Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange, resulted in 6 stocks advancing, 3 declining and 9 unchanged, but this positive move belies a deeper problem awaiting a market, that continues to struggle within a sick economy.
The Composite Index gained 1.30 points to 1,289.94, the All T&T Index rose 1.52 points to 1,756.40 and the Cross Listed Index added 1.52 points to close at 111.02.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer while indicating weaknesses in the market with 3 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 5 with lower offers does not tell the full story of the weakness in the market. The deeper problem is the large variance between some of the stocks offered for sale compared to the last price the stock traded at. West Indian Tobacco is set to make a big negative dent in the market index when next it traded as it is offered at $5 lower than the last price it traded at, with 1,796 shares offered at $116. The closest bid to buy is at $106.25 for only 16 shares. National Enterprises offer is 20 cents lower than the last trade. Calypso Macro Fund is offer for 90 cents less than the last trade, at $21.04 and Mora Ven Holdings
This graph tell the story that Unilever shares are set for a steep fall going forward.
is offered at $1.49 below the last trade at $14.49. Unilever Caribbean is also very weak with 40,863 shares offered for sale at $38.75 but buyers are down at $35 for just 310 units. Unilever reported profit of $3 million for the June quarter or 11 cents per share and $6.8 million for the half year suggesting profit around 60 cents for the full year and is now priced at a PE ratio of 64 times earnings, the clearest indication of a huge fall in the price to come.
At the close of trading the number of securities trading climbed to 18 on Thursday compared to 15 on Wednesday, leading to 458,073 shares trading at a value of $5,509,500 compared to Wednesday’s trades of 350,612 valued at $4,377,442.
Gains| At the close of market activities, Ansa McAL traded 20,500 shares valued at $1,292,100 and gained 8 cents, to close at $63.03, Clico Investment traded 20 cents higher, closing at $21.20 with 87,039 shares valued at $1,831,429, Massy Holdings ended at $49.50, gaining 1 cent with 11,979 shares valued at $592,958. National Flour Mills closed at $1.99, rising 4 cents while trading 6,000 shares, Scotiabank advanced 40 cents to $58.50 trading 1,000 units and Trinidad Cement rose 5 cents, and settled at $4 exchanging 49,601 shares.
Losses| Trading ended as, JMMB Group traded with a loss of 2 cents, and closed at $2.07 exchanging 188,500 shares valued at $395,789, Point Lisas lost 1 cent to close at $3.95 with 500 units and Prestige Holdings was down 1 cent to $10.75 trading 9,075 shares.
Firm Trades| The last traded prices of securities closing unchanged are Angostura Holdings that closed at $15.05 with trades of 7,541 shares, Ansa Merchant Bank exchanging 3,020 shares at $40, Grace Kennedy trading 14,778 shares at $2.95. Guardian Holdings remained at $15 with 1,204 units, One Caribbean Media closed at $14 with 350 units, Republic Financial Holdings ended at $101.76 with 81 units. Sagicor Financial traded 10,000 shares at $8, Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $23.49 exchanging 19,958 shares valued at $468,779 and L.J. Williams 8% preference share exchanged 42 units at $3.30.
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday resulted in 16 securities changing hands compared to 13 on Monday. One Caribbean Media was the dominant trade with 70 percent of the value of securities exchanged, while NCB Financial inched 1 cent higher, to end at a closing high of $6.21. 
First Citizens slipped 8 cents, settling at $31.81 while exchanging 1,042 units, Guardian Holdings lost 1 cent, closing at $15 with 2,747 shares, Massy Holdings slid 35 cents to $49.50 with 400 units changing hands. Point Lisas ended at $3.96, with a loss of 4 cents in trading 25,000 shares, Trinidad Cement declined by 5 cents to settle at $3.95 with 400 units changing hands and Trinidad & Tobago NGL close down 1 cent, to $23.49 with 6,177 shares.
climbed to a 52 weeks’ high of $2.10, after rising 5 cents and the trading of 224,110 shares valued at $471,767, NCB Financial Group added 5 cents, closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.20 with 1,000 units changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings gained 3 cents and closed at $101.79, with 31 units.
Clico Investment remained at $21.40 trading 24,000 units valued at $513,052. First Citizens closed at $31.76 with 5,198 shares. Guardian Holdings held firm at $15.26 with 7,427 shares trading, JMMB Group ended at $1.70 with trades of 120,896 shares, National Enterprises closed at $10 with 700 units. National Flour Mills remained at $2 with 1,900 units, Point Lisas exchanged 5,000 shares at $4, Prestige Holdings traded 174 units, closed at $10.75, Republic Financial Holdings settled at $101.79 with 256 units and Trinidad & Tobago NGL exchanged 28,901 shares at $23.06 valued at $666,251.
Scotiabank lost 1 cent, closing last at $58.05 with 66 units exchanged.
NCB Financial Group lost 5 cents, closing at $5.10 with 4,518 shares and Trinidad Cement closed at $4.20, with a loss of 1 cent trading 225 units.
The Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Tuesday closed with 13 securities changing hands compared to 10 on Monday. Trading levels rose above Monday’s levels, with Trinidad & Tobago NGL leading with 58 percent of the value of securities exchanged followed by Scotiabank with 23 percent. 
Losses| Securities declining with the volume changing hands are First Caribbean International Bank lost 1 cent, closing at $8.01 with 500 units, Guardian Holdings closed at $16, losing 10 cents exchanging 674 units, L.J. Williams B share with a loss of 1 cent and closed at 78 cents with 15,000 shares. Republic Financial Holdings closed 8 cents lower to $101.92 with 2,500 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL slipped 1 cent to $22.98 trading 127,315 shares valued at $2,926,781.
Losses| JMMB Group is the only security declining with a loss of 3 cents to $1.32 with 12,851 shares.
Losses| Clico Investment slumped to a 52 weeks’ low of $20.59, having lost 1 cent to close at $20.50 with 63,948 shares valued at $1,314,018 changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings traded 1 cent lower to $101.90 with 1,246 shares.
JMMB Group with a loss of 1 cent to close at $1.30 with 1,930 shares and West Indian Tobacco with a loss of 2 cents, closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $125.47 with 490 shares.