The junior market rose Monday but with declining stocks being just ahead of advancing ones. The market ended with a gain of 27.76 points to close at 1,914.73 on Monday.
The market ended with 11 securities trading, 5 of which declined and 4 advancing and 811,127 units changing hands, valued at $3,604,853.
The decline in the market seems over with IC bid offer indicator pointing to rising prices ahead on Monday. At the close, 1 security ended with no bid and only 6 securities had no stocks being offered for sale. There were 4 stocks closing with bids that were higher than their last selling prices and 1 ended with lower offer.
In trading, AMG Packaging lost 35 cents with 14,101 units changing hands, to close at $11.15, Caribbean Cream traded 117,959 shares, the price slipped by 4 cents and ended at $4.06, Caribbean Producers lost 35 cents to end with 102,139 shares trading at $4.15. General Accident 
closed with only 9,000 shares being active but gained 1 cent to end at $2.70, Honey Bun traded 13,054 units at $14 after shedding 61 cents. Jamaican Teas gained 20 cents in closing at $7.70 with 2,801 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors closed with 121,420 units trading to end at $6, Lasco Financial fell by 9 cents to end at $3.01 with 90,849 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing ended with 223,804 shares changing hands to close at $3.50. Sweet River ended with 11,000 units changing hands at $4.02 after rising 2 cents for a 52 weeks’ high and tTech closed with a gain of 25 cents at $4.50 with 105,000 units changing hands.
Juniors close 2015 with 8 up 3 down
Honey Bun closed at a new 52 weeks’ high on Thursday
At the close, 1 security ended with no bids to buy and 6 securities had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 3 stocks closed with bids higher than their last traded prices while 2 closed with lower offers.
In trading, C2W Music closed with a gain of 1 cent as 20,000 units changed hands at 39 cents, Caribbean Cream ended the year with 264,288 shares changing hands for a gain of 10 cents to $4.08, Caribbean Producers traded 6,000 units to close with a gain of 45 cents at $5.45. Consolidated Bakeries gained 15 cents to end at $1.45 with 2,922 units changing hands, Derrimon Trading had 3,135,140 shares trading for a gain of 7 cents to close at $3.87, Dolphin Cove ended with 3,900 shares changing hands at $15.50, after falling 25 cents, General Accident ended with 20,000 shares trading close at $2.05 for a loss of 3 cents. Honey Bun rose 4 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.15, with 1,800 units changing hands, Jamaica Teas traded at a new 52 weeks’ high of $5.10 with a gain of 5 cents while a mere 850 units traded, at the close the stock was offered at $5.05.
KLE Group ended at $1.87 with 4,000 shares changing hands to record a loss of 1 cent, Lasco Distributors rose by 10 cents and closed with 95,306 shares changing hands at $5.50 for a closing 52 weeks’ high. Lasco Financial closed at $3.70, with 3,899 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing closed at $3.50 with 246,352 shares trading, Medical Disposables traded 10,000 shares to close unchanged at $3.55, Sweet River ended with 100,000 units changing hands at $3.91 after losing 4 cents and Eppley 9.5% preference share traded 135,111 units at $6.
Another new record for juniors
The junior market closed at a record high on Monday
Trading ended with 11 securities trading of with 3 advanced and 3 declined with 1,290,587 units, valued at $4,845,099 changing hands as 2 stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs. At the close there was 1 security ending with no bid to buy and 7 securities had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 4 stocks closed with bids higher than their last traded prices while one closed with a lower offer.
In trading, AMG Packaging closed with 26,378 units changing hands at $7, Blue Power had 646 units changing hands to close at $13.10, Caribbean Producers closed at $4.45 to gain 5 cents with 290,856 units changing hands, Derrimon Trading ended with 10,000 shares changing hands at $3.80. Dolphin Cove closed at $17 with only 100 shares trading,
Honey Bun finished with 1,000 shares changing hands to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6 after rising by 50 cents, KLE Group gained 15 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.15, as 37,000 units changed hands. Lasco Distributors closed with 17,855 shares changing hands at $4.35 after declining by 15 cents, but it traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $4.70. Lasco Financial fell 21 cents to closed at $3.12 with 461,995 shares changing hands as high as $3.50, Lasco Manufacturing rose 25 cents and closed at $3.55, with 443,813 shares trading and Sweet River ended with 944 units changing hands at $3.95.
Buoyant junior market on Thursday
Lasco Distributors traded by far the highest volume on Thursday
At the close there was 1 security ending with no bid to buy and 8 securities had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 7 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and none closed with lower offers.
In trading, Access Financial Services ended with a bid to purchase 140,570 shares at $14 compared to the last traded price of $13.61, there was no trading in the stock on Thursday. AMG Packaging ended with 31,668 units changing hands at $6.05, Caribbean Cream lost 30 cents while trading 70,000 units to end at $4.10, Caribbean Producers rose by 10 cents, in trading 327,996 units to end at $5.60. Consolidated Bakeries ended with 74,323 shares changing hands to settle at $1.23, Derrimon Trading ended with 1,950 shares changing hands and closed at $3.45, Dolphin Cove had 99,951 units trading to settle 23 cents higher at $16.03, General Accident ended with 50723 shares changing hands at $1.95.
Jamaican Teas had 37,970 shares trading to close with a loss of 10 cents at $4.90, KLE Group ended with 70,000 units at 73 cents, Knutsford Express traded lost 10 cents in trading 14,700 units of $9.90, Lasco Distributors gained 4 cents and closed with 1,370,075 shares changing hands at $4.10. Lasco Financial ended with a gain of 1 cent to close at $3.01 with 523,151 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing gained 20 cents and closed at $3.50 with 454,659 shares trading, Sweet River closed at $3.95 with only 444 shares trading and Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 82,000 units changing hands at $2.10.
Juniors just 8 points from 1,500
Lasco Distributors closed at a new high on Thursday of $4
The market ended with 4 stocks closing at new 52 weeks’ high, while 3 securities ended with no bids to buy and 11 had no stocks being offered for sale. A total of 5 stocks closed with bids higher than the last traded prices and 2 closed with lower offers.
In trading, AMG Packaging closed with a gain of 15 cents to end at $5 with 10,575 units changing hands, Blue Power closed at $13 with 8,900 units changing hands, Caribbean Flavours traded 410,645 units to end at $4.50, Caribbean Producers traded 467,769 units and ended at $3.05. Consolidated Bakeries gained 15 cents to end at $1.95, with 10,000 units changing hands. Dolphin Cove had 6,739 shares changing hands at $12.50 after rising $1.47, General Accident ended with 37,959 shares changing hands, in closing at $1.90, Honey Bun ended with 14,160 units trading with a gain of 10 cents close at a new 52 weeks’ high of $5.20. Jamaican Teas had 10,501 shares trading, to close at $3.90, Knutsford Express closed with 19,622 shares trading, with a loss of 45 cents at $6.55, KLE Group end with 130,073 units trading at 45 cents for a rise of 1 cent, Lasco Distributors ended with 237,120 shares changing hands and closed with a gain of 45 cents at $4, for a new all-time closing high.
Lasco Financial closed with an increase of 15 cents at a new 52 weeks’ high $2.70, after trading earlier at $2.80, with a total of 774,689 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing fell 10 cents to end at $3.80 with 349,918 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables closed at $3.40 with 108,574 shares trading and lost 10 cents, Paramount Trading ended with 3,102 shares changing hands and gained of 11 cents to $7.21 for a new 52 weeks’ high and Sweet River ended with 44,011 units changing hands at $3.86 after losing 1 cent.
Juniors record gains Friday
Activity on the Junior Market was over shadowed by movements in the main market on Friday, with only 5 stocks trading resulting in moderate gains in prices, in contrast to the rise of nearly 2,000 points in the all Jamaica Composite index. The JSE Junior Market Index rose 4.90 points to close at 703.11. The market closed with 123,876 units valued at $316,167 changing hands. Thee price of 2 stocks advanced and none declined.
At the close of the market, there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 stock with a lower offer. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 7 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial traded 10.000 shares and closed 1 cent higher at $9.40, Dolphin Cove closed with 300 shares changing hands, 30 cents higher to $8.80, Lasco Financial traded 48,559 shares at $1.05, Lasco Manufacturing closed with 30,987 shares traded at $1.20 and Sweet River Abattoir ended at $3.86 with 34,030 shares changing hands.
4 junior market stocks trade
Sweet River factory – the company stock was 1 of 4 that traded.
At the close of the market, there were 3 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 stocks with offers that were lower. The junior market weakness continues with 8 securities closing with no bids to buy. There were 4 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Market activity saw Caribbean Cream with 7,000 shares changing hands to close at 70 cents, Sweet River Abattoir ended with 4,800 shares changing hands to close at $3.86, Access Financial ended with 4,100 units as the price slipped $1.01, to $9 and Lasco Manufacturing closed with 148,838 shares trading lower by 1 cent to 99 cents.
Low junior market trading continues
There was trading in 5 junior market securities accounting for only 131,243 units, valued at $178,904, on Wednesday. The JSE Junior Market Index gained 2.73 points to close at 672.44 with 1 stock advancing and 1 declining.
At the close of the market there was 1 stock with the bid higher than the last selling price and 6 stocks with offers that were lower. The likelihood of continuing weakness in this markets segment, is reflected in the 10 stocks that had no bids to buy, against 6 that had no stocks being offered for sale.
In trading, General Accident with 5,000 units is the only stock to gain at the end of trading in the junior market with the price rising 7 cents to $1.69. Lasco Financial with 56,843 units, closed at 95 cents, Lasco Manufacturing put through 53,400 units at $1 and Sweet River Abattoir traded for the second time since listing in mid-September, accounting for 16,000 shares, the price slipped 4 cents back to its IPO price of $3.86.
Jamaican Teas 8% debenture traded 3,000 units with the price remaining at $100 each.
Sweet River starts trading with small gain
Friday’s activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, resulted in the prices of 5 stocks rising and 8 declining, as 19 securities changed hands, with 4,358,188 units trading, valued at $120,793,953. Sweet River Abattoir, the latest junior market listing, traded for the first time, having been listed today, with 1,000 shares trading, slightly above the IPO price of $3.86.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index lost 295.47 points to 72,387.35 and the JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 330.39 points, to close at 79,650.40.
Gains| The stocks gaining with last traded prices, at the end of trading in the main market are, Jamaica Money Market Brokers with 19,179 ordinary shares, rising 5 cents to $7, National Commercial Bank had 27,560 shares changing hands, 14 cents higher at $18, Scotia Group put through 153,187 units with a gain of 5 cents to $19.25 and Seprod, had 141,300 shares changing hands, 28 cents higher at $10.80.
Firm| The stock in the main market to close without a price change at the last traded prices is Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 26,530 units at $7.14
Declines| The last traded prices of stocks with losses at the at the end of trading in the main market are Carreras with 565,400 shares, lost 30 cents to end at $34.35, Grace Kennedy traded 1,514,078 units for $2 loss, to end at $58, Mayberry Investments with 20,000 shares, closed 20 cents lower at $1.50, Proven Investments ordinary stock, traded 49,418 shares and lost 0.99 cents to end at 17US cents and Sagicor Group traded 391,700 shares and lost 55 cents at $9.20.
Preference| Access Financial 9% debenture note, traded 102,000 units at $5 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.50% preference share, traded 1,093,000 units at $2.
Junior Market| The JSE Junior Market Index fell 5.84 points to close at 662.23, as 6 stocks traded with 1 advancing and 3 declining.
Gains| Newly listed Sweet River Abattoir, closed with 1,000 shares trading at $3.90 for a 4 cents gain, on the IPO price and is the only stock gaining at the end of trading, in the junior market.
Firm Trades| Stocks in the junior market that traded to close at the same price as the day before are, General Accident with 150,000 shares, ending at $1.50, C2W Music 2,300 units trading at 40 cents and Jamaican Teas with 11,734 shares at $3.30.
Declines| Stocks declining in the junior market at the end of trading, are Honey Bun with 25,802 shares, lost 22 cents to end at $2.12, a 52 weeks’ Low, Lasco Financial with 39,000 shares changing hands, lost 3 cents to end at 95 cents and Lasco Manufacturing with 25,000 shares lost 5 cents to end up at 97 cents.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 stocks with offers that were lower.
Sweet River IPO falls well short of target
Sweet River Abattoir & Supplies Company initial public offering (IPO) missed by a huge margin, the amounted targeted to be raised, when it closed on August 26, the scheduled date for the closure. The IPO targeted $180 million to be raised from the sale of 46.6 million shares to the public.
According to VMBS Wealth Management, brokers to the issue, “preliminary numbers indicate that subscribers applied for approximately 30.6 million shares totaling approximately $118 million”. The minimum amount to be raised to facilitate listing on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange was $50 million.
The plan was for the amount targeted to be raised, was to be used in the reduction of bank loans, completion of construction of the new factory facility, installation of a solar energy generation system, working capital and payment of the expenses of the IPO.
The result achieved, is not surprising, the price was well in excess of what investors were valuing junior market stocks at. In IC Insider’s comments on the IPO stated “currently, earnings per share works out at 40 cents, placing a valuation of 9.4 times historical earnings. This is well above the junior market valuation. Value, based on netbook assets, works out at 3 times book, again a very high valuation.”
