The junior market closed on Wednesday with the index slipping by just 0.63 points to 980.32 and a total of 2 stocks advancing, 2 declining as 7 securities traded. The market ended with 1,114,636 units, valued at $2,408,864 changing hands.
At the close 4 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 8 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 5 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
In trading, General Accident Insurance ended with 54,405 units changing hands at $1.50, in the process added 3 cents. Honey Bun with 19,883 shares changing hands, closed unchanged at $4.28, Jamaican Teas traded 54,925 units to end at $3.10 but after losing 12 cents. Lasco Distributors with 146,290 units trading, ended with unchanged at $2, Lasco Financial had 3,850 shares changing hands, ended at $1.61, Lasco Manufacturing with 335,283 shares trading, closed at $2.05 with a gain of 5 cents and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 500,000 shares changing hands to end at $2.20 down 5 cents.
Juniors slip with 2 stocks up 2 down
Juniors move up on Tuesday
The junior market closed on Tuesday with the index rising 12.09 points to 980.95 and a total of 4 stocks advancing, 4 declining as 12 securities traded. The market ended with 241,772 units, valued at $747,229 changing hands.
At the close 4 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 9 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 4 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
In trading, AMG Packaging closed at $3.65, with 5,100 units changing hands, Blue Power traded 2,000 shares and lost 50 cents to close at $13.20, Consolidated Bakeries traded 40,000 shares and declined by 20 cents to end at $1. General Accident Insurance traded 20228 units at $1.47 in the process lost 3 cents. Honey Bun with 26,827 shares changing 
hands and closed unchanged at $4.28, Jamaican Teas traded 500 units at $3.22 and added 2 cents, Lasco Distributors with 17,240 units trading, ended with a unchanged at $2, Lasco Financial had 46,336 shares changing hands, ended at $1.61 after losing 14 cents. Lasco Manufacturing with 25,350 shares trading, closed at $2 with a gain of 1 cent, Paramount Trading ended with 16,782 shares changing hands and gained 9 cents to be at $5.90, Eppley cumulative preference share 2019, ended with 8,209 units changing hands, 2 cents higher, at $6.07 and Eppley 9.5% preference share, ended with 33,200 units changing hands at $6.01.
5 junior stocks rise 1 fall on Friday
The junior market ended on Friday with the index rising 5.71 points to 965.51 with indications below showing that Monday should be another day of more stocks rising than declining. A total of 5 stocks advanced, 1 declined with 6 securities trading. The market ended with 1,524,288 units, valued at $3.455 million changing hands.
The market ended with 3 securities with no bids to buy, while 9 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 9 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 4 closed with lower offers.
In trading, Caribbean Cream traded 20,000 shares and gained 9 cents to close at $1.80, Dolphin Cove traded 4,000 shares at $11.50, General Accident Insurance traded 24,000 units at $1.50 to gain 3 cents,
Lasco Financial with 85,750 shares changing hands ended at $1.80. Lasco Manufacturing with 306,414 shares trading closed at $2.05 with a gain of 9 cents, Medical Disposables traded 621,144 shares to close unchanged at $2.50 and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 463,000 shares changing hands to end at $2.23. The usual trading data was not available after the close on Friday as such the volumes on the bid and offers are for the most part those at 11 am on Friday morning.
Juniors close Thursday on strong note
Lasco Distributors” hot new “I Cool” drink could help light up the stock on Friday.
The market ended with 3 securities with no bids to buy, while 8 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 8 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 4 closed with lower offers.
In trading, AMG Packaging closed at $3.60 as 36,280 units changed hands, C2W Music had 3,700 units changing hands unchanged at 39 cents, Honey Bun had 2,054 shares trading with a fall of 2 cents to close at $4.28, Lasco Financial with 3,250 shares changing hands rose 6 cents to end at $1.61. Lasco Manufacturing with 15,000 shares trading closed at $1.96 and Eppley cumulative preference share 2019, ended with 31,700 units changing hands at $6.01.
A number of IC Insider BUY RATED stocks are in demand and seems poised to rise these include, Caribbean Cream did not trade but ended with bids in to buy 588,536 shares at $1.68 and
support down to $1.65 with 215,000 shares and with offers for 20,000 units at $2 and between $2.05 and $3 a total of 186,000 shares. Lasco Distributors closed with the offer at $1.98 to buy 12,000 shares by Mayberry Investments for a client, more than the last selling price of $1.84, below that offer, is one for only 4,500 units at $1.90 and 250,000 units at $1.86. There are 4 offers, ranging between $2.03 and $2.05 for a total of 503,000 shares. Lasco Manufacturing has a bid at $2 for a small amount and 321,191 at $1.90, there are 5 offers ranging from $2.05 with 752,000 units and 34,000 units at $2.05 and 17,200 shares at $2.80.
4 junior stocks gain on Tuesday
The junior market ended on Tuesday with the index falling marginally by 0.60 points to close at 950.33. A total of 4 stocks advanced, none declined with a total of 9 securities trading. The market ended with 772,681 units, valued at $1,436,470 changing hands.
The market ended with 4 securities with no bids to buy, while 7 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
Stocks trading are, Caribbean Cream ended with 185,000 shares changing hands at $1.71, as the price rose 6 cents, Caribbean Producers traded 23,000 units to close at $2.35, General Accident trading 26,621 sharesCargo Handlers with 550 shares changing hands ended at $31, 
to end at $1.46 with a 1 cent rise. Honey Bun had 10,000 shares trading with an increase of 28 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.28, Knutsford Express had 8,000 shares changing hands at $6.10, Lasco Distributors with 115,800 shares trading, closed at $1.84 after rising by 2 cents. Lasco Financial ended with 174,000 shares changing hands for a decline of at $1.55, Lasco Manufacturing with 229,630 shares trading closed at $1.90.
Carib Producers dominates juniors – Friday
CPJ dominates junior market trading
At the close, there are signs that the supply of junior market stocks is on the decline with demand slowly rising, indicators that prices should be rising for a number of stocks while those declining should be less. The market ended with 4 securities with no bids to buy, while 8 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 6 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
Stocks trading are, Access Financial with 1,545 shares changing hands at $12.50 while gaining 30 cents, Caribbean Cream ending with 60,000 shares changing hands at $1.67 to gain
2 cents, Caribbean Producers trading 2,169,800 units to close at $2.35, Consolidated Bakeries traded 2,000 shares at $1.20 Derrimon Trading ended with 32,000 shares changing hands, to end at $2.30. Dolphin Cove trading 6,556 units at $11.50. General Accident trading 38,054 shares to end at $1.45, Jamaican Teas with 46,241 shares trading, to close at $3.50, Lasco Financial ended with 990,914 shares changing hands for a decline of 10 cents to $1.60, Lasco Manufacturing fell 4 cents with 80,726 shares trading at $1.96 and Paramount Trading gained 25 cents in trading 200 units in ending at $6.
Supply falling for junior stocks
Bottle heating machine at Lasco Manufacturing. The company traded 2.16m shares on Wednesday.
At the close, there are signs that the supply of junior market stocks is on the decline with demand slowly rising, indicators that prices should be rising for a number of stocks while those declining should be less. The market ended with 3 securities with no bids to buy, while 9 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 8 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 1 closed with a lower offer.
Stocks trading are, Access Financial closing with a rise of 20 cents to end at $12.20 with 255 units changing hands, AMG Packaging closing with a gain of 15 cents at $3.80 with 33,300 units changing hands, Caribbean Producers trading 1,397,823 units to close at $2.28 with a loss of 10 cents.
The stock traded as high as $2.47 in the morning session. Dolphin Cove traded 85,333 units at $12 while gaining 80 cents, General Accident traded just 38,580 shares to end at $1.45, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents with 486,695 units changing hands at $1.70, Lasco Financial ended with 718,305 shares changing hands for a fall of 6 cents at $1.64 and Lasco Manufacturing had 2,167,110 shares trading at $1.89 after trading at $2 earlier in the day.
Junior market gains on Monday
Trading on Monday ended with just 1,004,842 units, valued at $1,877,894 changing hands from a total of 7 securities that traded. The prices of 3 stocks advanced 2 declined with the junior market index rising 11.47 points to close at 966.38.
At the close, 3 securities ended with no bids to buy, while 8 had no stocks being offered for sale and 3 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with a lower offer.
Stocks trading are, Access Financial traded 2,500 shares to close with a 2 cents fall to $12, Caribbean Producers lost 10 cents with 66,153 shares changing hands at $2.40, Dolphin Cove 
traded just 204 shares to end at $12.25, General Accident Insurance had 206,820 shares changing hands at $1.45 for a 5 cents gain. Jamaican Teas had 20,715 shares trading to close at $3.50, Lasco Distributors closed with 89,124 units changing hands at $1.95 to gain 5 cents, Lasco Financial ended with 1,500 shares changing hands at $1.75, for a fall of 5 cents and Lasco Manufacturing had 620,326 units changing hands at $1.90, to gain 10 cents.
4 JSE stocks down 3 up – early Monday
Trading activities on the Jamaica Stock Exchange continues to be slow in the early morning session. The market has so far have trading in 13 securities with a volume of 1,193,370 units, with 4 stocks declining and 3 rising.
Trading activity resulted small changes to the indices with the JSE Market Index rising 12.43 points to 98,162.41. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index gained 13.89 points to 108,658.31 and the JSE combined index rose 95.87 points to be at 101,291.14. The junior market slipped 9.42 points to 964.33
The main trades so far are Cable & Wireless with 87,813 units at 48 cents, Mayberry Investments 100,000 units at $2.80 while gaining 9 cents, Proven Investments preference share with 480,050 units $5 for a 10 cents gain. In the junior market Lasco Distributors with 82,224 units at $1.90 and Lasco Manufacturing had 350,326 units at $1.90, to gain 10 cents.
Profit jumps 45% at Lasco Distributors
Lasco Distributors” hot new “I Cool” drink.
“The main contributing factors to the increase revenues were the increase in volumes of iCool beverages and additional revenue from the distribution of the full range of Unilever Products”, Peter M. Chin, Managing Director reported to shareholders in the directors’ report accompanying the financial data.
“Increase logistics costs for the period and the continued aggressive selling and marketing activities resulting in the gross profit margin being lower by 1.4 percentage points than the prior year. The aggressive efforts to drive demand for our newly launched iCool brand of beverages has been successful as the company achieved a significant increase in volumes’, Chin went on to say.
Cost of sales rose 41 percent to $1.75 billion faster than revenue growth but still allowed for the strong increase in profit. Gross profit margin came out at 16.9 percent down from 18.25 percent in 2014 and declined to 17.94 percent for the 12 months to March 2015 from 19.37 percent in 2014. Administrative, selling and other expenses rose 22 percent to $441 million during the June quarter, from $361 million in 2014.“For the reporting period Current Assets increased by 24.5 percent or $951 million. The major contributory factor was Trade and Other Receivables category which increased by 48.1 percent or $776 million, this was a result of the increased Credit Sales and Principal activities. Inventories increased by 33.6 percent or $436.7 million due to new products to market and new business agreements, Trade and Other Payables increased by 34.4 percent or $615 million over the corresponding period,” Peter M. Chin, reported.
Earnings per share ended at 4 cents, and IC Insider is forecasting 35 cents per share for the full year which would be well ahead of the 16 cents earned for the 2015 fiscal year.
While the stock is trading at $1.90 or 5.5 times current year’s earnings, making the stock attractive especially as profits are likely enjoy a big uptick in 2017 as well with more products to distribute. Investors need to bear in mind that profits become taxable at 12.5 percent starting in the second half of this fiscal year, for five years.