with 196,849 shares at $1.91, Lasco Distributors finished with 30,174 shares trading at $1.50 and Lasco Manufacturing ending with 868,502 shares changing hands to close at $1.15.