West Indian Tobacco lost 25 cents to close at $40.75, with investors exchanging 16,782 shares, but the market closed with five securities ending at 52 weeks’ highs as year-end momentum starts gathering steam.
At the close, the Composite Index gained 8.62 points to 1,453.53 points. The All T&T Index rose 6.07 points to 1,825.75, while the Cross Listed Index added 1.53 points to close at 146.53. Trading ended with the prices of 7 stocks rising, one declined while four remained unchanged.
Investors traded 197,680 shares amounting to $2,775,811 from an exchange of 12 securities, against 15 on Wednesday, resulting in trading in 304,217 shares at $3,580,067.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended at four stocks with bids lower than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investment Fund finished trading with 25,385 stock units and rose 55 cents close at $25, Guardian Holdings climbed $1 to settle at a 52 weeks’ high of $20, with 384 stock units trading, Massy Holdings closed with an increase of 25 cents at a 52 weeks’ high of $60, with 357 stock units changing hands. 
NCB Financial gained 30 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $11.30, with 15,200 units crossing the exchange, Republic Financial rose 10 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $130.10, with investors exchanging 566 shares, Scotiabank added 20 cents and ended at $60, with 1,396 stock units trading and Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 3 cents in trading of 40,365 shares to close at $21.15
Losses| West Indian Tobacco shares fell 25 cents, completing trading at $40.75, with 16,782 units crossing the exchange.
Firm Trades| Ansa Merchant Bank ended at $35.50, in swapping of just five shares, First Citizens Bank closed at $43, in exchanging of 527 shares, JMMB Group settled at $2.40, with 96,614 stock units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean ended at $23.50, after trading 99 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
West Indian Tobacco gained $1 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $41 with investors exchanging more than 9,000 shares as some selling came out. 
West Indian Tobacco rose $1 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $41, with 9,160 changing hands.
NCB Financial closed with an increase of 20 cents and concluded trading of 27,200 stock units at a record high of $11.20. Trinidad Cement rose 15 cents and completed trading with 51,619 units at $1.95 and LJ Williams rose 15 cents and ended at $1.35, with 5,000 stock units trading.
Demand for West Indian Tobacco shares continues to build since the price adjusted for the three for one split last week. Bids to buy the stock have been rising and are now at 20,465 units at $40, above the adjusted last sale price of $34.98 but there are no stocks offered for sale. 
Main market stocks indices tumbled on Friday, the last trading day of the month even as more stocks recorded gains than losses but the market is still up 32 percent for the year to date.
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 653,621 units valued at $8,699,916 and previously, an average of 638,084 units valued at $8,537,415 for each security changing hands. The market closed out October with an average of 957,488 units valued at $13,947,047 for each security traded.
Scotia Group dropped $1.98 to $53.02, in transferring 169,848 shares, Seprod ended at $50.89 after losing 80 cents in trading 48,617 shares, Stanley Motta climbed 90 cents to $6.30, after swapping 25,600 units and Sygnus Credit Investments closed 64 cents higher, ending the day at $23.64 with 52,609 shares changing hands.
Demand for West Indian Tobacco shares continues to build with the price adjusted for the 3 for one split bids to buy rising to 19,265 units at $40 well up on the adjusted last sale price of $34.98, but there are no stocks offered for sale. 
Losses| First Citizens Bank fell 90 cents and settled at $42.10, in swapping 50 shares, Grace Kennedy closed with a loss of 4 cents at $3.44, after exchanging 1,311 shares, JMMB Group shed 6 cents and completed trading of 201,768 shares at $2.40. Sagicor Financial declined 25 cents to end at $10.75, with investors exchanging 150,706 shares.
Kingston Wharves climbed $2 to $57 trading just 250 units, Mayberry Investments gained $1 to close at $10, with 46,680 shares changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities ended at $12.20, after gaining $1.20 in swapping 181,769 stock units, 
Republic Financial closed with a gain of 19 cents at $125.99, after exchanging 16,212 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 25 cents and ended trading of 23,566 shares at $21.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading on Wednesday with the premier market indices gaining more than 1,000 points and leaving the indices with overall positive gains for the week-to-date and the market being at the highest point since mid-month. 
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy closed 50 cents lower to $229.50 after 304 units changed hands, 138 Student Living gained 72 cents, ending at $4.62 with 10,026 shares traded, PanJam Investment settled at $102, after losing 50 cents and swapping 14,385 shares. Proven Investments dipped by $1.50 to $46.50, in an exchange of 16,822 shares, Sagicor Group added $1 to close at $67, with 49,907 shares changing hands, Scotia Group climbed $2 to $55 trading 19,362 stock units, Stanley Motta closed 45 cents higher to $5.60, with 17,450 units crossing the market and Wisynco Group lost 49 cents and ending at $23.01 with 154,935 shares changing hands.
