Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday with advancing stocks just edging out declining ones and leading the market indices to a mild increase. At the close trading volume and values rose sharply compared to the prior day.
The All Jamaica Composite Index advanced 169.10 points to close at 258,452.06, the JSE Market Index gained 154.07 points to 235,479.10 but the JSE US dollar market index lost 14.16 points to 186.29.
At the close of trading, 23 securities changed hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market, leading to 11 stocks advancing and 9 declining. Trading in the main market ended with 11,853,174 units valued at $109,266,700 changing hands compared to 5,146,243 units valued at just $51,796,808 at the close on Monday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 146,047 units valued at US$34,731.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 515,355 units valued at $4,750,726 for every security traded compared to an average of 197,932 units valued at $1,992,185 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 187,966 units with an average value of $4,045,663 compared with an average of 147,042 units with an average value of $3,957,530 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Berger Paints closed at $18.75, with a loss of 25 cents exchanging 1,220 shares, Cable and Wireless gained 4 cents to close at $1.20, with 129,607 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Cement closed at $27, with gains of 65 cents trading 2,000 shares, Grace Kennedy gained 10 cents and closed at $41, with trades of 51,742 units, Jamaica Broilers exchanged 20,471 shares at $18, Jamaica Producers closed at $14.50, with gains of 40 cents trading 38,624 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange traded 10,113,600 shares and closed 29 cents higher at $7.29, JMMB Group lost $1 to close at $19.50 trading 34,065 units, Mayberry Investments gained 5 cents to close at $4.55, with trades of 150,000 units, NCB Financial Group lost 27 cents to close at $71.23, after exchanging 67,138 shares, 1834 Investments closed at $1.30, with trades of 23,966 shares, 138 Student Living traded 1 cent lower to close at $4.48, with an exchange of 1,420 units. PanJam Investment closed at $34, after adding $1 in trading 28,130 shares, Pulse Investments gained 90 cents, closing at $17 trading 14,585 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.65, losing 1 cent and exchanging 413,162 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $34.21, with a loss of 4 cents trading 46,714 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 30 cents higher to close at $11 with 10,821 shares exchanged. Salada Foods lost $1, closing at $10 with 500 units changing hands, Scotia Group closed at $43.85, with gains of $1.25 exchanging 559,823 shares, Scotia Investments gained 50 cents to close at $37, trading 12,970 units, Seprod closed at $29.49, losing 1 cent and trading 4,257 shares while Supreme Ventures closed at $7.50, with 120,059 shares changing hands. Proven Investments lost 0.02 US cents exchanging 146,047 ordinary shares to close at 24 US cents and JMMB 7.5% preference share closed at $1.95, losing 5 cents with trades of 8,300 units.
JSE indices rise in soft market – Tuesday
JSE trading in record territory
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange is trading at record levels in the morning session on Wednesday.
The All Jamaica Index crossed over the 260,000 points mark, to hit 260,625.67 points at 11.30 am after adding 3,317.30 points. The Main Market Index is up 3,022.44 to 237,459.51 while the Combined Index jumped 2,631.98 points to 253,640.67. The US Equities Index slipped 6.38 to 212.61 and the Junior Market Index lost 15.43 to trade at 3,252.90.
Stocks with noticeable moves, are Berger Paints that traded at a all-time high of $20, Caribbean Cement traded at $32,a big recovery from yesterday’s low. The rise comes against the back ground of some shareholders slated to meet with management later today, in an attempt to clarify a number of issues relating to the company’s finances. NCBFinancial Group traded at $71.99 and Salada Foods jumped from $6.50 to $8 after the company released results for the half year, showing strong rise in profit.
In the Junior Market, Caribbean Producers rose to $4.50 in response to improved nine months’ results while Jamaican Teas rose to a new high of $5.10, in trading 134,800 shares and Main Event jumped to a new high of $8.
JSE majors slipped slightly on Monday
Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Monday with 26 securities changing hands with 1 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 8 declined with the main market ending in 2,884,030 units valued at $64,356,186 trading compared to 4,838,789 units valued at $105,278,278 at the close on Wednesday.
Trading in the US dollar market accounted for only 1,502 units valued at US$450. The All Jamaica Composite Index declined 144.74 points to close at 257,591.70, the JSE Market Index fell 131.87 points to finish at 234,695.22 and the JSE US dollar market index closed unchanged at 218.99 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The main market ended trading with an average of 110,924 units valued at $2,475,238 per security traded, compared to an average of 256,060 units valued at $2,718,995 on Friday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 188,647 units with an average value of $3,859,708 versus 204,192 units with an average value of $4,136,602 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387.
In market activity, Berger Paints lost 5 cents to close at $16.85, in trading of 17,380 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.34, with 353,181 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement traded $1 higher to close at $29 with an exchange of 13,220 units, Carreras closed at $77 exchanging 57,323 shares, Grace Kennedy closed at $42.50, after gaining 25 cents and trading 800,378 units. Jamaica Broilers closed at $17.50, with gains of 50 cents trading 64,249 shares, Jamaica Producers closed $1 lower to $17.60 exchanging 223,675 shares and Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7.75, with a loss of 25 cents, trading 12,138 shares, JMMB Group closed at $21.25, losing 25 cents with trades of 11,790 units, Kingston Wharves traded 90 cents lower to close at $30, with 11,511 shares changing hands. Mayberry Investments gained 5 cents to close at $4.55 with an exchange of 78,234 shares, NCB Financial Group closed at $71, after exchanging 143,410 shares, 1834 Investments gained 6 cents to close at $1.50, trading 4,300 shares, 138 Student Living traded 100 units at $4.50, PanJam Investment closed 19 cents higher to $35.20, in exchanging 7,317 shares, Portland JSX Fund closed at $10.60 trading 800 units. Pulse Investments closed trading at $9.10 in gaining $1.05 with 113,536 shares swapping owners, Radio Jamaica gained 2 cents and closed at $1.67, with 43,300 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.50, to record a gain of 45 cents in trading 29,153 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 5 cents to close at $10.35 while exchanging 8,200 units, coffee processors, Salada Foods traded 2,700 units at $8, Scotia Group closed 50 cents lower at $43, with 29,579 units changing hands, Seprod shed $3.50 to close at $36, trading 15,860 shares Sterling Investments lost 1 cent to close at $17 with an exchange of 500 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.38, with trades of 678,489 shares and Proven Investments exchanged 1,502 ordinary shares at 30 US cents.
Access exits TOP 10 at record $47
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, two main market closed at record highs on Friday and there are some changes to the TOP 10 listings. Since IC Insider last reported on the lists, on April 21, Access Financial and Caribbean Cream are out of the list for Junior Market while Berger Paints exited the top 10 for the main market.
In the Junior Market, Lasco Distributors returned to the top list and CAC 2000 entered for the first time and Berger was replaced in the main market by Salada Foods with the price having fallen to $6.50.
Access jumped to a new high of $47 during the week and Caribbean Cream earnings has been downgraded to 70 cents per share for 2018 fiscal year while Berger rose to $16 on the announcement of an increased dividend of 50 cents per share.
The average PE ratio of the Junior Market and the Main Market are currently at an average of 13, on this year’s estimated earnings. At the close of the week, IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 Junior Market stocks continue to trade at an average discount of just under 37 percent to the Junior Market average, those in the main market are trading at a 53 percent discount, to the average of the market, leaving several stocks with room for growth for the rest of the year.
The coming week should be dominated by the release of 2017 first quarter results for the majority of stocks that could result in major changes to the TOP lists.
During the week Pulse Investments announced 2 for 1 stock split.