Bulls pushing Jamaican stock to new highs.
Cargo Handlers surged with a gain of 393 percent in 2016 to be the top performing stock on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, ending the year at $18.50 after a 10 for 1 stock split earlier in the year. The stock which trades at a PE of 30 times IC Insider’s 2017 estimated earnings, is also one of the most highly priced on the market. Last year the company posted profits that rose from 25 cents per share in 2015 to 42 cents in 2016.
Honey Bun roared along with gains of 325% to close the year at $5.85 after hitting a high of $7.50 in response to a 5 for 1 stock split and rise in profits of 104.7 percent for 2016.
The 2016 listed ISP Finance, jumped 250 percent to close the year at $8.50 on the expectation of strong future profit growth. This is one of the few stocks that grew sharply without the benefit of a stock split.
AMG Packaging climbed to be fourth best performer, benefiting from expectation of profit to flow from their new tissue operation and latterly by an announcement of a 5 for 1 stock split. Interestingly, while AMG last price was $24.51, the bid has been at $26.50 for several days, an indication that it will trade above the last traded price for 2016. Paramount Trading gained a more moderate 233%, helped by its expansion of it lubricant manufacturing in a joint venture arrangement and a 10 for 1
Paramount
Jetcon Corporation that listed in March at $2.25 per share, jumped 167 percent by the end of the year to $6, propelled by a near doubling in profit over 2015.
Blue Power gained 129% to sit at 7 position then Palace Amusement ended with a gain of 122, tTech that listed in January 2016 ended at tenth spot with gains of 112% just edging out Margaritaville Turks with 111 percent at number 11. Knutsford Express with gains 108% was the only other stock in the overall market to rise by more than 100%.
Data by the Investor’s Choice going back several years to 1980, indicates that on average only 22 percent of stocks in the top 10 repeat in the subsequent year. AMG was the sole stock that was in the top 10 in 2015 to repeat in 2016. These are sobering data investors would do well to ponder.
2 more than 200 percent and 4 more than 100 percent.
Honey Bun had 13,936 shares changing hands to close at $5.85 after gaining 5 cents. Iron Rock Insurance climbed 40 cents in trading 564,394 shares to end at $4, Jamaican Teas gained 60 cents to end at $4.85 with 12,000 shares being exchanged. Jetcon Corporation closed at $6 with 42,800 shares trading, KLE Group recovered 3 cents and closed with 27,000 shares trading at $1.95, Knutsford Express rose 1 cent in trading 94,857 shares at $20. Lasco Distributors ended with 63,388 units trading with a fall of 10 cents to $7.05, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $5, after 12,795 units switched hands and Paramount Trading exchanged 86,151 units at $3.
with an average value of $1,192,249 on the preceding trading day. The average for December to date is 132,679 units, at an average of $679,346. The average for December to Wednesday is 136,554 units, at an average of $696,188. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
General Accident had 200,000 units changing hands to close at $3. Honey Bun had 19,264 shares changing hands to close at $5.80 after shedding 15 cents. Jetcon Corporation rose 10 cents to close at $6 with 85,022 shares trading, KLE Group lost 3 cents and closed with 50,100 shares trading at $1.92, Knutsford Express rose 44 cents in trading 2,790 shares at $19.99, Lasco Distributors ended with 14,088 units trading with a gain of 15 cents at $7.15. Lasco Financial lost 9 cents with 16,000 shares changing hands, to end at $3.11, Lasco Manufacturing gained 2 cents and ended at $5, after 318,553 units switched hands and Medical Disposables exchanged 500 units at $4.20.
The junior market index closed at a new all-time high on Wednesday, as advancing stocks were edged out by declining ones pushing the market index up by 20.38 points to end at 2,573.55 points with a 44 percent increase for the year to date. 
An average of 181,822 units with an average value of $1,192,249 traded, compared to 41,940 units with an average value of $180,950 on the preceding trading day. The average for December to date is 136,554 units, at an average of $696,188. The average for December to Friday is 133,892 units, at an average of $667,008. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
Jetcon Corporation rose 2 cents to close at $5.90 with 1,094,291 shares trading, KLE Group closed with 1,504 shares trading at $1.95, Knutsford Express traded 6,700 shares at $19.55, Lasco Distributors ended with 1,117,322 units trading with a gain of 25 cents at $7. Lasco Financial lost 5 cents with 21,345 shares changing hands, to end at $3.20, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $4.98, after 147,247 units switched hands, Paramount Trading exchanged 64,362 units at $3 and tTech traded 1,079 units with a rise of 5 cents to close at $5.30.
The average for December to date is 133,892 units, at an average of $667,008. The average for December to Thursday is 139,639 units, at an average of $697,387. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
changing hands closed at $14. Honey Bun had 805 shares changing hands to close at $6 after rising 30 cents. Jetcon Corporation lost 1 cent to close at $5.88 with 2,450 shares trading, Key Insurance closed with 2,980 shares trading at $2.60. Lasco Distributors ended with 6,500 units trading with a gain of 25 cents at $6.75, Lasco Financial rose 15 cents with 160,289 shares changing hands, to end at $3.25, Lasco Manufacturing gained 18 cents and ended at $4.98, after 700 units switched hands and Paramount Trading exchanged 3,249 units at $3.
An average of 264,003 units with an average value of $1,823,311 units traded, compared to 324,429 units with an average value of $1,562,130 on the preceding trading day. The average for December to date is 146,640 units, at an average of $736,180. The average for December to Monday is 137,612 units, at an average of $652,554. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
Iron Rock Insurance traded 215 shares and dropped back $1.05 to $3.60, Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 80,200 units, to end at $5.89, KLE Group ended at $1.95 with 5,530 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express traded just 253 shares but the price slipped 44 cents to $19.55. Lasco Financial ended with 10,200 shares changing hands, for 5 cents higher to $3.35, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $4.98 with a fall of 2 cents after 99,283 units switch hands, Medical Disposables had 6,900 units changing hands, to close with a fall of 60 cents at $4.20, Sweet River traded 200 shares to close at $3.85 and Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 1,931 units at $6.18.
Prices on the junior market mostly rose on Monday, and pushed the market index up by a strong 43.35 points to end at record close of 2,523.96, on increased trading activity from Friday’s levels, to be up a strong 41 percent for the year to date. 
The average for December to Friday is 122,044 units, at an average of $576,756. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
Knutsford Express traded just 200 shares but the price slipped 1 cent to $19.99. Lasco Distributors had 47,247 shares trading and rose 15 cents to close at $6.55. Lasco Financial ended with 200,502 shares changing hands for 5 cents more to $3.30, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $5 with a fall of 5 cents after 4,501,100 units switch hands, up from 2,898,885 shares changed hands, on Friday. Paramount Trading had 166,512 units changing hands to close at $3, Sweet River traded 3,300 shares with a rise of 3 cents to close at $3.85, tTech traded 513 shares but rose 25 cents to $5.25 and Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 1,500 units at $6.18.
closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 4 ending with lower offers.
C2W Music with 10,393 units changing hands, closed unchanged at 35 cents. Derrimon Trading exchanged 675 shares and closed at $3.55 after falling by 35 cents. Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 60,000 units, the price rose 1 cent to end at $5.89, Lasco Distributors had 212,610 shares trading with a fall of 40 cents to close at $6.40. Lasco Manufacturing ended at $5.05 with a rise of 5 cents after 2,898,885 shares changed hands, Medical Disposables traded 15,410 shares with a rise of 60 cents to close at $4.80 and Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 1,000 units at $6.18.
The junior market surged sharply on Thursday, by 79.65 points end at a record closing high of 2,505.83, to be up a strong 40 percent, for the year to date, on increased trading activity from Wednesday’s levels. 
In trading activity, AMG Packaging jumped $3 in exchanging 7,999 shares at $21.50 as investors responded to an announcement by the company, of an approval by the Directors, for each ordinary share of the company be subdivided into five units. If approved at the Annual General Meeting to be held in January, the issued capital of the company will move from 102,378,857 shares to 511,894,285.
Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 2,290 units, with a loss of 1 cent to end at $5.88, Key Insurance traded 4,193 units to close at $3, KLE Group ended at $1.95 with 500 shares changing hands after rising by 10 cents, Lasco Distributors had 10,000 shares trading with a rise of 30 cents to close at $6.80. Lasco Financial ended with 15,000 shares changing hands at $3.25, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $4.99 with a rise of 29 cents after 964,839 shares changed hands, Medical Disposables traded 700, shares with a rise of 50 cents to close at $4.20. Paramount Trading lost 20 cents with 34,283 units changing hands to close at $3 and Eppley 10% preference share traded 667 units with a rise of 65 cents to a new high of $6.75.
The junior market dropped sharply on Wednesday, by 59.20 points close at 2,426.18 to be up 35 percent for the year to date with reduced volume from Tuesday’s levels. 
An average of 20,207 units with an average value of $94,922 traded, compared to 25,837 units with an average value of $125,376 on the preceding trading day. The average for December to date is 104,241 units, at an average of $478,446. The average for December to Tuesday is 113,578 units, at an average of $521,060. November ended with an average of 109,679 units with an average value of $607,092.
Honey Bun had 48,040 shares changing hands to close at $5.60. Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 200 units to end at $5.89, Key Insurance traded 13,157 units to close with a rise of 50 cents at $3, Lasco Distributors had 4,200 shares trading with a loss of 30 cents to close at $6.50. Lasco Financial ended with 31,270 shares changing hands at $3.25, Lasco Manufacturing ended at $4.70 with 30,929 shares changing hands, Paramount Trading lost 18 cents with 87,937 units changing hands to close at $3.20 and Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 3,950 units at $6.18.