Investors chopped 4,700.74 points off the Jamaica Stock Exchange all Jamaican Composite Index to end at 319,507.99 and slashed 4,282.91 points off of the JSE Index to close at 291,107.90 in main Market trading on Thursday with a ratio of 5 stocks rising to 1 falling.
Trading closed with 29 securities changing hands, leading to only 3 advancing, 14 declining and 12 trading firm, in the main and US dollar markets. A few securities closed with sizable price changes as NCB Financial Group fell 99 cents to $98.50, Sagicor Group declined 90 cents to $35.60 and Scotia Group lost $2 to $54.
Main market activity ended with 14,969,349 units valued at $264,028,466 changing hands, versus 99,164,384 units valued at $151,125,249 on Wednesday.
Wisynco Group closed with 9,043,043 units and accounted for 60.41 percent of traded shares, Supreme Ventures with 1,767,895 units amounted to 11.81 percent of trading and NCB Financial Group with 5.97 percent of trades with 893,212 units.
Trading results in an average of 516,184 shares valued at $9,104,430 for each security traded, compared to 366,575 shares valued at $6,045,010 on Wednesday. For the month to date an average of 668,629 units with an average value at 11,259,206 traded, compared to 684,251 units with an average value at 11,503,301 traded on the previous trading day. In contrast, February closed with average of only 213,336 units valued at $3,392,475 for each security traded.
There was no trading in the US dollar market on Thursday.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with a lower offer.
For more details of market activities see – Investor bids $1,300 for Palace shares – Thursday.
Black Panther helps push Palace to $1,100 – Wednesday
Palace jumps $540 to close at $1,100 on Wednesday.
The price of Palace Amusement jumped 96 percent by $540 close at a record high of $1,100 at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday as investors responded to increased business being done from the Black Panther movie, that should raise profits sharply.
By rising to the current level the stock has become the most expensive local ordinary equity ever to trade on the local exchange, bettering Eppley that hit a high of $735 and Lascelles over $500 when they were acquired. Elsewhere Grace jumped $6.40 to $52 as the next big price movement. Main market activity ended with 25 securities changing hands, with 15 securities rising, 3 falling, 9 trading firm. Trading closed with 9,164,384 units valued at over $$151,125,249.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 1,227.13 points to 324,208.73 and the JSE Index climbed 1,118.05 points to 295,390.81.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed at $9, with 24,625 shares, Berger Paints ended at $17, with 223,002 stock units, Carreras finished at $10.90, with 1,243,617 shares, Caribbean Cement settled with a loss of 1 cent at $32.60, with 8,686 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading 3 cents higher at 14 cents, with 100 shares. Grace Kennedy traded $6.40 higher at $52, with 2,533 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading 49 cents higher at $19.99, with 53,475 units, Jamaica Producers closed 50 cents higher at $15.50, with 3,598,442 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended 20 cents higher at $6.50, with 799 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading at $26.50, with 495,853 shares, Kingston Wharves settled at $39.50, with 14,160 units, NCB Financial Group traded $1.29 higher at $99.49, with 128,655 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading with a loss of 3 cents at $1.15, with 250 shares. 138 Student Living concluded trading 30 cents higher at $5.80, with 100 shares, units changing hands, 
Palace Amusement jumped $540 to end at a all-time record high of $1,100, with 200 stock units changing hands, PanJam Investment ended 11 cents higher at $41.21, with 111,830 units, Pulse Investments finished at $1.85, with 15,756 shares, Radio Jamaica settled 2 cents higher at $1.08, with 12,300 shares. Sagicor Group ended trading 40 cents higher at $36.50, with 159,923 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading at $15.10, with 150,000 shares, Scotia Group finished trading 50 cents higher at $56, with 158,557 shares, Seprod closed 24 cents higher at $30.25, with 300 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading 1 cent higher at $12, with 348,266 stock units. Victoria Mutual Investments finished 7 cents higher at $4.57, with 285,741 units and Wisynco Group settled with a loss of 25 cents at $10.50, with 2,127,214 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place. For more details of market activities, see “JSE climbs as Palace jumps $540 – Wednesday.”
Scotia & NCB share price drop hits JSE – Tuesday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed down on Tuesday after ending at a record closing high on Monday after Scotia Group and NCB Financial prices fell and helped to pull back the index.
Main market activity ended with 24 securities changing hands, with just 7 securities rising, 10 falling, 7 trading firm and closed with 9,664,260 units valued at over $708,128,861.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived 1,583.39 points to 322,981.60 and the JSE Index dropped 1,442.64 points to 294,272.76.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed at $9, with 8,729 shares, Carreras finished with a loss of 5 cents at $10.90, with 109,260 shares, Caribbean Cement settled with a loss of $2.39 at $32.61, with 9,561 shares, Grace Kennedy traded 10 cents higher at $45.60, with 2,303 stock units, 
Jamaica Broilers finished trading 50 cents higher at $19.50, with 6,339 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 20 cents at $6.30, with 3,200 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading at $26.50, with 258,232 shares, Kingston Wharves settled at $39.50, with 2,082 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading 15 cents higher at $5.15, with 11,043 shares. NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of $1.30 at $98.20, with 6,813,889 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading 3 cents higher at $1.18, with 31,000 shares, PanJam Investment ended 10 cents higher at $41.10, with 3,122 units, Pulse Investments finished 5 cents higher at $1.85, with 2,655 shares. Radio Jamaica settled at $1.06, with 14,401 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 10 cents at $36.10, with 126,997 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 40 cents at $15.10, with 70,864 shares, 
Salada Foods traded at $12.05, with 25,000 units, Scotia Group finished trading with a loss of $1.50 at $55.50, with 33,156 shares. Seprod closed at $30.01, with 745 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 51 cents at $11.99, with 482,227 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished with a loss of 5 cents at $4.50, with 1,464,709 units and Wisynco Group settled 5 cents higher at $10.75, with 77,913 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.25% ended trading at $2.55, with 11,031 shares, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% traded with a loss of 5 cents at $1.90, with 95,802 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 “JSE pulls back from record – Tuesday.”
JSE erases October record close – Monday
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange rose sharply on Monday and erased the previous record close at the end of October and closed at a new record closing high on Monday as Scotia group jumped $3 to $57 with 11 other ordinary shares rising.
Main market activity ended with 22 securities changing hands, with just 12 securities rising, 4 falling, 6 trading firm on Monday. Trading closed with 5,874,620 units valued at over $102,596,766.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,831.01 points to a record close of 324,564.99 and the JSE Index shot up by 2,579.37 points to a record close of 295,715.40, bettering the previous closing high on the last day of October 2017.
In main market activity, 
Barita Investments closed 90 cents higher at $9, with 5,500 shares, Berger Paints ended at $17, with 29,606 stock units, Carreras finished 5 cents higher at $10.95, with 460,585 shares, Caribbean Cement settled at $35, with 625,462 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading at 11 cents, with 585,846 shares. Grace Kennedy traded 70 cents higher at $45.50, with 6,275 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $19, with 876,153 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.50, with 16,510 shares, JMMB Group rose 50 cents to end at $26.50, with 57,960 shares. Kingston Wharves settled with a loss of 50 cents at $39.50, with 2,843 units, NCB Financial Group traded 50 cents higher at $99.50, with 99,158 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading 5 cents higher at $1.15, with 1,830 shares, Radio Jamaica settled 1 cent higher at $1.06, with 153,637 shares. Sagicor Group ended trading 10 cents higher at $36.20, with 609,821 stock units,
Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading 50 cents higher at $15.50, with 9,936 share, Scotia Group finished trading $3 higher at $57, with 84,125 shares, Seprod closed at $30.01, with 9,360 shares, Sterling Investments ended with a loss of 11 cents at $13.89, with 150 shares. Supreme Ventures concluded trading $12.50 higher at $12.50, with 128,604 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments lost 5 cents and closed at $4.55, with 640,453 units, Wisynco Group settled 15 cents higher at $10.70, exchanging 1,470,306 shares and in the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.25% ended trading with a loss of 5 cents at $2.55, with 500 shares, 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 “Scotia pushes JSE to record close – Monday.”
$2,800 per share for Palace Amusement!
Palace Amusement seems set to be a big surprise as the stock could exceed $2,000 this year with enormous success that Black Panther is forging.
At the close on Friday the bid had moved up to $730 and should be heading higher based on the good fortune being enjoyed with the Black Panther movie. IC Insider.com projects big rise in revenues for the current quarter a sizable jump in profit as well to levels never before seen by this company. Profit for the year to June should be well into the $100 per share range as the company increase showings of the extremely popular movie but is still booked out into the future. Cable & Wireless should be the number one choice for main market TOP 10 stocks based on a nearly $2 billion reduction in interest cost this year resulting from the fall in local interest rates and increasing revenues. But uncertainty lies about continued listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in a year when the company is likely to see significant profit for the first time in nearly a decade.
The number one remains with Barita Investments on the basis that management will start to seriously extract the benefits of the assets that it manages. Despite the fall in profits in the December quarter for Berger Paints, from slightly lower revenues compared to 2016, the stock is still expected to benefit from improving demand for paints as economic improvements take deeper root.
Caribbean Cement continues to struggle to break out of the $35 region but investors may have to wait until around mid-April just ahead of the first quarter results to witness a break out. Grace Kennedy results when the prior year’s one off gain from sale of investment is factored out showed continued progress in increasing profit. The stock has become scarce and seems headed for the over $50 range.
The PE ratio of the TOP 10 is 6.6 times 2018 earnings compared to 12 currently for the main market and an expected 20 by March 2019, this means these stocks have lots of room to grow.
Big advantage to falling JSE stocks – Friday
Scotia Group climbed $2 to end at $54 on Friday.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded gains in the major indices but declining prices out weighted rising ones on Friday, as the indices flirted with record highs, failing to hold onto the strong morning gains to close with much smaller gains.
Main market activity ended with 27 securities changing hands, with just 6 securities rising, 12 falling, 9 trading firm on Thursday. Trading closed with 6,404,825 units valued at $87,957,828.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 2,729.22 points to 321,733.98and the JSE Index shot up by 2,486.63 points to 293,136.03.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed 10 cents higher at $8.10, with 3,301 shares, Berger Paints ended with a loss of 50 cents at $17, with 702 stock units, Carreras finished with a loss of 5 cents at $10.90, with 798,192 shares,
Caribbean Cement settled at $35, with 12,087 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading at $0.11, with 1,362,000 shares. Grace Kennedy traded at $44.80, with 12,580 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $19, with 52,115 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $15, with 1,101,566 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.50, with 15,405 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 45 cents at $26, with 10,967 shares, Kingston Wharves settled $1.38 higher at $40, with 15,882 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 35 cents at $5, with 4,470 shares, NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 50 cents at $99, with 18,860 shares. 1834 Investments lost 2 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.10, with 289,200 shares, 138 Student Living concluded trading 10 cents higher at $5.50, with 1,500 shares, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of 95 cents at $41, with 9,835 units, Pulse Investments finished at $1.80, with 198,900 shares, Radio Jamaica settled with a loss of 3 cents at $1.05, with 15,118 shares. 
Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 40 cents at $36.10, with 726,317 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 1.99 cents at $15, with 170,860 shares, Salada Foods traded at $12.05, with 7,500 units, Scotia Group finished trading $2 higher at $54, with 348,524 shares, Seprod concluded trading with a loss of $1.99 at $30.01, with 900 stock units. Supreme Ventures closed 5 cents higher at $11.90, with 236,420 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments gained 2 cents to end at $4.60, with 570,504 units, Wisynco Group settled with a loss of 17 cents at $10.55, with 253,420 shares and in the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% closed at $1.02, with 167,700 shares, 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 “Scotia pushes JSE to intraday record high – Friday.”
Grace pulls back $10.20 to $44.80 – Thursday
Grace Kennedy gave back most to Wednesday’s gains.
Grace Kennedy jumped $10.99 on Wednesday but dropped back $10.20 to close at $44.80, with just 49,690 units changing hands with an average trading price of $44.78, at the close, the lowest offer was at $52 to sell 100,000 units.
Main market activity ended with 25 securities changing hands, with 11 securities rising, 10 falling, 4 trading firm on Thursday. Trading closed with 4,885,315 units valued at $99,343,789.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index lost 2,096.36 points to 319,004.76 and the JSE Index declined by 1,910.02 points to 290,649.40.
In main market activity, Berger Paints ended with a loss of 45 cents at $17.50, with 7,524 stock units traded, Carreras finished at $10.95, with 73,489 shares, Caribbean Cement settled $1.50 higher at $35, with 621,412 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at 11 cents, with 215,154 shares, Grace Kennedy traded with a loss of $10.20 at $44.80, with 49,690 stock units. Jamaica Broilers finished trading 2 cents higher at $19, with 58,116 units, Jamaica Producers closed $1.99 down to $15, with 5,529 shares trading, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 21 cents at $6.50, with 14,000 shares, 
JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 4 cents at $26.45, with 194,170 shares. Kingston Wharves settled with a loss of $1.38 at $38.62, with 15,936 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading at $5.35, with 3,250 shares, NCB Financial Group traded 50 cents higher at $99.50, with 134,798 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading with a loss of 3 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.12, with 17,000 shares. 138 Student Living ended with a loss of 10 cents at $5.40, with 5,000 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement closed at $560, with 150 stock units and ended with the bid at $635 to buy 150 units. PanJam Investment gained 44 cents to end at $41.95, with 12,400 units, Radio Jamaica rose 1 cent to $1.08, with 16,900 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 63 cents at $36.50, with 610,999 stock units,
Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading 24 cents higher at $16.99, with 500,436 shares, Salada Foods traded $1.55 higher at $12.05, with 250 units, Scotia Group added 75 cents and closed at $52, with 92,613 shares, Seprod closed at $32, with 165 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading 15 cents higher at $11.85, with 46,246 stock units. Victoria Mutual Investments finished 8 cents higher at $4.58, with 754,989 units and Wisynco Group settled 12 cents higher at $10.72, with 1,435,099 shares 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 “JSE main market pulls back – Thursday.”
Sagicor Group profit up 7%
Sagicor Group profit climbed just 7% for 2017.
Sagicor Group recorded improved net profit of $12 billion for the year ended December 2017, rising by just 7 percent from $11.26 billion for the same period in 2016 and ending with earnings per share of $3.11.
Net operating revenues, rose 18 percent to $70.4 billion from $59.7 billion in 2016 but net movement in actuarial liabilities rose sharply from $4.8 billion to $10.7 billion while other operating expenses climbed from $20.15 billion to $24.59 with provision for credit losses turning a gain of $150 million in 2016 to a write off of $711 million in 2017. The tax charge for 2017 was flat with 2016 at $2.9 billion.
At the end of September, profit was $9.08 billion versus $7.39 billion in 2016 resulting in earnings in the fourth quarter being down on the $3.4 billion reported at September.
Total Comprehensive Income, attributable to stockholders amounted to $17.8 billion up from $15 billion in 2016.
Sagicor closed trading on Wednesday at $37.13 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Grace jumps $10.99 to $55 – Wednesday
Grace Kennedy gained $10.99 to close at $55 on Wednesday
Grace Kennedy jumped $10.99 to end at an all-time record high of $55, with just 14,941 units changing hands as the supply of the stock was virtually non-existent during the trading session.
The movement takes place after the group posted improved operating results for 2017 with earnings per share of $4.14 as a result of profits of $4.1 billion.
Main market activity ended with 28 securities changing hands, with 12 securities rising, 7 falling, 9 trading firm on Wednesday. Trading ended with 5,151,580 units valued at $52,948,353.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index lost 682.73 points to 321,101.12 and the JSE Index declined by 622.05 points to 292,559.42.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed 50 cents higher at $8, with 8,034 shares, Berger Paints ended 95 cents higher at $17.95, with 9,276 stock units, Carreras finished at $10.95, with 91,331 shares traded, Caribbean Cement settled at $33.50, with 1,500 shares, 
Ciboney Group ended trading 2 cents higher at $0.12, with 881,196 shares. Jamaica Broilers finished trading 49 cents higher at $18.98, with 93,815 units, Jamaica Producers closed $1.99 higher at $16.99, with 60,109 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended 21 cents higher at $6.71, with 25,680 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading at $26.49, with 251,445 shares, Kingston Properties finished at $6.65, with 300 stock units, Kingston Wharves settled at $40, with 389,197 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 43 cents at $5.35, with 9,340 shares. NCB Financial Group traded 3 cents higher at $99, with 101,277 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading with a loss of 4 cents at $1.15, with 220,000 shares, Pulse Investments finished 5 cents higher at $1.80, with 6,375 shares, Radio Jamaica settled with a loss of 7 cents at $1.07, with 44,192 shares. Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 37 cents at $37.13, with 79,536 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 25 cents at $16.75, with 94,700 shares, 
Scotia Group finished trading 25 cents higher at $51.25, with 2,650 shares, Seprod closed at $32, with 100 shares, Sterling Investments ended at $14, with 912 shares. Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 25 cents at $11.70, with 173,413 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished at $4.50, with 1,394,445 units, Wisynco Group settled 10 cents higher at $10.60, with 68,818 shares and. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% ended trading at $2.60, with 1,000 shares, JMMB Group 7.5% closed 3 cents higher at $1.02, with 923,998 shares, Proven Investments 8.25% settled with a loss of 85 cents at $5.15, with 204,000 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 “JSE main market pulls back – Wednesday.”
JSE adds 4,453 points in 3 days – Tuesday
Berger Paints fell $2.07 to $17 with the largest block of shares on Tuesday.
Market activity on Tuesday fell well below that on Monday but the market indices climbed higher with gains of 4,453 points in three days. The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,526.21 points to 321,783.85 and the JSE Index added 1,390.55 points to 293,181.47.
The main market ended with 27 securities changing hands, ending with 10 securities rising, 8 falling, 9 trading firm. Trading ended with 10,582,771 units valued at $143,248,381 changing hands, versus 4,116,289 units valued at $49,819,783 on Monday.
In main market activity, Barita Investments closed at $7.50, with 8,336 shares, Berger Paints ended with a loss of $2.07 at $17, with 2,492,575 stock units following release of audited nine months results showing a reduction of earnings at 81 cents compared to $1.17 for the same time in 2016 but with the 2017 figures being hit by a large amount incurred to provide the directors recommendation to shareholders following the takeover offer for the shares. Carreras finished with a loss of 5 cents at $10.95, with 142,495 shares, Caribbean Cement settled 45 cents higher at $33.50, with 232,837 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading at 10 cents, with 586,437 shares. Grace Kennedy traded 1 cent higher at $44.01, with 562,502 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading with a loss of 39 cents at $18.49, with 35,051 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $15, with 9,380 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 20 cents at $6.50, with 6,442 shares.
JMMB Group concluded trading $1.49 higher at $26.49, with 42,810 shares, Kingston Wharves settled 25 cents higher at $40, with 17,853 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading 37 cents higher at $5.78, with 4,220 shares, NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 23 cents at $98.97, with 102,165 shares. Infrequently traded Palace Amusement, closed at $560, with 225 stock units as investors expect a big payoff from the sold out houses the company is enjoying currently with the showing of Black Panther that is raking in several million dollars per day for them. PanJam Investment ended 1 cent higher at $41.51, with 5,061 units, Pulse Investments finished with a loss of 3 cents at $1.75, with 6,605 shares, Radio Jamaica settled 6 cents higher at $1.14, with 16,600 shares. Sagicor Group ended trading at $37.50, with 424,976 stock units, Scotia Group finished trading 10 cents higher at $51, with 51,177 shares, 
Supreme Ventures concluded trading 45 cents higher at $11.95, with 1,430 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished with a loss of 35 cents at $4.50, with 1,963,833 units. Wisynco Group settled at $10.50, with 2,449,787 shares and Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading at $17, with 47,796 shares, but the stock traded at a record high of $17.50 early in the trading session. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market ended trading 11 cents higher at 52 weeks’ High of $2.60, with 500 shares, Jamaica Money Market traded at $1.95, with 1,375 stock units, JMMB Group closed at $0.99, with 18,453 shares, Sagicor Bank A 7.75% ended trading with a loss of 4 cents at an all-time low of $1.01, with 1,351,850 shares, 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 “JSE main market highest since October”