Interest rates are falling and will drive stocks higher in 2018.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Thursday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index falling by 1,047.87 points to 316,926.39 and the JSE Index declining by 954.73 points to 288,755.78.
Main market activity closed with 3,856,461 shares valued at just $40,581,082 changing hands, in contrast to 5,490,162 shares valued at a mere $27,746,053 trading on Tuesday, the day before the Ash Wednesday break.
The major contributors to the total volume in the market include, Wisynco Group with 905,215 units followed by Radio Jamaica with 745,339 units and Ciboney Group with 482,108 units.
Main and US market activities ended with moderate trading levels, leading to prices of 11 securities rising, 12 falling, 8 trading firm as 31 securities changed hands, including 3 from the US market. Trading took place in 31 securities on Thursday.
The securities with the largest price changes include, Jamaica Producers rising $1.87 to $17.47, Mayberry Investments with a gain of 90 cents to $6.05, Kingston Wharves losing $1.60 to $41, while PanJam Investment fell $1.80 to $40.05 and Scotia Group lost $1.45 to end at $50.55.
The US market closed with Margaritaville lost 1 cents and closed trading at 1 US cent with 5,000 shares and Proven Investments exchanged 16,820 ordinary shares, to close at 21 US cents. JMMB 6% preference share ended at $1.08 with 400 stock units trading. The market closed with just 22,220 shares trading with a value of US$5,122 and the JSE US Equities Index rising 1.59 points to close at 166.82.
Market activity ended with an average of 137,731 shares valued at $1,449,324, in contrast to 189,316 shares valued at $956,760 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 189,385 units valued at $2,973,878 and previously, 182,709 units valued at $3,152,487. January ended with an average of 239,900 units valued at $5,158,193 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 1 closed with a lower offer.
For more details of market activities see – Subdued trading on Thursday sinks JSE index.
Market activity closed on The Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday with 28 securities changing hands, as the prices 11 rose 11 declined and 6 traded unchanged as 3,856,461 shares valued at a mere $40,581,082 changed hands. 
Radio Jamaica settled with a loss of 5 cents at $1, with 745,339 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading 10 cents higher at $35.60, with 336,636 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading 5 cents higher at $14.90, with 62,225 shares. Salada Foods traded with a loss of 56 cents at $9.95, with 1,000 units, Scotia Group finished trading with a loss of 1.45 cents at $50.55, with 36,870 shares. Seprod closed at $29.60, with 1,200 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading 1 cent higher at $12, Victoria Mutual Investments with 57,209 stock units, finished 5 cents higher at $4.20, with 177,360 units, Wisynco Group settled with a loss of 6 cents at $10.69, with 905,215 shares and in the main market preference segment, JMMB Group closed with a loss of 1 cent at $1.02, with 47,300 shares, changing hands.
Grace Kennedy traded with a loss of 5 cents at $42.60, with 120,827 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading with a loss of 1 cent at $18, with 709,823 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $15.50, with 11,000 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading at $25, with 10,942 shares. Mayberry Investments ended trading 29 cents higher at $5.10, with 4,963 shares, NCB Financial Group traded $99.95 higher at $99.95, with 120,086 shares, 1834 Investments finished trading with a loss of 3 cents at $1.20, with 1,010,000 shares, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of 1.85 cents at $40, with 100 units. Portland JSX concluded trading 50 cents higher at $10, with 1,500 shares, Pulse Investments finished at $1.80, with 919,864 shares, Radio Jamaica settled at $1.05, with 8,710 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading $1 higher at $36, with 52,052 stock units. 
Scotia Group finished trading $3 higher at $53, with 440,646 shares, Seprod closed 20 cents higher at $30, with 8,668 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading 1 cent higher at $12, with 207,425 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished with a loss of 18 cents at $4.15, with 578,368 units. Wisynco Group settled 15 cents higher at $10.75, with 339,550 shares and Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 14 cents at $14.86, with 75,555 shares. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market traded at $1.95, with 490,528 stock units changing hands.
The prices of 12 stocks securities trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange rose on Friday leading to strong gains in the market indices, with 7,713,887 shares valued at $88,768,495 changing hands at the close. 
Grace Kennedy traded with a loss of 35 cents at $42.65, with 9,176 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading $1 higher at $19, with 196,391 units, Jamaica Producers declined by $2.50 at $15.50, with 15,000 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 1 cent to $6.50, with 204,800 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 1 cent at $25, with 6,005 shares, Kingston Wharves settled 55 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $37.05, with 9,600 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of $1.08 at $4.81, with 220,225 shares, NCB Financial Group declined by 45 cents and ended at $99.55, with 1,249,021 shares trading, 1834 Investments traded with a loss of 16 cents at $1.23, with 3,850 shares. PanJam Investment closed $2.35 higher at $41.85, with 2,070 stock units, Pulse Investments concluded trading at $1.80, with 17,900 shares, Radio Jamaica finished with a loss of 1 cent at $1.05, with 550,640 shares, Sagicor Group settled at $35, with 33,150 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund settled 35 cents higher at $15, with 22,618 shares, 
Salada Foods ended trading 80 cents higher at $12, with 300 stock units, Scotia Group traded with a loss of $1 at $50, with 330,717 units, Seprod finished trading with a loss of 20 cents at $29.80, with 14,946 shares, Sterling Investments closed with a loss of 10 cents at a 52 weeks’ low of $9, with 131,823 shares. Supreme Ventures ended 29 cents higher at $11.99, with 30,479 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments concluded trading with a loss of 7 cents at $4.33, with 221,578 stock units and Wisynco Group finished 15 cents higher at $10.60, with 741,658 units. In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% traded 5 cents higher at $1.95, with 1,260,698 stock units changing hands.
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Friday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index falling 1,081.34 points to 314,601.51 and the JSE Index shedding 985.23 points to 286,637.56. 
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Wednesday as the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index fell 701.49 points to 314,200.56 and the JSE Index declined by 639.13 points to 286,272.26.
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 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 1 closed with a lower offer.
Carreras finished at $11, with 112,572 shares, Caribbean Cement settled with a loss of 50 cents at $34, with 5,430 shares, Ciboney Group ended trading 9 cents higher at $0.40, with 254,355 shares. Grace Kennedy traded at $43, with 43,627 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading at $19, with 16,167 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $16, with 37,973 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 5 cents at $6.45, with 16,400 shares. JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of 50 cents at $24.50, with 137,812 shares, Kingston Wharves settled 50 cents higher at $35.50, with 10,000 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading at $6.05, with 3,593 shares, NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 29 cents at $99.70, with 30,557 shares. 1834 Investments closed trading 10 cents higher at $1.40, with 1,534 shares, 138 Student Living ended at $6.15, with 1,050 shares, PanJam Investment ended with a loss of $1.80 at $40.05, with 3,987 units, Pulse Investments finished at $1.80, with 10,000 shares, Radio Jamaica settled 2 cents higher at $1.12, with 14,100 shares. 
Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of 75 cents at $34.75, with 115,488 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with a loss of 95 cents at $14.95, with 40,069 shares. Salada Foods traded 1 cent higher at $10.51, with 2,950 units, Scotia Group finished trading with a loss of $3.50 at $50, with 35,767 shares, Seprod closed with a loss of $1.18 at $28.82, with 1,950 shares. Sterling Investments ended with a loss of $1.10 at a 52 weeks’ low of $10, with 11,000 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 43 cents at $11.57, with 44,956 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished 5 cents higher at $4.35, with 147,585 units, Wisynco Group settled at $10.75, with 494,217 shares and In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market 7.5% traded with a loss of 9 cents at $1.90, with 1,390 stock units changing hands.
The prices of 14 stocks Fourteen Trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange pulled back sharply at the close on Monday with 2,142,032 shares valued at $25,490,496 changing hands, in contrast to 4,761,651 shares valued at $85,619,819 trading on Friday. 
Carreras finished with a loss of 15 cents at $11, in exchange of 214,066 shares, Caribbean Cement settled $1 higher at $34.50, with 152,205 shares. Ciboney Group ended trading 9 cents higher at 31 cents, with 1,000 shares, Grace Kennedy traded at $43, with 45,448 stock units, Jamaica Broilers finished trading 60 cents higher at $19, with 15,283 units, Jamaica Producers closed at $16, with 500 shares. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.50, with 11,400 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading 50 cents higher at $25, with 17,444 shares, Kingston Wharves settled $1 higher at 52 weeks’ high of $35, with 2,605 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading 25 cents higher at $6.05, with 54,958 shares. NCB Financial Group traded with a loss of 1 cent at $99.99, with 42,656 shares, PanJam Investment climbed $1.85 to close at $41.85, with 313 units, Portland JSX concluded trading with a loss of 89 cents at $10.11, with 1,000 shares, Pulse Investments finished at $1.80, with 5,000 shares. 
Radio Jamaica settled 5 cents higher at $1.10, with 900 shares, Sagicor Group ended trading 25 cents higher at $35.50, with 32,440 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading $1.40 higher to close at a record $15.90, with 12,400 shares. Scotia Group finished trading at $53.50, with 13,109 shares, Seprod closed with a loss of $4 at $30, with 1,784 shares. Sterling Investments ended at $11.10, with 1,708 shares, Supreme Ventures concluded trading 44 cents higher at $12, with 10,100 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments finished 10 cents higher at $4.30, with 232,213 units, Wisynco Group settled at $10.75, with 561,023 shares and In the main market preference segment, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% traded with a loss of 1 cent at $1.99, with 200,000 stock units, JMMB Group 7.5% closed with a loss of 5 cents at $1.10, with 2,814 shares trading.