Berger Paints hits new high on Friday.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday at record high with the indices climbing close to 1,000 points and betters the record high reached on Thursday. A total of 22 securities changed hands in the main market with 2 trading in the US dollar market. At the close, 10 stocks advanced and 9 declined.
Trading levels in the main market ended at 4,918,036 units valued at $117,841,841 compared to 3,535,180 units valued at $98,920,695 at the close on Thursday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 16,372 units valued at US$4,761.
The All Jamaica Composite Index advanced 846.50 points to close at 261,746.65 the JSE Market Index gained 771.26 points to finish at 238,480.84 and the JSE US dollar market index rose 6.16 points to close at 218.77.
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 2 with lower offers.
The main market ended trading with an average of 223,547 units valued at $5,356,447 for each security traded, compared to an average of 160,690 units valued at $963,539 on Friday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 199,722 units with an average value of $3,783,824 versus 197,074 units with an average value of $3,609,088 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units and $5,254,387.
In market activity, Barita Investments traded 125,511 shares at $7, Berger Paints surged $3 to end at a closing high of $20, with an exchange of 32,864 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.30, losing 10 cents with 267,306 shares changing hands, and Caribbean Cement closed at $30 trading 4,577 units. Grace Kennedy closed at $41.35, with a loss of $1.45 exchanging 1,002,700 units, Jamaica Broilers traded at a new high of $18 but closed at $17.51, after recording a gain of 31 cents with 416,493 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers closed 99 cents higher to $17.49, with 5,974 shares changing ownership, Jamaica Stock Exchange put on 50 cents to close at $8 trading 15,523 shares. JMMB Group closed at $20, after losing $2 with 68,971 units passing through the market, Kingston Wharves traded 9,337 units at $30, 
NCB Financial Group closed at $71.25, with a loss of 75 cents after trading 95,793 shares, 1834 Investments lost 1 cent to close at $1.74, with an exchange of 1,141,499 shares, PanJam Investment closed 59 cents lower at $35.01, with 545,610 shares changing hands. Pulse Investments gained $1.80 to close at an all-time high of $13.80, exchanging 47,819 shares, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.75, gaining 5 cents trading 2,100 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $33.70, gaining 30 cents with 337,874 shares trading, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed at $11 exchanging 60,209 units, Scotia Group lost 50 cents to close at $43, with 377,024 units changing hands, Scotia Investments closed at $37.85, losing 60 cents with trades of 2,257 shares, Supreme Ventures closed at $6.39 exchanging 149,641 shares, Proven Investments traded 16,100 ordinary shares at 29 US cents, Margaritaville Turks gained 0.08 US cents to close at 34 US cents with 272 units traded, JPS 9.5% preference share closed at $1,325, with gains of $78 exchanging 4,954 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.07, losing 3 cents with 204,000 units changing hands.
Prices on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange closed firmer on Friday than for some time now with the number of stocks having bids higher than the last selling overwhelming those with lower offers. 
NCB Financial Group lost 1 cent to close at $3.99 with trades of 100,000 shares valued at $399,000 and Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $22, losing 30 cents with 2,000 shares changing hands.
West Indian Tobacco traded 10 cents higher to close at $126.49, with only 23 shares exchanged and Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $22.30, gaining 5 cents with 9,956 shares changing hands.
The main market ended trading with an average of 288,464 units valued at an average of $3,733,346 compared to an average of 192,632 units and $4,626,660 on Tuesday. The average volume for the month to date ended at 201,622 units with an average value of $3,939,782 versus 204,192 units and $4,136,602 on the prior trading. The average volume and value for April ended at 382,748 units and $5,254,387.
Losses| Guardian Holdings lost 1 cent to close at $15.59, with trades of 4,066 shares, NCB Financial Group was down 1 cent, closing at $4 with an exchange of 20,052 shares, One Caribbean Media closed 4 cents lower to $16.80 trading 180 shares. Prestige Holdings closed at $11, losing 1 cent with an exchange of 536 shares, Republic Financial Holdings closed at $101.91, after falling 9 cents with an exchange of 1,600 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $22.49, with a loss of 1 cent in exchanging 207 shares.
Firm Trades| Ansa McAL closed at $66.50 with trades of a mere 3 units, Calypso Macro Index Fund exchanged 2,325 shares at $21.50 and Clico Investment was unchanged at $22.52, with 2,346 shares changing owners. Grace Kennedy held firm at $2.76 with trades of 40,701 shares, Guardian Holdings closed at $15.51 with an exchange of 38,421 units valued at $595,910, L.J. Williams B share traded 6,000 units at 85 cents, National Flour Mills exchanged 11,000 units at $2.50. Readymix closed at $11 trading 3,147 units, Sagicor Financial closed at $9, with 44,009 units changing hands at a value of $397,427, Trinidad Cement held firm at $4.20 exchanging 5,100 units and Trinidad & Tobago NGL was unchanged at $22.50, with an exchange of 26,136 shares valued at $588,052.
Losses| Calypso Macro Index Fund lost 38 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $21.50, exchanging 300 units, Scotia Investments traded 5 cents lower to close at $2.70, with 93,463 units changing hands.
Firm Trades| Angostura Holdings closed at $15 with 10,000 units traded, Ansa McAL closed at $66.50 while trading of 138,271 shares valued at $9,195,022, Clico Investment traded 664 shares at $22.52, National Enterprises closed at $10.50 with trades of 550 units, National Flour Mills closed at $2.52 with 54,380 units changing hands,One Caribbean Media exchanged 1,637 units at $16.85. Scotia Investments traded 13,000 units at $2.75, Scotiabank exchanged 15,939 shares at $58.06 valued at $925,435, Unilever Caribbean closed at $57 trading 35 units, after trading at an 52 weeks’ intraday low of $53 and West Indian Tobacco rose 1 cent to $127 with 100 units changing hands.
The average volume for the month to date, ended at 382,748 units with an average value of $5,254,387 versus at 390,038 units with an average value of $5,264,239 on the prior trading day. The average volume and value for March ended at 549,909 units and $1,379,459.
Mayberry Investments closed 15 cents lower to $4.60 with an exchange of 19,050 shares, NCB Financial Group traded at $67.50, gaining $3.75 with 138,083 shares changing hands, 1834 Investments gained 1 cent to close at $1.81, with an exchange of 3,000 shares, PanJam Investment closed 85 cents higher to $35 with trades of 3,250 shares. Portland JSX lost 20 cents to close at $10 exchanging 11,500 shares, Pulse Investments closed at $8.05 with trades of 3,873 units, Radio Jamaica lost 2 cents to close at $1.68 exchanging 6,750 shares, Sagicor Group closed at $32.50, with a loss of $1.01 trading 15,000 shares, Sagicor Real Estate fund closed at $10.35 trading 8,689 units, Scotia Group closed at $42, gaining $1.50 with 2,685,790 units changing owners, Scotia Investments advanced $2.14 to close at $38.25 with an exchange of 34,747 shares, Sterling Investments traded at $17.01, losing 14 cents with 11,000 shares exchanged and Supreme Ventures closed at $6.38, with gains of 8 cents trading 68,278 shares. JMMB 7.5% preference share gained closed at $1.98 exchanging 2,900 units and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share closed at $1.10 with gains of 5 cents trading 3,200,000 units.
JMMB Group traded 2 cents lower to close at $1.29 exchanging 15,294 units, National Flour Mills lost 1 cent to close at $2.52 with an exchange of 1,152 units and Trinidad Cement declined by 1 cent, closing at $4.20 with 21,446 shares changing hands.