Jetcon Corporation and Caribbean Cement sit atop the IC Insider’s Top 5 stocks with the best chance of rising on junior market and main market of the Jamaican Stock Exchange at the end of last week. Both stocks just edging out the number 2 by just a few points.
There were no new entrants in either lists but Caribbean Flavours swapped place with Medical Disposables that now sits at the number 5 spot. In the main market selections Caribbean Cement changed spots with Berger Paints with the latter enjoying a slight price gain while Cement suffered a mild decline in price. AMG Packaging last traded at $21 and seems a candidate for a stock split with limited supply and inadequate liquidity of the stock. 
Blue Power that last traded at $24.50 and is outside the Top 5, is also in category of a potential stock split.
Derrimon Trading sits just below the Top 5 junior market stocks followed by Dolphin Cove CAC 2000, tTech and Caribbean Cream that dropped sharply this past week to $7.
Sitting below the Top 5 in the main market are, Palace, JMMB Group, National Commercial Bank, (NCB) Sterling Investments and Pan Jamaican Investments. Feedback from the market, is that NCB is in strong demand against a background of very limited supply and the price being severely undervalued.
17 Jamaican stocks rise 9 fall
The main market indices of the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined again on Friday with the all Jamaica Composite Index dropping 768.16 points to 183,481.17. The decline is in contrast to the advance decline ratio of 2 to 1. The JSE Market Index dived 686.87 points to finish at 165,106.57 and the JSE combined index lost 642.10 points to end at 177,483.42 and gained at 12 percent for the year to date.
At the close 17,656,211 units valued at $101,436,212 changed hands, compared to 2,395,219 units valued at $25,654,956 changing hands on Thursday. The junior market accounted for 234,593 units trading valued at $1,406,575 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 871,081 units, compared to an average for the month to date of 484,035 units. On Thursday, an average of 72,131 units traded with the average for the month to date at 96,990.
The market closed with 33 securities trading as the prices of 17 gained while 9 declined in the overall market, including 7 stocks rising and 3 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 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
In market activity, Berger Paints gained 4 cents in trading 8,108 shares to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $5.84, Cable & Wireless closed at 90 cents with 47,906 units trading, Caribbean Cement traded 7,686 shares and gained 6 cents to close at $31.56, Carreras closed at $66 with 2,500 units changing hands. Grace Kennedy closed trading with 25,476 shares changing hands at $41.99, Jamaica Broilers closed at $14.76 after adding 21 cents, with 59,337 shares switching owners. Jamaica Producers rose 30 cents to $8.30 with 5,000 units trading, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 58 cents and ended at $27.39 while trading 1,000 shares, JMMB Group gained 48 cents in trading 251,500 units to close at $13.50. Kingston Wharves lost 10 cents in trading 50,784 shares to close at $17, 
Mayberry Investments gained 35 cents and ended with 15,494,469 shares trading at $3.85, National Commercial Bank traded 2,175 shares to close with a rise of $1.49 at $43.49, Pan Jamaican Investments lost 45 cents and closed at $22.55 after trading 10,279 shares. Sagicor Group had 42,789 shares changing hands and closed with a rise of 40 cents at $23, Scotia Group fell 98 cents and closed at $30.02 with 328,747 shares changing hands, Scotia Investments jumped $2.95 with 17,850 units changing hands to close at $33.95. Seprod gained 60 cents as 2,000 units changed hands to close at $24.50, Supreme Ventures traded 51,900 shares buy fell 28 cents to close at $4.52 and Proven Investments traded 1,002,300 units at 16.5 US cents after falling 3.5 cents.
Jam$ falters in FX trading – Friday
Bolstered by US$30 million injection by Bank of Jamaica, dealers bought the equivalent of US$62,281,233 of all currencies, on Friday and sold US$50,300,502, compared to US$23,415,898 purchased and US$27,626,314 sold on Thursday. Trading resulted in a moderate fall in the value of the Jamaican dollar versus the US dollar and made gains in the other major currencies.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$57,960,736 compared to US$20,369,097 on Thursday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 61 cents to close at $128.77. A total of US$48,096,845 was sold versus US$24,442,485 on Thursday, with the selling rate rising 4 cents to end at $129.19. 
The Canadian dollar buying rate dropped 43 cents to $95.71, with dealers buying C$1,997,479 and selling C$1,328,368 at an average rate that declined 73 cents to $97.35. The average rate for buying the British Pound dropped 62 cents to $155.04 for the purchase of £2,111,519 while £762,617 was sold at a rate that fell 57 cents to end at $157.53.
At the end of trading on Friday, dealers sold €72,429 with the selling rate for the Euro, closing at $141.26 for fall of $3.75, according to data from Bank of Jamaica. Dealers purchased €85,219 of the European common currency at $136.36 after rising 49 cents. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$203,218 being bought and selling of US$193,580.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest rates for the regularly traded currencies, in the foreign exchange market on Friday, include a drop of $14.71 in the lowest buying rate of the US Dollar to $90 and a plunge of $19.04 in the lowest selling rate to end at $104.71. The lowest selling rate for the Canadian dollar declined $1.50 to $93. The lowest buying rate for the British Pound fell $1.66 to $127.16. The highest selling rate dropped $2.16 to $165.46. Trading in the Euro resulted in a fall of $3.25 in the highest buying rate to $139.50 and the lowest selling rate fell $2 to $135.
Juniors’ volume drops again – Friday
Consolidated Bakeries closed at a 52 weeks’ high on Friday.
An average of 18,046 units with an average value of $108,198 traded, compared to 67,729 units with an average value of $267,240 on the preceding trading day. The average for the month to date, amounts to 136,350 units at $752,579.
At the close of the market on 13 securities traded, versus 13 on Thursday resulting in declining stocks out pacing advancing stocks 7 to 3 as 2 stocks hit new highs.
The junior market index declined by 0.50 points to 2,371.80 to be up 32 percent for the year to date.Market activities ended with 6 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 ending with a lower offer.
Cargo Handlers which split the stock 10 for 1 stock earlier in the week did not trade on Friday but closed with a bid at $9.01 with an offer at $10.
In trading activity, Access Financial lost 50 cents and ended at $20.50 with 10,944 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream lost $1 and ended with 27,603 shares changing hands with a to $7, Caribbean Producers declined by 5 cents in trading 80,161 units to end at $3.70, C2W Music traded 3,057 shares to close at 25 cents. Consolidated Bakeries had 1,300 units changing hands, with the price rising 10 cents to end at $2.60.
Derrimon Trading had 10,000 units changing hands, with the price ending at $4, Honey Bun with 1,000 shares changing hands gained 2 cent and closed at $5.62, ISP Finance traded 27,905 units at a new high of $7.03 after rising 3 cents, Jamaican Teas ended with just 400 shares trading with a rise of 1 cent at $4.01. Knutsford Express ended at $23 with 210 shares changing hands, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents and ended with 450 shares changing hands at $3.10, Lasco Manufacturing rose 3 cents and closed at $4.79 with 68,320 shares trading and Paramount Trading rose 1 cent to close at $24 with 3,243 shares changing hands.
First Citizens recovers some ground – Friday
First Citizens Bank was the largest mover on Trinidad and Tobago Exchange when trading ended on Friday, with the price that dropped $3.93 on Thursday, recovering 50 cents with 200 units trading to end at $31.50. Elsewhere trading ended with 9 securities changing hands, down from 11 on Thursday.
Trading activity closed with 4 stocks rising while 3 declined and 2 remained unchanged as 522,024 shares valued at $1,246,175 changed hands, compared to 1,593,090 shares valued at $2,604,191 on Thursday as 2 stocks closed at new 52 weeks’ high.
The market closed with sharp movements in the indices. The the Composite Index advanced by 2.95 points to close at 1,167.20. The All T&T Index closed with a gain of 4.59 points to 1,802.05, down 7.52 percent for 2016 and the Cross Listed Index rose 0.18 points to 71.03 points and is up 43.47 percent year to date.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with lower offers.
Gains| JMMB Group gained 4 cents and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of 84 cents with 413,232 units for a value of $ 339,850, switching ownership. Grace Kennedy contributed 1,420 shares and rose 3 cents in trading, to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.60 and Trinidad Cement gained 20 cents with 81,777 shares valued at $326,537 changing hands to close at $4.
Losses| Guardian Holdings lost 1 cent in trading 1,447 shares, the price closed at $12.60, National Commercial Bank ended with 290 shares changing hands with the price closing with a loss of 2 cents at $2.58 and Trinidad and Tobago NGL lost 3 cents in trading 16,200 shares with a value of $381,495 changing hands at $23.55.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment Fund closed with 7,430 shares changing hands at $22.60 and Massy Holdings ended with 325 shares changing hands at $51.50.
JSE soft in early trading – Friday
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange is off to a modest start on Friday. Trading in junior market stocks has seen a small number of securities trading. Trading volume and values were up from Thursday’s level with advancing stocks being beating declining ones.
The all Jamaica Composite Index fell 202.13 points to 184,047.20 the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index slipped 180.73 points to 165,612.71, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index declined 170.39 points to close at 177,955.13 and the junior market index inched down 0.27 points to 2,372.03.
At 10.45 am, a total of 25 securities traded, resulting in a volume of 1,743,200 shares changing hands carrying a value of $7,392,869, compared to 893,707 shares changing hands carrying a value of $6,616,329, on Thursday.
The average number of shares traded amounts to 69,728 units compared to 40,623 on Thursday. Market activity resulted in 7 stocks falling while the prices of 10 securities rose.
In trading activity JMMB Group dropped from $13.02 to $11.51, while trading 250,000 units, Mayberry Investments have exchanged 131,000 units at $3.50, Proven Investments had 1,002,300 shares changing hands at 16.5 US cents down from 19.95 US cents. Scotia Investments climbed $2.95 with 17,850 shares to $33.95.
First Citizens drops sharply – Thursday
First Citizens lost $3.93 on TTSE on Thursday
Trading activity closed with no stock rising while 5 declined and 7 remained unchanged as 1,593,090 shares valued at $2,604,191 changed hands, compared to 207,405 shares valued at $1,352,970 on Wednesday as one stock closed at new 52 weeks’ low.
The market closed with sharp movements in the indices. The the Composite Index dropped 10.95 points to close at 1,164.25. The All T&T Index closed with a dive of 20.73 points to 1,797.46, down 7.75 percent for 2016 and the Cross Listed Index fell 0.14 points to 70.85 points and is up 43.10 percent year to date.
IC bid-offer Indicator| The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with 5 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with lower offers.
Gains| There were no stocks ending higher at the close of trading.
Losses| Guardian Holdings lost 1 cent in trading 1,824 shares, the price closed at $12.60, National Commercial Bank ended declined by 2 cents with 5,603 shares changing hands with the price closing at $2.60.
One Caribbean Media lost 40 cents in trading 2,010 shares at a 52 weeks’ low of $20 and Unilever Caribbean fell 9 cents with 2,000 shares trading at $59.90.Firm Trades| Clico Investment Fund closed with 10,460 shares changing hands at $22.60, JMMB Group closed at 80 cents with 1,484,379 units for a value of $1,187,503 switching ownership, Massy Holdings ended with 325 shares changing hands at $51.50. Prestige Holdings with 83,979 units with a value of $923,749 changing hands, ended at $11, Sagicor Financial Corporation traded 1,500 units at $7.20 and Scotiabank traded 10 shares and closed at $58.50.
JSE majors in big fall on Thursday
The main market indices of the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined again on Thursday with the all Jamaica Composite Index dropping 970.06 points to 184,249.33. The JSE Market Index dived 867.41 points to finish at 165,793.44 and the JSE combined index lost 845.61 points to end at 178,125.52 and gained at 13 percent for the year to date.
At the close 2,395,219 units valued at $25,654,956 changed hands, compared to 3,225,271 units valued at $32,690,159 changing hands on Wednesday. The junior market accounted for 880,474 units trading valued at $3,474,124 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 72,131 units, compared to an average for the month to date of 65,744 units. On Wednesday, an average of 59,357 units traded with the average for the month to date being 150,666.
The market closed with 38 securities trading as the prices of 8 gained while 12 declined in the overall market, including 5 stocks rising and 7 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 15 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with a lower offer.
In market activity, Barita Investments lost 25 cents in trading 10,000 shares at $4.40, Cable & Wireless lost 7 cents and closed at 90 cents with 155,700 units trading, Caribbean Cement traded 9,891 shares and lost 50 cents to close at $31.50, Carreras closed at $66 with 15,964 units changing hands. Grace Kennedy gained 44 cents and closed with 17,845 shares changing hands at $41.99, Jamaica Broilers closed at $14.55 after adding 5 cents, with 22,052 shares switching owners. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $27.97 while trading 26,683 shares, JMMB Group lost 97 cents in trading 80,446 units to close at $13.02. Mayberry Investments ended with 50,000 shares trading at $3.50, National Commercial Bank traded 198,269 shares to close with a loss of $2 at $42, trading in 138 Student Living resulted in 672,737 shares changing hands at $4.70, Pan Jamaican Investments closed at $23 after trading 68,000 shares, Sagicor Group had 55,535 shares changing hands and closed at $22.60, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 3,000 shares to close at $10.20, Scotia Group regained the 95 cents lost on Wednesday and closed at $31 with 9,373 shares changing hands, Seprod lost 60 cents as 4,360 units changed hands to close at $24 and Proven Investments traded 99,502 units at 20 US cents.
Juniors’ volume falls again – Thursday
The junior market within touch of record territory
An average of 67,729 units with an average value of $267,240 traded, compared to 133,950 units with an average value of $750,724 on the preceding trading day. The average for the month to date, amounts to 146,208 units at $806,277.
At the close of the market on 13 securities traded, versus 13 on Wednesday resulting in declining stocks out pacing advancing stocks 7 to 5.
The junior market index falling by 4.01 points to 2,372.30 to be up 32 percent for the year to date.Market activities ended with 4 securities closing with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 ending with lower offers.
Cargo Handlers which split the stock 10 for 1 stock and became effective on the junior market Tuesday with the adjusted closing price being $9, the stock did not trade on Thursday. The stock closed with a bid at $9 with an offer at $10.
In trading activity, Blue Power ended at $20 with 1,000 units changing hands, CAC 2000 lost 10 cents in trading 4,000 shares at $6.30, Caribbean Cream ended with 22,000 shares changing hands with a loss of 80 cents to $8, Caribbean Flavours traded 2,000 units to end at $8.38 with a fall of 2 cents. Caribbean Producers declined 25 cents in trading 187,600 units to end at $3.75,
C2W Music gained 1 cent in trading 500 shares to close at 25 cents, General Accident had 457,407 units changing hands, with the price rising 19 cents to end at $2.80. Knutsford Express lost 20 cents and ended at $23 with 16,025 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors had 6,100 units trading and closed with a rise of 18 cents at $6.99, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents and ended with 10,000 shares changing hands at $3.05, Lasco Manufacturing fell 22 cents and closed at $4.76 with 12,823 shares trading, Medical Disposables traded 148,164 shares and rose 10 cents to close at $4.60 and tTech lost 25 cents in trading 12,855 shares to close at $5.
Jamaican$ falters in FX trading – Thursday
The Jamaican foreign exchange market closed on Thursday with selling of foreign exchange exceeding the amount bought by dealers by US$4 million. At the close of trading, the Jamaican dollar lost value versus the main currencies it normally trades with, except the Canadian dollar.
The equivalent of all currencies bought by dealers amounted to US$23,415,898, on Thursday, while US$27,626,314 was sold, compared to US$44,066,825 purchased and US$32,829,162 sold on Wednesday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$20,369,097 compared to US$37,397,500 on Wednesday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 4 cents to close at $128.16. A total of US$24,442,485 was sold versus US$28,637,721 on Wednesday, with the selling rate rising 23 cents to end at $129.15.
The Canadian dollar buying rate dropped $2.13 to $96.14, with dealers buying C$1,712,415 and selling C$1,186,408 at an average rate that declined $1.08 to $98.08. The average rate for buying the British Pound jumped 61 cents to $155.66 for the purchase of £1,354,854 while £735,369 was sold at a rate that rose 77 cents to end at $158.10.
At the end of trading on Thursday, dealers sold €1,207,103 as the selling rate for the Euro, closed at $145.01 for gain of $3.22, according to data from Bank of Jamaica. Dealers purchased €78,391 of the European common currency at $145.87 after falling $5.65. 
The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded, amounts to US$33,600 being bought and selling of US$27,284.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest rates for the regularly traded currencies, in the foreign exchange market on Thursday, include a rise of $1.83 in the lowest buying rate of the British Pound to $128.82. The highest selling rate climbed $3.16 to $167.62 and the highest selling rate of the Euro jumped $4.75 to $147.96.
