The Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday closed with main market indices recording big losses, cancelling out the gains made in yesterday’s trading. The market closed with a fairly high participation rate of 33 securities changing hands accounting for 3,862,624 units trading, valued at $45,895,747 with 9 stocks rising, 16 declining with 1 stock closing at 52 weeks high, in all market segments.
At the close, the JSE Market Index fell 2,316.03 points to 99,099.31, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index dived 2,588.67 points to close at 109,705.40 and the JSE combined index dropped 2,164.74 points to end at 102,674.88.
The eve of and the actual Treasury bill auction days, historically have not been good for the local stock market. Stockbrokers main focus is on the outcome of the auction and interest rates out turn as well as how successful their bidding was. Wednesday’s sluggishness and pull back in prices could be related to this development with today being the day when Treasury bill bids are opened. At the close of trading on Tuesday the signals were for a weaker market on Wednesday as such today’s declines should come as no great surprise.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading that is better than Tuesday’s reading, with only of 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 9 with offers that were lower. Today’s reading is 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with offers that were lower, a reading that still carries some negative undertone.
In trading, Cable and Wireless had 306,499 shares changing hands with a loss of 3 cents, to end at 40 cents, Caribbean Cement had 19,000 units changing hands at $8, Gleaner closed with 23,326 shares and fell 17 cents to $2. Grace Kennedy traded firm at $64 with 54,439 shares, Jamaica Broilers traded at $6.05 with 42,876 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded at $18.25 with 4,000 shares changing ownership with a loss of 25 cents. JMMB Group traded 5,909 shares at $7.95 to add 22 cents, with the company reporting strong increase in profit for the first quarter. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost altitude and traded with a decline of $1.50 to $7.50 with only 7,100 shares changing hands.
Mayberry Investments had 242,254 shares trading down 26 cents to $3.14, National Commercial Bank traded 421,180 shares to end at $30, Palace Amusement gained $10 in trading 2,500 shares to end at $75, Pan Jamaican Investment closed at $60.70 after trading 1,539 shares with a loss of $1.30. Sagicor Group with 1,077,602 shares changing hands, closed 50 cents up, at $13.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 95 cents to close at $8.75 while trading 10,095 units, Scotia Group traded 471,710 units to close at $23.70, down 80 cents, Supreme Ventures ended at $3.50 with 56,004 units to be down by $1 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 150,200 units at $2.
Big drop for JSE Wednesday morning
The Jamaica Stock market suffered large losses in the morning session up to 11 am, in the process the All Jamaica Index trades at 110,281.78 to fall by 2,012.29 points, JSE Market Index declined 1,800.35 points to 99,614.99. The combined index fell 1,738.30 points to be at 103,101.32 and the junior market index 1,013.25, down 4.50 points.
Today the Treasury bill bid in the monthly auction is opened. This is a day when investors’ minds are historically not focused on the stock market as they await the outcome of interest rates, as well as how successful their bidding turn out to be. The sluggishness in trading in the morning session, could be related to this development. At the close of trading on Tuesday the signals were for a weaker market on Wednesday, today’s slowness should come as no great surprise.
On a day when there were few stocks rising, Cable & Wireless buck the trend with a rise to 45 cents with only 88,668 units, Caribbean Cement traded only 1,011 units at $8.20 for a 20 cents rise, Scotia Group fell back from $24.50 to $24.01 with just 5,000 shares and contributed a large portion of the fall in the indices, Jamaica Stock Exchange that traded at a new high of $9 on Tuesday traded just 2,000 shares at $8.50 but the stock has an offer at $8.20. Mayberry fell 55 cents to $2.85, with 42,467 shares, Radio Jamaica traded 2,500 shares with a loss of 99 cents to $3.01 and Supreme Ventures traded at 11,600 shares and fell $1 to $3.50.
A total of 21 securities with a volume of only 2,160,851 units have traded with 10 stocks declining versus 3 that rose.
Little profit in Q4 for Lasco Financial
Lasco Financial Services reported profit of $191 million or EPS of 15.5 cents for the March 2015 year, an improvement of 8 percent over the $177 million made in 2014. The last quarter was poor with only $10 million in profit, down sharply from $41 million made in 2014, due to a combination of developments.
Revenue for the last quarter hardly grew, ending at $148 million versus $145 million in the 2014 quarter while expenses grew by $28 million due mainly to increased spend on marketing and selling expenses. Jacinth Hall-Tracey, Managing director indicated that the period suffered from squeezed margins on foreign exchange trading and foreign exchange losses in the quarter, resulting from the revaluation of the Jamaican dollar and greater stability of the exchange rate. Loan disbursements slowed as credit rating data used in assessing potential clients resulted in lower loan approvals.
The PE ratio of the stock is 13 based on the last reported earnings, normally the ratio would not be that high. Mayberry’s acquisition of 20 percent of the company’s shares has changed the dynamics and remove some supply from the market.
The company has cash of $500 million and is generating over $200 million per year. If the company can find the formula to ramp up good quality lending successfully, the profit outlook can be transformed considerably with high profit margins for lending. “We are working on a number of initiatives that will help in the transition from lower income in foreign exchange activity” Hall-Tracey said. The area of credit approval is one that they is being revisited as the use of credit rating information is stymying lending. But Hall-Tracey expects profit for this year that ends March 2016 to be higher than for the year just ended, subject to taxes on profit which the company will start bearing at fifty percent of the official tax rate of 25 percent.
The equity capital of Lasco is $812 million and is well below that of its two siblings who have equity in equity of more than $2.4 billion each. The company has done well from the money remittance and cambio operations but it is in the lending that the future growth prospects seems to rest. Hence the connection between Mayberry with the know-how having been exposed at Access Financial. The company has the free capital to increase lending with only $147 million in loans at March.
JMMB dominates trading as JSE rises
JMMB Group dominated trading with 9.9 million units valued at $74.5 million on Wednesday in activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange but the stock price was up only moderately.
In trading the prices of 14 stocks rose, 6 declined as 28 securities changed hands, ending in 13,740,198 units trading, valued at $109,298,383, with two new closing 52 weeks’ high, in all market segments but with Jamaica Broilers trading at a 52 weeks’ high during the day.
TheJSE Market Index gained 661.40 points to 97,257.91, theJSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 739.27 points to close at 107,647.14 and the JSE combined index gained 659.28 points to end at 99,953.05.
Stocks trading include, 
Caribbean Cement adding 800,705 shares to gain 40 cent to close at $5.40 for a new closing 52 weeks’ high, Desnoes & Geddes lost 40 cents to $7.60 with 7,235 shares trading, Hardware and Lumber traded 210,000 shares at $18 but the bid that was at $18 was moved down to $16, shortly the trade. Jamaica Broilers had 47,213 shares trading to close at $5.45 for a gain of 25 cents but traded earlier in the day at $6. JMMB Group traded 9,935,904 shares at $7.50, up from $7.41 on Tuesday, the shares were sold in 10 lots by JMMB Securities and all but 96,142 were purchased by NCB Capital Markets for clients. Mayberry traded 147,3000 shares at $2.88, National Commercial Bank trading only 4,777 shares as high as at $29.99 but closed at $29.45, Pan Jamaican Investment closed at a new 52 weeks’ high of $63.51 with only 5,000 shares but traded at $63.75 during the day. 
Sagicor Group in trading 1,773,139 shares, ended up 10 cents higher at $12.40 at the close. Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 30 cents in trading 23,151 units and closed at $8, Scotia Group ended with 61,864 shares at $23.11, Supreme Ventures had 59,656 shares trading at $3.70 at the end and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 143,000 units to lose 1 cent and close at $2.99.
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 5 with offers that were lower well down on the 19 bids and 7 offers on Tuesday.
JSE inches up on Monday
Sagicor traded at a new 52 weeks’ high on Monday
TheJSE Market Index gained 71.71 points to 96,599.90, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 80.16 points to close at 106,911.66 and the JSE combined index gained 34.45 points to end at 99,265.14.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 15 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 7 with offers that were lower.Stocks trading include, Cable & Wireless traded 830,959 units at 44 cents, Caribbean Cement ended with 42,304 shares changing hands at $4.99 after gaining 14 cents. Carreras closed with 47,127 stocks units trading and lost 93 cents at $48.07, Desnoes & Geddes gained 45 cents with just 1,404 units trading, to end at $8, Grace Kennedy had 3,560 shares changing hands after losing 5 cents to end at $63.90. Hardware & Lumber traded 20,000 stocks units with a loss of $1 to close at $18. Jamaica Broilers traded 250,000 shares at $5.50 after shedding 25 cents, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 9,331 shares to close unchanged at $6.35, JMMB Group closed with 23,587 shares changing hands at $7.45 for a 15 rise, Mayberry Investments had 11,195 units changing hands at $2.88,
National Commercial Bank traded 48,527 units to close at $30, after gaining 50 cents. Pulse Investments had 306,000 shares trading at a 52 weeks’ high of 55 cents, to record a gain of 10 cents. Radio Jamaica traded 25,185 stocks units with a loss of 1 cent, to close at $3, Sagicor Group traded 776,521 shares to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $12.60, after putting on 54 cents, Scotia Group ended with 14,717 shares trading unchanged at $23.10. Seprod ended with 19,041 shares changing hands at $15.45 for a gain of 7 cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 435,206 units at $2 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 324,497 units at $3.
AJ Index falls 3,000 points in 6 days
Scotia Group fell again on Friday to $23.10 from its recent 52 weeks’ high of $27, and is the major factor behind the 3,000 points fall in the market index.
Since last week Friday the main market has slipped 5 days out of the 6 trading days. The last three days recorded negative movements in the indices. The JSE Market Index lost 805.17 points to close at 96,528.19, and is down over 2,700 points from last week’s Thursday close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 899.97 points to close at 106,831.50 and has lost more 3,000 points since last week’s Thursday close. The JSE combined index dropped 989.73 points to end
at 99,230.69 on Friday and lost just over 2,600 points since Thursday, last week.IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with offers that were lower, a negative indicator for Monday’s trading.
In trading, Cable & Wireless ended with 77,630 shares changing hands and closed unchanged at 44 cents, Carreras traded 213,902 shares to close at $49 after losing 50 cents, Desnoes & Geddes ended with 106,421 shares changing hands with the price declining 45 cents to $7.55, Grace Kennedy traded 10,133 units to close at $63.95. Jamaica Broilers closed at a new 52 weeks’ high of $5.75 to gain 35 cents, with 431,083 units changing hands,
Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with 15,415 shares trading and closed at $6.35, to lose 15 cents. JMMB Group gained 8 cents to end at $7.30 with 134,900 shares, Kingston Wharves lost 49 cents with 8,000 shares trading at the close at $6.51, National Commercial Bank had 36,290 units trading unchanged at $29.50. Sagicor Group traded only 31,267 shares, was quoted at $12.06 when trading ended, with a loss of 34 cents. The stock traded at a new 52 weeks’ high of $12.50 during the day. Scotia Group had 301,432 shares changing hands at $23.10 with a loss of 50 cents, Sterling Investments saw 11,660 units trading at $13.40 and put on 5 cents, Supreme Ventures had 46,994 units changing hands at $3.65 for a 5 cents gain and Proven Investments 8% preference share traded 127,800 units at $5.
JSE main market slips
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, ended with 13 stocks advancing, 10 declining as 30 securities changed hands, ending in 3,850,561 units trading, valued at $23,389,820. Trading closed with 7 stocks ending at new 52 weeks’ highs and 1 ending a new low, in all market segments.
The JSE Market Index lost 556.70 points to 97,333.36, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 622.25 points to close at and the 107,731.47 JSE combined index dropped 542.27 points to end at 100,220.42.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows only 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with offers that were lower, an indication of the markets softening in the short term. 
The junior market that recorded 3 gains to 2 declines showed weakness at the end with 3 stocks closing with lower offers than the last sale and only 1 with the bid that was higher.
Stocks trading include, Barita Investments trading 24,000 shares at $2.65 for an increase of 14 cents, Cable & Wireless with 290,187 shares changing hands closing at 44 cents, Gleaner trading 500,000 shares gained 7 cents to close at $1.07, Hardware & Lumber closed with 5,950 shares trading to end at $19. Investors pushed Jamaica Stock Exchange 50 cents to close at $6.50 with 78,000 units changing hands, in continued favourable response to the company’s increased first quarter profit and the payment of a 53 cents dividend. Jamaica Producers had 7,450 units trading 10 cents lower at $18.55, JMMB Group saw 13,200 shares trading, to close 4 cents down at $7.22, down 24 cents, Mayberry Investments traded 623,497 stock units and lost 19 cents to end at $2.88, at the close there was a bid by Mayberry to buy 1,198,980 units at $2.88.
National Commercial Bank had 315,733 shares trading with a gain of 10 cents to close at $29.50, Radio Jamaica traded 12,265 units at a new 52 weeks’ high of $3.01 by adding 1 cent, Sagicor Group trading at the close at a new 52 weeks’ high of $12.40 after putting on 10 cents with 113,740 shares changing hands. Scotia Group dropped 90 cents with only 5824 shares trading, to close at $23.50, Scotia Investments traded 7,000 stock units, to end at $26.28. Proven Investments traded 236,105 ordinary stock units at 21.05US cents, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share trading 500,850 units at $2 while losing 3 cents.
JSE struggles to break out
Buyers are willing to buy proven at a PE of 48, by far the highest in the market.
Trading in the market resulted in the prices of 10 stocks rising, 8 declining as 31 securities changed hands, ending in 4,581,896 units trading, valued at $24,655,549, in all market segments and 3 stocks closed a new 52 weeks’ high, in all market segments. The main market of the JSE Market Index lost 1,163.43 points to 98,088.54, theJSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 1,300.42 points to close at 108,575.56 and the JSE combined index dropped by 1,097.94 points to end at 100,748.95.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 2 with offers that were lower. The indications from pass comparisons with the next day actual performance suggests that the numbers of stocks likely to rise on the next trading day will be close to the number of higher bids but the negatives number could end being 2 to 4 times the above lower bids.In trading, Cable & Wireless continues to shed cents from the stock price as it traded 105,232 shares, to end at 43 cents 2 cents down. Caribbean Cement had just 10,000 shares trading, but it lost 20 cents to close at $4.80, Carreras had just 3,200 units changing hands at $1 higher to $51, Jamaica Stock Exchange had 15,850 units changing hands for 5 cents more to reach a new 52 weeks closing high of $5.05
as the board of the company meets on Monday coming, to declare a dividend. National Commercial Bank lost 60 cents while trading 131,412 units to end at $29, Sagicor Group finished with 25,900 shares to close at $12, Proven Investments traded a good volume of 368,945 shares to close at 21 US cents, but finished with the bid at US 22 cents for a hand full of shares. If the stock should trade at this level the valuation would be a PE ratio of 48 times ongoing earnings, well above any other stock on the exchange. Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% preference share trading 1.8 million units and the 8.75% preference share ending with 999,225 shares.
JSE records gains as 12 stock rose
JSE closed at a new high on Thursday of $5
The JSE Market Index rose by 850.14 points to 99,251.97,
the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 950.23 points to close at 109,875.98 and the JSE combined index gained 909.48 points to end at 101,846.89.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 4 with offers that were lower.
After two hours of trading on Thursday there was heavy trading in a number of stocks. The big trades for the day are Caribbean Cement with 4,504,011 shares to close at $4.80, the vast majority traded at $5. Carreras traded 528,878 units to end at $50, Jamaica Broilers with 3,019,120 shares changing hands, closed at $5.50, Scotia Group traded 1,103,300 shares with the price closing unchanged at $25.50 as Scotia Investment bought most of those to trade. Supreme Ventures had 8,559,749 shares traded to end at $3.50, down 25 cents and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 836,000 units with a gain of 19 cents to end at $2.30.
Elsewhere in the market, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 21,150 units to end with a gain
of 20 cents to a new closing high of $5. National Commercial Bank with 248,135 shares closed at $29.60 to end with a 5 cents gain, Pan Jamaican Investment traded 5,678 shares to close 3 cents higher at a new 52 weeks high of $60.55, Pulse Investments traded 300,000 units at 45 cents, to gain 9 cents for a new 52 weeks high. Sagicor Group had 388,585 shares trading to close at $12, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 418,797 shares at $7.60, up 50 cents on the day, Scotia Investments exchanged 20,028 shares to close at $26.28 and Proven Investments traded 146,255 shares at 21 US cents.
Declining stocks outpace advancers
Activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, resulted in the prices of 10 stocks rising, 13 declining as 33 securities changed hands, ending in 9,407,399 units trading, valued at $83,136,775, with 4 stocks closing at 52 weeks’ high, in all market segments.
The JSE Market Index lost 787.71 points to 98,401.83, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index declined 880.45 points to close at 108,925.75 and the JSE combined index dropped by 631.19 points to end at 100,937.41.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 15 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 9 with offers that were lower. The indication is for fluidity in price movements on Thursday and the likelihood of declining stocks out numbering advancing ones.
In trading, Berger Paints traded 71,289 units at $3, Caribbean Cement had 201,560 units trading at $5 after dropping 10 cents. Interestingly, even as Cable & Wireless posted a large loss after taking a $7 billion one off extra ordinary expense hit, the stock traded 649,000 units between 50 cents and the closing price of 48 cents, the same as on Tuesday. Carreras traded 483,380 units at $50, after falling $1.50, Gleaner Company had 219,403 shares trading at $1, Hardware & Lumber closed with 38,638 shares trading unchanged at $18, Jamaica Broilers having 2,428,147 units trading with the price holding at $5.18 after slipping from $5.50 earlier in the day, to end the day down 7 cents. JMMB Group lost 79 cents while it traded 1,130,033 units as the price closed at $7.71, following poor profit results in the final quarter of the fiscal year to March.
Mayberry Investments had 1,099,821 units trading 4 cents lower at $3.05. One million units of the stock were sold by JMMB Securities and Mayberry bought them for in house purposes. National Commercial Bank ended with 81,153 units changing hands 35 cents down at $29.55, Pan Jamaican Investment traded 4,078 units 2 cents higher for a new 52 weeks’ high of $60.52. Sagicor Group had 1,199,248 shares trading at $12, after slipping 5 cents, Scotia Group had 315,085 units changing hands to end 250 cents higher at $25.50 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference shares closed with 295,000 units trading to end at $2.11.