
Jamaica Broilers traded more half of Friday’s volume.
The volume traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange rose sharply on Friday to 16,726,086 units valued at $358,993,001 from just 3,989,661 units valued at $65,937,392, Thursday.
The sharp increase in Friday’s volume was led by Jamaica Broilers Group with 8,778,922 units accounting for nearly 53.5 percent of the day’s volume followed by Radio Jamaica with 2,669,432 units and 15.96 percent of total volume and Carreras with 1,124,379 units and NCB Financial with 1,089,615 shares.
At the close on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, the main market indices rose with All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 2,198.27 points at 335,563.64, while the JSE Index rose 2,002.87 points to 305,736.36. The market closed out the half year mark with an increase of just 6 percent. Palace Amusement led the stocks rising with an increase of 168% followed by Kingston Wharves with 40 percent, PanJam Investments up 29 percent with Jamaica Broilers and Caribbean Cement up 28 percent each.
Stocks with major price changes are, Caribbean Cement rose $1 to end at $41, Carreras rose 80 cents and closed at $10, Grace Kennedy rose 66 cents to $52.26, Jamaica Broilers lost 50 cents to end at $23, JMMB Group rose 60 cents to close at $29, NCB Financial jumped $1.50 to $98, Productive Business Solution preference share lost $2 in closing at $103 and Scotia Group rose 80 cents to end at $51.
Market activities in the main and US dollar markets resulted in 24 securities trading of which 12 advanced, 4 declined and 8 closing unchanged, compared to 27 securities trading on Thursday.
In the US dollar market, 156,168 units traded valued at $17,178 with Sygnus Credit being the sole stock trading in the segment with the price ending at 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index closed unchanged at 155.
Trading resulted in an average of 727,221 shares valued at $15,608,391, compared to 166,236 units valued at an average of $2,747,391 for each security traded on Thursday. For the month to date, 250,168 units traded with an average value of $5,895,281 and on the previous day, 229,774 units traded with an average value of $5,182,608. May closed with an average of 589,414 shares with a value of $16,532.367, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 closing with lower offers.

The shares of both, traded higher than the Initial Public Issue price. Sygnus US dollar listing remains above the IPO price while the Jamaican dollar denominated stock is trading below the IPO price.
PanJam Investment could move higher this week as there continue to be very limited supply of the stock on offer. Radio Jamaica could come in for increased attention with the network broadcasting the popular world cup matches as adverting revenues should climb as a result from the coverage. Others worth watching include 
The junior market broke through a declining resistance line during the early part of the week but retreated by week end. Technical indicators are pointing to a strong upward movement, with a golden cross approaching, with the long term moving average line set to cross over the medium and short term lines not too far away.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 44 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be of 20 times earnings and main market stocks traded at a discount of 41 percent to the market.
the order book of the stock suggest further decline before it bottoms out. Jamaican Teas price moved to $5.25 during the latter part of the week as demands picks up and supplies appear to have been declining, but by the end of the week it closed at $5.
At the close of Friday, the average PE ratio for Junior Market Top stocks ended at 6,2 compared to an average PE for the overall main market of 11, based on 2018 estimated earnings. The main market PE is 7.6 for the top stocks, compared to a market average of 13.
The stock price pulled back sharply on release of the results. The stock yields a dividend of 4 percent which is higher than treasuries and this could be an attraction for some investors while they await return to profit growth. NCB sits just below the TOP 10 list and has good growth prospects for patient investors. PanJam Investment that IC Insider.com reported on in a separate article last week caught the eyes of some investors who moved the price up to $51.98 and it could go higher this week has there is very limited supply for this one. Investors should also keep an eye out for Sygnus Credit that could have its shares listed by next week.
That will change as the weeks roll on, it may be that investors are now taking a break for May, this coming week could have the answer.
IC Insider.com’s TOP 10 stocks now trade at an average discount of 38 percent to the average for the Junior Market Top stocks but it’s a third of what the average PE for the year is likely to be of 20 times earnings and main market stocks traded at a discount of 45 percent to the market.
Investors in Jamaica will get another opportunity to vote come mid April, on the merits of a new public share offer.
The company has a large nine-member board chaired by Gregory Pullen, Courtney Pullen, Melene Pullen, Garret Gardener, Nesha Carby, financier Mark Croskery, ex-banker Donovan Perkins, attorney-at-law Vivette Miller and Chartered Accountant Jennifer Lewis.