Friday’s 7,697.11 points jump in the all Jamaican Composite index taking it to 118,154.30 points, puts the market within 20,763.29 points of the high of 138,917.59 reached on 24th of January 2005.
The 2005 record is nearly 11 years old but seems destined to be taken out soon with the planned offer by Heineken to buy Desnoes and Geddes shares at near $31 speeding. This should push the index by another 10,000 points, leaving other stocks to contribute just over 10,000 points to put the index over the old record.
The market has now broken through the 115,000 mark that was a resistance point, but faces the 130,000 points resistance level and then 150,000 which is 17 percent away from the 128,000 points that D&G alone could push it to. But making the final leap to the 150,000 or beyond by the end of this year will be a tall order, with the likes of Scotia Group not generating increased profits to contribute much to lift the index. National Commercial Bank could provide some punch but must break through the $34 barrier that is a major resistance area for the stock. Grace Kennedy should help now that supply for the stock is drying up. Cable & Wireless looks also seem set to rise that that is a heavy-duty index mover with 16 billion shares in issue, while Sagicor Group another big capitalisation stock should add some to the index when results are released for the September quarter. Of course Treasury bill rates have been falling and further declines could lift the entire market.
Huge jump in JSE with D&G at $13
The prices of stocks jumped sharply in the Friday morning session as Desnoes and Geddes jumped $5.07 to trade at $13.177 with 29,094,581 shares trading. National Commercial Bank traded at a new 52 weeks’ high of $33, Caribbean Cement shot up to $9 with 281,375 shares, Cable & Wireless traded up to 55 cents and Jamaica Producers traded 196,137 shares at $18.50.
The junior market is also participating in the rise with new highs recorded for Caribbean Cream with 233,000 shares trading at $3.30, Lasco Distributors trading 141,724 at $2.50, Lasco Manufacturing trading 113,500 shares at $3.20 and new 52 weeks’ high for Caribbean Flavours. Overall 20 securities have traded at 11 am with a volume of a mere 30,367,589 units, 15 stocks gained 1 declined.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index jumping 5.62 percent or 5,611.11 points to 105,383.18. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 5.68 percent or 6,270.73 points to 116,727.92, the JSE combined index leaping 5,884.19 points to be at 109,900.19 and the junior market up 6.02 percent or 66.22 points to 1,165.52 for a new record.
Junior market index jumps to new record of 1,105
The junior market index jumped to new record of 1,105.75 as investors buy up Lasco manufacturing at a new high of $2.95 and Lasco Distributors and Lasco Financial added 10 cents each. Investors attention is focused on some selective stocks currently with the J$31 offer proposed by Heineken to buy out all the minority shares in Desnoes & Geddes is the main focus, with the bid on the stock now at $13 and one offer at $28.
Elsewhere, trading National Commercial Bank traded 4,933,508 shares at $30, s Sagicor Investments sold the stock to First Global as the buying broker, with both sides on behalf of clients. Other trades of note are Cable & Wireless with 788,739 up to 53 cents, Carreras with 245,970 shares at $51, Lasco Financial Services with 135,279 units at $1.90.
Overall 17 securities have traded at 10.30 am with a volume of a mere 6,286,448 units, 2 stocks declined and 13 gained.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index 581.75 points to 99,654.44. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 650.15points to 110,325.74, the JSE combined index 981.86 points to be at 103,962.84 and the junior market up 48.42 points to 1,105.75 for a new record.
3 stocks rise for TTSE
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Wednesday ended with 10 securities trading, 3 closing higher, none declined and 7 remained unchanged as a total of 380,173 units traded, valued at $12,071,382.
At the close the Composite Index ending with a modest rose 1.19 at 1,147.35, the All T&T Index gained 0.11 to 1,948.41 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.28 to close at 45.44.
Gain| Guardian Holdings with 22,233 shares with a value of $291,694 changing hands closed 1 cents higher at $13.12, National Commercial Bank gained 4 cents in trading 10,000 shares at $1.67 and Point Lisas traded 400 shares and gained 1 cent to close at $3.97.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment Fund closed with 237,600 shares valued at $5,346,033 changing hands at $22.50, First Citizens Bank traded 5,862 shares to close at $35, Prestige Holdings with 300 units changing hands ended at $9.90, 
Republic Bank closed at $112 with 53,511 shares trading valued at $5,993,232. Scotiabank closed with 1,133 shares changing hands unchanged at $62.50, Scotia Investments traded 7,500 shares and closed at $1.60 and Trinidad Cement closed with 10,366 shares changing hands at $3.15.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 5 stocks with offers that were lower.
JSE down in early Tuesday trading
Activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday morning resulted in 17 securities trading changing hands at 11:15 am with a volume of 1,141,572 units, with 7 stocks declining and 10 rising.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index dropping 763.94 points to 97,651.86. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 853.75 points to 108,087.74, the JSE combined index declined 709.64 points to be at 101,353.78 and the junior market is up 1.31 points to 1,025.34 and is not very far off from the all-time high of 1,040.59.
Consolidated Bakeries had 962,000 shares trading at $1.10, Lasco Distributors had 68,350 units trading at $2. Mayberry Investments had 29,617 units trading at $2.20 and lost 15 cents, National Commercial Bank fell $1.50 to $29 with 36,975 shares Radio Jamaica traded 68,016 shares with a 50 cents rise to $4 and Scotia Group traded 106,491shares at $23.51.
Jump in main indices on Thursday morning
Activity picked up on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday morning, with big trades in Grace Kennedy and National Commercial Bank and resulted in 17 securities trading changing hands at 10.45 am with a volume of 3,524,264 units, with 6 stocks declining and 6 rising.
Trading activity resulted in the JSE Market Index gained 1,591.46 points to 97,916.05. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index jumped 1,778.56 points to 108,382.99, the JSE combined index climbed 1,521.83 points to be at 101,223.14 and the junior market is up 2.45 points to 982.77.
Grace Kennedy traded 2,000,000 shares at $64, National Commercial Bank had 1,073,614 trading between $27.72 to $30, where the price sits now, other useful trades are, Cable & Wireless with 227,689 up to 52 cents, Jamaica Stock Exchange with 40,000 shares at $7.30 and JMMB Group 40,889 at $7.63.
Price changes aplenty & no direction for JSE
The Jamaica Stock Exchange saw low trading activity on Tuesday and at the close, there were 10 stocks rising, 11 declining with 30 securities totalling 986,801 units, valued at $11,478,835 changing hands, in all market segments. Trading in the main market was very light with only 745,029 shares trading.
The main market indices enjoyed a second day of increases with the JSE Market Index added 77.06 points to 96,433.55, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index gained 86.11 points to 106,726.20 and the JSE combined index rose 180.75 to end at 99,807.18 points.
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 of 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with offers that were lower.
In trading, Cable and Wireless rose 2 cents with 85,687 shares changing hands, to close at 51 cents, Caribbean Cement had 150,477 shares trading with a 29 cents rise, to $8, Carreras lost 20 cents in trading 9,195 shares and ended at $48.90, Desnoes & Geddes traded 28,656 shares to end at $6.60 for a fall of 40 cents. Grace Kennedy had 50,670 shares changing hands at $64, 
Jamaica Broilers traded at $6 with 55,760 shares changing ownership and gained 30 cents, Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 56,000 shares at $7.50, JMMB Group traded 51,620 units to end at $7.65, National Commercial Bank had 28,578 units changing hands and ended at $27.52 after losing 23 cents. Pan Jamaican traded 11,090 shares to close at $61.71. Radio Jamaica traded at $3.08 with 13,820 shares changing hands. Sagicor X Fund with 12,000 shares closed with a gain of 39 cents to end at $7.40, Scotia Group lost 95 cents in ending at $24 while 25,457 shares traded and Scotia Investments gained 1 cent to land at $25.01 with 55,000 units.
12 JSE stocks rise 3 fall on Friday
JMMB preference share was the dominant trade on the JSE’s main market
The main market indices enjoyed a second day of increases with the JSE Market Index gained 680.16 points to 96,507.41, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index added 693.16 points to 106,808.75 and the JSE combined index rose 760.12points to end at 99,739.05.
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 of 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with offers that were lower. This indicator has been increasing in strength over the past week as the period for company results for the third quarter approaches. Notwithstanding, there are still some pockets of weakness as shown by the number of stocks that are offered below their last selling prices.Stocks that particularly weak are Hardware and Lumber with a last sale of $13 now being offered at $11.50. Grace Kennedy reported earlier in the year that they were considering a buyout offer for the shares thy own in this subsidiary at a maximum price of $18.50 and that the deal should be closed by the end of July, there is no further information on the deal.
Sterling Investments with a last sale of $13.40 is now on offer at $13.15, at 11 o’clock on Friday morning the amount of stock on offer at the closing quote was 242,600 units a Grace Kennedy that has an offer of $63.70 versus the last traded price of $64.In trading, Cable and Wireless added 2 cents with 46,300 shares changing hands, to close at 51 cents, Jamaica Broilers had 86,628 units trading at $6 after shedding 9 cents, JMMB Group traded at $7.63 with 36,487 shares changing hands. National Commercial Bank had 23,100 units changing hands and ended at $27.75 while dropping 1 cent, Scotia Group traded 26,428 shares to close at $23.77.
IC Insider was unable to get the closing bids and offer volumes at the close of trading on Friday, accordingly the trading sheet do not carry this information.
Republic’s new low WITCO back at $126
After reopening on Friday after the stock market was closed for the public holiday on Thursday, Republic Bank traded at a new 52 weeks’ low on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Friday and West Indian Tobacco traded back at its earlier high of $126. The market closed with 13 securities trading with 6 stocks trading higher, 3 declining and 4 remained unchanged as a total of 506,338 units traded, valued at $23,476,582.
At the close the Composite Index ending with a modest loss of 0.68 at 1,147.48, the All T&T Index fell 2.04 to 1,949.95 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.02 points to hit 45.27.
Gains| ANSA McAL contributed 254,788 shares for a value of $17,137,041 in trading, to close 1 cent higher at $67.26, Grace Kennedy had 4,180 units changing hands at $3.64 for a 14 cents gain, Guardian Holdings with 9,724 shares valued at $287,437 changing hands closed 2 cents higher, at $13.08. Praetorian Property Mutual Fund contributed 10,500 shares with a gain of 1 cent to $3.06, Prestige Holdings with 1,500 units changing hands ended with a gain of 1 cent at $9.91 and West Indian Tobacco gained 57 cents to end at $126 while trading 1,321 units.
Losses| Clico Investment Fund closed with a loss of 1 cent as 105,171 shares valued at $2,367,355 changed hands at $22.50. National Flour Mills with a volume of 51,280 shares lost 5 cents in closing at $2 and Republic Bank suffered a loss of 90 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $112 with 2,000 shares changing hands, valued at $3,360,000.
Firm Trades| FirstCaribbean International Bank traded 2,141 shares to close at $5.02. JMMB Group added 24,463 shares at 43 cents each, Massy Holdings traded 1,010 shares at $62.50, and Trinidad Cement had 4,760 shares changing hands and ended at $3.15.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 7 stocks with offers that were lower.
Juniors up majors down Thursday trading
Activity fell on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday morning, resulted in 19 securities trading changing hands at 11amwith a big increase in volume of 17,,066,415 units, with 3 stocks declining and 9 rising.
Trading activity resulted in declines to the indices with the JSE Market Index falling 206.11 points to 95,531.91. The JSE All Jamaican Composite index down 230.35 points to 105,718.57 and the JSE combined index slipped 108.03 points to be at 98,770.37 and the junior market is up 9.69 points to 960.17.
The main trades are Cable & Wireless with 10,774,000 units at 49 cents, Ciboney Group with 4,365,250 shares at 9 cents, National Commercial Bank traded 80,100 at $27.56, Scotia Group with 52,000 shares at $23.77, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share 313,046 units at $2 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share 1,341,065 units at $2.50.