Paramount Trading dominated the junior market with 10,549,936 shares changing hands at $6. Activity closed with 9 securities trading and ended with 11,106,761 units changing hands valued at $64,567,505. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 18.58 points close at 896.19. The market ended with the prices of 4 stocks advancing, 5 declining with 2 closing at 52 weeks’ high and 1 at a new low.
At the close of the junior market was flashing weak signals for Wednesday with 3 stocks having bids higher than their last selling prices, 4 with lower offers and 4 securities closing with no bids to buy while only 3 had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial Services closing with 28,700 shares gained 8 cents to close at $11.10, Blue Power ending with 8,901 units changing hands to close at $9.50, Caribbean Flavours trading 2,000 shares to close at $2.53 after losing 2 cents. Caribbean Producers traded 2,000 shares at $2.80, Dolphin Cove trading only 1,250 units at $12 for a loss of $1,
at the close Lasco Distributors sold 304,274 shares and gained cents 1 cents at $1.70. Lasco Financial Services traded 69,700 shares and lost 13 cents to end at $1.80, Lasco Manufacturing had 140,000 shares changing hands at $1.36 and lost 9 cents at the end.
Caribbean Cream did not trade but remained under pressure closing with 75,800 units on offer at $1.55, 5 cents below the last traded price with the bid at $1.25, to buy 126,643 units, while offers are at $160, $1.70 up to $2.
Paramount Trading’s big trade
All Jamaica Index now up 1,689 points
After 60 minutes of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, 24 securities traded 
with 10 stocks rising compared to just 3 earlier and 5 declining the same as at 10.30 am. A total volume of just over 1 million shares have changed hands.
The all Jamaican Composite index inched up 1,689.49 to 109,351.43 points, JSE Combined Index put on 1,270.82 to 101,269.39 points, JSE Index is now at 98,782.68 points after adding 1,511.53 points and Junior Market Index fell to 897.77, down by 17 points.
The most noticeable trades so far are, Scotia Group that traded at $24.50 to gain $1.25 but with limited volume, Lasco Distributors 27,966 shares at $1.69, Lasco Financial Services 38,764 units at $1.81, Lasco Manufacturing 110,000 shares at $1.45 and Supreme Ventures traded at $3.90 to add 50 cents.
JSE main indices move up
After 60 minutes of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, 18 securities traded 
with 3 rising and 5 declining comprising a total volume of only 370,060 shares changing hands, only 7 stocks have so far traded in the junior market with both declining.
The all Jamaican Composite index inched up 400.20 to 108,062.14 points, JSE Combined Index put on 154.06 to 100,152.63 points, JSE Index is now at 97,629.20 points after adding 358.05 points and Junior Market Index fell to 894.54, down by 20.23 points.
The most noticeable trades so far are, Lasco Distributors 27,966 shares at $1.69, Lasco Financial Services 38,764 units at $1.81, Lasco Manufacturing with 110,000 shares at $1.45 and Supreme Ventures traded at $3.90 to add 50 cents.
Remittances growing slowly
Jamaica enjoyed US$194 million in remittance inflows for the March this year, an increase of US$5.7 million or 3.1 percent relative to the same month of last year, after factoring an expansion in remittance outflows, net remittances came in at US$174.4 million, an increase of only US$2.6 million or 1.5 percent over the 2014 period.
Total remittance inflows were US$528 million for the first three months of the year, an increase of US$13 million or 2.6 percent. Net remittances for the 2015 March quarter were US$471 million, growth ofUS$8.3 million or 1.8 percent relative to the corresponding period of 2014. For the review period.
For 2014 total inflows into the system is put at US$2.16 billion by Bank Of Jamaica while outflows amounted to $227 million and declined from US$240 million in 2013 and US$267 million in 2012.
J$ just 2 cents from $117 to US$1
Tuesday’s trading in foreign currencies in Jamaican closed with dealers buying the equivalent of US$34,883,289 in contrast to US$44,006,677 on Monday, while they sold the equivalent of US$38,197,799 versus US$45,314,596 previously.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$27,766,608 compared to US$40,659,188 on Monday. The buying rate for the US dollar rose 6 cents to $116.35 and US$35,932,831 was sold versus US$42,723,695 on Monday, the selling rate fell 1 cent to $116.98. The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 58 cents to $92.56 with dealers buying C$1,573,168 and selling C$889,991, at an average rate that declined 46 cents to $93.84. 
The rate for buying the British Pound increased $1.99 cents to $182.25 for the purchase of £3,643,918, while £869,965 was sold, at an average rate that fell 10 cents to $183.78. At the end of trading, it took J$130.45 to purchase the Euro, 20 cents more than on Monday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$127.72 for 36 cents less than Monday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$157,210, while the equivalent of US$184,358 was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar rose 3 cents to $117.10, the lowest buying rate dropped $4.61 to $91, the highest selling rates put on 26 cents $122.78, while the lowest selling rate remained at $95.61. 
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar jumped $2.58 to $96.88, the lowest buying rate gained 4 cents at $75.03. The highest selling rate dipped $1.37 to $96.73 and the lowest selling rate lost 35 cent to $90. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, fell 45 cents to $183.90, the lowest buying rate remained at $147.82, with the highest selling rate diving $3.19 to $187.38 and the lowest selling rate fell $1.40 to $176.70.
4 stocks rose on TTSE
Scotiabank traded 42,355 shares carrying a value of TT$2,642,175
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.58 points to close at 1,161.95, the All T&T Index advanced by 1.10 points to 1,970.55 and the Cross Listed Index gained 0.01 point at 46.37.
Gains| National Enterprises had 2,500 shares changing hands, climbed 10 cents to end at $17.20, Sagicor Financial closing with 210,250 shares valued at $1,318,268, the price edged up 1 cent to $6.27. Point Lisas Industrial Port traded at $3.95, for 5 cents more, with 10,355 units changing hands and Scotiabank traded 42,355 shares carrying a value of TT$2,642,175 to close at $62.30 with a gain of 5 cents.
Declines| Massy Holdings trading 35 shares to close at $64.34.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, ANSA McAl with 500 shares changing hands and ended at $67.25.
CLICO Investment Fund with 33,780 units valued at $479,005 changing hands, closed at $22.60, First Citizens Bank with 13,402 shares trading to close at $35.75, Flavorite Foods ended trading with 1,400 shares at $4.80, Guardian Media had 481 shares at $19.76 and Republic Bank closed with 2,433 shares being purchased at $115.01 with a value of $4,273,073.IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 3 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 6 stocks with offers that were lower.
Technical issues hit JSE on Tuesday
The Old Lady of North Street traded at a new 52 weeks’ High of $1.40 on Tuesday
The JSE Market Index declined 159.12 points to 97,271.15 the JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 177.86 points to close at 107,661.94 but the JSE combined index fell just 13.51 points to end at 99,998.57 thanks to
gains in the junior market offsetting declines in the main market.IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator was showing a poor reading of 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with offers that were lower, an improvement over the ratio on Monday of 5 to 5. In trading, Cable & Wireless had 200,000 units changing hands to close at 45 cents but looking better than for weeks with bid at 46 cents to buy 201,436 while the offers at 50 cents declined leaving only 315,000 units at the price. With the company reporting profits from operations of $186 million in the March quarter from revenues of $6 billion, the highest in a March quarter since 2007, investors may be quietly going after the stock. The company confirmed that the quarter had some business to business sales in the revenue figure which helped to push improvement up by 29 percent.
Caribbean Cement had 131,225 units trading at $6 after adding 50 cents, Carreras gained 70 cents in trading just 2,382 shares to close at $49. Desnoes and Geddes traded at $7.55 with 54,724 shares, Gleaner ended with 65,885 shares changing hands to gain 11 cents, for a 52 weeks’ high of $1.40. Jamaica Broilers fell 59 cents in trading 7,410 units to end at $5.41, National Commercial Bank in trading 20,960 shares, to close at $29.04, Pan Jamaican Investment had 18,780 shares changing hands 50 cents higher at $61.50. Radio Jamaica ended with 124,000 shares trading at $3.50, Proven Investments ended with 51,900 ordinary share trading at 21 US cents, Sagicor Group gained 45 cents with 22,385 units trading, to end at $13, but had 1 million units on sale at $13 at the close and Proven 8% preference share traded 155,695 units at $5.
Cargo Handlers keep on sailing away
Activity on the Junior Market was moderate and closed with 11 securities trading and ended with only 347,331 units changing hands valued at $1,016,457. The JSE Junior Market Index advanced 15.05 points close at 914.77. The market ended with the prices of 4 stocks advancing, 5 declining with Cargo Handlers closing at 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the junior market was flashing weak signals for Wednesday with 4 stocks having bids higher than their last selling prices, 5 with lower offers and 5 securities closing with no bids to buy while only 3 had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial Services closing with 5,951 shares trading 2 cents up at $11.02, AMG Packaging ending with just 200 units changing hands to close 1 cent lower at $3.19 but had an offer at $3.15 at the end to sell 27,775 shares. Cargo Handlers recorded yet another all-time high in trading 9,342 units $1.50 higher to close at $30, Caribbean Cream traded 1,000 units at $1.60, Caribbean Flavours trading 16,581 shares to close at $2.53 after losing 2 cents, 
Caribbean Producers traded 5,000 shares and lost 20 cents to $2.80, Dolphin Cove trading only 811 units at $13 for a new high, after gaining 40 cents. At the close Knutsford Express sold 920 shares at $6.10. Lasco Financial Services traded 218,100 shares and gained 12 cents to end at $1.93, Lasco Manufacturing had 26,937 shares changing hands at $1.45 to again 14 cents at the end, Medical Disposables ended at $2.25 with 10,000 shares changing hands with a loss of 5 cents and Derrimon Trading 11.75% preference share closed with a 10 cents loss at $2.40.
Tax Inflows up cost down for GOJ
Phillips pulling in revenues ahead of target and holding on cost.
Expenditure is down by $3.76 billion, with reduced spend on capital expenditure accounting for $2.1 billion, interest $571 million and other programmed expenditure of $1 billion. Programmed expenditure savings, may include amounts budgeted for wage increases but not yet paid and may be purely a timing issue than a real savings.
Government borrowed $13 billion less than forecast, paid out $1.7 billion more than budgeted and that should result in a reduction in interest cost going forward. Overall, the Fiscal deficit for the two month period, is $5 less that budgeted and pushed the overall deficit to $11.5 billion down from $16.5 billion planned.The wage bill is $27 billion for the two months. A settlement of 5 percent for the year would add $8 billion to the cost, but government would get taxes direct and indirect form its payment. The longer the parties take to settle the less costly it will be for the government, or the easier it will become to pay a higher amount, but there is a matter of year two to contend with as well.
JSE having technical issues
The Jamaica Stock Exchange is having technical issues, as a result we are unable to get the live feed. Reports are that only 6 stocks have traded since the market opened on Tuesday around 11AM.
The Exchange had major issues last week when trading commenced shortly before 12 noon and closed at 3 pm.
