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.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 178,088 shares compared to an average of 140,477 units traded on Thursday. The average for the month to date ends at 150,187 shares compared to an average of 122,285 units for the month up to Thursday. November ended with an average of 208,466 units.
138 Student Living lost 50 cents in trading 607,162 shares at $4.50, PANJAM Investment gained 98 cents, while trading 183,299 shares to close at $26.98, Sagicor Group closed with 185,900 shares changing hands to end 25 cents lower at $27.05. Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 5,620 units at $10.90, Scotia Group with 126,594 shares changing hands closed at $34, Scotia Investments rose 50 cents with 1,100,891 units changing hands to close at $30.50, Supreme Ventures rose 5 cents to end at $4.85, with 2,000 units changing hands and Proven Investments ordinary share traded 45,900 units at 20.99 US cents, up from 20.5 US cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 15 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Mayberry Investments ended trading 108,960 shares, to close at $4.95, after rising by 45 cents, National Commercial Bank shed $1 and ended at $48 with 80,765 shares changing hands, PANJAM Investment traded 27,700 shares to close at $24.50, Radio Jamaica traded 137,260 units while rising 3 cents to close at $1.23. Sagicor Group closed with 810,095 shares changing hands to close with a rise of 3 cents at $26.05, Scotia Group gained 6 cents, with 8,900 shares changing hands, to close at $33.56. Sterling Investments ended at $15.70 with 24,143 shares being swapped by investors, Supreme Ventures gained 1 cent and ended at $4.71 with 66,895 units changing hands and Proven Investments traded 223,687 shares at 19 US cents, up from 18.56 US cents.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 152,905 shares compared to an average of 171,733 units traded on Thursday with the average for the month to date being 170,913 units compared to 188,922 units for the month up to Thursday. November ended with an average of 208,466 units.
National Commercial Bank shed 75 cents and ended at $49 with 44,300 shares changing hands, PANJAM Investment traded 50,335 shares and gained 60 cents to close at $24.50, Radio Jamaica traded 115,343 units while losing 10 cents to close at $1.20. Sagicor Group closed with 97,235 shares changing hands to close with a rise of 1 cent at $26.02, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 18,425 units with the price holding at $10.24, Scotia Group fell by 50 cents, with 405,160 shares changing hands, to close at $33.50. Scotia Investments gained 10 cents with 6,000 units changing hands, to close at $33, Sterling Investments ended at $15.70 with 20,410 shares being swapped by investors, Supreme Ventures lost 30 cents and ended at $4.70 with 13,605 units changing hands and Proven Investments traded 65,900 shares at 18.56 US cents.
The all Jamaica Composite index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange shot through the 200,000 mark on Wednesday but closed well below the high for the day of 201,692.19, it reached by 10 o’clock after jumping 2,663.70 points. 
In market activity, Berger Paints closed at $5.60 with 5,000 shares trading, Cable & Wireless remained firm in trading 504,500 units to close at 80 cents, Caribbean Cement gained $3.90 in trading 58,311 shares to close at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $35.01, after trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $36.18. Carreras rose 7 cents in exchanging 3,586 shares at $65.98, Ciboney rose 5 cents in exchanging 888,119 shares at 22 cents. Investors traded 47,390 shares of 1834 Investments, to close with a loss of 16 cents at $1.30. Jamaica Broilers lost 18 cents and ended trading with 241,483 units, to close at $14.72. Jamaica Producers closed with a gain of 50 cents at 52 weeks’ closing high of $9 with 205,372 shares changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 73,935 shares, to end with a rise of 7 cents at $5.47, JMMB Group rose 15 cents in trading 41,507 shares to close at $13.80, Margaritaville Turks fell 1 cent with 956,505 shares trading, to close at 22.1 US cents. Mayberry Investments ended trading 21,348 shares, to close at $4.20, after rising 32 cents, National Commercial Bank shed 20 cents and ended at $49.30 with 164,718 shares changing hands, PANJAM Investment traded 512,329 shares and gained 45 cents to close at $23.70, 
Radio Jamaica traded 100,000 units, to close at $1.40. Sagicor Group closed with 5,400 shares changing hands to close with a loss of 19 cents at $25.81, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 11,081 units with the price slipping 4 cents to $10.20, Scotia Group gained 73 cents, with 4,563 shares changing hands, to close at $34. Scotia Investments fall 90 cents with 3,000 units changing hands, to close at $33, Seprod jumped 75 cents to end at $29.75 with 100 shares being swapped by investors, Supreme Ventures lost 10 cents and ended at $4.70 with 39,275 units changing hands. Proven Investments traded 45,332 shares at 18.6 US cents and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share and closed with 584,634 units changing hands at $2.11, after gaining 4 cents. 
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 106,627 shares compared to an average of 469,718 units traded on Monday with the average for the month to date being 237,896 units compared to 369,165 units for the month up to Monday. November ended with an average of 208,466 units.
Margaritaville Turks fell 2 cents with 3,200 shares trading, to close at 23 US cents.Mayberry Investments ended trading in 50,300 shares, to close at $3.88, after losing 20 cents, National Commercial Bank shed 15 cents and ended at $49.50 with 15,961 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica rose 10 cents in trading just 1,181 units, to close at $1.40, Sagicor Group closed with 19,204 shares changing hands at $26, Scotia Group dropped $1.73, with 329,592 shares changing hands, to close at $33.27. Scotia Investments climbed 90 cents with 16,385 units changing hands, to close at $33.90, Seprod jumped $2 to end at $29 with 18,636 shares being swapped by investors, Supreme Ventures ended at $4.80 with 123,515 units changing hands and JMMB Group 7.50% preference share, closed with 972,825 units changing hands at $1.08, after gaining 2 cents.
Kingston Wharves ended trading 46,195 shares to close at $19. Margaritaville Turks rose 2 cents and ended with 8,640,000 shares trading, to close at 24.9 US cents. National Commercial Bank gained 15 cents and ended at $49.65 with 35,484 shares trading, PANJAM Investment traded 99,553 units at $23.25, after falling $1.25, Radio Jamaica lost 10 cents in trading 22,753 units to close at $1.30, Sagicor Group gained 25 cents with 51,353 shares changing hands at $26. Scotia Group jumped $1.90 with 344,599 shares changing hands to close at $35, Scotia Investments climbed 50 cents with 2,000 units changing hands to close at $33, Supreme Ventures fell 10 cents and ended at $4.80 with 10,400 units changing hands, Proven Investments traded 60,000 shares at 18.55 US cents and JMMB Group 7.50% preference share closed with 796,887 units changing hands at $1.06.
Demand came in for Seprod as the price climbed $1.50 with 88,000 shares trading at $20.50 and Scotia Group dropped $1.39 to $30. In the junior market AMG Packaging rose 85 cents with 17,100 units changing hands up to $14.55 while Lasco Distributors fell 20 cents with 166,700 shares trading at $6.50. C2W Music traded down 4 cents to a new low of 20 cents with 100,000 shares.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading showed 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Margaritaville Turks traded 49,500 to end at 20 US cents, National Commercial Bank traded 82,360 shares, to close with a rise of 45 cents at $40.25. Pan Jamaican Investment fell back $1.70 to close trading at $121 but with 14,738 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica rose 2 cents in trading 12,525 shares at $1.32, Sagicor Group ended with 963,187 shares changing hands, to end at $22.30. Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 9,981 shares but ended with a loss of 15 cents at $10, Scotia Group closed at $30 while 249,275 units changed hands, Supreme Ventures closed at $5.24 with 19,300 shares changing hands, after gaining 24 cents and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded with 20,000 shares at $1.04 with a loss of 1 cent.