NCB closed at new high of $40.50 on Monday.
At the close, 5,096,460 units valued at $149,875,337 changed hands in all markets with the junior market accounting for of 1,707,388 units, valued at $6,741,784. A total of 35 securities traded in all market segments, 17 of which in the combined markets gained and 8 declined. Five stocks traded at 52 weeks’ closing high and 2 at intraday 52 weeks’ high as investors continue to push prices higher.
The main market was facing resistance around the 165,000 points level, the on the all Jamaica composite index, now that it has crossed it and seems to be moving away. This level appears to be moving towards support for the market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading,
in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.In trading, Berger Paints ended with 85,100 shares trading at $3.15 for a loss of 5 cents, Cable and Wireless rose 8 cents with 212,690 units changing hands to close at $1.38, Caribbean Cement climbed 54 cents to end at $20.44, with 10,000 shares trading. Carreras closed at $60, with 2,261,300 units changing hands for 82 cents fall but not until after it traded at a new 52 weeks’ intraday high of $62, Gleaner Company traded 52,000 shares at $1.70 with a 40 cents increase. Grace Kennedy with 2,483 units changing hands finished $2.75 higher at $84, Jamaica Broilers rose 25 cents and closed at $10.50 with 124,677 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded 1,000 shares to end at $32, after rising $1.32,
Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 39 cents in trading 1,400 shares at $18.99, National Commercial Bank gained 50 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $40.50, with 12,145 units changing hands. 138 Student Living had 260,933 units trading at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.60 after rising by 10 cents, Radio Jamaica had 51,000 shares trading with a gain of 42 cents to end at $4.08, Sagicor Group closed at $20 with 24,426 units changing hands, Scotia Group had 36,809 shares changing hands at $30.01. Seprod closed with a loss of 44 cents at $20.56 with 2,938 shares trading, Supreme Ventures ended at $4.66 with 208,363 units changing hands and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% preference share traded 26,000 units to gain 4 cents and ended at $2.06.
Poor Carib capital market regulation
The glaring case of the abuse of power exercised by the Trinidad Cement board in the handling of the company’s right issue earlier this year, stands out as a clear case for regulatory action to protect investors. In this matter the company failed to properly inform shareholders of a strong improvement in the profit of the a for the first quarter and made it worse with Price Waterhouse Coopers signing a report that gave the impression that there was no profit for the quarter.
In Jamaica, we have a Financial Services Commission (FSC) that is said to be the regulator for the financial entities not regulated by Bank of Jamaica, much is lacking from them, their inaction in matters of critical import makes one wonder what taxpayers money given to them is really being used for?
When it comes to the FSC, one is reminded of a police station located across from a house of crime but does nothing, unless the neighbours complain about it. Here is a case be it small. One of the FSC regulated entities is late with its 2015 results, the company issued a statement to the stock exchange to say they would be late in releasing the audited statements and the audited figures would be released on December 4. They also had the lateness of the audited accounts in 2014, with December 5th being the promised date. Now the public is being told that Barita Investments Limited (BIL) the entity involved has advised that the Audited Financial Statements for the financial year-end 2014/2015 will be submitted to the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE)on or before December 29, 2015. That is a major shift in the time frame. No reason was given in the notice on the stock exchange site. The investing public has a right to know the reason for the lateness. The FSC that regulates the market, should be interested in knowing what the reasons are as well, but there is not even a peep out of them?
IC Insider spoke with Mrs Rita Humphries, Chairman of the company on Wednesday December 9, about the issues affecting the release and subsequently, the last posting was made on the JSE website. According to the Chairman, there were issues relating to reconciliation of a few accounts which required adjusting entries to be made. Barita had them reconciled and the auditors needed to go through the information and transactions to satisfy themselves that the end result is correct. Additionally, the auditors advised of none receipt of confirmation from clients some of which had already been sent on to the auditors we are advised. Last year the audit was held up by a difference of opinion between the auditors and the Barita over the issue of fully providing for the value of shares Barita held in Scotia Group on the basis the auditors said was the impairment of the investment. This was after they fully provided for the value of Barita’s investment in National Commercial Bank shares.
All this bring one back to the glaring errors in the audited accounts for Knutsford Express audited accounts for 2014 and 2015 for which there have been no request for revision of the reports, why? Are these regulators really serious in protecting investors? Take the most recent case of tTech. The prospectus for the company’s shares, made no mention of subscribers being asked to pay the JCSD fees. One day before the issue opens, a note is placed on the JSE website that the fee is to be paid by subscribers, even as the prospectus states that investors would not be paying any more than the $2.50, the shares were offered to the general public at. The JSE clearly did not intervene to prevent a chaotic situation from happening with some applicant including the fee and others did not as they were unaware of it. Thankfully, the management and brokers were sensitive to the issue and agreed to refund those who paid.
The FSC and the Stock Exchange police the system when companies are going to the public to raise money, but what happens after, very little? Goodyear was delisted from the JSE, shareholders got two payments form liquidation of the assets but about three years after, no information but there are no regulators dealing with the issue anymore, leaving many small investors to fend for themselves. That is not good enough.