Activity on the junior market was moderate, on a day when the main market recorded another session of strong gains, as investors’ focus seems to be more on the stocks of bigger companies. Based on the strong profit performance of many of the junior market companies, it’s only a matter of time that more interest will be paid to junior market companies as investors seek out profitable trades.
At the close of trading only 6 securities traded and ending with 476,829 units changing hands valued at $1,177,602. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 1.78 points to close at 743.67, with the price of 3 stocks advancing and 4 declining.
At the close of the market, there were 4 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 9 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Blue Power traded 295 units to end at $7.51, Caribbean Producers had 356,822 shares trading at $2.70, Knutsford Express traded 600 shares at $6, Lasco Distributors traded 6,973 shares to close with a gain of 2 cents at $1.40. Lasco Financial Services 3,454 units traded at the close at $1.15 and Medical Disposables traded 108,685 and closed unchanged at $1.80.
Juniors not partying yet
Bulls take over JSE with 6 new highs
Seprod traded at 52 weeks’ high on Thursday at $16
Stocks closing at 52 weeks’ high on Thursday are Carreras, Knutsford Express from the junior market, National Commercial Bank, Seprod, Supreme Ventures and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 346.41 points to 86,646.17, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 387.31 points to close at 95,592.74 and the JSE combined index gained 412.97 points to 88,407.34.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 2 with offers that were lower.In market activity, Cable & Wireless traded 123,000 shares, in closing at 52 cents, after trading as high as 54 cents. Caribbean Cement had 46,061 units trading, to gain 25 cents in ending at $2.50, Carreras traded only 15,934 shares between $43 and the last traded price of $45.05, in posting a gain of $1.05. Grace Kennedy’s price fell 80 cents, while trading 5,801 shares at $62.20, Jamaica Producers had 173,904 units trading at $16.80 for a gain of 84 cents but had 1,569,027 shares on the bid at $16, at the close. National Commercial Bank put through only 25,149 units between $26.01 and the closing price of $26.70 with an increase of 20 cents. The banking group reported improved results in the quarter of $1.32 versus $1.24 per share in March 2014. Pan Jamaican Investment gained 37 cents in trading 9,054 shares at $55.50 but traded as low as $55.19. Radio Jamaica lost 25 cents in trading just 1,000 shares at $1.75,Sagicor Group posted 65,992 shares to end at $10.57 and gain just 2 cents. Scotia Group swapped
48,477 shares to close at $22, after trading at $22.50, Scotia Investments had 10,000 shares changing hands at $23.80, for an increase of 20 cents. Seprod put on $1.93 but with a mere 200 shares to end at $16, Supreme Ventures had the ownership of 51,600 units changing to close with a gain of 11 cents at $2.95. Proven Investments had 77,330 shares trading to close at 17.5 US cents but traded as high as 17.99 US cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 227,950 units at $2.30 and gained 28 cents or 14 percent, which is indicative of what now happening to interest rates, that have been declining from April last year, and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 174,738 units at $3.20.
Junior standoff holds back trading
Knutsford Express closed at a new all time high of $6 on Thursday.
At the close, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with offer that was lower. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 10 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, are Caribbean Producers with 117,000 units,
at $2.70 for a 38 cents gain Honey Bun ending with just 1,937 shares trading unchanged at $1.82. Knutsford Express traded at a new high of $6 by adding 20 cents with only 2,580 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors traded 4,000 shares between $1.38 down 5 cents but closed with a bid at $1.40, to buy 50,000 shares, with offers at $1.43 for 110,736 unitsand Lasco Financial gained 7 cents to $1.15 while trading 17,046 shares.
Low junior market activity on Friday
The Junior Market closed out the week with very low activity as just 3 securities traded compared to 9 on Thursday, ending with 226,263 units changing hands valued at $227,820. The JSE Junior Market Index is up 0.53 points to close at 741.27, with the price of none advancing, 1 declining and 1 remaining unchanged from the last traded prices on Thursday.
At the close of the market, there were 2 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with the offer that was 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.
Some buyers have backed off their bids with the interested party in AMG Packaging dropping the bid that was at $2.50 up to Thursday. The bid is now back at $2.26 the last price the stock traded at Caribbean Cream closed with the bid for 73,530 shares at 68 cents 3 cents higher than the last price of 65 cents. Offers for the stock are over $1.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Consolidated Bakeries trading 101,388 shares in closing at 82 cents, Knutsford Express had 896 shares trading at $5.80 and Lasco Manufacturing traded 123,979 units and lost 3 cents to $1.10.
Knutsford riding high
Junior market Knutsford Express, enjoyed a very profitable 2014 with a 92 percent increase in pretax profit for the February quarter of $19 million and 45 percent increase for the nine months to $48.5 million.
Contributing to the big jump in profits is a 46.9 percent climb in revenues to $334 million for the nine months and $126.5 million for the quarter, for a 39.6 percent gain. Administrative and other cost rose 33.7 percent in the quarter and 46 percent for the nine months. The earnings translate to 19 cents per share for the quarter and 49 cents for the nine months.
Borrowed funds amount to $23 million with cash funds of $55 million. The company added to its fixed assets which moved from $126 million as of May last year, to $173 million as it expands the fleet of buses on the road and now covers Jamaica with land transportation from north to south and east to west.
The company’s stock traded at $5.60 with a gain of 40 cents after the results were released. the stock remains IC Insider Buy Rated, but it is not expected that there will be much more gains in the short term with a current PE of 8 times 2015 earnings.
Volume up for juniors Wednesday
Knutsford Express stock price, gained in trading as investors responded positively to 9 months’ results.
At the close of the market, there were 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 1 with a lower offer. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 11 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale. There has developed a widening gap between most bids and offers as investors have a standoff between where the stocks last traded and where those wanting to sell are prepared so to do. Improving profit out turn has made the situation worse.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Knutsford Express fresh from reporting a 92 percent increase in pretax profits for the February quarter and 45 percent for the nine months, to $48.5 million, the stock gained 40 cents in closing at $5.60, having traded 87,603 shares. Caribbean Producers trading 993,178 as high as $2.35, closed at $2.30 for a 10 cents decline, General Accident Insurance had 224,010 units changing hands at $1.71 for 1 cent gain, Lasco Distributors gained 3 cents in trading 14,800 and closed at $1.43 and Lasco Manufacturing had only 12,230 shares trading to end at $1.06.
Moderate trading
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange has been very moderate after an hour of trading. Only 10 securities have traded so far with a total volume of 105,600 units.
Knutsford Express fresh from reporting a 92 percent increase in pretax profits for the February quarter and 45 percent for the nine months gained 40 cents in trading to $5.60, having traded 87,603 shares. Scotia Group slipped 50 cents to $22 with a small volume and National Commercial Bank traded at $25.27 off by 23 cents.
The JSE main market indices are down by less than 20 pints so far while the junior market is up 1.06 points to 733.24.
Paltry junior market trading
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 5 securities traded ending with 26,060 units changing hands valued at $76,275. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 1.20 points to close at 699.24, with the price of 2 advancing and 3 declining.
At the close of the market, there were 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 stock with an offer that was lower. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and there were 6 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Lasco Distributors closing with 1,000 shares trading, 1 cent higher to $1.46, Lasco Manufacturing finishing trading with 13,000 shares while gaining 1 cent to $1.16. Blue Power ending with 1,060 units to close lower by 5 cents to $6.30, Knutsford Express finishing trading with 10,000 units to fall 60 cents to $5.20 and Lasco Financial concluding trading with 1,000 units and declining by 1 cent to $1.05.
2 stocks rose 2 fell on junior market
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 8 securities traded, ending with 3,330,531 units valued at $4,414,484 changing hands. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 8.05 points to close at 676.03, with the price of 2 advancing and 2 declining.
At the close of the market, there were 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower. The junior market ended with 6 securities closing with no bids to buy and there were 6 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Honey Bun, ending with 16,000 shares, climbed 5 cents to $2, Lasco Manufacturing in concluding transactions in 22,160 units trading, the price gained 2 cents to $1.20. Derrimon Trading closing with 217,196 units trading as the price slipped 5 cents to $2.05, Lasco Distributors closing with 267,000 shares trading lower by 12 cents at $1.18, Caribbean Cream closed with 2,760,000 shares changing hands at 75 cents, Caribbean Flavours ended trading, with 44,000 units at $2.20, Jamaican Teas debenture ended with 14,000 units trading at $100 and Knutsford Express finished with 4,175 units with the price falling $5.80.
Paramount jumps 16%
Activity Trading on the Junior Market closed with Paramount Trading closing with a gain of 44 cents or 16 percent as investors responded positively to the company’s strong increase in profits for the November quarter which were released prior to this week. Overall only 7 securities traded and ended with 738,464 units valued at $2,745,022 changing hands. The JSE Junior Market Index rose 3.55 points to close at 697.07, with the price 3 stocks advancing and no declining.
At the close of the market, there were 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices, no stock closed with the offer lower. The junior market continues to maintained investors interest with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy. There were 6 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market on Monday are, General Accident closing with 231,500 shares changing hands, with a gain of 3 cents to $1.80. Honey Bun finished with 10,000 shares trading, the price gained 5 cents to $2, Paramount Trading closed with 132,824 shares with the price gaining 44 cents to $3.20, the stock traded as high as $3.30 before the close. Caribbean Producers finished with 11,100 units at $2.15, Dolphin Cove ended with 945 shares trading at $8.50, Knutsford Express closed with 302,000 shares at $5.85 and Lasco Distributors finished with 50,095 shares trading at $1.45.
