Honey Bun at new high of $20 on Wednesday
The junior market inched forward at the close on Wednesday, with 952,289 shares valued at $5,433,865 changing hands. The market index added 7.80 points to end at 2,175.95 as a total of 17 securities traded, with 9 advancing and 5 declining. The junior market ended with bids for 4 stocks closing higher than their last selling prices and 1 ending with a lower offer.
At the end of trading, AMG Packaging lost $1 while trading just 1,064 shares to end at $12, Blue Power had 2,000 units changing hands with a gain of 40 cents to close at $13.90, Caribbean Cream traded 7,200 units to end at $5, CAC 2000 ended at $6.40 with a loss of 10 cents as 7,500 shares changed hands. Consolidated Bakeries ended with 26,500 shares changing hands at $1.45 after gaining 22 cents, Dolphin Cove had 11,346 units trading with a loss of 20 cents, to end at $12.55, after the company reported improved first quarter results, that rose 34 percent to 47 cents per share after tax versus 34 cents. General Accident Insurance lost 15 cents while trading 71,500 units to close at $2.50, Honey Bun closed at a new 52 weeks’ high of $20, after rising 50 cents, with 26,600 shares trading.
Iron Rock traded 1,000 shares at $3.40, ISP Finance traded 281 shares but gained 9 cents to end at $2.79, Jamaican Teas traded 7,267 shares and fell 10 cents to $3.80. Jetcon Corporation closed at $3 while 5,000 units traded, KLE Group rose 21 cents in trading 10,000 shares and closed at $1.61, Lasco Distributors closed with 314,461 units trading with the price rising 10 cents to close at $7.65, Lasco Financial gained 1 cents to close at $3.50 with 132,560 shares changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing closed at $4.65 with 207,030 shares trading, to gain 5 cents and tTech added 25 cents in closing with 120,980 units at $4.50.
The foreign exchange market closed on Wednesday, with dealers buying the equivalent of US$30,075,609 and selling US$34,894,176, in contrast to US$28,998,834 purchased and US$45,337,734 sold on Tuesday. 
A total of US$33,361,430 was sold versus US$28,682,783 on Tuesday with the selling rate rising 20 cents to $124.15. The Canadian dollar buying rate climbed $1.10 to end at $93.52 with dealers buying C$910,251 and selling C$591,647, at an average rate that gained $1.03 to $95.65. The rate for buying the British Pound rose 51 cents to $175.95 for the purchase of £1,263,299, while £667,095 was sold, with the rate dropping by $1.96 to $178.18.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest traded rates for the Jamaican dollar against the main currencies on Wednesday are, a rise of $1.80 in the highest buying rate of Canadian dollar to end at $96.80 and a rise of $5.50 in the lowest selling rate to end at $90. A rise of $3.20 in the highest buying rate for the British Pound to $181.50, a rise of $6.83 in the lowest buying rate to $148.68 and a fall of $1.85 in the lowest selling rate to $171.
IC Insider.com long standing BUY RATED stock, 
Stocks traded more than 100,000 units are, Jamaica Broilers with 428,004 shares, Cable & Wireless with 185,438 units, Lasco Distributors with 191,873 units at $7.65, tTech had 113,861 units changing hands up $4.50, Radio Jamaica had 102,300 units trading at $1.10.
A 55 percent jump in the profit before tax for the quarter to March 2016, to $31 million over the previous year’s quarter, was one of the highlights of Jamaican Teas’ 2016 performance to date. After tax profit jumped for the quarter by 30 percent to $26 million. There was no taxation provision in the 2015 period. 
Expenses for quarter to March rose 18.5 percent and 18 percent for the six months to March but the increase was less than that of gross profit. Sales and Marketing cost rose by 24 percent to $18 million, Administration cost rose 17 percent to $66 million, Finance cost ended the period at $20 million, an increase of 16 percent, partially due to delay in completing sales in the real estate development, as well loans used in the funding of equity investment.
Jamaica’s commercial bank customers could face a $5,000 charge for each transaction made through banks above the threshold of $1 million by way of cheques commencing May 2, this year. The central bank – 
Dealers sold £11 million, the equivalent of US$16 million in trading on the Jamaican foreign exchange market on Tuesday. The selling rate jumped by $5.42 to over J$180 and the highest rate for selling the pound ended at J$184.57. The amount sold, is much higher than the regular daily intake, and much less than the average sales, that tends to be well under a million Pounds. 
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$25,822,561 compared to US$45,983,812 on Monday, as the buying rate for the US dollar fell 15 cents to $122.93. A total of US$28,682,783 was sold versus US$42,353,389 on Monday with the selling rate rising 11 cents to $123.95. The Canadian dollar buying rate climbed 56 cents to end at $92.42 with dealers buying C$1,025,619 and selling C$475,586, at an average rate that declined 73 cents to $94.62. The rate for buying the British Pound rose $1.41 to $175.44 for the purchase of £1,573,961, while a big sell off of £11,043,238, the equivalent of US$16 million took place, with the rate jumping by $5.42 to $180.14.
Monday’s rate, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$138.18, a fall of 24 cents from Monday’s rate. The US dollar equivalent of other currencies traded amounts to US$159,077 being bought, while US$241,629 was sold.
At the end of market activities, Berger Paints traded 99,158 shares to rise 14 cents and closed at $4.14, Cable & Wireless closed at $1.39 after trading 154,987 units, Caribbean Cement traded 154,987 shares as the price jumped $1.99 to close at $27.99, Ciboney traded 418,270 shares at 13 cents after gaining 1 cent. Grace Kennedy closed at $84 with 945,030 shares changing hands, Jamaica Broilers lost 5 cents to end at $14.50 while trading 428,112 shares, JMMB Group rose 50 cents in trading 20,044 shares to close at $10, Kingston Wharves traded 95,600 shares, to close at $11.65. Margaritaville Turks fell 0.50 US cent in trading 402,850 shares at 16.50 US cents, National Commercial Bank gained 3 cents while trading 990,580 shares to close at $39.80, Pan Jamaican Investment jumped $1 with 12,640 shares trading at $98,
Radio Jamaica traded 15,327 shares to end at $1.10. Sagicor Group ended with 41,056 shares changing hands with a gain of 31 cents to end at $22.30, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 131,542 shares to close at $10.10 after rising 10 cents, Scotia Group rose 50 cents to close at $31 while 8,841 units changed hands. Scotia Investments ended trading 19,695 shares to close at $26, Seprod Fell $1 to close at $16 with 13,284 units changing hands, Supreme Ventures gained 22 cents and closed at $5.49 with 6,693 shares changing hands, Proven Investments ordinary share traded 431,660 units at 17.05 US cents, down from 19 US cents.
Knutsford Express had 19,430 shares trading, but lost $1.90 to end at $17, 
changing hands, ended with a fall of 93 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $54 and West Indian Tobacco fell 8 cents in trading 2,000 shares to close at $126.28.
