LasD big day on Wednesday
There were two 52 weeks’ highs with 15 active securities trading, as 6 advanced and 4 declined and the junior market index rose 10.83 points, to end at 2,169.39. A total of 3 stocks closed with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 ended with lower offers.
At the end of trading in the market, Caribbean Cream traded 3,000 units and rose 15 cents to end at $4.60, Caribbean Flavours traded 17,000 units at $8.50, Consolidated Bakery gained 3 cents with 76,757 shares changing hands at $1.38, Dolphin Cove gained 1 cent 23,856 to end at $12.51. General Accident ended trading 9,000 shares to close at $2.70, Honey Bun jumped $1.30 to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $18.30 with 7,042 shares trading, ISP Finance gained 6 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.80 with 63,000 shares. Jamaican Teas traded 8,000 shares to end at $3.91, Jetcon Corporation ended at $2.90 while 294,854 units traded, Knutsford Express had 2,100 shares trading and gained $2.10 to close at $18.90, Lasco Financial lost 1 cent to close at $3.49 with 218,990 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing lost 1 cent to close at $4.58 with 195,355 shares trading, Medical Disposables traded 62,200 shares to close 27 cents lower at $3.15 and Paramount Trading ended with 35,000 shares changing hands at $10.85.
3 Lascos dominate on Friday
Trading on the junior market saw more stocks rising than declining, but a fall of $1.30 in the price of Lasco Manufacturing resulted in the junior market index falling by 38.55 points to end at 2,064.85 as the three Lasco listed companies accounted for the bulk of the volume for the day. .
There were 12 active securities trading, with 8 advancing and 3 declining. At the close, 9 stocks closed with bids higher than the last selling prices and 3 ended with lower offers. Volume traded is 2,216,522 shares valued at $11,878,080.
At the end of trading in a market, AMG Packaging traded 16,841 shares at $13, Caribbean Cream traded 68,200 units to gain 15 cents and end at $4.35, Honey Bun rose 20 cents to end at $17.20 with 305 shares trading. Iron Rock Insurance traded at $3.35 at the close while 8,800 shares changed hands, with a gain of 5 cents, Jamaican Teas traded 25,571 shares and fell 1 cent to end at $3.99, Jetcon Corporation gained 20 cents to end at $2.90 while only 500 units traded. Knutsford Express traded 9,600 shares but fell $2.10 to $16.80, Lasco Distributors rose 35 cents and ended at $7.60 with 998,711 shares trading, Lasco Financial gained 15 cents to close at $3.15 with 569,195 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing fell $1.30 to close at $3.55 with 488,299 shares trading, Medical Disposables rose by 10 cents in trading 30,000 shares to close at $3.20 and tTech ended with 500 units changing hands to end with a gain of 27 cents at $4.45.
Trading falls for juniors – Thursday
At the close, 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last selling prices and 3 ended with lower offers. Volume traded is 3,938,670 shares valued at $14,970,710.
At the end of trading in a market, AMG Packaging traded 1,848 shares at $13, Caribbean Cream traded 133,566 units to gain 20 cents and end at $4.20, Consolidated Bakeries rose 8 cents in trading 18,782 shares to close at $1.25, Honey Bun rose $1.20 to end at $17 with 4,000 shares trading. Iron Rock Insurance traded at $3.30 while 9,786 shares changed hands with a gain of 20 cents, ISP Finance had 50,000 shares changing hands and rose 29 cents to close at $2.74, Jamaican Teas traded 5,000 shares and gained 30 cents to end at $4, Jetcon Corporation fell 15 cents to end at $2.70 while 880, 327 units traded. Lasco Distributors rose 5 cents and ended at $7.25 with 272,349 shares trading. Lasco Financial lost 10 cents to close at $3 with 1,397,376 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rose 15 cents to close at $4.85 with 1,213,474 shares trading and tTech ended with 2,162 units changing hands to end with a gain of 3 cents at $4.18.
JSE slip in early trading – Thursday
Trading in the mid-morning session on the Jamaica Stock Exchange saw decline in the main and junior market indices with the advance decline ratio being nearly even.
The leading trades in the morning session, include Cable and Wireless with 1,502,355 units, Jetcon Corporation with 836,487 units, Lasco Manufacturing 914,053 shares National Commercial Bank with 540,045 units ahead of today’s release of the March quarter results and dividend announcement.
After 90 minutes of trading, on Thursday, the average volume traded amounts to 149,862 units per active stock, compared to an average of 157,938 units traded in the mid-morning session on Wednesday. A total of 29 securities accounting for 4,346,000 shares changed hands as 7 stocks gained and 6 declined.
The market saw the all Jamaica Composite Index slipped 506.63 points to 168,815.53, the JSE Market Index fell 453.01 points to 151,993.07, the JSE combined index ended with a fall of 529.58 points to 162,523.11 and the junior market index declined 10.66 points to 2,099.24.
Profit jumps 127% for car mart
Jetcon Corporation’s revenues grew 55 percent in the first quarter ending March, leading to an increase of 127 percent in profit before tax came of $19.35 million, while after tax the profit rose 126 percent to $14.6 million or 9.4 cents per share compared with $6.8 million in the same period in 2015.
The growth for the quarter is above the 50 percent increase enjoyed during all of 2015. Gross profit doubled to $32.4 million and gross profit margin, moved from 16.9 percent to 21.9 percent, during the quarter.
Inventory of motor vehicles and parts increased moderately since March 2015 but is up 46.7 percent since December 2015, to reach $123.9 million while receivables increased sharply but is due to amounts deposited with suppliers for goods. All loans that were outstanding at the end of December last year have since been repaid in full and cash on hand increased to $60.5 million helped by the inflows of funds from the initial Public offer.
The shares which were listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in March this year, traded at $2.85 after details of the results were released.
Juniors jump 8% on – Friday
The junior market index jumped sharply by 159.72 points or 8 percent on top of the 72.93 points it gained on Thursday to end at 2,114.08 on Friday. As was the case on Thursday Lasco Distributors and Manufacturing made big impression on the market index. The volume traded ended with 2,723,962 units valued at $12,229,768, changing hands. The market closed with 16 active securities, 9 of which advanced and 3 declined while one stock closed at a 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of trading 4 stocks closed with bids higher than the last selling prices and just 4 ended with lower offers.
At the end of trading in a market with price gains dominated by the Lasco companies, AMG Packaging closed with a loss of 2 cents in trading 5,540 units to end at $12, CAC 2000 traded 1,400 shares 40 cents higher to close at $6.90. Cargo Handlers ended with 100 shares changing hands for a gain of $1.49 and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $45, Caribbean Cream traded 233,322 units at $4, Caribbean Producers traded 100,000 units to end at $4, Consolidated Bakeries gained 11 cents in trading 7,870 shares to close at $1.21, Dolphin Cove traded 714 shares to close at $13. Iron Rock Insurance 28,000 units on the bid at $3.50, ISP Finance had 20,719 units changing hands but lost 5 cents to close at $2.45, Jetcon Corporation had 575,835 shares trading with a gain of 3 cents at $2.50, Key Insurance rose by 5 cents to close at $2.55 after 30,114 shares changed hands, Lasco Distributors jumped $1.29 to end at $7.50 with 528,460 units trading, Lasco Financial gained 4 cents to close at $3.03, with 117,447 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing gained 56 cents with 977,026 shares changing hands to close at $4.70, Medical Disposables closed at $3.10 with 50,000 shares trading with a loss of 5 cents, tTech ended with 47,415 shares changing hands with a gain of 1 cent at $4.18.
JSE rise in early trading – Friday
Caribbean Cement climbed to $25 up $4.50 on the back of big jump in first quarter earnings of 98 cents per share. The stock now has a bid at $25 and is offered at $29. Stocks gaining the Junior market resulted in a big 5 percent rise in index as all three Lasco listed companies recorded gains. The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange had a nice bounce with the rise in Caribbean Cement share price.
The leading trades are Jetcon Corporation traded 575,835 shares at $2.50, Lasco Distributors with 190,500 units at $7.20, Lasco Manufacturing with 112,366 shares at $4.80. Cargo Handlers traded at a new high of $45.
After 75 minutes of trading on Friday, the market had an average of 59,318 units per active stock traded, compared to an average of 83,005 units traded in the mid-morning session on Thursday.
A total of only 22 securities accounting for 1,304,985 shares changed hands at 10.45 am as 8 stocks gained and 2 declined.
The market saw the all Jamaica Composite Index climbed 1,144.38 points to 165,649.14, the JSE Market Index gained 1,023.26 points to 149,161.81, the JSE combined index ended with a rise of 2,056.93 points to 159,518.65 and the junior market index rose 108.01 points to 2,057.22.