At the latest auction for the issue of Treasury bills held today, rates on the 28 days, the 91 days and 182 days bills declined from ay auction, continuing the decent starting March last year.
The latest rate on the 91 days instrument is now at 6.48 down from 6.57 percent at the May auction and the 182 days is now at 6.63 percent, a fall from 6.7 percent. The 28 days instrument ended with a rate of 6.23 percent down from 6.27 percent in May. The rates are far off from the BOJ CD rate of 5.25 percent.
A total of $1.2 billion was available for the public to bid on, split equally between the three issues. The 28 days offering attracted $475 million the 91 days attracted $602 million and the 182 days instrument attracted $828 million. With the interest rates on some of the Jamaican government’s bonds tied to Treasury bill rates, the latest development of lower rates will mean lower cost for the variable rate bonds.
With inflation looking as if it could end 2015 around 3.5 percent Bank of Jamaica may have to intervene by lowering the CD rate to speed up the fall in Treasury bill rates.
Treasury bill rates fall
JMMB dominates trading as JSE rises
JMMB Group dominated trading with 9.9 million units valued at $74.5 million on Wednesday in activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange but the stock price was up only moderately.
In trading the prices of 14 stocks rose, 6 declined as 28 securities changed hands, ending in 13,740,198 units trading, valued at $109,298,383, with two new closing 52 weeks’ high, in all market segments but with Jamaica Broilers trading at a 52 weeks’ high during the day.
TheJSE Market Index gained 661.40 points to 97,257.91, theJSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 739.27 points to close at 107,647.14 and the JSE combined index gained 659.28 points to end at 99,953.05.
Stocks trading include, 
Caribbean Cement adding 800,705 shares to gain 40 cent to close at $5.40 for a new closing 52 weeks’ high, Desnoes & Geddes lost 40 cents to $7.60 with 7,235 shares trading, Hardware and Lumber traded 210,000 shares at $18 but the bid that was at $18 was moved down to $16, shortly the trade. Jamaica Broilers had 47,213 shares trading to close at $5.45 for a gain of 25 cents but traded earlier in the day at $6. JMMB Group traded 9,935,904 shares at $7.50, up from $7.41 on Tuesday, the shares were sold in 10 lots by JMMB Securities and all but 96,142 were purchased by NCB Capital Markets for clients. Mayberry traded 147,3000 shares at $2.88, National Commercial Bank trading only 4,777 shares as high as at $29.99 but closed at $29.45, Pan Jamaican Investment closed at a new 52 weeks’ high of $63.51 with only 5,000 shares but traded at $63.75 during the day. 
Sagicor Group in trading 1,773,139 shares, ended up 10 cents higher at $12.40 at the close. Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 30 cents in trading 23,151 units and closed at $8, Scotia Group ended with 61,864 shares at $23.11, Supreme Ventures had 59,656 shares trading at $3.70 at the end and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 143,000 units to lose 1 cent and close at $2.99.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with offers that were lower well down on the 19 bids and 7 offers on Tuesday.
Junior market trades up
Blue Power gained $1 to close at $10.50
At the close of the market, there were 7 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers and with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 5 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale. The indicator is pointing to the strong probability of more stocks rising on Thursday that declining.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with 6,000 shares changing hands to close unchanged at $3.17, Blue Power closed with 2,000 shares trading at $10.50 to gain $1, Caribbean Producers ended with 116,590 shares trading to close at $3, but traded as low as $2.88. Lasco Distributors with 9,499 shares changing hands, closed unchanged at $1.60, Lasco Financial Services finished trading with 42,272 units, with the price inching up by 1 cent to $2. Lasco Manufacturing had 55,411 changing hands 2 cents higher to $1.32 and Medical Disposables contributed 190,321 shares with the price rising 2 cents, to $2.25.
Witco in big trade on TTSE
Trading picked up on the Trinidad Stock Exchange on Wednesday from Tuesday lacklustre performance on Tuesday with Trinidad Cement over 215,000 shares and West Indian Tobacco having $5.55 million of the value of trading. Trading ended with 13 securities changing hands of which 3 advanced, 3 declined and 7 traded firm, with a total of 544,601 shares, valued at $7,207,809, compared to just 26,774 units, valued at $603,287 on Tuesday.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index remained unchanged at 1,161.56, the All T&T Index fell by 0.12 points to close at 1,969.05 and the Cross Listed Index advanced by 0.02 points to 46.47.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, Point Lisas trading 91,315 shares with a value of $349,736 and gained 2 cents to $3.83, Sagicor Financial Corporation trading 4,000 shares to close, 5 cents up at $6.30 and West Indian Tobacco trading 44,288 shares valued at $5,558,144 to end with a gain of 9 cents at $125.50.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, Ansa Merchant Bank with 200 shares trading to close lower by 4 cents at $38.90, First Citizens Bank trading 5,184 shares lost 6 cents in closing at $35.75 and Republic Bank lost 3 cents in trading 1,000 shares at a new 52 weeks’ low of $114.93.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, Clico Investment Fund with 1,740 shares to close at $22.57, Grace Kennedy had 45,670 units changing hands at $3.53, Guardian Holdings had 2,000 shares changing hands at $14. JMMB Group trading just 130,000 shares to close at 45 cents, National Enterprises had 1,000 units trading at $17.19, Scotiabank with 500 shares trading, closed at $62.15 and Trinidad Cement trading 217,704 units valued at $631,342 to close at $2.90.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 3 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 3 with the offer that is lower.
JSE increased gains at midday
With two and a half hours of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday, 
the stock market increased the gains it recorded at 10.30 this morning.
JMMB Group traded 9,935,904 shares at $7.50, up from $7.41 on Tuesday as 17 stocks recorded gains to only 1 declining as Jamaica Broilers traded at a 52 weeks’ high.
TheJSE Market Index that gained 600.58 points in the first hour is now up 845.96 to 97,442.47 the JSE All Jamaican Composite index which rose 671.29 points at 10.30 this morning has gone on to record gains of 945.56 points to 107,853.43 at and the JSE combined index that gained 618.66 points is now up 868.76 points to 100,162.53, the junior market index climbed from 5.78 points to 7.85 to 915.04.
JSE up in early trading
With an hour of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange having passed, there are 
gains in all the main indices with the main market indices up a bit.
Helping the indices move up are National Commercial Bank trading at $29.99 for a 53 cents gain, Caribbean Cement adding 10 cent to $5.10 and Sagicor Real Estate Fund trading a $8. The prices of 9 stocks have gained and 3 declined as 16 securities has traded with a total volume of 1.36 million units. The main market has so far had 11 stocks being active while 5 stocks traded in the junior market.
TheJSE Market Index gained 600.58 points to 97,197.09 the JSE All Jamaican Composite index rose 671.29 points to 107,579.16 at and the JSE combined index added 618.66 points to end at 99,912.43, the junior market index climbed 5.78 to 912.97.
Jamaica’s Inflation flat May up 0.5%
Price increases in Jamaica since the start of this year is zero, measured by the All Jamaica Consumer Price Index but it increased by 0.5 percent for May over April this year, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica report shows.
Inflation since May last year is put at 4 percent and was helped by declines in the price of petroleum late in 2014, resulting in just 0.1 percent inflation in October and negative inflation from November to February.
The divisions contributing significantly to the upward movement in the index were Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages influenced by mainly by higher prices for vegetables and starchy foods increased with a 0.5 percent increase.
Increased fuel prices added to inflation in May
Increased fuel prices added to inflation in May[/caption]Other divisions recording increases were: Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco 0.7 percent Clothing and Footwear 0.2 percent, Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance 0.2 percent, Health 0.2 percent, Recreation and Culture 0.1 percent, Restaurants and Accommodation Services 0.1 percent, Miscellaneous Goods and Services 0.3 percent.
Tempering the categories with increases was a fall of 1.7 percent in the index for the group Water Supply and Miscellaneous Services Related to the Dwelling.
J$ slips against all three
Sale of all currencies by dealers on Tuesday was greater than the amount purchased by US$3.4 million and the Jamaican dollar lost value all round. Dealers bought the equivalent of US$27,433,039 compared with US$43,691,010, on Monday while they sold the equivalent of US$30,897,534 versus US$35,083,711 previously.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$24,476,001 compared to US$39,437,114 on Monday. The buying rate for the US dollar gained 2 cents at $115.80 and US$28,846,312 was sold versus US$32,592,055 on Monday, the selling rate rose 7 cents to $116.43. The Canadian dollar buying rate jumped $1.16 to $93.04 with dealers buying C$1,478,870 and selling C$1,176,046, at an average rate that edged up 27 cents to $94.26. 
The rate for buying the British Pound increased 93 cents to $178.21 for the purchase of £1,081,405, while £482,003 was sold, at an average rate that rose 42 cents to $180.37. At the end of trading, it took J$130.95 to purchase the Euro, 18 cents less than on Monday , according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$128.34 for 12 cents less than Monday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$104,617, while the equivalent of US$352,440, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar rose 7 cents to $116.82, the lowest buying and the highest selling rates remained at $95.36 and $122.19 respectively and the lowest selling rate declined by 36 cents to $95. 
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar gained 77 cents to $95.57, the lowest buying and lowest selling rates were unchanged at $75.03 and $90.40, respectively but the highest selling rate rose $2.20 to $99. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, rose 60 cents to $181.90, the lowest buying rate remained unchanged at $145.04, with the highest selling rate dropping $2.01 to $184.97 and the lowest selling rate is up $1.15 to $174.75.
Falling prices dominate with 15 down
Carreras dominated with $64.8M in value
TheJSE Market Index lost just 3.39 points to 96,596.51, the JSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 3.79 points to close at 108,907.87 and the JSE combined index gained 28.63 points to end at 99,293.77.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 19 stocks with bids higher than
their last selling prices and 7 with offers that were lower, an indication that the number of stocks likely to gain on Wednesday should outnumber the ones declining.In trading, Cable & Wireless put on 2 cents with 431,297 units changing hands to close at 46 cents. Caribbean Cement rose 1 cent while trading 121,350 shares at $5, Carreras gained 28 cents in trading 1,341,078 to end at $48.35, with NCB Capital Market s being the main broker selling and Sagicor Investments the main broker buying. Grace Kennedy suffered a decline by 40 cents with 8,919 shares changing hands at $63.50, Hardware & Lumber traded 50,000 shares at $18, with just one trade. Jamaica Broilers slipped 30 cents with 23,654 shares trading to close at $5.20, followed by Kingston Wharves that fell 15 cents to $6.40 with only 725 units trading,
National Commercial Bank traded 528,170 units to close at $29.46 down from the last traded on Monday of $30, as the price slipped 54 cents. Sagicor Group fell 30 cents to $12.30 with 94,210 shares changing hands. The price of Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 10 cents, with 42,375 shares changing hands, to end at $7.70. Scotia Investments fell 72 cents as 25,291 shares traded to close at $26.28 and Proven Investments traded 595,502 shares at 21 US cents, down from 21.05 US cents on Monday, after 467,745 units were traded in the morning session, at 22 US cents.
Are juniors set to rise Wednesday?
Trading on the Junior Market ended with 8 securities trading with 899,009 units changing hands valued at $1,684,866. The JSE Junior Market Index gained 3.51 points to close at 907.19, with the price of 1 stock advancing and 5 declining. No stock closed at 52 weeks’ high.
At the close of the market, there were 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers, this suggest that advancing stocks should beat out declining ones on Wednesday. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 9 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, AMG Packaging ending with 5,000 shares changing hands, to close 2 cents lower at $3.17.
Caribbean Cream closing with 316,243 shares trading at $1.70 at the close, after shedding 30 cents, Jamaican Teas with 15,000 shares trading, ended at $3.52, Lasco Distributors trading 10,000 shares, 19 cents higher, at $1.60. Lasco Financial Services finished trading with 120,000 units and the price slipped 5 cents to $1.99, Lasco Manufacturing had 158,000 shares trading lower by 16 cents to $1.30, Medical Disposables had 274,266 shares changing hands at $2.20 for a loss of 10 cents and Paramount Trading ended trading with 600 shares at $5.
