
Barita climbs to a new closing high of $50 on Friday to gain 593% in 2018..
Stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ending 2018 with a credible gain of 31.7 percent but brokerage house Barita Investments surged a by a huge 593 percent to be the markets best performing stock in 2018.
Barita Investments gain mostly came after Cornerstone Investment Holdings officially sealed the deal to take over the company and laterally, after announcing a rights issue to shareholders at an exercise price of $15.50. The stock closed the year at $52. But there is a lot more going on with this company as the new majority owners take a more aggressive approach to capture more business locally and within the wider Caribbean.
Four stocks end 2018 with gains of more than 100 percent contributed to the year’s performance but the year’s movement fell below that of 2017, when the index rose 50.7 percent. The next best performer could only deliver a
211 percent rise in contrast to the stunning gains by Barita. Salada Foods ended the year with a jump in price to $35 on strong gains in profit, to capture the number 2 best performing spot rising by 211 percent for the year, followed by Palace Amusement with gains of 159 percent, the third year in a row that it is occupying the top 10 list. Kingston Wharves grew 135 percent to be one of 4 stocks to reappear in the top 10 for two consecutive years. Jamaica Broilers gained 67 percent. Pulse Investments reappeared in the Top 10 with a rise of 66 percent and heavy weight, PanJam Investment put in a strong showing of 65 percent, while Supreme Ventures chipped in with 57 percent, Mayberry Investments rose 52 percent and NCB Financial with 50 percent to retain one of the Top 10 spots for the second year in a row.
The worst performing stocks included Ciboney down 71 percent due mainly to the sale of property it previously owned
with most of the proceeds distributed as a dividend thus reducing the value of its assets to a few million dollars. 138 Student Living was next with a fall of 42 percent with Portland JSX ending with a loss for the year of 25 percent following on from Kingston Properties with 22 percent and Sygnus Credit Investments with 20 percent from it 2018 IPO price. Both Ciboney and Carreras that are in the top 10 worst performing stocks in 2018 are coming from the top 10 in 2017.
Stocks surged on the last day of the year on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with the main market ending 2018 with a gain of 31.7 percent after rising over 10,000 points on Monday. Four stocks with gains of more than 100 percent contributed to the year’s performance.
Trading in the main market included Eppley ordinary share that has migrated from the Junior Market. Barita Investments moved to another record high, with the price moving to $56 but pulling back by the close to a record closing high of $52.
stock units at $76.50, NCB Financial Group gained $2 as 42,537 shares changed hands, to close at $150. PanJam Investment closed with 413,486 units trading with a gain of $2 to finish at $74, Sagicor Group lost $1 to end at $39, trading 48,381 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $4.23 after trading 2,286,480 shares to end at $15.70. Seprod traded 41,618 shares and rose $1.49 to close at $31, Supreme Ventures rose $2 and closed at $18 trading 103,314 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 60 cents and ended at $11 with 77,195 shares changing hands.

$11.47. Salada Foods jumped $5 and ended trading of 25,000 stock units at $35, Scotia Group rose $2.99 to close at $55, with 7,727 units changing hands, Seprod finished trading 19,742 shares, with a loss of $1.29 to close at $29.51. Supreme Ventures rose 40 cents and closed at $16 trading 1,841,957 shares and Wisynco Group rose 39 cents to finish at $10.99, with 2,625,261 units changing hands.
NCB Financial sale of 327 million shares in JMMB Group dominated trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday swelling the total amount of stocks trading to $9.3 billion. 
Kingston Wharves shed 50 cents and finished trading 452 stock units at $77, Mayberry Investments lost 75 cents to close at $9.25, with 11,020 stocks units trading. Mayberry Equities gained 35 cents to close at $9.55, with 9,576 stocks units changing hands, NCB Financial Group jumped $2.80 as 284,630 shares changed hands to close at $146.80, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1 and traded 300,883 stock units to end at $11. Scotia Group fell 50 cents to close at $52.01, with 275,519 units changing hands and Supreme Ventures lost 40 cents and closed at $15.60 trading 81,392 shares.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, suffered a big fall, as the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,740.95 points to 404,701.04 and the JSE Index dived 3,408.43 points to close at 368,728.41 as several securities traded in unusually large volume. 
$27.75, in trading 938,678 stock units. JMMB Group lost $1.20 in trading 650,920 shares to close at $32.80. Kingston Wharves gained 50 cents and finished trading 4,524 stock units at $77.50, Mayberry Equities shed 30 cents to close at $9.20, with 250 stocks units changing hands. NCB Financial Group dropped $3.15 in trading 158,893 shares to close at $144, PanJam Investment declined by $1.80 to $72, with 23,867 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 50 cents in trading 34,000 shares at $10, Salada Foods lost $1 and ended trading at $30, with 19,520 stock units. Scotia Group fell $3.49 at $52.51, with 1,574,855 units changing hands, Stanley Motta traded 51,100 shares and rose 45 cents to close at $5.45 and Supreme Ventures rose 50 cents and closed at $16 trading 80,900 shares.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, closed higher for the first time in four days on Thursday with the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 106.94 points to close at 372,136.84 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose 117.38 points to close at 408,441.99
exchange of 146,650 units, Mayberry Equities shed 50 cents to close at $9.50, with 7,755 stocks changing hands. NCB Financial Group climbed $1.65 in trading 645,863 shares to close at $147.15, PanJam Investment rose $1.80 and closed at $73.80, with 221,900 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group fell $1.80 to settle at $38.20, with an exchange of 12,909 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 65,591 shares at a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $9.51 but closed with a rise of 50 cents at $10.50 and Seprod rose 50 cents and ended trading 73,697 stock units at $31.
The average volume and value for the month to date, amounts to 157,223 units with a value of $9,178,153, compared to 129,656 units with a value of $4,932,360, previously. November closed, with an average of 405,528 valued at $7,755,942, for each security traded.
stocks changing hands. NCB Financial Group lost 50 cents in trading 11,369,487 shares to close at $145.50, Scotia Group jumped $3.50 and ended trading 58,256 stock units at $56, Sterling Investments rose 32 cents in closing at $3.40, with 119,121 shares trading and Supreme Ventures gained 40 cents to close at $15.50, with an exchange of 807,515 shares.

14,340 units at $23, JMMB Group lost 45 cents trading 57,797 shares to close at $32.50. Kingston Wharves finished at $76.50, after falling 50 cents in trading 1,399 stock units, Mayberry Equities lost 50 cents in ending at $9.50, with 2,000 stock units changing hands. NCB Financial Group declined $2, trading 132,938 shares to close at $146. PanJam Investment dropped $2 to close at $72, with an exchange of 260 stock units, Scotia Group rose 48 cents and ended trading 53,116 stock units at $52.50, Seprod traded 6,510 shares units and declined 50 cents to end at $30.50, Stanley Motta rose 75 cents to close at $5, in exchanging 11,342 shares. Sterling Investments lost 42 cents in closing at $3.08, with 32,601 shares trading, Supreme Ventures dropped 40 cents in ending at $15.10, with an exchange of 214,146 shares.

PanJam Investment rose $1 to close at a record high of $75, with an exchange of 7,023 stock units, Sagicor Group lost 99 cents and finished at $40, with 545,715 shares trading, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 50 cents to end at $10 in exchanging 302,950 units, Scotia Group dropped $3.98 and ended trading 952,302 stock units at $52.02 and Seprod traded 541,759 units and rose $1.49 to end at $31. In the preference sector Productivity Business Solution dropped $2.99 and ended trading of 115,000 shares to close at $105.01.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed mixed on Monday, with declining stock just edging out advancers but the market indices dropped sharply. 
$73, after falling $2.30 trading 15,042 stock units, NCB Financial Group rose 90 cents in ending trading of 702,122 shares at $148, PanJam Investment rose $2 to close at $74, with an exchange of 20,835 stock units, Sagicor Group fell $1.01 to close at $40.99, with 530,562 shares changing hands, Scotia Group climbed $1.99 in trading 240,745 units to close at $56 and Seprod fell $2.09 trading 142,852 shares to close at $29.51.