Gains in Scotia Group, Sagicor and Grace Kennedy pushed the main market into record territory in the morning session on Wednesday with the Jamaica Stock Exchange all Jamaica index is trading in record territory having jumped 2,148 points ahead of 10:30am before slipping slightly lower.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange share price fell back to the just above the pre-split price in early trading as the stock traded 80,061 units down to $6 but was on offer at $5.60 with 7,916,373 units on offer at $5.60 after it traded earlier at $8.01. Bids for the stock are not strong at the moment.
The all Jamaica Composite Index jumped 2,032.43 points to 190,504.23, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index climbed 1,817.35 points to 171,386.44, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index surged 2,119.66 points to close at 184,133.61 and the junior market index gained 42.27 points to 2,452.23.
In trading, Cable & Wireless fell 6 cents to 82 cents with 794,910 units changing hands, in response to improved third quarter results showing just $200 million in losses with revenues climbing 15 percent for the September quarter to $6.5 billion. National Commercial Bank had 80,000 units changing hands at $45.50, Scotia Group traded 39,423 and rose to $32.35 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% preference share traded 80,000 units at $2.40 and Proven Investments traded 172,850 shares at 19.99 US cents.
At 10:30 am, a total of 20 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 1,424,992 shares changing hands carrying a value of $9,572,892, compared to 1,690,058 shares changing hands carrying a value of $15,277,557, on Tuesday.
The average number of shares traded amounts to 71,250 units compared to 76,821 on Tuesday. Market activity resulted in 8 stocks falling while the prices of 8 securities rose.
All Jamaican jumps to new high of 190,500
Sharp fall for TTSE stocks on Tuesday
Trading on the Trinidad and Tobago Exchange closed on Tuesday with big declines in a number of stocks, which pulled the main indices down relatively sharply. At the close of trading, 10 securities changed hands, up from 8 traded on Monday. One security advanced, 4 declined and 5 traded firm. Two stocks closed at 52-week highs’ low
Trading activity closed with 1,848,342 shares changing hands with a value of $27,261,839 in contrast to Monday’s volume of 293,440 shares with value of $3,299,850.
The Composite Index declined 4.57 points to 1,173.23 points, the All T & T Index dropped 8.06 points to close at 1,798.91 points, for a decline of 7.68 percent for the year to date, while the Cross Listed Index lost 0.14 points to close at 73.11 points, up 47.67 percent year to date.
IC bid-offer Indicator |The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 6 stocks with bid higher than their last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| National Enterprises gained 1 cent to $10.51 with 1,000 shares changing hands.
< Strong> Losses| Clico Investment Fund lost 1 cent to close at $22.60 with 502,979 shares valued at $11,367,329, Guardian Holdings lost 45 cents to close at a 52-weeks’ low of $12.50 with 1,175,542 shares for a value of $14,710,884 changing hands. 
National Commercial Bank lost 2 cents to close at $2.66 with 100,460 shares changing hands and Republic Financial Holdings lost $1.78 to close at to close at a 52-weeks’ low of $107 with 5,270 shares trading valued at $563,890.
Firm Trades | First Citizens Bank with 1,961 shares closed trading at $33, Grace Kennedy with 1,000 changing hands closed at $2.57, JMMB Group traded 50,380 shares to close at 90 cents, Massy Holdings closed with 250 shares trading at $51.00 and Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended with 9,500 shares trading at $22.75.
More JSE stocks rise than fall
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange retreated for the second day in a row on Tuesday, with the All Jamaica Composite Index falling 395.03 points to close at 188,471.80, bringing the year to date gains to 12.6 percent. The JSE Market Index dived 353.23 points to finish at 169,569.09 and the JSE combined index dropped 1,072.17 points to end at 182,013.95 with a gain for the year to date of 15 percent.
At the close 7,411,988 units valued at $113,469,413 changed hands, compared to 2,406,886 units valued at $45,582,046 changing hands on Monday. The junior market accounted for 1,268,960 units trading valued at $6,437,908 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 255,960 and 178,031 month to date units. On Monday, an average of 71,224 units traded with the average for the month to date being 100,103 units. The average for the October was 220,811 units.
The market closed with 41 securities trading as the prices of 12 gained while 15 declined in the overall market, including 4 stocks rising and 5 falling, in the junior market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
In market activity, Barita Investments declined by 25 cents in trading 18,400 units and closed at $4.10, Berger Paints traded 77,214 shares to end at $5.90 after falling 15 cents, Cable & Wireless gained 2 cents and closed at 88 cents with 163,017 units trading. Caribbean Cement jumped $1.85 with 6,885 units changing hands, to close at $30.85, Carreras traded 20,710 shares to end at $65.20. Grace Kennedy lost 95 cents in trading 971 units at $40.05, Jamaica Broilers lost 10 cents and closed at $14 with 7,376 shares changing ownership, Jamaica Producers lost 9 cents in trading 7,329 shares to close at $8.15, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $8 after trading 361,145 shares. JMMB Group traded 17,000 shares and lost gained 56 cents, to end at $13.80,
Kingston Wharves traded 306,116 shares and rose 3 cents, to close at $17.20, Mayberry Investments gained just 1 cent and ended with 9,065 shares trading at the close at $4, National Commercial Bank traded 15,581 shares to close at $45.49. Trading in 138 Student Living, ended with 56,583 shares changing hands to close with a rise of 50 cents at $5.50, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.45 with 50,000 shares trading, Sagicor Group had 3,344,598 shares changing hands and fell 43 cents to close at $23.42. Scotia Group fell 35 cents in trading 58,464 shares to close at $31.20, Scotia Investments traded 41,821 shares to close at $30, Seprod jumped $5.85 in trading 219,639 shares to end at 52 weeks’ high of $30, Supreme Ventures traded 1,320,818 shares to close at $5 and Proven Investments traded 20,556 units at 19 US cents, up 1.25 cents.
Juniors down sharply on Tuesday
The junior market index fell back sharply from on Tuesday the record close on Monday with the market index sinking 72.48 points to 2,409.96 pulling the gain for the year to date down to 35 percent, with Lasco Distributors falling as low as $6 and closing with an average price of $6.27.
At the close of trading 12 securities traded, versus 16 on Monday resulting in 4 stocks advancing and 5 declining, including 1 that traded at an all-time low. Market activities ended with 4 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 ending with lower offers.
Trading volume climbed 103 percent from Monday’s levels, ending with 1,268,960 units changing hands, while value traded, rose 75 percent to $6,437,908 from $3,677,838 on Monday.
An average of 105,747 units with an average value of $536,492 traded, compared to 39,243 units with an average value of $229,855 on the preceding trading day. 
The average for the month to date is 91,238 units at $508,614 compared to 129,138 units at $709,705 for October.
In trading activity, CAC 2000 lost 50 cents and traded 5,000 units and closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $4, as investors step in pick up the at the low price after they previously reacted negatively to the impact of the loss from the lawsuit for damages on the company’s finances. Cargo Handlers ended with a loss of 50 cents with 12,993 shares changing hands at $12, Caribbean Cream closed with 13,200 shares changing hands and rose 40 cents to end at $8. Caribbean Producers rose 9 cents and closed trading with 14,179 units at $3.50, 
Derrimon Trading closed with 3,500 units changing hands with a loss of 20 to end at $4.80. Dolphin Cove traded 1,059 shares and closed at $15.49, General Accident had 68,000 shares changing hands and closed at $3, Jetcon Corporation traded 117,486 shares in closing and gained 5 cents in closing at $4.65 after it traded at $5 in early trading, KLE Group lost 17 cents in closing at $1.13 with 25,847 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors ended with 389,146 shares trading to close at $7, the stock traded as low as $6 during the morning session. Lasco Financial lost 20 cents and ended with 82,359 shares changing hands to close at $2.90, Lasco Manufacturing rose 5 cents and closed at $4.90 with 536,191 shares changing hands.
Seprod jumps to new high of $30 on JSE
Seprod jumped $5.85 with 187,289 shares trading to a new high of $30 in early trading on Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, but the market indices slipped 
sharply with the junior market index dropping a whopping 3 percent or 76 points.
The all Jamaica Composite Index dropped 432.98 points to 188,433.85, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index declined 387.16 points to 169,535.16, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index dived 1,141.17 points to close at 181,944.95 and the junior market index dropped sharply by 76.13 points to 2,406.31.
At 10:45 am, a total of 22 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 1,690,058 shares changing hands carrying a value of $15,277,557, compared to 640,254 shares changing hands carrying a value of $13,990,935, on Monday.
The average number of shares traded amounts to 76,821 units compared to 22,078 on Monday. Market activity resulted in 9 stocks falling while the prices of 8 securities rose.
The major trades so far include, Cable & Wireless climbed 4 cents to 90 cents with 110,000 units changing hands, the Jamaica Stock Exchange stock fell $1.75 to $6.25 with 262,510 units trading. The three Lasco stocks all fell and contributed much to the fall in the junior market index with Lasco Distributors trading 375,300 units at $6.50 after falling by 50 cents and Lasco Manufacturing traded 491,600 shares at $4.85.
JSE jumps 2,600% since 2014 low
Jamaica Stock Exchange share jumped 43 percent on Monday to a new high after the stock split 5 for 1 last week to close at $8, the equivalent of $40 pre-split and has gained 1,300 percent since it listed in 2013 but from the low price for the stock in 2014, the gain is nearly 2,600%.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange retreated on Monday, with the All Jamaica Composite Index falling 441.51 points to close at 188,866.83, bringing the year to date gains to 12.8 percent. The JSE Market Index dived 394.79 points to finish at 169,922.32 and the JSE combined index fell 55.59 points to end at 183,086.12 with a gain for the year to date of 15.7 percent.
At the close 2,406,886 units valued at $45,582,046 changed hands, compared to 3,671,278 units valued at $37,632,036 changing hands on Friday. The junior market accounted for 626,293 units trading valued at $3,677,838 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 71,224 and 100,103 month to date units. On Friday, an average of 128,982 units traded. The average for the October was 220,811 units.
The market closed with 41 securities trading as the prices of 12 gained while 15 declined in the overall market, including 4 stocks rising and 5 falling, in the junior market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Moderate trading for TTSE
Trading on the Trinidad & Tobago Exchange closed the moderate trading session on Monday with 8 securities trading, down from 10 securities changing hands on Friday. One stock advanced, 2 declined and 5 held firm.
Trading activity resulted in the volume of 293,440 shares changing hands with a value of $3,299,858 in contrast to Friday’s volume of 134,140 shares with value of $475,187.02.
The market closed with the Composite Index declining 0.20 points to 1,177.80 points. The All T & T Index lost 0.60 points to close at 1,806.07 points. The Cross Listed Index advanced 0.03 points to close at 73.25 points.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 bids higher than their last selling prices and 7 with lower offers than the last traded price.
Gains| Grace Kennedy, the only stock to advance, gained 1 cent with 1,800 shares traded to close at $2.57.
Losses| Republic Financial Holdings lost 1 cent to close at $108.78 with 450 shares traded and Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 24 cents, closing at $22.75 with 500 shares.
Firm Trades | Trading firm were Angostura Holdings with 7,317 shares to close at $15.50, Ansa McAL traded just 10 shares to close $62.50, Massy Holdings closed at $51 with 73 shares changing hands, Prestige Holdings traded 283,270 shares carrying a value of $3,115,970 to close at $11 and Scotiabank saw 20 shares changing hands to close at $58.74.
Juniors hit new high – Monday
Paramount ended at a new all-time high of $33.05 with a rise of $4.05.
Paramount Trading with a jump of $4.05 to a new high, was a major contributor to the rise but advancing stocks were edged out by decliners 4 to 5.
Trading volume dropped 61 percent from Friday’s levels, ending with 626,293 units changing hands, while value traded, declined 60 percent to $3,677,838 from $9,305,449 on Friday.
An average of 39,143 units with an average value of $229,865 traded, compared to 100,635 units with an average value of $571,332 on the preceding trading day. The average for the month to date is 88,337 units at $503,039 compared to 129,138 units at $709,705 for October.
At the close of the market, 16 securities traded, versus 14 on Friday resulting in 4 stocks advancing and 5 declining. Trading closed with 2 stocks hitting record highs during the day, only 1 ended at a closing 52 weeks’ high. Market activities ended with 3 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 ending with lower offers.In trading activity, Access Financial had 10,000 shares changing hands to close at $21, AMG Packaging shed $1 and ended with 10,925 shares changing hands at $18.50, Blue Power gained $1.36 and closed with 100 units changing hands at $21.56. CAC 2000 traded 17,500 units and closed at $4.50, as investors stepped in to pick up stocks at the low price, after they previously reacted negatively to the impact of the loss from the lawsuit for damages will have on the company’s finances. Cargo Handlers ended with 350 shares changing hands at $12.50, Caribbean Cream closed with 79,591 shares changing hands and fell 25 cents to end at $7.60.
Caribbean Producers lost 17 cents and closed trading with 50438 units at $3.41, Honey Bun with 830 shares changing hands closed at $6.10, Iron Rock Insurance traded 460 shares and gained 50 cents to end at $4.10. Jamaican Teas traded 500 shares to close at $4, Jetcon Corporation traded 152,100 shares in closing and gained 1 cent in closing at $4.60 after it traded at $5 in early trading, Lasco Distributors ended with 91,345 shares trading at $7. Lasco Financial ended with 9,652 shares changing hands to close at $3.10, Lasco Manufacturing fell 10 cents and closed at $4.85 with 200,377 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables traded just 1,200 units but dropped 55 cents to $5 and Paramount Trading jumped $4.05 with 925 units changing hands to close at new high of $33.05.
JSE majors drop juniors rise
Prices mostly fell in early trading on Monday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange but with lower volume than on Friday.
Jamaica Stock Exchange stock was adjusted the 5 for 1 stock split on Friday but the stock has not traded so far, but the bid is at $8.10 to buy 4,790 shares. Paramount Trading that has announced a 10 to 1 stock split has a bid at $30.60 to buy 1,035 units without an offer versus the last traded price of $29.
Major traded so far include, Jamaica Producers with 81,887 units at $8.25, National Commercial Bank 232,872 units at $45, Jetcon Corporation with 126,700 units at $5 and Lasco Distributors with 91,345 units at $7.
The all Jamaica Composite Index dropped 1,002.17 points to 188,306.17, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index declined points to 169,420.99, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index lost 652.67 points to close at 182,489.04 and the junior market index rose 17.36 points to 2,469.57.
At 10:45 am, a total of 29 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 640,254 shares changing hands carrying a value of $13,990,935, compared to 1,938,366 shares changing hands carrying a value of $18,934,325, on Friday.
The average number of shares traded amounts to 22,078 units compared to 71,791 on Friday. Market activity resulted in 11 stocks falling while the prices of 6 securities rose.
Top 5 record first 100% gain
Paramount Trading closed at an all-time high of $29 last week and gained 107% since early september.
With the stock to be split into 10 units for each one now in issue by mid November, the price seems set to go higher with the expansion into lubricant manufacturing expected to boost profit in the next full fiscal year.
There is no new entry to the Top 5 list this week for either the junior market or the main market list but price movements resulted in changes in positions.
A number of companies released results for the third quarter with some not providing figures that could help to improve the prices of the relevant stocks. One such is Caribbean Cement that reported a loss in the September quarter, the result of closure of the factory for 45 days for refurbishing of the kiln. This does not affect the strong prospects for 2017 that will benefit from lower cost resulting from a reduced work force and a more efficient plant and increase demand for cement to flow from a growing economy.
AMG Packaging reported slightly better full year results to August with profit of $83 million versus $80 million but profit for the last quarter declined to $17 million from $27 million in 2015, the company incurred a loss of $41 million for the year from sales of just $2 million in the new tissue operation. Gross profit margin climbed to $177 million compared to $149 million with sales declining from $633 million down to $629 million but other cost rose from $72 million to $100 million.The next in line to the Top 5 in the junior market are tTECH, Caribbean Producers, Jamaican Teas, Eppley and Medical Associates and in the main market are Palace, JMMB Group, National Commercial Bank, Pan Jamaican and Sterling Investments.
