Junior market stocks performed better than main market stocks in 2017 but that performance does not show in the gains in the market indices of both markets.
A cursory look at the Junior and Main Market indices would lead to the conclusion that investors in the main market were far better off in 2017 that their Junior Market counter path. Such a conclusion would be completely wrong. The Junior Market rose just 5.3 percent at the end of the year, down from a high of 31 percent in May, compared with almost 51 percent gain for the main market for, the full year.
Data is showing that while the Junior Market index was barely up, 8 stocks gained more than 100 percent compared to 6 in the main market. 7 Junior Market stocks rose between 50 percent and 76 percent and 9 gained between 52 percent and 81 percent in the main market. Importantly, the average gains for the Junior Market is 79 percent and losses, an average of 20 percent for a net gain of 59 percent. The average main market stock rose 68 percent while losses averaged 22 percent, a net of 48 percent.
A 43 percent fall in the price of the heavily weighted, Lasco Distributors and 14 percent in Lasco Manufacturing dented the Junior Market index in a big way.
The main market benefitted from big gains in heavy weighted, Supreme Ventures, NCB Financial, Jamaica Producers, JMMB Group, Carreras and Scotia Group with increases of 61 to 100 percent. Added to that PanJam Investment gained 60 percent, Cable and Wireless 56 percent and Sagicor Group 31 percent.
Junior stocks beat majors in 2017
VM Investments up 32% first trading day
VM Investments gained 32% to end at $3.24 on Friday
The latest listing on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Victoria Mutual Investments, traded after listing on Friday and closed at $3.24 for a gain of 32 percent from its IPO price, after trading as high as $4 while trading 782,853 shares.
Wisynco that listed on Thursday, closed at $11.99 on heavy trading to gain 52 percent since the public issue in December.
The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded trading on Friday with 26 securities changing hands, 11 advanced, 4 declined and 11 traded firm with 10,210,190 units valued at $125,309,363.
Trading ended with the All Jamaican Composite Index surging 4,310.37 points to 316,516.11 for a gain of 50.6 percent for the year and the JSE Index jumping by 3,927.24 points to 288,381.97, ending 2017 with a rise of 50 percent versus 22 securities trading on Thursday.
In main market activity, Barita Investments concluded trading with a loss of 45 cents at $7.50, with 11,075 units, Berger Paints finished 4 cents higher at $16.55, with 12,000 shares, Cable & Wireless settled 15 cents higher at $1.25, with 918,469 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading at $32.50, with 12,000 stock units, Carreras traded at $11.40, with 82,669 units. Grace Kennedy closed 75 cents higher at $43.75, with 118,915 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 30 cents at $17.70, with 13,300 stock units, JMMB Group ended trading $2 higher at $25, with 1,255,076 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading at $16.70, with 104,033 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished 5 cents higher at $7.05, with 49,297 shares. Kingston Wharves ended trading at $32.50, with 9,204 stock units, Mayberry Investments traded at $6, with 89,353 units, NCB Financial finished trading $1.50 higher at $100, with 38,507 shares, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of 5 cents at $44.75, with 15,429 stock units. 
Radio Jamaica settled at $1.05, with 185,174 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading 1 cent higher at $38, with 136,913 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded at $15, with 8,817 units, Salada Foods finished trading with a loss of 25 cents at $11.25, with 32,049 shares. Scotia Group closed $3.75 higher at $53.85, with 76,440 shares, Sterling Investments gained $1 and closed at $13, with 7,470 shares, Supreme Ventures ended trading at $11.50, with 515,544 stock units and Wisynco Group traded $1.90 higher to end at a closing record high of $11.99, with 5,090,376 units. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% traded 550,000 units at $1.90, JMMB Group 7.5% traded 94,000 units at $1.15 and Proven Investments 8.25% ended with 1,227 units trading at $5.90.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE Main Market gains 50% for 2017.”
Wisynco jumps 28% to $10.09
Producers of Wata -Wisynco listed on Thursday
Wisynco shares were listed on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, with the price rising $2.22 to end at $10.09 while trading 2,925,359 shares, after it pulled in $18 billion from its IPO with 7,382 new shareholders.
At the close of trading on Thursday, the prices of 8 stocks advanced, 4 declined and 10 traded firm with 4,648,646 units valued at $69,664,482.
Trading ended with the All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 2,370.07 points to 312,205.74 and the JSE Index climbing 2,159.40 points to 284,454.73 with 22 securities changing hands versus 21 securities trading on Wednesday.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints finished 1 cent higher at $16.51, with 2,200 shares trading, Cable & Wireless settled 5 cents higher at $1.10, with 104,781 shares, 
Caribbean Cement ended trading 99 cents higher at $32.50, with 111,545 stock units, Carreras traded at $11.40, with 65,754 units, Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with 139,950 shares. Jamaica Broilers ended at $18, with 20,988 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading at $16.70, with 19,010 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished at $7, with 64,203 shares, JMMB Group settled with a loss of 1 cent at $23, with 404,504 shares. JMMB Group ended trading with a loss of $1 at $23, with 404,504 stock units, Kingston Wharves finished trading at $32.50, with 215 shares, Mayberry Investments closed at $6, with 250,000 shares, NCB Financial ended with a loss of 50 cents at $98.50, with 122,721 stock units. PanJam Investment finished at $44.80, with 12,141 shares, Pulse Investments ended trading at $1.80, with 16,992 stock units, 
Sagicor Group finished trading $2.24 higher at $37.99, with 43,400 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $15, with 2,000 shares. Salada Foods ended $1 higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $11.50, with 102,000 stock units, Scotia Group concluded trading with a loss of $1.90 at $50.10, with 43,810 units and Supreme Ventures ended trading 80 cents higher at $11.50, with 15,000 stock units. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% traded 133,300 units at $1.15 and Proven Investments 8.25% ended with 48,773 units trading with a rise of 60 cents at $5.90.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE market indices in sharp upturn.”
JSE trading drops sharply on Wednesday
Trading on Jamaica Stock Exchange fell sharply on Wednesday to 1,316,067 units with a value of $22,258,246, down from 18,689,826 units valued at $192,233,164 traded on the Main Market of the on Friday.
Main market activity, ended with 26 securities changing hands, compared to 21 on Friday, with 10 advancing, 6 declining and 10 traded firm. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 575.12 points to 309,835.67 and the JSE Index lost 524 points to close at 282,295.32 after the market indices for Friday was raised based on a cancellation of a trade in the shares of Supreme Ventures.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints finished with a loss of $1.60 at $16.50, with 5,555 shares trading, Cable & Wireless settled 5 cents higher at $1.05, with 137,812 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of 49 cents at $31.51, with 41,500 stock units, Carreras traded with a loss of 5 cents at $11.40, with 86,297 units, Ciboney finished trading at 41 cents, with 385,200 shares changing hands. Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with 14,659 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended 1 cent higher at $18, with 16,098 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading with a rise of $1.60 to $16.70, with 3,408 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a loss of 5 cents at $7, exchanging 5,432 shares. JMMB Group settled 50 cents higher at $24, with 26,090 shares, Kingston Properties traded with a loss of 31 cents at $7.70, with 2,090 units, Kingston Wharves finished trading at $32.50, with 3,641 shares. Mayberry Investments closed 63 cents higher at $6, with 5,000 shares, NCB Financial lost $1 to close at $99, with 58,149 stock units trading. PanJam Investment finished with a loss of 20 cents at $44.80, with 58,860 shares, 
Pulse Investments ended trading 2 cents higher at $1.80, with 500 stock units, Radio Jamaica traded 2 cents higher at $1.05, with 94,271 units, Sagicor Group finished trading 24 cents higher at $35.75, with 129,580 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $15, with 120,420 shares, Salada Foods ended 55 cents higher at $10.50, with 28,000 stock units. Scotia Group concluded trading with a loss of $1.99 at $52, with 22,737 units, Seprod finished at $30, with 30,840 shares and Supreme Ventures ended trading 30 cents higher at $10.70, with 36,200 stock units. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% traded 2001 units at $2.49, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% traded 1,000 units at $1.90 after gaining 10 cents and Proven Investments 8.25% ended with 727 units trading with a loss of 20 cents at $5.30.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE changes Friday’s market indices.”
TOP 10 stocks – Watch for Wisynco
Wata produced by Wisynco
Movement in the TOP 10 lists, resulted in just one move out, while some changed positions notably on the list. Main Event was the sole stock dropping from the top list leaving room for Caribbean Cream to move in.
With the Initial Public offerings (IPOS) out of the way, more life returned to the secondary market this past week with the main market gaining strongly but Junior Market stocks continue to struggle but helped by gains in price of two new listings.
The year ahead will see a number of changes to the TOP listings with several of the current listing carrying over. Only ISP Finance so far is showing as a new likely TOP 10 listing for 2018 in the Junior Market. 
The main market list is likely to see about 4 new entrants for 2018, with Cable & Wireless, Barita Investments, Palace Amusement and Wisynco depending on when it list, joining the top stocks. Radio Jamaica sits just below the TOP 10 and could well squeeze into the 10 by the start of 2018. Profit results for the fourth quarter, are likely to impact prices of most stocks as the information will provide important fuel for price movements.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks ended at 7.9 and 8.2 for the main market TOP 10. The average PE for the overall main market is 14.2 and 13.4 for the Junior Market, based on 2017 estimated earnings.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 41 percent to the average of the market for Junior Market Top stocks and 42 percent for the main market.
Market Watch| Investors should still keep a keen eye on Caribbean Cement for which supply seems to be declining with the focus on refinancing of leased assets that is expected to result in major savings in cost for 2018 onwards. 
FosRich and GWest Corporation, the recent IPOs, started trading on the Junior Market last week with strong gains so far, they should be watched in the few trading days left for the year, to glean further directions as both are now richly priced. Others to be watched are, General Accident, Cable & Wireless , NCB Financial, Berger Paints, JMMB Group, Main Event, Lasco Financial, Paramount Trading and Stationery and Office. Wisynco could start trading this week and is expected to create some excitement with the issue more about twice oversubscribed.
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JSE stocks supply 80% of Friday’s trade
Shares of Jamaica Stock Exchange dominated trading and accounted for 80 percent of the 18,689,826 units valued at $192,233,164 traded on the Main Market of the on Friday.
Main market activity, ended with 21 securities changing hands, of which 10 advanced, 6 declined and 5 traded firm. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 4,523.22 points to 309,489.06 and the JSE Index climbed by 4,121.16 points to close at 281,979.52.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints closed $1.60 higher at $18.10, with 32,000 shares trading, Cable & Wireless settled with a loss of 6 cents at $1, with 360,865 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading 30 cents higher at $32, with 42,500 stock units, 
Carreras traded 5 cents higher at $11.45, with 188,605 units, Ciboney Group finished trading 6 cents higher at 41 cents, with 20,000 shares. Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with 62,393 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 1 cent at $17.99, with 425,917 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a loss of 25 cents at $7.05, with 15,007,575 shares, JMMB Group settled 50 cents higher at $23.50, with 15,450 shares. JMMB Group ended trading 50 cents higher at $23.50, with 15,450 stock units, Kingston Wharves finished trading 25 cents higher at $32.50, with 37,414 shares, Mayberry Investments closed with a loss of 23 cents at $5.37, with 852,137 shares, NCB Financial ended $1.49 higher at $100, with 219,637 stock units.
PanJam Investment finished $2 higher at $45, with 11,000 shares, Portland JSX settled 50 cents higher at $10, with 200 shares, Pulse Investments ended trading at $1.78, with 29,000 stock units, Sagicor Group finished trading with a loss of 49 cents at $35.51, with 394,829 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $15, with 18,000 shares, Salada Foods ended at $9.95, with 500 stock units, Scotia Group concluded trading 5 cents higher at $53.99, with 305,536 units, Seprod finished at $30, with 298,745 shares and Supreme Ventures ended trading with a loss of 30 cents at $10.40, with 367,523 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “Big 4,523 points surge in JSE index.”
Supreme Ventures in big Thursday trade
Supreme Ventures traded the most shares on Thursday.
Supreme Ventures accounted for 98 percent of the volume traded on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, resulting from 168.7 million shares changing hands and bumping the market volume to 171,582,338 units valued at $1,664,149,762.
Main market activity ended with 21 securities changing hands, of which 11 advanced, 4 declined and 8 traded firm. In contrast, 27 securities changed hands on Wednesday with to 1,811,480 units valued at $72,434,801 passing through the exchange.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,129.59 points to 304,965.84 and the JSE Index dipped by 1,940.29 points to 277,858.36.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints ended with a loss of 40 cents at $16.50, with 30,792 shares trading, Cable & Wireless settled 1 cent higher at $1.06, with 41,500 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading 20 cents higher at $31.70, with 8,300 stock units, Carreras traded at $11.40, with 29,391 units, Ciboney Group finished trading at 35 cents, with 22,900 shares. Grace Kennedy closed at $43, with 132,187 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended 50 cents higher at $18, with 26,918 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading with a loss of 6 cents at $15.10, with 20,000 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished 25 cents higher at $7.30, with 77,425 shares. JMMB Group ended trading with a loss of 90 cents at $23, with 1,905,342 stock units, 
Kingston Wharves finished trading 25 cents higher at $32.25, with 3,640 shares, Mayberry Investments closed 20 cents higher at $5.60, with 100,000 shares. NCB Financial Group ended with a loss of $1.49 at $98.51, with 224,896 stock units, PanJam Investment settled at $43, with 51,064 shares, Pulse Investments traded at $1.78, with 500 units. Radio Jamaica finished trading at $1.03, with 20,000 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $36, with 2,285 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended 50 cents higher at $15, with 7,820 stock units, Salada Foods Jamaica concluded trading at $9.95, with 4,000 units. Scotia Group finished $3.74 higher at $53.94, with 168,006 shares and Supreme Ventures traded 20 cents higher at $10.70, with 168,705,372 units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “Gains ecxceed losses but indices drop.”
Rising JSE’s stocks edged out decliners
NCB Financial trades back at $100.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded on Tuesday with 27 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 9 declined and 5 traded firm with 1,811,480 units valued at $72,434,801 changing hands, with NCB Financial trades back at $100.
In the market activity, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,929.83 points to close at 307,095.43 and the JSE Index advanced by 1,758.29 points to close at 279,798.65.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints finished 90 cents higher at $16.90, with 4,300 shares, Cable & Wireless settled 10 cents higher at $1.05, with 24,084 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of 50 cents at $31.50, with 18,174 stock units changing hands. Carreras traded 40 cents higher at $11.40, with 4,733 units, Ciboney Group finished trading with a loss of 6 cents at 35 cents, with 77,100 shares, Grace Kennedy closed 50 cents higher at $43, with 52,000 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended with a loss of 90 cents at $17.50, with 60,746 stock units. 
Jamaica Producers concluded trading 1 cent higher at $15.16, with 6,480 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished 55 cents higher at $7.05, with 150 shares, JMMB Group settled with a loss of 1.1 cents at $23.90, with 156,166 shares, Kingston Wharves traded $1 higher at $32, with 1,108 units. Mayberry Investments finished trading with a loss of 60 cents at $5.40, with 47,958 shares, NCB Financial Group closed $1.01 higher at $100, with 534,714 shares, 138 Student Living closed 8 cents higher at $6.08, with 15,500 shares, 1834 Investments ended 4 cents higher at $1.25, with 18,000 stock units, PanJam Investment concluded trading with a loss of 50 cents at $43, with 79,705 units, Portland JSX finished 32 cents higher at $9.50, with 1,000 shares. Pulse Investments settled at $1.78, with 10,000 shares, Radio Jamaica ended trading with a loss of 2 cents at $1.03, with 32,209 stock units, 
Sagicor Group traded 50 cents higher at $36, with 150,298 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished trading at $14.50, with 59,258 shares. Scotia Group ended 15 cents higher at $50.20, with 4,192 stock units, Seprod concluded trading at $30, with 7,781 units and Supreme Ventures settled with a loss of 20 cents at $10.50, with 1,400 shares. In the main market preference segment. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% traded 220,000 shares with a loss of 10 cents at $1.80, JMMB Group 7.25% closed trading at $1.50, with 1,000 units and JMMB Group 7.5% ended trading at $1.15, with 223,424 stock units trading.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE makes big gains on Wednesday.”
JSE up on reduced activity
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 631.47 points, to close at 305,165.60 and the JSE Index advanced 575.34 points to 278,040.36. Main market activity ended with 21 securities changing hands, of which 8 advanced, 5 declined and 7 traded unchanged.
Market activities ended with 2,309,034 units valued at $75,261,191 trading, compared to 8,452,293 units valued at $389,568,108 from 20 securities changing hands on Monday.
Trading ended with an average of 109,954 units for an average of $3,583,866 in contrast to 422,615 units for an average of $19,478,405 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 310,531 units valued at $5,955,270 and previously, 325,310 units valued at $6,146,072. In contrast, November closed with average of 349,084 units at an average of $5,801,440 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and the US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-
offer indicator reading shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
Traded in the US dollar market ended with Proven Investments US ordinary share having 1,101,440 units changing hands valued at US 247,816 in closing at 22 US cents, after falling by a fraction of a cent, with the JSE USD Equities Index closing 2.29 points up to close at 172.84.
The major movers at the close, are Jamaica Broilers ending with a rise of 90 cents, JMMB Group gaining 99 cents, Kingston Wharves rising 95 cents, PanJam Investment concluded with a loss of $1.50 and Scotia Group falling $1.85.
For more details of market activities see – “8 JSE stocks rise 5 fall.”
8 JSE stocks rise 5 fall
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded on Tuesday with 21 securities changing hands, with 8 rising, 5 declining and 7 trading unchanged with 2,309,034 units valued at $75,261,191 changing hands.
In the market activity, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose 631.47 points to close at 305,165.60 and the JSE Index advanced by 575.34 points to 278,040.36.
In the main activity, Berger Paints finished at $16, with 11,305 shares, Cable & Wireless closed with a loss of 5 cents at 95 cents, with 22,975 shares, Caribbean Cement ended trading 30 cents higher at $32, with 26,250 stock units, Carreras traded 1 cent higher at $11, with 783,538 units, Ciboney Group finished trading 6 cents higher at $0.41, with 183,550 shares. Grace Kennedy closed at $42.50, with 98,955 shares, Jamaica Broilers ended 90 cents higher at $18.40, with 10,790 stock units, Jamaica Producers concluded trading with a loss of 5 cents at $15.15, with 7,104 units, JMMB Group settled 99 cents higher at $25, with 21,288 shares. Kingston Wharves traded 95 cents higher at $31, with 121,486 units, Mayberry Investments rose 5 cents to $6, with 120,000 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $98.99, with 391,496 shares, PanJam Investment concluded trading with a loss of $1.50 at $43.50, with 189,476 units. Pulse Investments settled at $1.78, with 500 shares, Sagicor Group traded at $35.50, with 104,400 units, 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished trading with a loss of 50 cents at $14.50, with 6,991 shares, Salada Foods Jamaica closed 10 cents higher at $9.95, with 5,000 shares. Scotia Group ended with a loss of $1.85 at $50.05, with 83,333 stock units, Seprod concluded trading at $30, with 2,016 units and Supreme Ventures settled at $10.70, with 93,582 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group ended trading at at $1.15, with 29,499 stock units trading.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE up on reduced activity.”
